It is that time of year again where we are giving away some keys again. We have a whole bunch of keys, so most of you shoul dbe able to get one.

To be able to participate, the following rules are applicable:

• You were a registered member of RPGWatch before the 6th of June 2019

AND

• You clearly state in a reply to this news topic that you want to participate
  Note that in your reply you can indicate what your preference of games to win is. You should be aware though that giving a preference might reduce your chance to win a game and does not guarantee that your preference is met.

AND

• You have contributed to RPGWatch in one or more of the following ways:
  • You donated one or more keys to this giveaway
  • You have made at least 5 posts this year
    OR
    You have a minimum of 10 posts total
  • You donated to RPGWatch in some other way in the last 12 months (I'm sure you'll let us know how, if it isn't clear to us)

For all those who did register before the 6th of June, but do not meet the third criteria, do let us know why you consider yourself to be eligible to participate. Either that or I use the following formula for the post count:

The total number of degrees Celcius that is indicated at whatever I am looking at. Divided by the amount of sleep (in hours) I did not have the night before, because it was too hot, subtracted with the number of ice creams I ate in the last 7 days and that subtracted with the total amount of goals that were scored in the Women's soccer world championship finale (or when that did not take place yet, a random number that happens to float in my brain at the time).

That is transparent enough to settle any dispute about this.

We have 86 keys this time. They should all work, but there are no guarantees.

The possibility to participate in this giveaway ends after the 1st of July. In case I forget to close the giveaway at that point in time, it is whenever I remember to do so.

If you are registered on or after the 6th of June 2019, you will not win a key, so don't bother to participate.

Check out the first reply to this news topic, for the total list of keys.

A new build for Exoplanet: First Contact is available, with an updated roadmap and the following additions and modifications:

Just as I mentioned in the previous update, means community choice, alterations made with your feedback.

WORLD

• added more details to cliffs to the east and southeast from Anomaly Lake
• added Training Grounds
• added Farmer's Cave
• added Guard Tower
• added Electrical Substation
• detailed the cave where looters who robbed Jack are hiding
• improved snipers' nests at Cutthroat Pass

ENVIRONMENT

• added new furniture for Outcast Camp made from scrap metal

NPCs

• brand new Big Hat appearance

ENGINE

• improved framerate
• improved loading speed
• fixed bugs with shadow resolution reset bug, that could cause performance drop
• fixed stretched textures on some GPUs
• bug fixes and optimization

SCRIPTING

• improved algorithms of interaction with in-game objects
• expanded functionality of scripting and dialogue systems in preparation for future quests
• fixed a bug that caused sound of hitting antigravium crystal with the pickaxe to play after Jack already stopped mining

DSOGaming reports on the PC exclusive features of the Final Fantasy VIII remaster.

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At E3 2019, Square Enix revealed that a remaster of the second 3D Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy 8, is under development. This remaster will come with some new features and in an interview with Ryokutya2089, Producer Yoshinori Kitase unveiled these brand new features.

[...]

TheGamer thinks that the Ranger Class will be enhanced in Baldur's Gate 3:

Baldur's Gate 3 And Dungeons & Dragons Will Be Changing The Ranger Class In The Future

The ranger is one of the weaker classes in the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons, but that will be changing soon, as the class will be different in both Baldur's Gate III and in some new updates for Dungeons & Dragons in the future.

The future of the ranger class was discussed by Mike Mearls, who is the creative director for Dungeons & Dragons, and Swen Vincke of Larian Studios, which is the development studio that is currently working on Baldur's Gate III. The two appeared on an episode of Kotaku Splitscreen, where they talked about both Baldur's Gate III and Dungeons & Dragons.

[...]

Powerup-Gaming checked out the RTS/RPG hybrid Spellforce 3: Soul Harvest:

Spellforce 3 Soul Harvest Review – A Masterclass in RTS-RPG Hybrids

Spellforce is an old real-time-strategy RPG franchise that inspires an awful lot of love and nostalgia in its fans. Now Grimlore Games has released a story-rich standalone expansion, Spellforce 3 Soul Harvest, in the style of Warcraft and Age of Empires.

Spellforce 3 Soul Harvest eloquently chronicles the aftermath of the Purity Wars in Nortander, in which an uneasy peace has settled on the land following wars spurred by anti-magic sentiment.

You—a disgraced general—are abruptly summoned home by your queen to deal with some unrest amongst the dwarven factions stirred up by a mysterious hatemonger. Meanwhile, the dark elves have taken to harvesting souls, because, reasons.

It naturally follows that these two factions, with the human faction planted firmly in the middle, are the focus of the game. Each has its own playable hero with specific characteristics. 

[...]

The production values of Spellforce 3 Soul Harvest simply ooze style; the visuals are stunning and the voice acting is brilliantly charming. And the game certainly isn’t lacking in reasons for you to care about the plight of its world and its inhabitants – I had a blast talking with the NPCs around the world; particularly a certain blacksmith, who had me crying with laughter (as my housemates can attest).

The game’s developers claim that the campaign ought to take approximately 20 hours to complete but I for one took longer than that. I’m a sucker for side quests and I just have to find every last chest in existence.

And then there’s the option to play multiplayer co-op in both campaign and skirmish modes, and is, of course, as amusing or as deeply competitive and friendship-ending as you wish to make it.

If you’ve been hankering for a slick RTS-RPG with polished gameplay and a powerful emotional core, and you don’t mind some serious multitasking, you’ll have a great time with Spellforce 3 Soul Harvest.

Score: 8/10

RickJoystick checked out the oldschool dungeon crawler Aeon of Sands: The Trail:

Aeon of Sands - The Trail Review

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Primagames reports that Cyberpunk 2077 will have a rewarding ending and the open world can be used for expansions:

Cyberpunk 2077 Will Have a "Very Rewarding Ending," Complete Expansions

Not unlike The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077 will continue to evolve with the player in mind.

From everything we've seen thus far of Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED's newest IP looks to honor everything that this studio is known for: a damn good story. In an age of live service games and half-cooked launches, the studio promises that they have their player base in mind and will have a completely finished game at launch, complete with a "very rewarding" conclusion ahead of future expansions.

Speaking exclusively with Prima Games, UI Coordinator Alvin Liu opens up a bit about what the future holds for Cyberpunk 2077. "We are talking about expansions in the future," he tells me. "We want to make sure everything's complete, but we also want to build open worlds. I know when I was playing The Witcher 3 and I finished everything, I still want to know what everyone was up to. I think we're going to have opportunities like that as well for Cyberpunk 2077."

[...]

Thanks henriquejr!

DSOGaming reports on an IGN gameplay video for Greedfall.

IGN has shared a video, showing 10 minutes of gameplay footage from the E3 2019 build of SPIDERS’ upcoming action RPG, Greedfall. From the looks of it, Greedfall is an evolution of SPIDERS’ previous action RPGs so those that have played them will feel right at home.

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UnleashtheGamer has a large infographic of the best 500 RPGs from the last 40 years.

You might’ve forgotten, but a few months ago, on a cold February afternoon, we released a humongous infographic on the internet containing (what we then thought) a definitive list of the best RPGs.

How It All Began

We won’t lie to you – it took a lot of work. Like, a lot. Gathering the data, centralizing the titles, neatly categorizing each game in the appropriate place, and not to mention designing the infographic itself, took a lot of grind and sweat.

• 3 weeks to gather the initial data, researching, and talking to friends

• 1 week of proofreading and arguing with said friends about the differences between real-time with pause and turn-based games

• Several hours making research on the difference between high fantasy and low fantasy only to understand that there is no consensus in the media on either definition, and we’re free to accept whichever option we wish

• 2 days for our designer to come up with a structure that makes sense

• Hours upon hours to find all the information required

• 2 weeks of gathering your feedback and doubling the number of games

• Hours of our designer adding all them and alphabetizing all 500+ games per your request

• 1836 layers in the Photoshop file

• A full month of being proven wrong each day when I thought I knew a lot of RPG games

[...]

DSOGaming reports on a Mass Effect 2 mod which lets you play in first person.

This first-person mod for Mass Effect 2 does not change the combat perspective (the game automatically switches to third-person mode when you are in combat) and is completely compatible with all the conversations (as they are using multiple different perspectives throughout the game).

[...]

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Thanks Farflame!

@Gamingbolt The developers of Chernobylite have been interviewed.

From what we’ve read of Chernobylite so far, it seems the story is a pretty big focus in the game- is that an accurate assertion?

Exactly! In our previous game, Get Even, we put a lot of emphasis on narration and the bar has been set up pretty high. Nevertheless, with Chernobylite, we have an ambition to push it even higher.

How much are player decisions going to affect the game and its story? How divergent can we expect the branching paths to be?

It’s very difficult to answer this question without going into too many details. In our branching system we don’t allow the player to make choices only in specific places planned in the script. In our game each character may die, each task may be a success or a failure. Everything will have their consequences both in the story and in the gameplay.

How does collaborating or competing with other characters in the Exclusion Zone work in the game as a mechanic? 

Very often in RPGs we encounter different fractions which we can ally with in various ways and antagonize the other ones at the same time. In Chernobylite each stalker is like a fraction. It’s mostly visible in members of your crew – everyone has a different agenda, goals or sympathies. It’s bread and butter.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

PixelOpinions and DigitalChumps previewed The Elder Scrolls Online - Elsweyr

Similarly, the new world activity that has continued the trend of finding replacements for the base games dark anchors are the Dragon hunts. Public events that will see a dragon spawn and eventually land allowing a group of players to engage in battle. These are much more challenging and demanding versions of public bosses which will require larger groups as well as those people playing their role, unlike public bosses which can be beaten by as little as a couple of experienced players. While these are very fun and rewarding experiences, you will quickly realize that they are not as dynamic as they first appear and even take place in predetermined areas. I have concerns about how manageable they will be once the initial population spike due to a new expansion subsides again. It gives off the impression that like their impact in the main campaign, they will end up just being there.

I realize that it seems like I am being very critical of the storytelling but I don’t mean to be, it isn’t bad by any means, it just doesn’t meet its full potential. In fact, much like everything before it, what is here is very well written and exceptionally voice acted to its usual high standard. Just make sure you are a fan of the Khajiit and their unique way of speaking, otherwise you will find yourself a little annoyed since they are the most prominent race in Elsweyr. Truthfully, where the main campaign is lacking, the experience is more than made up for in the side quests which are amongst the best we have seen yet. This is the furthest from your boring kill x, collect y quest template of past MMOs. You will come across a wide variety of colorful quest givers with their own personalities and agendas that will send you on what feel like meaningful tasks.

[...]

The Dragons

These aren’t you 2011 Skyrim dragons, nor are you the Dragonborn. The dragons in Elsweyr pose so much more of a threat, and you better make sure that you are prepared. These dragons believe that Elsweyr is theirs, and will make sure nobody is in the way to stop them.

The first time the player gets to see a dragon up close and personal is in the tutorial. The dragon is brought down by a horn the player blows that grounds them for a bit. A couple of the adepts and the player go to confront the dragon while it is grounded. It becomes rapidly apparent that the player is not yet ready to kill a dragon. The dragon is called away by a voice on the wind, and honestly, that was a lucky break. For the player and adeptorium alike.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Wccftech interviewed the devs behind The Sinking City.

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Q: The Sinking City is an open world game. How difficult has it been to develop an investigation game in a much bigger setting?

A: The game is a heavily story-driven game, so it’s not an open world sandbox game where you can go fishing, or you can go have a drink with your buddies, nothing like that. Still, it’s been definitely challenging because we needed to make sure that players don’t get lost. For this reason, we put hints in every part of the city to make it easy to put clues and conclusions together. It’s in the evidence, you can just analyze it and you will get figure out where to go next.

Q: Are there multiple ways to complete missions?

A: There are linear and nonlinear parts in each quest. You reconstruct the trail to find out who committed a crime, but at the same time it’s possible to gather different pieces of information, which can be optional, that give a better understanding of what’s going on, and why somebody did something. There are also moral choices in almost every quest, and some of them will have consequences. Getting a better understanding of the motives may make you sympathize more with a character rather than another.

Q: Are there multiple endings?

A: Yes.

[...]

WellPlayed has a preview which notes the attention to detail while CogConnected thinks The Sinking City has reinvented investigation games.

While the build I had access to wasn’t the final version, I was impressed with just how much effort had gone into making the world feel dilapidated yet alive. From the moment I stepped off the boat and onto the pier at Oakmont port the sense of something unsettling disrupting the city was apparent. Rotting carcasses lined the piers, half-submerged boats lay marooned in the shallows of the city’s bay, and crazed denizens spoke of visions and ancient ruins. It was dark, gritty and grim – a bit like stepping into a Lovecraft-inspired visual novel.

You see Oakmont – a fictional city based in Massachusetts – has been afflicted by a devastating flood which not only left parts of the city submerged and a large number of its populace suffering from visions and hysteria, but has brought with it nightmare creatures from the sea. Reed, who is also suffering from these maddening visions, has journeyed to Oakmont in hope of finding the source of the madness.

[...]

During the demo, Charles is asked to solve the murder of a medium at the Crown Theater. Arriving at the crime scene you’ll clearly see the police markers for the evidence yet this is the only help the game offered. You’ll take the time to examine everything you can in the room and utilize a strange ability Charles has when inspecting things; he is able to examine a piece of evidence and see through time to the items history and gather more information on its origin. Once all of the evidence in the theater was collected, Reed entered a portal that ripped through reality in the room and was able to use the evidence to see a few glimpses of moments that occurred. It is then up to the player to determine in which order these events happened.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Underrail Expedition, a DLC for Underrail, will become available on June 22. You can also apply as a tester for the DLC.

We've been wrapping the DLC up and the development is finished now. We're moving into the final stages of testing. First we'll do some internal testing on the new version before releasing it to our testers (we're accepting additional testers now, so if you're interested apply here) and then finally releasing it for everybody on July 22nd 2019.

Thanks porcozaur.

Startdock has made version 1.4 of Star Control: Origins available.

The update brings significant visual improvements to the game, including updated planet visuals, adjustments to creature colors, and improvements to planet terrains.

In addition, the game's lore has been updated to include the Arilou, which were previously known only as the Observers.

Some new videos for Forged of Blood.

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AVAILABLE AUGUST 2019

About Forged of Blood:

Forged of Blood is pushing the boundaries of depth and mechanical complexity for the modern turn-based tactical RPG. Classless character building, strategic management, and small unit tactical gameplay combine to create a multi-layered experience that puts players in the middle of a civil war in a morally grey fantasy world.

A game of hard decisions and harsher consequences, Forged of Blood will challenge players to make decisions across every layer of the game. On the battlefield, character builds, turn-order efficiency, and positioning will be key to victory. While off the battlefield, your choices on the world map will determine the fate of your kingdom and future of your people...

Devlog #21 explains scouting in Vagrus: The Riven Realms:

Devlog #21 - Scouting (Game Design Post)

At long last, Scouting is making its way into Vagrus. It is a vital feature in navigating and surviving the many wastelands of the continent of Xeryn.

What is Scouting for?
Scouting has two main uses. First, it can give you an indication of what to expect when moving onto specific neighboring nodes on the campaign map. Though these are given in percentages (what are the chances of a fight, and event, or that nothing happens) it still gives a rough idea of risks so that players can make informed choices. Second, Scouting can indicate if there is something fixed on a specific node (either a fixed Event or a Task objective for a faction). This is immensely helpful when looking for something out there in the wilderness with only vague directions to go on.

How do you use Scouting?
You can use Scouting when standing on a node. When you do so, you will have the option to select which neighboring nodes you wish to send scouts to - more than one route costs Resourcefulness for each additional node scouted. Naturally, you'll need scouts to even initiate this action. Scouting costs Movement Points: you have to pay half the highest route MP cost. The chance of success for each scouted node depends on how many scouts you send that particular direction and a Scout Master deputy provides further bonuses.

What are the risks of Scouting?
Apart from spending the Movement Points (and potentially Resourcefulness), your scouts have a chance not to return (having fallen prey to one of the many dangers of the wasteland) when you roll a critical failure. This makes spamming Scouting a bad idea, even with a Scoutmaster whose presence reduces the chances of a negative outcome.

Success vs Critical Success
A successfully scouted route provides percentage chances of an Event, combat encounter, or nothing happening. A critical success provides exactly what is going to happen (Event, encounter, nothing) and in case of an event or an encounter, it gives a relative idea of what to expect (obstacles, boon, chance for combat, the challenge rating of a fight, etc).

Scout Master
One of the deputy roles, the Scout Master is extremely useful when it comes to Scouting (as expected). When this role is assigned, it provides flat bonuses to critical success, reduces the chance of a critical failure, as well as makes it so that Scouting costs less MPs. Additionally, you can send scouts to a second node without paying Resourcefulness.

We are very excited to be able to now test Scouting and see how it impacts exploration in the open-world part of the game. We are even more excited to be able to include it in the game builds soon and see how players react.

Thanks Sztaszov!

DSOGaming reports on some E3 gameplay demo video for Phoenix Point.

Snapshot Games has released a video, showing 19 minutes of brand new gameplay footage from the E3 2019 demo of Phoenix Point. Phoenix Point is a turn-based squad tactics game from the creator of X-Com that is currently scheduled for a September 3rd release.

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Pladio spotted the strategy RPG Empire of Sin on PCGamesN:

Empire of Sin

Empire of Sin, the strategy game from Romero Games and Paradox Interactive, puts you at the heart of the ruthless criminal underworld of 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago. It’s up to you to hustle, charm and intimidate your way to the top of the pile and do whatever it takes to stay there. This character-driven, noir-inspired game puts players smack dab in the glitz and glamor of the roaring 20s, all while working behind the scenes in the gritty underbelly of organized crime.

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• Build A Crime Empire: Raise your criminal empire from the ground up by selecting your racket of choice (be it speakeasies, union protection, or casinos) and building a team of loyal mobsters to make your mark on the streets. Once you make a name for yourself, expand your influence by taking over rival territory and add more endeavors to your repertoire.
• Defend and Expand Territory: If it comes to blows, hypothetically of course, and your posse needs to send a message, face off in brutal turn-based combat. Strategically recruit your goons and build a strong chemistry within your crew to maximize combat damage and help secure your hold on the city.
• Living, Breathing World: Explore the streets of vibrant 1920s Chicago and interact with a full cast of living, breathing characters each with lives of their own that inform how they react to what you do (or don’t do). Schmooze, coerce, seduce, threaten, or kill them to get your way.
• Wield Your Influence: Make and break alliances, bribe cops, and trade on the black market to raise your faction rating and expand your crime family. But always keep your enemies close and ensure you have a mole on the inside and eyes everywhere.
• Multiple Victory Strategies: Whether you make it to the top with violence, social influence, or city-wide notoriety, there are a number of ways to become King or Queen of Chicago. With various starting conditions and constantly changing crew dynamics, no two playthroughs will ever be the same.

PCGames tells us some more about the gameplay:

Empire of Sin’s XCOM combat is only a small part of a rich strategy game

The new strategy game from Romero Games is garnering a lot of attention due to its XCOM-like combat, but after seeing Empire of Sin at E3 2019, it’s clear there’s a lot more going on under the hood to excite strategy gamers of all types.

Your goal is to dominate Prohibition-era Chicago. Starting as a lone mobster with no assets, you’ll grow your faction into a criminal corporation running everything from breweries to brothels. This involves both tactical and strategic decisions – commanding your units and managing your empire – and what makes Empire of Sin special is that there’s no schism between the two. You get to manage every aspect, from the abilities and weapons used by your crew, all the way up to your faction’s alliances and rackets.

[...]

DSOGaming reports on a new in-engine trailer for action RPG Tales of Arise.

Bandai Namco has released a new in-engine trailer for Tales of Arise in which the publisher reveals the names of the brave protagonists fighting for freedom. Tales of Arise will be using Unreal Engine 4 and promises to feature a high quality animation system, as well as a dynamic action RPG battle system that will be mostly faithful to the series.

[...]

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Porcozaur spotted patch #5 for INSOMNIA: The Ark:

The wait is over: patch #5 is out!

Hello everyone! Today marks the release of v1.5 for INSOMNIA: The Ark, something that we have all been waiting for so long. Previously, we’ve outlined a roadmap regarding the specific issues we’ve been working on (#1, #2, #3, #4). So let us go over some of the highlights below:

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This video showcases game’s transition to the latest version of Unreal Engine 4 in action and lightning effects being improved thanks to DirectX 12 support.

• INSOMNIA is now running on Unreal Engine v4.21.2 (it used to run on v4.16.3). Since the difference between these two versions was huge, we couldn’t jump from the older version to the newest one in one go. We had to update the game step by step and fix many new issues that weren’t causing any trouble previously;
• DirectX 12 support is introduced, so get ready for some dramatic changes to the appearance of in-game locations! The lighting effects have been improved drastically, making Object 6 look and feel more realistic and sinister than ever before. You can also expect DirectX 11 support, even though INSOMNIA worked only with DirectX 10 initially;
• The texture streaming feature was added to fix the missing textures issue that some of you have experienced before for specific in-game models. Localization-related glitches have also been addressed which was technically impossible without UE4 upgrade (along with missing textures bug);
• Better optimization for AMD powered machines and overall improvement of game stability, along with fixing all known critical blockers, crashes and freezes that prevented some players to continue with the game at certain stages.

Below you can find an additional list of bugs that have been addressed in the latest patch:
[...]

The first reviews for the Metroidvania Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night are very good:

Destructoid - Score 8/10

GameCrate - Score 9.5/10

Steam

Metacritic

The last beta version for Fallout: New California is out now - next: Version 1.0

Fallout: New California

It's been 7 months since the last update. This is the next major stop of the roadmap to 1.0. One update will remain after this and then the mod is complete and out of BETA.

Thanks rjshae!

The strategy game They Are Billions is out now:

They Are Billions

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They Are Billions is a Steampunk strategy game set on a post-apocalyptic planet. Build and defend colonies to survive against the billions of the infected that seek to annihilate the few remaining living humans. Can humanity survive after the zombie apocalypse?

The Early Access version of the strategy RPG Dead Monarchy is now available:

Dead Monarchy

Dead Monarchy is a turn-based, tactical RPG with roguelike elements, inspired by games such as Battle Brothers, XCOM and Jagged Alliance. Equip your warriors with historically inspired equipment and attempt to survive in a dying world overrun by all manner of monsters.

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Currently the game consists of two layers. The "town" layer where you manage the player base and the "combat" layer where you engage enemies in turn-based tactical combat. As it stands, the core gameplay loop is to go out on a mission, gather resources, then spend those resources on upgrading buildings which in turn provide a variety of bonuses to your warriors. As you continue to upgrade your town and go out on expeditions, time will pass and the enemy will grow stronger and then will eventually attack your town. Failing a base assault without being completely wiped out will result in your building upgrades being destroyed.

This weakens the player and makes it harder for the player to achieve victory. To win the game in its current Early Access state, you must defeat all 5 Monarchs, one for each respective biome. This eventually results in a race against the enemy, with the enemy trying to wipe out your town and with the player trying to become strong enough to defeat all 5 Monarchs before getting wiped out.

• Turn-based, tactical combat where the player can control up to 18 warriors at once. No longer do you have to justify to yourself for playing with a small party of 6 poor souls against the world. Combat is phase based, meaning all units within a faction act before the next faction goes however movement is based on action points allowing movement multiple times in a turn.
• Counter attacks and attacks of opportunity, ranged combat, synergistic abilities, flanking, action point system, positional bonuses and elevation tiles that influence hit chance.
• 45 abilities divided into 9 weapon types. Sword, hatchet, mace, claymore, greataxe, warhammer and rapier. There are then 2 ranged weapon types, longbow and crossbow. Each weapon type has 5 unique abilities assigned to it.
• 50 unique armor sets currently implemented which make up the 20 tiers of standard armor and 30 rare cultural armor that the player finds out in the world. Standard armors have 6 color variations, cultural armor has 3 color variations. An armor set consists of the helmet and the body armor (torso to legs). Plenty of armor sets to come in the future.
• 5 unique biomes to fight in, with each biome containing its own environmental hazards. Combat maps also have partial random map generation. Rocks, trees, environmental hazards and singular elevation tiles are all randomly generated using an algorithm.
• 65 monsters of which 60 have unique monster models. Not all unique monster abilities are animated yet, so there could be some confusion when it comes to "feedback" during combat.

Assume leadership over a town. Decide where you want to send an expedition team to scavenge, based on the rewards and resources that the different biomes offer. Use those resources to upgrade your town buildings to prepare your warriors against the eventual town assaults and to give them the necessary support to hunt down the Monarchs.

Dead Monarchy Studios is me, I'm just one guy. I'm a solo developer and a gamer who's been chasing a lifelong dream of creating a RPG that I could live in. I was born and raised in Australia and I spent my childhood playing games. Dead Monarchy is my passion project and it has been influenced by games such as Battle Brothers, XCOM and Jagged Alliance. I plan to develop Dead Monarchy for several years, even after release. If I don't, then I'll see you at the stake.

You are a software engineer? Maybe Danger Crew is an RPG for you:

Danger Crew

Danger Crew is a single-player, retro-style RPG set in a world obsessed with programming.

It’s your first day of work as a lead engineer at Five Star Belts, the finest craftsmen belt company the city of Clayton has ever seen. Rumors have been spreading ever since a meeting with a nefarious vendor hit the calendars. The company might be in danger!

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In Danger Crew, you will:

• Bust out your laptop! Defeat evil hackers and rival programmers in Hack Battles. Sling terminal commands until your enemies' laptops explode in a smoking cloud of defeat. Protect your company from a data hungry monolith corporation.
• Level up your Crew! Inspire followers throughout your journey. Customize their names and appearances. Augment their laptops with specialized Scripts and Upgrades. Build up your Crew to be an unstoppable force!
• Explore the city! Gain a reputation by completing story quests and filling out your Journal. Help quirky strangers solve big problems in the city of Clayton.
• Dive into programmer culture! Created by web developers Drew Conley and Glenn LaBarre, Danger Crew is inspired and loosely based on real world experiences while working as programmers at large software companies.

Porcozaur noticed that Alpha Protocol is no longer available for sale on Steam.

Here's the official gameplay trailer for Starpoint Gemini 3:

Starpoint Gemini 3

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Put on your pilot’s helmet, grab your spaceship rudders and play the first official gameplay trailer of Starpoint Gemini 3, to get prepared for your new exciting adventure in the Gemini universe!
Engage in action-packed space battles, visit amazing worlds and encounter interesting characters to find the answers you seek. For the first time in the franchise, Starpoint Gemini 3 brings animated 3D, NPCs that you can interact with, and this time your path leads beyond Gemini as you get to explore two new planetary systems. You are not alone on your journey. You have ADAH, a digital consciousness that runs your ship's computer and can download itself onto your drone, which you can then control in ADAH’s role to accomplish off-ship tasks you could never do alone. Buckle your seatbelts and prepare to immerse yourself in a world of space adventurer. Visit various venues, from pubs with shady clientele, to high-tech facilities and glitzy, noisy nightclubs, pick your targets and choose your allies. Your journey is about to begin.

Key features:

• A huge immersive space spanning throughout three different planet systems of former imperial colonies;
• Large variety of characters with unique personalities, different questlines and factions;
• Adrenaline-packed dogfighting combat;
• Unique combat system that allows player mid-combat weapon switching;
• New out-of-ship drone control and exploration of space structures;
• Modular ship upgrading system; - Complete set of RPG skills to boost player's capabilities over the course of the game;
• Detailed visitable interiors on different planets;
• Universe populated with unique areas, objects and characters that allow players to engage in many different activities while free-roaming between missions;
• Storyline is written by Darko Macan, the official writer for numerous Star Wars and Marvel comics.

The adventure RPG The Forgotten City will be released late 2019:

The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City is a time loop murder mystery set in a mythological city.

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Deep underground in an ancient Roman city, twenty-six trapped explorers lay dead because one of them broke a mysterious law. Reliving that fateful day over and over again, you'll need to cleverly exploit the time loop, Groundhog Day-style, to avert disaster! Face tough moral choices while interrogating diverse characters, gathering their secrets, and putting together the pieces of a giant interpersonal puzzle.

The Forgotten City offers incredible freedom and respects players' time and intelligence, rewarding lateral thinking with the best of all possible endings.

• The Forgotten City is a re-imagining of the critically acclaimed mod with more than 2 million downloads, and the first mod in history to win a national Writers' Guild award.
• Key features:
• Investigate a dark, gripping mystery full of twists and intrigue
• Solve problems your own way, with reason, charm, bribery, stealth, threats, violence - or cleverly exploit the time-loop
• Explore a stunning and intricate city rendered with Unreal Engine
• Interrogate richly detailed characters with interwoven lives
• Grapple with moral dilemmas which have life-and-death consequences
• Choose your own gender, race, and backstory
• Listen to an achingly beautiful orchestral score and first class voice acting

PC Gamer looks back at the making of Path of Exile:

The making of Path of Exile

How Grinding Gear Games created a free-to-play classic.

When Chris Wilson was called a noob in his own game, Path of Exile, he knew it was going places.

Before the Grinding Gear Games co-founder had gone to bed, on the first night of Path of Exile's closed alpha test, he was running the highest level character in the game. When he woke up, he had the privilege of being insulted by the player who deposed him.

"The thing we were worried about with our closed alpha was whether or not people would actually keep playing overnight,” Wilson recalls. “This was basically us inviting our friends and family to play, and they’d play for a few hours to humour us. But if this person was willing to call in sick the next day and not go to work because he could be the number one player in the world in this upcoming action-RPG, which was his goal, then we had something.”

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Thanks henriquejr!

The side-scroller action RPG Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is now available:

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an exploration-focused, side-scroller action RPG by Koji Igarashi. Play as Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist's curse that slowly crystallizes her body. Battle through a demon-infested castle and defeat its master to save yourself, and all of humanity!