Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by clucas 2660 days ago
I know this feeling - you're climbing up that hill at the very beginning, trying to figure out the mechanics and what the game is about. Then when you finally crest it, you see the whole game set out before you like a beautiful valley... and you realize, "this is going to take hours and days, and I already understand it." You judge the time required vs. the enjoyment that may be gained, and the game loses. And it's sad, because you want the game to win, but you can't just let it.

One game I'll recommend if you're in this boat with me is Slay the Spire - it's a roguelike, so you play run after run from the beginning, instead of working from the same save like Factorio. The mechanics vary from run to run, sometimes significantly, because the cards and relics you collect along the way can completely change how the game plays. I've been enjoying it for a few months now, and while I sometimes put it away for a week or two at a time, I'm still coming back to it. I think part of it is I'm playing to figure out how to survive a run, not to figure out how the game works.

Anyway, check it out - definitely worth $25, and it may give you that long-term enjoyment you're looking for. Though I think, to paraphrase Stand By Me, "I don't have any games like I did when I was 10. Jesus, does anybody?"

2 comments

I'd recommend roguelikes in general. Run and done in a sitting, and you can't really optimize the same way as the game has hidden/random elements.

Two I'd recommend looking at: FTL and Into the Breach.

The 7DRL Challenge just completed this past weekend. A lot of the entries are quite small, and runs can be quite short. I think the 7-day time limit contributes to that.[1]

[1] https://itch.io/jam/7drl-challenge-2019

I enjoy both of those, but have been playing more Slay the Spire recently. It has wonderful diversity in viable builds, and most runs you end up with something unexpected. A delightful sense of discovery and mastery.
> Two I'd recommend looking at: FTL and Into the Breach.

Was about to post this :)

What roguelikes (beyond maybe Brogue) can you finish in a sitting?
Spelunky, The Binding of Isaac, Dead Cells, Rampage Knights, Son of a Witch

All of those take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to complete once you get a hang of it.

Dead Cells and The Binding of Isaac are another two fun ones.
You're right, I should've said rogue-lites. Although I can certainly die multiple times in a sitting in roguelikes :)
Spelunky
Enter the Gungeon is a good one that I've played a lot recently.
Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) is a very good roguelike, and has been actively developed for decade(s). Recommended.
I will second Slay the Spire as worth a long look for a busy gamer