Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Avalon is dying. King Arthur is long gone, and Knights of the Round Table are in disarray. Guardian Menhirs, the only thing that makes it possible for humans to survive in this remote land, are going dark. Your village chose its best and brightest and sent them on an epic quest to reach Kamelot, find the Grail, and save the land.
You were not among them.
They’ve never returned, and now it’s your turn to lead a band of unlikely heroes, the only ones this land can still provide. These ordinary people set off far too late, under-equipped for the task ahead, and with little hope of success.
Tainted Grail is a dark fantasy open-world RPG with fresh turn-based exploration and combat. It is based around deep, immersive story from one of the best and most innovative board games (biggest Kickstarter project of 2018!), but introduces a whole new experience crafted directly for PC.
EVERY DECISION MATTERS
Tainted Grail is a deeply immersive experience that takes the best elements of RPG adventures and brings them to the next level through intricately branching storylines. Written by Krzysztof Piskorski, one of the best Polish fantasy writers, it will draw you right in and keep you engaged, surprised, and invested in many secrets of Avalon.
In this dying world, no decision is easy or morally obvious, and you will often face impossible choices. Other times, the consequences of seemingly minor actions will haunt you in the least expected moments. In the end, your impact on Avalon is going reverberate through deep, meaningful changes to the game world - entire towns will raise or fall, land will shatter, ancient powers will be restored, or broken forever.
EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN
A major part of the game involves expeditions into the land covered by the Wyrdness, an ancient force twisting people, creatures, and even space itself in all manner of ways .There will be plenty of enemies and weird, unexpected events waiting for you. While dangerous, exploration will be the only way to gather precious resources and, ultimately, to figure out what is happening to Avalon and if it can be stopped.
STRATEGIC COMBAT
During combat, you will decide between using skills specific for your hero and figuring out the best possible combinations to do it. Every hero will bring a different playstyle, defined by unique skills, that you will continue to further develop based on your favorite tactic. You will supplement this rich toolset with various items and special moves. All of that makes every encounter a different and exciting tactical challenge!
Read More: Best Lore-Rich Story Rich Games.
The Sacred Acorn
Explore the furthest reaches of an enchanted land
A mysterious force known only as the Chaos has begun creeping into the once peaceful Tansira, infecting the land and corrupting everything it touches. It’s spreading fast, from the lush Emerald Thicket all the way to the Roaring Tundra. Nothing is safe from it’s corruption; the landscape is withering, friends are turning on each other, and once beautiful havens are becoming desiccated wastelands. There is only one that can stop this calamity before it’s too late… you.
The Sacred Acorn is a beautiful top down adventure that will take you on a journey across a vast enchanted world. Explore ancient forests, mysterious caves, frigid tundras, murky swamps, and deadly volcanoes. Fight fearsome monsters, befriend cute and strange creatures, unlock new powers
and discover long lost ancient secrets to save your tribe.
Can you purge the Chaos in time?
Game features
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Top-down 2D action adventure with challenging combat
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You are a squirrel! Brave, adorable and uniquely gifted
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Explore an expansive world full of beautiful vistas and hidden secrets
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Cute, charming and strange creatures ready to greet you around every corner
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Enemies galore! Fight formidable trees that move, vicious shells that shoot spikes and many many more
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Find out about the powerful Essence and how you can weave your adventure with it
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Listen to a beautiful soundtrack, hand crafted to fill every moment with wonder and excitement
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Puzzles and secrets hide all over Tansira - what mysteries will you find?
Read More: Best Lore-Rich Combat Games.
Kabaret
“The truth is this, every monster you have ever met, was once a human being.”
Cursed into a monster, Jebat journeys into a realm called the “Alam”. Taken in by the charismatic owner of Kabaret, known only as The Caretaker, Jebat is tasked with providing tasseomancy services to the dwellers in an effort to gather information on how to break his curse.
Each of the mythical creatures who visit the Kabaret come from Southeast Asian folklores and legends. Listen to their unique stories, give advice through tasseomancy, and find a way to break the curse.
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Brew tea and speak to monsters from Southeast Asian folklore.
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Play traditional Southeast Asian games.
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Get to know characters inspired by actual myths and folklore from the region.
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Featuring sounds of Hello Universe and Sambasunda Indonesia.
Read More: Best Lore-Rich Multiple Endings Games.
Small Press Tycoon
I published my friend Greg’s zine. It sold like hotcakes. Then I published his chapbook. It sold way better. I then use the profits to publish a popular author. It flopped. On top of that, readers cancelled him. On the flipside, my friend Greg gave a lecture on the proclivities of blah blah blah… I zoned out. But, it was a smash.
Some time later, people who purported to represent the CIA tried to extort me. When I refused to give in, the game said bye bye.
42/10. Recommended.
– Real player with 1.9 hrs in game
It took me a grueling 18 months, but I built a catalog of more than 30 highly-regarded books and raised our average first print revenue to nearly a million dollars.
A completely authentic publishing sim.
– Real player with 1.4 hrs in game
Dissension
Embark on an undercover mission in a medieval kingdom hovering on the brink of a civil war. Become part of a vile conspiracy or choose to act against your orders. Stand by your unlikely allies or ruin them for personal gain. The fate of the divided realm rests in your hands.
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The captivating atmosphere of medieval decadence
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Thrilling story heavily focused on characters and character development
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Branching narrative shaped by the choices you make
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A wide cast of morally grey allies and foes to interact with
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Three slow-burn romantic routes with an impact on the story
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Multiple ways to approach your mission: use your wits, sleight of hands, magic, or cold steel to achieve your goal
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Immersive mini-games and puzzles, complementing the narrative
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Pumpkin, a horse companion with her own outlook on your actions
Half a century has passed since the Kingdom of Tyrnia repelled the Imperial Invasion, but now the once victorious kingdom finds itself on the brink of a civil war.
The Queen rests with the Four now and the young King’s ascension to power is overshadowed by his suspicions towards his younger brother, Prince Bryden, who, as many think, could become a better king.
It is rumoured to be the sole reason for His Highness Prince Bryden to be entrusted with the administration of the most remote and decadent city in the kingdom.
The city of Kastra, or the Widow, was once the capital of Tyrnia. Now she is a pale shadow of her former self. Abandoned and almost of no interest to the Crown, she has fallen into the hands of local criminals who call themselves the Thieves Underground. Under their leadership, the corrupt city guards and the mysterious Church of Anar-Nehit, pilgrims from the far-southern deserts, control nearly every aspect of the city life.
Yet, even if the war has been over for half a century now, the patient and vile Ontorian Empire, just like a serpent that it bears on its banners, has prepared an even more cunning plan to seize neighbouring lands.
Under the guise of a relative of a local impoverished nobleman, Eiren, one of the Imperial spies sent to Tyrnia, will become part of a dastardly conspiracy to take over the unaware kingdom.
In order to successfully execute her orders, Agent Eiren joins the Prince’s people and will have to play her part in the liberation of the city. Together with Gieden, a crafty captain of Bryden’s forces, she begins the investigation of a daring crime that has shaken an already fragile balance in Kastra.
Eiren must act behind the backs of her unlikely allies, maintain their trust, and protect her true identity and motives at all costs.
But, perhaps, the hardest challenge for her to face will lie in the battle with her conscience and in the necessity for coming to terms with her own tragic past.
The Dreamwalkers
The Dreamwalkers is a 2D Visual Novel/Point-and-Click Adventure Game in which you can project yourself into the world of Dreams.
You play Morgan, a student in History of the Arts in Paris, who’s life is about to be turned upside down. Along his journey he will meet new friends, whose fate will be into your hands.
Features
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5 acts of an hour each. Perfect for lunch break diversions!
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Highly replayable: the story is divided into 3 mutually exclusive branches, each focused on the relationship between Morgan and one of the Dreamwalkers.
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Romance: will Morgan fall in love with this Dreamwalker or just be friend? Your decision!
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8 different endings depending on choices you’ll have to own up (and no Mass Effect-style: some endings will depend on choices made earlier in the game)
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Explore Dreams: scenes in the world of dreams can be explored in point & click phases to discover more about the universe.
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Original Universe: inspired by Neil Gaiman and Inception, we created a world where myths and reality intertwine.
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Backgrounds and characters drawn by talented artists.
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The original music is a symphony in 5 movements created by a composer and played by an orchestra!
The Terrible Persistence of Memory
As always, PixelsandPins delivers a visual novel with great storytelling. A thought provoking and well written tale- The Terrible Persistence of Memory is a great short game to sink your teeth into if you’re looking to finish a game in a single (or maybe two) sittings. It’ll have you thinking about the choices you make (they actually do matter), and who you choose to spend your time with. Would recommend checking this game out, one of my favorites for sure!
(PS: Don’t mind my short play time, I already played it once before!)
– Real player with 0.3 hrs in game
Gamedec
Pretty well done. Definitely along the lines of Disco Elysium in a cyberpunk setting, but without the roll of the dice involved in your dialogue checks - options are mostly determined by how you branch your professions (the level-up system) and by your past actions and interactions with other characters, things or situations. On top of that, you have to use the information you gather to draw conclusions and make deductions (you play as a sort of cyber detective), and most choices you make will either block certain paths of information or open them, which ends up changing the nature of a lot of the dialogue and the way the story’s told and, inevitably, how you’ll get to end the game.
– Real player with 65.6 hrs in game
IN A WORD: COMPELLING
IN A NUTSHELL:
WHAT TO EXPECT: Detective adventure game. Isometric presentation. Cyberpunk Setting. Wide range of well-crafted locations. Good variety of crafted NPC individuals. Scripted, linear but self-deterministic story with arcs. Point & click style interaction system with some depth. Minimal character creation. Unrestrictive clue and deduction system. Occupational skill system for additional interaction options. Forgiving design generates some replayability. Made with no soft-caps. Text heavy, requires lots of reading. Extensive Codex feature full of important game data. No combat system. Single-player.
– Real player with 31.6 hrs in game
Lux, City of Secrets
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it; it was well written and offers a plethora of choices which really tailor your experience but when I discovered it was ending I was super surprised because it felt like it was just ramping up… but it was over. I realise this is part 1 of 2, but this is still a standalone game. To me, it doesn’t really feel like it.
I don’t generally post reviews but I have to say that I was sadly disappointed with this release. I really liked Evertree and adored Sordwin even more, each book getting better and longer than the last, and when I heard that Sordwin’s sequel would be releasing I was super excited, expecting something even bigger and better than Sordwin. Lux, City of Secrets is, unfortunately, not better and certainly not bigger. In fact, I think it’s even smaller than Evertree Inn.
– Real player with 19.3 hrs in game
Depending of what you choose it can vary because there is a lot of choices and things to be done in a short span of time i expected there to be more time to be done with the game in all honesty but for for five dollars it isnt worth it because it is meant for the player to explore all options as a mage, warrior and thief with exploring different aspects i just find this game poorly done with it meant to be a standalone long title. About around 440,000 words is a lot and i heavily expected the game to last longer in all honesty but its more of a disappointment because there is more work done for the jobs that you decide to do depeding on what you choose from a battle mage to a scholar it is done well but there should’ve been done more work on a story i would not recommended this game honestly much as it sucks to say.
– Real player with 16.6 hrs in game
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
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