cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/30746206

(if you can't get into tumblr)

i think the near-extinction of people making fun, deep and/or unique interactive text-based browser games, projects and stories is catastrophic to the internet. i'm talking pre-itch.io era, nothing against it.

there are a lot of fun ones listed here and here but for the most part, they were made years ago and are now a dying breed. i get why. there's no money in it. factoring in the cost of web hosting and servers, it probably costs money. it's just sad that it's a dying art form.

anyway, here's some of my favorite browser-based interactive projects and games, if you're into that kind of thing. 90% of them are on the lists that i linked above.

A Better World - create an alternate history timeline
Alter Ego - abandonware birth-to-death life simulator game
Seedship - text-based game about colonizing a new planet
Sandboxels or ThisIsSand - free-falling sand physics games
Little Alchemy 2 - combine various elements to make new ones
Infinite Craft - kind of the same as Little Alchemy
ZenGM - simulate sports
Tamajoji - browser-based tamagotchi
IFDB - interactive fiction database (text adventure games)
Written Realms - more text adventure games with a user interface
The Cafe & Diner - mystery game
The New Campaign Trail - US presidential campaign game
Money Simulator - simulate financial decisions
Genesis - text-based adventure/fantasy game
Level 13 - text-based science fiction adventure game
Miniconomy - player driven economy game
Checkbox Olympics - games involving clicking checkboxes
BrantSteele.net - game show and Hunger Games simulators
Murder Games - fight to the death simulator by Orteil
Cookie Clicker - different but felt weird not including it. by Orteil.

if you're ever thinking about making a niche project that only a select number of individuals will be nerdy enough to enjoy, keep in mind i've been playing some of these games off and on for 20~ years (Alter Ego, for example). quite literally a lifetime of replayability.

Loved Fallout 3 Loved Metro 2033 Lovef Horizon: Zero Dawn

I'm big into lore and atmosphere, not huge into resource collecting and base building.

Gotta be 1st or 3rd person, I'd like to feel like an explorer. Any thots?

Used to play a lot of Ultima, WURM, SWG, A Tale in the Desert, Mortal Online and some smaller sandbox MMOs (anyone remember Roma Victor?)

I've found I have a bit of time on my hands recently and was wondering if there are any modern games that fill the void.

I've had my eye on Stars Reach and I see Albion Online advertised all the time but I was wondering if anyone can give a recommendation?

Hey so I've been getting a bit into videogame versions of pinball. Whether it be just normal pinball or games that use pinball mechanics to do other things. Like I had a ton of fun with Yoku's Island Express. Played through the campaign of Sonic Pinball Party and thought it was ok. I've been recommended Pinball FX and Midnight Magic before. Just curious what else is out there worth playing.

Where you're not just dumped in and you have to figure everything out yourself. And where you are not given tons of information at once in quick succession.

But it's also not as slow as a mobile freemium cash grab tutorial, where things that are obvious to gamers are pointed out and made to be the only thing you are allowed to interact with.

Just browsing the Steam store (original intention to gift a game to my friend, got sidetracked), and fell upon Cast and Chill. Fishing isn't my thing but man if I'm not considering trying the game just because the pixel art is gorgeous… got me wondering about other games with beautiful pixel art.

As the title says, does anyone know a city building that has a good traffic simulator and that doesn't completly disregard pedestrians, Bicycles etc etc?
I played only a single city builder some time ago (i forgot the name sorry) and it had a pretty bad simulation of traffic, ideally it should also simulate well the other aspects tho

I don't mind at all if it's old or hasn't good graphics! I play mostly videogames with pixel art or very rudimentary art anyway

I've been trying to get into the NES library, but not too sure what's some titles worth playing. I've played Popeye and Zelda 1. Popeye was alright, but Zelda 1 I just couldn't get into. I played through the whole thing and didn't really enjoy it all that much. It wasn't bad, just not my thing.

Currently I'm looking to try Arkanoid, Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong Jr, Donkey Kong Jr Math, Dr. Mario, Mendel Palace, River City Ransom, Terra Cresta, and Tetris. My friend also recommended me Super Mario Bros, Punch-Out, Metroid, and Panic Restaurant. I'm really into racing games and puzzle games, but haven't been enjoying brawlers all that much lately (there's a few I like like the Devil May Cry series, Lego games, and the Batman Arkham series).

Hi,

I'm looking for multiplayer games with good competitive PvP or MMORPG game to play. I want the game to be modern in a sense that it works well on modern computers without shenanigans.

What characteristics am I looking for:

• competitive fair PvP aspect (not PvE games with poorly implemented P2W PvP).
• easy to learn hard to master.
• community aspect preferable (so you can communicate with others, team play, etc.).
• works under Linux.
• works on a PC.

Games I tried and didn't like (I mean maybe I liked some parts of it, but didn't like overall):

• CS GO
• DOTA 2
• War Thunder
• WOT
• ARC Raiders
• LOL

Games I tried and liked overall:

• Beyond All Reason
• PUBG (but doesn't work on Linux 😞)
• Old COD: Warzone
• Overwatch 1
• Dragon Nest
• Robocraft (R.I.P)

I'm ready to pay for a game, I would actually be happy to pay a monthly subscription for a game if this will guard me from the P2W trash.

Thanks for your time!

Rat/mouse games

• Ratopia, survival and city building of cute rats
• Whiskerwood, city builder with rats under the oppressive thumb of cats, choose if you'll appease or start a revolution
• Ratropolis, roguelite, tower defense, city-building, and deck-building with rat citizens again
• Rocket Rats, tagged Survivors-like
• Rat Trap, tagged Metroidvania and Puzzle Platformer
• Small Saga (play as a mouse seeking revenge against the god who stole his tail, turn-based RPG
• Ghost of a Tale (mouse in medieval world only populated by animals)

This list only exists because I answered some questions on Games in which you play as an animal (or colony / group)? and coincidentally ended up remembering (or later finding on Lemmy) a lot of games that happened to have rat or mouse protagonists.

Credit to commenters on https://lemmy.zip/post/63440777 for the two mouse ones, and on https://lemmy.zip/post/37620082 for some rat ones

I've never REALLY played Minecraft (I've only messed around with creative and building things), never played but am somewhat interested in Hytale, and never played but very interested in Vintage Story.

MC has a mod pack called Abyssal Ascent, which stacks like 8-12 different dimensions on top of each other (like the nether, plus a bunch of other custom modded ones) and you have to climb your way out from essentially the center of the world. Haven't played this one either, but I've seen some cool videos and read about it.

I'm kinda looking for something that would scratch that modpack itch, but in reverse. Something that starts on the surface, and just keeps going down, finding different layers the deeper you go.

I'm also cool with general pros/cons between MC, Hytale, and Vintage Story; I'm leaning heavily toward VS.

Edit: I appreciate the suggestions so far, I've added a couple to my wishlist. I would like to add that I probably should have specified that I prefer 3D games to 2D, and I put "depth" in quotes in the title because I'm looking for physical depth to dig down into, but I do like deep mechanics and systems too.

Edit 2: I got Vintage Story. I played for a couple hours on my first world, but I think I'll treat it like Zomboid where I learn a little more each time I start a new save, because I feel like I kinda already fucked myself with the world settings lol.

A friend and I would do patrols in Destiny back in the day and just shoot the shit.

Since we fell off Destiny 2 years ago, we've been searching for another game that we could get into together but haven't found one.

Summary from the comments

I included everything from the comments as of time of writing. Everything is in here at least in honorable mentions.

For those looking just like me, here's a list from the comments, ordered by what piqued my interest more (depending on first impressions only):

• WolfQuest from @supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz
• Webbed from @Solumbran@lemmy.world - I love this one, already played it, it's a puzzle game 2D platformer
• Snake Pass from @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - I loved this one, played it already! It's a puzzle game
• Endling from @nocturne@slrpnk.net and @Auster@thebrainbin.org - sad warning
• Giant list of bunny games (and others) from @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - jesus christ, brother loves bunners
• Stray from @hobata@lemmy.ml - not in nature but it looks really good, good reviews
• Little Kitty, Big City from @MurrayL@lemmy.world and @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - 100% positive reviews, damn
• Timberborn from @LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone and @waterSticksToMyBalls@lemmy.world and @Lowleekun@hexbear.net - Beaver city builder is impressively oddly specific
• Shelter and Shelter 2 from @MurrayL@lemmy.world - both look really fun but the graphics are a bit eh
• Niche from @supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz
• Farewell North from @MurrayL@lemmy.world - looks like it could make you tear up really good, not really focused on survival, though I guess I didn't mention that in OP
• Winter Burrow from @MurrayL@lemmy.world - not really focused on animal-specific mechanics but looks good!
• Microtopia from @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - Robot ant factorio
• Cattails from @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - Stardew Valley with kitties?
• VORON: Raven's Story from @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - more focused on the mysticism
• Parkasaurus from @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - looks like jurassic park except it's indie
• Empire of Ants from @ClassIsOver@hexbear.net - looks fun but held back by reviews about difficulty
• The Isle from @supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz - seems a bit convoluted, but dinosaurs = worth it
• Birb from @Elevator7009@lemmy.zip - lol
• Animalkind from @Kory@lemmy.ml - how do devs even come up with this
• Unparallel from @Auster@thebrainbin.org
• SimAnt from @tacosanonymous@mander.xyz - a dos game??? cool!
• Catlateral Damage from @nocturne@slrpnk.net - lol
• Necromonicat - lol
• Bad Mojo from Left as Center - what in tarnation

Honorable mentions:

• Oceans and Evolution from @supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz - board games
• Lead The Meerkats from @nocturne@slrpnk.net - Wii game
• Eastshade from @Klanky@sopuli.xyz - you don't play as an animal but it looks like a really cute chill game
• Cat Quest series from @MurrayL@lemmy.world - the animals are kinda just skins but I guess it fits in what I asked for haha
• Everything from @agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works - a fever dream of a game, played it, it was WEIRD bro lol
• Okami from @Auster@thebrainbin.org
• Tanglewood from @Auster@thebrainbin.org
• The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince from @Auster@thebrainbin.org
• Overseer from @Auster@thebrainbin.org
• Champions Online from @HubertManne@piefed.social - has a bunch of animal costumes

Thanks all for so many suggestions! Lemmy never disappoints!

Original Post

Do you know of any games in which you play as an animal? EDIT: preferably in nature, though Stray is still a really great recommendation!

I'm really looking forward to Migration.

I played one that had really good graphics, and you played as an ape, but it was so bad gameplay-wise that I gave up on it.

I also loved playing ant colony management games though I pretty much forgot their names.

Spore kind of fits the theme as well.

Dinosaur games included. Idk if I would count Jurrasic Park and Jurassic World but those kinds are welcome too.----___

Does anyone know of any games that have arcade-style pick up and play but also feature some element of long form gameplay? This can be in the form of some narrative, a meta game or something in between.

The only example I can think of that I've played is Catherine, a puzzle-arcade game with a visual novel that bridges the game's individual levels.

Indie games or retro games are both applicable.

Credit where credit is due: MEGA CRPG RECOMMENDATION LIST. Tasty comments full of people disagreeing on the OP's categorization. Seems to have deleted their account, so no u/ I can direct you to. I left all the recommendations and categorization alone, but took out some of the color commentary (which to some might just be blandifying it, lol).

"Where do I start?" mainstream recommendations

These CRPGs tend to get recommended the most by others who are newer to CRPGs themselves and very likely started just within the last few years.

• Divinity: Original Sin 2
• Pathfinder: Kingmaker
• Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
• Pillars of Eternity
• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
• Wasteland 3

"I'm looking for a good CRPG" middle-of-the-road recommendations

The person asking this question likely has some CRPG experience. The games that I listed here are great, but came about before the big CRPG renaissance that the mainstream gamer is familiar with. They're extremely common to most people who've been playing CRPGs for years, and will very likely tug some nostalgia heartstrings despite the fact that the some mainstream gamers may feel confused or even put off by some of the older design principles. These recommendations tend to be for the person playing catch-up, working backwards from modern releases to the older stuff that CRPG veterans would still consider to be mainstream.

• Dragon Age: Origins
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
• Vampire: The Masquerade- Bloodlines
• Gothic series
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Shadowrun series

​# "My dad played it, but is it any good?" forgotten recommendations

These CRPGs haven't actually been forgotten, of course. They're just not spoken of regularly when compared to the modern recommendations, but a lot of long-time CRPG fans have played them and can recite fine details about their experiences of them. They were likely extremely popular at one point, maybe even to the point of being considered legendary, but have been drowned out by mainstream recommendations. In this territory, the mainstream gamer can often be seen twitching uncomfortably at some dated design principles and will shift in their seats with impatience due to the lack of quality of life options or untraditional design choices.

• Baldur's Gate
• Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
• Neverwinter Nights
• Neverwinter Nights 2
• Icewind Dale
• Icewind Dale II
• Planescape: Torment
• Fallout
• Fallout 2
• Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
• Deus Ex
• Jagged Alliance 2
• Temple of Elemental Evil
• Silver Box games
• Gold Box games
• Wizardry series
• Might and Magic series
• Ultima series

"I think I've heard of that before!" not the first to come to mind recommendations

CRPGs that maybe some people have heard in passing, or they know a guy who knows a guy whose uncle played it at some point. These are the recommendations that are a point of pride for the people who mention them, because they know that not many people have played them, or possibly have even heard of them. Some of these also tend to have a bit of a niche following or aren't quite as popular as other entries in their series. Not everyone will love these, but the ones that do REALLY love them.

• Anachranox
• Arx Fatalis
• Balrum
• Underrail
• Kenshi
• Prince of Qin
• Atom RPG
• Disco Elysium
• Torment: Tides of Numenera
• Divine Divinity
• Beyond Divinity
• Divinity: Dragon Commander
• Divinity II
• Divinity: Original Sin
• Tales of Maj'Eyal
• Wasteland
• Wasteland 2
• Realms of Arkania
• Tyranny
• The Bards Tale series
• Lords of Xulima
• Wizards and Warriors
• Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader
• Operencia: The Stolen Sun
• Legend of Grimrock series
• Star Control series
• Drakensang series
• Geneforge series
• Avernum series
• Avadon series
• Queen's Wish series
• Nethergate
• Solasta: Crown of the Magister
• Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG
• Darklands
• Serpent in the Staglands
• Blackguards 1 + 2
• Wartales
• Battle Brothers
• Tower of Time
• Hard West 1 + 2
• Vigilantes
• Fallout: Tactics
• Dungeon Rats
• Amberstar
• Ambermoon
• Expeditions series
• Nox
• E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy
• Silent Storm and Silent Storm: Sentinels
• Dungeon Siege
• Sanity: Aiken's Artifact
• Goldenland
• Rage of Mages
• Space Rangers
• Septerra Core
• Age of Decadence
• Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game
• Black Geyser
• Pathologic 2
• Gamedec
• Mechajammer
• Death Trash
• Space Wreck
• Alaloth
• Shattered Light

"t̵̖̗̜͋ẖ̸̟̬̗̈́̋̐̊̕̕ͅe̶̢̗͇͓̙̜͐͌͌̊ ̸̨̪̗͓͇̖͙̄̈́͐̎̔̚p̶̢̞̜͙͚̘̀̈́͋̽̽̋ͅȁ̶̟͓̥͓̣̪͝n̸̫͆t̴͔̞̻̉͗̍͗h̶͈̙̬͈̄̌̿̀̾̓̚ĕ̵̹̓͛͝ȏ̶̠̫̙͙̉̍̀͜͝n̷̥͚̺͂̂ ̶̤͈̍͆̿̉̂̑̀ǫ̸̡̠̦̙̯͐́̓́̂f̵̰̟̝̓̈́́̊͗̿͝ ̷̟̤̹͕͔͊̌̈͠ẗ̸̡͉̳̱́̏̋͆͑̕͝h̷̩͉͇͊͝e̶̢̢̺͐̏ ̶̘̌̄̔ē̶̮̘͇̥̙ͅl̵̨̡̹͇̋̍͂̒̍̕͠ḑ̸̨̩̺̰̮̇̊̋̉͐̉̓͜e̶̢̢̘̼̦̭̿̉r̷̰̞͔̫̔̍̈́̌ ̸̻͌̑͒̑̓g̶̛͓͎͉̞͔͚̠̋o̸̙̗͆̈́̾d̴͖̔̅́̓̔̅͝ş̵̪̻́̐́́̉͝͝" the 1% recommendations

Some of these games are difficult to even find a single archived mention on a website, and if you were a completionist collector and wanted a physical copy of some of these, you'd be hard-pressed to find them.

• The Banished
• Mistmare
• Another War
• Shadow Vault
• Vampire Hunters
• Archangel
• Dragonfire: The Well of Souls
• Anito- Defend the Land Enraged
• World of Chaos
• Paradise Cracked
• Dark Secrets of Africa
• Morning's Wrath
• Blind Justice
• Icarus, Sanctuary of the Gods
• Metal Hearts: Replicant's Rampage
• Gorasul: Legacy of the Dragon

The most common way this comes up is in "survival" games. You browse the environment for health and ammo, and then burn it all up facing massive hordes of zombies (or, ARC, or whatever monster of the day is). I've also seen it in other types of games, like in the newer Zeldas where you get dozens of types of weapons, none of which can be repaired.

Something I love about these patterns is that they get you to adapt and shift your playstyle naturally. You aren't granted transforming ammo that fits whatever weapon you hold - you must use what's available, even if every option from grenades to flamethrowers ends up being fun.

They provide the fun of looting, as well as a method to expend that loot in a way that maintains the cycle. Nothing irritates me more than the red "inventory full" message, so I make an effort to expend my resources quickly, and a lot of these games reward the player in turn for it.

So, this tends to fit a lot of major/mainstream singleplayer story-based games like Resident Evil, as well as traditional shooters like Half-Life in which all your weapons maintain an ammo count. I'm curious what other unexpected games come up that satisfy this itch, even providing creative ways to encourage "dumping resources" in a rapid way, just to give you empty slots to fill up again.

I hope I don't brake any rules, but recently I saw a stream of ATS, and I thought of playing again some ETS2 for Christmas.
I have the Italia, France, Beyond the Baltic sea, Road to the Baltic sea and Iberia, And I was thinking to get West Balkan or Greece.
Which would you recommend getting?

Also Nordic Horizon wasn't already in game? how come its a DLC now? Because I remember doing deliveries with double wagon.

cross-posted from: https://lemmings.world/post/37241738

Not specific, just want to know if this even exists: a city clearing zombie game

Has anyone made a zombie game where you actually clear/retake an infested city? Lots of games have you raid a city to build a base somewhere else, (7D2D, unturned, now Vein, etc.) or just do things in an infested city (Dying Light, RE, etc.) sometimes culminating in some sort of big climax that results in or implies the end of the zombie times, or maybe you just leave, but are there any that have that element of progression where you slowly take more of the map and the zombies aren't just randomly spawned in a radius around the player regardless of how many you knock down? The closest I have ever found was an old flash game from when those were a thing, based around worker placement and resource management.

I occasionally try to play co-op games with my retired dad. He's pretty inexperienced with games (outside of playing a handful of Atari games when he was a kid) and isn't the most coordinated. It can be difficult to find games he can play and even more difficult to find games which will still be engaging for me.

What are some co-op games that are simple enough for someone unfamiliar with games to get into but which aren't going to bore? Also, they either need to be Switch games or games which have both a Mac and PC version.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/16885686

Outer Wilds changed my life then Tunic changed it again

Edit: Game Recommendations by the people in the comments:

• Disco Elysium - @Sibbo@sopuli.xyz
• Kingdom Come Deliverance - @McFarius@lemmy.world
• Fez - @TestFactor@lemmy.world, @Glaive0@beehaw.org, @clearleaf@lemmy.world
• I Was a Teenage Exocolonist - @alltheweird@lemmy.tf
• Noita - @Goodman@discuss.tchncs.de, @yjr4df0708@lemmy.ml, @Crow_of_Minerva@feddit.it
• The Witness - @Suppoze@beehaw.org
• Lingo - @dexa_scantron@lemmy.world
• Bad End Theater - @Exocrinous@lemm.ee
• Celeste - @tkk13909@sopuli.xyz
• Fear & Hunger - @RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world
• minit - @naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com
• The Forgotten City - @naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com, @Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com, @terrifyingtuba@lemmy.world
• Deathloop - @tills13@lemmy.world
• The Soulsborne games - @Philharmonic3@lemmy.world
• Void Stranger - @clearleaf@lemmy.world
• Baba Is You - @clearleaf@lemmy.world
• Roguelikes as a genre - @Piemanding@sh.itjust.works
• The Long Dark - @rbos@lemmy.ca
• Who's Lila? - @Crow_of_Minerva@feddit.it
• Cultist Simulator - @Frogodendron@beehaw.org
• Sorcery! - @Frogodendron@beehaw.org

And some game recommendations by me to add on to the post:

• Taiji
  • A 2D puzzle game where you slowly unravel how to solve each different element of the puzzles, eventually culminating in a massive puzzle gauntlet. Basically identical in concept and execution to The Witness, but still very much its own unique and fun game.
• The Golden Idol
  • A puzzle game where each level you must examine a scene to figure out exactly what happened, eventually piecing together the full story over several levels. Don't let the art style put you off, it's an incredibly well done game. Most similar to Return of the Obra Dinn in concept.
• Stories: The Path of Destinies
  • an action RPG with a branching choice-driven storyline, but not every story has a happy ending... You'll piece together the true story over multiple playthroughs and eventually find the one true path. It wasn't a particularly life-changing game but it was still a lot of fun and worth checking out if it sounds interesting!

Games listed in the image, for those who want a straight list instead of looking at an image:

• Heaven's Vault
• Outer Wilds
• Tunic
• Return of the Obra Dinn
• Chants of Sennaar

Additions from commenters on this post:

• The Forgotten City - @Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
• Blue Prince - @Coelacanth@feddit.nu
• Breathe of Fire: Dragon Quarter - @adameister@lemmy.world

So I have been trying to scratch an itch I don't know if I can still scratch. Are there any MMOs that still exist that use numpad movement, have a clunky UI, and really let you immerse in the game (I'm talking about the good old fashioned run across the continent to do anything days. Like Ruins of Kunark days.)

I am looking for games that are visually impressive and make use of my 5090 so I can get more use out of it before it becomes second place (though I guess technically its second place to the RTX 6000 Pro Blackwell).

I have already played Cyberpunk 2077, played the heck out of it, very fun, though it has some annoyances so on subsequent playthroughs mods removed those annoyances for me which was great. This game really had a lovely skill tree customization which let you have many different play styles and the free form missions were excellent for letting you complete them in all sorts of ways.

I have also played Atomfall and just have the new DLC left to play through. Its not really that graphically challenging. It was an OK game.

I have also played Split Fiction, which is probably the absolute most fun anyone can have with another person in video game form, especially if one is used to games and the other isnt, but in other cases as well. Very relaxing and high fun to down time ratio.

Played both Robocop games as well. Ok, but not that graphically challenging.

Sort of the big thing I want to avoid is MTXs and marketing dark patterns like FOMO and especially Monetary Dark Patterns. Basically things listed on this website are things I want to avoid

For the record I play on a 4k 144hz monitor and prefer higher frame rates, like 100 ish for comfortable play without eye strain.

got a new job and enjoy it but damn i am mentally exhausted after work. i want to play a game to decompress and regain energy to do other things with my day when i come home, a game i can pick up without learning too much and being overwhelmed at the beginning. most of the games i own right now are not like this and require lots of learning or thinking so oof.