Yearly Archives: 2019

Stellaris: Federations – Expansion Teaser and Lithoids Species Pack

The Art of War teaches that true victory in battle is to subdue your foes without fighting. This is evident in the next Stellaris expansion, Federations. Diplomacy will be used to gain dominion like never before. This was revealed during PDXCON2019 and will have some fantastic new content like expanded Federations. You can join Trade Leagues, Martial Alliances, or Hegemony. Galactic Communities, new constructions and so much more are coming.

Stellaris also announced a new Species Pack, the Lithoids. The Lithoids Species pack offers up a new rock-based form of life, who are looking for a more grounded civilization. The Lithoids offer up a new style of gameplay focused on mineral production, colonization of any world they can get their hands on, and vigorously defending that territory. It will feature new, unique mechanics for the Lithoid Empires, 15 new Portraits of the Lithoids, and 1 of a LIthoid Robot, new Mineral-based ships, and a new Voice Pack.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong Announced at PDXCON

Vampire the Masquerade Swansong

Big Bad Wolf Studio is an RPG specialist and authored the award-winning The Council, and they’re bringing to unlife a new Vampire: The Masquerade title: Vampire: the Maserquade: Swansong. It was initially teased during Bigben Week 2019, it will be coming to life in 2021. This narrative RPG will take place using Vampire: The Masquerade‘s 5th Edition news. The player will control 3 Vampires from different clans in the Camarilla. The Camarilla is a secret society to which a majority of Vampires belong, Conspiracy, murder, power struggles all take place, all while enforcing the Masquerade. Humans may never know that vampires exist, and this is concealed from humans at all costs. In 2021, this will come to life.

Thomas Veauclin, Creative & Art Director at Big Bad Wolf discussed the game.

“At the studio, we’re long-time and passionate fans of the tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade. We have wanted to create a video game inspired by this universe for several years now. This project fits perfectly with Bigben’s desire to expand its catalogue of narrative games. We are very happy to be unveiling it together.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Announces Summer 2020 Release

During PDXCON2019, Cyanide Games revealed that the pen-and-paper RPG will be coming to life in Summer 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The convention had a reveal trailer that showed a werewolf named Cahal. This werewolf has been exiled for years but has returned to his endangered tribe. A subsidiary of Pentex (Endron, oil-producers) is busily destroying the environment, and Cahal is not going to let that stand. Rage will be a central element of the game, this should offer some subtlety to the game, where players will have to learn to control their Rage and use it when needed. Cahal will spend some time as a human, but he can shift into his Werewolf/Garou form when rage consumes him. It will carry over all of the main aspects of the mature, violent pen-and-paper game.

Wanderlust Travel Stories Trailer

Wanderlust is a digital travel experience. Feel a sense of awe and discovery as you visit a hot Thai marketplace or the peaceful Antarctic seas. Explore jewels of the world, from Bangladesh to Congo, from Papua New Guinea to the Faroe Islands. Lead your characters through life-changing travels, make choices that will change your perception of the world, because it’s about your inner journey as well.

It’s a game to play when you’re traveling – or wish that you were.
You don’t have to hurry. Take in the world. Let the journey change you.

Wanderlust Travel Stories

Trot the globe in your bathrobe with Wanderlust Travel Stories. Inspired by real-life travel stories this digital travel game will take you to some of the most exotic locales on the planet. Available on PC and Mac via GoG and Steam, as well as iOS mobile devices.

Business Model: Retail Purchase $19.99, Steam, GoG, Apple Mac/iOS/AppleTV

Microtransactions: No

Key Features:

Playable Documentary: With a blend of journalism and slice-of-life storytelling Wanderlust touches issues big and small, all while letting you see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Your Journey: Choose what to pack, where to stay, and when to move on. Just like Kenny Rogers.

Immersive Travels: Professional photographs and deft narrative take you all over this beautiful world of ours to experience its people, places, and cultures.

The Sojourn

The Sojourn is a first-person puzzle game that challenges you to discover the nature of reality in a beautiful world bound by light and darkness.

Business Model: Retail Purchase, $24.99 Epic Game Store, Playstation 4, XBox One, and Steam (Coming in September 2020)

Microtransactions: No

Key Features:

Push the Light: You need to banish the darkness to reveal the next obstacle in the world of The Sojourn.

Diverse Chapters: Four distinctly handcrafted chapters await your travel.

What’s it All About?: Discover the very nature of reality as you unknot the mystery between the light and the darkness.

Still There

The story-driven psychological adventure game Still There will challenge you to process grief, as well as keep a space-lighthouse functional, with only a quirky AI named Gorky to keep you company.

Business Model: Retail Purchase

Microtransactions: No

Key Features:

Solve Puzzles: Observe your environment to discover the cause of malfunctions in “The Bento”, your space-lighthouse. Then solve challenging puzzles to repair the problems.

Uncover the Mystery: What is the source of the cryptic emergency broadcast you received?

Crusader Kings 3 Announced at PDXCON

Paradox Interactive and Paradox Development Studio announced at their annual PDXCON that the third installment of their hugely popular Crusader Kings franchise is set to release sometime in 2020. It’s expected to launch on Steam and for XBox Game Pass (which presumably includes the PC version). Crusader Kings 3 is likely to require all the cunning and courtly maneuvering as previous installments of the strategy game series.