Recent reviews by Kong Ming

Don't rush to judge the simple cover of this astoundingly dense book. CS:TI distinguishes itself in the heavily saturated genre of survival games as a true contender. Where other games invest the bulk of their resources in graphics and animations, CS:TI has instead focused heavily on a set of game mechanics with depth that can barely be sounded. Players must address the obvious needs present in so many survival games; hunger, thirst, shelter, fire, etc. But CS:TI goes well beyond this, requiring players to also manage the subtle but significant needs for sun protection, bug protection, callouses, companionship, entertainment, mental structure, body fat, skill training, food preservation, and an astonishing list of other factors that all interconnect in fascinating and challenging ways. In the face of so many simultaneous demands, one could be concerned that the experience would end up feeling like a chore rather than a game, but CS:TI deftly avoids this pitfall, leaving players with immense satisfaction after each little victory.

You will die. A lot. But each time you will come away having learned a few new tricks to help you in your next attempt. Progress is measured in days, and if you do well, months. But every moment has the potential to spiral out of control into a life or death situation if you don't plan ahead. Rarely has a survival game so successfully captured this sense of mounting problems. Something as simple as acquiring too many mosquito bites can serve as the first domino in a line leading to disaster. Learning how to manage and avoid so many threats to your well-being, and establishing a stable and sustainable life on the island is an intricate and intriguing puzzle. Yet, even after mastering the essentials for survival, custom scenario creation gives players countless ways to modify their starting circumstances, requiring whole new strategies for finding food, water, shelter, and for protecting themselves from the island's various animal (and not so animal) inhabitants.

Though the artwork is charming, if you play survival games primarily for the scenery, then you may need to look elsewhere. The interface feels a little clunky at first, and may be a turnoff for some players, but after learning the tricks to interact more swiftly with your surroundings, it quickly becomes second nature, even elegant in its simplicity. The soundscape is likewise simple, but captures the sense of isolation and natural environment admirably.

If you've ever watched a bunch of Primitive Technology videos, or enjoyed the movie Castaway, or spent time daydreaming about how you would go about surviving being stranded on a deserted island, you need to give Card Survival: Tropical Island a chance to woo you into a classic "just one more try" marathon of gaming delight.

Genuinely one of my favorite games ever, and one I come back to again and again. Bravo and thank you to the developers for this work of art.

Looks like a fun game, but multiplayer requires Xbox Live to connect. That means a Microsoft login which means trying to figure out my Skype login info from 10 years ago, which means navigating Microsoft's abysmally bad support center only to discover there's no way to get actual support from an actual human being. No thanks. I'll be back when I can connect via a reasonable method.

If you're reading reviews to decide whether you should buy this game, pause a moment. Scroll back to the top of the page, and watch that trailer video one more time. As you do, pay close attention to how every dramatic moment in the musical score is punctuated by a compelling visual event. Feel the crispness of the camera cuts matched to the percussive hits and the smoothness of the panning shots that reveal mysterious images of violence and intrigue; each one more curiosity inducing than the last. Every moment of Return of the Obra Dinn is crafted with the same level of detail, precision, and mastery, as the trailer. If Lucas Pope ever stops making games, he should start directing films. But I really hope he never stops making games.

This game won't be for everyone, but if you find the glimpses above to be at all exciting, this masterpiece is worthy of a closer look.

There are few reasons NOT to buy a solid digital implementation of one of the better designed strategy board games of the last thirty years. A simple but effective interface, the ability to fully investigate your turn before committing to your decision, a well thought-out multiplayer set up, and a solid list of interesting challenges with variant rules makes this a solid buy for any strategy game enthusiast. My only criticism is that you can't play the challenge variants with your friends in multiplayer. That would make this game flawless, in my opinion.

I mean, if you have ANY interest in card/board games, this is probably the best deal, dollar for dollar, on all of Steam. So, yeah. Worth it.