The Advisor - Episode 1: Royal Pain
My secret word is ‘Blessing’.
I knew to expect quality and a fun time. This surpassed expectations! It got me really thinking about what I know in terms of army logistics and self-sufficiency. I know, that may seem redundant these days but, in my humble opinion, striving for self-sufficiency and knowing how to work together as a group is always good idea. Growing food, purifying water, basic medicine and basic repairs on everyday objects, all that can be very useful. I still need to know more but that only means I’m excited to replay this in a few years and see how my ideas and capabilities have grown!
– Real player with 2.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Diplomacy RPG Games.
My Secret Word: Bard
My apparent skill as an adviser: Magnificent
Overall, I found this to be a very intriguing game. Like all other games by this developer I found myself having to face very difficult ethical questions. However, unlike the others there was also a lot of questions regarding leadership and tactics (personal interests of mine). Overall, I loved the opportunity the story provided me and the story itself. As for the main character, I find him to be painfully pragmatic somewhat in contrast to my values. However, not as much as I would like to admit. Aside from his quick leaps to pyromania I do not think Magnus is an entirely evil person. Perhaps this is due to my own propensity for witticism that endears him to me. In addition, I am sure he is smart enough to recognize benevolent leadership is better for the leader and their people as well. I like to think of it as enlightened self interest that benefits others. Along with the previously mentioned shared traits Magnus and I both have a nigh obsessive love of magic. Regarding the choice of kingdom, I find myself conflicted. I value loyalty above all else, yet know too little of this magical staff to be certain of the value. Gun to my head, I say stay with the current king. Given how well I turned things around I see no reason that the king and the Magnus can’t barter for the staff from a position of increased strength.
– Real player with 1.6 hrs in game
The Shrouded Isle
My my…this is certainly a game that casts cynicism upon religious belief, is it not? Apparently “ignorance” is a virtue, boys and girls!
So what the hell IS this game? Well, it’s a strategy game/management simulator, in which you basically have to keep a bunch of aristocratic houses onside, while finding one poor soul to sacrifice every season to the mighty deity Chernobog! (A sly reference to a certain Ukranian nuclear power plant disaster, perhaps?) To do this effectively, you must interrogate potential candidates and keep abreast of their various vices and virtues, in order to decide who is most worthy of such sacrifice, and who is more worth keeping around to undertake morale-boosting tasks. But be careful! Target a single house one time too many, and there might be nasty consequences…
– Real player with 16.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Diplomacy Political Sim Games.
I got this game at launch. The premise seemed strong, the art direction was compelling, so I took the jump.
Positives
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Simple to learn - the mechanics are easy to get used to. The fundamentals are not bad, so you don’t need much time to get going. The important thing is how you apply them.
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Very hard. Go into this expecting to lose but have fun. Treat it more like a choose your own adventure crossed with XCOM or Darkest Dungeon.
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Art is amazing. The minimalistic use of colours looks top notch. The game allows you to switch between colour palettes, as well, so you can go with whatever feels best. I believe the limited usage of colours was a strong choice in making the game look a bit otherworldly.
– Real player with 9.2 hrs in game
Shadows Behind the Throne 2
Remember “That Which Sleeps” the kickstarter game that promised that you could play as Cthulhu and corrupt the world and a million other things, but then the dev took the money and ran and never delivered.
Implausibly Shadows is not only the game that was promised, but it delivers. The graphics are a little off and the interface is a little confusing, but goddamn is it fun to corrupt and dismantle several civilizations until eternal winter falls upon the land. There is a lot of room to grow, and here is hoping it keeps growing.
– Real player with 119.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Diplomacy Strategy Games.
Great game. It’s a bit like Ruinarch, if you’ve ever played that, except on a strategic level. Lots of variety in the ways you can take down a kingdom. Very replayable and it’s right up my alley.
That said, it’s EXTREMELY rough. As EA as you can get while still being playable.
- Kind of a crap, poorly thought out UI. For example, saves are placed in alphabetical order instead of chronological order where your most recent one is at the top. You might have 7 autosaves, and the one you’re looking to load is save number 3, halfway down the screen and you have to look at the time to know that’s the one you want. I called my manual save aaa, so it will be at the top of the list. That’s a small thing, but there are a lot of poorly designed UI functions like that and it impacts the level of information you get from the game.
– Real player with 39.5 hrs in game