Ever since I was a wee little lad I have loved both video games and board games. And well, I love any kind of game in general really. The primary driver for my learning how to code was so I could make video games. As such, games have a special place in my heart. Here one can find a my hot takes of the games I have enjoyed although this list is missing about three decades of content.
Recommendations? Do tell! I enjoy just about any game although visual novels and walking sims are uhh...not my rhythm.
Balatro
last updated 2 weeks ago
the story a Balatro is a familiar one
a broke solo indie gamedev works tirelessly
they pour hours into a passion project
toiling away late into the night
month by month
no sign of success
but they work hard and persevere
month by month working
then something happens
people notice
a masterpeice is forming
month by month
Balatro is another indie masterpeice.
It hits hard. It does to card builders what Undertale did to jRPGs. I think it was built in lua using the esoteric LOVE game engine. Which is amazing and so hipster I love it!
cards
roguelike
Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries
last updated 3 months ago
Oh god this game ate a decent chunk of my life. The story sucks ignore it. The core gameplay loop is amazing: take contract, blow shit up, make money, repair, upgrade, repeat.
There is something super fun about walking around in a 100 ton chunky boi with giant cannons for arms and lasers for eyes. You can just walk through buildings. It is great. Play this game if you like action fun. The DLCs kinda suck though.
action
rpg
open world
Cookie Clicker
last updated 3 months ago
The OH auto play game. Yup, you click, make cookies and grow. It never ends. I had a bit of fun with this one. It is well worth playing around a bit with. This one is the defacto best example of the genre of auto clickers.
clicker
niche
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
last updated 4 months ago
A survivors spin off of Deep Rock Galactic. It is solid. Good fun and nice change up on the formula. You have 5 stages per run each lasting around 5 minutes. This allows for a tight core gameplay loop.
I'd highly recommend this if you like the survivors game genre. Imo, it is a cut above the usual slop. It is a bit grindy so don't be afraid of save game editing if you don't have the time to grind.
roguelike
rpg
arcade
Black Book
last updated 5 months ago
Wonderful world and story building. The combat mechanics are serviceable but not as strong as the story. I'd love to read a book in the world without the game part. It is just so wonderful and fresh.
turn-based
cards
rpg
Lonestar
last updated 5 months ago
An amazing early access roguelike spaceship battle game. The overall vibe is like Cowboy Bebop meets Outlaw Star with a bit of self aware humor. The game mechanics are fun with decent depth. The art direction is great and the music is solid. I put 30 hours in EA before I considered myself done.
They only have 2 ships to pick from now but a 3rd is on the way.
roguelike
turn-based
strategy
space
Tyfortress: Tactical Typing
last updated 6 months ago
A decent little typing game with solid game feel. It is a great deal or the price which was about 1$. It does get old a bit fast given how shallow the overall gameplay is. The mechanics are solid but just not developed as far as they could be. There isn't any sense of meta progression and the only motivator to get better is a bigger score number which is a bit boring.
Still worth the price though if you want a little bit of dynamic typing practice.
tower defence
niche
Factorio
last updated 8 months ago
I always heard about this game but it seemed a bit too...uhh... artistic for me. Years go by. And more years. Then my gf's brother in law is like, "hey you two should play this game with me. It is multiplayer". So I play it.... And then 5 months of my life is a blur of belts on belts on belts on bots on pumps. Dear god I spent so much time trying to make 8 belts of green chips.
This game is not for everyone however, if it is for you, and you will know if it is, good luck. 10/10
Update: The game is still like crack and mods are like crack-Cocaine. Also, they are making an expansion. God help us all.
rts
crafting
Wartales
last updated 8 months ago
Remember Banner Lord? What about Battlebrothers? This is the same formula but with some fun twists.
You run a small company who must survive. You need to manage gold, happiness, food, gear, many professions, renown, and much more. All of this sits as a backdrop against a decent if a bit inconsistent combat system.
The game is a bit pricy given the overall polish but I have had an absolute blast. I am torn if I like it more than Battlebrothers. It adds many fun little sub systems to the formula which I do think add to the experience but the combat is not as tight.
The tldr here is that if you know what Banner Lord or Battlebrothers are, get this game. It is fantastic but maybe get it on sale. Asking price is a little much given the overall polish.
strategy
turn-based
roguelike
open world
party management
Chained Echoes
last updated 8 months ago
A solid modern jrpg with some fantastic twists. The story is pretty meh overall but the world is good fun and most importantly, giant robot mech fights. That is right, there is another combat mode where you get to pilot a giant mech and fight. You can even fly around the maps and traverse new areas.
Sadly, the mech fights are pretty shallow and not much fun. The combat is pretty difficult in that there are gimmicks that different encounters have and if you don't play to the gimmick you will die very fast. This makes the core of the game, combat, a bit frustrating.
The world is fun and does help carry things. Story is your basic jrpg anime like plot and setup. Don't expect anything ground breaking there.
If you are looking for a modern well executed jrpg which isn't an overdeveloped Square title, this is fantastic. However, if the jrpg formula is not your taste, give this one a pass.
jrpg
turn-based
pixel-style
Sea of Stars
last updated 8 months ago
Amazing. I am not sure why I like this game so much. The pixel art direction is crazy good. Everything feels gooey in the best way. Lighting, characters, the world, are all great but what stood out the most to me was the sound design. It was another level of polish I just did not expect. The story is another basic jrpg story but there are some great twists and fun very self aware moments which make the end result just barely break out of the standard formula.
One mechanic they use here is to allow activating "artifacts" as a way of tuning the difficulty. A core combat mechanic is to time button presses at the right time for bonus damage or defense very similar to the South Park rpg games. This keeps combat interesting but can be a chore. They allow activating different artifacts to change how this and other mechanics work. This allows a much greater degree of flexibility in the game experience without a basic "easy" or "hard" mode. Some of the artifacts are simply there to just help with mechanics vs just adding more stats to the player.
I want to comment one more time on the music. The level up loop is short, maybe 30s but god damn is it a banger. It kept me playing alone. Each area has a theme song and many are just as good as the level up theme. The amount of polish is just too good. In one level the theme song has a part where a choir sings. There are cute little mushrooms with faces in the level who animate on cue with the singing choir. This gives the effect that the music is actually in the world. As if the characters running around hear the same song. It is these small little touches of polish that elevate this game above others in the genre.
I'd highly highly recommend this game to anyone who even remotely likes jrpgs. It executes the formula perfectly well. The price is a little bit steep for me but getting it on sale is a no brainer.
jrpg
turn-based
pixel-style
Thronefall
last updated 8 months ago
Thronefall is an absolute gem. It is an example of how indie game devs still beat AAA studios when it comes to pushing game mechanics to another level.
Thronefall is a mishmash of the core game mechanics of several genres. It is kind of a tower defense, city builder, action rpg, rogue-like of sorts. The goal is to survive a set number several attack waves. You are able to spend gold earned from slain enemies on many buildings which can aid in defense or gold generation. Most buildings have an upgrade path you can pick which will give options on how best to aid in withstanding the attack waves.
This game is just great. The art direction is perfect for what it is. It screams indie in all the best ways. I will never forget the little horn sound that plays when you send the next wave.
I noticed that the game feel so to speak looks as if the devs are using unity with a specific library from the Unity asset store. The asset specifically helps with adding that "tween" polish to game interactions. The almost bounce of animation in response to an action. The way health bars bounce and animation down, how particle effects scale and tween color, it is all looks like a tech demo almost on the library. I love it.
If you like indie games, snag this up. It is so cheap. Only 7 bucks and more than worth the polish that is here.
roguelike
city builder
Iratus: Lord of the Dead
last updated 8 months ago
This is Darkest Dungeon but you play as the bad guys. It is great fun with a tight game loop. It takes the same meta progression of darkest dungeon and adds a fun "you are the bad guy" twist to it. Art is great, sound is decent, music is serviceable. Altogether a nice tight little package.
I'd recommend grabbing it on a sale. Full price is a little much. I do not know if the DLC is worth it but people who like the base game say it is.
roguelike
rpg
turn-based
Baldur's Gate 3
last updated 9 months ago
Wow. A game which will define and influence the industry for years to come. One of the few examples of taking a legendary IP and delivering on all fronts. What this game was able to do is break RPGs into the mainstream in a way that no other game has since perhaps The Witcher 3. I wouldn't be surprised if some streaming service picks up the IP.
Now, I have....thoughts. The game has 3 acts. Act 3 is a complete mess. The ending is terrible. Yes it is. Conclusions are rushed, disjointed, full of bugs and cutscenes which don't play. All kinds of issues. Wait? You may ask. I thought the game was ground breaking? It is but we have to be real here. The game is as buggy as Skyrim was for me. But you know what? I love Skyrim. Bugs and some crappy polish issues never make or break a game. It just needs to be "good enough" to allow players to sink their teeth into the good parts.
So what are the good parts?
**Story**? Serviceable but nothing new. Last of us is bounds ahead here.
**World**? We have all been to dungeons and dragons before. Neverwinter nights I think did a more expansive job at the Underdark for its time. D&D is pretty goofy overall.
**Characters? **I think we have seen the cast before. Some good writing and conclusions but again. This was not what made it.
**Gameplay?** Yes. What made the game so good was the gameplay. Specifically, combat and exploration.
You see, what the mainstream saw was a game come out that truly innovated on open world like exploration and turnbased combat bringing something fresh. But what they didn't know was that BG3 was the third iteration from a studio on this style of sandbox cRPG.
I will write more later here but suffice it to say that BG3 was amazing because the production was "good enough" AAA quality attached to a truly ground breaking innovation in turn based combat and world exploration. This simple example explains it, "hey I need to get up to that ledge but only my strongest dude can jump up there. Oh I know, I'll just have the strong guy yeet everyone on to the ledge before jumping" That kind of emergent sandbox gameplay is why the game is so good.
crpg
rpg
turn-based
Peggle
last updated 1 year ago
I don't know why I played and beat this one. It is one of those early 2000s mobile games designed like a slot machine to give your grandma dopamine.
arcade
Chained Echoes
last updated 1 year ago
It is pretty hard. A decent little jrpg with an adequate story and fun world. You get to pilot a mech which is fun although the fights in the mech are not that fun.
jrpg
rpg
turn-based
LoopHero
last updated 1 year ago
Wow. What a fantastic little indie title. Awesome play on mechanics for the genre which tie amazingly well into the world. The plot and story make sense given the mechanics and the art style is simple yet distinctive. I remember seeing this pop up on steam a while ago and the screenshots looked boring so I past. I almost missed out on this gem of a title.
Ok real talk now. The game does feel a bit incomplete. Many of the mechanics are fun but due lack a bit of depth. There are some stats for example which are just useless and impossible to make a build around. Overall though, the content is just a bit lacking. The game is "technically" out of early access I think and is beatable but it still feels like a promising early access title. Maybe let it bake in the oven a bit longer before taking the dip. Still, it is worth trying for an hour or so just to experience how the world and story are interwoven with the game mechanics.
roguelike
indie
rpg
auto battler
Hogwarts Legacy
last updated 1 year ago
I am not a mega Harry Potter fan but I do enjoy the heck out of the world. I don't particularly care for any specific character in the books or movies but there is a certain whimsical magic that comes to life in the world. As if right around the corner is some new unheard of wonder. I enjoy the world.
On that note, Hogwarts Legacy is fantastic especially with the world building. The first few hours exploring the castle were the most memorable. I did feel like a bit of a lune swinging around my want screaming "Revelio" every 6 seconds but I'd be damned if I missed one secret. The team clearly cared about maintaining the feeling that is "Harry Potter". It oozes from the castle around every corner. The details are everywhere.
Combat is fun and flashy but a little shallow. A lack of enemy types and limited bindings for spells hampers it. It is like all the core mechanics were there but just didn't care much depth. Spells, talents, crafting, sockets, animals, etc. They just don't have much depth. I can see what it could be though in another future game and it makes me hopeful they give it an other go.
The open world is repetitive but fun. I didn't find myself wanting to do everything but man did I enjoy the hell out of just flying around on a broom taking in the view. I think the lack of encounter types and factions made it a bit bland. It would be cool to see good wizards battling bad wizards and more going on instead of endless camps of poachers. Anything to break it up a little.
The story was pretty fun and some of the side quests were great. It suffers from not having any major consequence for being an asshole. This was intentional to make the game more accessible and it does! But it also makes it a little less interesting.
I loved it. It was a blast playing. I am not going to complete my field guide and get 100% but it was worth the time. I can see what could be done though. I'd love to do a story focused game without an open world going through a few years at a school as some historical wizard. It doesn't have to be Hogwarts. It could be one of the other schools. There are many options in the Harry Potter world I think different genres of games could work with. They'd all just need to nail the "feel" of Harry Potter.
If you like anything Harry Potter, get this game. Worth it. If you don't care for Harry Potter, pass on this. It is a middling open world game similar to ubisoft games where the major selling point is the world it is set in and not any break through in game mechanics.
open world
rpg
action
Urtuk: The Desolation
last updated 1 year ago
A surprisingly deep TTB strategy game. The world is grim, dark, and dangerous. I had a blast running around the wasteland building a team of mutants. I do wish there was a bit more of a loop around dying to unlock more starting units.
If you like hard turn based combat, this is fantastic. Also, noticed it was made using java. Like hilarious.
turn-based
rpg
roguelike
Metal: Hellsinger
last updated 1 year ago
Perhaps it was just me or maybe it was playing on the xbox but the game was just not super playable for me. It felt like there was a huge input delay between an action and the beat. Idk, I tried for about 30 minutes and felt sick by the end of it. If you are on PC, maybe it is better. Maybe you have better rhythm than me. This is a pass for me at least.
rhythm
fps
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos - Chicken Edition
last updated 1 year ago
Charming and fun for a little while. I couldn't really get into it. The humor isn't my game. Give it a go if you have some time to kill and enjoy rpg games with a...different sense of comedy.
rpg
turn-based
Prodeus
last updated 1 year ago
I only played a level or two but damn, if the original Doom was remade today, it would be this. Slick, stylish, and the right amount of fun. If it had any kind of glory kills, it would hold up against the modern Doom games too. If you want a blast of nostalgia and enjoy metal music, this is a banger I'll tell you what.
fps
TABS: Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
last updated 1 year ago
Do you like sandbox games? Do you like physics games? Do you like disturbingly animated stick people? Then boy do we have a winner here. I'm seriously now, this is great fun and well-polished. It has the right amount of jank. It is great to play for 5 minutes to an hour depending on the mood.
simulator
strategy
Despot's Game
last updated 1 year ago
A delightfully fun auto battler roguelike. It is stylish with a good sense of humor. It kept me engaged for several hours. I have yet to "beat" the game and am not sure if I will. While it is fun, after 4 or so hours I found myself a little bored with the repetition. I didn't go further on each run as I think a decent amount of the game is based on luck. Since it is an auto battler sometimes you just take a bad engagement and are almost ruined for the run. Still, it is great fun and free on Gamepass. I say give it a go.
roguelike
rpg
auto battler
Quaver
last updated 1 year ago
Ok, so it is free to play so bar is lower. I normally would love this kind of game. I mean I love rhythm games. But man, something about this just kind feels....bad. It isn't fun to play and the input feels so sluggish. Perhaps I need to practice more to get used to it but it just isn't fun.
Now the other part is the song selection. It is basically 95% anime weeb stuff. This isn't necessarily bad but it all sounds the exact same. Don't get me wrong, I like anime opening/ending songs. They are fine but 95% of them sound almost identical. I don't find myself wanting to jam out to them the way I do other genre of music. Kpop has more variety which says something.
tldr; if you are into anime songs and enjoy rhythm games, give it a go cuz you know.....its free.
rhythm
Solasta: Crown of the Magister
last updated 1 year ago
I tried getting into this and it just kinda never stuck. I tried it out on xbox with a controller which may have made the controls not as fun but I couldn't get into the game. It felt a bit like a knock-off 5e dnd with some default unity store assets. If I was younger and with more time, I am sure I would have sunk my teeth into this but I found myself wanting to play DOS2 instead.
crpg
turn-based
Slay the Spire
last updated 1 year ago
Feels a bit like a prequel to Monster Train. Competent well-polished card builder. If you are into the style of roguelike card builders where each run unlocks more options for the next run, this is for you.
One issue I did run into often which I attribute to playing on the xbox was the controls. Specifically, the Y button ends the turn without any prompt if you can play cards still. The number of times I accidentally hit Y whilst trying to navigate using a potion needs more than 3 hands to count. Losing a run because of this hurts something fierce. A simple hold to end would have completely solved this issue and had almost zero impact on ending a turn early. Just a down side of playing on a console I suppose.
rpg
cards
roguelike
Tainted Grail
last updated 1 year ago
This is an odd one. The plot is rather interesting but damn is the game hard. Ok, maybe I just suck at it but I can barely survive any fights. Every time I feel like I did ok, I just get wrecked in the next fight. It is brutal. Still, the world, plot, and core mechanics are decent if a bit unpolished. The loading time between deaths/runs is a bit rough.
I am will try and give it another chance and sink into it a bit more but if it doesn't pick up I may just shelve it for a while.
roguelike
rpg
turn-based
Torchlight
last updated 1 year ago
Torchlight. Such a classic. I played through this again on the xbox and beat it pretty quick although the campaign isn't too long. The endless is fun but a bit repetitive. I wish there were some bosses to fight like in the campaign but alas there are none. I feel like the core game loop is on point so much but the campaign just ends at what feels like maybe 1/4 of the way through the game. I wish they did more content on this one before moving on to Torchlight 2.
I still give this a super high rating even if it is a bit from nestalga.
rpg
Neon Abyss
last updated 1 year ago
A decent-looking game with a solid level of content if you like the loop. I just wasn't up for the game loop so dropped it after a few runs.
roguelike
platformer
Songs of Conquest
last updated 2 years ago
A spiritual successor to the old Heroes of Might and Magic games. Now, I never played those so I cannot comment on how Songs of Conquest compares but I love it. Even in early access it is decent. I did run into some bugs and performance issues with more AI players but nothing breaking.
If you like 4x turn based games with rpg mechanics, you will love this.
4x
rpg
turn-based
Risk of Rain 2
last updated 2 years ago
A super solid roguelike game. Great flavor throughout all aspects. One run can go on for hours and you will find you never want it to end.
It is even more fun with friends although balancing is harder. They put out an expansion which isn't really worth the asking price but does add a decent amount of fun.
rpg
roguelike
Vampire Survivors
last updated 2 years ago
A tight well executed rogue light game. There is a free version to try online. Give it a go. If you like it, the full game is only a few bucks and well worth the price.
The game is a perfect example of how a simple concept with simple graphics and gameplay can be an absolute blast if well executed. There is a very common game mechanic in the roguelike/light genre where after each run you unlock more abilities, items, characters, or options to give you an edge on the next run. Vampire Survivors does a perfect job with the execution of this mechanic. Almost every run gives you a little more without giving too much all at once. On the surface it feels a bit empty but as you unlock more you will find a decent amount of content even with the early access label.
The fact it is made with javascript makes me happy as a clam as it further cements that a good successful game does not need to have the latest and greatest of everything.
A seriously good game well worth the asking price.
roguelike
action
rpg
Forager
last updated 2 years ago
A cute little mindless crafting game. Is a little slow to start then gets better. If you rate it on par with a $3 mobile game, it is decent, but if you put it into the category of anything more, it is very lacking. I got this on game pass on the xbox so take my opinion with some salt.
The short is the balance of crafting and grind time is awful. The performance of the game is terrible to the point of being almost unplayable later on. The controls almost made me drop playing outright. Everything but the balance could be fixed in a few weeks of QA which is crazy to me. It just feels like the game came out of the oven before it was done.
That being said, it was a great time killer when I was out sick for a several days. I could turn my brain off and mindlessly mine/craft repeat.
crafting
action
rpg
Iron Harvest
last updated 2 years ago
I saw trailers for this game before it was released. And? Oh my did the setting look amazing. I loved it. I downloaded it but left it unplayed for a few years. I finally dipped into it and I couldn't get past the first campaign mission. Is it hard? No. It is the most boring absolutely frustratingly stupid tutorial. Maybe if I jumped into a skirmish I'd have had a better first impression but man I just could not care for the campaign at all. Running around hiding in bushes chasing a deer across a big map 5 times to learned 1 mechanic is not fun nor a good tutorial.
If you like RTS games, give it a go. It doesn't look bad but man the tutorial is awful.
strategy
rts
Wasteland 3
last updated 2 years ago
If you liked Wasteland 2, then you will enjoy Wasteland 3. I think 2 is a far better game though. I never finished 3. I kind just lost interest.
The combat is decent. Character builds, skills, weapons, etc are all fun. I am not a minmax'er and didn't have too many problems with most encounters. What I did have an issue with is the plot/setting. I just couldn't give a damn about any of the "factions'. It is basically, hey look everyone is a terrible horrible pile of garbage, pick a side or murder hobo everyone. Murder hobo is usually boring as it cuts out the majority of game content. The factions are basically the same. A bunch of assholes which zero redeeming qualities. There are some great side quests which kept me going but once I finished most of them I just couldn't care about the main story.
What 2 I think did better was the change in regions. The desert was a fun intro but really opens up to some interesting stuff when you get to the lush green jungle like California. I grew up in Colorado and the cold wasteland setting just becomes bland after about 10 hours.
If you like crpgs and like the other Wasteland games, give it a go. Otherwise, I'd pass and get something with a much better setting like Divinity Original Sin II.
crpg
turn-based
Age of Empires 4
last updated 2 years ago
I was pretty excited when this came out. I love the RTS age games. All of them. I got into the beta and didn't think it was bad. The final release was basically a slightly updated beta.
Look, if this was not put out as the 4th entry for the Age of Empires franchise, it would still only be mid tier. As an entry in the series, it is the weakest one. Age 1, 2, and 3 all are better with 2 being the best. Why? Gamefeel.
I don't know why but playing AOE 4 just feels unresponsive or maybe frustrating. Units don't control well. The attack animations, buildings, camera, it all just feels not quite right. It isn't bad. I think if they spent another year or so on polishing up the over responsiveness and feel for the game it would be solid. But every time I open it up, within a few minutes all I want to do is play age 2 because it feels so much better. The units, hotkeys, controls, all are just much better executed.
I don't think it is a nostalgia thing given the player count for AOE4 basically disappeared after its initial launch. I got it as part of game pass sub so I it was kinda just a nice touch but I know people who regret paying 50 for it. If you like RTS games and can find it for like 15, it is worth it.
rts
Starmancer
last updated 2 years ago
The idea and world are interesting. However, when I tried playing I couldn't get past the tutorial. Idk if something is broken but I just couldn't do the things I was suppose to. There is a part where you need to interact with a button and I couldn't get it to work. None of my people could be order to interact and I couldn't do anything either.
The idea of running a little starship station thingy sounds great but at the time this is early access so maybe wait until it is finished. I may try again when it is done.
god game
strategy
city management
Black Skylands
last updated 2 years ago
Early Access but game and world are solid. Is a decent play as is. Some of the mechanics feel like they could be a bit deeper than they are but the world and story are just super fun. I mean, if you like steampunk that is.
Controls for the player mode are solid but airship turning is janky. All the time you press to turn in what you'd expect to be left or right but it does the opposite instead. I have no idea why but it makes the airship battles not much fun.
rpg
action
topdown
Halo Infinite
last updated 2 years ago
Good'ol Halo. This is basically open world Halo. I am kinda done with the Ubisoft open world game loop but the combat here is super solid. Like the 5 seconds of fun is on point. If this had a coop campaign I'd play the shit out of it. Sadly, the story is....I have no idea what is going on. Like I just don't give a shit about the bad guys or chief or anything. I am totally lost. I dug in several sessions and unlocked a few new zones before dropping off.
fps
military
Loot River
last updated 2 years ago
Really pretty pixel art action rpg rogue like which seem to be a dime a dozen these days. The biggest gripe I have is that the controls felt a bit...stiff and unresponsive. I am no awesome gamer but I couldn't get past it.
roguelike
Unsouled
last updated 2 years ago
Decent little game. The market at time of playing is super saturated with decent rogue like rpg action pixel games. Allot of them out there. So far I have only played a few hours here. I don't regret the time spent but other games pull my limited time.
rpg
action
roguelike
metroidvania
Tunic
last updated 2 years ago
I remember following a bit of the development here. Watched a few videos on some of the levels being built. I played a bit and got a hang of the loop. If you like the old school Zelda games I think you will enjoy this. It is very pretty to look at but I didn't feel the desire to play more than a single multi hour session. Maybe I will come back but the market is saturated these days.
rpg
action
Undungeon
last updated 2 years ago
Played an hour. It is ok. Interesting world but this kind of game is super saturated in the market at the time of playing so I didn't want to put more time into it.
rpg
action
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
last updated 2 years ago
I tried playing the game and well....I just couldn't even get past the childhood level. I don't care enough about the "story" to get past it. I couldn't even get to any gameplay. Idk. Maybe I am just so tired of the Marvel stuff.
The game felt well polished and likely a decent amount of fun. It just had nothing in it that compelled me to dig in. It just seemed kinda generic and uninspired.
Give it a go if you have an hour or so to kill.
rpg
action
Besieged
last updated 2 years ago
Looking at pictures and videos or watching the creations is fun. However, I was placing on xbox and controls were just so painful. I feel like I'd enjoy it more on PC. Idk if I will get to try it out there. Solid aesthetic and if you grok the gameloop of mediculously building out an idea, then you will love this. It felt a bit overwhelming for my taste. Wish it eased you in a bit more.
sandbox
puzzel
physics
Valheim
last updated 2 years ago
I have like a thousand hours into this. It is my Minecraft. Try it out. Just give it a go. Within an hour you will know if it is for you. Highly recommend playing with a bunch of friends. Biggest thing it suffers from is the single player is just not nearly as fun as multiplayer.
rpg
multi-player
Moonlighter
last updated 2 years ago
I nice well thought out pixel art roguelike action game where you play the role of a shop keeper hero. There are tons of roguelikes out there and most are decent. This one is decent. It doesn't spend too much time on story and keeps things focused on the core loop of, delve into dungeon, sell loot, buy gear, delve further. It has multiple stages each with progressively more valuable loot to sell.
I don't think I'll end up beating this one. I got to the fourth and final stage and got a bit bored. The loop is the same as previous stages but more difficult. The difficulty is not due to trickier enemies but just higher stats on the enemies. I'd rather stop when the fun dies down then to force myself to finish it.
I love the art and world. The mechanics with the shop are a fantastic break from the delving which is what kept me hooked for as long as it did. The crafting is a little lack luster but functional. If you like roguelikes, get this. It is great. If you are new to them or don't like most, I'd give this a pass.
rpg
roguelike
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
last updated 2 years ago
Played it for a bit on game pass and it is ok. Basically a dungeon keeper god game style but a fun theme. I cannot do these games on controllers so I dropped it. If you are on PC, go for it. Looks great but avoid on a controller.
god game
Monster Sanctuary
last updated 2 years ago
This is like if you smashed pokemon with Castlevania. I went down a huge rabbit hole with this one. It looks simple but is real deep. I could and did spend hours on hours min-maxing different builds in this game. It is one of those indie gems that needs more love. This game is like what modern pokemon wishes it was.
Get his game. You will love it. Unless you only like shooter games. Then likely want to avoid.
rpg
metroidvania
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
last updated 2 years ago
Ok, it is an elder scrolls game. If you like them, you'll like this. Many say that Skyrim is the most basic of the elder scroll games. I get why but it is my favorite. I started with TES 3 but never played 4. Skyrim is the fifth and IMO the best. It nails the core loop I think. I rarely beat the game in a play-through as I spend endless hours wandering around doing faction quests. Mods are out of this world for this game too. It is the standard all games want ot have when it comes to modding.
Look, this is a 10/10 for me. I have to give it that score simply because of the time I have spent in it. Realistically it is more of a 8.5-9 out of 10.
rpg
open world
action
Mortal Shell
last updated 2 years ago
A souls like game. Never played many souls like but the controls just felt so clunky. Maybe I am just bad but it wasn't fun. Art direction is fun. Maybe will try and pick it up again later.
rpg
action
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition
last updated 2 years ago
If you have never heard of the age of empire games, just look it up and watch some videos or something. Either you will be interested or not. Now for the rest of you reading who have already played a game or two from this IP. Ya, this is solid. It really is the BEST version of age of empires 2 you can play and in my opinion the best in the series. I personally love this game.
Are the DLCs worth it? Honestly, for the price, no they are not. But if you like the game and have the extra cash or find them on sale, I'd say it is worth it. I love the massive number of civs this game has. Adding more is always fun for me.
You do not need to be a pro RTS player to enjoy the age games. They have fantastic campaigns and scale well across all skill levels. I still cannot beat the hardest ai but have no problems with easy which makes it nice to always have a challenge. If you are into playing against real people, there is that too but people are much better than ai.
rts
The Last Spell
last updated 2 years ago
A nice little early access title. It is a solid game loop with a great sense of progression. The opening is way too long and the plot is kinda meh but the world is fun and sets up the mechanics well. It took me way too long to figure out that heroes can switch out their 2 weapon sets freely. Helped a bunch for me to get further. I have had my fill and it was worth the price. I may revisit it later when it is out of early access.
rpg
turn-based
roguelike
The Riftbreaker
last updated 2 years ago
The story is lame but super solid game loop. I could and did play this for hours.
There is one game breaking bug which almost ruined it for me. On one mission there is this interesting mechanic where spors spread across the planet. However, sometimes it can break the game and make it so you cannot save. Now when this happened to me it broke a planet that had minerals that are required to complete the game. I did not have it in me to restart the whole game so I just bust out the good'ol cheat engine to give me the resources.
If multiplayer is added, oh my super mega fun. Just go look at gameplay to see if you will like it.
tower defence
rts
Humankind
last updated 2 years ago
I'd just give this a middle of the road score here. If you like CIV game or 4x games, give it a go. It didn't have anything cool enough for me to spend more than an hour in it. It feels just like CIV. I think when I played I was not really vibing with a 4x kind of game which may be why it didn't interest me. Sadly, it will go into the bucket of games that are likely decent but poorly timed for me to get into.
4x
turn-based
city builder
Curse of the Dead Gods
last updated 2 years ago
I just came from a rough like/lite binge and after Hades I was not ready for another game like this. The game is good. Has some fun mechanics but I started it at the wrong time. I doubt I will come back to it later
roguelike
rpg
Islanders
last updated 2 years ago
If you see this for 10 or less, get it.
This is one of those games where you have to like the loop. It is relaxing with nice music and a wonderful asthetic. The more points you get the more buildings you can place. If you get enough points you unlock another Island and can keep going. If you don't unlock an Island and run out of buildings to place, you lose.
Ok, so fun simple but it did get boring fast. I got to the point where I keep unlocking the next island. I have seen some people get crazy setups that just never end with an unlimited supply of buildings but I have not found this to be enjoyable enough to try and get there. The core loop just isn't novel enough for me.
I think I will have to stop playing on my current run even though I have not "lost" because well...it just isn't enough fun to keep going. I'd rather play Pathfinder :D
god game
city builder
Among Us
last updated 2 years ago
Look. It was basically a meme and I played it with friends. The idea is very fun but not actually all that original. I have seem many similar ideas in starcraft mods way back when. The core of the game is fun when you have a big group of friends playing much like a board game.
Sadly, even if you have 3 or so people, online play is just boring. Playing with randos is not fun. Even if they don't hack it just isn't the same. This is a game which is much better when everyone is on a discord call or something.
Hence why I consider this a "one trick pony" game like goat simulator or untitled goose game. They are all great ideas and much fun for like...15 minutes. But after that....not so much.
You a twitch person or some other kind social media crap? Dig in this is great content. You like fun games? Avoid. No real depth.
co-op
They Are Billions
last updated 2 years ago
I played this in early access and it was great. The game loop is hard and brutal but fun as hell. When the final wave hits with just thousands and thousands of zombies, it is great.
However, the final release...was not good. The devs had been giving updates about a main campaign and how much content it would have. When it did land...well the campaign kinda sucked. Like just wasn't fun. I had already had my fun in the skirmish mode during early access so I kinda just dropped the game.
Later on I looked the game up again and the devs have done next to nothing in terms of additional content or polish. I don't blame moving on but it shows that they didn't feel like they needed to patch the terrible campaign. :shrug:
If you got time to get good and want some epic moments and like rts games, give it a go.
rts
god game
Wasteland 3
last updated 2 years ago
I never heard of the wasteland games until 2 came out. Didn't know it had a kickstarter or anything just opened it up and bam like old school fallout. Loved it. Wasteland 2 was fantastic and being from Colorado I was stoked on Wasteland 3.
Overall it feels like a DLC of 2 which is not a bad thing. I like it. The backdrop and setup just kinda suck but the combat and exploration are fun. I also like some of the side quests. However, I didn't finish the game. I dropped it after like 20 hours in. Why? It is just so buggy, janky, and just not polished. Like I constantly ran into issues.
I think the final straw was when I hit some weird issue which messed up the outcome of a quest. My last save to fix the issue was a long time ago. I just didn't care at that point to keep playing. I had fun with the mechanics and I played out the plot points in the world I was interesting. I had no interest in seeing how the main plotline played out. Good game. If you like crpgs give it a go. Maybe it will be more stable.
rpg
crpg
open world
Darksiders III
last updated 2 years ago
I played like 30 minutes and couldn't do it. I played Darksiders II so I kinda knew what I was getting into but the game loop was not fun for me. I get the "get gud" kinda games and enjoy roguelikes. However, within the first part of the game you quickly fight a mini boss where you have to do this awful platforming to damage the boss in its second form. Now, you will be 2 shotted by an ability they cast which I could not figure out how to dodge. It seems to hit the whole room. I tried like 5 times before I gave up. This...is not fun because on each attempt I have to go through the same 6 starting monsters and the first phase of the boss none of which was particularly fun. Keep in mind, this is literally the start of the game. Like the first time you move your character. Wow.
I feel like I could have enjoyed the game if it didn't have such a steep learning curve. I am fine with hard games but I just don't have time to look up what I was doing wrong in the first 3 minutes. Now, sadly the controls also felt clunky. Dodging was super sluggish. You barely move when you do it. It just gives a few invincibility frames but doesn't change physical location much. Jumping had a similar problem with feeling jank. This wouldn't be an issue but given how much platforming was at the start of the game and well...oof. Not good.
Hard pass for me.
rpg
action
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
last updated 2 years ago
If you played the first one, this is more of that but cleaner. I personally like the first one better as I think I was just more interested in the world more. However, I think the main story in Deadfire is so much better and more interesting.
I will say towards the end of the game it got to be a slog. The end game just doesn't have much depth. The story is what drove me to continue playing. I have not done all the side quests or DLCs etc but only did the main story rushing a tid bit at the end. I think that after 60+ hours or more I was just exhausted and wanted it over hehe. The Witcher 3 had a similar feel towards the end as did Dragon Age Inqueistion.
**SPOILER WARNING**
One of the best parts is the dialogue that happens between the gods who are using you as a pawn in their machinations. The voice acting and design of the gods is just fun. It makes the world so much more real. I cared about what happened to these gods and wanted to explore every dialogue option I could. The world-building and lore around the gods, their origin, the implications of what a certain god is trying to do, wonderful and interesting.
Sadly, not everything is as fun. Most of the factions seemed a bit blan and the writing for when they all attack each other seems super contrived. It feels out of place. Like things had not yet escalated near the point where backstabbing is the only option.
Companions were fun. I honestly found the farm girl to be the most interesting. The bro guy was super boring. I liked both of the trading company's people along with some of the pirates. The water dude was also lame and insufferable.
Many fun side quests that felt meaningful to do. However, the bounties felt like a slog.
rpg
crpg
SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest
last updated 2 years ago
This game seems like something I'd have loved when I was younger. Alas, I just don't have the time I think that is needed to really sink into this. It is a solid rpg with all the right elements. It just didn't interest me as much as other other games so I stopped playing this.
Like RPGs? Got a weekend? Give it a shot.
rpg
rts
Monster Train
last updated 2 years ago
I heard of this game from way back when and how everyone seemed to like it. Then, I forgot it exists. Fast forward 5 years or so and I see it show up on game pass...ehh why not try it?
Oh damn, there went a whole weekend. Geeze, is it addicting. It has a great game loop with a run lasting less than an hour or so. It is a roguelike so if that isn't your cup of tea stay away but if it is...get it.
Flaws...it does start to feel a bit rng'y. Many times I lost I didn't feel like I could do much. There are also some heroes that are super one-sided in that if you fail to hit their "win condition" it is just outright gg whereas others you can salvage it a bit better. Spell builds are almost useless as they are hard to pull off Usually spell builds start strong then just fail to scale by the time you are at the end of a run. They just don't keep up super well compared to buffed minions.
One thing that has killed the most runs for me is the stupid fucking haste. I know it is my fault but shit the number of times I forgot that the bottom floor had haste and put my minions on the second floor only to be bypassed just hurts. I know it is my fault but if you do this it just instantly kills a run and it is almost unrecoverable.
roguelike
rpg
cards
The Outer Worlds
last updated 2 years ago
Do you like fallout? Do you like borderlands? Well boy'ol howdy have I got a game for you.
But for reals I actually beat the game and it was fun. This is an open world game much like fallout in terms of mechanics. You do stuff, loot stuff, kill stuff, and level up. Quests are ok nothing special but not bad either. Side characters or companions are ok.
I did feel like the game was...only 70% complete. There were so many other planets and I wanted to dig into them all but in terms of main campaign content, there isn't much. You could beat it in a day or two.
Side content is honestly a bit hard to find. Most of the companions quests are kinda boring and other than maybe 2 areas the side missions didn't really seem to matter much. I know I missed content and didn't do EVERYTHING but most of the side content kinda wasn't worth it.
TLDR; You like fallout? Want something similar? Try The Outer Worlds.
**Mechanics**
Ok. Mechanics of items was not my favorite. The mods were good but I felt like the items just didn't matter. They basically all just scale based on item level. You can tinker with shit to increase the level but it costs exponentially more money which means you usually just pickup the highest level item you find and work with that. I had one gun that basically took me through 70% of the game. Armor was....highest number wins. There are special science items but they all are just some silly gimmick. Felt like more could have bee done with items.
Skills mechanics was solid. What one would expect from this kind of game. Some are a little lack luster but for the most part they all had their uses and offer some good rp options.
Perks are nice. They really just give you quality of life improvements more than anything else. I personally took every carry weight improvement because I HATE not being able to pick up every god damn bit of trash I find. You can optionally take a negative effect as you play for a free perk point. Something like, if you are afraid of fire so take more fire damage but get a perk. I liked it as an idea but it was also not fully developed. There are only like 5 negatives you can take and most perks are not game changing in any way.
**Story**
Serviceable. World is fun. Maybe one or two side characters that were interesting. I always enjoy making fun of corporations even if it is so one dimensional.
**Inconsistencies**
Ok, so, characters and their voices did NOT match the actual visuals of the character. Almost all the characters looks like some fanfiction variant of what the original concept art was suppose to be. You can only have so many female characters that have super short multicolored hair before one wonders if this is really how these people would look in the given world. You'd think the corporations would control how people look more in this future. Often times I'd go up to a green haired Asian looking dude only to hear what sounds like a southern white dudes voice. It was like they wrote the games story and then told a bunch of artists to come up with x number of npc models and just randomly assigned a model to a character. Even my partner who was passively watching was like, "why does everyone look so weird?"
rpg
fps
open world
Warpips
last updated 2 years ago
Ok, so still early access but this is just a whole lot of fun. It focuses well on a tight little game loop similar to those old-school adobe flash games way back when. Yes, I am a grandpa and remember those. The genre these games now go by is Auto Battler. This one is fantastic.
It is early access and clearly could have more content but what is there was worth the purchase for me so even if it never gets better, I had my fun. The small little campaign is better and more fun than They Are Billions IMO.
If you can get this for like 50%, it is a no-brainer. Totally worth it.