https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/suaqwyxo

All screenshots and images are taken from my own gameplay or public domain gifs, most of it captured on stream an muted due to music copyright that was playing at the time. The rest are public domain gifs. Enjoy the example footage and review folks.

Greeting folks and welcome to another game review. This time we are reviewing one of my all time favorite free to play tower defenders/deck builders: Minion Masters. This game is a blast to play both competitively and casually, and is incredibly generous in f2p progression (you NEVER need to spend a dime on this game, even to be competitive). The cards are balanced (spells are a bit underpowered on average, but the minions themselves are balanced well in line with each other) and the playerbase for this game is active, the gameplay is also thought out but not too complicated. So without further or do let's get into it.

Minion masters is a deck building Tower defender, you pick you master who provides general buffs to your deck of minions you select before the battle. You play the minions for mana you generate every second, there are a plethora of units, factions (voidbourne, Zen- chi, etc.) and strategies of play available. All of which are able to be obtained for free. Each unit can be summoned to your side of the board, and spells are cast as directed. Controlling the bridges and having them remain your color grants experience which improves your masters effectiveness and unlocks "Mana frenzy" (double mana) after you have maxed the level of your summoner. Games are short and typically never last more than 10 minutes. Your objective is to destroy the enemy tower and defend your own. There are different strategies for both 1v1s and 2v2s and both are a great deal of fun.

The general aesthetic of minion masters is rather light-hearted despite there being gore and blood. It's rather zaney, vibrant, and flashy with everything from the units themselves to the in game announcer. Despite this "light" aesthetic, the game itself is actually incredibly lore heavy as it is derived from a culmination of Beta Dwarf's other titles (FORCED 1+ 2 etc.) and because of that provides a rich setting. I will also be trying out their closed beta for their extraction PvPvE RPG Moba (A mouthful I know), set in the same universe with the same characters.

This game has competitive tournaments every month for a few hundred USD in prizes sent to one's paypal account if you are so lucky to defeat the mighty Set or some of the other OGs that have been keeping up with the tournament scene. These tournaments are hosted by team Mana Frenzy in their discord and are rather fun (this isn't a Dota level tournament scene or anything like that but it is in fact "present"). I've played in a few myself but haven't won anything in quite some time, but none the less these tournaments are a blast to play and did I mention they are FREE to enter? That's right. If people enjoy the game I would love to do tournaments for it, just let me know.

As you can see I have actually 100 percent completed EVERY SINGLE ACHIEVEMENT in this title, it was not the hardest to do but it wasn't fast to complete. However, this game I enjoy playing so I still grind the new cards even though I have no more achievements left for my completionist streak (if this was a "meh" game or lacked replayability it would likely not be revisited after completion and should attest to it's repeat enjoyment). Mobile is also coming in a few weeks so I'm trying to get reoriented with it.

This title for me is a 5 star title due to the fact it is a very enjoyable deck builder/ vs tower defender, completely free with the ability to get everything in game for free, and will soon be available on mobile in partnership with Netflix (Netflix subs get a FULL card collection to mess around with, sweet right?). Regardless you can DL and play the game free and acquire every in game item available. I definitely recommend trying this one once it hits mobile it was made for it and will be a blast.

Cheers everyone, thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to comment and engage with this post how you see fit. Have a wonderful week and stay safe out there.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/fikytbmx

Featured is the raw footage of a pre tides atlantean battle I found particularly enjoyable. Now I have an idea of what stylized edits to implement/ memey video direction to take. Expect it to occur within a few days if I manage my time effectively.

There will actually be a youtube video coming to my channel within the next few days after I finish some humerous edits and voice overs to this raw footage, but I'm very excited and want you folks to see who's been bringing the light atlantean thunder even before the tides started to turn ;). The new light atlanteans will feature none of these cool neutrals or combinations so get your fill ladies and gentlemen, the tide is turning. The youtube video will be out soon ideally before next weekend when the new set is LIVE, but at the very least this shows you who was running Atlanteans effectively before it was cool or remotely meta viable.

This deck sports the use of the traditional light control package, censer, lips are sealed, lysanders mercy, born again. However, the twist here is that you have 2 late game value pieces to bring back from the void or even plop down BEFORE lips are sealed. (List pictured below)

Spiral Golem: facilitates late game removal and with boost walker can twinstike face for satisfying lethal. Additionally this target STILL SWINGS even if it is ordered with lips are sealed. Offering gross combo potential.

Golem Centurion: This card acts as a body here and when brought back from the void gives the maximum late game value possible. This cannot be compared to a thaeriel or oni but is fun to do.

In the next expansion I will be fighting for the glory of Atlantis, these dragons know not the value of progress. Gah, they think their scales and fire will save them? We will R.I.S.E to victory and demonstrate the power of science and magic brought forth in perfect harmony the only way these heathens understand. Through force. Normally I do not post about rank since the ranking system is a bit of a joke (another post), but despite that, I will meet these draconic opponents in Mythic next week (I already am in Ethereal diamond and climbing now that WR rewards are something I give a shit about again). I never look at gudecks during a match either, you can use that crutch if you wish and I will crush you none the less. It's time to show them all the power of Atlanteans. Tryhard Rexxie is back. You can choose team Atlanteans, or be my enemy. It's your decision.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/wsrxaoay

You would think mechas obliterating each other in orbital gravitational combat would have quite a bit of draw, or at least replayability. Sadly, in the game orbital gear can be fun for "a few rounds on the couch" but doesn't usually warrant or desire more play than that. Don't get me wrong, those initial matches are awesome each time you boot it up but after a few rounds the gameplay does lose it's allure. Meant for short sessions on the couch at request locally. The single player campaign is not the most engaging campaign you will engage it, you mostly fight drones and traverse a map with a timer attached. Not much else.

The combat and weapons are actually VERY well thought out and fun to use within the unique gravitational constraints of each map. Despite this the gameplay loop loses it's zest after a half hour to an hour regardless of variety. There isn't hide nor hair of an online population for this game so it is a couch co-op only game in it's current state, and in my experience it is one of the least requested (however still occasionally requested) titles in my library. I would not say the gameplay loop is stale or bland, just a limited flavor burst when you spin it up. You choose one ability and 2 weapons every respawn, with certain weapons either obeying or disobeying gravity's rules to deadly effect. There are a plethora of varieties of weapons to choose from. This game is a fun hour or two on the couch with 4 people, but rarely goes beyond that.

The graphics are light, simple, and appropriate for the rapid run and gun PvP experience it provides. Each level is unique and has a particular design and style, a very thoughtfully made game in these ways aswell. The colors are vibrant and stand out, these are not AAA graphics but fit the gameplay perfectly. This game can run on pretty much any machine you put it on these days rather easily, but isn't going to WoW you with next level realism either (it isn't meant to).

I had a tough time reviewing this game, on the one hand it delivered a neat twist to the local versus environment. On the other hand it just doesn't pull people in for "just one more round" like many other titles in my library. This game is a very well made game, however despite that I would only give it 6/10 stars or roughly a low C-D rating. Only due to the fact that it delivers a limited local PVP experience that is meant to be enjoyed in short bursts. I'm sure some would give this game a full 10 stars, and others maybe even less than my review. I think this game is VERY well made, but only brings so many hours of enjoyment to the table on average. There is nothing wrong with that, but that's why I give it 6/10.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/iucknnvg

They called me mad, but oh how I showed them all. Who's mad now? Would a crazy person use the worst performing meta god with the least attended tribe in GU since Genesis? Well yeah, but who's crazy now? Muahahahahahaha. If you've been following me you might realize at this point that I am a bit of an atlantean fanatic, and funny enough through my tinkering and tuning I have brewed a might peculiar deck. A peculiarly powerful deck, an oddity if you will. In fact this deck was the deck that finally got me through THE HUNT challenge. This deck is my highest performing Nature deck, even compared to traditional amazons or control. I understand why it was thought to be madness, it IS insanity how much everything synergizes when it goes off. I'll explain below.

The key components of this deck (that aren't core atlanteans mentioned in this post from a while back ie Windup rollers etc etc.) are a few powerful but rarely utilized atlanteans with a couple nature staples.

Aquatic Torturer: I assume this card waterboards it's opponent's to get past frontline? Or idk how exactly being an aquatic torturer justifies this ability but this card is CRUCIAL for this deck, but not crucial enough to run 2 copies. The 1 in 30 chance to grant every atlantean flank as well as having a big body at 5 is ESSENTIAL in this deck. Do not underestimate this cards utility, there isn't very much flank in GU that is actually strong enough to use. This is one of them.

Beam Sentry: Now some of you might be looking at the card and thinking, "Rex are you serious? this "dies to one GP ping" excuse for an offensive 1 drop? You're using THIS?". You bet your sweet bippy I am. 3/1 takes it out of the reach of transforms and offers much needed "frenzy" for various cards in this deck that are needed to repopulate your hand.

Spring's Harvest: This card (sometimes in tandem with Beam sentry. gasp ) replenishes your hand with 3 nature cards. this adds additional tech and creates beyond the OBLIGATORY canopy barrages and lightning strikes. It tends to usually be favorable but has also been a brick tossed into your own hand at times.

This deck boasts a slightly over 50 percent winrate, which is the best I can do with nature at hte moment. Ideally I get a few more things togething and maybe make a more refined list for another tribe. We will see. You can check on GU decks I have the latest iteration of this deck listed and it does win about 50 percent of the time and has very polarizing matchups. I will continue to tune it though as it is very fun to play and a surprising fit for atlanteans. Who knew? (The video may see some choppiness towards the end, I couldn't figure out how to deal with that in 3speak but it is meant to show the deck in action and indeed it does). I hope some domain specific atlantean for nature arrive, that would be interesting. Currently the only one that exists is summoned via Grass Roots. I wonder what the future holds?

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/bhmqnxbb
( This video contains spoilers for the "experience" Pineapple on Pizza on steam. This video and all screenshots are taken from my personal playthrough of this "experience")

I may end up uploading it to youtube at a later date with some editing etc. instead of the raw footage of this meme. I am still undecided. For the memes of course.

Pineapple on Pizza despite having X achievements is not considered enough of a game to warrant being marked among my games with 100 percent achievements achieved. This is more of a "cinematic experience" than a game, and offers the user a wide array of imagery and a tastey finale for those who can survive it. And what better place to post such an experience than to the Hive Pizza community.

The "game" is nowhere to be seen. This is a cinematic meme of epic proportions available on steam. It's a fun lil 5-15 minute playthrough, but I would not go so far as to call it a game. That's why I'm going to start by saying this game is effectively about a 1/5 as far as gameplay, there is only one thing to do that leads to one inevitability with two possible outcomes.

This complete playthrough even if you strive for achievements ,that won't count towards anything (see above), is not really a gameplay experience. It is more of the equivalent of a school project or top shelf meme, however as a meme it certainly does it's duty. As a game it is horrendous and should never be played beyond it's 20 minute playthrough (or perhaps revisited for meme value ALONE, this is a meme). This meme is really a grade A meme to expose people to once, but is a rather lean game review even as a HIVE post. Why? Pineapple on Pizza.

As a 20 minute experience I would give it about 4 stars. As one would rate a meme video, If I were rating it as a game I would give it 1 star. You wander around a well constructed landscape and achieve one of two available endings after a time. It takes roughly 20ish minutes to complete the game and get all the achievements, all the achievements can be obtained by walking close to all the villagers. As this is a meme review and not a game review, and a pizza related review at that, it felt like more of a Hive Pizza post and less like a gaming community post (as there is no game to speak of really)

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/yslgwbvv

The ring, the mania, and the suplex aren't all the glamour and glitz it's cracked up to be. The truth is most of these wrestlers end up retiring with little to no benefits, mismanaged funds, or no ownership over their own identity. WOO a HIVE based blockchain game, and it's real life wrestling partners such as Perry Saturn, Raven, and Sonny Onoo. Are a little of what will be ranted about in this podcast feat. @bookerman the CEO of HIVE's upcoming wrestling management simulator.

Wrestling Organization Online (hereafter WOO for short) is an online HIVE blockchain based NFT collectible wrestling game. It is in the most alpha of alpha states currently but offers NFT staking packs and a percentage of profits going to benefit partnered wrestlers while said wrestlers maintain FULL OWNERSHIP over their identities and rights therein (a rarity in the industry). @bookerman uses his knowledge of wrestling (as a former industry member himself) to develop this game as an accurate simulator for wrestling management right here on the HIVE blockchain.

For more information on woo's mission to help wrestling for the better click here

A percentage of all market fees goes to the benefit of retired wrestlers directly. For details on how click here.

Or are you interested in a more in depth analysis of the issues surrounding professional wrestling from @bookerman himself and what WOO does to help? Click here

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/xgxcmsfd
All screenshots and video are taken from my personal playthrough of the title Ryse Son of Rome available for purchase here Video is of a multiplayer match from start to finish to show examples of gameplay.

The ramparts of the city of Rome crumble in explosions of fire and obliterated marble, you stand with the remainder of your legion in the defense of Rome against the hordes of Gauls at her gates. What are your orders Centurion? Will you be found victorious or just food for the vultures?

Ryse Son of Rome is a story driven game with an entertaining brawling combat system coupled with slight accents of "phalanx management". I played through the game at the highest default difficulty encountering little resistance, the full playthrough of the story-mode lasts about 6 hours and is quite the enjoyable cinematic experience for the price tag. Below we will delve into the elements of gameplay, the aesthetics, and story (without spoilers).

Most of this game is countering, and performing particular attack combos based on two or three keys. Timing becomes the most important and there are a few basic combo combinations at your disposal, not a bad gameplay loop I must say but it isn't "endless enjoyment" (see below). Consumable pilums also litter the map which can sometimes provide an easier time versus archers etc. There are also ballistae that can be mounted at various points. Examples of gameplay can be seen in the video above for context.

The management portions (campaign) where you make choices for the legion are minimal and mostly effect the core gameplay mentioned above for brief periods. There are moments where you "duck" and "pilum" at particular intervals to avoid archer fire as a battalion and fire upon them. Pretty easy, and infrequent. However these elements are mostly to add to the narrative and immersion provided by the campaign.

This game runs Roman architecture on Crysis Engine which (in it's day) was a cutting edge visual engine for videogame storytelling. The graphics are not the most lacking, however they are not to the level of purely cinematic games of 2023 however definitely adequate or above average as far as video games as a whole is concerned. Pretty, but not the MOST modern.

This game is a tale of revenge. You play as a centurion fighting for the 14th legion of Rome. The story is a tale you've heard before at this point in cinema, however is satisfying to play through and experience. Definitely worth the time. Rough playthrough time is 6 hours and is satisfying. You are playing this title for the story and it's an enjoyable one worth your time. I promised no spoilers and there are none, even in the screenshots. Enjoy

I played through my first play through on Centurion Difficulty, which was the highest available without playing through the campaign once. Since this game is actually a rather doable to complete all achievements I will be doing the "New Game Plus" Legendary difficulty at some point there is a slow moment. The campaign of the game was fun to playthrough and multiplayer is also fun enough, however this game does get dull in multiplayer mode eventually. Likely something for short bursts for some coliseum simulation, not long sit downs. This game is played for the campaign mostly, but multiplayer is still fun. I will need to play in both modes to 100 percent this title, which I intend to do. It's worth the time, I'll probably be trying to finish it up gradually over the coming months.

This game is an easy 4 stars, short but worthy. The story is compelling albeit "a classic tale of revenge" and is an excellent roughly 6 hour experience. On top of that multiplayer offers barbarian fighting in the collegium featuring twitches of random generation. This game isn't going to offer endless hours of entertainment, but is worth picking up on a sale and at the very least playing through the campaign. I got this title for about 3 USD and it more than delivered, it's even worth it's full sale price considering how many hours of enjoyment are provided but goes on sale somewhat frequently so if it were me I'd wait for that. This game doesn't not offer endless replayability without risk of boredom, but does deliver roughly 6-10 hours of thorough enjoyment. Thanks for reading, don't forget to smash that follow button.

Las murallas de la ciudad de Roma se desmoronan en explosiones de fuego y mármol borrado, te encuentras con el resto de tu legión en la defensa de Roma contra las hordas de galos a sus puertas. ¿Cuáles son sus órdenes Centurión? ¿Serás hallado victorioso o solo como comida para los buitres?

Ryse Son of Rome es un juego basado en una historia con un entretenido sistema de combate de peleas con ligeros acentos de "gestión de falange". Jugué el juego con la dificultad predeterminada más alta y encontré poca resistencia, el juego completo del modo historia dura aproximadamente 6 horas y es una experiencia cinematográfica bastante agradable por el precio. A continuación profundizaremos en los elementos del juego, la estética y la historia (sin spoilers).

La mayor parte de este juego consiste en contrarrestar y realizar combos de ataques particulares basados en dos teclas. Los pilums consumibles también ensucian el mapa, lo que a veces puede proporcionar un tiempo más fácil en comparación con los arqueros, etc. También hay ballestas que se pueden montar en varios puntos.

Este juego ejecuta la arquitectura romana en Crysis Engine que (en su día) fue un motor visual de vanguardia para la narración de videojuegos. Los gráficos no son los más escasos, pero no están al nivel de los juegos puramente cinematográficos de 2023, pero definitivamente adecuados o por encima del promedio en lo que respecta a los juegos en general. Bonitos, pero no los MÁS modernos.

Este juego es una historia de venganza. Juegas como un centurión que lucha por la legión 14 de Roma. La historia es una historia que has escuchado antes en este momento del cine, sin embargo, es satisfactorio jugarla y experimentarla. Definitivamente vale la pena el tiempo. El tiempo de reproducción aproximado es de 6 horas y es satisfactorio. Estás jugando este título por la historia, es divertido y vale la pena.

Jugué mi primera jugada en Centurion Difficulty, que era la más alta disponible sin jugar la campaña una vez. Dado que este juego es bastante factible para completar todos los logros, ya haré la dificultad legendaria "New Game Plus" en algún momento. La campaña del juego fue divertida de jugar y el modo multijugador también es lo suficientemente divertido, sin embargo, este juego se vuelve aburrido en el modo multijugador eventualmente. Probablemente algo para ráfagas cortas para alguna simulación de coliseo, no largas sentadas. Este juego se juega principalmente para la campaña, pero el modo multijugador sigue siendo divertido. Tendré que jugar en ambos modos al 100 por ciento este título, lo cual pretendo hacer. Vale la pena el tiempo, probablemente intentaré terminarlo gradualmente en los próximos meses.

Este juego es fácil de 4 estrellas, corto pero digno. La historia es convincente, aunque es "un cuento clásico de venganza" y es una excelente experiencia de aproximadamente 6 horas. Además de eso, el modo multijugador ofrece lucha bárbara en el coliceo con contracciones de generación aleatoria. Este juego no ofrecerá interminables horas de entretenimiento, pero vale la pena aprovechar una oferta y, al menos, jugar durante la campaña. Obtuve este título por alrededor de 3 USD y lo entregué con creces, incluso vale la pena su precio de venta total considerando cuántas horas de disfrute se brindan, pero sale a la venta con cierta frecuencia, así que si fuera yo esperaría eso.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/brbzahup

Not playing gods unchained? Sign up here and get 10 $GODS when you reach "Astral Meteorite". All images and video taken from my playthrough of GODS Unchained (accessible via link above).

Atlanteans are a tribe that has been around since genesis, and with Etherbots getting looked at again may easily become a stronger prospect in all players decks. The God of Deception is attuned to Atlanteans and synergizes very well with it's Core God-Specific atlantean cards. Most of this deck can be "altered to fit" but below are some key pieces that are necessary for the most deadly deception Atlantean experience.

Undertow Rover: This card is insane! Adding divine shield to one of you units each turn can amount to some crazy plays. Divine shielding a hidden Atlantean or a boost walker boosted creature can be exactly what you are looking for.

Boost Walker: This card is a staple in every Atlantean deck. +2/+2 and twin strike being added to any atlantean is serious value for a 4/4 4. Even if it has burn 1 and will die overtime. A must have for Atlantean decks.

Amphora:This card is instrumental in the early game, and available in core so it isn't hard to get your hands on. As a 0/2 1 with frontline this can block a lot of early annoying aggro. Drawing a card and progressing your deck is crucial for maintaining board dominance or control.

Windup- Roller: A 3/2 2 cost where both players draw a card. Essential card draw and very nice in almost every atlantean deck.

Smoke Bomb: This creature grants stealth, so ideally you would want to run serious agression and use this to stealth your buffed creatures. A bit unwieldy but can work out quite well.

Thaumnetic Golem: A 6/6 6 with hidden AND buffs each Atlantean's attack by 1 at the end of your turn. This is a lot of value but is a tad late game. It should also be noted that "Lightning strike" from nature can take out this card and make your 6 mana use feel very sad. There is a reason I usually only run one of these.

Devouring Golem: This creature is a 4/5 5 cost with twinstrike that gains +3/+2 at the start of your turn and destroys a random Atlantean. This card benefits GREATLY from being hidden or having it's "sacrifice" be hidden from enemy removal. Once this card gets going it's monsterous, even as a 5 drop it's stats are more than fair.

This particular deck list runs a lot of early and mid range removal. That coupled with ample card draw for the early game allows for decision removal or aggresion. There are a few key points of strategy that MAKE OR BREAK this deck that I will go over here. There are certain spells that are very crucial to play using deception in the current meta (at least generally). You can see in this video the apropriate use of three is a crowd and various removal in this short 4 minute victory. Stone skin, umber arrow, rapture dance, and hunting trap are a MUST. Those offer key removal for deception that is hard to find in any other cards.

I will be posting about other Atlantean decks and how they fair in the meta, next up is either war or magic. As they have the next most synergy currently with my collection. Worthy deck iterations will be posted here for fun and wins. This tribe is one of my favorite tribes so far, despite not being all that "meta" most of the time.

Deception Atlanteans are fun and effective, there is enough card draw so this deck can be played aggro or midrange. I personally enjoy more midrange which this deck archtype can also accommodate. If you want to see the specific list I used and how it's doing currently (including meta edits). You can click my GUDecks link here. On average it is usually a 65 percent to 70 percent winrate, but is edited to account for meta at difficulty tiers (hunting traps added, high arc removed, etc.). I will also be posting more to youtube aswell as 3speak once I develop the art for the channel there. Likely a longer form voice over guide with commentary and quips, but for now enjoy this raw 4 minute victory. It was particularly spicy.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/tbtolqkg

All images and gameplay are taken from footage of the game Gremlins Inc. Available on steam here.

This game plays like a rat wheel, a glorious rat wheel with each rung built on the bones of your opponent's dreams of wealth and political prestige, and it is quite satisfying. The game plays in series of "combos" where the player will play a series of cards for movement and effects (see rules and ranked play section below) create a rise to the pinnacle of victory, only to be pulled by their ankles by other players grasping for the same victory. This game is full of tricks, strategy, decision making, and of course a bit of luck. Overall it's gameplay is well refined with new cards being added periodically to spice up gameplay and various alternate maps. Now without further or do we will cover the gameplay a bit more in depth and outline why this immortal gremlins, their sponsors, and their endless conniving to reach their own avaricious goals perfectly represents the gameplay from a lore perspective aswell. Truly this game combines numerous elements to create an incredibly entertaining board game experience, included an active and engaged ranked play scene.

In this game you move using the cards drawn or play them on the squares you land on, there are a variety of squares available each with their own effects and pros and cons. Your objective is to play your cards well and obtain 30 points (gears) before your other 3 opponent's vying for the same victory condition. The players must navigate the map avoiding misfortune, each other, and detention by the police. While also simultaneously obtaining votes/ political prestige, increased income, the office of governor, currency, malicious reputations, or turns in the pokey. (Below is an example of a card.

Movement value when played to move in the top right, location where it can be played for it's bonus in the bottom left, the bonus is located when hovering over the gear on the card or posted as resource values above the card title: gold/votes etc.)

Here is a quick rundown of resources the squares and what they do.

The Bank: Various cards here have high coin cost and gear gain OR increase the income of the character. The player can also spend 10 more gold than their current income to increase their income by 10.

Income spots: grant you your current income when you pass over them, DOUBLE when you land on them.

Bribe spots: litter the landscape and populate the path to the Astral plane. Passing over each Bribe spot you must pay your bribe value and lose some coins you spent you time getting your grubby little mitts on. This value is increased by 1 for every malice you have. If you land on one of these spots you must pay double or gain 2 malice.

Risk spots: pepper the board. When you land on one of these you must roll a die, if you roll a 1 you draw the next misfortune from the misfortune deck.

Police Spots: are wedged next to risk spots all over the place. If you land on a police spot you roll a die, if you roll a 1 you are arrested and sent to Jail.

Misfortune spots: A terrible event is drawn from the misfortune deck. If you land there you must choice an opponent to pick one of two cards drawn for you to encounter. These cards are usually TERRIBLE to encounter, but some are mildly beneficial or non-detrimental.

Gambling Spots: Gambling spots sport a plethora of benefits and detriments you can roll for (1-6) when you land on the square. Cards played here are usually tricks of some sort (swapping spaces with another player, movement surprises etc.).

The Astral Plane:is where the most powerful immortals dwell, and large cards can be played for HEAVY point and vote increases. The only downside being you must bypass a string of bribe squares to reach it and a misfortune space to leave it. There are some cards that are ALWAYS available to play at the astral plane (but are available to ALL players who enter who pay the price). Don't you worry dear governor you don't have to pay the bribes

Jail: Where one goes when arrested. Sometimes a stay behind bars car lead to profitable, albeit unsavory, outcomes. You must bypass a misfortune space to exit this square.

The Office: The office is where the player can go to sell their votes or play an array of cards with varying strategies (like with any space). The cards here are usually medium to low gear value cards or powerful and affordable vote gathering (or taking away) cards.

The Casino: is where the Gremlins can go to risk it all and gamble for up to 100 coins, or lose them. If a gremlin loses coins on this space they gain malice. Most of the cards here relate to random chance or offer petty low cost gear boosts.

The Court: The court has a variety of cards that cost votes to operate for powerful effects or mischievous obstacles to hinder your opponents. Gear cards you can play here are of heavy cost but heavy gear value. You can pay 40 coins to steal a vote from another player on this space.

The Marketplace: Players can sell 1 gear here for 200 coins. Cards played here are for low to medium gear value or have a variety of card drawing and movement effects. For the most part.

The Junkyard: The junkyard gives the poorest player in the game 30 coins upon entry and the player can spin a die (1-6) for a 50 percent chance at up to 30 gold or a chance at losing 1 vote (1). The junkyard offers a lot of medium or low value gear cards with tricky effects to benefit the underdog, or cards used for movement, card draw, or extra turns.

The Plant: The plant offers a variety of valuable gear cost to coin ratio cards to play, but not much else. The player can also miss a turn to gain 50 coins and lose 1 malice on this space.

Hell: Going to hell you must bypass a misfortune space. Upon landing on this space you have the opportunity to play a variety of cards that grant a great deal of malice at great personal benefit or opponent detriment. Including some "always available" in game cards similar to the astral plane. After playing any cards available the player discards all cards for new cards at random and gains 100 coins and 1 malice.

Each space has it's own strategies, cards to play, and disadvantages. They all mesh perfectly together to create a deceptively addictive, cutthroat dog eat dog experience.

Other Mechanics: Politics: You can win an election that happens every 20 turns by having the most votes (the player with the least malice gains 3 votes come election time). The governor can pick up all paid bribes at the cost of 1 malice a piece (during his turn). The governor does not roll on police spots or pay bribes.

All being in this plane are immortal and the gremlins attempting to gain more status, wealth, and prestige than their peers. Quite simply out of the boredom from being immortal, there are various entities that live on the astral plane or in hell that are up to their own machinations in worlds all their own. However, sometimes they contract the help of these "determined" gremlins as they scurry about trying to obtain physical wealth. The boardgame steampunk aesthetic coupled with the interesting and varied lore match the gameplay innately. The artwork also adds an additional layer of uniqueness to the game itself with it's various hatching and crosshatching of hand drawn cards.

This game does host tournaments, they aren't for huge prizes and they aren't often but they do host them. In addition to that you can earn a loot box for every 3 wins you muster (a lot harder than it seems!). That can be traded on the steam market or opened and bound to your account as an item. Just web2 prizes here, but still prizes with $ value.

In this particular paythrough I won with the merchant, as it was the best choice out of the 3 characters they let you pick at the begin of a ranked game (chosen at random). This character can avoid misfortune and bribes, and additionally sells points for more coins than average. Overall all of these abilities seemed strong and able to be used in any situation or with any playstyle.

Getting points the fastest is the highest priority, so any card that gives you points is ideal to play as quickly as possible. However being in position 1 makes you the prime target for the enemy's potential negative cards, so there is a balance of what to play and when that needs to be achieved to not give up victory to the runner up who is also within arms reach.

During this playthrough I attempted to NOT be the leading player and attract attention and gradually build up small or medium point cards. Once victory was in reach I was in my enemy's sights, and only by taking one last bribe was I able to eek by victory with my enemies at my heels. This game was close, there were various pitfalls and well played hands from my opponents aswell. This was not an easy victory, no victory is easy in Gremlins inc. If I were another character I would have used a different strategy on the board to achieve victory.

My personal rating for this game is 4 stars. It is a fun board game and worth your time, especially during a sale. The community is active and matches are a rush of sly schemes and collapsed dreams. The game is easy to learn, but experience knowledge of the cards and character strategy are needed to progress.

However I realize not everyone is into board games so below I have a little split review aswell.

Are you into board games?

Well then this game is right up your alley. It's strategy, tactics and dice rolls will all feel snug as you take the wheel and direction your immortal minion around the board with your opponents at your heels. For fans of tabletops or boardgames this game could easily be a 5/5

If you aren't typically into board games or games with slow tempo (until things get closer to endgame with combos etc.) this game will seem like it's "drawn out". However, the gameplay itself will be fun for playing with friends since it's very "mario party"-esque in it's mechanics of winning by throwing obstacles in the way of other players. I would give this game a 3-3.5 for those who aren't fans of board games, which considering everything is still pretty good. It's a fun party game with active community and is at the very least worth it's price on a sale.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=cryptoniusrex/ksgtkkvk

All images and videos are taken from my personal gameplay of the title How to Survive that can be purchased on steam here. Gameplay may have spoilers

Todas las imagenes y videos son tomados de mi gameplay personal del titulo How to Survive que se puede comprar en steam here. Gameplay puedes tener spoilers.

This game is not just running around obliterating zombies in a top down perspective, it's running around obliterating zombies WHILE crafting objects and meeting basic needs in an island setting: basic needs that include food, water, shelter, and sleep. These mechanics all mesh exceedingly well at various difficulty settings and require the player to traverse the landscape, sometimes backtrack, hunt, and forage as the ever looming zombie horde threatens the player with imminent danger at every turn. There are a wide variety of melee and ranged weapons to chose from and craft, and a great amount of replayability for those with a completionist streak.

Este juego no consiste solo en correr aniquilando zombis en un entorno de arriba hacia abajo, sino también en correr aniquilando zombis a la vez que se fabrican objetos y se satisfacen las necesidades básicas que incluye comida, agua, refugio y sueño, dentro de una isla. Todas estas mecánicas encajan muy bien en varios niveles de dificultad y requieren que el jugador atraviese el paisaje, a veces retroceda, cace y se alimente mientras la horde de zombis se avecina amenazando al jugador, un peligro inminente a cada paso. Hay una amplia variedad de armas cuerpo a cuerpo y a distancia para elegir y fabricar, contando al igual con una gran rejugabilidad para completar todo el juego.

Enemy Basics: Day and Night/Safe Zones

In this game there is a day/night cycle. At night stalkers accost the player but are fearful of both light and fire, players have to sleep at some point regardless. There are "safe zones" scattered throughout the map that the players must clear to be able to use to sleep. At a certain point being tired leads to low stamina for actions like running or melee, and impacts movements and survival a great deal. There are various types of enemies with varying melee/ranged weaknesses and advantages (zombies that explode, zombie crabs, night stalkers, zombie deer, etc.).

En este juego hay un ciclo día/noche. Por la noche, los acosadores abordan al jugador, pero temen tanto a la luz como al fuego, sin embargo, los jugadores tienen que dormir en algún momento independientemente si es de dia o de noche. Hay "zonas seguras" repartidas por todo el mapa las cuales deberan ser despejadas por los jugadores para poder dormir. En cierto punto, estar cansado conduce a una baja resistencia en acciones como correr o el combate cuerpo a cuerpo, afectando bastante a los movimientos y a la supervivencia misma. Existen varios tipos de enemigos con diferentes debilidades y fortalezas ya sea cuerpo a cuerpo o a distancia (zombis que explotan, cangrejos zombi, acechadores nocturnos, ciervos zombi, etc.).

Crafting and Cooking: Making Meals, and Staying Uneaten

To craft objects in this game, you must combine materials implementing various gameplay elements to create weapons based on recipes, including: your character level, story progression, and skill tree abilities.

Para fabricar objetos en este juego, debes combinar varios materiales (elementos del juego) para crear armas basadas en recetas, el juego tambien incluye: el nivel de tu personaje, la progresión de la historia y un árbol de habilidades.

Meat attracts animals and zombies when raw and should be cooked as soon as possible after hunting your prey. There are many vegetables and other food available aswell, but meat will stave off your hunger the most and is simultaneously the most dangerous to acquire and cook. Containers for both water and gasloline are important to maintain use of your items (chainsaw etc) and to quench your thirst. There will be various campfires, watering holes, and gasoline containers around the map to fill up your items. To travel long distances containers become very important.

La carne atrae animales y zombis cuando está cruda y debe cocinarse lo antes posible después de cazar a la presa. También hay muchas verduras y otros alimentos disponibles, pero la carne es la que más te quitará el hambre, al mismo tiempo es la más peligrosa de adquirir y cocinar. Los recipientes para agua y gasolina son importantes para hacer uso de algunos artículos (motosierra, etc.) y para saciar su sed. Habrá varias fogatas, abrevaderos y contenedores de gasolina alrededor del mapa para llenar estos recipientes. Para viajar largas distancias los contenedores se vuelven muy importantes.

The aesthetics of the islands are each unique and have their challenges, ranging from piranhas, to monkeys, and various other indigenous wildlife. Including undead animals aswell, like the deadly Un-deer (not the in game name just can't resist a chance to use a pun, not sorry). This means the player has various areas to traverse and revisit for resources and food, for crafting or stocking up for more barren islands with a different variety of resources. Aesthetically the game is not "the bees knees" when it comes to graphics but they are definitely well done and each island has their own feel and visual aspects. From ruins, to jungles, to stone formations, to lakes, to bogs, and everything in between.

La estética de las islas es única y tiene sus desafíos, que van desde pirañas hasta monos y otros animales salvajes autóctonos. Incluyendo animales no-muertos como el mortal Un-deer (no es su nombre en el juego, simplemente no me puede resistir a la oportunidad de usar un juego de palabras, no lo me arrepiento). Esto significa que el jugador tiene varias áreas para atravesar y volver a visitar en busca de recursos y alimentos, para crear objetos o abastecerse para islas más áridas con una variedad diferente de recursos. Estéticamente, el juego no es el mejor del mundo en lo que respecta a los gráficos, pero definitivamente están muy bien hechos y cada isla tiene su propia sensación y aspectos visuales. Desde ruinas hasta junglas, formaciones de piedra, lagos, pantanos y todo lo demás.

The Lore: Castaway, with little explanation

You arrive on this deserted island with zombies running rampant and you are trying to escape, very little of this scenario is explained but explanation is not necessary to the gameplay. The parts that are explained are the story of the inhabitants of said islands, and to avoid dropping spoilers (as these stories are related to the progression of quests and main gameplay) I'll just say there are a few twists and turns. Overall it's a fun ride, but not the plottiest venture you'll play through nor a game played for the story despite there actually being one.

Llegas a esta isla desierta tratando de escapar de zombis que corren desenfrenados, se explica muy poco sobre esta situacion pero no es necesario saberlo para jugar. Las partes que se explican son la historia de los habitantes de dicha isla, para evitar spoilers (ya que estas historias están relacionadas con la progresión de las misiones y el juego principal), solo diré que hay algunos giros y vueltas. En general, es un viaje divertido, pero no es la aventura más elaborada en la que jugarás, ni es un juego que destaque por su historia a pesar de que en realidad si sea buena.

This game in my opinion is best played multiplayer, this allows resource management crafting and leveling to be thought about in a more tactical manner. Who gets which resource and when? Which abilities should be leveled for my character that my partner is lacking? all of this plays a factor and adds additional layers to the already polished gameplay.

Este juego, en mi opinión, se disfruta mejor en modo multijugador, lo que permite pensar en la gestión de recursos y la nivelación de una manera más táctica. ¿Quién obtiene qué recurso y cuándo? ¿Qué habilidades deberían nivelarse para mi personaje que complementen a las de mi compañero? todo esto influye y agrega capas adicionales a la jugabilidad ya es bastante buena en si.

Single Player: Fun but everything is better with friends

Single player offers the same core gameplay, but without the additonal thoughts of resource and level management between two players. So there are few layers of thought and tactical building, but it doesn't mean the single player experience is any less fun. Just easier in a certain respect since you don't have to consider the needs of your partner aswell ie "he's starving I gotta give him something to eat from my inventory" etc. Additionally crafting and weapon builds have to go in one direction as you have to defend your person from hunger, ravenous undead at every distance. No weird "only ranged" or "only melee" builds like how it's possible to do if you are playing with a second player, or "crafter" and "fighter" builds aswell. You have to play a mixed class in solo mode and must level every aspect of the character, which is to be expected.

El modo de un solo jugador ofrece el mismo juego básico, pero sin los pensamientos adicionales de gestión de niveles y recursos entre dos jugadores. Así que hay pocas capas de pensamiento y construcción táctica, pero eso no significa que la experiencia de un solo jugador sea menos divertida. En cierto sentido, es más fácil, ya que no tienes que considerar las necesidades de tu compañero, es decir, "se está muriendo de hambre, tengo que darle algo de comer de mi inventario", etc. Tienes que defender a tu persona de los hambrientos y muertos vivientes a cada cierta distancia. No hay compilaciones extrañas de "solo a distancia" o "solo cuerpo a cuerpo" como es posible hacerlo si estás jugando con un segundo jugador, o también compilaciones de "artesano" y "luchador". Tienes que jugar una clase mixta en modo solitario y debes nivelar todos los aspectos del personaje, lo cual es de esperar.

The DLC to this game do offer additional islands to explore and a few skins to play around with, but are not crucial to the main gameplay. They do add a few hours of quests and the islands that are added are rather fun to explore (one of them is a volcanic island with lots of lava flows etc.). All of these DLC ARE NOT NECCESARY, the way DLC should be. They merely unlock additional content to complete, but the game is in no way "short" or "lacking" without them. Not a crucial purchase, but a worthy one especially considering the bundle purchase option on steam.

El DLC de este juego ofrece islas adicionales para explorar y algunas skins para jugar, pero no son cruciales para el juego principal. Agregan algunas horas de misiones y las islas adicionales son bastante divertidas de explorar (una de ellas es una isla volcánica con muchos flujos de lava, etc.). Todos estos DLC NO SON NECESARIOS, como deberían ser los DLC. Simplemente desbloquean contenido adicional para jugar, pero el juego de ninguna manera es "corto" o "falto" sin ellos. No es una compra crucial, pero vale la pena, especialmente teniendo en cuenta la opción de compra del paquete en Steam.

I would give this game a solid 4 stars, it really is a breath of fresh air in an oversaturated genre. Don't get me wrong, it's not the best thing in the world, or the best in the genre (it's a HUGE genre). However it delivers everything it promises and does it well (not always the case in video games), and the DLC are purely aesthetic/side quests and don't effect the main game in the slightest (fireman outfits and additional islands that are "side islands"). The sequel on the other hand is a different story for another post.

4/5 stars as a co-op and single player experience, and with a more than fair length with extensive replayability if desired (not infinite but extensive). Worth checking out if it's on a sale (which is quite often). Full price (15 USD) it still brings a lot of fun and is worth it, but wait for the sale since it goes on sale quite frequently.

Le daría a este juego 4 estrellas sólidas, realmente es un soplo de aire fresco en un género sobresaturado. No me malinterpreten, no es lo mejor del mundo, ni lo mejor del género (es un género ENORME). Sin embargo, cumple todo lo que promete y lo hace bien (no siempre es el caso en los videojuegos), y los DLC son misiones puramente estéticas/secundarias y no afectan en lo más mínimo al juego principal (trajes de bombero e islas adicionales que son "secundarias").