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Ultimately, Punk Wars stands out as a fun game with a rough-around-the-edges indie charm. It could do with some polish; some map and texture packs would be a welcome addition in the short term, and a fifth faction could drive interest further down the road. For right now, it’s definitely worth playing through at least one of the campaigns, especially at the low price point of $20 US. There is also a free demo available called Punk Wars: Prologue if you’d like to try it first. The full game is available for Windows and Mac on both Steam and GOG and, at the time of this writing, is 10% off on both platforms.
Mechajammer is a tough cyberpunk to love - with difficult combat, limited story and NPCs, and serious balancing issues with its character creation. Some players might still find something to enjoy, especially thanks to its intriguing PSX era graphics and fascinating synth-heavy soundtrack.
Ignited Steel: Mech Tactics is a fun game that'll scratch that tactical mecha combat itch. It learns from its predecessors and adds new mechanics that are fun to explore and exploit. It doesn't take too many risks, but it's a quite good first game from an indie studio. With new additional content and balance patches, it will surely become even better.
Sheltered 2 is not perfect. A game with the potential to be a very good survival management sim. Albeit not completely turn-based, it possesses the right blend of features and activities to make it a WORTHWHILE play, but needs more QoL and balancing. It remains playable but under-developed in certain areas, missing features that were present in the first game. There are game breaking bugs but not as many as when first released.
In the end, if you were a Persona 3 Reload fan of everything but the combat and grinding you are going to hate the Aegis DLC as it is combat-centric. On the other hand, RPG fans who love the grind are in for a treat as this DLC is all grind and can take up to 20-plus hours of grinding. I didn’t love this DLC, and that is coming from someone who enjoyed their time with Persona 3 Reload.
Cross Tails is tantalizingly close to perfection in the grand scheme of things. The lack of mouse support and some issues with English localization are blemishes that mar an otherwise stellar experience. However, these are not insurmountable obstacles. From where I stand, I see a universe of untapped potential waiting to be realized. This game could ascend to the pantheon of gaming classics with a few refinements. In conclusion, Cross Tails is a mesmerizing blend of compelling stories, breathtaking graphics, intricate combat systems, and emotionally charged dialogues. It’s a game that doesn’t just entertain; it lingers in your soul, inviting you to dream, explore, and hope in a world where legends come to life.
It’s pretty clear that this is a DLC intended for experienced players. Gladius isn’t a game that’s forgiving of mistakes in general, and the Adeptus Mechanicus penalize misplays more than other factions. If you’re a Gladius veteran though, or at least have played a campaign with one or two of the starting factions, the Adeptus Mechanicus will make an exciting addition to your game.
Jupiter Hell is fine for what it offers: a nostalgic 90s violent shooter with turn based design. Unfortunately, the limited amount of content and the generic overall experience, both in graphics and sounds, end up making it feel quite repetitive.
Rise of the Third Power, I initially thought it would be a pirate-adventure, but it has to do more with war and manipulation. The battles are fun for a while but a speed option would have been preferable to those that wanted an in-between story mode (one-shot kills) and regular battles that sometimes took a while. I finished the game in about 16 hours but I still had some side-quests to do. I also skipped regular battles via story mode so that cut down on the finish time . I only did regular mode for bosses. The music was great, but I wasn't a fan of the character portraits that clashed with the game in my opinion. I also did not like the story as the circular storyline had me as a player felt like I accomplished nothing or questioning why things happened the way they did or. A skip scene option also would have been nice as scenes can be long.
The best way to describe Royal Frontier is Oregon Trail with orcs. Who doesn't love a mishmash of genres?
Monark is a mostly solid JRPG with higher-than-average difficulty and a serviceable plot. While it won't surprise anyone with its unimpressive 3D graphics and a mediocre soundtrack, the characters and lore should indeed satisfy most fans of the genre.
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs Royal Edition is a kind of a mix of three genres— a strategic role-playing game, a simulation, and even enough text to be like a visual novel in some ways. The basic goals for the game are set early. There is plenty of humor in the theme of the story with almost all of it in full-voiced dialogue. The characters are nicely designed and despite there being no elevation difference, the battlefields are designed decent as well. The battles are somewhat different from your regular SRPG but still good. If you don't mind a SRPG with some simulation aspects delivered in a humorous way, then give Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs a try.
I like Griftlands. It’s fun, and it does introduce new ideas, in the roguelite deckbuilder realm. I wish it did a bit more to make itself feel different from the other games in the genre. Combat is certainly somewhat too close to Slay the Spire and others. However, the setting and the negotiation system are great and really worth checking out. While I don’t intend to replay Griftlands, like I’ve done with other deckbuilders, I very much enjoyed my time with it.
Kemco RPGs have a look that can attract new and young fans but their gameplay is usually of the traditional RPG variety that classic and older fans may prefer. They usually don't have blockbuster budgets to work with so there usually isn't any cinematics or voice acting but most of that is made apparent with a quick look. Should if you are a RPG fan, Kemco is probably a company you have heard of as their games are low in price and you know what they bring to the table. This one is interesting enough that it warrants a look.
Lemnis Gate carries with it many of the tried-and-true aspects of a team shooter that have become beloved in the genre while adding a unique timeline element that makes it its own unique entity. If it weren't for its shockingly low population of active players, this one seems like it would become a fan favorite.
If you are looking for the next RPG to have a lot of fun with, then look no further than HeistGeist. The game is out now and certainly worth a look whether you are into RPGs, card-battling games, or all of the above.
Every character I’ve interacted with so far seems to have unique personalities and art designs – they’re all highly identifiable in both appearance and dialogue. Graphics and animations are good enough for an indie game of this type but there’s nothing you would call clean or flashy. I don’t mind this one; I just thought I would toss it in to cover my bases. Is it the “best” indie game to come out in years? No, not really. Even if the main story wasn’t that good, I still adored every second of Raging Bytes. There was a lot of passion put into this game. The game probably won’t blow your mind, but it has enough content and meat to justify the price. It has all the gameplay elements I look for in a post-apocalyptic turn-based RPG. The game has a really long story with many different missions and enemy types to explore, filled with all sorts of cool characters and locations to explore. I definitely recommend it!
Wandering Sword is a great wuxia title that encompasses a myriad of different Chinese martial arts and Wuxia tropes, served in an amazing HD-2D presentation that gives justice to the theme and aesthetics of ancient China, resulting in an immersive world for you to explore. Coupled with an innovative combat system, open-world exploration, life-skilling activities, and great stories that immersive breaking mechanics unfortunately plague. The game is now out on Steam, so check it out if you’re interested.
So, should you consider checking out Oaken even if you are burnt out on deck-building games? I would say yes. The deck building is only a tiny portion of the game. If you are into roguelike or grid-based tactical games, then you will enjoy this one.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a strong entry in the cRPG genre that stays mostly faithful to its tabletop source material. It offers a combination of solid gameplay mechanics, an engaging narrative, and a variety of character customizations that will appeal to character-building fans.