#laysara

[csidesummit]

After way too much time in development, I've finally finished my June 2023 Next Fest Demo favorites :) There's a lot of unique stuff out on the horizon.

[gamesline]

The Triple-i Initiative Round-up

What’s a "Triple-i Initiative"? What sorts of games get announced at one of them? Rougelikes, apparently. Here’s a rundown of what was shown at the first Triple-i Showcase. Read the full article

[blueeyedrat]

Steam Next Fest, summer 2023, for real this time. I was able to fit in more games than I anticipated, which is good, since there were plenty that caught my eye. First impressions and general thoughts under the cut.

(Part 1)

Viewfinder — Another entry in the proud lineage of "first-person puzzle games that do weird non-Euclidean shit" — Portal, Antichamber, Superliminal, et al. These games are always impressive in some way (concept, tech, style), and Viewfinder carries on the tradition. The core mechanic, overlaying photos onto "real" space and having their contents become equally real and able to be interacted with, is pulled off well. The puzzles in the demo show off a lot of interesting ways it can be used, and how its basic rules and assumptions can be bent and challenged. I'm very interested in this one, and I'm looking forward to when it comes out.

Stick to the Plan — A grid puzzle game about getting a small dog from point A to point B while carrying a long, unwieldy stick. I've seen the original Game Jam version on itch.io but never got around to playing it. The game seems up my alley, though, so I'm glad it's being expanded upon. Easy to pick up the basic concept, but enough room for introducing new mechanics and gimmicks to keep things interesting.

Gambit Shifter — A chess-themed puzzle game. I don't have much to say about it, but what I do have to say is positive. It's a simple enough idea (if you're familiar with how chess pieces move on a grid) with a decent variety of puzzles and simple, stylized chess pieces. That's all you need, I suppose.

Iron Roads — A train management sim. This one didn't quite land for me. The management part (building stations and rails and bridges, buying trains, planning routes, implementing logic for train stops and the like) didn't hold my interest, and the rest of it felt a little bare-bones. It's relatively early in development so there's room to improve, but I don't think this one's for me.

Causeway — A sleek-looking puzzle game about connecting traffic lines. I expected more to it than that, but it's actually pretty minimalist: draw paths, connect input roads to output roads, let the simulation play out and hope you did it correctly so there's no overflow or collision. I couldn't find any way to adjust the camera and the interface felt a little awkward in general, especially when trying to fine-tune a road on the edge of the map or place a bunch of roads and bridges near each other. I like this one in concept, but less in practice.

Laysara: Summit Kingdom — So, uh, all of the city builders I've played in the past few years are getting sequels all of a sudden. Cities: Skylines, Airborne Kingdom, Before We Leave, all have sequels lined up. I hope I have time to play them. I also hope I have time to play Laysara when it comes out, because it pushes all the same buttons. A builder with a nice gameplay loop of making numbers go up and having everything fit together just right (but it's all on a grid, so you don't have to fit it all into place that much), and a unique gimmick or two to top it off. I've been looking forward to this one for almost a year, and I don't think that'll change any time soon.

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles — A sandbox city builder that shares a setting with the dev's previous work, The Falconeer (a game I'm not actually that familiar with, and have only seen in passing). As far as builders go, this is one of the most unorthodox I've played, mostly due to its control scheme. You traverse a network of connected buildings and extend that network upward and outward, rather than moving around the map independently and building from the top down (though with a useful airship, you're not entirely locked out of the latter). It's streamlined, but at the same time it feels like there's some nuance that I'm either not quite getting or can't access in this demo — supply lines and logistics, defenses, managing diplomacy and conflict with the different in-game factions, and so on. Despite Bulwark's oddities, or perhaps even because of them, I actually kinda dig it and I'm interested to see more. Mr. Sala, you have my attention.

Quest Master — A 2D Zelda-like with a focus on creating custom dungeons. It's been too long since I've dug into a good level editor. A good Zelda Maker might scratch that itch, though, especially since we've got options on that front (I should check out Super Dungeon Maker at some point, for comparison). Admittedly, this one might need some more time in the oven; no matter which control scheme you're using, the interface isn't as intuitive as I'd like and feels a bit awkward switching in and out of build mode, and currently there's no way to re-map any of the controls to mitigate this. It's got some neat ideas, though, and I'd like to see the game when it's been fully fleshed out.

Saltsea Chronicles — A point-and-click narrative game. I've had Die Gute Fabrik's previous foray into the genre (Mutazione) on my backlog for a while, and started up a playthrough after this game was announced. What I've seen so far in both games has been really interesting in terms of worldbuilding and character writing. Saltsea Chronicles seems particularly ambitious, with an ensemble cast and an episodic plot — each "episode" brings your motley crew to a different island in the Saltsea and you can choose who goes ashore to gather information, resources, mementos, etc., discovering more of the world and its inhabitants, advancing individual stories and the overarching narrative throughout. The demo episode was really well-written, and I am immediately invested in this setting and these characters. Of all the games I played in this Next Fest, this one might be the sleeper hit of the lot.

[karlsanada13]

If you enjoy building cities, empires, or even towns, city-building simulation games are a popular genre. There are numerous upcoming city-building games with unique twists and challenges.

To find out the best upcoming City Building games 2023 and beyond here: [Top 20] Upcoming City Building Games 2023 And Beyond | GAMERS DECIDE

[savingcontent]

"Ice Altar" is a major update for Early Access mountain city-builder Laysara: Summit Kingdom

Continue reading “Ice Altar” is a major update for Early Access mountain city-builder Laysara: Summit Kingdom

[indiegamelover]

Laysara Summit Kingdom

✰ More indie games you may have missed:

IndieGameLover @ Youtube

indiegamelover.com

[bigporras]

🎮Laysara: Summit Kingdom 🏘️🏔️🧩

👉🏻 Laysara: Summit Kingdom de  @quiteokgames6011 

Clave gracias a  @futurefriendsgames2229 

Comprarlo en Steam: #LaysaraSummitKingdom https://store.steampowered.com/app/1823950/Laysara_Summit_Kingdom/?utm_source=bigporras

VoD: #Laysara https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2176773180

[ageekgirlsguide]

First Look: Laysara: Summit Kingdom

Carefully plan your production chains, trade networks and avalanche survival strategies to satisfy the needs of your citizens (and yaks) and make the Kingdom of Laysara thrive in this new game by Quite OK Games and Future Friends Games.

[lostlevelsclub]

Triple-I, Switch Indies and Now Playing

Mike and Ting talk about the Triple-I Initiative, the Switch Indie World Showcase, what they've been playing, and some rapid fire news.

Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or mike.and.ting@lostlevels.club

Show Notes:

Triple-I

The Triple-i Initiative 2024: A New Gaming Showcase (YouTube)

Slay the Spire 2 Officially Announced, Won't be in Unity

Why there are 861 roguelike deckbuilders on Steam all of a sudden | Ars Technica

Streets of Rogue 2 - Official Reveal Trailer | Wishlist Now on Steam! (YouTube)

Hyper Light Breaker - Mini-Boss Gameplay Reveal Trailer (YouTube)

Risk of Rain 2 - Devotion Update (YouTube)

Wizard of Legend 2 Combat Trailer | Humble Games (YouTube)

Shadows of Doubt - Official Console Announce & Sharpshooter Assassin Launch Trailer (YouTube)

‘Nothing, Forever’ Is An Endless ‘Seinfeld’ Episode Generated by AI

MOUSE - Official Spike-D Gameplay Teaser

Laysara: Summit Kingdom - Official Early Access Launch Trailer | Triple-I Initiative Showcase (YouTube)

Dinolords - Official Teaser Trailer | Triple-I Initiative Showcase (YouTube)

Switch Indies

Indie World Showcase 4.17.2024 - Nintendo Switch

Little Kitty, Big City

Europa – Reveal Trailer – Nintendo Switch

Sticky Business – Release Trailer – Nintendo Switch (YouTube)

ANTONBLAST – Release Date Trailer – Nintendo Switch (YouTube)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch (YouTube)

The Rogue Prince of Persia: Reveal Trailer (YouTube)

V Rising x Legacy of Castlevania - Official Teaser Trailer (YouTube)

Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns - Official Contra & PS Announce Trailer | Triple-I Initiative (YouTube)

Now Playing

Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Season 2 - Myths & Mortals | Launch Trailer (YouTube)

Family Guy: The Bird's The Word (Clip) | TBS (YouTube)

Fortnite Bird Is The Word (Peter Griffin Emote) (YouTube)

THE FINALS

The Finals uses AI text-to-speech because it can produce lines 'in just a matter of hours rather than months', baffles actual voice actors | PC Gamer

Palworld | Pocketpair, Inc.

Enshrouded

Sixty Four is a beautiful system design toy that reveals something rather dark | Ars Technica

COCOON

The Talos Principle 2

Baldur's Gate 3

Tavern Brawler Monk Build Explained : r/BG3Builds

Rapid Fire

EU forces Apple to allow competitors apps on its devices, but UK makes no changes

Here’s the new Apple tax every developer is going to hate - The Verge

Apple opens the App Store to retro game emulators - The Verge

60 Percent Of Playtime In 2023 Went To 6-Year-Old Or Older Games, New Data Shows

Braid, Anniversary Edition Release Date Trailer (with intro) (YouTube)

They ACTUALLY think this is programming! Jonathan Blow CAN'T stop laughing! (YouTube)

Outro

Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear

Books | Oliver Burkeman (Four Thousand Weeks)

Udio | Throes of the Bane by Katsew | AI Music Generator - Official Website

Download this Episode

[anjelusx]

Anjel Builds in Laysara Summit Kingdom Early Access - Part 2

[simfanrussia]

“Затягивает с головой. Механика дает уйму возможностей, графика приятна и радует глаз. Однозначно советую любителям ситибилдов”

Вчера в ранний доступ вышел горный градостроительный симулятор Laysara. У игры 77 % положительных отзывов, ценник в 570 рублей и есть украинский.

[gameforestdach]

Einführung: Laysara: Summit Kingdom ist offiziell im Early Access auf Steam gestartet und bietet eine neue, herausfordernde Wendung im Genre der Städtebausimulationen. In einem rauen, bergigen Terrain angesiedelt, fordert das Spiel die Spieler dazu heraus, komplexe Szenarien zu meistern, die Ressourcenmanagement, strategische Planung und die Vermeidung von Katastrophen – insbesondere Lawinen – umfassen, was eine intensive Ebene von Schwierigkeit und Vergnügen hinzufügt. Zusammenfassung: Laysara: Summit Kingdom, ursprünglich für 2023 angekündigt, wurde auf Anfang 2024 verschoben, ist nun aber überraschend im Early Access erschienen. Entwickelt von Quite OK Games, kündigte das kleine Team an, zusätzliche Zeit für das Polieren des Spiels zu benötigen, um bei der vollständigen Veröffentlichung ein umfassendes und genussvolles Erlebnis sicherzustellen. Die Early-Access-Version bietet sechs unterschiedliche Szenarien, die auf verschiedenen Bergkarten angesiedelt sind, wobei die Spielzeit erheblich variieren kann, abhängig von der Strategie des Spielers. Dem Spiel fehlt derzeit ein Kampagnenmodus, der jedoch in der Vollversion enthalten sein soll, die voraussichtlich in 6-12 Monaten fertiggestellt wird. Das Interesse an Laysara war hoch, mit Funktionen, die eine drehbare 3D-Ansicht der Berge umfassen, was die strategischen Elemente des Städtebaus auf solch herausforderndem Terrain verstärkt. Detaillierte Übersicht: https://twitter.com/QuiteOKGames/status/1778113503909282074 Start und Entwicklungseinblicke: Laysara: Summit Kingdom war ein mit Spannung erwarteter Titel, der für 2023 geplant war, aber die Entwickler bei Quite OK Games mussten seine Veröffentlichung auf Anfang 2024 verschieben, um das Spiel weiter zu verfeinern. Ein Update im November kommunizierte diese Verzögerung und betonte die Absicht des Teams, ein poliertes und erfüllendes Erlebnis für Fans des Städtebaugenres zu liefern. Trotz der geringen Teamgröße, die manchmal die Fortschritte verlangsamt, bleibt ihr Engagement für Qualität unerschütterlich. Der Early-Access-Start ist ein bedeutender Meilenstein, der den Spielern die einzigartigen Herausforderungen und einnehmenden Gameplay-Mechaniken des Spiels vorstellt. Spielverlauf und Funktionen: Der Early Access von Laysara bietet sechs Szenarien, jedes mit einer anderen Bergkarte zum Erobern. Diese Karten fordern die Spieler mit ihren steilen, zerklüfteten Klippen heraus, was das Ressourcenmanagement und die Stadtplanung erschwert. Die Dauer jedes Szenarios kann stark variieren – von einigen Stunden bis viel länger – abhängig hauptsächlich von der Fähigkeit des Spielers, Lawinen zu vermeiden oder zu bewältigen, eine ständige Bedrohung in den eisigen, hochgelegenen Einstellungen. Spieler können diese Szenarien im Standardmodus angehen oder sich für den Herausforderungsmodus entscheiden, der aus kürzeren, schwierigeren Aufgaben besteht. Zusätzlich steht ein freier Bau-Modus für Spieler zur Verfügung, die einen weniger strukturierten Ansatz bevorzugen, mit dem Schwerpunkt auf Kreativität und Ästhetik. Erwartungen und Community-Reaktion: Die Begeisterung für die Demo von Laysara im letzten Jahr war spürbar, und das Spiel wurde als eines der Top-Angebote auf dem Steam Next Fest gelistet. Kritiker und Spieler lobten gleichermaßen die innovative 3D-Perspektive, die eine drehbare Sicht um den Berg ermöglicht, einen umfassenden Blick auf die Gelände bietet und hilft, die Layoutplanung der Stadt zu strategisieren. Die drohende Gefahr von Naturkatastrophen wie Lawinen fügt dem Spielverlauf eine aufregende Kante hinzu und macht Laysara zu einer bemerkenswerten Ergänzung des Genres der Städtebausimulationen. Chris Livingston, ein bekannter Begeisteter von Städtebau-Simulationen, hat besonders viel Vorfreude für Laysara geäußert und die innovative Nutzung von Berglandschaften sowie die komplexen Herausforderungen, die sie einführen, als Schlüsselfaktoren hervorgehoben, die es über typische Städtebau-Simulationen erheben.

Ausblick: Obwohl die Early-Access-Version robust ist, verspricht Quite OK Games weitere Funktionen, einschließlich eines vollständigen Kampagnenmodus in der Vollversion. Der Entwicklungszeitplan schätzt, dass die vollständige Veröffentlichung in etwa 6-12 Monaten bereit sein wird, abhängig vom fortlaufenden Feedback der Spieler und dem Entwicklungsforschritt. Fazit: Der Early-Access-Start von Laysara: Summit Kingdom markiert eine aufregende Entwicklung im Genre der Städtebausimulationen, indem traditionelles Gameplay mit erfinderischen, strategieintensiven Szenarien kombiniert wird, die selbst erfahrene Spieler herausfordern. Während Quite OK Games weiterhin das Spiel poliert und erweitert, wartet die Community gespannt auf das vollständige Erlebnis und freut sich auf die einzigartigen Freuden und Herausforderungen, die Laysara bieten wird. Quellen: PC Gamer Steam Store: Laysara Summit Kingdom Weitere Infos: Electronic Arts verlagert den Fokus weg vom Dead Space 2 Remake und Wird TopSpin 2K25 auf der Nintendo Switch für Action sorgen?

[worthplaying]

'Laysara: Summit Kingdom' Available On Steam Early Access - Trailer

http://dlvr.it/T5L5Mw

[blueeyedrat]

Steam Next Fest, winter 2024. Just when you're starting to get into a groove with a project, something new comes up to distract you. So it goes.

This one was all over the map — some games I really liked, a few that were kind of a letdown, and a few that were just sort of there. I think this is the first time a batch of demos has removed more items from my Steam wishlist than it's added. More detailed (though perhaps less organized) thoughts under the cut.

Okay so Balatro doesn't really count, I've been playing the demo for this game for months at this point, but I want to mention it anyway. It's a deckbuilder in the purest sense: you're given a plain deck of cards and tasked with scoring points via poker hands, accumulating a variety of buffs and modifiers to literally rig the deck in your favor. It is perhaps the most make number go up game I have played in a good while, and it's addicting as heck. I know some folks who will be playing the full version nonstop when it comes out later this month, and I might be one of 'em.

As far as city/settlement builders go, I don't think Synergy is jumping to the front of the queue when it has to compete with the likes of Laysara or The Wandering Village, but it does have some neat ideas. I do enjoy when I get to treat this sort of builder like a puzzle of sorts, fitting all of the pieces together, and the ways this demo asked me to do so on both small and large scale were just interesting enough to pique my curiosity. Might be worth a look in the future.

Now, a quick rundown of the demos that didn't land quite as well: Planetiles and Kamaeru had charming aesthetics, but the UI in both games felt a bit clunky and the gameplay left me wanting a bit more substance. Train Valley World moved away from the gameplay I enjoyed in the previous two entries in the series, in favor of something I'm not particularly interested in. There were a few other games I found while putting together my list this time around, but either bounced off of (Electrogical, Bounties of Babylon) or didn't get enough to pass judgement (Omnibullet, Overmorrow), so I may need to revisit them later.

Somewhere in the middle, I'd say, was Aarik and the Ruined Kingdom, a Monument Valley-esque puzzle game. It was… alright. I liked it, I just liked most of the other stuff I tried more. I need to sit down and play Monument Valley at some point.

There are two games on this list I'm torn on. Flock is a cute exploration game that reminds me of Sky: Children of the Light and charmed me in very similar ways. Customizing a character, flying around, and observing the game's colorful ecosystem was a lot of fun. Botany Manor is a puzzle game somewhere between The Witness and Return of the Obra Dinn, where you gather clues in your environment and use them to piece together answers to a central puzzle — in this case, figuring out how to make various plants grow. Some neat ideas to be had here.

I really liked both of these demos! But both of them ran into the same problem: I get motion-sick kind of easily, and there's a small subset of video games that make me dizzy if I play them for too long (and sometimes "too long" is, like, five minutes). To its credit, Botany Manor acknowledges this and has options to make it more accessible… but if there's a specific configuration of camera settings that doesn't give me a literal headache, I didn't find it. It's really frustrating that some of the games I enjoyed the most in this list are ones I'm not sure I can physically handle in the long term. I'll keep an eye on them, but… we'll see.

Moving on. Duck Detective is another "fill in the blanks" mystery in the vein of Case of the Golden Idol or the aforementioned Obra Dinn. It's a much more humorous and lighthearted take on the idea, and while the demo was pretty short, it gave a decent enough look at the gameplay and style that I'm interested in what lies beyond.

#BLUD immediately stands out for its hyper-cartoony art style, which it definitely leans into (it's got episode title cards, for crying out loud). It backs up that style with some charming writing and a decent Zelda-ish mix of exploration and dungeon crawling. I'm not sure the combat entirely clicked with me, especially early on before your character gets a proper weapon, but I still liked the demo well enough overall.

Crypt Custodian also took some time to grow on me, but when I did get into a groove I wound up having a pretty good time with it. It's a top-down 'vania — my closest comparison would be Hyper Light Drifter, with character progression and looser movement closer to something like Ori or Hollow Knight. It was a bit of a gauntlet at first, and didn't always give you a lot of direction (apparently that's an upgrade you need to unlock), but once I got a few more options for movement and combat it felt like I could handle most of what it was throwing at me. Seems fun.

For a more direct comparison to Ori, we close out with Tales of Kenzera. This was one of the other highlights of the bunch for me. The movement and combat felt good and offered a lot of options up front, and kept adding more throughout the demo — similar to Ori, it's not the tightest and prioritizes spectacle over precision, but the level and encounter design never asks for too much. The art, animation, and voice work are all excellent, and the story (drawing inspiration from Bantu folklore) shows a lot of promise. I'm interested to see where this one goes, for sure.

[theindieinformer]

Mile High City Builder Laysara: Summit Kingdom Ascends To Early Access Today

Surprise! Laysara: Summit Kingdom climbs onto Steam Early Access today.

Few things generate instant hype, like a shadow drop during a big virtual gaming event. The Triple-I Initiative made sure to check that box by partnering with Quite OK Games to announce the immediate release of its Early Access game Laysara: Summit Kingdom. Available today on Steam, Laysara: Summit Kingdom is a unique city-building sim where you piece together a town while navigating the terrain…