Massive Chalice

Didn't get the game in the Kickstarter (KS), bought on GOG. I was looking at the KS campaign and was very interested in what was described. I had some unrelated bad experiences with KS at the time, so I didn't back, but remembered game and was exited when it came to GOG. Based on claims and advertising, I expected a serious game with strategic depth. What I got is at best a tech demo for a strategy game, and at worst a casual game that pretends to be in the strategy genre.

Massive Chalice is a matter of taste, really - and I love it. First off: it is minimalistic in many aspects. Graphics are pretty simple, but focussed on what matters, and well fitting with the game's general atmosphere. Character classes are only a few, but they are complementary. Same for the enemies: every type of enemy is unique, there is no 'stronger version of X', but they all hurt you in a different way and should be dealt with differently, so they already provide a lot of variety. Also the world is not very deep: small, stable maps, little background information, just enough to convey the game's feeling: gloomy, almost desperate and definitely unforgiving - fitting perfectly with gameplay... Gameplay is tough. What is lost is lost forever: buildings, heroes, entire bloodlines. Not only due to battles, but also due to general corruption and aging. And you probably will lose more than a handful. Many of your decisions are final (some might be fatal), sacrifices are often necessary. Some things enemies do to you won't heal (like aging). Additionally, you have to think about whether you want a hero to fight, to train others, to procreate or to speed up your research. Sometimes it is hard to keep the balance, sometimes you dedicate too much to the future and get overrun in battle. Suck it up and do better next time - or fail completely, might happen. That tough gameplay and somewhat minimalistic approach make the game enjoyable for me: you quickly get into it, no need to read anything before, just start playing! Nevertheless, it becomes brain-teasing because of the options you have. You always need to anticipate what you will need when (now or in 100 years) and most of your resources are limited and fragile, so: think! Good news is: due to the simplicity of it, the mistake of oversight is relatively low. Instead of being drowned in details, you can anticipate what will happen approximately. Actually, you have to. That's why I love it, even if others might not.

Satisfying simplified X-Com-like experience. Massive Chalice emulates the key successful elements that comprise most X-Com and other squad turn-based strategy (TBS) based games. Then, it adds a few unique elements and greatly condenses others for a game that will be generally satisfying to fans of turn-based tactics but won't stand out among the many polished strategy gems released in recent years. The game centers on squad-focused, turn-based battles and managing your heroes/ domain. What makes Massive Chalice unique is that it spans multiple generations so your personnel, however you allocate them, will eventually die. To make a truly competitive roster of heroes to combat the nebulous threat, you have to carefully manage family houses you establish to give birth to new heroes (among other dynamics). Unlike X-Com, you can only pursue one research or construction at a time, though the wait is often filled with random events or the management of your heroes as more are born and die. The lack of cover and emphasis on sight ranges, stunning, and actions that can move you or the enemy make battles generally fast-paced for a TBS. Heroes are also pretty resilient, but there is permadeath. Although there are only three starting classes, you can discover more by experimenting with various pairs of classes. Lastly, the music and sound are nice, but (like the game) can start to get repetitive. Also, while the graphics and motif are indeed unique, the colors can also start to feel somewhat drab and the randomly-generated blank character faces really prevent the player to feel any sort of connection with your heroes or other characters in the game.

I was expecting a lot more from the kickstarter. I don't like the art, but that is subjective. Game is super boring and the tactics are meh at best. Not sure if this or Elemental war of magic was worse for me to back. They both sounded good but didn't come close to what they were suppose to be.

As another reviewer said,combat is where this game falls short. The maps get very repetitive fast and the lack of buildings with levels is sorely missed. Enemy AI is not the best either. Could have been much better.