When the crew of Apollo 13 informed Houston that they had a problem it required considerable ingenuity under extreme pressure to get them home safely. When the crew of the Iktomi are hit by disaster, the situation that they find themselves in is substantially worse. They are still ten weeks away from their destination, and not only has their ship been seriously damaged but their pantry has been completely destroyed. The crew not only face the prospect of no biscuits with their cuppa but the even grimmer possibility of having to chow down on their dearly departed comrades. Cannibalism ftw?

Tharsis is a disaster management game that immediately brings to mind classic roguelike, FTL. The big difference here is that the action takes a more leisurely turn-based approach rather than demanding real-time decision-making. Tharsis also has a narrower range of less demanding crisis points, which makes for a much more approachable game but still a very tough one.

Each turn represents a week aboard the failing Iktomi, in which the crew have to repair various system failures or suffer the consequences. These consequences include a faulty life support system damaging the crews’ health or a severe fire destroying the ship’s hull and bringing an abrupt end to your mission. Tharsis begins with two of the six crewmembers taking you through a brief tutorial, before disaster strikes and they meet an untimely demise. Look on the bright side; they can always be stored away in the fridge for later, yum.

The remaining four astronauts must use their action dice, alongside their unique skills to traverse the ship, moving from module to module. First, select an astronaut and then use the side on view of the ship to deploy them to a module, be careful though because passing through damaged areas will reduce your astronaut’s health. On reaching a location, the crewmember will first need to roll their action dice. Much like Yahtzee, you can set aside favourable rolls and then re-roll the rest. However, each crisis will have additional hazards that are triggered by particular rolls. These extra problems include preventing re-rolls, causing injury, or sending dice into the void. This results in many a tense situation. For example, when you send a guy with low health into a module where an unlucky roll causes injury, they may well end up being added to the evening’s menu.

Each crisis will have a damage rating, which is lowered by allocating dice. Reduce the damage to zero and disaster is averted – for a time, at least. What elevates Tharsis from being just a Yahtzee clone is that much like Castles of Burgundy your dice are not limited to a single use. Throwing low numbers, although not much use for repairing damage, can still be put to good use. Research allows you to build up a sequence of dice that can be spent on a one-off bonus. Dice with a value of five or six can be used to trigger a character’s unique ability, this means that the Doctor can, for instance, restore one health point to everyone that is in the same module. Once a module is fully repaired you will be able to make use of its special ability. The greenhouse is a very useful module since it allows a pair of matching dice to be converted into food.

When all of your characters have taken a turn and used their dice then the negative effects of any remaining disasters are resolved. Between turns, characters must forfeit action dice, but if you have any spare food then a quick meal will restore an additional three dice, up to a maximum of five. If you have no food available then the non-vegans in your crew can indulge in a bit of cannibalism. Eating a dead crewmember restores two dice, but, understandably, isn’t that great for the character’s mental health. Also, between turns, you will be able to choose one of the side projects that your crew have been working on. These have both a positive and negative effect and the less stressed the crewmembers are then the more useful their project will be. An insane character will go off on their own and work on their own project, which will invariably have selfish bonuses and detrimental effects for the rest of the crew.

Presentation is excellent, with moody sound and a graphical style that pays tribute to Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s 1970’s sci-fi shows UFO and Space: 1999. After each day there is an atmospheric cut scene that recounts a neat time-looping storyline. Adding to the budget sci-fi feel is the fun technobabble – no one wants a leak in their Photovoltaic Thermal Control System. The animated crew close-ups are also nicely done; as their stress levels escalate, they become increasing twitchy and agitated. The interface is smooth and responsive, with all relevant information just a single tap away, although once a dice has been allocated you cannot switch its position, which feels a little harsh.

There are a couple of other features that can aid your mission. Assist points can be acquired and used to negate hazards, whilst dice can be put into a holding area rather than being allocated immediately. You also have a forecast of the disasters that will assail you one week ahead, although you will probably be way too busy handling the current situation to pay too much attention.  The main storyline can be tackled on three different skill levels, but even the easy level can be brutal at times. There are an additional ten extra missions that can help if you are struggling, as they reveal some vital strategic advice. The final challenge is to unlock new crewmembers by reaching various targets, like eating a set number of human-based meals.

The main criticism levelled at Tharsis is that the dice rolling makes it appear very random and just too frustrating to formulate an effective strategy. However, I found that the game allowed just enough choice so that although at times it can be exasperating it still manages to remain entertaining. The key is to prioritise the disasters and have a backup plan so that your dice can be put to good use even when the rolls are not what you want to see. It is brutal; any disasters that you do not deal with are carried over making things even more hectic and desperate, and, yes, one bad roll can ruin your entire game.  However, at the same time, if you are cagey enough you shouldn’t often find yourself in a position whereby you are relying on a single roll to save your skin.

Accusations of an excessive reliance on luck could be partly down to the fact that whilst many games hide their luck factor away under the bonnet Tharis delights in rubbing your nose in it. There is a real sense of theatre as the dice teeter and totter across the screen, promising a certain six only to topple over at the very last second.  It’s a cliché but Tharsis is a real Marmite game, you either roll with the blows or say blow to the rolls and play something else instead. I found that even when I turned off the game in frustration the addictive gameplay and dark undertones soon had me eager to try again.

Will there be a rumble between book-lovers and gamers by the end of the day? #Swordgate2019

— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) July 1, 2019

Where we started it all. ❤️⚔️? @witchernetflix
GERALT IS:
Stoic.
Circumspect.
Balanced.
Fierce.
Soft-and-squishy-in-a-tiny-place-in-his-heart-that-he'll-never-reveal-until-maybe-the-end-and-even-then-it-will-just-be-a-hint-AND-yes-he-only-carries-one-sword-until-wait-for-it... pic.twitter.com/KKYRPBfE4a

— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) July 1, 2019

CIRI IS:
Resilient.
Relentless.
Brazen.
Growing.
Going-to-change-the-world-and-what-the-hell-is-she-supposed-to-do-except-be-scared-&-bold-&-learn-&-adapt-&-find-a-family-who-can-walk-by-her-side-no-matter-what-and-maybe-just-maybe-teach-her-the-meaning-of-love. @witchernetflix pic.twitter.com/hEgEVvwfSL

— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) July 1, 2019

Back to where we started! @witchernetflix
YENNEFER IS:
Fiery.
Proud.
Shrewd.
Contradictory.
Seeking-to-fill-a-family-sized-hole-in-her-heart-even-though-she-resents-it-&-swears-she's-just-fine-on-her-own-but-she-is-not-and-we-love-her-for-being-both-independent-and-vulnerable. pic.twitter.com/YAOVMHgIGX

— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) July 1, 2019

Since the announcement of Shantae 5 for the Nintendo Switch earlier this year, WayForward hasn’t given us any other information to really get excited about. Now, though, the developer does have some news to share about the half-genie hero’s next outing.

In a recent tweet, it revealed the talented Japanese animation studio Trigger would be responsible for the opening animation in Shantae 5. Here’s a look at some of the production artwork so far:

Trigger is previously known for its work on Little Witch Academia, its first original anime television series Kill la Kill and has gone on to help out with video games such as Fire Emblem Fates. Unsurprisingly, it’s also involved with the upcoming multi-platform release, Kill la Kill: IF.

In the same tweet, WayForward was asked when exactly Shantae 5 would be released. According to the official account, it’s still on track for a 2019 release and more details will be revealed soon. One fan also asked if an animated Shantae series could potentially happen now that the developer was collaborating with Trigger. Unfortunately, there are no plans for it at the moment.

Are you looking forward to the release of Shantae 5? Have you played the previous games? Tell us below.

“Okay, let’s get right to the core: Let’s analyze why Final Fantasy XIV failed.”

– Game director Naoki Yoshida speaks candidly about how Square Enix stumbled when launching their second big MMORPG.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a game worth studying, if only for the fact that it’s proven to be a markedly successful relaunch of the Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG Square Enix debuted in 2010 to disastrous critical and commercial response.

Director Naoki Yoshida spoke at length about the experience this year during GDC 2014, analyzing the causes of the game’s initial failure and disclosing some of the behind-the-scenes decisions that led Square Enix to take the game down and relaunch it in 2013. Yoshida also delved into the practical dangers of hubris, the challenges of developing a contemporary PC/console MMORPG in a relatively short timeframe, and the rapidly-shifting landscape of online game business models.

His talk offers interesting insight into large-scale Japanese online game development, so we’ve gone ahead and embedded the free video of “Behind the Realm Reborn” above. You can also watch it (translated into English) here on the GDC Vault. You can watch the Japanese language version here.

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Tech

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.

Here are just some of the many, many positions being advertised right now. If you’re a recruiter looking for talent, you can also post jobs here.

Location: Remote

We are looking for a senior Unity programmer with a passion for delivering high quality player experiences for our all new home game. You must have shipped numerous commercially successful titles at various high quality studios.

Location: Beverly Hills, California

We’re looking for a game designer that can dig deep into each stage of this process, crossing into realms of both systems and level design, applying technical & creative passion to constantly improve the game through an iterative process. We want people that think differently at every step and help us to create a broadly appealing product.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Harmonix is seeking an experienced network-focused software engineer to join our team developing in-house backend services for our titles in development. As an integral part of our game development teams, you will work closely with designers and gameplay engineers to build out online functionality for brand new music-based games across multiple platforms.

Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The team at New World Interactive is lookinig for an Art Director to direct art developed both internally and by third parties, collaborate with Tech Art, Design, Engineering and Art teams to make recommendations and decisions regarding overall art vision, serve as an internal art critic to achieve quality targets, and more as part of its Calgary-based studio

Location: San Jose, California

Cold Iron is seeking an experienced Senior Animator to join us in creating a shooter set in the Alien universe for consoles and PC! Are you excited about breathing life into characters, creatures, and worlds? Are you a passionate game developer looking to create the best player experience possible? Join our creative, collaborative studio where you will help craft visually inspiring player characters and creatures are as fun to watch move as they are to blow up.

Our history began in November 2014 in Saint-Petersburg when three young people who never worked on a video game before and never even met each other has decided to participate in their first game jam. That’s how the initial Ovivo team was formed.

Over the course of just one night we made our first prototype: a black and white game which we called… Black and White Game. It was a great experience for us and we had a lot of fun working on it. But we were pleased even more when our friends tried our game and really liked it! We won that game jam and came up with the current name for the game — Ovivo. It sounds nice and is also a palindrome.

This victory gave us the confidence to continue working on Ovivo. But we didn’t have any resources to bring our ideas to life. At that time we didn’t think we could find a publisher so we have decided to test our luck and take part in Imagine Cup by Microsoft —   an international competition where the first place prize was a project development grant. We couldn’t even imagine that in half-year we will become the winners of Imagine Cup 2015.

Thanks to this victory we were able to make the game as we wanted — independently from a publisher and being limited only by our own imagination. We have released the game on multiple platforms and now we are proud to release Ovivo on Xbox One. We hope that you’ll get the same pleasure as we did when we were working on the game. It was a journey of its own creating this game and we hope the game will be not less of a journey for you!

Ovivo is available for pre-order on Xbox One via the Microsoft Store and will be available on July 2, 2019. Click here for additional pre-order details.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers is Now Available on Steam!

Take part in the next saga of the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY® XIV Online with the next legendary expansion pack—SHADOWBRINGERS!

Explore breathtaking new environments, encounter exotic new races, master exciting new jobs, and fight alongside prominent characters with the new Trust system as you embark on a new journey as the Warrior of Darkness!

With over 16 million adventurers worldwide, join the next chapter and become what you must. Become the Warrior of Darkness!