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Poll Watch

Are you concerned about the use of generative AI by game developers?
Yes, it will decrease the quality of games
18.42%

Yes, it will impact people's jobs / shift the industry
21.05%

Yes, but it is too early to say whether the net result will be negative
34.21%

No, it will increase the quality of games
13.16%

No, it will improve people's jobs
5.26%

No, it won't substantially change anything
0%

I don't have any opinion for or against it / don't know enough about generative AI to say
7.89%

Vote

March

Hibernaculum - Character Generator Update

by Hiddenx, Tuesday - March 12, 2024 18:03

Couchpotato spotted a Kickstarter update for Hibernaculum:

Hibernaculum Character Generator Update

Greetings, Hibernians!

While still firmly a work in progress - we are today extremely proud to announce our shiny new Character Generator is now working and implemented. These numbers and mechanics stay ''under the hood'' during gameplay in Hibernaculum for the most part - and while premade characters are essentially also available - there is much customization and alteration/polish that can be performed on a player character build before starting out aboard Ship in Hibernaculum

In fact, this is recommended for a fully complete experience in Hibernaculum, and of course also gives your character more of a fighting chance of reaching down into the farthest depths of the Ship.


The Character Generator breaks down into 3 specific sections with the more outward aspects of your character on the left panel, their belongings and physicality represented by the center panel, and skills and statistics generally listed on the right hand side panel.

Working your way across a thorough character build is also a good way to familiarize yourself (or at the very least touch upon) some of the everyday intricacies of the Ship & it's varying inhabitants via the various starting biographies & other more subtle cues.

Short biographies are provided as a starting point for understanding your character's role aboard Ship, & are also specific to both BODY and CLASS.

The main SCILD stats (Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, Luckiness, Dexterity) are adjusted depending upon which BODY is chosen - a very high SCILD stat results in other aspects of a character build being altered such as higher health/hit point total for characters with a higher constitution.

[...]

Hibernaculum

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Dungeon Crawler
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Stolen Realm - Preview

by Hiddenx, Monday - March 11, 2024 16:57

WolfheartFPS checked out Stolen Realm:

Stolen Realm - You will LOVE this DnD-like Tactical RPG

Stolen Realm

SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Tactical RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Evering - Released

by Hiddenx, Sunday - March 10, 2024 20:46

The adventure RPG Evering has been released:

Evering

EVERING is an adventure RPG with a turn-based combat system and pixel art style that tells an epic story through witty and funny dialogues with charismatic characters in a completely unique and very detailed world where time loops around in circles.

This is an era of peace and the world faces no danger but if this legend turns out to be true... our days could be numbered.

EVERING is a love letter to nostalgia, a tribute to the games we grew up with, with a renewed look and feel, with no random encounters and accessibility options. You don’t want to fight? That’s okay, you can escape every combat with no punishment so you can follow the story at your pace.

The world of EVERING is full of treasures, maestros and crystals to learn new skills and alchemy ingredients. There are secrets hidden in the last place you would imagine. Can you find them all?

Features:

  • ~25 hours of gameplay
  • Great balance between drama and comedy
  • A wide variety of towns and dungeons to explore
  • Fight unique enemies and bosses in turn-based combat
  • Meet a bunch of peculiar characters
  • Find lots of lore books that build a detail-rich world
  • Solve puzzles, side quests and more!

Story:
This is the story of Eldar, Prince of Onnya, who is obsessed with finding the origin of a legend. He has invested his life in it, often forgetting his royal duties. He will soon realize that everything around him is connected and this will lead him to discover something he never imagined.

He will be joined by Lue, a powerful and overprotective witch. On their path they will meet Jövla, a mysterious wanderer skilled with daggers, Laric, an apprentice alchemist with a lot of potential but very little self-esteem and Qibayn, an artist in constant search of inspiration.

Evering

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: J-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Between the Stars - Review

by Hiddenx, Sunday - March 10, 2024 06:38

Kenetor reviewed Between the Stars:

Between The Stars - Maximum Review - Minimum Spoilers

Between the Stars

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Stolen Realm - Released

by Hiddenx, Saturday - March 09, 2024 08:49

The tactical RPG Stolen Realm has been released:

Stolen Realm

Stolen Realm is a simultaneous turn-based tactical dungeon crawling looter with action RPG elements where you control up to 6 heroes, solo or through online co-op, venturing forth in adventures set in a high-fantasy, low-poly world.

Stolen Realm features an innovative turn-based combat system where simultaneous turns allow every team to take their actions at once, creating quick combat encounters that blend the tactical depth of titles like Divinity: Original Sin with the thrill of a fast-paced action RPG. Every battle scales based on the number of players involved, so you can easily jump in and out of the game even in the same playthrough!

With a highly customisable class system, Stolen Realm allows you to create traditional RPG classes or break the mold to forge a unique champion of your own as you draw from a pool of hundreds of possible skills. Make a spell-slinging assassin, a priest born of frost, or a shadow-infused knight. Further customize your build by earning and reforging loot that truly changes the way you play: wield Abbadon the Soul Crusher, a mythic mace that raises slain enemies as skeletal warriors to fight for you, or unsheath the Bloodletter, a cursed sword that grants additional power at the cost of your lifeblood. D&D-like events where attribute-based rolls will have permanent effects on your character add yet another layer to building a character that is truly your own. Anything is possible in this title that keeps compelling choices at the forefront of your experience.

Keeping the core appeal of RPGs at its forefront, Stolen Realm ensures you spend all your time, fighting, building your characters and making compelling choices that determine your immediate path or effect your character, rather than getting bogged down in side quests and other RPG-bloat. After each battle, pick your path between story events, resource gathering, shops and treasure rooms, until you get to the final boss of each procedurally generated adventure. If you’re up to a challenge, crank the difficulty up with 6 different difficulty levels – or pick Hardcore Mode with permadeath, where every battle can be the last!

Also features Roguelike Mode, a fast paced version of the game where you can mix and match builds that are simply not possible in the traditional campaign!

Carve a place in history with your sword and magic. Rise to honor and glory in the battlefield. Recover the Stolen Realm.

Mortismal Gaming checked it out:

Check Out: Stolen Realm

Stolen Realm

SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Tactical RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Between the Stars - Released

by Hiddenx, Thursday - March 07, 2024 21:09

The final version of the Space RPG Between the Stars has been released:

The final version is now available!

Greetings, Captains!

The final version of Between the Stars is here, and with it comes some new additions. We have also fixed some outstanding bugs, so this will be the most polished experience of the game.

The full campaign features over 160 main events, but also over 200 side quests. You have 25 ships to choose from, and you can customize them with the numerous available weapons and abilities.

The final moment has arrived: rise up against the Children of the Sun and save the galaxy!

[...]

 

Between the Stars

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Monomyth - February Update

by Hiddenx, Tuesday - March 05, 2024 23:24

Henriquejr spotted the February update for Monomyth:

Monomyth - February Update

State of the Game: Video Devlog 11.0 | Steam Next Fest Results | GOG

Hi, dungeon-crawling fans!

Another month, another update! This one is going to be a little shorter, but there are still some very important developments I would like to report. In this update we will be looking at the Steam Next Fest and how that worked out. We will also be looking at the overhauled UI and I have some very good news about GOG!

The next step in development is the Open Backer Beta. I still need to implement some feedback and work over the early areas of the game, but it's coming closer with big steps. I will announce it on relatively short notice. Something I forgot to mention in the video: We will probably go through the OBB in phases, i.e., like the regular closed beta, but with significantly shorter update cycles.

As always, you can find the video's transcript below!

Best wishes,

Michael

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, dungeon-crawling fans!

A busy month is over and there is a lot to report! Between the Steam Next Fest and various patches, I also have some news about Monomyth on GOG. So let’s take a look at it!

During February I mostly focused on the release of the Steam Next Fest demo and various patches fixing the problems that people found in it. And there was no shortage of problems, the most notorious one being a bug that slowed down mouse movement. Luckily, this and other problems could be fixed relatively quickly. All in all, I received a lot of useful feedback. At this point, there are over a hundred posts in the respective thread of Monomyth’s Steam Community Hub. I am going through these posts one by one and I am trying to implement fixes for all issues. I am still updating the demo with hotfixes, so you can take a look at the latest changes at any time.

One major change I recently uploaded was a visual overhaul for the UI. Some people suggested adding some more contrast because bright writing on bright backgrounds was not ideal. So, I took some time and designed a new UI. I played around in Blender at first but then I decided to create the UI elements through procedural image editing. This way I could produce many different window sizes in a relatively short amount of time. What required some more work were the different UI icons. Various menu entries now have a visual representation, for example, all attributes have a small corresponding icon next to them. All of these were made in Blender. All in all the new UI is much more readable and coherent. The overhaul was purely visual - in the future, I will further improve the UI’s functionality as well.

The UI update was one of the bigger requests from the feedback list. The other big thing was a combat overhaul which is one of the next things on my to-do list. It might not make it for the open backer beta but I definitely want to patch combat before the early access phase.

Talking of which, with Steam Next Fest out of the way the OBB is the next step in development. I will work over the earlier areas in the game once more and then it should be ready.

In terms of numbers, Steam Next Fest was rather successful, despite the amount of reported issues early on. Monomyth received something between six and seven thousand wishlists. The rule of thumb is that a game should receive roughly between 3 and 4.5 times its wishlists of the first Steam Next Fest day. Monomyth received around two thousand wishlists on the first day, so the results are satisfactory.

As a last little surprise this month: I have signed a contract with GOG, who were kind enough to consider selling Monomyth in their store. So if you’re not into Steam you can request a GOG key instead. All pre-release test versions will still be distributed via Steam, however, once we go into the Early Access, I will provide you with a form to choose the platform of your liking. This also means, that all pre-release keys will be locked. So if you are currently in the closed beta or take part in the open backer beta, those keys will be automatically invalidated and you will have to unlock the game a second time with your final key.

So that’s all for now. I’ll keep uploading hotfixes and preparing the game for the OBB. Perhaps I can already implement a few fixes for the combat system. We will see. Either way, I’ll keep you updated, and see you soon!

Monomyth

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Stardew Valley - Version 1.6 on March 19

by Hiddenx, Tuesday - March 05, 2024 17:17

Version 1.6 of Stardew Valley will be released on March 19:

1.6 Release Date Announced!

March 19th

Hello everyone,

Today is Stardew Valley's 8th anniversary. That's a long time, I can't believe it's been so long. But the game is doing great, especially here on Steam which was the first platform I launched the game on, and have always considered it "home". It's an honor that Stardew Valley has been so well-received here on Steam, and I thank all of you for playing the game and creating a cool community around it!

What better day than today to announce the new 1.6 update release date:
March 19th, 2024

This update adds some new content to the game. I will release patch notes on the day of launch, but I think it would be more fun for you to just play the update and discover everything yourself. The update will work perfectly fine with your existing save files, but I'd recommend starting a new file to get all the new stuff in context (and because it's always fun to start a new file). You may even want to start with the new farm type.

With a new update on the horizon, a worldwide concert tour underway, an official cookbook coming soon, and now over 30 million copies sold, Stardew Valley is thriving more than ever. All of this is possible because of you, the players, so I just want to say THANK YOU very much.

I hope you enjoy the update when the time comes, and I'll see you in 3 weeks!

-Ape

Stardew Valley

SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Modern
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

February

Moonring - Gameplay

by Hiddenx, Monday - February 26, 2024 16:55

SB is playing the free roguelike Moonring:

SB Plays Moonring 01 - It's Like Rogue!

Moonring

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Roguelike
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Dungeons of the Amber Griffin - Playable Demo

by Hiddenx, Thursday - February 22, 2024 18:19

A playable demo is available for Dungeons of the Amber Griffin on Steam - a Kickstarter campaign for further development will start in April:

Dungeons of the Amber Griffin - Percival Schuttenbach Gameplay [Winter Edition]

Dungeons of the Amber Griffin

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Dungeon Crawler
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Wartales - Matt Chat 519

by Hiddenx, Monday - February 12, 2024 17:44

Matt checked out Wartales:

MC519: Wartales

Wartales

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Dead Monarchy - Review @ TBL

by Hiddenx, Sunday - February 11, 2024 08:25

The Turn Based Lovers checked out Dead Monarchy:

DEAD MONARCHY – REVIEW

Sandbox RPGs such as Battle Brothers and Mount & Blade: Warband are few and far between. At least, good ones are. These games often task players with managing a company of soldiers and completing quests/contracts/missions for cold hard cash, most of which require players to go some place and kill some people. 

Dead Monarchy is no different; it puts players in charge of a company of soldiers in a low-fantasy world, completing contracts in order to build up wealth and improve their company’s skills. In this sense, Dead Monarchy is similar to Battle Brothers, though its tactical turn-based combat takes place in a 3D environment. 

[...]

CONCLUSION
My thoughts on Dead Monarchy are relatively conflicted. On one hand, Dead Monarchy is a tactical experience packed with high levels of customization and strategy, all made by a single dedicated indie developer. But on the other hand, Dead Monarchy is extremely janky, packed with small annoyances and severely lacking many quality of life features. 

Although at its low price point I can still recommend Dead Monarchy to hardcore fans of tactical sandbox RPGs, players should go into the experience aware of the game’s shortcomings. In reality, Dead Monarchy should still be in Early Access, as it does not come across as a finished game. It’s simply lacking in too many areas, despite the fact that the one thing it isn’t lacking is content. 

However, if players treat this like an Early Access title and manage to grind past the game’s slow-start, Dead Monarchy has some satisfying systems under its hood that reward players for their patience. Furthermore, the developer behind Dead Monarchy is still actively working on the game, and updates seem to be fairly regular. With another year or so of updates, Dead Monarchy could really be something special, but until then, I recommend it only to those who can look past the game’s low quality of life. 

For those that do decide to take a chance on Dead Monarchy, I recommend turning on ‘Quick Interactions’, ‘Faster Combat’, and ‘Faster Movement’ in the game’s options menu. Trust me, it results in a faster-paced experience that makes some of the game’s more tedious moments less frustrating. 

Thanks Couchpotato!

 

Dead Monarchy

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Pixel Noir - Released

by Hiddenx, Friday - February 09, 2024 17:04

The pixel-art RPG Pixel Noir has been released:

PIXEL NOIR | OFFICIAL LAUNCH TRAILER

Pinnacle City has a problem, and you’re the only one that can solve it. But will chasing the answer cost you your sanity? Pixel Noir is out today — check it out on Steam now

 

Pixel Noir

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Modern
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Aletheia: Return of Odysseus - Announced

by Hiddenx, Thursday - February 08, 2024 20:52

The historical RPG Aletheia: Return of Odysseus has been announced:

Aletheia: Return of Odysseus

Why is it that after 3000 years, the story of Odysseus continues to enchant audiences across cultures and time? The Odyssey is a timeless masterpiece, that’s why. Despite all the advancements in storytelling in modern television, books and games, most still fall short of the charm found in this ancient tale.

(Preview by Tavernking)

We here at Absent Dragon propose a simple idea. We want to make an RPG about the Odyssey that stays accurate to the original text itself. What does this mean? It means never contradicting the text, letting the player do everything Odysseus did in the text, and never attempting to upstage the text. The game will be meticulously researched to ensure it’s as faithful as possible not only to The Odyssey, but to Greek mythology as a whole.

Aletheia: Return of Odysseus is a new RPG that puts you in control of the legendary hero as he embarks on his journey home to Ithaca. Together with your help, we can bring to life a faithful depiction of Homer’s Greece!

Features:

  • The timeless tale of the Odyssey, staying true to the original text.
  • Engaging Turn-Based Combat inspired by RPG classic Fallout 2.
  • Detailed character creation. Determine your upbringing, racial background, skills and attributes.
  • Reactive questing with multiple solutions, no hand-holding.
  • Explore Homer's Greece through beautifully crafted isometric graphics.
  • Manage your army as you encounter mythological creatures such as sirens, giants and nymphs.

What could truly set the ‘Aletheia' series apart could be a community that shares a passion for authentic mythology games. We hope that Return of Odysseus becomes an opportunity to explore and reflect on the rich world of Greek mythology in a new and engaging way. But why stop at just Greek mythology? We want to dive into the myths of other cultures, such as Egypt and Mesopotamia. By coming together, we can delve deeper into the rich stories and themes of these fascinating worlds, and help create authentic games about them. Join the Discord server if you're interested!

Thanks Couchpotato!

Aletheia: Return of Odysseus

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Historical
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Between the Stars - Launch Date: March 7

by Hiddenx, Wednesday - February 07, 2024 17:08

The Space Sim Between the Stars will leave Early Access on March 7:

Launch Date Announcement

Greetings, Captains!

We are happy to announce that on March 7th Between the Stars will leave Early Access.

Currently, we are working hard to polish the game and fix as many bugs as possible. Thank you very much to all of you who have submitted bug reports, they have been a great help to make Between the Stars a better game.

What to expect from version 1.0?

  • Full campaign: Interplanetary peace is in danger and only a captain can save it. Take on the Children of the Sun through more than 160 main events and restore peace to the Galaxy.
  • Live your own adventure: Meet different characters and discover the wild adventures that await you in more than 200 side events.
  • Manage your resources: Obtain the 25 available ships and numerous weapons and abilities. Manage your crew wisely, and you will be able to overcome any challenge.
  • Live the experience more polished than ever: During the last months we have focused on fixing the pending bugs, as well as polishing the events to improve the experience to the maximum.

As always, we would like to thank all the players who have supported us during Early Access. As you know, things got rocky, but we are at last on the home stretch.

Thank you all so much for playing Between the Stars!

Thanks Farflame!

Between the Stars

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Exoplanet: First Contact - Build 0.73

by Hiddenx, Sunday - February 04, 2024 10:28

Couchpotato spotted a new build for the Early Access title Exoplanet: First Contact:

BUILD 0.73

Big gameplay and level design changes, improvements in quests and animations and a lot bug fixes!

Hello, space cowboys!

We are excited to tell you that update 0.73 is ready! We have put in a ton of work and made numerous changes to make your gaming experience even better. As usual, we're eager to hear your thoughts in the comments and on Discord. Now let's take a look at the changes awaiting you in the game.

GAMEPLAY

We've already told you about the changes in the combat system, the introduction of new opponents with updated sounds, and improvements in daily routines. But, of course, we have more to share besides the new ability system, adding levels to Jack's enemies, character reactions, and effects.

The role-playing system underwent a significant overhaul — we've invested a lot of effort into adding systems that will diversify the ways to solve quests, increase replayability, and give you the chance to personalize your character. Thanks to numerous skills and the new perks system, your character will become even more unique. Additionally, in dialogues, there will be significantly more reactions through which you can shape your character's personality — depending on your responses, events will unfold in sometimes completely different ways!

[...]

Exoplanet: First Contact

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Technofantasy
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Kingsvein - Gameplay

by Hiddenx, Saturday - February 03, 2024 09:48

Big Simple checked out the tactical RPG Kingsvein:

A New Stellar Party Tactics RPG - Let's Try - Kingsvein

Kingsvein

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Monomyth - Video Devlog 10.0

by Hiddenx, Thursday - February 01, 2024 19:28

Couchpotato spotted a new update for Monomyth:

State of the Game: Video Devlog 10.0 | Demo

Hi, dungeon-crawling fans!

We are already a month into the new year, so it is time for a new update! This time we will discuss the latest improvements and Monomyth's participation in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, starting on February the 5th, 2024.

As always you can find the video script below.

Best wishes,

Michael

[...]

Monomyth

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Action-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

January

Glasshouse - Concept Demo available

by Hiddenx, Monday - January 29, 2024 16:32

A concept demo is available for Glasshouse:

CONCEPT DEMO available on Itch.io!

2+ Hours of gameplay, 3 Endings and much more!

Hello flatmates,

COPS DON'T BARK, the Concept DEMO of GLASSHOUSE, is officially available on Itch.io!

DOWNLOAD LINK (Windows) 

WHAT'S A CONCEPT DEMO?

This ludonarrative experience is the fruit of 1 year and 7 months of hard work, in free time and without funding. This is the Concept Feature-complete, the foundation on which GLASSHOUSE will rest, when it is released on Steam in the future.

"COPS DON'T BARK" is a story in itself, a Chapter of a project that began with great ambitions and little experience. This chapter is a Proof of Concept, a project that has been reshaped, torn apart and rethought from scratch several times over the course of time. We knew what we wanted to tell, but we didn't know how.

Today, the release of this CONCEPT DEMO represents the closing of one phase, pre-production, and the beginning of a new one: actual development. COPS DON'T BARK does not represent the final version of GLASSHOUSE but what, one day, it could be!

FEATURES

  • +2 hours of gameplay
  • 3 Endings
  • Completely redesigned UI
  • New 3D Character Models
  • Cutscenes
  • +50 minutes of Original Soundtrack
  • 2 new locations: Canal 73 and Wealdmaer's Room
  • Crafting: Build Tools, expand your Inventory and solve tricky puzzles with cunning
  • Political Compass: Choose your ideology, make tough choices through Political Skillchecks
  • Questlog: Your personal diary to keep track of your progress

Thanks Couchpotato!

Glasshouse

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Modern
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Magic Cauldron - Dungeons - Kickstarter live

by Hiddenx, Sunday - January 28, 2024 08:35

Kordanor spotted a Kickstarter campaign for the dungeon crawler Magic Cauldron - Dungeons - (A demo is available here):

Magic Cauldron - Dungeons

The world of Magic Cauldron is full of secrets and legends just waiting to be discovered. But on the dark paths of legends and prophecies, everything has its price. Sometimes the price is certain death.

There is an old legend about a magical cauldron that is said to have the power to bring the dead back to life. This cauldron is said to be hidden on a remote island.

Many adventurers wanted to achieve fame and honour and also be bestowed with riches. Most of them failed miserably.

Are you perhaps an adventurer with the courage to face your demons? Choose a hero and throw yourself into the adventure.

Magic Cauldron - Dungeons is a classic dungeon crawler with a pixel art look. The game is reminiscent of the good old days of grid crawlers, which were still completely 3D-free. Turn-based battles and hidden chambers will bring out the explorer in you.

Main features:

  • Explore the island with its various vegetation and different dungeons
  • Fight against sinister enemies and show that you were born to survive
  • Find hidden switches and mysterious treasures
  • Brew potions with the different cauldrons to help you survive

Magic Cauldron - Dungeons

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Dungeon Crawler
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Hibernaculum - Release: Q4 2025

by Hiddenx, Friday - January 26, 2024 18:27

The dungeon crawler Hibernaculum will be released in late 2025:

Hibernaculum is now officially on STEAM (coming Q4 2025)

 

Hibernaculum

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: Dungeon Crawler
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Voidspire Tactics - Retrospective Review

by Hiddenx, Friday - January 26, 2024 18:22

NoTimeToGame looks back at Voidspire Tactics:

Voidspire Tactics || Review || When the Credits Roll

 

Voidspire Tactics

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Tactical RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

All Quiet in the Trenches - Released into Early Access

by Hiddenx, Monday - January 22, 2024 18:20

The survival RPG All Quiet in the Trenches has been released into Early Access:

All Quiet in the Trenches

All Quiet in the Trenches

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Modern
Genre: Survival-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: In development

Details

Kingsvein - Review @ Rock Paper Shotgun

by Hiddenx, Saturday - January 20, 2024 09:14

Rock Paper Shotgun reviewed the retro RPG Kingsvein:

Kingsvein review: monster-splatting RPG goodness that leads with its weak foot

Things get better the more you open it up

I disliked turn-based RPG Kingsvein at first. Quite a bit, in fact. An earlier version of this review would have been a very negative on, filled mostly with complaints and annoyances about opaque and frustrating systems, most of which I've since got over as the intent behind its design has become more clear.

It could definitely explain some things better, and its inscrutably tiny graphics remain a minor nuisance. But it's grown on me a lot, and though it may not be quite the kind of turn-based RPG I get on with best, it's an enjoyable one with a refreshing lack of bloat and timewasting, and with a class and combat system that will be pure catnip to a particular kind of player.

[...]

But I did learn those things, despite spurning most classes and only delving knee-deep in its possibilities after finding some mostly effective ones that I enjoyed. Those early frustrations gave way to satisfaction at scraping through a close call, and feeling like I'd won a fight through applying the right skills and plans, and making progress because I'd learned to judge my team's capabilities rather than just make a number go up enough. That's a great spot for any RPG to be in, and if you're less interested in complex or hefty narratives than some chunky tactical combat and tinkering with characters as toolboxes, Kingsvein could be a slightly rough gem.

Kingsvein

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details

Banner Saga - Looking Back

by Hiddenx, Thursday - January 18, 2024 20:00

Inverse looks back at the Banner Saga series:

It’s Time To Stop Ignoring The Best RPG Trilogy Since Mass Effect

10 years ago, one crowd-funded game found excellence in execution.

We’re never satisfied with perfection. Perfect things are rarely given more than a moment to exist. They’re almost always seen as “the right thing at the right time.” Perfection is never allowed much staying power because we expect iteration and improvement, especially for something as commercial as gaming. There’s always room for more pixels, better lighting, or bigger maps. But every once in a while though, something perfect and timeless comes along.

Ten years ago, that was The Banner Saga Trilogy.

The first game in the series, The Banner Saga, arrived on January 14, 2014. Developed by Stoic Studio, a small team mostly made up of former BioWare employees, it began with a Kickstarter campaign. More than 20,000 backers raised $723,000, far surpassing their goal of $100k. It’s easy to see why it was successful: stunning visuals that invoke the work of Disney legend Eyvind Earle, a Norse-inspired setting, and a gameplay balance that’s a mix of XCOM, Dragon Age, and Oregon Trail.

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Thanks Couchpotato!

Banner Saga

SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: Strategy-RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

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Kingsvein - Released

by Hiddenx, Tuesday - January 16, 2024 17:21

The retro RPG Kingsvein has been released:

Kingsvein

All contact with the city of Kingsvein has been lost. As Wisp Slayer, your role is to investigate and exterminate whatever evil lurks there.

  • Adventure through the castle and its outer reaches as you see fit - secret treasures and skulking beasts hide around every corner!
  • Dynamic and deep tactical combat - toss your enemies into spikes then electrify their blood, or cover the battlefield in flames
  • Customize your team by mixing and matching 15 different classes, each with upgradeable abilities and equippable passives
  • Use your abilities to explore - freeze rivers with your magic, blast through cave walls, and throw chains to topple statues
  • Ride your loyal steed in and out of combat, and train it to be as fierce as any Knight
  • Set in the realm of Graven, a weird subterranean world of living soil and half-stone Diecast
  • From the maker of the highly-rated Horizon's Gate, Voidspire Tactics and Alvora Tactics

Thanks Couchpotato!

 

Kingsvein

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released

Details