The Stillness of the Wind offers up a captivating story combined with serene gameplay. If you're looking for an emotionally engaging gaming experience, this game should definitely be added to your list.
Once you wrap your head around everything, Astroneer’s crafting and resources mechanics are remarkably soothing to interact with.
…Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind brings an enormous amount of complexity to the table, both in its story and its strategy gameplay mechanics.
Planet Zoo successfully captures the complexity and reality of what it takes to manage a zoo without sacrificing the game’s relaxing atmosphere.
To see an RTS game with core mechanics still enjoyable more than a decade later is impressive and speaks to the timelessness of the game’s core premise.
If you're a history buff and you're not put off by the sea of numbers, this game will be a joy to play.
With interesting mechanics and ruthless enemies, Unconquered will be a great experience for strategy game fiends and Conan fans alike.
...offers new and seasoned players a vast universe full of challenges to sink their teeth into.
With interesting mechanics and breathtaking visuals, Total War: Three Kingdoms is the most impressive entry in the series to date. The research Creative Assembly have done on the game’s setting and characters truly shines through.
...a true indie masterpiece that will have something for veteran and newbie gamers alike.
Neurodeck offers up an interesting premise and beautiful visuals. Story-wise and gameplay-wise, however, the whole experience feels like an Early Access release; many areas of gameplay are repetitive, and it’s easy to encounter the same enemies multiple times in a single run. I’m convinced this could be a stunning game if given a bit more love by the developers, but it doesn’t match up to the giants currently dominating the card-game genre. If you’re looking for a deck-building challenge, it’s best to keep looking a little longer.
While all the components are there to make Port Royale 4 an immersive strategy game, it just falls short of being completely engrossing. A slow naval battling system and counterintuitive UI hold the title back and make the overall experience sluggish.
All in all, I found playing 1971 Project Helios an entertaining experience of inconsistent quality; it had moments of potential, but mostly this game strikes me as a rough diamond.
King’s Bounty II has all the ingredients of a great strategy game but is held back by a counterintuitive UI and generic story elements. While the overworld offers a beautiful open environment to explore, often there’s not enough there to hold your attention as a player, and you’ll find yourself wandering around aimlessly. Added to this is that your character’s travel is particularly slow, the game has a sleepy pace at times that holds the overall experience back. While its strategy battles feature some interesting ideal mechanics that might appeal to die-hard fans of the franchise, if you’re looking for a broad roleplaying strategy experience, King’s Bounty II might not be the best fit for you.
Partisans 1941 offers some great combat and stealth mechanics that will appeal to fans of the Command series, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, and Desperados III. While it might not have the engrossing story of its counterparts and may lack polish in places, the gameplay mechanics still make for a thrilling ride from start to finish.
With little to no indication of where to begin as a player, Hellpoint can be a tough game to crack. However, if you’re not fussed over a lacklustre story, but big on skill-driven, strategic combat, customisable armour, weapons, and abilities, Hellpoint will not let you down. Instead, it will keep you keep you busy with one ruthless enemy to defeat after the other.
If you’re a fan of the casual FPS format typical of games like Overwatch or Apex Legends but are keen for something new, Lemnis Gate will provide plenty of entertainment.
Sheltered 2 offers players an interesting mix of resourcing, crafting, and combat mechanics. With plenty of stats to keep an eye on throughout a playthrough, you’ll find yourself making complex decisions to keep your faction alive. Through the added feature of expedition parties and combat, Sheltered 2’s gameplay feels varied and engaging overall. While its user interface can be complex and overwhelming at times and its aspects of micromanagement might not be for everyone, if you’re a strategy aficionado who’s not deterred by numbers, there’s plenty to love in Sheltered 2.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is undoubtedly the best-looking entry in the series yet, with dazzling cutscenes and beautiful environments. However, when it comes to gameplay, Oddworld: Soulstorm comes with a lot of bugs, and clunky and confusing controls. This made the overall gameplay more sluggish and cumbersome than it ought to be, and, in turn, made tricky levels frustrating and tedious rather than pleasantly challenging. If you’re keen on the Oddworld franchise and are looking to get lost in Abe’s world once again, Oddworld: Soulstorm will have plenty on offer. However, if you’re looking for an immersive platform adventure with straightforward controls, Oddworld: Soulstorm might not be your best bet.
The way Empire of Sin combines diplomacy, turn-based combat, and narrative gameplay mechanics is incredibly ambitious. While there’s plenty to keep you engaged, the format doesn’t always work, and sometimes it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stats and missions. Even though the game has its shortcomings, its atmosphere, characters, and environment are fantastic. And if you decide to persevere, there’s plenty to love in Empire of Sin.