Shadows of the Sengoku

Shadows of the Sengoku

The year is 1467. The Sengoku period has just begun. Every Daimyo will be out for blood, trying to bring glory to their clan and be unifier of Japan. More than might and riches, cunning is required.

Enter the Shadows.

Shadows of Sengoku is a Grand Strategy game that mixes Turn-Based Tactical Combat into the formula, and puts the player in control of the Shadows; a group of elite units that serve one of the Daimyos of Japan, executing missions and expanding the clan’s influence in order to achieve its ultimate destiny: The Unification of Japan.

Conquer Your Way!

Shadows of Sengoku features over 30 possible clans that the player can choose to play as. Help the Ashikaga retain the Shogunate; Aid the Hosokawa in keeping their regional superiority; spearhead the warlike Uesugi’s offensive in the Tokaido; grow the Ainu into a formidable opponent; or fight for supremacy in the Kyushu as the Shimazu.

Each clan will be ruled by a Daimyo with their own goals and aspirations for the clan. Some may seek greatness through war, others may desire for peaceful relations and diplomacy, yet others may want to isolate themselves from the rest in a road to self-reliance. But Daimyos don’t live forever; a change in the leadership of a clan may severely alter the course of a game!

Train Your Squad!

Units can be recruited and will have their starting abilities based off of the province they hail from, with each of the game’s 80 provinces bringing different bonuses. But they all start at low level, and will need to gain experience be it in the form of open combat or using the Shadows' training grounds. Being efficient in battle will not only allow your units to improve quicker; they’ll also gain combat ranks which will unlock a whole new host of gameplay options.

There are no classes in Shadows of the Sengoku; instead a system of proficiencies will categorize your unit based on its weaknesses and strengths. An innovative skill system allows you to train your units in whatever way you desire, specializing them into one or more combat roles as you see fit. But use caution; losing a very important unit in combat can have drastic consequences to morale!

High-Stakes Tactical Combat!

Going back to the roots of tactical turn-based combat, Shadows of the Sengoku gives the players complete control over their units action. Based on a time unit system, players can more accurately coordinate and develop their strategy during combat. Each time unit will count, with units being granted a better chance of defending themselves if they have time units to spare after taking their turns.

Combat is also extremely deadly; badly positioning your soldiers can lead to a quick and untimely death at the hands of the enemy! A blend of melee, ranged, and explosive attacks will be useful in turning the tide of a battle. 8 different enemy archetypes with multiple variations within will expand the possibilities in battle and make each encounter formidable. Expect the unexpected!

Build And Research!

Improve your weapons, armor and items via a dynamic research system that does away with traditional tech trees in favor of a more procedural approach; each piece will have their own tech progression, which can first be unlocked by researching an existing item. This way players can focus research on items that more favor their playstyle; become an assassin with ranged weapons, focus on impenetrable armor and so on. But beware; the enemy is smart and paying attention to what you do, and they may just focus on tactics to counter you!

Players will also be able to build up the infrastructure for their headquarters, constructing new buildings and improving old ones as they see fit in order to gain bonuses and gain combat advantages. But these expansions must be planned carefully; there is always the possibility of an enemy attack on your hq, which could be very difficult to defend if you were haphazard with your planning!

And More!

Shadows of the Sengoku also features:

  • Comprehensive mission tree system to direct the actions of your clan

  • Wide variety of procedurally generated missions to keep the gameplay always fresh

  • Intricate diplomatic system that allows you to form alliances, start wars, and betray your friends

  • Unique Daimyo personality that will shape the way each individual clan acts

  • An AI learning system that learns and adjusts to your tactics on the battlefield

  • Annex provinces via diplomacy or conquest

  • Non-combat missions that may drastically affect the world and provide you with benefits

  • The ever-present threat of retaliation by the Emperor should your clan grow too powerful, be it politically or militarily


Read More: Best Base Building Turn-Based Tactics Games.


Shadows of the Sengoku on Steam

SimPocalypse

SimPocalypse

UI has an unusal design to help increase the options for the massive number-growth generator applications that all idle-clickers are.

The demand for input from you as a player feels obstructive at a fair bit of time and the techs that allow you to automate yourself away are not clearly advertised with the tech tree being ‘shrouded’. This can add some frustration.

There is little else to add, the combat is mostly for show - my own ‘35K force’ tank brigade does not take any damage at all anymore when facing supposedly superior forces and development of my faction has pretty much gone to a standstill for the past 5 hours while I’m tabbed out letting the auto-combat handle conquering everything.

Real player with 92.4 hrs in game


Read More: Best Base Building RPG Games.


This is a ‘yes, but’ review, so. If you’re skimming, pass this one up. If you’re interested in details on why this MIGHT be for you, read on.

So. This is one of those compelling semi-idle games where you fundamentally click things on spreadsheets to make the numbers go up until you literally take over the world. And that’s pretty fun! However.

For the random store browser, there’s not much more to it than that, and I think there’s a lot of room to be disappointed with your purchase.

For people who enjoy the semi-idle thing…?

Real player with 23.9 hrs in game

SimPocalypse on Steam

Grim wanderings 2

Grim wanderings 2

Worth it! Whether you are playing Adventure or Strategy, you are getting to play a great turn based RPG.

There are so many more options to solve encounters rather than just being a murder hobo. I would even say it is the best strategy for the first bunch of turns until you get your 4 man party set. The combat itself takes place on a tight hex grid, but you get used to getting your party in the right place at the right time.

There are more gameplay mechanics still to come, at least as far as I seen in Strategy play. There is just soooo much you could do with this game with infinite development time. MP Strategy mode would be a great way to make and then lose friends in bitter defeats :) And multiple campaigns for Adventure mode would extend the replay value beyond its already ridiculous value (FUN/time+money). Maybe even slow down the pace of leveling, to make campaigns just for 1-7, 8-15, then high level play.

Real player with 127.9 hrs in game


Read More: Best Base Building Turn-Based Tactics Games.


What a great hidden gem. A 4x that its not sophisticated in special effects, but in terms of abilities, races, classes and gear is fleshed out. Plus, it comes with a side dish of strategy and base building, so the resources do not apply only to craft. It is dificult to balance a good party tho, and to make things worse you dont get to pick a starting one, adding an extra layer of dificulty to an already complex game. In fact, you are in some things dependent too much on luck. This is the con, if you are not happy with the rooster of the chars available at start, you gonna have to wait a week for a roll on new ones. And the same happens for gear, having to leave some chars even without weapons for a while. Plus, there is a “pick a card” mini-game instead of dice rolls, and might be me, but luck is really not on my side. Regardless it is a very fun game after these hurdles, and the price makes it a must buy.

Real player with 110.3 hrs in game

Grim wanderings 2 on Steam

A Planet of Mine

A Planet of Mine

A cute time killer that its easy to get lost on for hours at a time. The random planet load outs and landing positions can make some planets practically impossible to win which can take a while to spot. Re-starting is fairly easy though.

Real player with 21.0 hrs in game

Very enjoyable little game~

Takes a bit of learning but it’s very fun~ you can find some good info and tips with a quick google search that might help you get started.

I used to have it on mobile but I find it much more enjoyable on PC and it runs very well.

Lots of races (I believe 16) and different ways to play. Discovers and exploration. Planets are very unique and not all the same.

You can also destroy a rivals planet completely or be friendly and trade with them.

The gist is you start on a single planet and harvest resources and build different constructs. After a while you ascend (which you can do several times) and more technologies become available. Soon you will be colonizing multiple planets.

Real player with 19.5 hrs in game

A Planet of Mine on Steam

Gemini Wars

Gemini Wars

“So i had around 40 hours in this game, it is not good it is not bad either. Missions lack in challenge, they are mostly the same, protect this, defeat that. The later part where the aliens apears was slightly better but i wish game is longer, more ship classes and details. However for people who like this kind of game its okay. Graphics, could be better, much better.

Would i recommend this game?

Game recieved many negative reviews,and mostly because it didnt deserve positive ones, for the current price of 14,99EUR i wouldnt recommend this game. If you find it on sale, for cheap, try it, you wont lost anything except few hours of your life. I would give positive on this one since i did had fun in skirmish with this game, and because i love some of the ship designs. Otherwise if there is neutral button i would hit instead.

Real player with 43.6 hrs in game

This game feels like it is still in beta with all the glitches.

Pros:

Good concept. I enjoy how quickly bases can be built if you have the resources which makes comebacks not entirely out of the picture. Easy to pick up.

Cons:

Ships will shake violently when trying to move and sometimes won’t even move when part of a large selected group. AI is horrible for skirmishes. I played a skirmish where the AI player sent its starting construction ship to where I was building my fleet about 5 minutes into the game and it was destroyed easily ending the game.

Real player with 28.0 hrs in game

Gemini Wars on Steam

Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander (LIGHTSPEED EDITION)

Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander (LIGHTSPEED EDITION)

Halcyon 6: Lightspeed Edition is a turn-based combat space simulation R.P.G. both developed and published by Massive Damage, Inc. After a devastating attack by a relentless unknown alien species decimates the New Terran Federation, you are immediately put in command of the starbase Halcyon 6. It’s up to you to rebuild the Federation, make lasting alliances with alien species, gather vital resources and prepare to stop the impending alien invasion that has it’s sights set on Earth. Halcyon 6: Lightspeed Edition includes a number of additional content, optimizations and new updates to the original award winning title, Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander, that vastly improves the overall gameplay experience of the first title. Prepare to take your seat in the commander’s chair for this thrilling spacefaring adventure.

Real player with 39.3 hrs in game

I was expecting some revival of MOO2.

I started my first game at “Commander level”, expecting to take a quick and severe defeat, but learn enough for an enjoyable second round.

For the first 8 hours, it was fun: build your ships, evolve your captains, oh! there is a tech tree, great! And those aliens, are they friendly or not? Pirates, space travellers, threats, offers.. Excellent!

After 8 hours, I started to realize that:

1/ I did not made any strategic decision, I just clicked randomly on the various “evolution trees”, I did not experience a single defeat.

Real player with 24.4 hrs in game

Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander (LIGHTSPEED EDITION) on Steam

Space Empires II

Space Empires II

i like the space battles

Real player with 642.9 hrs in game

Well, I didn’t expect to see this on Steam! Classic “beer and pretzels” 4X game, rather simplistic compared to later Space Empires games but still fun to play. The UI is a bit clunky, particularly when it comes to issuing ship commands and building things, and pathfinding through warp points is nonexistent. I wish you could play online against other humans, rather than just locally or vs. the AI; the AI doesn’t seem to be too good at the game. But it’s a fun game to play if you just want to relax and conquer the universe.

Real player with 6.4 hrs in game

Space Empires II on Steam

Galactic Civilizations® II: Ultimate Edition

Galactic Civilizations® II: Ultimate Edition

In a word: Addictive. Yes, addictive in that terrifying, inescapable, “just-one-more-turn” way. Galactic Civilizations II is what you get if you take Master of Orion II, expand it so that the galaxy, tech tree and ship customisation are roughly a hundred times as huge without ever becoming boring, bump the graphics up to a standard still respectable today for a TBS, give each civilization some serious make-or-break differences (hint: the Drengin and the Yor almost always end up dominating most of the galaxy that ISN’T YOU), and shove it out there to give almost every other space-based TBS a serious poke in the eye.

Real player with 216.8 hrs in game

I decided to pick up a new 4x space game after pouring many hours into Endless Space. Endless Space lacked complexity and I searched for a more in depth game. Galactic Civilizations 2 fulfill that criteria. I started playing this in 2015 so I have no nostalgic feelings for it. The game is quite good and fun despite its age and limitations, in fact it is the best 4x space game I have played so far (other space 4x I’ve played are MOO2, Endless Space and Sword of the Stars). Take a good look at the pros and cons because some points might put you off.

Real player with 196.7 hrs in game

Galactic Civilizations® II: Ultimate Edition on Steam

Rank: Warmaster

Rank: Warmaster

Rank: Warmaster is a brand new take on the space game genre which combines elements of Space Combat Simulators, RTS, and 4X games into a cohesive whole. Take command of any and every aspect of your corporation, from the large scale decisions of research and territory acquisition, all the way down to the piloting of individual ships, where you focus your attention is entirely up to you.

When civil war between the Central Earth Government and a collective council of corporate interests suddenly erupts, Earth’s Defense Grid is compromised in the chaos. With all ships marked as hostile by the grid, Earth has been fully isolated from the rest of the solar system. You take on the role of a corporate settler who has just been stranded on Mars. Trapped in an underground shelter, your only assets are a Builder Bot, a handful of construction resources, and an instructional contingency AI named Ares. From these lowly origins you must first build a city, and then assemble a fleet of remote controlled warships to secure territory and advance your technology. Be quick about it, too, because you aren’t the only one out here. Every other major corporation launched its own settlers to escape the devastation, and soon you’ll find that there’s just not enough solar system to go around.

A One of a Kind Experience:

Rank: Warmaster combines the best parts of the 4X, RTS, and Space Flight genres bringing a new depth to all three. Build your cities in real time and raise up fleets to defend them. First plot your conquest across Mars, and then the rest of the solar system. Order your fleets into engagements with enemy forces and, when the battle needs a personal touch, freely drop in and take direct, first-person control of any of your ships. When the ship you control is destroyed, instantly jump into any other ship you control, on or off the battlefield, with no respawn timer.

Unique Granular Damage System:

Every part of every ship is individually damaged and destroyed. Penetrate the hull to damage the critical systems held within. Enough damage will see a ship fully perforated, allowing weapons fire to pass through one ship and into another. With careful shots enemy ships can be left disabled rather than destroyed, the better to salvage them and reverse engineer their technology.

Customize Your Ships Using a Vast Web of Technologies:

There are many tools at your disposal, victory will rely on picking the right ones. Research new weapons and components and then use the ship builder for full customization of your ships including armor thickness, shield strength, and even weapon and component placement. With no set mounting points or number of components the only placement limit is the ship’s available internal space. Design the perfect ship manually or with assistance from the auto-build functions. Focus on the technologies that suit your strategy, but beware that your enemy can display just as much variety as you. You will be forced to adapt your designs or be left in the dust.

Customize Your Corporation:

Create your own corporation with unique qualities to suit your preferred play style. Is your shield technology miles ahead of the competition? Perhaps your ships are optimized to allow more components to fit in the same amount of space. Maybe nobody knows explosives quite like you. The bonuses and penalties you select before the game even starts will be with you for your entire campaign, irrevocably changing the course of your destiny.

Command as you Will:

A suite of AI helpers allow you to focus on the aspects of the game you love the most and leave the management of everything else to the AI. Whether you want to focus on developing your cities and technology, strategically commanding your conquering fleets, or if you just want to be the best pilot in the solar system you have the freedom to play your way. If you prefer human management bring in friends and divide the responsibilities of empire management between you, the AI doesn’t know the difference. For a more competitive experience players can form their own corporations and challenge each other for final dominion of the solar system.

Explore a Hostile Solar System Full of Surprises:

As you expand your sphere of influence an AI storyteller will present events and situations which bring new depth to your story. Some of these will be random while others will be placed at game start; waiting to be discovered. The solar system hides many secrets both mysterious and mundane. Carefully navigating the evolving narrative will yield potent rewards of technology and resources, while the careless and unlucky will suffer brutal setbacks. Adapt to unforeseen circumstances as space itself becomes another opponent to be challenged and overcome. At the end of your journey face off against the forgotten colonists of Alpha Centauri, who seek to reclaim their home system.

Rank: Warmaster on Steam

Retro Commander

Retro Commander

Retro Commander is a post-apocalyptic real-time strategy wargame (RTS). Take command and fight it out in a world where a cataclysmic timeline has transpired on Mother Earth. Wage wars solo, against the AI, or take on your gaming comrades and friends in cross-platform multiplayer matches. Form teams and clans and fight co-op style with the AI and other players for ultimate victory.

Range of functionality is comprised of base building, exploration and expansion. In addition, the game features a multitude of pre-defined missions such as elimination, survival mode, capture the flag, defense and escort missions. A post-apocalyptic story campaign puts this all together into an engaging experience. Players have a variety of troops at their disposal to wage war on land, sea and in the air. Armed forces included are infantry, tanks, warships, submarines, fighter jets, recon drones and bombers to reign supreme over the enemy in battle.

  • Real-time strategy (RTS) played in a post-apocalyptic timeline on Mother Earth.

  • Challenging AI for single player games including co-op play with the AI.

  • Cross-platform multiplayer over LAN/internet including co-op team and clan games.

  • Deep campaign and story line of humanity after a cataclysmic event.

  • Troops including infantry, tanks, jets, helicopters, airships, warships, submarines and more.

  • Factions each with their own technologies including stealth, laser, shields and more.

  • Missions including elimination, survival, capture the flag and defense.

  • Demanding environment with day-night cycles, rain, wind and solar flare activity.

  • Map editor and a central server to host and distribute player-modded maps.

  • High scores, playing statistics, achievements and multiplayer ELO-ranking.

  • Engaging music, sound effects and fantastic graphics.

The game includes one map for FREE. Other maps are all available for download as a single purchase or 1-by-1 if desired. Multiplayer games are generally free to join. There is no subscriptions. This game is NOT pay-to-win.

If you like this game, please also try our other strategy games. You should be able to find the games in the same marketplace!

Thanks & Enjoy the Game!

noblemaster ]:-D

Retro Commander on Steam