King of Dragon Pass

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

Well it's different. I've never played anything very much like it, though from what I hear FTL has some elements in common. It's a sort of combination management-sim and random-events/ choose-your-own-adventure. And it works. The artwork and music are lovely. It's not perfect. I have doubts as to it's long term replay-value; the random-events are most interesting the first time you encounter them (there are a lot, of course, and they're not totally random- they occur with reference to what's going on in the game: what you're doing, who you're feuding with, how happy your people are, and so on) and the heroquests are most fun when you're not entirely sure what's going on. It *is* replayable; it's not like a point-and-click adventure. But it's not replayable like, say, Civilisation; there just aren't enough options. Definitely worth the asking price, but don't expect to be playing it for months.

... And turn-based to boot! This game manages to blend the micro with the macro as well as dinosaurs with magic. The archaic interface of menu navigation masks complex mechanics behind amazing artwork in order to provide extreme replay value. The game breaks down into 10-to-15 turn rounds where the player is expected to balance resources and politics along with diplomacy and warfare. Most of these are player-driven with the chance for larger ramifications, but a few of them are random events that open new scenarios. For example, one of my favorite scenarios involves finding some mysterious eggs, which can hatch into triceratops. As I learned on an early play-through, these creatures might prove meddlesome, but on the other hand I later discovered they could also be trained into a valuable treasure. There are also roleplay opportunities galore. The "ring" of politicians organized as by the player will provide advice and skill that governs the outcome of the player's decisions. These characters have stats that improve and are capable of questing into the godly realm. One of my memorable ring members was a general that also possessed fair talent as a poet. After explorations into the lands of the dragonewt, he was asked to accompany them on some unknown errand. It was assumed that he would be eaten, but to the surprise of all he returned with gifts. These sort of scenarios are accompanied by frames of still art rather than animations, but the work is detailed and accurately portrays the various circumstances that arise. This aspect lends greatly to the simple interface. The music is authentic but repetitive. Fortunately, turn-based games are great with a binge watch or a playlist. Expect to do some research though! A great deal of information is presented in-game through lore, but other resources do a better job of presenting the information. This fact mostly speaks to the complexity of this game's deceptively simple features.

I got this game, started it, it was nothing like I expected and I got scared I spent money on something I won’t like. Then I went and played it for nine hours straight until the sun started to come up. I was originally searching for some sort of city building strategy and I got an idea that this game is exactly that plus something more with it’s RPG and storytelling qualities. Well, in the end, only things you can actually build in this game are relationships with other. That and shrines, as long as you can support them. Instead of planning your town, you have to plan what your people will do, what to trade for, what to give up in order to succeed in a long run. Do you have big enough herds? Enough food? Do you have to find more farmers to harvest everything? Reason why I couldn’t stop playing it was because it is so hard. I had to restart three times until I finally got an idea what I should actually do to ensure that my clan will survive. I haven’t actually finished playing it yet, so I’m not so sure I will succeed, but the omens are looking good so far! This game makes you think and think hard about everything you do, because all your decisions have a real impact. You have to struggle to achieve your goals and I don’t really think you can really “learn the mechanics” to easily beat it. Maybe if gods are in your favour… The storytelling is awesome, the illustrations are great and your brain will get a real workout, what else can you ask for?

There's being hard, and then there's just being flat-out unfair. I've played games with random generation in them before, but I've never felt as completely clueless as to what I was supposed or expected to do as when I was playing KoDP. Raiding alone all but guarantees your new tribe, however you make it, is completely screwed. Defending your tula? You're screwed- four out of five times, you'll be completely outnumbered because you didn't catch the raiders as they were coming. Want to raid someone else? Well, you might succeed, or you might fail... or you might be raided by another clan while you're out raiding, or simply get counter-raided by whoever your target was several times over. (Did I mention yet that NONE of the other clans can get destroyed? Yep, that's right- yours, and yours alone, faces the possibility of annihilation that all the other clans will be saved from by game-balancing fiat every-single-time.) You start the game, and you immediately find yourself drowning in a system of menus with no means of knowing or understanding what you should do first or why. Your clan ring is supposed to help you, but it's just seven different idiots who all will have five very different opinions on any event that comes up, with no means of understanding who should be actually listened to or when. And, ho-ho-holy MOLY, the events. The damaging outcomes destroy you, and the beneficial ones are either worthless or nominal- if they don't destroy you in their own special way. I understand that's supposed to be the nature of RNG, but are you seriously telling me no one could balance against one of the starting events in a game to be the flood that took 1/4th of my population, food, and herds? On Year freaking ONE? I could go on- herds repopulate at agonizingly slow speeds, sacrifices are punishingly expensive but essential, heroquests can be actively impossible- but with what space I have, I can only implore you, reader. Don't believe the hype. This is nearly unplayable.