u/Nitho89

A tough period at work is coming up, so I'm looking for a strategy rpg with some hours in it that I can use to wind down and decompress in the evening when the kids are sleeping.

I have no history with FFT, but was wondering whether it (i.e. Ivalice Chronicles) would fit the bill.

I don't mind grinding somewhat and reading guides. The important thing is that battles are somewhat quick (like 15 minutes or so) and that it is somewhat forgiving in that you don't have to optimize constantly (in each battle or your general build) to get through the game.

There's so many seemingly very good games just sitting there in Early Access - Enter the Chronosphere, Aethermancer, As we descend, my card is better than your card, and of course StS2, just to name a few.

Of course the rational decision is to wait for like a year or so until you are sure that the game is the best version of itself (like with games in general, I suppose). And there is also the general question of when a game is "finished".

But also generally, like a child, it's hard waiting for that next great roguelite dopamine hit.

What are your experiences playing roguelites in Early Access? Is it generally best to wait, or is it fine to just jump right in?

I have a 2 y/o and a 5 y/o, and maybe 30-45 minutes of gaming time in the evening on average before bedtime. I have always used gaming as way to recharge, but the limited daily gaming has seriously challenged this. Especially finding the right game to provide the gaming dopamine in the preciously few gaming minutes is proving a hassle - since there isn't a lot of time to try a lot of different games to find what I want to play.

Also, getting through the learning curve (where you're not necessarily relaxing) for a new game and reaching flow state can be annoying due to limited mental bandwidth.

I saw another post in this subreddit describing how you can also get impatient with completing games, since limited gaming over many days makes it feel like you've been playing the same game forever. I really feel that as well.

Aaand games where you can't "save and quit" at any time are also instant no-go!

I'm in a pretty good gaming spot with focusing on roguelites and ARPG's that are friendly to picking up and playing - with the occasional CRPG for slower sessions. Just curious what issues you have encountered out there and how you have handled them!

Steam summer sale is on! What games with small grids/small scale/small party do you find best and why?

I've really enjoyed Inkbound, Marvel Midnight Suns, our adventurer guild, metal slug tactics, steamworld heist and Xcom Chimera squad. All games with manageable strategy layers and bite-sized encounters. That really makes it possible to get some game time when the kids are sleeping, and put the game down and pick it back up when needed.

My wife and I used to play long sessions of i.e. Pandemic and Eldritch Horror and play choose your own adventure books. However we are now having a case of "the kids" , so no time for those sessions anymore.

I'm hoping to restart our board gaming habits, but need suggestions for co-op board or card games, that will fit into an everyday with small kids and limited mental bandwidth and time.

So does such co-op games exist? Preferably something where setting up can be done very quickly (maybe there isn't even a board, but only cards?), it's easy to get into and understand the rules, you can play for maybe half an hour-ish, put it down and start again the next day or next week depending on the mood. Plus also bonus points if the art/presentation is lighthearted.

I recently played a lot of roguelites on my Steam Deck, and I saw that there is a board game adaption of Slay the Spire, but that's the only game I could think of..

Thanks a lot!

Of course there are the mobile versions of heavy hitters like Slay the Spire, Balatro and the likes.

But what great roguelites are out there, that are also made for or works great playing on mobile?

I really liked Meteorfall Journeys - really well made and well optimized for mobile. Same goes for Lost for swords and Dawncaster, Slice and Dice, Night of the Full Moon and One Deck Dungeon.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

Okay maybe it's a bit paradoxical to combine turn-based and fast paced. But I mainly play games in the evening with limited brainpower available, so turn-based games are just better. But still wanting that "action-feel" of an ARPG or a similar type of game, where stuff happens right when you press the button and there is limited strategizing involved in the moment.

So - do you know any roguelites that combine the two?

Of course any game can become fast-paced when you have played it enough and have learnt all the mechanics. StS and Balatro both flow pretty quickly at this point.

So it's maybe also about a low barrier of entry and a question about being able to quickly start up the game and get started.

I played a ton of Inkbound, which I think nails a lot of the fast paced combat. Vampire crawlers also seems made for this purpose.

Hope it makes some sort of sense!