Ciao, lately my day job is going very hard on me, leaving almost no time for the blog and the Youtube channel. Anyway, i managed to complete this new episode of Keep An Eye On It, which was on standby for almost 10 days.
We love indie games here at Turn Based Lovers, but we recognize a great triple-A title when we see one. In this edition of Keep An Eye On It, our usual lineup of promising indie titles is joined by some very exciting releases coming up from big-name publishers. One Piece Odyssey is the big standout, but we’re positively beside ourselves at the possibility of a new Tactics Ogre title as well.
Don’t worry, indie fans, there’s still plenty of good stuff from small developers on this list as well. Foretales and The Time I Have Left both have some strong narratives to look forward to, while card fans will find lots to love in Alchemical INC and These Doomed Isles. Check out these titles, and tell us which ones you’re most excited about in the comments – after you’ve Wishlisted and Followed them, of course.
10 Promising Turn-Based Games expected during 2022-2023
These Doomed Isles
Survival city-builders like Frostpunk or Surviving The Aftermath are a special kind of stressful. These are the kinds of games where everything is going just fine right up to the point where your entire colony collapses at once in spectacular fashion. Triplevision Games’ These Doomed Isles takes a card-based approach to this normally real-time subgenre.
Each turn, cards are played that raise islands from the depths of the ocean, construct buildings for human settlers to live and work from, and cause mysterious events to occur. As time wears on, players will need to contend with natural disasters, vicious sea monsters, and bloodthirsty Viking raiders – all of which are bent on destroying everything you’ve built. Signups are available for the closed alpha, so the release of These Doomed Isles is probably some time away, but this is definitely a title to follow for updates if you like playing as a not-nearly-omnipotent-enough deity.
Wishlist These Doomed Isles on Steam
In Stars and Time
In Stars And Time from developer insertdisc5 is a black-and-white RPG about a group of friends stuck in a time loop. Repeating the same two days over and over, protagonist Siffrin is the only one aware that anything strange is happening. As Siffrin, you’ll have to adjust your actions through each loop to break the cycle and overthrow an evil king.
The game includes a rock-paper-scissors combat system, but victory comes from more than just luck. As Siffrin forges new memories from each trip through the time loop, these become equippable to affect the party’s combat powers. The hand-drawn look of the game gives it some real indie charm, so if it interests you consider trying the prologue, titled START AGAIN, until a release date is announced.
Wishlist In Stars And Time on Steam
Foretales
Alkemi’s Foretales is the kind of game that Voice Of Cards might have been if it was modeled after point-and-click adventure games rather than JRPGs. Playing cards to the board moves the story along, introducing new characters, items, and challenges. The whole thing is delightfully narrated by Travis Willingham of Critical Role fame, and the card art is superb.
Foretales features multiple endings based on the choices you make throughout your run, giving it plenty of replay value as you experiment with different story paths. This looks to be an exciting and ambitious game, and should be a real treat when it launches this summer.
The Time I Have Left
Players who liked the black, white, and red aesthetic of Othercide will certainly be drawn to The Time I Have Left. The sole human trapped in a monster-filled underground city, Aline has six hours to escape before she is killed by the Miasma within. While the game focuses primarily on exploration and problem-solving, it includes timing-heavy turn-based battles with a twist.
The monsters Aline encounters in Colony 7 are entirely invulnerable, so combat revolves around evading their attacks and finding escape routes. Actions must be chosen carefully, as each move takes precious seconds from Aline’s six hours. GROUND Game Atelier could have a new survival classic on their hands, but good things take patience – The Time I Have Left won’t be out until late 2023.
Wishlist The Time I Have Left on Steam
Alchemical INC.
Card battlers are pretty common these days, but few make their card mechanics a part of the setting quite like Looch Labs’ Alchemical INC. Wandering a steampunk city in first-person, players can battle rivals to earn new cards (at the risk of losing their own), but your deck is more than just a representation of your combat abilities – it’s also your wallet.
The economy of New Folk City is entirely centered around cards, so if you want something you’ll have to be ready to trade from your collection for it. That includes food to feed your family, so play smart and trade smarter if you want to come out ahead. The full game won’t be released until 2023, but a free demo is available right now.
Wishlist Alchemical INC. on Steam
Backpack Hero
Not to be confused with the mobile game Backpack Heroes, TheJaspel’s Backpack Hero is a roguelike where everything you need is in your trusty backpack. Organize your gear for efficient use and easy access as you lead your mouse protagonist through dangerous tunnels. The game is already causing quite of buzz on itch.io, where it’s among the site’s highest-rated roguelikes.
Backpack Hero is a game made by a veteran developer with excellent pixel art and rock-solid mechanics. The demo is even playable in a browser! The game’s Kickstarter has already reached its funding goal, but there’s still plenty of time to earn swanky rewards and unlock stretch goals.
Support Backpack Hero on Kickstarter (campaign ends 7 May, 2022)
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia
The original Brigandine was a neat hex-based game released for the PS1 back in 1998. It allowed the player to see the same conflict from the perspective of all the nations involved, based on which empire they chose to command. Over twenty years later, it got a sequel called Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia for the Switch, which is coming to PC this May.
The new game keeps the core gameplay intact – players will duke it out with their rival kingdoms across a massive map, deploying powerful Rune Knights and fierce monsters in high-powered slugfests. The PC version includes a Creative Mode as well, allowing players to bring together the best units from all their campaigns. If you don’t already have the game on Switch, the PC release on 11 May is an excellent reason to pick it up.
Wishlist Brigandine: The Legend Of Runersia on Steam
DEMON GAZE EXTRA
DEMON GAZE is something of a cult classic – the dungeon crawler was originally released on the PS Vita in 2013, and the enhanced edition DEMON GAZE EXTRA is sure to be a treat for new and existing fans alike. With new content and improved graphics, this could be the definitive edition of the game.
Using an artifact called the Demon Gaze, the protagonist binds demons into his service and uses them in his trade as a bounty hunter. The game is full of colorful characters and has a unique system that makes it much more than just another monster-catching RPG. DEMON GAZE EXTRA is already available on Switch and PS4, with the PC version coming to Steam on 25 April.
Wishlist DEMON GAZE EXTRA on Steam
Get DEMON GAZE EXTRA on Switch
One Piece Odyssey
With over one hundred manga volumes and nearly a thousand anime episodes, One Piece is among the longest-running series in history, and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping. Bandai Namco’s One Piece Odyssey could be the game that fans have been waiting for. When Luffy and his crew run aground on a mysterious island, adventure ensues in the franchise’s unique style.
Bandai Namco usually does a great job of adapting their anime properties to video games, and One Piece Odyssey should be no different. Even if you’re not a fan of the series, we can expect this to be a solid game and a good entry point for anyone who’s interested in One Piece but daunted by the sheer number of episodes. No release date has been set, but it’s speculated that the game should be on shelves in time for the 2022 holiday season.
Preorder One Piece Odyssey via Bandai Namco
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Normally we feature games in KAEOI that are a bit closer to release, but the recent trademark filing in Japan for Tactics Ogre: Reborn is such huge news that we just have to spread the word. Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre are legendary console strategy games, and the possibility of their return with a new title – the first since 2001 – will make veteran gamers’ hearts sing.
In a perfect world, Square Enix will keep the themes and gameplay that made the original games classics while finding ways to bring modern touches to the series. It wouldn’t do to get too excited for a game that hasn’t been formally announced, of course, but this is a great time to dust off the old titles or try them for the first time.
Below you can find the video version of this article with the game trailer and my beautiful voice-over. See you soon for a new episode.
Ciao
