Space. The final frontier. But what if that frontier was explored not through twitch reflexes and joystick mastery, but through the careful curation of a deck of cards? Enter Starforged, a solo (and cooperative) game that blends the vastness of space exploration with the strategic depth of deckbuilding.
As an avid fan of both space games and deckbuilders, I was immediately drawn to Starforged’s unique premise. This isn’t just about blasting asteroids or dogfighting with alien raiders (though those elements certainly exist!). It’s about forging your own path through a procedurally generated galaxy, making tough choices, and shaping your own narrative.
‘Of Ash and Steel’ is an immersive third-person RPG set in a dangerous medieval fantasy open world, developed by a passionate team that values the essence of classic old-school RPGs and modern designs. Explore the lands of a once-prosperous island, hone your combat skills, and survive in the unforgiving realm of the Kingdom of the Seven.
Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost
Rewarding World Exploration
‘Of Ash and Steel’ world is full of hidden treasures, underwater caves, side quests and bosses, and valuable loot. Some of these can be found with a treasure map, while others with pure luck. The game has no marker system, and quests won’t lead you by the hand. Rediscover the joy of exploration and let curiosity be your guide; the world promises rich rewards for those who dare to uncover its secrets.
Deep Character Progression and World Evolution
Build your characters as you like with three different skill branches: Survival, Craftsmanship and War. Allocate your character’s attribute points and unlock passive bonuses by exploring the world. The social system makes your progression even more noticeable: As the hero’s skills grow, the world around him reacts differently. If at the beginning of the game you were treated like a ragamuffin, by the end of the game the characters will literally bow to your feet.
Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost
Rich Storytelling
‘Of Ash and Steel’ is set in the low-fantasy cruel medieval world. Make your path from abandoned lowlife to a marshal of fortunes, choose your side and forge alliances on your journey to discover the truth of who you really are.
Methodical Action RPG Combat
The combat system in ‘Of Ash and Steel’ allows players to use 3 different combat stances with unique combat styles for different weapons. You are not a legendary, powerful Hero by default in ‘Of Ash and Steel’. You need to learn the ropes of becoming one! Learn to stand up for yourself by timing your attacks, using environments, and active skills. Invest in the War branch to become more skilled not just in numbers: attacks become more accurate and stronger, and you’ll learn more tricks. For example, you’ll be able to throw bottles from the ground to stun your opponents!
Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost
Immersive Atmosphere
Players are encouraged to slow down and fully embrace the world around them. The richly detailed environment comes alive with a dynamic day-night cycle, shifting weather, and natural elements like wind that sways the trees. Ambient sounds—from the soft rustle of leaves to distant birdsong—enhance the immersion, while NPCs follow their own daily routines, adding to the sense of a living, breathing world. The result is an experience that wraps players in a comforting, tranquil atmosphere, inviting them to linger and explore at their own pace.
When Classic Meets Modern
‘Of Ash and Steel’ is a game for everyone from hardcore RPG fans to casual players. It is inspired by classic old-school RPGs and combines the convenience of modern gaming while paying homage to the legendary classic role-playing games. There are no quest markers or enemy auto-levelling, but there’s modern UI, environment markers, tutorials, and much more.
Developed by Kissaki Studios in collaboration with Richard Garfield (creator of Magic: The Gathering), Mindbug Online brings a fresh and innovative approach to the digital card game genre. Launching today at 2 PM CET on iOS, Android, and Steam, Mindbug promises intense duels where every decision counts.
Oct 31st, 2024 – In a surprise announcement, CD Projekt Red revealed that Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is coming to Macs with Apple silicon. This includes the new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro powered by the M4 family of chips. The game will be optimized to take full advantage of Apple’s Metal graphics API, promising impressive performance and stunning visuals.
Cologne, Germany – Remember that awesome zombie-slaying, inventory-juggling roguelite I stumbled upon at Gamescom 2024? Well, get ready to hit the road again because Pixelsplit just launched the second public playtest for Deadly Days: Roadtrip, and it’s jam-packed with new features, improvements, and enough zombie guts to paint the highway red.
For those who missed the memo, Deadly Days: Roadtrip throws you into the driver’s seat of a zombie apocalypse road trip. Imagine a chaotic blend of reverse bullet hell and Tetris, where you’re dodging hordes of undead while frantically managing an inventory bursting with bizarre weapons and items.
Gameforge Celebrates Two Decades of Galactic Warfare with Major Update
Gameforge, a leading publisher of multiplayer games, is excited to announce that OGame’s 22nd anniversary update is now live! The “Profile & Achievements” update introduces a wealth of personalization content to the free-to-play space war MMO, available in browsers on Windows PC and as an app on iOS and Android devices.
Toy Tactics, the innovative real-time strategy game that lets players sketch their armies into existence, has officially launched on PC via Steam. This unique title offers a fresh take on the RTS genre, combining strategic depth with a playful and accessible aesthetic.
But the full release is gonna take a little longer…
We heard a lot about Streets of Rogue 2 at Gamescom this year and chatted with the tinyBuild team about their upcoming open-world sandbox RPG. Now, developer Matt Dabrowski and tinyBuild have dropped a surprise “Island Alpha” demo on Steam, giving everyone a taste of the mayhem. This comes with news that the Early Access launch has been pushed back to give the team more time to polish the experience.
Supergiant Games had already set the bar high with Hades, but Hades 2 goes above and beyond, offering an experience so refined that it doesn’t feel like it’s in Early Access at all. It’s truly remarkable to see a game at this stage that has the depth, scope, and polish of a full release. Hades 2 is not just a worthy successor to the first game; it’s a game that shines even in Early Access. I never expected that I’d want to nominate an early access game for Game of the Year. This alone is a crazy achievement!
Blast off into a sci-fi FPS adventure where the moon is just the beginning.
Remember those cheesy sci-fi flicks where the moon landing was just the start of some crazy interstellar conspiracy? Well, Cosmoscouts’ upcoming FPS Moon Mystery looks to tap into that same B-movie magic, but with a modern, polished twist.
