Shardpunk

Played through the tutorial mission and am in the middle of the second mission. I'm really quite happy with this game. It blends roguelike design elements with turn-based tactical combat, and throws in character skills, weapon mods, and other stuff. The game doesn't take it easy on you, either... you are meant to lose and die and try again (part of the roguelike appeal). Don't expect a cakewalk in this one. You keep your damage suffered in a mission, along with stress and dread on each character. You have to heal up between missions, which is not always entirely possible. You balance reducing stress and dread with the chance to gain stress-induced character quirks. Unlike something like Xcom, this game appears to have a much more easy to understand hit chance. Cover has a huge benefit, but is not terribly difficult to flank. Clear shots tend to hit 99% of the time (both yours and enemies'). If you die, you can start a new game with a new crew. You can use points you made to unlock new characters, team abilities, and other things to take advantage of in future runs. All in all, this is a really well designed game and is super fun. It fills that "turn based tactical combat" role in my game rotation very well. Glad I picked it up for sure. The retro graphics are very appealing, and the general design of the animations is fun.

It is an okay from me, but having the option to restart a mission instead of being screwed over by surprises is a good call, considering it takes so long for a full run. Purists would definitely scoff at it, but I am just a casual gamer. It is definitely possible to beat the game with the starting characters, though at higher difficulties, there is a very clear meta. The ending was just 2-3 scenes of text which is kinda anti-climatic. I won't be replaying this game as it is basically the same stages and enemies, so maybe with different strategies or unlocked characters.

Welcome to a world where rats didn’t just get bigger — they got guns. And not cute little popguns. No, these are filthy steampunk death blasters. In Shardpunk, you play as a ragtag group of survivors stuck in a ruined city, overrun by hordes of mutant rats with serious anger issues. It’s a post-apocalyptic steampunk nightmare where your career plan looks like this: Survive. Loot everything. Get bitten by a rat. Go back to step 1. The gameplay is a delightful blend of XCOM, Darkest Dungeon, and organized panic simulator. It’s turn-based, so you have plenty of time to think before internally screaming. Every mission is about sneaking forward, looting desperately, chucking grenades, and praying your medic doesn’t have a nervous breakdown. Oh, and on top of fighting gun-toting rats with whiskers of doom, you also have to manage your squad’s mental and physical health. They’re hungry, tired, and sometimes just want to sit in a corner and cry. But you? You stay strong and keep telling them:
“Come on, just one more room, then we’ll rest. Probably.” ShardPunk : the game where you learn to love rats… only when they’re exploding. ShortVid for steam sales : https://youtu.be/SoEjv5tZ5SU?si=IH152tLF_G8NuYyC&t=97

A fine little game with some of the best sprite work I've seen in a retro game like this. The UI is slick and simple, the action economy is rewarding once you learn the meta, and the overall feel of the gameplay & story is good. It's not too hard, not too long, and doesn't waste your time with mechanics bloat like some tactical games. Overall I'm quite pleased with this game for the price, and am working on my second complete playthrough. I give this game a solid 7.5 out of 10.

Bought on sale. A fun little cyberpunk x-com-like that doesn't overstay its welcome. Heartily recommend it for the $8 I spent on it.

Awesome, more casual game.

Really loved the game