Recent reviews by The Chartreuse Leprechaun

The game was a great time waster for a while. But, the multipliers don't score correctly anymore. Not worth putting any more time wasting into it. My previous review (below) was positive...but I would say it was more mediocre. Now? Game is broken and not getting fixed. Don't waste your time.

If you are into idle games, only recommend this one for one reason. The real advantage to this one is it runs even when the game is not turned on. It runs on the cloud. So, you can start this game, literally forget about it for days, come back to it and find it was wracking up points and stuff the whole time. Other than that...yeah...not so much.

I was part of the Beta test for the Prologue, and the full game. That's one reason I have so many in game hours at the time of this review. Even the full game we tested was not the actual FULL game. And, I was worried the content we didn't see would be lacking in quality, or a bad story line, etc.

I had no reason to worry. The actual full game has more music, a strong story line, better developed characters, and more. More than I expected. And, to top that off, the game is replayable--without mods (which don't exist at the time of this writing, but I am sure someone will get around to creating them). Finally, all questions get answered in the end. I personally think the ending could have been better written. But, that's my personal preference,

Well worth the purchase. (Side note: the game was gifted to me by another Beta tester, not by Rejected Games.)

As a time water, I recommend this game. Because it takes FOREVER this game is excellent for something you just have to check back on once in a while. But, do not expect to advance much in that time. Due to it's REALLY SLOW advancement (in comparison to other Idle games), this game is very frustrating and boring. That said, this is version 0.15 at the time I write this. So, there is lots of room for improvement.

If you can live with those caveats, this game is amusing and kind of fun.

As I said--repeatedly--in my video, I LIKE THIS GAME!!! It gets some things right. I mean REALLY right.

I am a stroke survivor. And, I experience response time lag to just about everything. This game identified that issue. AND, it suggested ways to improve it. We'll have to wait and see if that holds as accurate. Short term it has, as seen and stated in the video. Long term? We'll have to wait and see. It also properly identified a peripheral vision problem...and, again, suggested things to help with it. Same thing with this. Short term it has helped improve things, as seen and stated in the video. Long term? We'll have to wait and see.

But, I have a few issues with it. It gives a lot of stats. And, it even tracks improvements. But, it doesn't tell you what's involved with those stats. Take kill time, for example. Mine is low--consistently the same. I think I know why. You see, I suspect it's based on how long a target is on the screen. Well, most people will shoot the targets closest to where they shot last, and then sweep across to other targets (I give a better description in the video). I do it in video games. I did it hunting birds. Unfortunately, there is no way to know if that's how that stat is calculated. IF Kill Time is factoring in how long a target is on screen, then It could be badly skewed, in which case it is a worthless stat. But, we don't know. Transparency would be fantastic.

All that said, I have played a few of the segments three times. And, I noticeably improved with each play. I highly recommend this game if you want to improve your shooting in games.

It's fun. It's interesting progressing through the growth and change of the gaming industry. All kinds of Eater eggs tucked away in this game. And...like I said...it's fun!!!

UPDATED REVIEW (original follows)
My original review was a not recommend. But, they updated the game and asked me to replay and update my review. And, I did that.

Let me be clear. The game has a LOT of promise for what it is. So, before you think all I can do is bash the game, let me list things I like about the game. Because there are things to like about this game.

1. The voicing is good.
2. The graphics are very good.
3. The animations are very good.
4. The story is strong, and humorous.
5. Character building is well done. Perhaps a bit too complex. But, still strong.

Now for the downsides. Let me list a few specifics. For reference...the first 6 are in the first 15 minutes of a 40 minute video (linked to Steam from my YouTube channel).

1. Fill the shower. How? Not revealed at all. I accidentally found it by left clicking on the shower. I spent a lot of time trying to get the water out of the dumpster. Also, my personal inventory is labeled as my dumpster. Very confusing.
2. Garbage invasion fight scenes. There is no introduction to what it is, that it is even coming (other than the unexplained icon in the upper left), or what to do. So, you have no idea how to prepare--such as being sure your stamina and energy are full up—or even that this is important.
3. After the first strength(?) level up, there was a “2” on the agility(?) icon. But, no explanation of it. It’s confusing because it leaves the wrong impression there are upgrade points there.
4. The Suburbs is your first quest point? A naked homeless man is going to be found in the suburbs? And no one finds this strange? Really?
5. Some story voicing lines make no sense. They are clearly trying to communicate something, but it isn’t clear what.
6. First location. NPC has the icon choice of “BUY” when the NPC is asking for a meal. Needs explanation or to be changed.

Then there are a couple of other things that need work.

7. It is not explained about adding characters to your group. Clearly you can do it since there are extra person slots in your fight inventory screen. But, it can only be surmised. There is also no explanation of how to fill those slots. Only hinted at such as “hiring” the guy in the first location.
8. The whole food system is not explained. At all.
9. The mechanic for wearing clothes is messed up. Overalls replace shirts? Really? Availability of clothing, especially during cold weather, is practically non-existent. Remember…the character starts naked.
10. You still get badly outclassed by enemies early on, even given the “slightly” more difficult settings stated in the DevLog.
11. In my video play through, there was no where near enough food. I ended the video before I died. But, I would have died because food could not be found in sufficient amount. And, that was in spite of clearing the first location. The ability to have resources enough to survive is just too randomized.

There is just too much that is unexplained. It seems you can only learn it by trial and error—read that to mean start over repeatedly. My best guess is the game was developed for people already very familiar with this type of game, and not new players that might get interested in this genre.
Like I said at the start. The game has a lot of promise. But…it just isn’t there yet. With development and improvement, this game could really be something. Unfortunately, that means my recommendation (see below) remains not recommended at this time.


ORIGINAL REVIEW
I played this Demo out of curiosity. I was not very impressed.

1. The tutorial is only some hints, but there is no instruction on how the game mechanics work.
2. Your start is random in terms of temperatures and early enemies faced. And, you are often severely outclassed.
3. There is no tutorial regarding the fight scenes. I was randomly clicking mouse buttons and either winning or (usually) losing.
4. There is no where to go to get information on controls or settings.
5. The game claims to be based on reality. I have been homeless. This isn't even close. For example, running around naked in 0 and sub-0 temperatures without extreme heat loss is ridiculous. Or maybe we should consider starting in the suburbs for a home base, if you could call it that. Really?

These are just of few of the big and small issues I have with the game. Sorry. But, I cannot recommend this game as it stands right now.

This was mostly a trip down memory lane for me. I played on World 18 and 19 about 12 years ago. And, by the way, the game on their international server is currently on World 117. This is on the Tribal Wars US server. But, the game is more or less the same.

This game requires a lot of baby sitting. Everything runs in real time. And, it is highly recommended that you get in a good tribe early--or that you join one that is very good diplomatically to become aligned with the winning tribe. If you start later than a few days after world launch, you are already in trouble and could end up continually getting conquered and restarted.

With all that said, if you have the time for it, this game is a lot of fun. The forums are usually quite active. And, of course, with the right tribe you can make great friends. There are groups that go from world to world to world together.

Words of warning.
1. If you are an achievement hunter, this game is not for you. The achievements are almost all late game events. And, the auto complete function for buildings does not work.
2. This game takes weeks or months to complete. It is not a quick easy/hard play. There is only one level of difficulty.
3. There is a lot to learn. Thankfully, there are a lot of tools out there to help you.
4. There is also a lot to do. Be prepared to set alarms so you wake up to accomplish tasks.

If you can handle all of that, then this is a game for you!

THIS AN UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL REVIEW
There is apparently a MAJOR ISSUE in this game that has been present since 2015. The islands will sometimes reset after a save and a sleep.

I am certain this has happened to me twice. Both times since the October 5, 2020, update. On day 140 of one play through, and day 74 of another. In both cases I was establishing a base where I could accomplish the build them all achievement (since it must be accomplished on one island). In both cases, I traveled away from my base using a constructed raft, leaving the rubber dinghy, going island to island to gather more materials, and leaving directional markers on each island so I could find my way back. At night, I saved, and then used the sleep function. When I woke up, there was a note saying my raft had drifted far away and would soon be lot forever. Following my markers, I arrived at what should have been my bae. But, the island was different, and nothing I had built was there.

I had another play through of 200+ days where I was mostly just exploring. I do not know for certain if this same thing happened then or not.

My original review was done with 133 hours in game, and I recommended the game. This issue has ruined the game experience for me twice. It indicates the game may no longer be winnable—even with the end game included because a reset would simply move the end game point indefinitely.

Until this issue is resolved, I can no longer recommend this game. My original review is below. If you are willing to play knowing this issue could affect your play through, then my original comments are still accurate.

This is a great multifaceted game. You can build and just meander your way around...relatively indefinitely. Or you can try to complete the game. At this point, I have 133 hours in the game, and I did a combination of both. The game is fascinating, fun, and challenging.

Pros.
Each island has something going for it. No island has everything.
There are a variety of enemies. Each one must be treated differently.
The crafting system is pretty diverse, and requires some serious thought when you prepare to use it.

Cons.
The enemies are easily predictable. Their actions are always the same.
The game has a lot of monotony. While there should be some redundacy and time consumption getting things done, there is often a feeling in the game that it is too much.
Player health does not suffer as it should. The health deficit from creature attacks is balanced, but does not do as much as you would expect from certain types of attacks.

Overall:
A great game that is worth having in your library if you are into survival games, and/or problem solving games. This game works in both roles.

I played and reviewed this in early access (see below). Then I came back and played the full release. The game is fantastic. The development that went into this game between EARLY early access and full release is incredible.

The graphics are solid.
Spatial motion seems to be accurate--and by extension challenging.
The dialog, voice acting, and story progression are strong.
You can play the story, or just free play for fun, or both.

All around well done.

I hope there's a sequel.

Original Early Access Review:
There’s a lot I don’t know about this game. I’m not hiding that. On my YouTube videos, you can clearly see, from the mistake I’ve made, I have no clue how this actually works. Hopefully I’ll figure it out soon.

But, I’m making my way through it. I really am trying to “Do the whole Buffalo” as Weaver (in game NPC voice) calls it. Badly…with a few explosions for fun along the way…but I’m working on it. And, if nothing else, through my videos, you can …hopefully…learn what not to do when you play the game.

However, I will happily give this game a thumbs up. This is a really good game. Yes it's still being developed. Yes, there are still some bugs being worked out And, it is still WELL worth the full price.

(Side note; for whatever reason, my YouTube channel link no longer recognizes there are videos available. So, unfortunately, you will have to go to YT to find them. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUSsrWUjmQ_3vm2XNbf3uwtn6Z-URQMwy )

Hard to believe how long I have had this in my inventory without playing it. And, yet, here I am. Playing it. And, enjoying it. Admittedly, I haven't played a lot of it. But, I find it challenging. Different viruses and bacteria need to spread and be changed in different ways. There is no real set path of development that will apply to each scenario. Frustrating when this 1 country decides to close their ports, airports and borders so you cannot win. Great game. And, fun to play.