I play Roguelikes for the story. Except Spelunky.

http://spelunkyworld.com/

I hate roguelikes. I want my characters to show the fruits of my hours, whether it's better weapons or unlocked skills. In a game genre where every time you die, you start over from scratch, it's hard for me to play these games without ripping the rest of my hair out. Every run, I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. Not so great for someone who's been enjoying the laid-backness of games like Terraria or Rune Factory. And throw in that there's usually absolutely no story progression through gameplay (don't die is not a storyline), roguelikes just aren't my thing.

But recently, I stumbled on a 2009 indie hit created by Derek Yu called Spelunky. I was watching a YouTuber on a Let's Play, and I was intrigued by the game mechanics, the close calls, his many deaths, and also by his triumph. After finding out that the game was free, there wasn't much for me to lose by at least trying out the game...

...except several hours. Spelunky is an action adventure game, where you traverse/bomb/climb different terrains in search for treasures, saving random damsels in distress, avoiding deathtraps, and eventually escaping with all your rewards.  No map is the same, even when starting over. Within the first hour I played, I died 10 times (they keep track). But knowledge of how to deal with certain enemies or remembering how far you can actually jump make each successive trip a little less painful.

While it's hard for any laid back gamer to enjoy this type of pressure, Spelunky offers is a severely challenging, yet delightfully rewarding experience. No matter what kind of gamer you are, you should give Spelunky a try. It's awfully refreshing.

Throwing Money At My Screen: Stardew Valley

http://stardewvalley.net/

(All images are from the official site. Can't make my own screenshots when the game isn't out yet..)

Stardew Valley is being developed by ConcernedApe and published by Chucklefish.

The game is still in development, and I'm sure my attempts to try to describe the game won't do it justice. So I'll just let the trailer do the talking.

Hard to believe this game is being developed by one person.

I can't really categorize this game well. I can label it as a sandbox farming game. But I think calling it an "everything" game is more appropriate., because from the looks of it, you can pretty much do anything. From starting your own farm to mining caves, or courting a future wife to fighting off slimes. And there's still new content information to be released, including multiplayer co-op.

So far, there's a couple of demo videos on Youtube. And from the looks of it, the potential of the game is through the roof. 

Oldschool graphics. But don't let that deter you from the gameplay

In a genre that's dominated by Harvest Moon and to a smaller extent, Rune Factory, Stardew Valley looks to add a fresh take on a dying game style. There's no release date set (the estimate is some time in 2013), but until then, I'll just continue to throw money at the screen, hoping the game comes out now.

Gnomoria: So the Gnomes Created a Time Machine...

http://gnomoria.com/

Gnomoria is an indie sandbox/strategy game developed by Robotronic Games. The game is still in it's alpha stage, and content is being added on a weekly basis.

When I first played the demo of Gnomoria, I was a little overwhelmed. I was having fun, but there was a lot to learn before I could get my feet off the ground. But after spending some time on some forums, sticking my nose in a wiki, I found this game to be one of the most enjoyable sandbox experiences I've ever had.

For some odd reason, you are granted control of a gnomadic (hah) tribe of gnomes who have finally decided to settle. Each gnome is assigned a job to complete, whether it's a woodcutter, a miner, or a builder (completely customizable).

One of the first things I noticed in this game; it's incredibly easy to pick up. For such a seemingly complex concept, things are right in front of you in the form of a menu. The UI is well made, and things are pretty self-explanatory (some things you WILL have to do some reading on though). The menus also make it incredibly easy to keep track of each individual gnome.

So many different stats...

So you start off by mining into some random wall to start your base, farm some land for food, cut some wood, etc. Seems simple enough. You build crafting stations to build furniture, walls, statues, weapons, bandages, or construct anything else your mind can conjure up. Slowly but surely, your kingdom will start to grow, your gnomes will have some beds to sleep on, and life appears easy.

...until the first summer, when the jealous goblins begin attacking. You'll learn quickly that you need to raise up an army to combat the incoming invasions. No really, you need to raise up an army. I think the first two times I played, I didn't make it past the second day of summer.

The gnome quarters, as well as the farms/pastures

As you survive and make your kingdom more mighty, you will attract more gnomads to immigrate on your land. But as your kingdom grows bigger, you attract more enemies, such as ogres, better equipped goblins, or the ever annoying mants. And really, there's not much else to write in terms of basic gameplay. The goals, the objectives, the stories write themselves. And while you're doing that, time just seems to fly.

I started naming my gnomes, and they began to create their own backstories. The game even keeps track of the enemies your gnomes kill.

I built a small town for funsies

 And while my first two gameplays only lasted 30 minutes (I died pretty fast), the current game I'm has me hooked with well over 25 hours.

Gnomoria might not be a fun game for everyone, but if you want an interesting take on a sandbox game and you love to create your own stories and you're willing to put in some time to learn, this is an amazing game. And while it's still in Alpha stage, the devs are highly receptive to player input. One can only wonder what kind of content is to come.