The Game Recommendations Thread

[ZedClampet]

Image credit: Zed Clampet and Flux AI

Give or Receive Game Recommendations​

Need game recommendations? You can request them here. Try to be as specific in what you are looking for as possible. (Examples: 2D or 3D, First Person or Third Person)

Want to recommend a game you've played recently? You can also put that here. Giving a bit of relevant detail about the game would be helpful.

 

[ZedClampet]

The new Game Recommendations post as opposed to a User Reviews post.

Every year I post a User Reviews post, and every year each poster seems to take one shot at outdoing professional reviewers and then gives up for the rest of the year because it's too much work.

My thought for this post is that we can do much more informal reviews (as well as use it to ask for game recommendations), basically just "I recommend this game because of..." types of posts.

 

[ZedClampet]

I'll start with a game recommendation request. I'd like to play a non-AAA, non-boomer shooter, FPS or survival horror game (with shooting). Third person perspective is also fine. So if anyone would like to suggest a single-player indie shooter, that would be great. I'm kind of in the process of checking out the Trepang 2 demo if that gives you an idea of the sort of thing I'm looking for.

 

[isleepinabed]

I'll start with a game recommendation request. I'd like to play a non-AAA, non-boomer shooter, FPS or survival horror game (with shooting). Third person perspective is also fine. So if anyone would like to suggest a single-player indie shooter, that would be great. I'm kind of in the process of checking out the Trepang 2 demo if that gives you an idea of the sort of thing I'm looking for.

Any particular setting you're more interested in?

And how did you like Trepang's demo? I remember it had great set pieces and atmosphere.

EDIT: Perhaps Metro Exodus or the System Shock remake if you haven't already played them?

 

[Zloth]

The older a game is, the more indie-like it becomes. The original Deus Ex would fit the bill.

 

[ZedClampet]

Any particular setting you're more interested in?

And how did you like Trepang's demo? I remember it had great set pieces and atmosphere.

EDIT: Perhaps Metro Exodus or the System Shock remake if you haven't already played them?

I enjoyed the demo, even though I just played through the intro (which took about 20 minutes). I think Metro is probably too difficult for me. I might look at the System Shock remake, though.

 

[isleepinabed]

I enjoyed the demo, even though I just played through the intro (which took about 20 minutes). I think Metro is probably too difficult for me. I might look at the System Shock remake, though.

I remembered another one that fits more into the indie aspect than the others - Amnesia: The Bunker

 

[BeardyHat]

Alien: Isolation might fit the bill. It's got a lot to recommend it, but I got kind of annoyed with the Alien for feeling very synthetic. There's only supposed to be one on the station and yet it's always near me for whatever reason.

If we're recommending System Shock: Remake, then also System Shock 2. Remake (as well as Enhanced Edition) is great, but I think 2 has more elements of Survival-Horror, honestly.

Dying Light is also currently on sale on Steam, it's a bit more action oriented, but still has lots of survival elements. I've played a good amount of the first game, the story is pretty garbage, but the gameplay is fun enough. I always mean to go back to this one and after reminding myself here, I may just do that.

Subnautica, of course, but I assume you've already played it, given that you're an enthusiast for this type of game.

The Long Dark is pretty cool, though I struggle to gel with it. A more realistic style of Survival Horror, trying to beat the elements and aggressive animals. There's a story mode I keep meaning to get to, as the original play mode has no particular end state.

I'll have to think some more on this.

 

[ZedClampet]

@isleepinabed and @BeardyHat thanks for the recs. I've actually played all of those games except for the System Shock games and The Long Dark. Loved Alien Isolation, but felt like it could have ended earlier. I didn't mind the alien following me around for two reasons: he's supposed to have almost supernatural hearing, and the game would be boring if he was lost on the other side of the ship. It was a big ship. If it didn't cheat, you'd either never see him or he would show up at times that were inconvenient to the story. And he really wasn't always around. There were quite a few sections that concentrated on the androids or on humans, and also a few sections where you were just alone for awhile.

I'll probably try the System Shock games.

 

[neogunhero]

I'd like to play a non-AAA, non-boomer shooter, FPS or survival horror game (with shooting).

The first game that came to my mind that fits this bill is Postal 2. If you can stomach the gross-out shock humor, it's a genuinely great game. Over the past 20 years it has gotten so many updates. It plays perfectly smooth on modern hardware, now has Workshop support, and tons of other QoL and bugfixes that makes the game feel very great to play.

The story itself is actually quite entertaining and will keep you going until the end. Each level is semi-open, so there are a lot of things to do, and lots of secrets to find if you choose to look for them. There is the questionable stereotype here and there, but personally it doesn't bother me because it comes from 2003 which is understandable when it comes to that kind of humor.

Tons of weapons with lots of different choices on how you want to complete an objective, it's got a very slight undertone of immsim in that regard. I think a lot of people overlook it because they think its just the game where you can decapitate a person and urinate on their corpse, which they're not wrong, but there is so much more to it. Genuinely great gunplay and mechanics, fun open levels, hilarious story and dialogue, overall, a very absurd but enjoyable experience.

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I'm looking for a fairly casual and relaxing game that I can play in quick short sessions. Specifically, something I can kick back with a controller, start it up, and within a very short period of time be in the game. No first person games as I really hate first person on controller, but all other viewpoints/styles/genres accepted.

I really like games like Vampire Survivors for those reasons, it's not too challenging but not mind numbingly easy either. Balatro is good fun and I still play it occasionally but I'd like something similar yet different, if that makes sense.

My main wants in a game: Easy to learn, simple controls, quick to the action, score attack, fun and will keep me engaged.

Other games that fit this bill that I have played are games like Peggle, VS, Balatro, Slay the Spire, Tony Hawk games recently, and that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Any suggestions?

 

[ZedClampet]

The first game that came to my mind that fits this bill is Postal 2. If you can stomach the gross-out shock humor, it's a genuinely great game. Over the past 20 years it has gotten so many updates. It plays perfectly smooth on modern hardware, now has Workshop support, and tons of other QoL and bugfixes that makes the game feel very great to play.

The story itself is actually quite entertaining and will keep you going until the end. Each level is semi-open, so there are a lot of things to do, and lots of secrets to find if you choose to look for them. There is the questionable stereotype here and there, but personally it doesn't bother me because it comes from 2003 which is understandable when it comes to that kind of humor.

Tons of weapons with lots of different choices on how you want to complete an objective, it's got a very slight undertone of immsim in that regard. I think a lot of people overlook it because they think its just the game where you can decapitate a person and urinate on their corpse, which they're not wrong, but there is so much more to it. Genuinely great gunplay and mechanics, fun open levels, hilarious story and dialogue, overall, a very absurd but enjoyable experience.

---

---

I'm looking for a fairly casual and relaxing game that I can play in quick short sessions. Specifically, something I can kick back with a controller, start it up, and within a very short period of time be in the game. No first person games as I really hate first person on controller, but all other viewpoints/styles/genres accepted.

I really like games like Vampire Survivors for those reasons, it's not too challenging but not mind numbingly easy either. Balatro is good fun and I still play it occasionally but I'd like something similar yet different, if that makes sense.

My main wants in a game: Easy to learn, simple controls, quick to the action, score attack, fun and will keep me engaged.

Other games that fit this bill that I have played are games like Peggle, VS, Balatro, Slay the Spire, Tony Hawk games recently, and that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Any suggestions?

I've actually got Postal 2 but haven't played it since it came out in 2003 (of course, that was on discs). Maybe I need to try play that again. I remember enjoying it.



As for recommendations for you, whenever I play for a few minutes, I usually pick Hades or a racing game, where I can hop in and do a quick race, or lately I've been playing Match 3 games, which are absolutely perfect for that.

Hades is fantastic and on sale right now, and you can hop right in and just do a run and quit. If you go to the Steam page, just ignore the first video. The second one has the gameplay.

For easy and quick arcade racing, I like these two

Circuit Superstars on Steam

Circuit Superstars is a top down racing game with a tactile arcade physics model, pitstops, and a pure motorsport approach. It includes 16 categories that span different styles and eras of motorsport.

store.steampowered.com

Super Woden GP 2 on Steam

Super Woden GP 2 is a love letter to the world of motor sports, offering a unique experience. Arcade-style isometric racing meets unrivaled campaign depth and a huge variety of vehicles to buy, sell and unlock.

store.steampowered.com

Brian recommended these Match 3s to me, and I'm on the third game now, so I've really enjoyed them.

Here's the overall Match 3 Steam page

And here's the link to Bejeweled 3 which has overwhelmingly positive reviews and is on sale for 99 cents.

There are a ton of them on sale and also some free-to-play which look interesting.

Moving on to the Vampire Survivors sort of genre, I haven't played either of these two games, but they have been on my wishlist for awhile and might be worth checking out:

Save 11% on Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel on Steam

Hordes of Hel is a gripping roguelike horde-survivor game set in the dark realms of Norse Mythology. Fight waves of enemies to earn divine blessings of ancient Viking Deities, explore hostile worlds and face powerful bosses. Become a god-like warrior in this ultimate showdown.

store.steampowered.com

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor on Steam

DEEP ROCK GALACTIC: SURVIVOR is a single player survivor-like auto-shooter. Take on hordes of lethal aliens, mine riches, and unlock powerful upgrades to survive, as you wield the full arsenal of Deep Rock Galactic. It's one dwarf against all of Planet Hoxxes!

store.steampowered.com

 

[Pifanjr]

My main wants in a game: Easy to learn, simple controls, quick to the action, score attack, fun and will keep me engaged.

Ballionaire is a great roguelike pachinko game. I very much enjoyed the demo.

I've heard some good things about Peglin as well.

And there was an article about Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, which is like a Blackjack flavoured Balatro.

EDIT: Adding Dicey Dungeons, a dicebuilding roguelike.

 

[ZedClampet]

Ballionaire is a great roguelike pachinko game. I very much enjoyed the demo.

I've heard some good things about Peglin as well.

And there was an article about Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers, which is like a Blackjack flavoured Balatro.

PC Gamer, in their everlasting love for Balatro, called Ballionaire a Balatro-like. It's a freaking pachinko game. What in the world does it have to do with Balatro?

 

[JCgames]

I'll start with a game recommendation request. I'd like to play a non-AAA, non-boomer shooter, FPS or survival horror game (with shooting). Third person perspective is also fine. So if anyone would like to suggest a single-player indie shooter, that would be great. I'm kind of in the process of checking out the Trepang 2 demo if that gives you an idea of the sort of thing I'm looking for.

There is a game called Stasis that might work for you. It's on my own but have not played list, but it has lots of nice things said about the story and atmosphere. It's 3rd person iso


Another. Fps adventure called Anna. It takes place in a haunted sawmill and is one of the creepiest games I've ever played and has like 10 endings. No shooting just explore, but it's really good. I will add the is a bug in one part that if you watch a candle burn it will crash. The fix is to leave the room and come back so you don't see the transitions to going out..
I'd also save often as it's a hard game that can lead to an ending. It's nice to have periodic saves in case you want to go back and try something else.

 

[ZedClampet]

There is a game called Stasis that might work for you. It's on my own but have not played list, but it has lots of nice things said about the story and atmosphere. It's 3rd person iso


Another. Fps adventure called Anna. It takes place in a haunted sawmill and is one of the creepiest games I've ever played and has like 10 endings. No shooting just explore, but it's really good. I will add the is a bug in one part that if you watch a candle burn it will crash. The fix is to leave the room and come back so you don't see the transitions to going out..
I'd also save often as it's a hard game that can lead to an ending. It's nice to have periodic saves in case you want to go back and try something else.

Where do you find Anna?

 

[ZedClampet]

@neogunhero did you see my recs for you above?

 

[neogunhero]

@neogunhero did you see my recs for you above?

Yeah, I checked them all out last night. Peglin was already on my wishlist, that game does seem really cool. It’s on sale now so I was considering picking it up last night but didn’t commit.

 

[JCgames]

Where do you find Anna?

Anna is on steam, it's a kaylpso game from 2013.

 

[BeardyHat]

Yeah, I checked them all out last night. Peglin was already on my wishlist, that game does seem really cool. It’s on sale now so I was considering picking it up last night but didn’t commit.

Peglin is really great. One of the very few Roguelike deck builders that keeps me playing; can be heavy on the RNG, but that's exactly what I like about it. I can come up with a general idea of what I want a deck to do, but I don't have to research and learn strategies like I might for say Slay the Spire.

Actually also works great on Deck and even using touch only on my Surface Go. There is a free to play version for Android if you want to try before you buy.

 

[ZedClampet]

Anna is on steam, it's a kaylpso game from 2013.

Thanks. What is weird is that if I just type "Anna" into the Steam search bar, it doesn't come up. I had to use Google to find it.

 

[JCgames]

Well it'd called Anna the extended edition, maybe that's the issue?

 

[Pifanjr]

Peglin is really great. One of the very few Roguelike deck builders that keeps me playing; can be heavy on the RNG, but that's exactly what I like about it. I can come up with a general idea of what I want a deck to do, but I don't have to research and learn strategies like I might for say Slay the Spire.

Actually also works great on Deck and even using touch only on my Surface Go. There is a free to play version for Android if you want to try before you buy.

I tried the free demo on Android and it's great! I especially love the level design. In my first run I had to fight a slime boss and the pachinko level was in the shape of the boss, including a layer of slime that slows down the ball. Then when the slime reached me it absorbed me and the starting position of the ball switched to be inside of the shape of the boss.

I also see a lot of great opportunities for different builds. I had a pretty decent build with a damage over time debuff that was already getting pretty crazy within the first area the demo gives you.

Truly a perfect Valentine's Day gift.

 

[isleepinabed]

Do any of you like non-computer games? I have a co-worker that even though he's a whiz on the computer, his hobby is actually those modern board games. He says he likes it precisely to not constantly be in front of a computer and to socialize.

I haven't played many of the modern ones but I remember especially how laboured it was to set everything up. Well.. sometimes laboured, other times, momentous (for instance when dad would get the good chess set out).

When I first got into computer games I always felt a certain fascination with card and board games because of the fact that you could play against "the computer". As an only child, this was a great boon. But I also learned a lot of these games through their digital versions. For instance learned Othello/Reversi/Iago because an uncle had it on his Macintosh. I later learned Gin or Poker variations too. And, even, the mahjong type of game in Yakuza, which I have never even played in a non-digital way.

There is, however, a certain satisfaction about interacting tactilely with a deck of cards or a board game piece. This musing isn't going anywhere but if you'd like to suggest some board or card games, traditional or modern, digital or otherwise, I'd like to hear about them.

 

[BeardyHat]

Do any of you like non-computer games? I have a co-worker that even though he's a whiz on the computer, his hobby is actually those modern board games. He says he likes it precisely to not constantly be in front of a computer and to socialize.

I haven't played many of the modern ones but I remember especially how laboured it was to set everything up. Well.. sometimes laboured, other times, momentous (for instance when dad would get the good chess set out).

When I first got into computer games I always felt a certain fascination with card and board games because of the fact that you could play against "the computer". As an only child, this was a great boon. But I also learned a lot of these games through their digital versions. For instance learned Othello/Reversi/Iago because an uncle had it on his Macintosh. I later learned Gin or Poker variations too. And, even, the mahjong type of game in Yakuza, which I have never even played in a non-digital way.

There is, however, a certain satisfaction about interacting tactilely with a deck of cards or a board game piece. This musing isn't going anywhere but if you'd like to suou collectggest some board or card games, traditional or modern, digital or otherwise, I'd like to hear about them.

I used to like pretty complex ones, but the older I've gotten, the less interested in them I am. But, there's some decent, relatively simple and relatively short games that still offer a good amount of strategy.

Splendor- Probably my favorite. Very simple in that you're collecting resources in order to build points. The more resources you collect, the more you can buy and the more potential you have to gather points. But you have to strategize around your opponent(s) because they can just as easily mess-up your entire strategy. Super simple to learn, but requires some long term planning to execute well.

Ticket to Ride - Not my favorite, but my wife and Brother in Law really love this one. Build train lines, the longer you have a contiguous train, the more points it's worth at the end. You also can pick-up cards and gain points for completing the routes listed on them. Pretty simple, but again somewhat similar to how Splendor is played.

Saboteur - I guess this might be based on another game, but I don't recall its name and have never played it. This one is really more of a social deception game, something I very much love and it's good for like up to 12-people. You have a crew of Dwarves and a crew of Saboteurs. The Dwarves goal is to build a mine to find gold and the Saboteur's need to stop them, but can't be overt about it and also don't know who each other are; if you're found out, you can be locked down, but the fun part is trying to convince people you're not the baddie, trying to deflect and get the Dwarves to sabotage themselves and each other, while you turn them away from their goal. Very simple to play and again is more of a social deception game than having any sort of overall strategy.

 

[Pifanjr]

Do any of you like non-computer games? I have a co-worker that even though he's a whiz on the computer, his hobby is actually those modern board games. He says he likes it precisely to not constantly be in front of a computer and to socialize.

I haven't played many of the modern ones but I remember especially how laboured it was to set everything up. Well.. sometimes laboured, other times, momentous (for instance when dad would get the good chess set out).

When I first got into computer games I always felt a certain fascination with card and board games because of the fact that you could play against "the computer". As an only child, this was a great boon. But I also learned a lot of these games through their digital versions. For instance learned Othello/Reversi/Iago because an uncle had it on his Macintosh. I later learned Gin or Poker variations too. And, even, the mahjong type of game in Yakuza, which I have never even played in a non-digital way.

There is, however, a certain satisfaction about interacting tactilely with a deck of cards or a board game piece. This musing isn't going anywhere but if you'd like to suggest some board or card games, traditional or modern, digital or otherwise, I'd like to hear about them.

I tried the digital adaptation of Gloomhaven after playing the physical board game and while it's nice not to have to do the set-up, it feels a lot better when you're actually holding the cards and looking over the board.

My wife and I used to play a lot of board games, but we've mostly stopped when our kid got older. She needs a lot of attention, so we can't really play anything with friends while she's awake and by the time she's in bed there isn't a lot of time left to play either. We're doing our best to get her to like board games too though.

As for which board games to play: I can also recommend Ticket to Ride and Saboteur (I haven't played Splendor though I've considered buying it in the past).

We personally often default to Dominion, a deckbuilding game. It's pretty quick to set up and a game doesn't take very long, while the randomisation of the available cards each game keep it fresh. It also works great with 3 players.

I can also recommend 7 Wonders and Puerto Rico. Both are pretty easy to pick up and play, though we personally usually prefer more complex games.

Our favourite game is Twilight Imperium, specifically the third edition. A single game can easily take 8 hours, most of which is spent on plotting, so we don't get to play it very often sadly.

We do play Dune: Imperium fairly regularly. It's a worker placement + deckbuilding game that really sells the feeling of having too much to do and too little time and too few resources to get it done.

We've also played quite a lot of Terra Mystica, which is kind of like if Catan had no RNG or hidden information. You can see exactly which resources each player has, so it becomes much more like chess where you have to try and predict your opponents' moves and plan your own to try to stay ahead.