RPS Feature
Another mouth to feed
Note – this was originally published a month ago as part of the RPS Supporter program, hence the reference to our now-finished Survival Week.
It’s Survival Week here at RPS, so I decided that I’d write about my earliest experiences with The Sims, a survival game like no other. Left to their own devices, Sims are just about smart enough to struggle through life but they’re not quite intelligent enough to live. They need to be coaxed into improving their lot, and influenced by the click and the cursor. Without either clicks or cursors, I first encountered The Sims when I was struggling to build my own place in the world. Let’s take a trip down the memory cul-de-sac.
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RPS Feature
1878 - 2014 RIP
As part of our government mandated Survival Week, I’ve taken a look into the long history of survival gaming, charting the genre from its origins to its present day obligation. Let’s dive in!
It bears repeating that the very first Survival Game was released in 1878, by pioneer developers Pickering’s Gaming Emporium. Being created at a time before anyone had ever had to survive anything in real life, looking back on Where’s My Pouch now, some of its ideas seem a little out there! You began as a lone gentleman, sat inside his study, and everything seemed tickety-boo. Until you reached for your pipe, and realised there was absolutely no tobacco to be found!
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RPS Feature
A war game with a civilian focus
“An experience of war seen from an entirely new angle”. That’s how 11 Bit Studios are pitching This War Of Mine. The new angle they’re referring to is the fact that, instead of being an action-packed military shooter, their warzone is a city under siege and requires you to keep a band of civilians alive. Its desire not to glorify war reminds me of Ubisoft’s recent Valiant Hearts but in terms of how the game works mechanically it’s closer to Zafehouse Diaries – a zombie survival game with a diary storytelling element. I spoke to the game’s senior writer to learn more.
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RPS Feature
Storms a-Comin'
There are lots of survival games, but there are also lots of games which could be survival games with the right mods installed. Over the course of Survival Week we’ll highlight a few of those games and i)write a diary of our experience playing with it ii) explain how to do it yourself.
Loading my pack with the most brutal of mods, I set out into Minecraft with pure intentions: to establish a simple steading. The farmhouse shall be made of rustic sandstone. A small flower garden would be nice. And then the fields; a solid smallholding to support me and mine with fresh, free-range produce. Perhaps I’ll organise outhouses for the peasantry. The other peasantry, I mean.
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RPS Feature
Hands around my throat
Neo Scavenger is one of the best turn-based RPGs I’ve ever played. Although still in Early Access, it has oodles of content and has received several hefty updates since I first played it. As part of Survival Week, I decided to document a single playthrough of the game. No quicksaves, no restarts, no chance. Here’s how I died.
The previous parts are here.
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RPS Feature
Another Pinch
What better aligning of the fates than RPS’s Survival Week, and a fresh arrival on Steam, to excuse playing some more of Lavaboots’ Salt? The seafaring island-explorer has seen a few updates since I last played, as well as a place on Steam’s Early Access. And most of all, fishing.
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