I have been interrupted but am going to finish it this weekend. It’s an incredible bit of work. Probably the best-realised medieval world in a game.
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I just started Inscryption yesterday, and there’s a whole lot of WTF in there, in a good way. Can’t wait to see where it goes.
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Slowly working through Aria Chronicles…. Dropped triangle strategy as my kids have all the switches for Pokémon Scarlet/Violet (3 kids, 3 switches…)
So grabbed a couple of PC games - Against the Storm has been super fun about 5 hours in. It’s a city builder rogue like that resets after each build…. So you don’t get lagged out on crazy large city scapes.
Also got Chrono Ark, but haven’t spun it up yet
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Against the Storm is still in EA, so I have been holding off on it, how complete is it?
I was thinking of picking up one new Autumn Sale Roguelike Deckbuilder. I was thinking either Across the Obelisk, Arcanium: Rise of Akhan or Chrono Ark. Anyone play all 3? Probably just @LordGek?
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I’ve been summoned!
While I do own all 4 games mentioned, I sadly haven’t played any of them enough, especially in their most current forms, to give an impression.
I hoard games, not play them. 
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So say we all!
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It’s not a problem, right guys? Right?
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Time for my random recommendation…
A fun cards/dice hybrid roguelike. Your character can have up to 5 skills each powered by combinations of elements. Your character’s equipment (weapon, armor, shield, trinket, etc.) each provide you with specialized dice (the 6 sides of each die providing certain elements or nothing) and maybe some passive effect. Roll the dice and use them to power your various skills in Slay the Spire like combats as you traipse about the sea looking for trouble.
Good fun!
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So, I returned Chrono Ark - I couldn’t get past the tutorial and didn’t like the keyboard navigation.
I bought Across the Obelisk and it is great so far. Because you have 4 characters, you have to build and manage 4 decks, so kind of like playing SteamWorld Quest in that regard, only instead of a long RPG, it is a Roguelike with STS type runs.
Plenty of familiar card types to get into it, but as you start unlocking more content, you start seeing some more unique card concepts.
The key differences with this game is that it is all about the unlocks. There is a hell of a lot of stuff to unlock, and as you do, each run seems to get you a little farther.
The game is actually built for multi-player, but I have just been playing solo and have had no problem managing the whole party, it is just like playing Darkest Dungeon or an RPG in that regard.
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While @OhBollox is finishing Pentiment (you are, aren’t you?!) I’ve been playing Fight Knight:
It’s a “first-person dungeon brawler,” which in practice means walking around a grid-based map and solving punch-based puzzles and having random encounters which are like Punch Out with a dash of God Hand (but in first person). The trailer there gives you a pretty great idea of what the game is all about. I can tell you it’s a hoot, and it’s still on sale for a few days.
for iphone playing (waiting in line, on the subway, while my kid is at piano lessons) I have been playing a lot of Ganz Schoen Clever recently. I did buy the 2nd board in the original app, which really just changes up the scoring, but it’s fun. I got my high score last night of 279, which at the time was ranked 199 in global score list.
I have been getting a little bored though, so tried Noch Mall, and it is ok, but I got bored with it after an hour.
I like the multiple sections of Clever better, I think the decision making is more interesting. The only other game like this I have tried is the RailRoad Ink game, which I guess it flip and write? I don’t like it as much as the roll and write games.
Is there anything more like Clever, with a lot of different decisions to make, but maybe more? I want more than the 5 color dice areas? Like Clever, but with a couple more options?
For the record, Railroad Ink is roll and wrote. The physical game uses dice with different track and road sections on it. I think it is by far and away the best actual roll an write app when the servers are working.
I really do like Noch Mal but I agree that as a game it isn’t as good as Clever. I do think the app is a bit better, though. On the table there is a game called Bravo! which is a sequel of sorts to Noch Mal that includes bonus actions based on filling rows, columns, or rolling certai. Actions on the die. The game kind of bridges the gap between Noch Mal and Clever.
Imperial Settlers Roll and Write is on sale right now and may be worth a look. The game adds a small bit of tableau building to your roll and wrote where you can boost certain actions based on buildings you have paid for. There are a dozen or so different civilizations to play as so the game can be a bit varied. I have an issue with one of the game fundamentals, which changes the number of actions you may get per round, but it is still a pretty good game.
Cartographers is a flip and write and it quite different from the Clever games but it quite fun. You are basically placing Tetris-like pieces on a grid to maximize points over 4 rounds.
But after all of that, if you are enjoying Clever you can always pick up one of the other games in the series. They use the exact same mechanic of picking dice but the scoring sections are all completely different. Whether you like them better or not is probably completely subjective but I find it pretty cool that they’ve managed to use the same mechanic for four games that play the same but make you think completely differently. Unfortunately you can expect the same garbage login system and very basic app design.
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Thanks for this. As much as I like Clever, the same board with more scoring systems does not interest me so much, as I still have high scores to chase on the first two.
I will look at Imperial Settlers and Cartographers, thanks!
I discovered Kairosoft games…I lost a LOT™ of free time…
iOS / Android / Steam / Switch / Playstation
These games are primarily focused for bite-sized mobile gaming but play surprisingly well on Switch (and Steam).
They have so many cute little games focused on one theme and exploit that setting quite well. They may be the kings of reused assets between their products but I quite like it.
Too bad (for me) that the mobile versions are the cheapest…I like the added benefit of controller support and the couch/big-ass TV combo so I now have them on permanent sale watch on the switch.
Also, I read a LOT™ of sports manga in my youth (despite being an indoor nerd) so I was pretty amused by my decades-old “useless” (?) accrued knowledge of Baseball and Boxing helping me ace the lingo in Boxing Gym Story and Home Run High.
Buyers beware…if any one theme in the quite substantial library interests you…you will be sucked down into a black hole…
Pro-Tip 1:
Many of their games have free demos on the Switch Store, so even if you want to play them on other platforms you can try them out for free on the Switch first
Pro-Tip 2:
Don’t waste your time with the “free” versions on mobile (yet)… they seem to be riddled with f2p-atrocities.
Pro-Tip 3:
They cycle their sales quite frequently on Switch (and possibly on Steam as well) so patience is key here 
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Vampire Survivors is 2022’s Minesweeper.
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I haven’t tried much of these roll and writes but thought I might chime in to say that Roll Player came out recently and looks to be worth a mention I think, if maybe a little exy for taking a leap of faith on.
As for what I’m currently playing, basically Monster Train. I think it’s so so good. The amount of different clan combinations is already a one up on StS, and breaking the game in a run just seems easier which imo is refreshing and fun.
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Monster Train did more for me than Slay the Spire actually…
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I don’t find it as tight a card game as something like Dawncaster (and if you can’t tell from my other thread, I think Dawncaster is amazing), but Monster Train is much more compelling than Slay the Spire for me as well.
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