EPTThis popped up on my steam recommended list a week or so ago. I usually have a quick look, buy them if they're cheap, and then spend between 0 and 5 hours before losing interest.
This one is different and compelled me to make a thread here in case anyone is missing out like I was.
Described as a strategic survival roguelike, it contains elements of many of my favourite games and has really impressed me with the quality and quantity,
You start by picking a God who determines the benefits your people receive, there are many unlockable gods as well as levels on your existing ones to progress. You pick a difficulty level and off you go.
The game proper begins with your settlement on a randomly generated map set in the fantasy world of Thea, you have a small population of individuals with their own traits and abilities such as crafting, gathering, medicine, combat etc. Your village needs food and fuel to survive, but there isn't much variety nearby, so you need to send out expeditions to go and recover it, which in turn require fuel and feeding. There are many many different materials and foodstuffs to gather each with their own qualities and atrributes which make the stuff you craft out of them differ, the crafting is very enjoyable and deep.
Your main resource however is your people, new people are very hard to come by but buildings can be constructed or world encounters occasionally offer you more. These people venture into the world to gather and complete quests which pop up from time to time including some main story arcs.
The world is full of encounters with different ways to approach them, dialogue choices lead to different outcomes which determine how they are resolved. Combat often occurs and this is played out in the form of a card game.
The card game itself is easy to get the hang of but difficult to fully master, there is a surprising amount of depth to it but in short, your people's attributes are reflected in the stats and abilities on their cards, strength relates to damage in combat or physical challenges, tactical ability can permit characters to confuse the enemy before the fighting starts, shields may allow you to shield an ally who is vulnerable, weapon types have different effects. There's a lot of detail here and I won't cover it all, suffice to say the game is enjoyable and as a fan of hearthstone and magic this was right up my street. I don't think it should put off people who don't like this kind of thing either as there is so much more to the game.
Different encounters can be tackled by different methods, speechcraft, herbalism, tactics to name a few, so your dumb brute may be a hindrance in a speechcraft challenge.
If you get badly beaten in combat, and on higher difficulties you inevitably will, your people suffer wounds. Suffer wounds too great and they risk dying, you must camp to save them, hope you have a good medic, and pray. Losing people is a big deal so there is constant tension and you really get attached to your little band of scared wanderers.
The art and the music are both fantastic in their own right and really add to your immersion. This game grabs you and immerses you in your hellish world and your struggle for survival from pretty much the get go.
Hopefully that gives a quick flavour, and some of you are willing to try it. This is really scratching my CiV itch, which I love the early stages of. This is early stage CiV exploration with fantasy, tension and variety at every turn. Give it a try and hopefully you enjoy it as much as I am.
