Steam has a huge catalog of games and that means that sometimes the best and brightest titles can go unnoticed and un-played. That’s why I’m on a quest to round-up some of my favorite titles to share with you with Steam Gems!
The Book of Unwritten Tales ($21.99)
The Book of Unwritten Tales (via Steam)
“In a world torn by war, the aged gremlin archaeologist Mortimer McGuffin harbours the dark secret of a powerful artifact. Whoever calls this artifact its own, will determine the fate of the world. While the Army of Shadows sends out its best and most devious agents to discover the secret, the Alliance’s three heroes find themselves involuntarily drawn into the crisis…” (via Wikipedia)
The Book of Unwritten Tales is a grade A throwback to all the classic point and click adventure games from your childhood. Been missing Monkey Island? Look no further for a spiritual successor.
Selling Point: The Book of Unwritten Tales shines through and through but one aspect in particular stands out. The game’s writing is clever, hilarious and engaging (even while plentiful.) Uber funny references throughout the game pay homage to all the well-known fantasy tropes and genre forerunners, from Tolkien and Pratchett to D&D and World of Warcraft. The Book of Unwritten Tales is guaranteed to make any fantasy fan laugh.
Earlier this year KING Art Games held a successful Kickstarter to fund the creation of The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 which is currently available under Early Access on Steam. Keep an eye out for it’s full release in early 2015.
And,
The Banner Saga ($21.99)
The Banner Saga (via Steam)
“Live through an epic role-playing Viking saga where your strategic choices directly affect your personal journey. Make allies as you travel with your caravan across this stunning yet harsh landscape. Carefully choose those who will help fight a new threat that jeopardizes an entire civilization.” (via Steam)
With it’s 2D rotoscope take on animation The Banner Saga stands out on the turn-based, tactical RPG roster and has made quite a name for itself in terms of accuracy within it’s story (when taking from history and age-old folklore).
Selling Point: The Banner Saga forces the player to think on their feet during both combat and story. Decisions, tactical or otherwise, lead to very real life and death consequences for your party. Think back to The Oregon Trail but with the addition of horned giants. Decisions really feel as though they matter and the ramifications of each are swift and can force you to rethink your play style completely.
Intended to be a 3 part series, The Banner Saga 2 was announced early this week. You can check out the (gorgeously animated) announcement trailer here.
Looking for more? Check out Steam Gems – Part 1.