[I posted this yesterday, but it looks as if it never got through.
Let's try again. Apologies if it duplicates]
It's the start of a new month, which means it's time for a flood of
new games from HumbleChoice. Still not free, but usually worth the
cost of entry. We'll see if the trend continues!
* Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1088850/Marvels_Guardians_of_the_Galaxy/ You can probably guess what this game is all about by
its title alone; an action/RPG based on the popular
movie franchise. Generally well regarded, with the
biggest complaint being that, ultimately, it doesn't
break any new ground narratively or mechanically.
It's fine.
* Stranded: Alien Dawn
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324130/Stranded_Alien_Dawn/ Another of the myriad open-world, first-person
survival games. This time you're plonked down on
an alien planet, but other than that it isn't much
different from "Raft" or "Rimworld" or "Ark" or
any of the others. It's not bad, but it lacks
originality. If you've never played any of its
competitors, you might as well play this one;
otherwise, "Stranded" offers nothing new.
* Coral Island
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1158160/Coral_Island/ Essentially "Harvest Moon" or "Animal Crossing",
except this time set on a tropical island. Really,
that's pretty much all there is to say about it. If
you like these sort of cozy games, you'll likely
enjoy this one too. Otherwise, its hard to recommend
over its competitors.
* Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1282150/SpongeBob_SquarePants_The_Cosmic_Shake/ It's Spongebob; I don't care enough to give it a
description. If you -or your kids- like the character,
here is another video game featuring him.
* Lost Eidolons
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1580520/Lost_Eidolons/?curator_clanid=44473362 A turn-based strategy/RPG, akin to the old "Fire Emblem"
games on Nintendo. Unpolished, limited in scope, and
with a rough difficulty curve, it's a type of game that
is an acquired taste. Not really to my liking.
* Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1755830/Astrea_SixSided_Oracles/ The game's description says, "Astrea is a DICE-deck-
building roguelike" and that's about where I tuned out.
I'm sorry; this might be the greatest game in the world,
but deck-building mechanics just piss me off. Nope.
* Infraspace
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1511460/InfraSpace/ Hey! This game was actually on my wishlist! I mean, I
knew I was never going to actually BUY it until it
dropped down to the <$5USD price-point, but it was
something I wanted! Anyway, it's another in a long
line of 'factory-building' style games, where the
real puzzle is managing the routing of resources
(and finished goods). Honestly, the whole genre is
a bit too fiddly for me to really enjoy it --I prefer
the more hands-off approach in games like "Cities
Skylines"-- but I like giving games like Infraspace
a try, even if I know I'm not going to stick with
them very long. Thanks Humble!
* You Suck At Parking
https://store.steampowered.com/app/837880/You_Suck_at_Parking__Complete_Edition/ A racing game with the hook that stopping in a very
particular spot (your parking space) is as important
as getting there first. I'd probably enjoy this one
more if it wasn't a top-down racer, MicroMachines-
style. I never could get the hang of those.
So, I'll be honest: this month's selection is leaving me a bit
unsatisfied. But that's not because the games aren't good; it's just
that so many of them aren't the sort of game I'd want to play. Still,
just getting "Infraspace" on Steam is worth the price of admission for
me, and there are a few others I'll want to at least take a look at.
Not a great month, but not a total wipe either. And anyway, it's not
like I don't have a huge backlog of games already ;-)
But hopefully next month's HumbleChoice selections will be a bit more
to my liking. I guess we'll find out in thirty* days!
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* technically, 28 days. This message is to pre-empt any pedants who'd
feel it necessary to correct me. ;-)
Humble Choice September 2024