#and also played a lot of steamworld heist

[paradoxikaa]

thinking abt the steamworld dig games :]

[epicfirestormer]

[sooptea]

I made the mistake of play testing a few games I was planning to give as a Christmas present and now I've grown attached , help

[cinni-k]

Hey Cindi, check out these headcanons for steamworld heist 2!

https://www.tumblr.com/thecastilloking/759211398409682944/you-have-been-warned

Oh these are fun! I'll put my answers under a cut (For spoiler reasons) too and do 'em with the same numbers to make it easy to understand.

I like the idea that her name was Karen. It transitions well to Kraken but also with the original stereotype it's just kind of a funny transition. May Cog fear the wrath of Karen....

2 + 4. Admittedly I don't get much of the references since I'm uh. Really bad at watching movies and have a poor memory but the idea of Krakenbane finding an album and going "yeah that sounds good" and then playing it as a lullaby for what I can only assume is a song that's probably about murder absolutely tracks.

3. I've actually been writing an OC around the idea of Krakenbane's spouse so I've got a lot of ideas there that don't fully align (particularly from what's here, the gender. gender/sex isn't actually a factor in Steambot reproduction so I've just been imagining Krakenbane had a wife instead. I'll probably make a post talking about her soon enough...) but we've got some similar ones too.

The idea of Quincy's dad dying to protect him is a cute and tragic one, but I think Quincy mentions that the Kraken was defeated before he was born. He also had his arm as an adult, since he mentions it's his shooting arm.

5. I think disability is common enough in Steambot society that it wouldn't be a major factor in Krakenbane worrying about him, but I think the rest of it is true. The sea is cursed and it took everything from her, I really do think she's most afraid he's going to die without her being able to know or protect him.

I love 6 and 7. I think she's probably does send him little letters (I don't think she'd deliberately be secretive about it but simultaneously I think she would probably just forget to sign her name.)

I also think her old crew was family to her and because of that she'd probably naturally take on that opinion towards Piper, Fen and any other members of their crew she gets adjusted to. She strikes me as the type to not admit it so readily though.

[canadiankazz]

ABOUT ME

Hi! Call me Kazz.

Cis. Het. She/her. Mid 30's.

I am a dual Canadian/Australian citizen currently living in South Australia. I grew up in the 90’s, so 90’s nostalgia is my jam. My husband and I have been together since 2011. He is in most of my same RP games. I work retail in a grocery store and have a (useless) bachelor of arts in English and History, a Graduate Diploma in Education and a degree in Library Studies. Orcas are my favourite animal, although I’m also partial to cats, dogs, red-tailed hawks, Australian magpies and guinea pigs.

I’m currently the owner of three guinea pigs named Sable, Neil and Buzz. Check out their side blog HERE.

My hobbies are writing fanfic, playing RPGs, video games and cross stitching.

Link to my Fanfic on Ao3

Link to fuckyeahlabynight Tumblr's largest collection of everything to do with LA by Night and NY by Night.

Link to my Cross Stitching Side Blog

My CURRENT Fandoms include (but are not limited to):

Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss

LA By Night, NY by Night and Vampire the Masquerade in general

Critical Role

Dropout.tv

Doctor Who

Good Omens

I also love SMOSH, Dropout.tv, Last Podcast on the Left (and other true crime/spooky/disaster podcasts,) Disney, Shakespeare, Norse, Greek and Egyptian mythology, most films, musicals and theatre in general. My favourite musicals include Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors, Six, Beetlejuice, Hadestown, and Les Misérables. I also love the Starkid musicals.

Past fandoms include Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dresden Files, Star Wars, the X-Men, Spider-Man, Marvel and the MCU, Batman and the DCU, Hellsing, Hannibal, Dracula Daily, Animorphs, Discworld, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Smallville, Harry Potter, Team Four Star, Achievement Hunter, Death Note, Wolf’s Rain, True Blood, How to Train Your Dragon, Steam Powered Giraffe, Lord of the Rings, Rifftrax, The Sandman, American Gods, and Transformers.

My favourite video games include Dead by Daylight, The Sims 4, Wingspan, Power Wash Simulator, Hunter: Call of the Wild, Stardew Valley, Jackbox Games, Unpacking, House Flipper and Steamworld Heist.

I prefer watching streamers play horror games rather than playing them myself. (I make an exception for DbD, as I’ve become a killer main and that’s a lot less scary than playing survivor.)

I’m also into reading runes/tarot cards and doing some magicy stuff from time to time.

Current RPG games I’m Gming or are playing in:

Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition

Scion

A homebrew game called "Becalmed" using the nWoD system. 

RPG Systems I have played in the past include:

Most New World of Darkness systems. (“Vanilla” WoD, Vampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: the Forsaken, Changeling: the Lost, Hunter: the Vigil and Mage: the Awakening, while also running games with Geists and Prometheans.)

Call of Cthulhu

Dread

Exalted (2nd and 3rd ed.)

Dungeons and Dragons (3.5 and 5th edition)

Spirit of the Centaury

Pathfinder

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Monster of the Week

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

Apoc World

Shadowrun

Only War

Star Wars: Edge of the Empire

Marvel Multiverse RPG

Please note that though I used to love a lot of things that have *problematic* creators, that does NOT mean I support or condone the actions of those creators. I may still reblog things from those fandoms from time to time.

[kaheeliez]

Hello SPG enjoyer! I was inspired by someone new to a different fandom I was in reaching out to people on Tumblr to get to know them. So now I’m doing something similar since I’m new to SPG!

Have you heard of/listened to The Mechanisms?

What is your favorite album/song?

Which bot is your favorite?

What is your favorite photo?

Do you have a fanbot?

If you could go anywhere in kazooland, where would you go?

- @steambot-sparky

hello!! thank you for the ask :)!!!!

1. i've listened to a couple of mechs songs!! i need to listen to more. i've listened to half of UDAD and a couple miscellaneous songs (pump shanty, loki, our boy jack, lost in the cosmos etc.) also i love their designs so much they're so cool looking. especially ashes i love them

2. favourite album is for sure 1896 (closely followed by mk iii) it's so so good and full of absolute bangers. favourite song,,, i have so many but on a crescendo, i'll rust with you, the pulls, intertwined, on top of the universe (steamworld heist), latum alterum, transform, bad days on the horizon, the ballad of delilah morreo, the suspender man... etc. i will start listing the whole discography if no one stops me

3. RABBIT!!!!! she's so silly. would do anything for the bit. but her story and character are so incredibly tragic and ougjhhghgj i have so many thoughts about her. and her tendency to carry all the people she has ever cared about with her in her music. and the fact that she still feels guilty about the 1950 incident, which wasn't her fault in the slightest :( her ever-shifting design. AND HER SONGS. so many emotions. i think about rabbit a normal amount.

4. i have so many favourite photos. i have an entire folder on my laptop of every single rabbit design chronicled by date and show for drawing reference. JKHSDF i'll put some standouts from the many photos i have accumulated under the cut:

they're like overly affectionate cats. spine's on the opposite end of the cat affection spectrum

PLAYING HIS SPINES LIKE A XYLOPHONEJKHSDF RABBIT LOOKS SO GLEEFUL

it's me boy i'm the ps5 speaking to you inside your brain

she's so proud of herself

chelsea patting an inflatable palm tree and the spine looking at a tiny beach ball very fondly

5. i kind of have a fanbot? but she doesn't really count i think sjkdhfs. when i first got into spg it was through honeybee (like literally everyone else). and i decided to for some reason read all of the lore before listening to any other songs. and i also decided to design honeybee as a robot rabbit might have fallen in love with (and subsequently broke up with). it turns out honeybee has a canonical design i think - if the cover art of honeybee is anything to go by. oh well. i still like this funky bee bot design. maybe i'll design an actual fanbot someday!

here she is. there's a lot wrong with this drawing, looking back jksdhf like her wonky left eye

6. i would go to snornia. i'd probably get eaten instantly but big magical creatures,,, and legend has it there's a certain pink dragon princess there!

[furnass]

Taking this as my chance to offer steampunk bands! Hello! I’m Cog, and I’ve loved steampunk for like 6 years 👍 here’s a big list of bands I myself listen to and love!

First off, here’s my own steampunk playlist! Below the cut is a list of bands I love. Feel free to recommend me any more if you know of any <3

Cool Steampunk bands you should know about

Abney Park — one of the oldest running Steampunk bands I currently know of and follow! Steampunk pirates, who still put on fantastic online concerts. Recommended for techno likers, or general pirate enthusiasts!

Steam Powered Giraffe — another very cool Steampunk band — one of the most popular I believe! Three singing musician automatons, each with their own lore. Wonderful performances, both serious and silly songs, and they did the soundtrack for the (also steampunk!) great game known as Steamworld Heist. And as of now, Steamworld heist II!

The Cog Is Dead — A great Steampunk band with very impressive storytelling songs! Also does a lot of covers, ranging from We Are Number One to Old Town Road! (I actually highly recommend watching their own cover of their own song, Another Cog in the Machine, but done in 25 different Steampunk styles!)

Frenchy and the Punk — I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live, wonderful people, great music! More of a gothic folk blend, but with unique things such as batfrogs, they never disappoint!

The Mechanisms — Disbanded, and I sadly don’t know much about their lore. They have wonderful music however, seem to be great performers! I know they have a wonderful fan base here on tumblr

Voltaire — Gothic Dark Cabaret, with lots of fantastical guitar. Very impressive vocals as well! Another highly recognizable artist, Voltaire deals with macabre topics in a fantastic style.

Vernain Process — Steampunk with a progressive rock twist! Another early Steampunk pioneer band, they’re more slow—but very heavy. Like you’re in a mad scientist’s laboratory!

Unwoman — A fantastic cellist, she’s put out lots of original albums, all with fantastic music. Her music to me feels like I’m at a ball—dressed to impress, with her music playing.

This Way to the Egress — Steampunk, Dark Cabaret, and a bouncy style!

Caravan of thieves — Also Dark cabaret, more swing style. With songs such as 'eat you' and 'Rattlesnake' They really got a wide array of songs. More guitar focused instrumentals

Professor Elemental — silly British rap! With lore, a book, and quite the whimsy, Professor Elemental has great vibes, and knows how to have a good time.

Spiky — instrumentals, would listen to this for a dnd campaign music.

The Peculiar Pretzelmen — Do you like metal? How about metal being slammed together? They can be classified as dieselpunk, or more rock/punk, but I sincerely love them!

The Men That Will Not Be Blamed — Another rock-adjacent band, I haven’t listened to all of their songs but they’re pretty good!

Pretty Balanced — One of my favorite bands! They are a wonderful band that I wish got more recognition. They also have a precursor band, called The Alphabet

Victor and the Bully — Fantastical music and stories. Pretty bouncy, with hits like Spooky 365! Highly recommend checking out Madam Misfit as well.

Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer — Back to whimsy! Similar to Professor Elemental, Mr. B brings about a chap hop rap. Even having a collaboration with Professor Elemental, he also has a lot of whimsy.

Now, a list of some others.

Clockwork Knotwork

Humanwine

Unextraordinary Gentlemen

Marquis Of Vaudeville

Rasputina

Automaton

The Brass Knuckle Steampunk Sinfonia

Not a band, but honorable mention to The Dolls of New Albion, A Steampunk Opera by Paul Shapera!

why are people so mean to steampunk. what did steampunk do to you. are you too good for cogs? too good for goggles and a top hat? hmm??? bitch

[feotakahari]

Thoughts on Steamworld Heist characters

Using professions because I don’t remember their names.

Heroine: the area full-heal would be worth it on its own. Her skills don’t synergise with sniper rifles, so she’s probably better off with a handgun.

The sailor: generic tank with no obvious flaws.

The farmer: meant to annihilate one weak or injured enemy after another in quick succession, but her multi-shot weapons have too much spread to handle enemies that are distant or behind cover. Another character who might be better off with a handgun.

The strongman: tankiest character in the game, and still kinda sucks at tanking. Easy to injure him with his own explosions.

The mechanic: find a perch and start sniping for massive damage. A lot of missions play against his strengths by forcing him to constantly move, especially in the late game.

The soldier: looks useless until you level her up and she gets resistance to her own explosions. For when you want to make sure not a single enemy gets through a choke point.

The con man: the most mobile character in the game. Great for setting up pincer maneuvers. My personal fave.

The zoologist: damage+ on back attacks seems weird for a sniper, but she’s meant to bounce a shot off the walls and ceiling two or three times before it hits the target in the back.. When leveled up enough, she automatically crits on back attacks. Finding a good spot for her to attack from is easier said than done, even compared to the mechanic.

The diver: a melee specialist at a point in the game where everything is either off the ground or too durable to melee. If you really want to use him, remember that his ability to move after a kill also applies to handgun kills.

[epidaleacalamita]

aftwr beating steamworld heist 2 and really really liking it i decided to buckle up and actually try and beat steamworld quest which i played 5 years ago but never completed. stayed up late last night to finish the final boss

thoughts:

i really am not the target audience for this type of like, classic turn based rpg where you're just selecting actions to carry out and then praying you don't get screwed by dodge/crit/status proc rng. like heist 2 was also a turn based thing but the combat in it has a lot more room for actual skill expression where how well you can position your crew and aim your shots makes a massive difference in how well a mission goes

speaking of getting screwed by rng. the whole card battler aspect of the game to me felt... i don't think "superfluous" is the word i would use because i think i would say that if the card stuff didn't matter at all, but it mattered plenty when it ruined my fights by giving me worthless unplayable hands. like speaking of things i'm not the target audience for. i don't have card battler brain. i don't think i've ever beaten the final boss in slay the spire.

i wish there had been a second good healer character. orik's healing scaling off mag is worthless when none of his weapons up his mag, i don't think the lifesteal stuff the twins have is that good at proper sustain either. the efficiency and effectiveness of galleo's healing abilities basically makes him mandatory for bosses

my favorite part of this game was. it was literally so awesome that the game just tells you outright copernica had a gay crush on her wizard college professor who turned out to be evil. That's rough, champ. In a better world you would have gotten that bird pussy.

[linuxgamenews]

Discover the Exciting World of SteamWorld Heist II

SteamWorld Heist II turn-based tactical strategy action adventure game launches on Linux and Steam Deck via Windows PC. Thanks to the brilliant team at Thunderful Development. Available now on Steam with 100% Positive reviews. Big news, Thunderful launched SteamWorld Heist II, and it’s available now on Linux and Steam Deck (Verified) via Windows PC on Steam. This game is full of turn-based tactical strategy and action adventure, and it’s already getting a lot of attention as a “must-play.” In SteamWorld Heist II, you’re stepping into the boots of Captain Leeway. While leading a crew of quirky Steambots on a wild journey across the high seas. Your mission? Solve the mystery behind a dangerous water crisis that’s threatening the world. The game world is also beautifully crafted, with lots of details that bring it to life. And the combat? It’s all about precision. So you’ll need to aim carefully and use your environment to bounce bullets off surfaces to take down enemies in style. Let’s talk gameplay. If you’re into strategy, you’re going to like the turn-based combat here. Every move matters, and aiming is crucial. The ricochet mechanic is satisfying — while you line up your shot, and if you play it right, you can pull off some amazing trick shots. Due to keeps your enemies guessing.

SteamWorld Heist II | Official Launch Trailer

As Captain Leeway, your crew’s fate is in your hands. You’ve got a ton of customization options, thanks to the game’s rich job system. Equip your crew with different weapons, tweak their abilities, due to pick the right gear for each mission. So whether you’re leading seasoned pros or fresh recruits, it’s up to you to steer them through the dangers of the Great Sea. But SteamWorld Heist II is not just about combat. There’s a whole ocean to explore, full of adventure and hidden dangers. You’ll engage in real-time naval battles, raid enemy bases, and score some sweet loot to boost your crew’s power. And when you need a break, hit up one of the lively bars scattered across the map. It’s the perfect spot to upgrade your gear and relax with your crew. Maybe also form alliances with other bots.

A few highlights to look forward to:

Free - aiming and ricochet gameplay: Plan your shots and let those bullets bounce for some seriously satisfying combat.

Expansive world exploration: Set sail, battle on the open seas, due to discover all the challenges the Great Sea has to offer.

Deep customization: With over 150 guns, utility items, and ship equipment. You can also tailor your crew and playstyle however you like in SteamWorld Heist II.

Immersive world and soundtrack: Enjoy a world full of handcrafted characters and settings. Plus a killer soundtrack featuring songs by Steam Powered Giraffe.

So, if you’re looking for a new adventure that’s packed with strategy, humor, and tons of action, SteamWorld Heist II should be at the top of your list. Grab your crew, set sail, and get ready for the turn-based tactical strategy action adventure. Available on both Steam and GOG (if you like your manual Proton setup). Along wit support for Linux and Steam Deck (Verified) via Windows PC.

[invisibletinkerer]

So I played Steamworld Heist. It's not as much fun to play as the Dig games, but it has:

Amazing found family vibes.

Captain Piper Faraday, who is basically Monkey D Luffy with a perpetual frown.

Hats.

[solidandsound]

annual video game retrospective time~!!

Following the trend of the last couple of years, I bought only a small amount of new games this year and instead focused on clearing out older games from my backlog. Specifically, I decided to beat every game in my backlog that was released pre-2000. Thanks to this self-imposed challenge, I got to experience some true classics like Kirby’s Adventure and the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the first time.

I beat a total of 38 games in 2020! This is a smaller number than previous years, but I’m satisfied with it. There were a handful of time sink games I played that sucked up time I could have used for more, shorter titles, but these long games were soothing in this year of stress. (More on that later.) I’m also proud not to have added very many new games to my list this year, not counting things I got for free or as gifts.

Here’s what I spent money on this year:

the Atelier Arland trilogy and the Atelier Dusk trilogy (finished 4/6 of these so far). These games individually have their ups and downs but as a series I can’t get enough of them. They have such a solid, addicting core gameplay loop that I am happy to fall into every time, and their lighthearted tones were great for this hell year.

Pikuniku (actually, I was able to grab this one using gold points on the Switch, the equivalent of about a dollar). A cute game about kicking capitalists into orbit. What’s not to love?

SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Dig 2. It was about time I played more SteamWorld games after how much I loved Heist. This series just oozes charm.

That’s it!! A couple other games I played this year were new but either received as gifts or bought by my bf for both of us, but I refrained from immediately purchasing exciting new releases like The Last of Us Part II and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Now, let’s talk about some more highlights from this year.

I got the Collection of Mana for Christmas 2019 and played through it in January. Final Fantasy Adventure was surprisingly solid for 1991, Secret of Mana was fun enough but by far the worst of the trilogy despite its popularity, and Trials of Mana was beautiful on every level. None of them are quite on par with Legend of Mana, but nothing is tbh, and it was a lot of fun to see more of the series finally.

Horizon Zero Dawn was great and surprisingly anti-capitalist. Prey: Mooncrash was a really inventive new take on a game I already loved. Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy was a good game to sink 100 hours into when the pandemic hit and I didn’t feel up to anything too deep. Pyre was an absolute masterpiece and my favourite of Supergiant’s games so far. Heaven Will Be Mine was a love letter to Gundam that felt made just for me.

Resident Evil. Specifically, the 2015 remaster of the 2002 remake of Resident Evil. Oh boy, this game. What a masterclass of survival horror. The first playthrough as Jill was so tense and spooky, and the second playthrough as Chris was a completely different experience, despite being mostly the same game, simply because knowing more of the layout of the mansion changes so much. I was so thrilled with this game that I jumped right into Resident Evil 0... but didn’t get very far. RE0 is superficially similar to RE but fails to understand what makes the latter so great. It’s a shame the franchise is so messy because I truly have no idea whether or not I should be trying, say, the RE2 remake, even though RE was probably the best game I played this year.

Shout out also to the games I played a lot of but didn’t beat. This of course includes the endless Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which I used as creative fuel to write over 100 poems in-game! I also played a ton of SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays. This is a huge game that will take me a while longer to finish, but I’m not in a rush. I’ve actually been using this game to exercise, doing jumping jacks and sit-ups during the game’s long attack animations.

As an added note, the PS5 came out this year and, shock! I did not get one. Yet. More and more I find frustration with our cultural obsession with newness, and not just in video games. It is good praxis, IMO, to insist that the newest thing is not the most valuable, and that something being new is not a good enough reason to acquire it. Sure enough, some of the best stuff I played this year was from over a decade ago. Good art does not expire, and the PS5′s best games will still be good when I get around to them, eventually.

And now I will go against everything I just said and beg you to please play my new game from this year. It’s free. Thank you.

PS. My plan for next year? Play every game in my backlog that released pre-2002! This should put me clear of the PS1 era. I may catch up to the present yet!

[gamersonthego]

Matt Giguere’s Top 25 3DS Games

Nine years after a harsh release and changing landscape, the Nintendo 3DS ended up to be the little handheld that could. In a time when standalone handheld systems were out of vogue if they couldn’t multitask, Nintendo managed to release a beast of a portable device and packed it with some very impressive and unique technology such as glasses-free 3D and the wonderful StreetPass software. While it was not as powerful as the PlayStation Vita or ubiquitous as the iPhone, the 3DS managed to stand out and find its audience thanks to an expansive library that still has a slew of exclusives worth checking out today. Very few companies take risks on strange and sometimes impractical tech for the sake of video games, and in the case of the 3DS, I do not think we will see something this unique from a major gaming publisher in a long time.

1. Fire Emblem Awakening

Incredibly, this was to be the last Fire Emblem game in the long running turn-based strategy games, but the success of this one game has kept this franchise alive to this day. Yes, Awakening has caused many of the newer games to become light “dating-sims” that irk a lot of the fans, but the added side conversations give the characters and setting some much needed flavor.  The game is loaded with strategic battles and some of the best maps in the series, and the only way to play it currently is on the 3DS. Highly recommended not only for the series, but certainly one of the must haves on the handheld.  

2. Pocket Card Jockey

A gem of a card game that is also a horse racing game. I didn’t think the two would be a perfect match, yet the game’s simple idea of racing horses while you play a quick game of solitaire while riding as a jockey in a horse race. There is a fair amount of strategy involved, but there are also bonus abilities and items that can help turn the odds in your favor should you end up sorting a hand. The silliness is enough to check out this game on a whim while mastering it will sink hours of playtime once you’re hooked. 

3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

The follow up to one of (if not the) greatest Legend of Zelda games of all time. This 3DS exclusive, and semi-sequel to A Link to the Past, helped to usher back the original top-down, Adventure-style gameplay and not use a unique style of control (such as the touch screen movement and attacking in the Phantom Hourglass). A Link Between Worlds may be the same style of questing many fans have seen before, but there are new approaches to this game thanks to the new item system where you can rent mission critical gear for a certain dungeon and head straight there. No longer is there a straightforward path to saving Hyrule and Lorule (save for a slight intro dungeon). The freedom to tackle each dungeon in any order is very freeing and I hope Nintendo will return to this formula in a new instalment. 

4. SteamWorld Heist 

Image & Form struck gold with their breakout hit SteamWorld Dig and could have easily slapped together a direct sequel while the iron was hot. Instead, they decided to switch gears and go with an entirely different genre. This 2D-perspective turn-based strategy game helps build on the interesting setting of robots who inhabit the “SteamWorld-verse,” this time set in the outer reaches of space. Packed with plenty of scenarios that randomly generate levels, there is a ton of action strategy to be had in this downloadable game. If all you have is a 3DS to play games on, be sure to try this one. 

5. Mario Golf: World Tour

For me, this is a return to form for the Mario sports line and easily the best since the heyday of Mario Golf on the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64. While it doesn’t have the story mode of the GBC version, the control and overall feel of golfing hit all the right points of the Camelot format that the earlier games nailed. While the interface can be a bit obtuse at times, especially navigating the club house to just start a match, the golf itself has yet to be surpassed in the Mario Golf franchise. 

6. Super Mario 3D Land

7. Shovel Knight

8. Pushmo

9. SteamWorld Dig 2

10. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

11. Super Smash Bros for 3DS

12. Space Harrier 

13. Azure Striker Gunvolt 2

14. Metroid Samus Returns 

15. WarioWare Gold 

16. Kirby: Planet Robobot

17. SteamWorld Dig

18. Kid Icarus: Uprising 

19. Crimson Shroud

20. Liberation Maiden

21. Kirby Triple Deluxe 

22. Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale

23. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

24. BOXBOY!

25. Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you Steal our Garbage?!!

[fridge-reviews]

The Best of MMXIX

Welcome to the my personal list of games I enjoyed this year. That’s right it’s my list, feel free to disagree with me but it won’t change anything. Anyway here are the rules;

1. These are games that I’ve played and reviewed this year. 2. There isn’t an order to this list, its not a top 10, these all feature because of how good they are. 3. The games don’t have to have been released this year.

Now lets get on with it!

Steamworld Heist

Turn based tactical combat with steam powered bots... IN SPACE! This game had me coming back for seconds and thirds. My only gripe is that there isn’t more of it.

DOOM (2016)

CLICK, CLICK BOOM! BOOM! Ah, this game was a real breath of fresh air for the Doom franchise and it was rather nice to be afforded the simple joy of mushing a demons face into the ground.

Spaceplan

A clicker game that actually has a story and an actual end game? What madness is this? Well this is Spaceplan a clicker game about Space, Time and Potatoes.

Mages of Mystralia

A hack and slash action RPG but with no hacking or slashing. But what makes this game truly interesting is the spell editing though. I never thought I’d be able to create a fireball that froze my enemy in place and then electrocuted them.

Prey (2017)

This game that made me nostalgic for System Shock 2. Except I think this game might actually be a bit better. I actually just bought the Mooncrash DLC and I can’t wait to give that a go!

The Stanley Parable

Calling this a walking simulator feels disingenuous, true you walk around in is but there is so much more to this than that. This is also one of the funniest games I’ve played, not just this year but ever.

Hand of Fate 2

A game so good that I ended up backing the Kickstarter for the board game (which is also great). I keep going back and playing this trying to tidy up my runs and slowly playing through the various DLC.

Axiom Verge

This game made me catch the metroidvania bug, I’ve bought so many because of my time playing through this. It’s actually great in its own right and extremely challenging (or I’m terrible one of the two).

Nier: Automata

God damn... this game. No game should be this good, smooth combat, amazing soundtrack, overly convoluted storyline that even now I’m not 100% sure I understand fully. Play this game, then do it again and again and again. You’ll get something new every time.

The Hex

From the creator of Pony Island, that alone should tell you something. This game spans multiple genres and yet keeps the same control scheme. All the while telling a pointed story about games design and development (among other things).

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

This year... has been strange, and not just in the world of video games, although that too has had its fair share of oddities. Loot boxes have FINALLY caught the attention of the mainstream and calling for the industry to get its shit together (especially after EA’s pitiful performance to the UK parliament).  Anyway lets not focus on that, the important this to see here is that lots of new and interesting games have appeared and the indie scene is more active than ever! 

[cinni-k]

Steamworld ask game! I want to see 1, 17 and 20!

1. pick one steamworld game (can be your favorite if you have one!) and name one thing that you like about it and one thing that you don’t

Steamworld Dig 1, because I am currently replaying it. Love the soundtrack, I think the way it builds a steady sense of separation and your surroundings becoming more alien as the music shifts further and further away from the style used in Tumbleton is really fun, even if I don't know much about music.

I hate how obvious the game's shorter development time is, because ultimately that's the easiest way of putting all my problems with the game into words. I originally started typing a wall of text here before realizing that honestly it was just so much which kind of sucked compared to the rather lackluster description of stuff I do like. If anyone prompts me I will gladly talk about everything wrong with Dig 1.

17. gush about your favorite character. just do it

I have multiple but I'm going with Piper this time, because I just finished replaying Heist. Piper is a fantastic protagonist and I absolutely adore her and how she's characterized. She's incredibly charismatic, she's polite (unless you're either Gat or a scrapper) she's compassionate and she's really funny, which makes her a delight to watch, not to mention it helps align her personality with her abilities very effectively in how she inspires people. I love that Piper straight-up says that being good only serves to get you punished and yet she chooses to do good and be kind anyway! Not to mention the way she's animated and how she constantly holds herself inward, never stretching too far out helps visually communicate how composed she is and how much control she has over how she shows herself. Piper is extremely calculated in her mannerisms and she only really lets that guard down around Wonky, and the depth to her character in an environment where she didn't really need to have one is just *chef's kiss*

AND she did all that WHILE GAY.

20. what’s an unpopular/universally hated character that you like?

mmm. In all honesty I think I'm usually the one who dislikes the more popular characters? My best answer here is Sally. I'm not sure if anyone besides one of my friends who I got to play the game actually actively dislikes her, but I know what's a genuinely unpopular opinion is that I really like her design. Her freaky teeth help give her the immediate impression of someone more hostile I love the weird structure of her body and how it moves, her body is very specifically constructed in a way that allows her to easily withdraw, as her hips move up and down sliders and her torso slides into her wider pelvis when she crouches. Also honestly I just love women who get to look fucking weird! It's a huge breath of fresh air anywhere but especially after Dig 1's "ah yes you can tell they're women because we gave them tits" design philosophy. Also I just think she's funny even if she's a huge bitch to Fen for literally no reason.

Thank you for the asks! These were all a lot of fun. I love talking about stuff.

[4colorrebellion]

4cr Plays - SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech

Swedish developers Image & Form have taken on a variety of genres with the versatile SteamWorld setting. SteamWorld Dig and Dig 2 were gorgeous, polished takes on the sidescrolling action-adventure. SteamWorld Heist presented an addictive take on the turn-based strategy game. SteamWorld Tower Defense was, well, a creative take on its namesake. 

Now, Image & Form are back with their most ambitious release yet. SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is the studio’s riff on the RPG genre, with an addictive card-based battle system.

Read on for my impressions.

SteamWorld Quest places you in the armor-plated shoes of Armilly - the grocer’s daughter, who dreams of living up to the legend of her hero, Gilgamech - Copernica - a college dropout who wants to bring alchemy to the people - and Galleo - a craftsman looking for a way out of his mother’s basement. Their little village is attacked by an army of mechanical monsters, and the professional adventurers prove to be completely useless. Suddenly, Armilly, Copernica, and Galleo find themselves in the spotlight, as the only ones who can repel the invaders and save the world. 

The plot of SteamWorld Quest is essentially the hero’s journey at the heart of many fantasy novels. It’s a fun ride, and the charming dialogue really carries the experience. I fell in love with the characters from almost the start - you can’t help but love Copernica’s sarcasm and Armilly’s sheer, puppy-like earnestness. The general tone of the game is perfect. It’s a little tongue-in-cheek, and throws a few fun winks at the player without getting obnoxious. I expected finely-tuned gameplay from Image & Form, but was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed the writing too. 

SteamWorld Quest is presented as a series of chapters, each essentially a sidescrolling “level” to explore. Whether forest paths, a dungeon, or a damp cave, you move between a series of rooms full of enemies, characters to talk to, merchants, and obstacles. You can destroy items to collect gold, and search for chests full of items. Your map shows the rooms that you’ve explored, and indicates missed paths. Of course, there are also hidden rooms not indicated on the map, so there is incentive to explore each area as much as you can. 

If you get close to an enemy, combat begins. Battles are turn-based, alternating between groups - that is, your party takes a turn, then the enemy party takes a turn (rather than alternating between individual characters). Combat is card-based. Each of your three party members has a deck of eight cards, which are shuffled together to form your deck. You draw a hand of six cards at the start of the battle, and draw back up to six each turn. On a turn, you may perform up to three actions. You could play three cards, or use up to three items - like health-restoring potions - instead. 

The actions you can choose are determined by your SP - “steam points”. Each character has cards that represent basic actions, either simple attacks, stat modifiers, and such. Basic actions are weak, but they cost nothing to use and grant you one SP. More powerful cards - attacks, healing, powerful spells - cost one or more SP to play. SP is held in a shared pool for the party. When choosing skills, you need to decide whether to focus on one character’s cards, or whether to spread actions between party members. If all three cards belong to the same character, you get to execute a special fourth action for that character. However, some skills are more powerful if paired with another character’s abilities. Other times, it might make sense to pair one character’s mighty attack with another’s healing touch.

Using a card takes it from your hand to the discard pile, putting it out of play until the existing deck is used up. Fortunately, with a combined deck size of 24, it is never long until discarded cards come back into play. You can also freely discard two cards each turn and draw replacements immediately. This is a great touch, helping you get out of situations where you feel “stuck” and allowing you to gamble on a definite - but weak - turn versus a potentially great turn. Since you get cards back eventually, you have a lot of freedom to try to manipulate your hand.

Each character has their own specializations, strengths, and weaknesses. Armilly is your standard “knight”, excelling at physical attacks and defense. Copernica is the “wizard”, with elemental magic attacks. Galleo is your support character - your “priest” - with healing skills, the ability to inflict status ailments like poison on enemies, and stat manipulation abilities. This impacts the kind of skills they each bring to the table, and what you can expect out of them in combat.  

Each character has stats (the typical RPG ones, like strength, magic, constitution, etc.). Armilly is good at physical strikes, Copernica is not. However, Copernica makes up for a lack of strength with powerful element-based magic attacks. You also equip weapons and accessories to improve your stats, and attacks do damage based on these stats. For example, an ice attack that does 120% magic damage does 12 damage if your magic stat is 10. 

You can have three party members at one time, and eventually do meet more characters that join the adventure. Like Armilly, Copernica, and Galleo, each additional character brings their own unique twists to the combat formula, and it is worth experimenting with part composition to find the one that works for how you play the game. Unfortunately, only the active party members gain experience, so unused characters quickly fall behind. 

Each character has their own deck of cards. You find new cards throughout the world, and defeated monsters yield materials that can be used to craft new cards at the merchant. Very quickly, you end up with many more cards than can be used in your eight card deck, and choosing the right cards becomes an interesting optimization problem. You have to consider not just that character in isolation, but also the decks of the rest of the party. Galleo might not be the strongest attacker, but you still might want to include some of their attack cards to not end up in a situation where you only have healing cards. However, reasonably frequent save points and the ability to resurrect enemies give you a lot of freedom to explore different deck configurations. 

The battle system is incredible. I have had a blast experimenting with different party and deck configurations, and the element of random draws adds a lot of interesting little surprises and chances to plan out a series of actions. There is a huge amount of depth to each aspect of combat. Yet, at the same time, the system is easy to immediately understand. You never feel lost in a series of dense mechanics. It’s a wonderful case of “easy to understand, hard to master”. 

SteamWorld Quest is also a gorgeous game, especially on the Switch’s tablet screen. The art has a hand-drawn, painted quality to it. The blend of steampunk and fantasy is really appealing - mixing traditional concepts like wizards and knights with gears and bolts -  and I love the interesting little details in all of the character designs, like how the cards look like old-school punchcards. There is a nice variety of environments to explore, and the developers have made great use of color to present a richly detailed world. I have played almost entirely in portable mode, but the game looks wonderful both on the TV and on the go. 

SteamWorld Quest is one of the most enjoyable RPGs I’ve played recently, and it’s easy to get sucked into. Once again, Image & Form have put out a wonderfully polished, creative take on a well-known game genre, and I think they’ve outdone all of their past efforts. If you like card games or RPGs, you should definitely give this a go.

This review is based on a copy of the game provided by the developers.

Official Website

Nintendo eShop