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
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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
Curious Expedition
The Curious Expedition is yet another Kickstarter-spawned entry into the ever-growing field of Rogue-Likes, but with a refreshing new twist. This time around, the player takes on the role of a small party of 19th-Century explorers engaged in a gentleman’s wager - to travel the world on six concurrent expeditions, competing to see who can gain the most fame. It’s a fairly quick and lethal game, but that’s exactly what it’s meant to be - a good way to kill a few hours at a time, running expedition after expedition off to their doom.
– Real player with 150.3 hrs in game
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The Short Pitch
TCE is one of the best games in its class, a Roguelike-inspired strategy/adventure game that will leave you wanting more. Easy enough to beat several times in one day if you’re dedicated, yet hard enough to make every victory feel like you clawed your way to it from the depths of hades.
If you’re looking at this game and you’re even half sure you want it, get it. If looking at it fills with you a warm and gooey sense of longing for the hours spent huddled around CRT monitors taking turns playing The Oregon Trail, buy it. Even if you’re a more modern gamer, but you’re a fan of FTL, Caves of Qud, the Binding of Isaac, or similar, buy it.
– Real player with 82.6 hrs in game
Curious Expedition 2
I’ve really enjoyed this sequel. I see a lot of criticism about bugs, art direction, and combat. Here’s my take on it:
Bugs:
Yeah it’s buggy, but it’s to be expected right now since it’s in early access. I was able to play the game all the way through. Some tips on impassable bugs I encountered: DON’T RUN OUT OF SANITY. When you do, you’ll get a tutorial popup telling you to rest/eat consumables, but you won’t be able to exit the screen. Instant game over and restart. Try and be diligent and stock up on lots of consumables so you never have to deal with that.
– Real player with 172.8 hrs in game
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I really enjoyed this game. A lot has been changed and improved from the first game. It is a really fun challenge. I completed four complete campaigns and got all of the achievements in 145 hours of playtime. The value for the price is fantastic.
You begin by choosing a leader. As you progress in the game, additional leaders become available that you can use in future playthroughs. I changed my mind on my favorite leader a couple of times, so there are definitely options for everyone with vastly different strengths. The leader makes a big difference in the best way to approach specific expeditions, but it isn’t limiting options - you can still generally play how you choose with whichever leader you pick.
– Real player with 145.7 hrs in game