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video game reviews

Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona is Hard, but is it Fun?

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I was sent a free copy of Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals. If you enjoy my content and want to help me with my hosting fees, consider buying me coffee or donating to my Patreon.

What is Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona?

Skelethrone is a difficult by design 2D metroidvania soulslike for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam, GoG, and Itch.io.

You wake up in a strange place full of death, despair, and monsters. Armed with only your fists, you must travel through this nightmare and stay alive. But your journey won’t be easy. Powerful monsters hunt you down relentlessly, and although you will find weapons to help you on your journey, you will die. Luckily, death isn’t permanent, and your flame continues to burn. Will this newly found immortality be a blessing or your curse?

Gameplay

This game is difficult by design, but there is an easier setting players can choose from the start. Players start with nothing and collect gear as they progress through the adventure. Players are meant to die a lot and do better with each subsequent life as they gain levels. Players level by buying upgrades from a diverse skill tree. You should probably look up a guide if you’re not playing on easy. You are essentially grinding out XP until you’re strong enough to beat the boss so that you can move onto the next one.

Review

I have trouble recommending Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona because of its controls. A game this difficult needs to have fluid and responsive controls, but the game feels clunky. Sometimes the inputs don’t register, and sometimes you’ll die because of the coding. Better players will probably be able to excuse the game’s clunkiness, but they also have better options in the genre.

Aside from feeling clunky, combat is boring. While you can find different weapons, it seems the right answer is two-handed weapons. The shield felt useless, one-handed weapons didn’t do anything, and I couldn’t get the bow to work properly. Even if you get the perfect weapon and build, the game is unbalanced. I get that the game is meant to be difficult, but there are rooms where there are too many enemies and traps. A skilled player might not have issues, but the controls and coding make these rooms extremely frustrating.  

The art style is fine, but some areas are too dark. There is a story, but it isn’t good enough to earn a recommendation. The only real reason to buy Skelethrone is because you want a challenging Metroidvania game and enjoy the flavor, and even then, you have better options. If you can get past the game’s issues, the game is still rather boring.

Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona is difficult to recommend because of how niche the game is. There are better metroidvanias. But if you don’t mind the roughness and want to play something that is hard by design, there are worse ways to spend $14.99.

You can pick up Skelethrone: The Chronicles of Ericona Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam, GoG, and Itch.io, but I would wait for a sale.

video game reviews

Looking for an Action Adventure Game? Go Play Creatures of Ava!

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I was sent a free copy of Creatures of Ava to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals. If you enjoy my content and want to help me with my hosting fees, consider buying me coffee or donating to my Patreon.

What is Creatures of Ava?

Creatures of Ava is an action adventure game out now for PC and Xbox.

You were sent to the planet Ava to save it from the Withering. The withering is a spreading corruption that is slowly killing the planet and its inhabitants. Catastrophe strikes and you are sent crashing to its surface. With the aid of some locals, you set out to continue your mission. Do you have what it takes to stop the corruption?

Gameplay

Ava finds a magical staff with the power to rescue the planet. Players use this staff to solve puzzles and cleanse wild life. This staff can be upgraded throughout out the adventure by buying nodes off a skill tree. XP in this game is earned when a player successfully studies and catalogues new data on the planet’s wildlife. This mechanic incentivizes exploration, even when the incentive isn’t needed.

Combat is nonviolent, which is extremely flavorful for the game’s theme. The goal of the game is to save the planet, so players use the staff to free the wildlife from a disease rather than to fight monsters. Combat is pretty basic, but manages to be engaging. The staff emits a beam of healing energy that reduces the corruption while the player dodges attacks. Players can learn new abilities to help them cleanse the planet more efficiently. Cleansing the planet removes obstacles from the surface. Cleansing an animal makes it friendly.

Friendly animals can be tamed by playing the flute. Each animal has a unique song that the player must emulate to gain its trust. This exists in the form of a Simon Says-like rhythm game. Players can link with a tamed animal and use their abilities to solve puzzles. While the rhythm game itself isn’t innovative or exciting, it is cool to become an animal from time to time.

The map for this game is a great size for an adventure. Players have a good amount of freedom to explore Ava’s strange and beautiful world, but there is a main quest line available for guidance.

Review


If you are looking for a new action-adventure game, you need to play Planet of Ava. This game is unique, beautiful, and a lot of fun. The game also features a solid story with a pretty amazing cast of voice actors. The game has so much to do that it is easily worth the money.

I loved every minute of this game. I have a hard time putting it down, but also staying focused. The world is so beautiful and vibrant that I kept having to fight the urge to keep exploring. I love crafting, and the fact that there was a crafting and gathering mechanic was extremely dangerous. If I wasn’t on a deadline, I could have easily spent hours making potions and exploring the world without ever touching the main story. Best of all, the game is pretty inoffensive. Aside from a few dark moments, a game about saving animals is a wholesome good time.

Planet of Ava is available now on PC, Steam, and Game Pass. This game is worth at least a first play through.

video game reviews

Check out the Most Adorable Deck Builder on Kickstarter: Nif Nif

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I was sent the Nif Nif demo to cover on my blog. The game is currently on Kickstarter, and it deserves a bit of attention. The campaign ends on September 13, so make sure you check it out before then. I am writing these impressions with the understanding that the game isn’t finished yet and there is room for improvement.

What is Nif Nif?

Nif Nif is an adorable deck builder coming to PC. A demo is available on Steam. Go check it out and don’t forget to Wishlist.

Nif Nif is a happy little piglet who lives near a beautiful forest. He loves to cook and clean and spends his days running around. One day, a strange green goo begins to appear around his beloved forest. The goo corrupts the land and the creatures it makes filthy. Nif Nif grabs for his bucket of cleaning supplies and sets out to clean up the corruption. Will his skills be enough to clear the forest of this infestation, or will the goo prove too powerful?

Gameplay

Players start each run by choosing their protagonist. The demo lets players choose between Nif Nif and a cat, each with its unique theme and adorable mascot. Like any deck-building roguelike, players choose the path of their adventure and work to clear the rooms. The adventure map is randomly generated, but it was a fair spread of events. Each room holds an event. Players can fight against regular or elite monsters, proct a random event for a chance at a power-up, heal their character, or visit the shop. Players also have the chance to upgrade their decks by receiving extra cards, random passive skills, or upgrades for their current decks. These upgrades are randomly generated, but the RNG feels fair. Each run offered me access to different strategies, and each run is meant to feel unique giving the game a good amount of replayability.

What sets Nif Nif apart is its cooking mechanic. Players can cook soups or upgrade existing soups at campfire nodes. These soups give Nif Nif and his friends a special boost and gives players a better chance at survival.

Impressions

Nif Nif is the most adorable deck-builder you’re ever going to play. The game features an adorable protagonist, cute-themed art, and a solid soundtrack. I love the flavor and theme of the cards and decks. I felt like there were a decent amount of strategies, and am sure there are a lot more at launch. I love that I could choose to level a random card instead of having to choose a random card to add to my deck as a reward. nothing is worse than clogging my deck with dead cards and having to pay to remove them later in a run.

It is important to note that this game is meant for kids. Veterans of the genre will find Nif Nif to be on the easier side, but they will appreciate the adorable ambiance and chill vibes. If you have kids, Nif Nif is the perfect way to start them on the deck-building genre. I would argue that it is the perfect game in general. The mechanics are easy to learn but the game offers enough of a challenge to keep things engaging. It is a great way for kids to learn the fundamentals of deck building while they help cute little animals clean up the forest. Most importantly, the game is inoffensive. There is no blood or violence in Nif Nif, just good clean fun.

I loved every minute of Nif Nif. This game is adorable and deserves a lot more attention. There is always a risk when backing a Kickstarter, but the demo suggests the game is in good hands. All it needs is funding. If you want to support an adorable game that your kids will enjoy, go back Nif Nif on Kickstarter.  The campaign ends on September 13 and it will be your own chance to earn some cute exclusives.

video game reviews

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is Next Deck-Builder Roguelike

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I was sent a free copy of Deathless. Tales of Old Rus for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Deathless: Tales of Old Rus?

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is a Scandinavian-themed deck-building roguelike that is out now on PC.

Take control of unique characters and use their skills and abilities and explore the dangerous land of Belosvet. Fight against powerful monsters and even defeat Koaschey the Deathless himself. Will the cards be in your favor?

Gameplay

Each run starts players with a basic version of a chosen champion deck. Each deck is flavorful and unique to each champion. As players make their way through the adventure, they can upgrade their decks with new cards and skills. These upgrades are random, making each subsequent run unique. The RNG is pretty fair, and I never ran the same deck twice. A run is over when the health of the champion reaches zero.

What makes Deathless unique is the movement and position mechanic. Players can only attack the frontmost enemy in combat unless the card use stipulates otherwise. Unless the monster uses ranged attacks, they can do the same. Knowing how to manipulate this position and the turns they swap them is an important mechanic to master. For example, some cards force monsters to swap positions, canceling their attacks. Other cards do extra damage depending on their position or if they’re moving. It is a very unique shift in the genre that I enjoyed tremendously.

Review


If you like roguelike deck-builders and need a new one to get into, buy Deathlessl: Tales of Old Rus. The game has beautiful art, fantastic flavor, and solid mechanics. The game is extremely replayable because no two runs will ever be the same. Even if you’re only using one character, the type of deck and strategy you’ll focus on will always be different. If you somehow get tired of what is available, there are new champions in the pipeline. Check out the official development roadmap for assurance.

Deathless. Tales of Old Rus is still in early access, but it feels like a finished game. The animation looks great, the soundtrack is nice, and the mechanics work fine. They are adding new features, which means the game will only get better. I love this game, and will keep it in my rotation. The game is fun, engaging, and it looks like it is actively being supported.

You can pick up Deathless. Tales of Old Rus on Steam Early Access for $24.99.

Other TCGs

Looking for a new TCG? Check out Genesis: Battle of Champions!

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Edge of Exile sent me a bunch of products to review for my blog. Edge of Exile is the new company behind the strategy TCG Genesis: Battle of Champions. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game and the product.

What is Genesis Battle of Champions?

In the simplest of terms, Genesis: Battle of Champions is a tabletop wargame trading card game. The game is played on a 5×6 map where players take control of a champion and use their influence to command an army of monsters and magic to defeat their opponent. The goal of the game is to be the last champion standing. What makes Genesis unique are its movement, combat, and resource system.

While movement in a TCG isn’t unique to Genesis, it does give the game its tactical feel. The movement mechanics are easy to learn, but moving tactically on a 30-square space while navigating the randomness of a TCG is where this game gets complicated.

The Genesis combat system is truly unique. Each character and ability has a range of where they can do damage. This information is clearly marked on each card. This means that position and orientation matter when trying to deal with damage. The rest will resolve like your typical TCG after the stack resolves.

Finally, is the game’s resource system. In Genesis, players get a pool of mana based on their chosen champion. Players use this resource to cast their cards. A player can also cast cards by paying life or milling cards from their hand or deck if the ability calls for it. Having a diverse pool of resources means players can’t get locked out of a game for drawing poorly. These resources are finite, so the goal is to be efficient. This is my favorite aspect of the game and I will die on that hill.

The game is a little more complicated than my simple explanation, so I’ll leave an official tutorial to get you started down the Genesis rabbit hole.

How to Play Genesis

Here’s a great tutorial by DMArmada to help get you started.

New Vs. Old Cards


If you’re coming back to the hobby, you’ll notice that Genesis cards will be different from what you remember. Edge of Exile has decided to change the design of the card to better represent what they want for the game, and I think it’s for the better.

The most noticeable change will be on the back of the cards. They’ve removed the logo of the old company (RIP Haunted Castle Gaming) and changed the black background to a prettier purple and green gradient. I prefer the colorful back and new logo.

The front of the card has some major formatting changes that make the card cleaner. Abilities are easier to read, costs and line of sight are easier to understand, and the art looks better. There was nothing wrong with the old design, I quite like the retro vibe, but the new design makes the cards look modern. I’ll leave examples of champion cards from the newest Invasion set and the older Genesis set. Invasion is the first set with the redesign, and fingers crossed we get the upcoming metamorphosis.

Gamilla from Invasion
Iblis from Genesis

Quality

The quality of the cards is fantastic out of the box. The cards are a good thickness with a solid weight to them. They feel great to shuffle and hold, but I would advise you to sleeve them first. The art is clean and vibrant, and the text is easy to read. I did find one holographic card with visible track lines. It is the only misprint I’ve found so far, so it isn’t a huge deal.

Review

I was sent a booster box of Invasion and Genesis, all the Invasion starter decks, and a playmat. After learning how to play, opening a few packs, and testing a couple of the decks, my honest opinion is that this game is a lot of fun. I am not good at it, but I enjoyed every minute I sucked at it.

Genesis has beautiful art. I prefer the new style, but there is nothing wrong with the retro vibe of older sets. My favorite card has to be Harlequin. I love the twisting trees that disappear into the fog behind her. I love the purple glow of the fire from her eyes and heart. It’s a cool-looking demon, and I had a lot of fun with her deck. The rest of the set has been a lot of fun to collect because of how good the art is, and how much flavor went into it.

More important than the art is the gameplay. Genesis is a lot of fun. The movement system is great, there are no mana issues, and combat doesn’t feel slow. I am not huge on strategy games like this, but Genesis was a blast. It is definitely something I am going to keep in my rotation, especially since I have other decks I need to try. If you enjoy TCGs and wargaming, you’re going to want to look into Genesis. If you have the friend group, I recommend you get a few starter decks and at least give the game a try. Once you get hooked, you can buy a few booster boxes and never look back. The only other way to buy Genesis is through your LGS if they carry it. If they don’t, they can contact Edge of Exile directly and I am sure they’ll get hooked up with samples.

I know there is going to be some resistance because of how the game ended the first time. There are fans of the game that will never come back and others that will be hard to convince. The biggest hurdle Edge of Exile faces is earning back the goodwill that was lost. The company is making impressive strides to revitalize the game. They have a good relationship with distributors, they are growing the community by the day, and they are working on a new expansion that looks amazing. There is an active YouTube channel you need to follow to stay up-to-date on all the news.

Will their efforts be enough to save the game? It is hard to say at this point. The new set needs to come out, there needs to be an easy way to buy products, and there needs to be an accessible community. They are currently working on fixing this issue, and I hope that they do because this game is fun.

video game reviews

Bang Bang Barrage Might Be the Most fun Couch Co-op

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I was sent the Bang Bang Barrage demo to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will be honest with my coverage. Since the game isn’t finished yet, this will be my initial impression. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

What is Bang Bang Barage?

You find yourself in the middle of the ocean with Cuthulu and his minions hot on your tail. Team up with your friends or fair it alone as you blast through endless waves of enemies. Do you have what it takes to survive the onslaught, or will the sea prove too mighty?

Gameplay

Players will start each run on a boat with a basic weapon. There seems to be a good amount of loadout customization, but the demo only gives access to the basic handgun. In typical bullet hell roguelike fashion, players must fend off against swarms of enemies using their weapons. Players will occasionally get the chance to buy upgrades during their run. The upgrades that fill the shop are randomly generated, but I felt like the RNG was fair.

What makes this game unique is its movement mechanic. Movement Bang Bang Barrage uses recoil-driven navigation. When a player shoots her weapon, the boat they stand on moves the opposite way. The only way to move a character is to shoot in the opposite direction of where the character needs to go. When there are hoards of enemies swarming towards a player and other players fighting them off, things get crazy pretty quickly.

A run ends when a player runs out of health.

Impressions

Bang Bang Barrage is the cutest bullet hell roguelike you’re going to get to play. I am a huge fan of the cute simple art and flavor.

While the game does offer a valid single-player experience, you’re going to want to play with your friends. When the waves get going and everyone is shooting in all directions, things are going to get crazy. The fact that it allows couch co-op and PVP is a huge plus.

If you’re looking for a cute and fun party game to play with your friends, you’re going to want to look into Bang Bang Barrage. If you’re just looking for a fun casual game, you’re going to want to do the same. I can’t wait to see more of this game because the demo has me hooked.

The public playtest is up on Steam, so make sure you sign up if you haven’t done so. You won’t regret it. If you missed the playtest, make sure you add the Bang Bang Barrage to your wishlist so you’re ready for the next one!

video game reviews

Check out Cute Farming Sim Harvest Days: My Dream Farm

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I was sent a free copy of Harvest Days: My Dream Farm to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Harvest Days?

Harvest Days: My Dream Farm is a cozy farm simulator out now on Steam and GoG.

You always enjoyed the time you spend at your grandfather’s farm as a kid, and now it’s time to make y our own. Head to the country, tend to your crops, and build the farm you’ve always dreamed of. What will your dream farm look like?

Gameplay

Players are given a plot of land that they must tend to. Players start with a set amount of energy, and each activity costs energy. The longer you work on the farm, the easier activities get. Players can level at the end of the day based on their day of work. Did you spend all your day plowing the fields? Your plow skill will level and unlock new recipes.

Players can earn money by selling their crops. Money is used to buy food to restore energy, supplies for the farm, and decorations for those who want it. It wouldn’t be a real farm without animals. Players can buy and sell livestock, or adopt more pets to keep them company. The game is loaded with a good amount of features for players to make the farm their own. Quests and events pop up once in a while, but players are given the freedom to play the game as they want.

Review

I love farming simulators, and had a great time with Harvest Days: My Dream Farm. This is easily one of the genres where I can spend days on a session without concern for time. This has the potential to be one of those titles, but it needs a bit more content.

As far as farming sims go, Harvest Days is a solid title. It has a cozy art style and a few interesting mechanics that set it apart in the space, but it has a few issues that will turn off players.

The game has a slow start and a steep grind. I felt like I barely accomplished anything the first few days because I kept running out of energy. Leveling skills reduces an activity’s energy cost, but it doesn’t feel impactful until you’re a couple of days in. The money grind is also kind of slow. I normally love repetitive and grindy games, but here it feels too slow. I’m sure the intent is to have the farming get easier when players can level up their skills and acquire better tools, but I am having trouble seeing players get to that point.

Aside from a few bugs and awkwardness, the performance is fine. For example, driving a scooter can be very frustrating because it handles like a train. The experience gets better as you get used to it, but it is an issue. There are also times when the game doesn’t register player actions. None of the bugs I encountered were game-breaking. Your mileage may vary.

Harvest Days is a solid farming sim for the price, but it needs a bit more content. It feels a little basic, and that isn’t a bad thing. If you’re just looking for a cozy farming sim to sink some time into, Harvest Days is worth the $14.99. But if you’re looking for something polished without the grind, look elsewhere. It’s not the best farming sim, but it gets the job done.

You can pick up Harvest Days: My Dream Farm on Steam and GoG.

gaming news

Discover the Cyberpunk 4X Strategy Game Neural Dominion

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If you’re looking for a new 4X strategy game with a cool cyberpunk feel, you’re going to want to look into Neural Dominion. I was sent a demo of the game and will be back with my impressions, but I thought I would share because I like the vibe.

What is Neural Dominion

Neural Dominion is a 4X strategy game coming to Steam sometime next year. Players take control of one of five unique gangs as they fight to take control of the city. Recruit the strongest gang as you build your empire of brothels, drug dens, and extortion rings. Do you have what it takes to conquer this dark and gritty world, or will be just another crime statistic?

Gameplay

Neural Dominion 4X strategy with turn-based JRPG combat for an interesting twist to the genre. Players take control of the city by setting up their business (like drugs, gambling, etc) and recruiting more members. Players will have to manage their empire efficiently, upgrade their gang and structures, stay out of trouble with the cops. There will also be a bit of story for those who need it.

There will be a public demo will become available in October, so make sure Neural Dominion is on your wishlist. If you need a reason to get excited, check out the official pre-alpha footage that just went life. I’ll be playing a bit of the demo and will be back with my impressions. Stay tuned for that. t

Screenshots

Other TCGs

All the Paragon: Monsters and Mayhem Cards Revealed So Far

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If you haven’t backed Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem yet on Kickstarter, you still have time. It is a great way to help support an indie TCG in getting on its feet and earning some exclusive products. Be aware that there is always risk when backing a Kickstarter. I’ve done a more detailed post about the gameplay already, make sure you check that out first.

If you want to try out Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem, there is a free TTS module available with a few starter decks to get you started. There is also a pretty active Discord you can join.

The creators have revealed a few of the cards for their inaugural set, and they look amazing. I am a huge fan of the dark and gritty fantasy feel. This is such a good looking game.

As a disclaimer, I am not affiliate with the Paragon: Monster & Mayhem. I wasn’t even asked to cover this game. I just thought the game looked cool and I thought I would share.

Other TCGs

Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem Announces Community Day!

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After a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem celebrates with some new stretch goals and announces its first round of community days. With fifteen days left on the campaign, it is not too late to get in early on a game that promises to revolutionize the TCG space with its creative gameplay and fantastic flavor. I am a huge fan of the art, and there are a good amount of goodies available to make backing extremely tempting. Make sure you head on over to the Kickstarter and put in your pledge before the pledge ends on August 29 at 1PM PDT. Make sure you tune into the first community day on August 14 at 3PM over on the official Discord.

As always, there is always risk backing projects on Kickstarter. Spend your money responsibly.

What is Paragon: Monsters & Mayhem

Paragon Monsters & Mayhem is a two-player tactical trading card game. It features a grid system with interesting combat, movement, and mana mechanics. As a Paragon, you control the powers monsters, and mayhem as you face off against other equally worthy Paragons thirsting to be the best. Can you harness the powers of your deck to vanquish your foes, or will you be left holding your cardboard?

Gameplay

It’s better to see gameplay than to read about it. The developers of the game have a solid tutorial and some gameplay on their YouTube. Make sure you give them a follow to stay up to date on all the news. I’ll link the videos below for your convenience.

Impressions

The game looks fun. I need to do some testing, but I am interested. The art is great, the flavor is solid, and the gameplay looks interesting. There also seems to be a lot of passion behind the project, but I’ll need to see some product before I can make my judgement. I am excited to join the community night to learn more about the game, cards, and to get to know some of the people behind it. Make sure you tune in at 3PM tomorrow on the official Discord.

If you would like to try the game before you make your commitment, there is an official TTS module on steam with demo decks to get you started. I’m sure you can find people to play with on Discord if you ask nicely. If you’re ready to pull the trigger, you have 15 days as of writing this post to pledge over on the official Kickstarter. Might be your only chance to get some neat exclusive product.

As a reminder, I am not affiliated with the game, nor was I asked to cover this game. I thought it looked cool and thought I would share.