iwantpie, Author at Big Boss Battle (B3)

Citizen Sleeper — Relax into the story of a lost artificial construct and a decrepit station on the edge of space

iwantpie — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 11:00:45 +0000

Citizen Sleeper, from Jump over the Age games, is a mixture of science fiction visual novel and dice management game that will draw you in with its rich atmosphere and excellent writing.

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Among Trees – A lovely idea that sadly feels incomplete

iwantpie — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 11:00:42 +0000

Among Trees is a survival experience for those of us who can only cope with so much stress in their lives. Wander a pleasant woodland, collecting items to help you build up your cozy cabin and just generally have a very nice time.

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Festival Tycoon — Promising start to a new spin on the management genre

iwantpie — Wed, 04 May 2022 13:00:37 +0000

Festival Tycoon sees players building and then running their own music festival, responsible for everything from band line-ups to accommodation to man management of clean-up crews. Keeping staff, sponsors, artists and punters happy is a juggling act and ultimately affects the bottom line. Have a good festival and, next year, it’ll be bigger and better as a result.

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Wartales — Fantasy combat with a side-helping of plague, death and misery

iwantpie — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 14:00:55 +0000

In Wartales, an early access release from Shiro Games, the player guides a small mercenary company from humble beginnings to, hopefully, wealth and glory. Procedurally generated quests and turn-based combat blend with set narrative content in a massive open world.

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Beginner’s Guide to Fights in Tight Spaces

iwantpie — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 12:00:18 +0000

Ground Shatter’s new roguelike deck-builder, Fights in Tight Spaces, is a deep and rewarding strategic experience, but it can also be pretty tricky. Below are some tips to help newer players plan, both for the long-term and for minute-by-minute decisions.

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Steamopolis — Prepare for a headache

iwantpie — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 14:00:59 +0000

In Steamopolis, players compete for the title of mayor of the titular steampunk town by building the best steamship, flying supportive banners and visiting the various factories in the city. It’s not exactly clear why much of this equates to popular support in a democratic election but, hey, let’s not worry about the details.

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Monster Train: The Last Divinity — More depth and challenge will keep fans happy

iwantpie — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 19:00:22 +0000

The first DLC to Shiny Shoe’s deckbuilding hit Monster Train, The Last Divinity, brings a new faction, adaptive mid-run difficulty and a serious new end-game challenge to the table.

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Griftlands — A roguelike deck-builder that really needs to pick a lane

iwantpie — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:00:27 +0000

In Griftlands players take on the role of a mercenary trying to get by on an alien world; taking missions to be resolved by either violence or diplomacy and all handled in-game through deck-building.

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Starsand — Hardcore survival turns up the heat in an unforgiving environment

iwantpie — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 19:00:49 +0000

Take on the elements in a first-person survival game set in a brutal, alien desert.

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Dorfromantik — Mindfulness and strategy collide in a peaceful building game

iwantpie — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 18:00:33 +0000

Toukana Interactive’s Early Access offering, Dorfromantik, is a peaceful light-strategy game about building up a small slice of bucolic heaven on your PC. Players must place down tiles containing different landscape elements and try and complete procedurally generated goals to keep their stack of tiles from running out.

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The Lost Ones — Beautiful art and rich atmosphere can’t hide mechanical shortcomings

iwantpie — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 14:00:00 +0000

From designer Gordon Alford and Greenbrier Games, The Lost Ones is a solo or co-operative narrative adventure game. Taking on the role of youngsters taken from their homes and cast adrift in a beautiful but strange world, players must work together to try and find a way home.

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Solasta: Crown of the Magister — Closer to the tabletop RPG experience than ever before

iwantpie — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 12:00:42 +0000

The first game from Tactical Adventures, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is a tactical RPG using a faithful translation of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. Players create a party of adventurers and delve into ancient ruins and dungeons, searching for lost artifacts and legendary threats whilst using the environment to their benefit in tactical combat.

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Steam City Chronicles: Rise of the Rose — An almost unplayable mess of tedium and tasteless fan service

iwantpie — Sun, 22 Nov 2020 12:00:41 +0000

Set in a steampunk, corporate dystopia, Steam City Chronicles: Rise of the Rose is a turn-based strategy from FeelThere that sees the player take on the role of the leaders of a rebellion. Guide heroes and militia through the neon-Victorian streets of Steam City and take on the elite troopers of the evil corporation.

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Manifold Garden — Beauty and innovation combine in a stunning debut

iwantpie — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:00:02 +0000

In the first game from designer William Chyr, the player must navigate an ever-changing landscape of beautiful, impossible architecture and bend the rules of physics to their will. Solving abstract puzzles by climbing the walls and employing liberal lateral thinking takes the player deeper into a rich world full of sights and wonder.

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Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition — Getting into the hobby

iwantpie — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 18:00:06 +0000

Games Workshop are back, once again, with the ninth edition of Warhammer 40k, the world’s most popular tabletop miniatures game, but what are the barriers to entry and how does a new player get around them?

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Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition — This new release of the classic brings nothing but availability to the table

iwantpie — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 18:00:27 +0000

In Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 the player has to design, run and manage a theme park with a huge range of rides, ‘coasters and attractions to choose from. Design your dream park in sandbox mode or try to meet the challenges set in career mode. Originally released in 2004, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition is a remastered version of the game that includes both expansions. Wild introduces animal-themed rides and zoo enclosures while Soaked takes the action to the water.

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Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition — Changes from 8th to 9th edition

iwantpie — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 13:00:26 +0000

Games Workshop are back, once again, with the ninth edition of Warhammer 40k, the world’s most popular tabletop miniatures game. What has changed between editions and are those changes for the better?

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Gordian Quest — A promising roguelite-RPG that needs to be careful not to fall down the cracks

iwantpie — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:00:16 +0000

Gordian Quest is a roguelite, turn-based RPG from Mixed Realms, currently in Steam Early Access. Players control a party of three characters, levelling-up and modifying card-based skill decks to survive encounters with a variety of different enemies.

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Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition — A review for newcomers

iwantpie — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 13:00:45 +0000

Games Workshop are back, once again, with the ninth edition of Warhammer 40k, the world’s most popular tabletop miniatures game. Players marshall their armies and compete across the blasted battlescapes of the 41st millennium for supremacy in the tightest and most tactical edition of the game for some time.

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The Romans — Will you be hero or Nero?

iwantpie — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:00:40 +0000

In the latest from Ragnar Brothers, players guide the city of Rome from kingdom to republic to empire. Muster armies and send them out across the ancient world to conquer neighbouring lands but don’t neglect Rome herself. Senators must also compete in the political arena for influence, power and the favour of the ancient gods.

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Monster Train — The road to hell is paved with… well it’s more of a railway thing actually

iwantpie — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 18:00:02 +0000

Monster Train is a roguelike deckbuilder in which the player must marshall the forces of Satan to try and break back into the underworld and relight the eternal flames of Hell. You have to do this because Hell is actually full of angels and you have the last shard of the eternal pyre on your train. Yes on your train, did I not mention that you have to break into Hell on a train? Well you do, a train beset on all sides by the forces of Heaven.

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XCOM: Chimera Squad — No pain, no gain

iwantpie — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 13:00:07 +0000

XCOM: Chimera Squad is set five years after the events of XCOM 2 within City 31, a place where the liberated humans and aliens are trying to peacefully coexist. The titular Chimera Squad is a special unit, the first to consist of both humans and aliens, tasked with keeping the peace in a place filled with resentment and unrest.

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Tang Garden — a visual feast for gamers of all levels

iwantpie — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:00:20 +0000

It’s 8th century China, the Tang dynasty, and Emperor Xuanzong wants a garden building where he can live with his concubine. Players take on the roles of garden designers, placing tiles in the garden to create areas of enchanting terrain and placing down beautiful decorations and landscapes to please the eye. At the end of the game, each player will be judged by how much the visitors they bring to the garden enjoy what they see.

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Observation — Among the most intelligent and considered science fiction games ever made

iwantpie — Tue, 26 May 2020 18:00:49 +0000

When a mysterious disaster strikes, Emma Fisher is one of a handful of astronauts aboard the space station Observation. Unable to establish communications with the rest of the crew, Emma must rely on the station’s AI, SAM, to survive and to unravel the mystery of what happened.

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Star Wars: Dark Side Rising — It finds my lack of faith disturbing

iwantpie — Fri, 22 May 2020 13:00:38 +0000

The latest entry in The Op’s Rising series sees up to four players working together to try and prevent the Empire’s superweapon, the Death Star, from being built. Players recruit agents and go on missions but must beware the baleful gaze of Darth Vader in this game of teamwork and dice management.

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Cities: Skylines — Sunset Harbor DLC — More variety is always welcome

iwantpie — Wed, 20 May 2020 13:00:32 +0000

The latest expansion for Paradox’s Cities: Skylines city builder brings new mass transit options, huge transport interchanges and an entirely new fishing industry to the game, amongst other things.

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Airship City — Unique movement mechanics are not enough to propel this game to greatness

iwantpie — Fri, 08 May 2020 13:00:59 +0000

Airship City sees up to four players competing to provide the most for the betterment of a great metropolis in the sky. Harvest resources, contribute towards communal social projects and fulfil supply requests but plan carefully because, in the city in the sky, nothing stays in the same place for long…

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Stellaris: Federations — new DLC lacks oomph

iwantpie — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 13:00:06 +0000

The new DLC for Stellaris fleshes out the political machinations of the galaxy, revamping diplomacy, beefing up the gameplay of federations and introducing a Galactic Senate that can pass (or mothball) wide-reaching resolutions. Underlying that is a new, free update to the game that adds new features and tweaks.

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Phoenix Point — X-COM creator’s latest game struggles for balance

iwantpie — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 19:00:31 +0000

In Phoenix Point a strange virus has emerged and transformed the seas into mist. Out of that mist emerge strange, mutated creatures that devastate the human race. You take control of one cell of the Phoenix Project, a worldwide force dedicated to fighting global catastrophe. When your cell is activated though, you find yourself alone, cut off from the rest of the Phoenix Project, and surrounded by enemies. You must forge alliances with the fractured remnants of the human race, battle the hostile Pandoran threat and solve the mystery of what happened to the rest of the Phoenix Project.

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Surviving the Aftermath — Turns out it’s pretty easy

iwantpie — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 19:00:25 +0000

In Surviving the Aftermath you take control of a tiny colony of apocalypse survivors and must guide them through their own personal post-extinction-level-event timeline. Gathering resources, exploring the ruined remnants of society and fighting off crisis after crisis are all on the cards for this plucky group.

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Counter Attack — Football simulation has all the raw tools to succeed

iwantpie — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 14:00:36 +0000

Counter Attack from Webstar Games tackles the tough task of mapping a game of football to the tabletop. Two players compete against each other to work the ball towards the opposition goal and past their goalkeeper.

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Nemesis — in space, no-one can hear you cackle maniacally

iwantpie — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:00:17 +0000

In Nemesis, from Awaken Realms and Rebel, players take on the roles of the crew of the titular spacecraft, awakened rudely from hypersleep to find that something has gone terribly wrong on their ship. As well as competing with the unknown hostile presence onboard, the crew must also deal with the treachery of their fellow crewmates. All have hidden agendas and ulterior motives that could make them more of a threat than the alien hitchhikers.

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How to win at Children of Zodiarcs — Character, Cards, Deckbuilding and Dicebuilding guide

iwantpie — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 12:00:10 +0000

Children of Zodiarcs is a deckbuilding strategy JRPG from Cardboard Utopia and it is not easy. Optimising your deck and your dice to provide consistent tactical returns is a big part of being successful in the game. If you are interested in levelling up your gameplay then read on…

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Battlelands: Aftermath Edition — simplicity and accessibility yet a lack of depth

iwantpie — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 14:00:08 +0000

Battlelands: Aftermath Edition is a card game that pits players against each other in a series of battles that will determine the outcome of a post-apocalyptic war. Players must manage their resources from battle to battle, choosing when to commit and when not to, as well as picking how to prioritise between victory in battle and obtaining powerful technologies that can swing the tide of combat.

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Children of Zodiarcs — A rich tactical experience with plenty of heart to spare

iwantpie — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Children of Zodiarcs is a turn-based, strategic JRPG in which the player must manage a hand of cards and a fistful of dice for each character they control, blending the worlds of video and traditional board gaming.

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Narcos: Rise of the Cartels — Netflix tie-in has good ideas but struggles for depth

iwantpie — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 14:00:09 +0000

Narcos: Rise of the Cartels comes at the turn-based tactical squad shooter genre with a few interesting ideas and a disappointing lack of depth and polish.

The post Narcos: Rise of the Cartels — Netflix tie-in has good ideas but struggles for depth appeared first on Big Boss Battle (B3).

RONE 2e — Tidy boxful of post-apocalyptic aggression

iwantpie — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 18:00:05 +0000

In RONE (Races of a New Era) 2 players face off across a post-apocalyptic landscape in a battle for supremacy. Each player has a hero with unique abilities and they must deploy units, tactics and technologies to bring about a grisly end for their opposing hero.

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Battlestar Galactica — Elegance and depth in one of the best board games of all time

iwantpie — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 18:00:21 +0000

We take a new look at a tabletop classic in Fantasy Flight's Battlestar Galactica.

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