King of Dragon Pass

I'll admit that I randomly found this gem. Very randomly but the reward, OH MY. It's a very interesting fantasy game, you could feel some northern vibes in some of the art, but oh boy, this is replayable. Try it, you will not regret.

Nobody will ever make games as good as this again. In depth tribe management mechanics with intense battle sims which genuinely make you care about the members of your tribe more than you would expect. One of the evergreen all time greats.

You can feel how the games were once made by players for players.

Despite its complete lack of animations, King of Dragon Pass has both a visceral and intellectual satisfaction to it, at once giving you the thrill of raiding your neighbors for cattle (and maybe slaves?) and letting you deluge your brain with the epic god stories of Glorantha. There is never any one way to victory, and even at its easiest it is a difficult game to master, with a somewhat unforgiving learning curve, but the payoff is great.

This is a one of a kind game, which has had a lot of imagination, love and craftsmanship go into it. The hand-drawn artwork gives it real character, and the interactions with your advisors have a lively and engaging tone to them. It can be a tricky game to work out, as most of the 'workings' or mechanics are not visible, so you make a lot of decisions unaware of exactly what the consequences will be, but this adds to the fun and challenge, and I have respect for the writers of the scripts, stories and plotlines, as it always feels like the results of your decisions are fair and plausible, even if they seem harsh at times. You control a clan of settlers in a semi-explored land, people by other clans who share culture and mythology with you, and also by various fantastic beasts who can be harmless or aggressive, depending on chance and how you interact with them. Everything feels mystical, and decisions are made not just based on the material benefits - such as how many cows you can gain in a trade, a raid or a farming decision - but also based on how the Gods and spirits might react. Your survival always feels perilous, and things often start to go wrong, so it's a real challenge, but a satisfying one.