I had no idea about this absolute gem until a tweet from someone I follow who was working on it clue'd me in. What a treat - I never got into submarine sims like Silent Hunter but I do love me a good space/ space trader game and this hits a lot of my boxes. Apply within if you want a fun sandbox to play in with lots of incredible points of immersion and some truly eclectic NPCs and wordbuilding and some intense stealth-oriented ship to ship combat.
I caught wind of Caves of Qud while watching GDC lectures on youtube, and was enamored with the idea of a game that not only procedurally generated it's world and moment to moment encounters, but also the lore of the gameworld itself. The number of strange character possibilities and wild adventures possible in Caves of Qud are staggering, and unlike the games it seeks to emulate or some of those who stand alongside it, it isn't needlessly obtuse, taking the opportunity to blend together just enough old school sensibility with just enough modern convenience to lead you into a fun and complex - but not overly so - first hour or so of play as you figure out the general mechanics and systems that go into it. It's a solid ROLE playing game, as well. The control you have over your character's abilities is amazing and fun and whether you have a favorite build stored in your library or like to play with the challenge builds offered during creation you'll always find a way to make a fun and interesting character, even if their design means they aren't long for the world. Add to that the charming tile graphics and incredibly atmospheric music and you've got a great night in of gaming (play it with the lights off and delve into a cavern! It's suitably spooky!) Long story short? I'm a four legged teleporting nomad who can distill her sweat into drinking water and occassionally summons a murderous evil twin into the world. A sublime experience.
