As a former professional “Chess” player, I had thought that I had seen everything. First it was “For the Crown“, an oddly satisfying deck-building “Chess” game, and now this. While cards are again involved in this particular “Chess” variant, they actually become the pieces in which players will be strategically placing and moving around. No worries fellow “Chess” players, the object of the game is still the same: capture the enemy King through checkmate. How this is accomplished however bears a little explanation. Before we touch on specifics, I’d like to quickly thank the folks at Victory Point Games for providing me with a free press copy.
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Rougelikes have a reputation for being brutal, as one of their common features involves a permadeath system that prevents you from going back and loading a previous save when things go horribly wrong. “Desktop Dungeons” has all of the characteristics of a roguelike in that regard, but it does some pretty unique things that sets it apart from the rest of the crowd. Before we don our helmets and sharpen our swords, I’d like to quickly thank Danny Day from QCF Design for providing me with a free press copy.
In December of 2012, I had the pleasure of reviewing a gruesome first-person hack and slash by the name of “Chivalry: Medieval Warfare”. I even went on record by saying that it “makes me want to watch the siege battles in the Lord of the Rings movies again for the umpteenth time this year.” “Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior”, the official expansion to aforementioned game, released on November 14, 2013. Instead of archers and knights, players will be making use of off-the-wall classes like pirates and ninjas. Before we get started hacking and slashing our way to victory, I’d like to thank Steve Piggott, the President of Torn Banner Studios, for providing me with a free press copy.
It was honestly just a matter of time before someone utilized and marketed the redshirt concept in a video game. In case you’ve been living under a rock (or just really, really HATE “Star Trek”), a redshirt is a title given to a no-named Ensign who usually accompanies Captain Kirk on an away mission. There’s also a seventy-five percent chance that said redshirt won’t be coming back…perhaps Gene Roddenberry hated the color red, who’s to say? At any rate, “Redshirt”, a comedy sci-fi “Facebook” simulator of sorts, recently made its way onto the market and I’m here to take a final look at how it stacks up in the grand scheme of things. Before we set our phasers to “Like”, I want to quickly thank Cliff Harris from Positech Games for providing me with a free press copy.
You’d think that a card deck from another planet would be difficult to understand and play, but as I’ve come to learn with “The Zont Deck”, that simply isn’t the case. Like other Kickstarter projects I’ve covered, “The Zont Deck” is more than just a game…it’s a template that allows for folks to make use of multiple variants. Before we get started, I’d like to thank game creator Kevin Omans from Zontco LLC for reaching out and providing me with a press copy. As with all prototypes, it’s important to stress that they are usually not representative of the final product. In this case, the card art and gameplay mechanics are final, but the box art and instruction manual may or may not undergo some changes. There’s also the possibility that more variants will be added to the manual in the future, though nothing is set in stone.
“Adventure Park” has some big shoes to fill, especially with how much work went into the making of the “Roller Coaster Tycoon” series. I’ve honestly lost count of the number of years I’ve put into that series as a whole…it’s just THAT good. Unfortunately for us, the last “RCT” game (“RCT3”) was released in 2004…a whopping nine years ago. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s past time for an upgrade. That begs the question…will “Adventure Park” fit the bill? Before we answer that, I’d like to quickly thank Daniel Krauss from bitComposer Entertainment AG for providing me with a free press copy.
The 1950’s was an interesting time for science fiction, bringing you such classics such as “The Twilight Zone”, “Science Fiction Theatre”, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, and “The War of the Worlds”. “FORTRESS MOON”, a game currently seeking your help on Kickstarter, is all about the 1950’s retro future. One player will assume the role of the LUNAR COLONISTS, who are discontent and fed up with the working conditions they’ve been forced to endure on Earth’s moon. As a result, they’ve taken control of thirty mine-bases in which the other players (AKA EARTH FORCES) will be tasked with taking back.
I don’t have what some of you folks would call a green thumb…most plants uproot themselves and scurry in the other direction when they see me approaching. Luckily, you don’t have to be a seasoned gardener to play “Reach for the Sun”, a game that teaches the basics of plant behavior and anatomy. While being designed for younger kids, I do admit that the game appeals to me in an odd way. After all, I could never say no to any type of simulator. Before we put on our gardening gloves and see what this game’s all about, I’d like to quickly thank Robin Kurzer from Filament Games for providing me with a free press copy.
What happens when you combine “Left 4 Dead”, “Monaco”, and “State of Decay”? Why, you end up with a little gem like “Survivor Squad”, of course! I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this game as it has a little bit of everything I enjoy from the aforementioned games. For those of you who haven’t seen my reviews or videos on any of those games, “Survivor Squad” is a top-down squad-based strategy game set in a zombie infested world. Before I touch on specifics, I’d like to thank game developer Hugo Cardoso from Endless Loop Studios for providing me with a free press copy.
Retro games and I have a love/hate relationship. As a child of the 80’s, I grew up with them…developing fond memories all the while being completely mindful of the fact that I spiked my controller into the floor on several occasions. “Game Over”, a game seeking your support on Kickstarter, is certainly a welcome nod at the genre. In this easy to play card game for 2-6 players, folks will be battling retro characters in one big battle royal. Based on the information provided by the developer, games on average only take about fifteen minutes to complete…an ideal time frame for quick party action with friends and family (recommended ages 12+).
“Hive”, the video game adaptation of the popular board game, is finally making its way onto your PCs. For those of you who have never heard of the board game, you’ll be tasked with using bug pieces to completely surround your opponent’s queen. Of course, your opponent will be trying to do the same to you. While the game is still in an early Alpha state, you can pre-order the game via the official website below for $6.99 (30% off as of 11/6/13). This will also include a Steam key, though it’s important to note that the game is not yet playable on the Steam platform despite the Early Access page being live. The game has an estimated release date of early December 2013, though the date is not set in stone.
How many tower defense games have you seen me cover on my website? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? I’ll just opt to make it easy on you folks and simply say, “a lot”. It’s a genre that I never get tired of and with good reason…tower defense games are both strategically fun and addicting. “The King’s Armory”, however, breaks the mold and puts the action right on your dining room table. Now I know that games like “Castle Panic” have been doing this for quite a while now, but this is the first game I’ve seen that is both in-depth and keeps with the video game formula. Spawn and exit locations? Check. Towers that attack the monsters as they advance down the path? Check. Heroes that you can control on said paths? Check. While I haven’t had the pleasure of playing it, “The King’s Armory” certainly looks like a lot of fun to play.
Oh 3D space combat, will I ever get tired of you? It turns out, much to no one’s surprise, that the answer is no. “Starpoint Gemini 2”, the sequel to the original released in 2010, is certainly turning some heads as it continues to develop. Before I go any further, I’d like to quickly thank Mario Mihokovic from Little Green Men Games for providing me with a free press copy. It’s important to stress that the game is still under development (as of 11/1/13), making the content featured below subject to change.
It’s always a great feeling to see a promising idea reach its Kickstarter goal within days of going live. “HOST”, a card game developed by Broken Prism Games, is one such item. It still has twenty-one days to go (as of 10/29/13) and shows no signs of slowing down. In this particular game, the world’s first great apocalypse has begun. That begs the question…what finally did in our big blue planet? Zombies? Aliens? A little of both, it turns out. Before we take a sneak peek at what this game has to offer, I’d like to thank Matthew Ryan Robinson from Broken Prism Games for reaching out and providing me with a press copy. As with all prototypes, it’s important to stress that the components featured are usually not representative of the final product, making the below rules and contents subject to change.
When I heard that this popular XBox game was being ported to the PC, I had mixed feelings. I was excited that I’d have yet another zombie apocalypse game at my fingertips, but wasn’t excited about the fact that the PC came second. Most games I’ve played that have been ported from the console usually don’t fare well…”Dead Space” being such an example. On the other hand, “Dead Space 2” and other games like it have on occasion surprised me by turning out to be a solid and worthwhile port. “State of Decay” currently has no official keyboard and mouse support (as of 10/25/13), though you CAN use them if you know which buttons do what. It goes without saying that an XBox controller would work better for those who play the game in its current state (via Steam’s Early Access program), but I’m finding the keyboard to be manageable.
All of us, at one point in our lives, have told a lie. I’m also willing to bet that the first lie you told was directed at some form of authority figure or parent. I, of course, never did that as a child. I was the good son twenty-four/seven and never got into trouble. Don’t ask me what the color of the sky is in my world…the jury is still out on that one. At any rate, as a father myself, there’s sense in denying it…kids will lie just to test your limits and to see how far they can push until you push back, figuratively speaking. “Lie Your Face Off!” is a variation of that theme, placing players in the role of kids who must lie to their parents in order to earn points. Before we get started with the preview, I’d like to thank John Bintz (the game’s creator) for sending me a press copy. As with all prototypes, it’s important to stress that they usually aren’t representative of the final product making the below content subject to change.