Need to move on from Invisble Inc, or help me choose my next time sink

As I may have mentioned, Invisible Inc is tactical turn-based perfection which presses all the right buttons, but it may be time to choose a new meaty thinky solo time sink for the iPad.

Current favourites are;

Steamworld Heist
Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander
Out There Omega Edition
Cultist Simulator

all of which are highly regarded and have nothing in common. Yes, Civ VI isn’t on this list- I have it and bounced off it.

Which would you choose? What else would you suggest? Bring me your wisdom, SP Hive Mind.

Halcyon 6, but for purely subjective reasons. I love the 8-bit Star Trek meets Final Fantasy thing it does. Heist is good, too. Out There was good, but I grew tired of it fairly quickly. I haven’t played Cultist Simulator.

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Halcyon 6 - good 4X, it got stale after a few runs for me. Good for those runs though.

Out There: it’s a roguelite. Really good, also got bored with it though that was 20ish hours later.

Cultist Simulator: I’m still working through this one. It’s good…if you’re willing to put in time to learn things. It really doesn’t explain anything.

Have you looked at Rome: Total war? The Quest HD? Templar Battleforce? Star Traders: Frontiers?

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I played Out There and Steamworld Heist. Out There is an RNG fest that I quickly became bored with. Steamworld Heist was an excellent turn based strategy game with a cool shooting physics mechanic (trick ricochet shots).

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I am a big fan of, and have sunk many hours into, Steamworld Heist, so that would be my recommendation. Other titles to consider… Sentinels of the Multiverse? Darkest Dungeon? The Sorcery! gamebook apps?

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Chaos Reborn: Adventures

tactical fantasy battles in a campaign setting.

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Cultist Simulator. Nowt else like it.

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From that list, I have only played Steamworld Heist … great fun, lighter than Invisible Inc, recommended.

Chaos Reborn: Adventures is a good pull by @JammaTal - meatier (the game, not @JammaTal … probably) . I haven’t played Cultist Simulator but it feels inevitable.

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Thanks gents. Gone with Steamworld Heist and Cultist Simulator. 2D robo-tactics and being effed by the ineffable👍

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Aaand I‘ve hit 24 hours on the wall of shame for Steamworld Heist, completed on experienced and now replaying as veteran. Excellent recommendation. :+1: Cultist Simulator as yet untouched. :blush:

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Ok, so basically I just created an account literally right now (hi everyone btw, long time reader of stately…), triggered specifically because I needed to say just one thing here:

How has nobody recommended Faster Than Light yet!? If you have an iPad, then FTL is THE game to play. It is deeper than all of the games mentioned so far combined.

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Welcome, and I wholly agree. :blush: However, it wasn’t on my list because that’s another game I’ve thoroughly mainlined.

:grin: humblebrag ftw

Edited to add: were I to be stranded on a desert island with only a solar-powered iPad for entertainment, FTL, Invisible Inc and XCOM:EW would be my essential-for-survival games. It’s a tough sell for a game to join that crowd :slight_smile:

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Wow, well done then. But have you completed FTL with all ships on hard? Not saying I have but ummm, seems you’re not done with it! Not to mention, is that an achievement I see still locked!? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Another one I’ve thought of: because you bounced off Civ Vi, doesn’t mean you won’t ever get in to it, it’s a fantastic game, so maybe give it a re-try some other day. Try and watch some starting guides by Quill18 on YouTube.

Nonetheless, have you checked out Through The Ages? It’s a board game, but it distils Civilization down to the very best of its essence. Games are played in about 1/6th the time, and much easier to track and the app is very well implemented. It’s initially a little obscure to get the happiness/population and production/corruption thing but once you do, and get familiar with it, the Civ world in card form opens up. Check it out. There’s also plenty of other board games you could consider, many with loads or if not endless replay ability. Race for the Galaxy is one. Tight game, great theme, games take only 15-20 minutes and are super tight and thought provoking.

Also, how bout desktop dungeons? Dream Quest? Card Quest?
And I also support the calls for darkest dungeon, Templar Battleforce, and cultist simulator.

Btw great selection for that deserted island. Because of those, my Dream is to someday get left on a deserted island lol.

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Presumably you have played Final Fantasy Tactics, right?

Fortunately I’m not a completist, or moving on from FTL would be the problem. :smiley:

Civ VI oddly doesn’t hit the sweet spot for my iPad gaming, I think because it has too many moving parts, paradoxically. As I did lose entire nights to the original Civ, this does disappoint. Various flavours of board game are fine, but don‘t provide the Invisible Inc replacement solo thinky tactics game I’m looking for. Dream Quest makes my eyes bleed, and I bounced off Darkest Dungeon (planning to revisit it though).

I’ve not played Final Fantasy anything, on any system, ever.

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:open_mouth:

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Honestly, the series has ups and downs. Still, amazed to see someone never try any of them. Good news is that FFT requires no prior knowledge of the series. And it is one of the deepest strategic RPGs in existence. Tons of customization for your units, battles that will challenge you, a difficulty curve that, especially for newbies, will most certainly not hold your hand. It’s fun, the story is amazing, the music is enjoyable, it’s the total package. Will last you dozens of hours.

For what it is worth, this is literally my favorite video game ever. I have beat it over twenty times with at least half a dozen gameplay variations (monsters only, Monk SCC, no unique characters, randomized classes, ONLY unique characters, and so on)

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How about an all-mime run?:rofl:

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Bleh. I almost never get mimes. I don’t like the classes that require a ton of grinding to unlock.