Ducky Obrien Show 038 - Indie Games Galore (Space Station Tycoon, Cosmo Cheats at Poker, Costa Verde Transport Department, The Invincible)
Video Game News, Reviews, and Guides (and sometimes random things)
Space Station Tycoon
Space Station Tycoon is a management sim about building up your own space station. I do have to mention that the normal game mode feels very slow. The rate at which you earn money and research points as well as the rate at which ships visit your station is painfully slow. It’s slow to the point where you won’t be able to actually build up your space station at a decent pace and you end up having to wait a long time before being able to do anything at all.
This is a shame because if you play the game in creative mode, you get to see the full potential the game has. Honestly speaking here, I think the game is infinitely more enjoyable playing in creative mode. You can spend all your time designing your ideal space station or experiment with different layouts. Everything is unlocked in creative mode (other than jump gates) and you have infinite money so your imagination is the limit here. You can even unlock most of the achievements in creative mode.
►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324270/Space_Station_Tycoon/
►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/08/space-station-tycoon-gameplay-preview-slow-management-sim/
►Video: https://youtu.be/mS9OpXMvrgU
Cosmo Cheats at Poker
Cosmo Cheats at Poker is a poker game with some cheating mechanics thrown in. It’s an OK game but I didn’t encounter anything that made it stand out among the sea of other poker games out there. It reminded me of playing Poker Night at the Inventory way back in the day and honestly speaking that experience felt smoother than the one provided by Cosmo.
It’s not that this game has any specific issue or problem that makes it lackluster, it’s just that the game doesn’t really add anything on top of playing poker to make the game stand out in any way. There’s just too many options when it comes to playing poker, including playing poker in other games like Red Dead Redemption 2.
►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2479950/Cosmo_Cheats_at_Poker/
►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/09/cosmo-cheats-at-poker-gameplay-preview-ok-poker-game-with-cheating-mechanics/
►Video: https://youtu.be/IOMH6PHXJKo
Costa Verde Transport Department
Costa Verde Transport Department is a game where you design a network of roads that can handle the stress of traffic. I will cut to the chase with this game as well. It's mediocre at best and there's really no reason to play this game over a similar game such as Mini Motorways.
The main flaw of Costa Verde is that the road designing mechanic does not work well at all. For most other games focusing on or containing elements where you build a network of roads, it is essential for the game that building the roads feels intuitive and natural. It's the core element of the game and if the core doesn't feel good, nothing else will.
►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2403100/Costa_Verde_Transport_Department/
►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/11/costa-verde-transport-department-gameplay-preview-mediocre-road-design-game/
►Video: https://youtu.be/8Jp8PG3Ozws
The Invincible
Let's get one thing out of the way real quick. The Invincible is a walking sim. It's basically an interactive movie of sorts. You walk through a mostly linear path with minimal interaction and experience the narrative. I completely understand that this won't appeal to everyone but if you love a good, slow sci-fi narrative you may want to give The Invincible a chance.
I will admit that I am pretty biased as I love science fiction, especially the slow kind that focuses more on the science element rather than grandiose battles and flashy action sequences. Invincible fits right in the first category. It is a gloriously slow and meticulous story that feels like it could actually happen in the not so distant future.
►Steam Store Page : https://store.steampowered.com/app/731040/The_Invincible/
►Article: https://duckyobrien.com/2023/12/12/the-invincible-gameplay-preview-amazing-slow-sci-fi-walking-sim/
►Video: https://youtu.be/ICRBIsM42Z4
Thanks for listening!