Space Food Truck
Mainly writing this because I disagree with what the majority of the negative reviews are saying, as someone who cranked out 40 hours of gameplay (split quite evenly between online and offline play) and who completed games on the hardest difficulty level. While I have ideas on what should contribute to a negative review, which will come later in the review, but let’s start by tackling the points I disagree with in the negative reviews.
I believe RNG gets the majority of the blame because a random event occurs at the beginning of every turn, and at every new planet, so it’s pretty much in your face all the time.
– Real player with 102.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best 4 Player Local Sci-fi Games.
This game has the potential to be very fun. Myself and a few friends brought it and really enjoyed the game initially. But we quickly realised that this game is too hard, and not even hard in way that challenges you properly. We have been playing on mild difficulty, since the upper difficulty was seemingly impossilbe.
The game is hard beyond the player’s control, since much of the game mechanics are the result RNG. 90% of the RNG is bad! You receive negative effects that can see you wiped out very quickly. For example, we upgraded our shields to the max very early on, but in response, we started taking much more damage from RNG events.
– Real player with 44.7 hrs in game
Dominion
Always heard about the boardgame but never had the chance to play it and now that i did I can see why it’s so popular!
The DA is very well done: plays smooth, good sfx, AI feels solid (haven’t tried Hard yet though). The game has already -I think?- all of the the expansions available that can be played in a 1v1 against AI or with another player online.
I must say this is very polished already for being EA for less than two weeks!
As per how stability goes, I played 3 games with a friend yesterday and we only got two freezes/crashes but we could keep playing by simply restarting the game: no game-breaking bugs found yet.
– Real player with 33.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best 4 Player Local Agriculture Games.
A very faithful adaptation of the famous evolutionary card game. The first one that found the concept of deckbuilding during the game. Many other games followed this inspiration, such as Star Realms, Ascension, War of Omens, for the main ones. If you know of any others, please respond.
This is a concept not to be confused with these two:
-
Deckbuilding before the game, the player builds a deck (example: Magic the Gathering).
-
Deckbuilding during the game, without being able to swap cards, during a quest (example: Slay the spire).
– Real player with 14.6 hrs in game
Mystic Vale
It’s a great rendition of my favorite card game, and always a fun play due to the nearly-unique card crafting system (I’ve only seen one other game, which both isn’t in video game format and is a product of the same company). It’s fast-paced and the automatic counting of resources is very nice.
That said, there are a few issues (all minor):
EDIT JAN 28: 1 was asking for clarity in cards remaining (counting on-deck or not). It’s apparent enough after checking once or twice and sticks with you; as of this edit, it’s cards under the on-deck
– Real player with 481.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best 4 Player Local Fantasy Games.
I recently downloaded this digital adaptation of the card game Mystic Vale having never played the physical version. I can say I love the game so far, and recommend it to anyone from fans of casual card games to more serious board game geeks. Essentially, It’s a well-balanced deck-building game with a theme of fighting the corruption of a sacred landscape through the cultivation of nature, and in my view is very relaxing, yet mentally stimulating, to play.
Those who have played the card game Dominion or other games of the deck-building genre will recognize the mechanic of purchasing cards from a center tableau, adding them to a deck of initially underwhelming cards, and slowly increasing potential of combos and synergy as the game progresses. However, the mechanic in Mystic Vale of crafting each card by adding components, or “advancements” in in-game terms, to each card’s top, middle, or bottom zones is unlike Dominion or any other game I’ve played. In my opinion, this concept alone sets Mystic Vale apart as an island of true uniqueness in a sea of ripoffs in the board/card game sphere.
– Real player with 81.0 hrs in game
Concordia: Digital Edition
Great electronic version of the game. There are options that make scoring easier to visualize during the game. The UI allows take-backs before finalizing an action, which is also very helpful. Realtime games would be a great update.
– Real player with 43.6 hrs in game
It’s really addicting. I only play vs AI but it’s just a joy and with my novice experience every game feels close. I would recommend turning off visible scoring to mimic the board game and not make bad decisions looking at short vs long game.
UI could be improved a little bit for me to easily see what I have (housing resource count) at a glance, the various overlays don’t quite do it for me. Maybe there is a better way and I’m just too new.
Music is great though I wish there were some more varied tracks instead of what feels like the long “one” song built in.
– Real player with 37.2 hrs in game
Hexagroove: Tactical DJ
Hexagroove is probably the most interesting and exciting music game I’ve ever played. It’s a rhythm game made by people with a deep and obvious love of electronic music and the culture around it. It plays in a unique and intuitive way that makes it simple to make some kick ass music. Honestly, I never knew how much I needed something like this in my life.
Unlike other rhythm games which rely on quick reflexes and tapping along to the beat, most of Hexagroove’s gameplay centers around layering different instrumental loops. If you’re the kind of person who likes to play a game for the challenge, then it might not be for you. Most of the fun comes from putting together the different pieces and finding a solid groove, then adjusting it and playing with it on the fly. There’s room for a lot more experimentation and playfulness than in games that emphasize skill mastery, like Beatmania or Audiosurf. It offers some mini-games and an obligatory campaign, but you won’t find anything too taxing except on the highest difficulty. I’ve made my way through the whole game on each difficulty level, but most of my time is spent in free mode just jamming out. I’d hesitate to even call Hexagroove a game. It controls like a game, and it’s got levels, achievements and tricks to perform for style points, but it plays more like an instrument, something you can play to make cool music, without any of the hassle of having to learn to beatmatch or how to use an MPC.
– Real player with 19.8 hrs in game
Even with my short time in the game thus far I think it’s incredibly cool. I’ve not seen or played anything else like it. From the viewpoint of someone who doesn’t (yet) make music, it’s about the closest you can get to actually mixing and producing your own tracks while still also technically being a game.
It’s a lot of fun just to play around in, and I love that the game encourages that. More than once I’d be vibing with all the loops and samples in the practice mode, finding out my favorites and which ones work well together before remembering, oh yeah, I have a set to go play, maybe I should do that. It’s double cool that incorporating real life mixing and songwriting techniques and theory affect your performance and score. Also you can have a Psytrance rave deep in the forest.
– Real player with 4.3 hrs in game
Evolution Board Game
UPDATE I no longer work for Northstar. This review should be considered to be for the first year of the game.
So up front… I worked on this game. I want to be super clear about that. (In case you can’t tell by me having more hours logged in it than it’s been out in the wild.
So why review. Well obviously I want the game I worked on to do well… but there is more than that.
For those who don’t know, Evolution was a table top board game first and has been for years. It was one of my earliest modern board gaming experiences and I still love to break it out and play it. The constant evolution of strategies and plays with the traits that can be played makes the game very replayable.
– Real player with 967.7 hrs in game
I’m definitely addicted to this one. Good game balance, I never feel like any build is just too powerful. Challenging AI. Cute/Beautiful art. Fun facts. Satisfying sound effects; glad I can turn the music off without turning them off (though the music is good to).
I assume you could unlock brutal mode right away but playing through the campaign on both difficulties has been both an enjoyable difficulty progression and given me plenty of content to consume. Especially with the fun of trying to unlock sketches. But Darwin gets super annoying on the second go through.
– Real player with 99.7 hrs in game
Charterstone: Digital Edition
Pretty darn nice implementation of the board game. I have played the campaign once in real life :) I have finished one campaign with this program against 5 AI opponents. My second campaign got really wonky screwing up rules and end of game choices. I think I might have hit some less major bugs in my first campaign, but I don’t know if I just wasn’t paying enough attention or wasn’t clear on various rules.
Sooo, It is good and it is fun. The developers are already patching the game that was obviously released a bit too soon. But they ARE patching.
– Real player with 94.0 hrs in game
Halfway in the campaign. and while somethings are nice it is a mediocre worker placement game as you are building the worker placement yourself…
this happens by what is available to you and since you can’t choose specific buildings it is a hit or miss.
SO my main issue is that there isn’t a way to build your own custom map. Or at least i can’t find it. That would have been fun tinkering with it and see if you can outdo some of the maps allready in there. Can’t believe the bottom one was approved. that was just no fun. have to test the others.
– Real player with 49.5 hrs in game
NBA 2K22
I have failed and once again contributed to the annual money bucket scrap pile that is the NBA 2K series. The last 2K I purchased was 2K19, and for years I purchased the brand new 2K. I purchased every new 2K from 2K14 through 2K19 and did have plentiful fun with friends. However, with my friends having moved away from this game like so many others, I find it more infuriating than normal. It is the same game it was in 2K15 as not much has changed…
Here I will lay out a few things which are IDENTICAL to previous 2K titles, or essentially the things that matter…
– Real player with 346.8 hrs in game
1. Not next gen, even though pc graphics way better then console
2. Same game as last year, literally, same game
3. Poorest flow of movement in sports game today
4.Fouls are worse this year then any previous year, funny that NBA changed the ruling on fouls but 2k22 must not have gotten the memo
5.They said they improved defense, false, they made offense actually worse
6.Still have done nothing about the cheaters in the game, seriously someone made it to level 40 in a hour that a new season has been released?
– Real player with 340.3 hrs in game
Liberte
♦ DECIDE THE FATE OF PARIS ♦
In Liberté, you immerse yourself in the rogue-like adventure that infuses the French Revolution-era setting with cosmic horrors know from H.P. Lovecraft. Choose your allies, fight relentless enemies and decide who will bring the new order in the terror-filled Paris.
♦ DISCOVER ORIGINAL PLAYSTYLES ♦
-
Burn your enemies as flame-throwing Whiskey Firebreath,
-
sneak into the brawl as the roguish Cutthroat,
-
enter with a bang as the gun-loving Pistolier,
-
or disorientate your enemies with your antics as marvelous Stage Artist.
♦ CREATE YOUR OWN WAY TO PLAY ♦
Every challenge will award you with new cards - powerful skills and specialized talents that capture the many combat ideas inspired by the real French Revolution.
♦ WITNESS THE CITY IN TURMOIL ♦
King Louis has died in mysterious circumstances. Now that Paris is left with no ruler, four factions clash to win the City for themselves.
-
Fight for the rights of the spiritual 💀Tribe
-
Reinstate the power for the aristocratic 👑Crown
-
Cleanse the evil with the devout ⛪Congregation
-
Spread anarchy with the flame-loving 🔥Rebels
♦ INSPIRED BY LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR ♦
Along with the revolt came Lady Bliss, a ruthless deity that brought you back from the dead to do her will. Solve the mystery of the blight that turns Parisians into numbed monsters, all serving the horrifying Lady Bliss. Enter her wicked gardens, and see what her arrival means for the city and its future.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1590160/Liberte/