#tangledeep

[prokopetz]

The Impact Gameworks franchise has gotta have one of the odder trajectories I've bumped into. The first game, Tangledeep, is a ball-bustingly difficult turn-based roguelike with way too many character classes and a nearly vertical game-mechanical learning curve, then the next game, Flowstone Saga – a direct sequel to the first, I must clarify – is... a Chrono Trigger inspired JRPG-style adventure with a combat system based on Tetris? Run that one by me again!

[miaeons]

rainy weekend in!!!

[sorypsoid]

The only way to express a full force"Nyaaahh~~~!"

[dedalvs]

Kopikon Performers: Jillian & Andrew Aversa

Today we continue with introductions to our Kopikon presenters and performers with musicians Jillian and Andrew Aversa!

Jillian and Andrew have been doing music for video games for over a decade, and combined, they've worked on...everything. They've worked on Soul Calibur, Halo, Destiny, God of War, Assassin's Creed, Honor of Kings, Killer Instinct… And now they're playing Kopikon.

Jillian and Andrew will be performing at 3:45 p.m. in Copley Formal Lounge at Georgetown University, September 23rd, 2023. To register, go here. The full schedule is listed below:

10:00 a.m. Opening remarks by David & Jessie

10:15 a.m. Sally Caves

10:45 a.m. Carl Buck

11:15 a.m. Break (20 minutes)

11:35 a.m. Sylvia Sotomayor

12:00 p.m. David Peterson

12:30 p.m. Lunch (90 minutes)

2:00 p.m. Paul Frommer

2:30 p.m. John Quijada

3:15 p.m. Break (30 minutes)

3:45 p.m. Music (Jillian and Andrew Aversa)

4:15 p.m. Jessie Sams

4:45 p.m. Break (15 minutes)

5:00 p.m. Biblaridion

5:45 p.m. Marc Okrand

6:30 p.m. Closing remarks by David & Jessie

[mysteamgrids]

Tangledeep

[solrin]

Adventuring tips: Just be cute

[sorelymisinken]

I did it.

[ephemeralhorror]

flowstone saga definitely benefits from having more story and characterization than tangledeep. one of tangedeep's biggest problems was combining a one-woman show (good for a lot of purposes!) with a "i'll fight you to save my friends back home" resolution. you turned on the one person you've spent the game having real conversations with for some cardboard cutouts.

while i'm not as immediately attached to anyone in flowstone like with shara (inevitable because of the whole one-woman-show thing) the cast definitely felt more alive overall than tangledeep ever allowed. easy to get attached to and overall fun to go through scenes with. its conclusions typically felt better earned than tangledeep's ever did.

it was surprising how the characterization and writing were distributed (there's almost nothing for the first 40% of the game), but when that change happens it's a pleasant one at least.

[vel-sig-gaming]

Short form reviews x7

Might make longer reviews of some of these but here's a rapidfire of some games I consider truly exceptional (that you probably havent heard of already.) Because a lot of these are too good to not know about for even a day longer.

[Sifu]: First person fighting game about getting revenge with kung fu, Insanely hard game, very hard to master, very rewarding. Get it if you like fighting games or hard games, Single player only, 8/10.

[One step from eden]: Usually deckbuilder roguelikes are more slow paced. This one turns it into a FPS where if you don't have high APM you're dead meat. The execution is steller, the character options are great, the difficulty is nightmarish, and the music is amazing. Also it just came out with a multiplayer fighting game spinoff. 9/10

[Balatro]: Another roguelike with a twist, this one is poker themes but your hands deal damage. Kill the enemy in a limited number of them by grabbing muultipliers, modifiers, and special effects. One of the best designed ones i've seen lately, just go try it now. 9.5/10.

[Luck be a landlord]: This one is a much shorter game, but it's very hard to stop playing once you try. the demo for this one is free on steam and of a good size. Only about 4 hours of good gameplay though so get it on sale maybe. 6/10.

[Cassette Beasts]: It's a monster catching game but with a good plot and good combat that isn't just "Oneshot them with your strongest attack move" looking at you, pokemon. Also it does that thing where the artstyle changes and the music adds vocals during tough encounters. Fucking love that shit. 9.5/10. it's like pokemon if it were actually good.

[Sunless sea]: This one is hard to evaluate. The writing and worldbuilding might actually be the straight up BEST I'VE EVER SEEN. However it does NOT mix with roguelike gameplay very well as you'll sometimes end up re-reading the same slow encounters 10 times. However the gameplay as a whole is a mastah fucken peece. 6/10, but if you turn on savepoints and lower difficulty, 8 or 9/10.

[Tangledeep]: This one is a only semi-randomized roguelike and it's more of an adventure game/dungeon crawler. But the real draw of this game (besides the amazing music) is HOARDING ALL THE LOOT. 10 Cooked chickens, a potion that gives you 50 buffs, legendary armor and weapons made of tree bark, Shark swords, Giant bombs, it all goes in the bag. Fucking love it. 8/10. it's a bit unbalanced though.

Some games are too good to not play in my opinion. That's why i'm here to let you know of the better ones just a little bit sooner, at least I hope so.

Make sure to enjoy. More in depth reviews later.

[gefdreamsofthesea]

Everyone judge my taste in roguelikes/lites (I'm picky.)

The reason Cultist Simulator isn't higher is because I'm not comfortable giving Weather Factory publicity but a few years ago it was one of my favourite games

Some other solid games that I didn't see:

Doors of Trithius

Terra Randoma

ToME

Tangledeep

Soulash

Stoneshard

Games where I get the hype:

Caves of Qud - I've made several attempts to play it but I find it difficult to grok the controls and understand what I'm looking at

Dwarf Fortress - a complete nightmare to play on Steam deck, I've forgotten how to play already, may try again someday

[best-female-villain-tournament]

Characters I need photos for that I couldn't find or wasn't sure about

Medusa (Kid Icarus)

Marie Campbell (Killer Frequency)

Excellinor the Witch (HTTYD(books))

Liliana (Oxventure)

Lady Felmet (Discworld (Wyrd Sisters))

Poison Ivy (DC Comics)

Shara (Tangledeep)

Catwoman (Batman)

Zilva Madigan (Tales Of Rebirth)

Akura Malice (Cradle)

Tron bonne (mega man legends)

Kaia (Motorcity)

if you can find some, feel free to dop them in the ask box or dms

[clovrplayz]

tangledeep is a dungeon crawler rpg that’s on steam and switch it’s super fun and a nice way to get into tile dungeon crawlers like Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup which I used to play growing up :B

sounds wicked! :0

[miaeons]

quality time w my bestie~~~

[linuxgamenews]

Experience the Thrilling Action of Flowstone Saga

Flowstone Saga action RPG puzzle battle game launches on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the brilliant minds at Impact Gameworks. Available on both Steam with 94% Positive reviews. The Flowstone Saga action RPG comes from the brilliant minds of Andrew Aversa and Andrew Luers, who first connected in the 2000s. Doing so through their love of video game music in the OverClocked ReMix community. Aversa, a talented producer and composer, and Luers, a graphic designer and musician, teamed up for the first time on Tangledeep. Now, they’re back together, co-designing this title — Aversa leading the programming, and Luers taking the creative reigns as director.

Flowstone Saga action RPG | Launch Trailer

In Flowstone Saga, you dive into the action in Ocean’s End as Mirai, a spunky hero on a journey to discover her powers and make her mark. Along the way, you’ll gather allies, build a home, and battle a variety of enemies. Such as pirates, beetles, and even a cheeky axolotl. What really stands out is how you can switch between turn-based and real-time combat whenever you want. And the title’s puzzle combat mechanics? They add a fun twist that keeps things fresh and exciting! If you grew up with SNES or PlayStation RPGs, the Flowstone Saga style of action RPG puzzle battles will feel like home. You’ll be exploring, building, battling, and casting spells while uncovering the mysteries.

What Makes It Shine?

Beautiful Pixel Art: Handcrafted, gorgeous pixel art that brings multiple biomes to life.

A Big Story with Heart: The storyline is grand but packed with charm and heart.

Accessibility for All: Flowstone Saga has different difficulty levels and a turn-based "Hold" mode, everyone can jump in and enjoy the action.

Build Your Own Hub: Upgrade and decorate New Riverstone as your home base, while helping its citizens along the way.

Mini-games for Fun & Profit: Play these quirky experiences to earn some extra rewards!

Co-op Mode: Bring a buddy along to assist you in battles.

Battle Your Way: Create your own unique strategies with equipment customization, perk trees, a job system, and more!

Flowstone Saga action RPG puzzle battle is available now on Steam for just $14.39 USD / £11.99 / 13,99€ (that’s 20% off!). Grab it while the launch sale lasts, because on October 3, the price goes back up to $17.99 USD. You can play on Linux, Mac, or Windows PC, so no matter your setup, you’re good to go! But it's coming soon to GOG.

[smlpodcast]

The SML Podcast - Episode 993: Flowing Stones

Download Episode 993 --

We've got two different Andrews from Impact Gameworks on the show to chat about Flowstone Saga, so let's start!

The show kicks off with Pernell Vaughan, Chris Taylor, and Aki on hand to welcome Andrew "OA" Luers and Andrew "zircon" Aversa from Impact Gameworks on to the show to chat all about their newest release Flowstone Saga, a super cool mix of JRPG and falling block puzzle battles. We chat about the origins of the game, the long development cycle, the mechanics of the game, some Tangledeep talk, OA's soundtrack, and tons more! Plus Andy Sperry shows up partway through to join in the conversation and to tackle our reviews, which include an email from Horror Acolyte as read by George "norg" Nowik!

0:00 - Intro/Flowstone Saga Chat 1:19:05 - Melobot: A Last Song - Anomalie Studio, Microids (Pernell & Aki) 1:35:40 - pureya - Majorariatto, Mameshiba Games (Andy) 1:45:48 - Keylocker | Turn Based Cyberpunk Action - Moonana, Serenity Forge (Aki & Pernell) 2:03:40 - Cash Cow DX - Flynn's Arcade (Chris) 2:11:11 - Parking Garage Rally Circuit - Walaber Entertainment (Pernell) 2:17:54 - Pneumata - Deadbolt Interactive, Perp Games (Horror Acolyte)

The show ends with the battle theme from Flowstone Saga from composer Andrew "OA" Luers!

2:28:33 - Andrew Luers - Battle Theme (Flowstone Saga)

https://www.impactgameworks.com/ https://twitter.com/ImpactGameworks https://www.anomaliestudio.com/ https://www.microids.com/ https://www.majorariatto.com/ https://www.mameshibagames.com/ https://moonanagames.com/ https://serenityforge.com/ https://www.flynnsarcades.com/ https://www.walaber.com/ https://www.deadboltinteractive.com/ https://perpgames.com/ https://andrewluers.bandcamp.com/ https://www.keymailer.co/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sml-podcast/id826998112 https://open.spotify.com/show/6KQpzHeLsoyVy6Ln2ebNwK https://twitter.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://store.streamelements.com/thesmlpodcast ALL REVIEWED GAMES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR FREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY COVERAGE ON THE SHOW

[blueempty]

Swampy

Band was good. Our keyboard player whos been sick for a long time was able to come out. I got there late cuz our fire alarm woke me up at 7am so I slept till 3 and didnt want to get up, and then didnt want to stop playing theatrhythm

I just checked a little bit ago and found out that the Eat My Hat update for Barony is finally on the switch which is exciting. I hope I get my passion for that back soon cuz that game is great but I feel like I'm in a rut with it and I just havent felt like playing. Similarly I started over in Tangledeep to see if I could get in this time. Theres just something about it that puts me off and I think its the microscopic text. I'll keep trying tho

Peace and Long Life