Sunless Sea

Most reviews for this game say that it has "Great writing but is held back by its gameplay." I think the reason for this is that most games have the story as an excuse for the gameplay, which prompts most Gamers(tm) to look at all games like that by default. What makes Sunless Sea and, indeed, all Fallen London propreties special is that that dynamic is reversed.

Instructions: - Install - Spend quite some time building your character and peeking around - Repeat { - Spend money for fuel & supplies - Set sails (well, steam) - Spend half of the fuel & supplies looking for nothing in the dark - Spend the other half going back to port - Try to get some money for whatever you found (if ever) } until no money, fuel or supplies left (a couple of loops should do) - Uninstall Total playing time: 2hrs. Luckily I got it for free, or else... :)

At ~240 hours gameplay, I am clearly the target audience for this game. It haunts me in a way that I can't explain. When I think of it I feel a longing, akin to wanting to drown myself in its depths. Yes, this is apt. The learning curve is very steep and I rage quit more than once due to losing all my progress in permadeath mode. However, permadeath is optional (it does add to the tension, though), and once you learn the basics you find a rhythm that keeps your resources and terror (mostly) in line. Stories are uncovered piecemeal. Every time you dock another layer of sand is gently brushed back from the tales of that port. Some mysteries are never solved, because the Unterzee is not a place for answers. This can be divisive; I love this style of storytelling and others find it irritating. The game is also not respectful of your time. You can spend hours building up money and supplies without feeling that you've made any real progress. Again, I love spending time in this world so I enjoy it. Others do not feel the same. The stand out aspect of the game for me is atmosphere. It's the reason I love sinking (heh) hours into it. The music (which deserves a special applause) and sound design (appropriately sparse when it needs to be) contribute to many emotional responses: fear; dread; loneliness; utter inescapable joy. Discovering a new port. Being stalked by a living island of black glass. Finally making it home. It's indescribable. This is my most-played game on PC and undoubtedly my favourite fictional world. That said, it's not for everyone and I can understand why some people don't like it or have issues with various aspects of it. But if it's for you, prepare to be drawn into a world from which there is no escape.

at first i found the survivalist mechanics (having to spend ALL your money on fuel and supplies) challenging, then nearly unplayable, so i found a mod that removes that element from the game. now i'm crazy about it!! the stories and choices are really interesting and intriguing and the quests are still challenging, but in a fun way now that you can think about anything other than just staying alive.

What an amazing world this game takes place in! It's VERY original and with great artwork does the job of presenting and immersing you into a Cthulu-esque setting. You are the owner of a ship and try to survive in an underground sea in a steampunk setting. Trading, fighting and exploring are the main ways to make money and upgrade your ship, hire employees and invest in town-building. But don't invest too much in your current character: you'll die often. Which is accounted for, as you basically build a legacy, but unfortunately, it takes away a lot of the possible enjoyment of this game. My first experience with this was when I finally managed to make enough money that I could venture out into the dark and explore more of the world (you have to have enough coal and food for a longer journey, otherwise you run into problems quick). I was nearing my limit and running out of resources when I saw a new town. I docked there, ready to replenish everything. But I made too little by trading and wasn't able to buy enough to get me back. So I was kind of forced to continue exploring, ran out of fuel in the middle of nowhere, sat there for a while, lost a few employees to insanity, and eventually my captain died. I restarted, did the same routine for about an hour to save up enough money to try again. I was halfway when an ice giant came into view, did some sort of ground stomp and killed my ship in one blow. I restarted, did the same routine for about an hour, explored a new area, met two pirate ships and got destroyed without getting of a shot. After restarting three more times, I was done with this game and never looked at it again.