Games - hidden gems.

[crank_case]

Just thought I'd create a reccomendation thread for games, especially ones that might pass you by as they're not heavily promoted AAA titles. Doesn't have to be obscure indie games either, in fact indie games are generally over-rated, the ratio of good ones to crap is pretty low, but like with titles from mainstream publishers, every now and then someone makes something that is absolute gold. So yeah, any great game that you think is a little under the radar that's worth playing.

At the moment, I've been playing Dorfromantik (PC only for now, available on Steam or GOG), and it's that classic good game design principle of ridiculously easy to play, but hard to master. It's a very simple strategy game where you build up a landscape using hexagonal tiles, pick the right ones and get bonuses and you get more tiles which will help you reach three random goals selected each game. Sounds easy, but it's pretty hard to achieve. It's still in early access and could do with some additional features like an undo button, but the core gameplay is solid.

[cibo]

I'd vote for Subnautica, a really relaxing experience with occasional brown trouser moments. There is a storyline with an actual beginning, middle and end, but you don't have to follow it on any timeframe other than your own and can just wander around exploring and playing with building your sea bases as much as you like.

[crank_case]

I played subnautica for a bit, looked interesting but I got a little frustrated, but I find it really hard to get into similar sorts of games such as No Mans Sky, so I think it's more down to whether you like that whole exploration/survival genre

[cibo]

I played subnautica for a bit, looked interesting but I got a little frustrated

I found the best balance was to avoid the 'realistic' play mode where you have to worry about food and clean water, can't be arsed with that, then you can just enjoy the exploration element...

[crank_case]

Bad North - PC/Switch/Xbox/Playstation

I think you can probably tell that I like games that pare the gameplay back to the bare essentials - too many games these days seem to have so many fiddly add on mechanics. One genre this applies to is Real Time Strategy games. While a lot of people really love the Age of Empires games, I reckon me and RTS games haven't really got on since Warcraft II. They seem too complex and yet, weirdly too simple. You're always managing loads of resources, but not with the real depth enabled by a turn based strategy game, so it just feels like "spinning plates" - some people like that challenge, I just don't find it relaxing trying to keep track of whats going on, sometimes across very large maps.

This is why Bad North is probably one of the only RTS games I've really clicked with, it pares everything down to just the good stuff of managing battle formations, on small island maps. Each battle is pretty short, you work with what you manage to accumulate during your campaign. You have to defend each island, the more houses that don't get destroyed, the more points you have to work with to upgrade your troops each level. Maybe if you're a fan of big complex RTS games, you might find it lacking, but for me, it's a brilliant example of focused game design.

[crank_case]

Donut county - you are a hole and engage in senseless creative destruction. You'll complete it in an afternoon. It's on Xbox Game Pass and it works in that context. If you'd paid retail for it, you might feel a bit short changed, but it's a lot of fun while it lasts.

[evin]

Carrion on GamePass is excellent, really good fun

[crank_case]

Carrion on GamePass is excellent, really good fun

Yes! Utterly brilliant if a bit macabre.

[Chris_Heilong]

Yes! Utterly brilliant if a bit macabre.

Agree, it was a great game, I like how it tells its story also. I had the theme from 'the Thing' playing in the background while playing and it worked perfectly. It is a short enough game which suites my busy life at the moment.

[crank_case]

Bit of an oldie - Being back in Playstation land after a console generation - I'd forgotten how brilliant and weird Locoroco was.

[crank_case]

The only problem with Locoroco is I CAN'T GET THAT SONG OUT OF MY HEAD!

[crank_case]

The Procession to Calvary, it's an incredibly stupid, twisted and hilarious point and click adventure game made entirely from images from renaissance paintings. It's on game pass too.

Superflight - it's a simple but very enjoyable wingsuit game game that costs like 3 euro on steam. Pretty much any PC can run it, but be aware that if you're installing it on a PC you use for work, certain remote access products stop it working. You should have no problems on a regular home PC though.

[zero86r]

The Procession to Calvary caught my eye looks interesting, currently playing through The Ascent which I'm really enjoying visually but gameplay is average I would say. It does make me nostalgic for Syndicate Wars though!

[VeeAte]

This is a lovely little game - simple rhythm action, great music (it is a game about music), a nice storyline... and it doesn't hang around too long, could be finished in a session easily enough.

[crank_case]

This is a lovely little game - simple rhythm action, great music (it is a game about music), a nice storyline... and it doesn't hang around too long, could be finished in a session easily enough.

Yeah, I quite enjoyed it. It's more of a mostly linear mildly interactive story than a game, so come at it expecting much gameplay and you'll be disappointed. Take it for what it is and it's a really entertaining love letter to spacey prog rock with great visuals and some top acting talent.