Matrix Christmas Sale 2016 Highlights

December 5, 2016
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2016 Grognard Games Reviews
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It’s that time of the year again where we finally get some time off and decide to spend it playing video games. Matrix has released a fairly massive PDF list of what games are on sale, I’ve culled that a bit and provided my own list of what’s worth buying. Now it’s still worth browsing if you’re looking for some oddball era or theater. It’s worth noting that if you buy a game from Matrix, and it’s available on Steam, you can get a Steam key from Matrix. (Note, you actually need to log in at Slitherine’s website to get the Steam Key.)

So, here we are, the Matrix Games Sale List of Good Games.

Book Review : Atlas of the Eastern Front 1941-1945

December 1, 2016
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2016 Reviews War in the East
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Give me a map, a moment, and I’ll wander the world.

Ok, so I’m actually kind of biased here. My Brother-in-Law, an awesome dude, happens to be a professional cartographer. So I’ve spent many a good hour browsing through high-end map coffee table books. Beyond that I spent hours of my youth studying maps, imagining the battles fought on those little squares and circles, and tracing history one page at a time.

My initial drive to get this book was actually from a video game. Sure, I’d read some basic books about the Eastern Front but my knowledge was pretty slim. I’d always been a Battle of the Bulge kind of guy. Then I started playing Gary Grigsby’s War in the East.

Rimworld – In-Process Review

August 16, 2016
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2016 gaming Reviews
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Rimworld In-Process Review

I’m a sucker for a game where I can lay the groundwork and watch the chaos run. In years past I loved making a stable SimCity and then watching as it slowly grew from one disaster to the next. The pace was nice, it was my pace, I could control the growth, and at some level, the chaos.

Review : Pixel Starships

June 6, 2016
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2016 iOS Reviews
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Pixel Starships was released in January of 2016 and designed by Savy Soda. Originally a Kickstarter project, it was funded on June 25th, 2015. They asked for $20,000 and just squeaked by with $22,000.

From the Kickstarter offering you really get a great vibe. Take FTL, mash in the graphics of a NimbleBit game, and set it all in an MMO-like universe. That’s one hell of an offering right?

Battles of the Ancient World I : Review

April 12, 2016
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2016 Grognard Games iOS Reviews
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After listening to Dan Carlin’s latest Hardcore History podcast on the Persian Empire I had a hankering for some phalanx’s and good old fashioned ancient battles. This is an era that gets overshadowed by, well, just about every other genre. How many games do we really need about World War 2 Tank Battles? The niche for ancient battles is pretty narrow, but luckily HexWar has a few offerings for those ancient gods of war.

Review : Stonehearth [Early Access]

January 25, 2016
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2016 PC Games Reviews
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Initially I wasn’t going to step foot into reviewing Early Access games. It’s a realm of great ideas, marketing, fluff, and little substance. An idea for a great game is significantly different than a great game. Now we get to watch the process from shitty early access game all the way to shitty released game.

It’s kind of like sausage. You probably don’t want to watch. Getting the finished product is much better.

But, unfortunately, in our era of gaming we have a shitload of games in Early Access. As such, it’s worth taking a look and wading through the idea and getting to the substance.

Flashpoint Campaigns : Red Storm [Review]

January 24, 2016
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2016 Grognard Games Reviews
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Flashpoint Campaigns : Red Storm Review

was developed by On Target Simulations and released by Slitherine Ltd in 2013.

You take on the role of an all seeing Commander for either the NATO forces, or the incoming Warsaw Pact forces. As the game lays it out, the Warsaw Pact has struck while NATO was woefully unprepared. In fact it looked like the Cold War was coming to an end. Game wise it sets the tone for NATO to be the defender, and also scrambling to hold the border.

Flashpoint Campaigns has one very unique mechanic that elevates this game beyond just another hex and NATO counter game. Orders.

Lifeline Review [iOS]

January 23, 2016
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2016 iOS Reviews
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It’s not often that I get sucked into a game on an emotional level. A level where I’m actually genuinely curious about where the path of the protagonist leads. In most games you are a bystander, you’re separated from the choices. As visceral the graphics, as intense the story, you’re still just a person clicking a mouse.

Lifeline by 3 Minute Games turns what I expected out of an iOS game onto its head.