The Gacha RPG Wuthering Waves will be released on May 23:

Wuthering Waves Reveal Livestream

The strategy RPG Songs of Conquest will leave Early Access today:

Songs of Conquest - 1.0 Launch Trailer

The Gamer Social Club reports that Larian is opening a new studio in Poland:

Baldurs Gate 3 Developer Larian Announces Opening Of New Poland Studio

The RPG developer continues to grow on the backs of Baldurs Gate 3

It would appear Activision isn’t the only company headed to Poland as today Larian Studios, the acclaimed developer behind the 2023 Game Of The Year Baldurs Gate 3 has opened a new studio in Warsaw, Poland.

The studio in Warsaw will be Larian's 7th studio joining teams in Quebec, Dublin, Guildford, Barcelona, Ghent, and Kuala Lumpur with the goal of adding to their 24 hour development cycle.

“The decision to open a permanent studio in Warsaw shows how serious we are about encouraging creativity, collaboration, and innovation in the heart of Poland’s lively gaming scene,” said Ula Jach, Head of Studio. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to collaborate with the abundant talent and expertise of the region, especially considering Poland’s strong reputation as a hub for RPG and gaming enthusiasts.”

Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian Studios, said, “Visiting the Game Industry Conference last year confirmed what I'd been thinking for a while – there’s a lot of talent here and a lot of devs who think like us. On top of that, many of them want to work on RPGs, so it’s a match made in heaven.

[...]

Thanks Dannoomen!

The J-RPG Wildsilver is nearly finished:

Patch 0.9.7

• Raze: Now can’t be countered or evaded anymore.
• Brace: Now only targets Gilbert and heroes with 20 or more CP.
• Mirror: Now only targets Gilbert and heroes with Guard.
• Regen ★: Can’t be removed by Raze anymore.
• Toad: Now uses attacks that poison and Hurl instead of Clog.
• Gigantula: Fixed the enrage-by-minion-damage animation.
• Forest: There are now fish living in the water.
• Swamp: Added flower and vines to another map.
• Crypt: Changed some EXP orb and urn positions.
• Mila: Added a battle tip concerning the Raze change.
• Save status: Optimised graphic.
• Major save statues no longer nullify CP.
• Fixed narration texts being cut off.
• Made some minor fixes and optimisations.

Here's the dev-thread on RPGWatch.

Couchpotato spotted some artwork for Flint - Treasure of Oblivion:

Captain Flint needs YOU

Ahoy there!

Flint - Treasure of Oblivion will embark you on a perilous journey across the world later this year! Do you think you have what it takes to join Captain Flint’s crew?

[...]

Couchpotato spotted an Atelier article on RPGamer:

What the Atelier Series Offers That Isn’t Readily Apparent

Nowadays, thanks to the convenient and various sources of information at our disposal, it’s not too hard to find out about a video game franchise without playing it. Depending on what one learns or hears about this franchise, they might elect to stay away from it. However, unbeknown to some players, such a choice may prevent them from trying titles that have much more to offer than it first appears. One such series is the Atelier series, and I hope to use this opportunity to highlight some of its hidden positives.

For those who don’t have any prior knowledge about the Atelier series, it is developed by Gust, nowadays a subsidiary of Koei Tecmo, with the first game released back in 1997. The series is currently comprised of twenty-five mainline entries and many spin-offs. The term “Atelier”, which is shared in almost every title in the series, emphasizes most of the protagonists are in charge of an atelier, or workshop, which serves for their practice of alchemy. This naming choice reflects how alchemy tends to be central for both story and gameplay in nearly every game of the franchise.

Most of the Atelier titles have this type of cover. While convenient to identify the female lead, this presentation tells little about alchemy altogether or how relatable the plot is independently of the gender.

Besides being about alchemy, the Atelier titles are notorious for featuring primarily female protagonists. In addition, the glamorous cover of the games show beautiful ladies smiling like they haven’t any care in the world. Considering this first impression, some gamers, particularly those more interested in the ins and outs of complex gameplay systems, could feel these titles are probably too simplistic to provide them what they are looking for, based on such carefree imagery. However, the series is full of gameplay depth. In many of these games, the major focus is on the mastery of the rich alchemy system and time management, with some games offering different spins on combat mechanics.

[...]

Everyting turn-based:

EVERYTHING TURN-BASED – WEEKLY RPG NEWS AND RELEASES – 19 MAY 2024

TURN-BASED RPGS AND STRATEGY GAMES OF THE LAST WEEK PLUS SOME TBL WEBSITE UPDATES

Welcome to a new Weekly RPG Recap! Before diving into the latest news and releases from the past week, I’d like to share a quick update. Over the last few days, I’ve been working on refreshing the site and updating various sections with new descriptions and photos. It’s a slow process that I fit into my spare moments. Regarding the content, I’ve decided to dedicate as much time as possible to overviews because Turn Based Lovers started with them and should continue in that direction. I believe this content is the best way to highlight titles that often go unnoticed, and it’s also what I enjoy doing the most.

I commit to releasing at least one list per week and covering any last-minute news, followed by this weekly recap to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Reviews will keep coming, courtesy of TBL contributors. That said, if anyone is interested in contributing to articles (reviews, lists, interviews, and more), feel free to contact me at info@turnbasedlovers.com.

• ALZARA – A Tribute To JRPG Classics
• 4X Ice-Age Strategy Game The Ancients
• One-Inch Tactics Launching In A Few Days
• Comedic Deckbuilder SerialWorld Announced
• Electrifying New VR Tactics Experience
• Tactical Roguelite Monster Catching Arrives On Nintendo Switch
• Don’t Miss This Acclaimed 4X Strategy….For Free
• Story-Driven RPG Wildermyth Launches Its New DLC
• Unique RPG Athenian Rhapsody Available On PC And Consoles
• Card-Based Rogue-Lite Spellcats Available
• Tactical RPG Wantless Now In Its 1.0 VersionTactical Roguelite Revelatio Now On PCCrazy Colorful Roguelite Break 
• The Loop Available
• Legendary Strategy Games Now Available On Steam
• SCP Operations Now On PCTraditional Roguelike The Land Beneath Us Available On PC And Consoles
• First-Person Dungeon Crawler StarCrawlers Chimera Now Out Of Early Access

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

Couchpotato spotted a new trailer for Black Myth: Wukong:

Black Myth: WuKong - Official WeGame Event Trailer

MinnMax interviewed Jake Solomon:

Why XCOM's Creative Director Jake Solomon Left Firaxis

Thanks Couchpotato!

Matt is talking with political science professor Jess Morrissette about his Adventure games and more:

MC528: Jess Morrissette, Stair Quest

The Early Access title Archaelund got a new update:

Update 0.8 is out

The last incremental update that completes the 0.8 roadmap list has just been released
The first development stage of Archaelund Early Access has just been completed with the release of update 0.8. Here is the summary of the changes in today's update:

Content changes & adjustments

• Added a new cave dungeon in the western coast of the Peninsula, with a new associated quest(talk to Icanos the Loreseeker after completing Three Wanderers quest).
• XP cap raised to 9,900 (maximum level remains at 4).

Features & Improvements

• Skill Charisma now reduces buying prices in most vendors by 2% per rank(certain factions are not affected).

Bugfixes

• Talent Hardiness is once more working as per description.
• Scrolls and other limited usage items will now only be spent (and cause an AP spending in combat) after a valid target has been selected. You can safely cancel a target without spending the item.
• Prone enemies were sometimes not counting as flanked. Fixed.
• Party members that ended a fight prone, will no longer show the incorrect prone animation on the next fight.

However, if you haven't played since release in January, it's more important to see the changes as a whole. You can read through the whole changelog, but here's a summary of the most relevant changes:

• Two new dungeons in the Peninsula are now accessible.
• Four new quests were added (from 17 to 21).
• One extra companion available (from 2 to 3).
• Skills have been implemented: Survival, Disarm Traps, Charisma, Alchemy, Crafting. Only the Maps & Charts skill remains, since it requires a larger available map to be relevant. Meditation skill was reworked.
• Three new spells added, and many others revised or adjusted.
• More diversified loot, and 20 new items added.
• Many "Quality of Life" improvements made to the UI: selling stacks, browsing talent list, browsing discipline spells, and more.
• Essential UI/Controls features added, such as key mapping, axis inversion, ultra-wide support, framerate limit, etc.
• Almost a hundred bugs were squished!

The Road Ahead

The Peninsula has been a great start, but it's time to move forward! You can read our development roadmap here.

Version 0.9 will be in development for the remaining of the year (maybe a little longer) but it will also come in smaller incremental updates, not in a single big one.

The priority now, with all the game elements in place, is to expand both the game world, and character development. More areas, and more character levels and careers. More details will come in time, until then I hope you enjoy the game so far.

Thanks Couchpotato!

Gameranx interviewed Creative Director Cade Morgan about Capes:

Capes Interview – Combat, Inspirations, Post-Launch Plans & More

We had the chance to speak with Creative Director Cade Morgan.

Are you ready to step into some new shoes and potentially a cape? Prepare those spandex costumes as a new hero-focused turn-based strategy game is flying our way with Capes. This title comes from a newly established Australian studio named Spitfire Interactive. Players will find themselves in a dystopian city that was a stronghold by supervillains using their iron fists and powers to keep their citizens in check. Still, their once prominent control is headed toward its downfall. So prepare to assemble your team and fight for this city’s freedom. 

Capes is set to hit the market this month, so you’ll soon be able to immerse yourself fully into this world filled with heroes and villains. We had the privilege to speak with Cade Morgan, Spitfire Interactive’s Creative Director. During our interview, Cade shared some exciting details about their upcoming debut title. 

Gameranx: For someone who is just finding out about Capes, how would you describe the game?

Cade: Capes is a turn-based superhero tactics game set in a world where the supervillains have already won, and possessing superpowers has since been outlawed. The player recruits a team of young superheroes who have to learn to work together to fight back against this injustice and right the wrongs of the past. Capes is the debut title from newly formed Australian developer Spitfire Interactive.

Gameranx: Could you elaborate on the story?

Cade: The game offers action-packed turn-based combat, team management between missions, and a unique superhero storyline. As the player assembles their team of heroes they fight back to reclaim their city, which the villains now control. Play across the dark and gritty campaign and patrol assignments, push the story forward, and reveal the truth behind the horrific Enhancement program of The Company that is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

Fextralife summarizes this week's gaming news:

Gaming News - Shadow of the Erdtree NEW Enemy, EA Plans to Add Ads in Games, GoW Ragnarok to PC?

Timestamp
0:00 - Top RPG News of the Week
0:02 - Dragon Age Dreadwolf Set to Release By Next March
1:04 - Possible DLC for Lies of P
2:02 - EA Plans to Add Ads in AAA Games
3:41 - Square Enix Multiplatform Strategy
5:27 - God of War Ragnarok Might be coming to PC
6:32 - Shadow of the Erdtree new enemy
8:13 - Monster Hunter Sage 100 Million Milestone
9:15 - Greedfall 2 The Dying World Roadmap
10:22 - Enotria the Last Song Release Date and Demo

Gamesindustry talked with Forever Entertainment about their remakes:

Forever Entertainment on making what was old new again

The publisher talks about how and why remakes such as Front Mission 2 are a part of its business model

Remaking games is not easy. You have to consider how retro titles will play on modern consoles and for today's audiences. You also have to work on the finer details, such as the clarity of dialogue, balancing gameplay, and quality-of-life changes. The list goes on.

However, when remakes become a part of your business model, you have it figured out. Forever Entertainment has proven itself in this field with the remakes of Panzer Dragoon, The House of The Dead, Front Mission 1st, and Front Mission 2. In 2018, it announced that it is also developing the Panzer Dragoon 2: Zwei remake.

Communications and marketing manager Monika Ginter tells GamesIndustry.biz that the firm's focus on retro titles spans from genuine interest from the team.

"We are currently working on both announced and unannounced titles. Remakes are one of the pillars of our operations"
She says, "We are fans of old games - they had a big impact on our lives, and we wanted a modern-day player to be able to experience the classics of our childhood, too. We think this is still a niche in the market that will gain more and more interest over time. Every year, we try to release an increasing number of remakes, and we are currently working on both announced and unannounced titles. Remakes are one of the pillars of our operations."

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

RPG Site reviewed Dread Delusion:

Dread Delusion Review

I fell in love with Dread Delusion when I came across the journal of an explorer, detailing his trek to the Underlands. It would be easy to cast Lovely Hellplace's writing as sardonic, but the heart of Dread Delusion's world is that of hope, even when it might seem hopeless; even if those hopes might be indistinquishable from delusions. 

To put things as simply as possible; Dread Delusion is an open-world RPG, wearing its inspirations - games like Morrowind and King's Field - proudly on its sleeve, while also still maintaining its own identity. There's an otherworldly aura to the floating isles and the kingdoms that inhabit them, as players explore the fringes of a society still struggling to come to grips with a world that has long since ended. Whether it's the Wikkans and their traditional worship of the gods being called upon by those who have forgotten the consequences, or the Union's frenzied actions to stamp such practices out that begs the question if the cure might just have been worse than the disease - not to mention the challenges facing the realm of the Endless, or the slow and undeniable decline of the Clockwork Kingdom.

[...]

Finally - the game is plagued with a number of bugs, especially in the late game. Admittedly these are being patched relatively quickly, but in the first few days following the 1.0 launch level geometry has failed to spawn, preventing the completion of vital sidequests, Truth Potions were completely unusable, and certain lifts for proceeding the main story have been almost completely blocked by misplaced assets. Controlling your airship once unlocked is especially finnicky; the camera has an absurdly low sensitivity, completely independent of your settings for on-foot. These will likely be fixed in due time, though it's hard to say exactly how long that might take. It's just such a shame that many of these bugs are present right at the finish line, diminishing what is absolutely a strong conclusion for what is already one of the best RPGs I've played this year.

Dread Delusion succeeds where it counts, even if bits and pieces still have some polishing left to do. For a crowded year for RPGs, Dread Delusion can still stand out from the crowd.

Score: 8/10

COG reviewed the Vampire RPG V Rising:

V Rising 1.0 Review

I’m more or less burnt out when it comes to survival crafting RPGs. I can only punch so many trees and collect so many rocks before a hard limit is hit. You need a proper hook to keep me coming back. V Rising has vampires and a highly refined combat system. Those are pretty good hooks! There’s also a robust multiplayer environment. I don’t care about such things, but I recognize when they’re done well. Honestly, ‘vampires’ was enough to sell me on this game. Thankfully, it’s also quite good.

You play as a vampire looking to rebuild their empire. There’s very little story beyond this simple premise, and that’s totally fine. What else do you really need to know? Humans and monsters all want you dead, and it’s your job to frustrate their desires. Also, do your best to extend your unholy dominion over every corner of the world. And if you can do these things while building a gigantic castle? Even better. Though there is no proper story, the progression hums along quite smoothly. Your goals are clearly laid out, with the required steps making perfect sense. Admittedly, your goals are either ‘murder’ or ‘make things’ for the most part. But the building and murder are also really fun. I don’t mind simple tasks, so long as I’m enjoying myself.

[...]

While I’ve mostly left survival crafting sims behind, V Rising feels different. The vampire hook is part of it, but the game’s design is a big factor. Building and murdering all tie together in one big progression tree. Moving from one path to the other feels perfectly smooth and seamless. Plus, both activities are pretty fun. I don’t love the traversal at times, and the game sometimes feels too big for a single player. But the core gameplay loop is a delight. Sure, a game boiled down to ‘build’ and ‘murder’ is a simple one. But there’s elegance in simplicity. V Rising is an excellent survival crafting RPG that I highly recommend.

Score: 86/100

Like every week the RPG Crawler sums up the computer and tabletop RPG news:

RPG News Roundup (5-18-2024)

The Kickstarter for The Wayward Realms will launch on May 30:

Kickstarter Launch Date Reveal

Thanks Couchpotato!

The Gamer reports that GOG will host the Fallout: London mod:

Report: Fallout London's Delay, And The Move To GOG

GOG tells us about its partnership with Fallout: London, a game that's "overflowing" with love for the series.

HIGHLIGHTS

• GOG will host Fallout: London, a fan-made expansion for Fallout 4.
• Fallout: London is too big to launch on the usual site, Nexus Mods.
• GOG is working to make Fallout: London playable for Fallout 4 players, regardless of where they bought the game.

Whenever we cover Fallout: London, we get a few readers who, understandably, believe that it’s an official Bethesda release that escaped their notice. It’s easy to see why - the various screenshots and trailers certainly look the part, with a team of passionate devs using Fallout 4 as the foundation for a unique story, complete with new characters, items, textures, voice acting, and much more.

Now, the lines between mod and game blur even further, with GOG set to host Fallout: London. This is among the first releases of its kind, with previous ambitious fan projects like Fallout: The Frontier and New California both launching via Nexus Mods, not long-running gaming storefronts. The problem is that Fallout: London was just too big for Nexus, so it needed a much larger site to rush in and save the day.

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

The Turn Based Lovers checked out the tactical RPG Fight Life: Vanguard:

GUIDE A MERCENARY BAND IN RETRO-INSPIRED TACTICAL RPG FIGHT LIFE: VANGUARD – OVERVIEW

IT LOOKS LIKE AN AMIGA RPG IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MEANING OF THE WORD

I am drawn to everything that evokes titles from the past, and the game I’m presenting, at times, seems to come straight out of an Amiga, in the best possible meaning of the word. Fight Life: Vanguard, just discovered on Steam pages, developed by StartImpulse and Two Cakes Studio, is a PC tactical RPG in which players are plunged into a dark, fantastical world teetering on the brink of destruction.

In Fight Life: Vanguard, players lead a mercenary squad across treacherous landscapes in which they must choose their allies wisely from a pool of diverse and skilled recruits, each bringing unique classes and abilities to the fore as they strive to restore harmony to a world shadowed by imminent oblivion.

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

Cochpotato spotted an HD mod for Grim Fandango Remastered:

Grim Fandango Remastered HD 

Grim Fandango Remastered HD is a combination of a mod loader and asset mod that AI upscales the original Grim Fandango assets, with 640x480 resolution and dithered 16-bit color, into high-resolution 2560x1920 assets with full 32-bit color.

It tries to adhere to the tone of the original game as much as possible, while sharpening the visuals and eliminating dithering. It does not attempt to introduce 16:9 resolution and is intended to be played in the original 4:3.

Gamingbolt checked out Biomutant:

Biomutant – Three Years Later

After launching three years ago in a relatively disappointing state, how does Experiment 101's open-world action title hold up?

Have you ever had a game that sounds too good to be true? It just doesn’t seem possible given the resources, yet the systems are playing out before your eyes. That more or less describes the hype behind Biomutant. Established by former Just Cause developers from Avalanche Studios, Experiment 101 would announce the title in August 2017, just in time for Gamescom attendees to go hands-on with it. Those were the good old days, but even by the standards of double-A titles, Biomutant felt like it was doing an absurd amount of things.

The story occurs in a post-apocalyptic setting where players customize and control a mutant who must save the Tree of Life. To do that, they’ll need to defeat the five creatures assailing its roots, but some cooperation with the six tribes is paramount. The catch is that three have…differing opinions on whether they should ensure the tree’s survival. The Netra, Ankati and Myriad are different degrees of Light tribes and believe in saving the tree. Meanwhile, the Pichu, Jagni and Lotus are Dark tribes with more selfish and/or megalomaniacal views.

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

Mortismal Gaming reviewed the Omenroad DLC:

Wildermyth: Omenroad DLC Review

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The FPS with RPG elements Second Sun has been announced:

Second Sun - Gameplay Announcement Trailer

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C4G looks back at RPGs of 2006 to 2009:

Why 2006 - 2009 RPGs Just Hit Different!

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RPG Fan reviewed Horizon Forbidden West:

Review: Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition

If you’ve followed my coverage here since 2009, you know I’m a huge fan of indies. I dabble with AAA titles from time to time, like FromSoftware and Square Enix releases, but I typically gravitate toward indies because of their ingenuity and evident passion. Many AAA titles, including the large and cinematic ones, can feel a bit shallow and cookie-cutter to me. A tad hand-holdy and overly polished, gilded with little substance. When we received an opportunity to review Horizon Forbidden West, I honestly went into it expecting little. Open-minded, I gave the game a shot, but the odds were not in its favor. Was I ever in for a surprise.

Clearly, I had never played Horizon Zero Dawn, which gives me a unique perspective on Forbidden West because a question folks frequently ask when entering a franchise in the middle is, “Do I have to have played the first game?” The answer is an emphatic no. Obviously, references to the first game and protagonist Aloy’s heroism from the first game are on everyone’s tongues, but Forbidden West takes no time moving on to the next story beat, which seems like a reasonable leaping-off point from the first game.

[...]

Horizon Forbidden West is the complete package across all aspects any player will care about. Stunningly beautiful, audibly beatific, challenging yet accessible, and frequently cinematic, I adored my time with Forbidden West the way I rarely do in any other game. Often, a game will excel in one area in particular and falter in others—and that’s okay. Here, I struggled to find criticisms to make, and the ones I did, while real, did not meaningfully impact the whole. If more AAA titles conducted themselves as such, I could see myself one day converting.

Score: 94/100

ESTNN reviewed the Vampire RPG V Rising:

V Rising Review – Not Just a Bloodsucker

Vampires have always been fascinating creatures that arouse a lot of interest in people, especially among lovers of the supernatural. As a result, the developers of V Rising decided to do something to “play it safe.” However, this certainly does not mean poor quality.

In this V Rising review, we will examine version 1.0 of the game, released after a long Early Access period. If you have had the opportunity to play in preview, you will certainly know what you are going to encounter. However, this review can be useful for all those who are new to this game.

The Vampires are Rising
As soon as we start the game for the first time, we will have the opportunity to watch an introductory film that explains the setting of the game. After a very long period of living in the shadows, vampires are ready to return and become the masters of the world.

Players, in fact, will have the opportunity to play a reborn vampire (hence the name of the game “V Rising”), which you can decide to create based on your preferences (you have a decent editor at your disposal). You will wake up in an abandoned cave and you will have to start exploring to recover both your strength and your powers.

We have no intention of continuing further in explaining the plot of the game, so that you are convinced that it must be savored as you proceed in your adventure. The game is full of things to do and twists, so going into too much detail about the plot can be counterproductive. Suffice it to say that, if you are a fan of vampires, you will certainly not be disappointed.

[...]

V Rising is an excellent game about vampires that manages to take the best of its various genres and mix them to create a superlative game. All lovers of vampires and this genre of games will certainly be pleasantly impressed. All the various aspects of the game (the plot, the gameplay, and the technical side) have been developed with extreme attention and we cannot fail to compliment the development team.

Score: 9.5/10

Couchpotato spotted an excerpt of the book Ultima and Worldbuilding in the Computer Role-Playing Game on Gamedeveloper.

Couchpotato spotted a Roberta Williams interview at Investors Business Daily:

Queen Of Adventure Video Game Design Isn't Done Yet

Roberta Lynn Williams is one of the most influential American video game designer and writers

Video game designer extraordinaire Roberta Williams has repeatedly displayed her leadership skills by doing whatever the hell she wants. Whenever the hell she wants.

That was true way back in 1980 when she combined her enchantment with mystery author Agatha Christie and her fascination with the board game Clue, and designed "Mystery House."

"Mystery House" is widely credited as being the first graphic adventure game.

It was also true back in 1995, when the longtime Stephen King fan also designed "Phantasmagoria," a terrifying, full-motion video that turned the industry on its head by combining terrifyingly frightful scenes — even one that featured a husband apparently assaulting his own wife — with live actors painstakingly acting out much of the 500-page script.

Stay Relevant Like Roberta Williams
It is also vividly true right now, with the feisty, 71-year-old video game design legend — whose games have sold more than 15 million copies — recently opting to make a professional U-turn after more than 25 years of retirement. She recently returned to a cosmically different video game industry where her sterling credentials as one of the industry's most influential creators are being seriously tested by a young audience that mostly doesn't know her.

Each one of these is a challenge that only a top-flight leader could take on. Yet, Williams says, she's never even thought about herself as a leader.

"No one has ever asked me about my leadership before," she said. "It's always been about my creativity."

Find A Partner So You Focus On Strengths
Williams and her husband Ken launched a wildly successful video game company called Sierra On-Line. The company was ultimately sold to CUC International for more than a billion dollars. The company's finances had been mostly overseen by her CEO husband, Ken Williams, the super-programmer and tech guru with the industry acumen that not only got Sierra off the ground but made it an industry force for decades.

But Roberta Williams provided the creative leadership. And it all comes down, she says, to the single quality that every great leader must possess: confidence.

"You have to be very self-confident," she says. "If you question yourself, you will show weakness and you'll lose your best people."

It was that boundless self-confidence that led to the unlikely creation of "Mystery House."

Follow Your Passion Like Williams
Way back in 1975, Ken Williams brought home a copy of something called "Colossal Cave Adventure," the first text-only adventure video game that he stumbled upon. Roberta Williams saw it and instantly fell in love with it. It was a text-only video game where you could basically move X's and O's around, but not much else.

"It was my light bulb moment," she said. "Something opened up in my mind that told me I had to develop something like this game. Never mind that I'd never done anything like that before."

She was in her early 20s and had done a smidgen of programming, but not much. So she posed the question to herself that any great leader would;  "How can I do this?"

That's when she gathered lots of paper — massive pieces of construction paper that she could roll and unroll and use as a flow chart. "I was basically developing a storyboard, but I didn't know what I was doing."

Just Get Started
Most great leaders don't know exactly what they're doing — at least, at the beginning, she says. They just have to do it.

She went wild. Williams started scribbling with a pencil on the construction paper. She drew a house with huge circles for each room — modeled after the Clue board game. But it kept getting more and more complex. She added more and more rooms, characters and objects.

Even as Roberta worked on her project, husband Ken had huge ambitions to start his own company where he could create software for personal computers. "He initially thought my flow chart was silly, while he was doing the he-man programming work," said Roberta.

[...]

Mp1st reports that Lies of P gets a DLC later this year.

Thanks Couchpotato!

Couchpotato spotted developer diary #12 for VtM: Bloodlines 2:

Developing Ventrue

Developer Diary #12

Picture a group of stylish, ambitious vampires, each with a hunger for authority that matches their thirst for blood. That's Clan Ventrue for you - vampires with a taste for power, prestige, and opulence. Our team had a blast bringing their aristocratic grandeur and ambition to life in the game. Equally at home in the corridors of corporate power and the halls of high society, the Ventrue embody leadership, strategy, and a refined decadence. Whether they're making deals in the boardroom or dominating the nightlife scene, the Blue Bloods always maintain their iron grip on power.

Designing modern Ventrue for Tabletop
Just like the Brujah, the Ventrue are a foundational archetype both in Vampire: The Masquerade’s clan assembly as well as in wider vampire fiction. They represent the vampire as the aristocratic leader — classy, regal, and inhumanly majestic. Many silver screen depictions of Dracula would fit well in this clan, as would any number of his derivatives. Before Anne Rice, the Ventrue represented what most people would consider a classical vampire.

Taking the Blue Bloods into the fifth edition was therefore comparatively easy, as the clan has had a solid identity from its first appearance in 1991, never relying on gimmick powers or tangled setting elements. Their arsenal of Disciplines paint a clear picture of the kind of ruler they represent: Presence to incite awe, Dominate to enforce obedience, and — if the previous would fail — Fortitude to withstand retaliation. A true Ventrue commands from the front, but that is also their weakness.

While Ventrue vampires are no strangers to hierarchies, their tradition of Embracing mortals already used to being obeyed often creates brittle power structures with too many leaders and not enough followers. To many Blue Bloods the throne is more important than what it represents, and more than one Ventrue Prince has met final death because they would rather lead in defeat than triumph as a lackey.
– Karim Muammar, Designer of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition and Brand Editor for the World of Darkness

[...]

Fextralife checked out Enotria: The Last Song:

Enotria The Last Song Gameplay Impressions - How is the New Summer Soulslike?

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Matt talks with Stefan Nitescu about Zoria: Age of Shattering:

MC527: Zoria Age of Shattering with Stefan Nitescu

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You can get Dragon Age: Inquisition free on Epic Games until May 23.

Thanks Arahael!

Learn more about Enotria: The Last Song on IGN:

Enotria: The Last Song - Official 15-Minute Gameplay Overview

IGN shows a new Capes trailer:

Capes - Official Weathervane Overview Trailer

Mortismal Gaming reviewed The Witcher 3:

The Witcher 3 - Review After 100%

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Couchpotato spotted a VOIN preview on C4G:

VOIN - New First Person Open World RPG

The historical adventure RPG Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on November 15:

Assassin's Creed Shadows - Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer

Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny and usher in a new era for Japan.

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Soola found this challenge on Rock Paper Shotgun:

Game dev challenges other devs to multiply something in their game by 1000, triggering landslide of chaotic videos

Quantity always wins

I think most would agree that the artist formerly known as Twitter has never been in more need of a thermonuclear cleansing. The Musk era has transformed what was already fondly known as a hellsite into something at once more obnoxious and sadder, whether you're talking about the web3 grifters or the resurgent debate-me cryptofascists or the recommendation algorithm's perceptibly greater enthusiasm for quote-tweet flamebait.

Still, there are lights in the darkness. Yesterday, Graham pointed us towards a thread started by The End Is Nigh developer Tyler Glaiel in which he challenged other developers to "take a short break, pick a number in your code or data files, multiply it by 1000, and post the results". Other developers have heeded the call. Here's a round-up of the results that doubles as a watery echo of Alice0's (RPS in peace) old Screenshot Saturday Monday features.

Let's kick off with this instance of senior citizen rage from Kirt Olson and the World's Worst Handyman.

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