Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles is free on Epic

Monday, Let’s Build a Dungeon got a release date, but your dad is safe in his cage, WANE looks pretty (tell your dad he’s a looker too), and Vaewolf got a new trailer. Two out of three ain’t bad. Tuesday, The Hollowing looks lo-fi and spooky, with a demo out now, and even scarier, Bungie says Destiny isn’t dead… yet. Wednesday, Microsoft/Xbox is trying to do what it did to Lionhead Studios, Yami Kids is out now, and Stupid Never Dies has a new trailer as it proves itself with every passing day. Thursday, Nighthawks, is out now, while I wait for a Terrahawks game.

Moving on to this week’s offerings on the Epic Games Store, and yes, it is still double-bill season, though sadly we don’t get Trudie Goodwin. I think we’ll start with the mobile offering, as I’m sick of talking about this, even if it is only the third time: Cardpocalypse. Released in 2020, previously available through Prime Gaming, and only available a couple of weeks ago here on Epic, it is a single-player RPG card battler with artwork that I don’t really care for. As I’ve stated a bit too much lately, I prefer Gambrinous’ artwork for Guild of Dungeoneering to this child sketchbook style.

Onto the proper offerings this week, and we’ll start with the rather busy-ish looking Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles. A Rogue-like deckbuilder where the decks are, in fact, dice. You know, because six-sided wasn’t enough of a hint. Released in 2023, developer Little Leo Games’ first offering is “very positively” reviewed on Steam and elsewhere for its engaging gameplay and exciting Rogue-like output. I’m sure that’s the case if you haven’t been burned out by Rogue-like/lite mechanics.

The second offering is also celebrating two years since its 1.0 release, and this week launched its 2.0 release; I’m talking about Game River’s Mechabellum. I would like to suggest that I know what I am talking about here, but I still need to work out this “auto battler” thing we’ve suddenly got in a lot of strategy games. As you might guess, you take command (maybe not, “auto battler”) of mechs and fight other mechs or armored units. Honestly, I lost interest after the new “Star Expedition” mode was another gameplay element that blends something Rogue-lite-ish. There is also a free version as is.

All this week, you can pick up Mechabellum, Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles, and Cardpocalypse on the Epic Games Store, the latter only for the mobile app. On to next week, and wouldn’t you know it, there is a double bill. First up is Buried Stars, a visual novel that reminds me of two JRPGs I don’t hate. Indeed, shock, horror, and all the things, but I was reminded of FURYU Corporation’s Lost Dimension and of characters from The World Ends With You school of getting dressed. Meanwhile, the other game is just System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster.