Rock Paper Shotgun FTL: Faster Than Light Feed

enThu, 20 Jun 2024 14:20:09 +0000The 19 best roguelike games on PChttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-roguelike-games-pcBrendan CaldwellThu, 20 Jun 2024 14:20:09 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-roguelike-games-pcMultiplayer CompetitivePuzzleHack & SlashMotion TwinSegaHumble BundleNintendo SwitchBestest BestsPCCard GamesSingle PlayerGearbox PublishingMultiplayer CooperativeSide viewWildermythBalatroSimulationXbox Series X/SPlaystackSpelunky 2RPG: ActionEdmund McMillenSlay the SpirePlayStation VitaDarkest Dungeon 2Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer's LegacyBird view / IsometricLocalThunkStory RichFTL: Faster Than LightAndroidShooter: Third PersonReturnalStrategyInto the BreachRPGBlitWorksFantasyNoitaAction AdventureShiny ShoeDead CellsHousemarqueValve CorporationArcadeCaves of QudSupergiant GamesTinyBuildXbox 360Hades 2ExplorationRisk of Rain 2PS5PlatformerponcleMossmouthHumble GamesXbox OneEndless DungeonShooterThe Binding Of IsaacIndieThird personMonster TrainStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyOpen WorldHopoo GamesiOSStreets of RogueAMPLITUDE StudiosSpace CombatVampire SurvivorsPS3Science FictionRoguelikeMacPS4

Chaos and comedy. Death and rebirth. Luck and, uh, running out of luck. A good roguelike doesn't treat the player like other games do. Roguelikes won't guide you helpfully along a path, or let you cinematically snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. They're more likely to dangle you deep between the jaws of defeat and fumble the rope until you go sliding down defeat's hungry gullet. This is their beauty, and it's a part of why we keep coming back for another go. Next time everything will go right. Next time you'll find the right pair of poison-proof loafers, the perfect co-pilot for your spaceship, a stash of stronger, better ropes. Next time.

Here's our list of the 19 best roguelikes on PC you can play in 2024.

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RPS Time Capsule: the games worth saving from 2012https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-time-capsule-the-games-worth-saving-from-2012Katharine CastleFri, 17 Mar 2023 12:30:00 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-time-capsule-the-games-worth-saving-from-2012The Walking DeadXCOM: Enemy UnknownBlockbusterMax Payne 3The RPS Time CapsuleDear EstherDishonoredIndieDark Souls: Prepare To Die EditionFTL: Faster Than LightMass Effect 3Tribes: Ascend

Welcome to the latest edition of The RPS Time Capsule, where members of the RPS Treehouse each pick one game from a given year to save from extinction while all other games fizzle and die on the big digital griddle in the sky before blinking out of existence. This time, we're turning our preservation mitts on the year 2012, a year absolutely stacked with some pretty stellar releases. But which ones will make the cut and be safely ensconced inside our cosy capsule for future generations? Come on down to find out.

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These are your 50 favourite strategy games of all timehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/these-are-your-50-favourite-strategy-games-of-all-timeKatharine CastleThu, 23 Feb 2023 19:00:22 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/these-are-your-50-favourite-strategy-games-of-all-timeTotal War: Shogun 2Total War: Warhammer IIIXCOM 2Warcraft III: Reign of ChaosMedieval II: Total WarBeyond All ReasonJagged Alliance 2Warcraft II: Tides of DarknessAge of Empires II: The Age of KingsIndieSid Meier's Civilization IVFTL: Faster Than LightAge of Empires IIICompany of HeroesStellarisTotal War: Warhammer IIStrategyEuropa Universalis IVAge of MythologyStarCraftCommand & Conquer: Red AlertInto the BreachStarCraft II: Wings Of LibertyHomeworldSupreme-CommanderSid Meier's CivilizationSins of a Solar EmpireEndless Space 2StarCraft: Brood WarTotal AnnihilationCommand & ConquerAge of Empires IVDune II: The Battle for ArrakisCommand & Conquer: Red Alert 2Crusader Kings IIIHearts of Iron IVHeroes Of Might & Magic IIIsupreme commander 2XCOM: Enemy UnknownWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IIZero-KThe Settlers II: 10th AnniversarySid Meier's Civilization VCrusader Kings IIWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of WarAge of EmpiresBattleTechInvisible Inc.Supreme Commander: Forged AllianceBestest Bests: Reader EditionSid Meier's Alpha CentauriSid Meier's Civilization 6Sid Meier's Civilization II

Earlier this month, we asked you to vote for your favourite strategy games of all time to celebrate the launch (and glorious return) of several strategy classics this month, including Relic's WW2 RTS Company Of Heroes 3, Blue Byte's The Settlers: New Allies and Cyanide's fantasy Warhamball Blood Bowl 3. And cor, I've never seen such love for individual expansions and total conversion mods among mainline RTS games and 4Xs. As with all strategy games, however, there can only be one victor - and you can find out what that single strategy game to rule them all is right here. Here are your 50 favourite strategy games of all time, as voted for by you, the RPS readership.

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The 50 best strategy games to play on PChttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-strategy-games-on-pcKatharine CastleFri, 06 Nov 2020 13:00:18 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-strategy-games-on-pcTotal War: Shogun 2NorthgardHumankindMultiplayer CompetitiveStardock CorporationThe Creative AssemblyPuzzleEndless LegendDesperados 3Warhammer 40000: MechanicusSegaBulwark StudiosKlei EntertainmentSix Ages: Ride Like The WindNintendo SwitchXbox Game StudiosAnno 1800Bestest BestsAge of Empires II: Definitive EditionCompany of HeroesPCTotal War: Warhammer IITHQ NordicDruidstone: The Secret of the Menhir ForestCard GamesFuncomVersus EvilSingle PlayerAspyrOffworld Trading CompanyUbisoftCreative AssemblyMultiplayer CooperativeSide viewSimulationXbox Series X/S2K GamesSid Meier's Alpha CentauriSid Meier's Civilization 6BeetlewingPlayStation VitaCommand & Conquer Remastered CollectionFrozen SynapseThe Banner SagaUbisoft EntertainmentBird view / IsometricSlipwaysTextFTL: Faster Than LightAndroidTantalus MediaUnity of CommandStellarisStrategyInto the BreachKitfox GamesUFO: Enemy UnknownStarCraft II: Wings Of Liberty2KRPGBlitWorksBlizzard EntertainmentAction AdventureFiraxis GamesPS1EAFocus EntertainmentShiro GamesMacGas Powered GamesInvisible Inc.Marvel's Midnight SunsHellbent GamesWarhammer 40000: Dawn of War - SoulstormIntroversion SoftwareMode 7 GamesDefconTindalos InteractiveXbox 360Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - DaemonhuntersEuropa Universalis IVNeptune's PrideIceberg InteractiveDistant Worlds: UniverseSupreme-CommanderFocus Home InteractiveStrategy: Real-Time StrategyPS51c-SoftClubCrusader Kings IIIFrontier FoundryGears TacticsKasedo GamesBattlefleet Gothic: Armada 2BattleTechMimimi GamesXCOM 2Splash DamageUbisoft Blue ByteXbox OneIron Lore EntertainmentTHQParadox Development StudioElectronic ArtsIndieHarebrained SchemesMohawk GamesStoicTotal War: Three KingdomsThird personStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyTHQ WirelessThey Are BillionsParadox Interactive1C CompanyiOSStardockDune II: The Battle for ArrakisNintendo DSAMPLITUDE StudiosHeroes Of Might & Magic IIIMutant Year Zero: Road To EdenRelic EntertainmentImperator: RomePS4

Strategy games is an enormous genre in PC gaming, with real-time, turn-based, 4X and tactics games all flying the same flag to stake their claim as the one true best strategy game. Our list of the best strategy games on PC covers the lot of them. We like to take a broad view here at RPS, and every game listed below is something we firmly believe that you could love and play today. You'll find 30-year-old classics nestled right up against recent favourites here, so whether you're to the genre or want to dig deep for some hidden gems, we've got you covered. Here are our 50 best strategy games for 2023.

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The 9 best spaceships in PC gameshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-9-best-spaceships-in-pc-gamesBrendan CaldwellFri, 02 Oct 2020 08:00:01 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-9-best-spaceships-in-pc-gamesKerbal Space ProgramFeatureShooterStory RichOuter WildsHeaven's VaultEVE OnlineIndieFTL: Faster Than LightEverspaceHalo: The Master Chief CollectionRPGSimulationStealthOne Off The ListStar Wars: SquadronsAction AdventureElite Dangerous

Happy Star Wars: Squadrons day, internet. I have nothing to offer but the sneer of a veteran Elite Dangerous pilot. A disdainful scoff as you vroomify your engines in the docking bay, click-clacking your flight checks in the seat of some dusty Y-wing, some classless X-Wing, some bogus B-wing. Who do you think you are? Sitting there in the pilot’s seat of that garish tin can. Only an exponent of the foulest incorrectitudes would indulge a shipyard with all the basic-ass nomenclature of an episode of Sesame Street. Here, you fripperist, you child, gaze upon the true list of the 9 best spaceships in games.

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Game composers and YouTubers are in a murky battle for copyright controlhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/game-composers-and-youtubers-are-in-a-murky-battle-for-copyright-controlOmri WallachTue, 07 Apr 2020 12:00:34 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/game-composers-and-youtubers-are-in-a-murky-battle-for-copyright-controlFeatureBlockbusterCelesteRisk of RainIndiegame musicFTL: Faster Than LightHackmudLena RaineInto the BreachGravity GhostRisk of Rain 2Interviewchris christodoulou

Every time I sit down to write, the first thing I do isn’t open up a blank document, it’s find some nice video game music to listen to. And loads of it can be found free on YouTube. Ambient music from Skyrim, relaxing compilations from Animal Crossing, lo-fi Legend of Zelda remixes Sometimes, work or study just can’t get done without my 10-hour loop of Chrono Trigger’s Corridors Of Time.

Looking at the millions of comments, uploads, and views these uploads get, it’s clear that I’m not alone. If you’re reading this on a PC right now, there’s a statistically decent chance that YouTube is currently open and playing some video game tunes in another tab. And it’s only possible because YouTube doesn’t treat video game music as it does other popular music.

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The 20 best space games on PChttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-space-games-on-pcKatharine CastleFri, 06 Mar 2020 11:36:08 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-space-games-on-pcMultiplayer CompetitivePuzzleCCP GamesMMORPGStar Traders: FrontiersBiowaresoftbankNintendo SwitchX3: Albion PreludeBestest BestsPCSingle PlayerROCKFISH GamesGearbox PublishingMultiplayer CooperativeIronclad GamesSimulationGearbox SoftwareFrontier Developments505 GamesPrivate DivisionBeetlewingHello GamesDescentElite DangerousBird view / IsometricVirtual RealityFTL: Faster Than LightAndroidStellarisStrategyBlockbusterRPGInterplayAction AdventureKerbal Space ProgramFocus EntertainmentRebel Galaxy OutlawHardspace: ShipbreakerMass Effect: Legendary EditionDeep SilverSquadEVE OnlineTindalos InteractiveFirst personG1M2Blackbird InteractiveDistant Worlds: UniverseHomeworldFocus Home InteractiveStrategy: Real-Time StrategyBattlefleet Gothic: Armada 2Mobius DigitalEverspace 2Xbox OneNo Man's SkyTHQFreespace 2ShooterParadox Development StudioElectronic ArtsOuter WildsIndieThird personStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyNintendo WiiParadox InteractiveiOSVolition Inc.StardockHomeworld Remastered CollectionNintendo Wii USpace CombatScience FictionSins of a Solar Empire: RebellionMacRelic EntertainmentEgosoftPS4

Video games are great at transporting us to different worlds, but none capture that feeling quite so perfectly as intergalactic space games - and 2023 looks set to be one of the biggest years for space games yet, with the launch of Starfield, Homeworld 3 and more all on the horizon. But what games have gone before them and staked their claim already on the dusty planet surface known as 'Best Space Games'? We reveal all below, with our carefully curated list of all the best space games you can play on PC right now. Whether you're a budding space cruiser captain, a wannabe space conqueror or an intrepid space-faring explorer, there's a space game for you.

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The greatest PC games of the 2010shttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-games-of-the-decade-on-pcRPSFri, 06 Dec 2019 16:16:13 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-games-of-the-decade-on-pcRising Star GamesMultiplayer CompetitiveVirtuosPuzzleCD ProjektObsidian EntertainmentHack & SlashSegaMMORPGStar Traders: FrontiersKlei EntertainmentBiowareVisual Novel & DatingHumble BundleDaybreak Game CompanyActivisionNintendo SwitchPoint and ClickBestest BestsTake-Two InteractivePanic ButtonDeadly PremonitionEA PartnersPCCard GamesSingle PlayerApe OutAspyrDevolver DigitalToby FoxMultiplayer CooperativeNidhoggSide viewSimulationXbox Series X/S2K GamesBernbandSid Meier's Civilization VTri SynergyActivision BlizzardFightingFeral InteractiveSlay the SpireNamco BandaiSpelunkyid SoftwareFromSoftwarePlayStation VitaFactorioAnnapurna InteractiveGrand Theft Auto VBird view / IsometricTextStory RichDota 2Bethesda SoftworksFTL: Faster Than LightAndroidCosmo D StudiosStrategyInto the BreachUntitled Goose GameFeatureBandai Namco EntertainmentBlockbusterKojima ProductionsRPGDishonored 2BlitWorksRimWorldBlizzard EntertainmentMarvelous Entertainment Inc.Action AdventureCities: SkylinesFiraxis GamesArkane StudiosUndertaleMesshofGiant SparrowHidden Path EntertainmentValve CorporationOverwatchFrogwaresLucas PopeNamco Bandai PartnersRockstar NorthArcadeInvisible Inc.MOBAValveFootball Manager Touch 2019Colossal Order80 DaysDark SoulsDevil DaggersFallout: New VegasValve SoftwareApex LegendsQLOCWube SoftwareAtariAppleMastertronicFirst personHitman 2Xbox 360KonamiHarmonixMicrosoftIO InteractiveStrategy: Real-Time StrategyYakuza 0Square EnixSony Online EntertainmentPS5Dennaton GamesCrusader Kings IIPlatformerMobius DigitalMossmouthNEO ScavengerRespawn EntertainmentAbstraction GamesWith Those We Love AlivePortal 2Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveAccess GamesElizaHumble GamesCD Projekt REDHouse HouseNintendo GBABethesda Game StudiosXbox OneSports InteractiveDark Souls: RemasteredShooterParadox Development StudioMass Effect 2Electronic ArtsPlanetSide 2Outer WildsIndieDivinity: Original Sin 22:22AMSportsLarian StudiosCataclysm: Dark Days AheadWarner Bros. GamesSecret HabitatThird personStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyThe Norwood SuiteWhat Remains of Edith FinchDoominkleThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimParadox InteractiveiOSHotline MiamiPapers PleaseRockstar GamesWarner Bros.SorathMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainXCOM: Enemy UnknownThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntReturn of the Obra DinnPS3MacPS4

It's been an eventful decade for PC games, and it would be hard for you to summarise everything that's happened in the medium across the past ten years. Hard for you, but a day's work for us. Below you'll find our picks for the 50 greatest games released on PC across the past decade.

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RPS interviews Into The Breach's developer about hurting our feelingshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-interviews-into-the-breachs-developer-about-hurting-our-feelingsBrock WilburSun, 15 Apr 2018 21:18:11 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-interviews-into-the-breachs-developer-about-hurting-our-feelingsmatthew davisIndieRPGFTL: Faster Than LightPuzzleSubset GamesControljustin maAction AdventureInterviewStrategyEGX RezzedInto the Breach

The folks at Subset Games are responsible for the games FTL and its follow-up Into The Breach, which means that they are also responsible for some of the most frustrating yells I've done alone on an airplane. I'm sorry to those around me, but I thought I was going to finally complete a run and then everyone I loved exploded or died from lack of oxygen or fell into the ocean. I assume Subset Games has been responsible for similar micro-aggressions against many of you. Which is why Adam Smith from RPS held them to the fire (a pleasant conversation) at Rezzed yesterday.

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Buy Into The Breach, get free FTL... On Steam, toohttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/buy-into-the-breach-get-free-ftl-on-steam-tooDominic TarasonFri, 02 Mar 2018 21:05:25 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/buy-into-the-breach-get-free-ftl-on-steam-tooRPGFTL: Faster Than LightSubset GamesStrategyInto the Breach

The howling vortex of hypercapitalism that is Christmas may be behind us, but judging from the amount of snow outside my window, it's still the season to be Santa-esque. Not to be one-upped by GOG and Humble, Steam are now offering a free copy of FTL with every purchase of the fantastic Into The Breach, a drum-tight tactical puzzle that has captured the hearts, minds and other less vital organs of several of RPS's writers.

Better still, this deal is fully retroactive, if you've already picked up the game, and if you already own FTL on Steam you'll find a giftable copy in your inventory to share with someone. Within, we have some handy tips on how to pick who in your life to share it with.

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Buy Into The Breach, get free FTLhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-offerAlec MeerWed, 28 Feb 2018 10:15:42 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-offerSubset GamesStrategyFTL: Faster Than LightInto the Breach

This is perhaps a slightly perverse offer, seeing as so many folks who have been jonesing for Into The Breach have the jitters and the sweats specifically because it's the follow-up to the revered FTL.

However, if you've managed to come to this backwards, i.e. got all hot'n'bothered about Into The Breach's ultra-deft, ultra-lean apocalyptic turn-based strategy without ever having played its brutal star-trekking predecessor FTL, good news! If you buy Into The Breach via Humble or GOG (and the former delivers you a Steam key, FYI), you'll get a free copy of FTL.

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Wot I Think: Into The Breachhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-ftl-sequel-reviewAlec MeerTue, 27 Feb 2018 18:00:00 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-ftl-sequel-reviewFeatureRPS RecommendedReviewsFTL: Faster Than LightSubset GamesBestest BestsStrategyInto the Breach

Look not to what high-speed, turn-based, sci-fi strategy wonder Into The Breach shares with its timeless predecessor FTL: Faster Than Light, but instead to how aggressively different it is. Though they share a soul of permadeath and moment-to-moment dilemmas, entire limbs have been lopped off and casually thrown aside, teeth and hair uprooted and plugged back in at strange new angles, eyeballs moved to places that were never designed to have eyeballs. Not in merely superficial ways either. It has moved from space-bound chaos to ground-based decisions, from spaceship crew management to mech vs horror-bug warfare, even from real-time to turn-based combat.

Yet the really startling change is that, unlike FTL, Into The Breach is rarely a game of chance, of random, cruel loss or sudden fortune, but instead is almost pathologically fair, even if it often doesn't feel like it. There is no calamity here that cannot be traced back to your own actions. In other words, you've only got yourself to blame for the total wipeout of humanity. But this particular end of the world is a glorious one, and one I will happily keep experiencing for years to come.

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FTL-like Abandon Ship hasn't found its sea legs yethttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/abandon-ship-early-access-reviewAlec MeerWed, 21 Feb 2018 19:00:04 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/abandon-ship-early-access-reviewFeatureRPGAbandon ShipFTL: Faster Than Lightearly accessFireblade Software

'FTL but on a...' is a formula that sounds like it can just keep on giving, but it's entirely telling that the creators of FTL have moved onto whip-smart micro-turn-based strategy instead of more ship management-based roguelitery. People keep making these things - on a train! on a post-apocalyptic battlebus! also on a spaceship! also on a post-apocalyptic battlebus! - but I can count the real successes on one hand.

Sadly, it seems I won't be grafting an extra finger with 'Abandon Ship' carved into it onto that hand - not unless this Cthulhu vs pirates take on the vehicular surviv-o-RPG format can perform some serious course-correction during its voyage through early access.

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FTL follow-up Into The Breach is finally out this monthhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-release-dateAlec MeerWed, 07 Feb 2018 11:15:30 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-release-dateSubset GamesStrategyFTL: Faster Than LightInto the Breach

For the past couple of months, we've been bragging shamelessly about how we've already got beta copies of Into The Breach, the XCOM vs Pacific Rim vs Advance Wars-y follow-up to the timeless FTL: Faster Than Light. This ugly crowing has an expiration date, you'll be glad to hear - and that date is the end of this very month.

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What Works And Why: Emergencehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-works-and-why-emergenceTom FrancisTue, 30 Jan 2018 13:00:04 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-works-and-why-emergenceFeatureSpelunkyWhat Works And WhyDishonored 2FTL: Faster Than LightSystem Shock 2BioShock 2Deus ExHeat SignatureGunpoint

What Works And Why is a new monthly column where Gunpoint and Heat Signature designer Tom Francis digs into the design of a game and analyses what makes it good.

I love Deus Ex, System Shock 2, and Dishonored 2, and the name for these games is dumb: they're 'immersive sims'. If you asked me what I liked about them, my answer would be a phrase almost as dumb: 'emergent gameplay!'

I always used to think of these as virtually the same thing, but of course they're not. Immersive sims usually have a whole list of traits, things like:

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Getting Over It, Night In The Woods, Baba Is You & Into The Breach lead IGF 2018 finalistshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/igf-2018-finalistsAlec MeerWed, 03 Jan 2018 17:30:12 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/igf-2018-finalistsigfGetting Over ItNight in the WoodsWest of LoathingBaba Is YouIndieFTL: Faster Than LightInto the BreachHeat SignatureIGF 2018

It's that time again already - 2018's Independent Games Festival hands out its best-in-indie gongs on March 21 (as part of the Game Developers Conference), and these are the games in line for a prize. And, more importantly, a big shot at success thanks to the profile, although it should be noted that a fair few of these have done rather well for themselves already.

Scooping the most nods at 4 is veritable brain-frying, rule-rewriting puzzler Baba Is You, while the singular, surreal climbing game Getting Over It... With Bennett Foddy and charming, cups-on-ears narrative adventure Night In The Woods both boast a respectable three, followed by FTL follow-up Into The Breach with 2. There are many more lovely, lovely things on the full list of finalists below.

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Into The Breach: a diary of doomhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-after-action-reportAlec MeerFri, 01 Dec 2017 21:00:53 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-after-action-reportDiaryFeatureFTL: Faster Than LightSubset GamesInto the Breach

With apologies about continued teasing you with something you can't have quite yet, I wanted to follow-up our recent chat about the stressful wonders of FTL follow-up Into The Breach with an after-action report. This takes you through how the game actually works, and demonstrates the kinds of decisions, sacrifices and face-palming involved in every moment of it.

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Kaiju & mechs clash in ace FTL follow-up Into the Breachhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-preview-tacticsRPSMon, 27 Nov 2017 21:00:56 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-preview-tacticsFeatureSubset GamesFTL: Faster Than LightInto the Breach

Any studio with a debut as strong as FTL might well be wary of that Difficult Second Album syndrome. How do you follow up a game so idiosyncratic and widely adored without risking disappointment? The answer, it turns out, is with a kaiju vs giant mech tactical masterclass.

We’ve been playing Into the Breach.

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Podcast: Into The Breach, Playerunknown's Battlegrounds and "running away"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-into-the-breach-playerunknowns-battlegrounds-and-running-awayBrendan CaldwellThu, 23 Nov 2017 17:00:43 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-into-the-breach-playerunknowns-battlegrounds-and-running-awayMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainFeaturePodcastMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarOpus MagnumAlien: IsolationZach BarthFTL: Faster Than LightMirror's EdgeS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of ChernobylZachtronicsPUBG: BattlegroundsThe RPS Electronic Wireless showArma 3Assassin's CreedInto the Breach

Cowardice is a virtue. So says the team on this week's RPS podcast, the Electronic Wireless Show. That's because our theme is "running away" - games that encourage you to flee from danger, or that give you a choice between fight and flight. Adam will run from the soldiers of Arma or the post-apocalyptic antagonists of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Brendan will scarper from poor odds in For Honor or Overwatch, while Alice only pretends to run away in Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, tricking her foes into giving chase before ambushing them like some kind of velociraptor.

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Into The Breach: FTL follow-up is smart, tense and surprisinghttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-details-previewAdam SmithWed, 01 Mar 2017 17:00:00 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-details-previewFeatureIndieFTL: Faster Than LightSubset Gamesjustin maStrategyPreviewsGDC 2017Into the Breach

Within a couple of minutes of sitting down with Justin Ma and a build of his new game, Into the Breach [official site], preconceptions are torn to shreds. Ma is one half of the team behind FTL and when Into the Breach was announced, I wasn’t alone in thinking it looked like tactical skirmisher Advance Wars, with added monsters. It is that game, to an extent, but its most notable feature isn’t tied to the setting at all - it’s that this is a tactical combat game in which the enemy is entirely predictable. Everything is explained below, but in short, this might be the smartest turn-based design I've seen since Invisible, Inc.

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FTL devs announce tactical kaiju battler Into The Breachhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-ftl-sequelAdam SmithFri, 10 Feb 2017 16:42:58 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-breach-ftl-sequelIndieFTL: Faster Than LightSubset GamesStrategyInto the Breach

The creators of FTL have announced their next game, Into the Breach [official site], and it looks a bit like the isometric, tactical version of EDF I've always wanted. Tasked with defending the last remnants of humanity from giant monsters, you'll protect cities and fight monsters in randomly generated turn-based scenarios. It looks gorgeous, as you can see in the trailer below, and will have a new soundtrack by Ben Prunty, FTL's composer, as well as writing and world-building from the keyboard of Chris Avellone.

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Abandon Ship Looks Like FTL On The High Seashttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/abandon-ship-looks-like-ftl-on-the-high-seasBrendan CaldwellThu, 03 Nov 2016 18:02:59 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/abandon-ship-looks-like-ftl-on-the-high-seasStory RichIndieAbandon ShipFTL: Faster Than LightStrategyAction AdventureFireblade SoftwareTempest

When we reviewed Tempest, a game of piracy in a fantasy setting, I came away saddened that it was all grinding turns and cannon aiming, with crew management that wasn’t very personable or fun. “Why has nobody successfully transferred the shipboard panic of FTL or the crew management of XCOM to a wooden frigate on the high seas?” I lamented. “Maybe in the future, some developer will plunder those design lessons.”

Well, shiver my timbers, it looks like Abandon Ship [official site] wants to do just that.

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Have You Played... FTL: Faster Than Light?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-ftl-faster-than-lightGraham SmithFri, 28 Oct 2016 14:30:36 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-ftl-faster-than-lightFeatureStrategyFTL: Faster Than LightHave You Played

Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.

FTL is a Star Trek episode generator. You are in control of the crew of a spaceship and forced to race across the galaxy. Each new system visited brings with it drama, tough choices, high comedy, and the very high possibility of death. It's thrilling.

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Generation Next, Part 4: Procedural Generation's Futurehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-future-of-procedural-generationMark JohnsonFri, 16 Sep 2016 20:00:39 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-future-of-procedural-generationFeatureGeneration NextUltima Ratio RegumDishonoredIndieFTL: Faster Than LightNo Man's Sky

Mark Johnson is the developer of Ultima Ratio Regum [official site], an ANSI 4X roguelike in which the use of procedural generation extends beyond the creation of landscapes and dungeons to also dynamically create cultures, practices, social norms, rituals, beliefs, concepts, and myths. This is the final in a four part series examining what generating this kind of social detail can bring to games.

In this series so far we’ve examined the current state of procedural generation (PCG) in game design and outlined what a greater engagement with 'qualitative' PCG might bring to games (in Part 1), talked through in detail the process for creating a richly detailed PCG element of social life (in Part 2) and given an overview of my own work in this area (in Part 3). For this final part we will now zoom out somewhat and talk about game design and the games industry as a whole, and where we might want to position qualitative PCG more broadly, both now and in the near future. There are two core propositions I’d like to put forward: firstly, that we should regard qualitative worldbuilding detail as being integral to the future of games, instead of an intriguing aside; and secondly, that the demographics of developers and players of PCG games are going to shape the direction that procedural generation evolves in.

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What Can Games Learn From Action In Comics?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-can-games-learn-from-action-in-comicsRPSWed, 04 Feb 2015 19:00:25 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-can-games-learn-from-action-in-comicsFeatureXCOM: Enemy UnknownSpider-ManFTL: Faster Than LightGears of WarBatman: Arkham AsylumComicsSupporters onlyAction AdventureMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

PAGE ONE, PANEL ONE

Graham lies in a crumpled heap beneath the looming figure of DOCTOR NO IDEAS.

CAPTION: This looks like a job for…

PAGE ONE, PANEL TWO

Pip, dressed in a (heroic) frog costume, sits typing at a computer.

PAGE TWO, PANEL ONE

A closeup of a Gchat window with the text "G, are there any games which do violence as well as comics?"

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Comfort Gameshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/comfort-gamesAlec MeerFri, 19 Dec 2014 16:30:09 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/comfort-gamesFeatureXCOM: Enemy Unknown80 DaysXCOM: Enemy WithinFTL: Faster Than LightDream QuestSupporters only

Hello there, best keep your distance, for I am ill. Not just 'bit of a sniffle/put a bigger pullover on, you great ninny' ill, but 'noxious substances violently erupting from everywhere' ill. My daughter started going to nursery about three months ago, and has been bringing back a delightful cocktail of viruses and bacteria ever since - it's been a relentless assault on my immune system, and while I'm oddly proud of how long it stood against this microbial siege, it has now collapsed in gruesome style.

It's OK, I don't want your pity. Unless it's a special magical form of pity that renders me instantly able to eat again. I want to talk about games.

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A Night With FTL Advanced Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-expansion-freeAlec MeerFri, 04 Apr 2014 16:00:42 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-expansion-freeFeatureFTL: Faster Than Light

I'm a broken man today, having been up til nearly 2am playing the freebie 'Advanced Edition' expansion for impeccably clever/brutal space survival sim/strategy/RPG FTL: Faster Than Light last night, so I guess it's safe to say the new features haven't broken the old spell. I had worried the various new weapons, rooms and encounters would upset FTL's simultaneously delicate and chaotic balancing act, but in four run-throughs (three failed, once successful #humblebrag) I haven't felt its famed cruelty ever collapsed into either messy excess or over-complication. In one game, I lost because the enemy kept teleporting over a stream of invading clones. Another I won thanks to an excellent new weapon. All's fair in love and murderous rebel space fleets.

Thoughts and a video (with commentary, or something approximating it) below.

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FTL: Advanced Edition Out In April, Free To FTL Ownershttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-advanced-edition-release-dateNathan GraysonFri, 28 Mar 2014 20:00:45 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-advanced-edition-release-dateFTL: Faster Than Light

Are you ready to have even more of your life sucked away by FTL's infinite, endlessly twisting black hole of finely calibrated systems? Then you are in luck, person with an improbable amount of time on your hands, because FTL: Advanced Edition is just around the corner. Or rather, the space equivalent of a corner. There are not a lot of corners in space.

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Attack Of The Clones: FTL Advanced Edition Update Detailedhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-dlcAlec MeerWed, 19 Feb 2014 20:00:37 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-dlcFTL: Faster Than Light

No release date for the free FTL 'Advanced Edition' addon as yet, which makes me an even sadder boy than I already was. Especially in the wake of the new Clone Bay subsystem being revealed.

"The goal of the Clone Bay was to really disrupt the core way you play the game," the devs have explained. "You’ll be able to send crew off into dangerous situations without fear of death. Giant alien spiders will no longer be the terrifying, unstoppable force that you’re used to, since the system can simply revive your crew after the event."

"Giant alien spiders will no longer be... terrifying" is a bold claim, isn't it?

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Steel Yourself: FTL Advanced Edition's Adds Metal Lifeformshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steel-yourself-ftl-advanced-editions-adds-metal-lifeformsGraham SmithFri, 20 Dec 2013 20:00:24 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steel-yourself-ftl-advanced-editions-adds-metal-lifeformsFTL: Faster Than Light

We reported last month about FTL's free, Chris Avellone-penned expansion, but now we know more about exactly what it contains. In a post over on the FTL site, the team introduce a new race of "metallic lifeforms" called The Lanius.

Just when I thought I had enough ways to get all my friends killed.

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Bye, Life: FTL Getting Free, Avellone-Penned Expansionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/bye-life-ftl-getting-free-avellone-penned-expansionNathan GraysonTue, 12 Nov 2013 10:00:32 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/bye-life-ftl-getting-free-avellone-penned-expansionFTL: Faster Than LightChris Avellone

I'm beginning to think there's some kind of conspiracy to have Torment/Project Eternity/Wasteland 2/Every Classic RPG You Can Think Of story megamind Chris Avellone write everything. It's only a matter of time until we're all glorified flesh puppets for his dialogue. I'm not even sure what I'm writing right now is my own. Avellone could already be pulling the strings, plucking away at my thoughts as though a master of mind-controlling bluegrass banjo. Nah, that's crazy. Surely it'd be more eviden-- BUY FTL BUY FTL BUY FTL IT'S GETTING AN EXPANSION WRITTEN BY CHRIS "SEX-LYMPICS CHAMPION" AVELLONE YEAH.

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Humble Indie Bundle 9 Is Go(od)https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/humble-indie-bundle-9-is-goodJohn WalkerWed, 11 Sep 2013 19:00:02 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/humble-indie-bundle-9-is-goodHumble BundleBrütal LegendFTL: Faster Than LightMark of the NinjaFezTrine 2

It's not Android games, nor soundtracks, nor books about kettles. The new Humble Bundle is the original, the Humble Indie Bundle 9. And for a ninth time in a row, it's a corker. With names like Mark Of The Ninja, FTL: Faster Than Light, and FEZ, you can see the dollar signs spinning already.

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Good GOG: More Silly Prices In The Latest Good Old Salehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/good-gog-more-silly-prices-in-the-latest-good-old-saleAlec MeerThu, 04 Jul 2013 15:00:58 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/good-gog-more-silly-prices-in-the-latest-good-old-saleGood old gamesRetro City RampageFTL: Faster Than Light

BUY VIDEOGAMES BUY ALL THE VIDEOGAMES BUY THEM FOREVER...

...is what someone who works at videogame download service might say. I don't work at one of those, so I don't really know why I'm saying it. I suppose I'm generally in favour of the buying of videogames, however. I'm also in favour of videogames being affordable, so the last gasp of mad discounting in the current GoG Summer Sale prompts me to raise a grubby thumb in approval. You've around 20 hours left to obtain the likes of The Witcher 2, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, Dungeon Keeper, Retro City Rampage and Syndicate for $cheap.

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Awooga! FTL Boarded Garry's Modhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/awooga-ftl-boarded-garrys-modCraig PearsonSat, 29 Jun 2013 10:00:16 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/awooga-ftl-boarded-garrys-modArtemis Spaceship Bridge SimulatorGarry's ModFTL: Faster Than LightMod news

If gathering friends to play Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator is a bit cumbersome, and if you find FTL a bit lonely, then I've found the perfect game for you. Final Frontier is the result of a nasty transporter accident between the pair, where the Heisenberg compensators decoupled and they arrived on the SS GMOD screaming and inside out. The sick bay did its best, but all it could do is stabilise the life signs. To be honest, the gristly lump that was spat out looks pretty amazing.

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Stare Into The Void: Infinite Space 3 Footagehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/stare-into-the-void-infinite-space-3-footageCraig PearsonMon, 24 Jun 2013 11:00:30 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/stare-into-the-void-infinite-space-3-footageInfinite Space 3: Sea Of StarsKickstarterFTL: Faster Than Light

Disclaimer: I am a backer of Infinite Space 3: Sea Of Stars. Do I need to disclaim that? It's not like I'm an investor. I just gave them money to make a game I wanted to play, and I only backed at the lowest tier. If anything, I was making an investment in me. I pre-ordered happiness. Disclaimer: I am an investor in Craig, and Craig is well happy at seeing the first glimpse of Infinite Space 3: Sea Of Stars. Digital Eel's third entry in their farcical space roguelike series is making the transition from a top-down 2D adventure, to bulbous and spacious 3D. There's a roomy video below.

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IGF Winners: The Habitual Voyeur Of What Is Known As...https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/igf-winners-the-habitual-voyeur-of-what-is-known-asAlec MeerThu, 28 Mar 2013 11:00:30 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/igf-winners-the-habitual-voyeur-of-what-is-known-asigfGDCCart LifeAwardsFTL: Faster Than Light

....Cart Life, which scooped up an an impressive triple-whammy of Nuovo Award, Excellence in Narrative and the coveted Seamus McNally Grand Prize at last night's Independent Games Festival 2013 awards. The warmest of all congratulations to Richard Hofmeier, whose affecting, brave game is well overdue for this kind of attention.

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FTL Lego FTWhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-lego-ftwAlec MeerTue, 12 Feb 2013 13:00:56 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-lego-ftwThe LEGO GroupFTL: Faster Than Light

Things that would happen in the best of all possible worlds:

- Cats would empty their own litter trays - Israel and Palestine would mutually agree "screw it, let's have a fancy dress party instead" - People would read the article before commenting - McVities would bring back Marmite-flavoured Mini Cheddars - LEGO approves and manufactures this proposed FTL building set

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Behind the sounds: Hotline Miami and FTLhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/behind-the-sounds-hotline-miami-and-ftlDavid ValjaloMon, 21 Jan 2013 21:00:30 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/behind-the-sounds-hotline-miami-and-ftlHotline MiamiFeaturemusicFTL: Faster Than Light

Music man David Valjalo follows-up his exploration of the big-budget orchestral soundtracks in the mainstream games industry with a look at the other end of the scale - the super-low-budget, ultra-catchy, sometimes kitschy scores of indie darlings. He rounds up the men behind Hotline Miami, Sweden-based Dennis Wedin and Jonatan Soderstrom, two of the soundtrack artists they hand-picked, US artists M.O.O.N. and Scattle, and FTL composer Ben Prunty, to get the scoop on making music for small games and, quite often, small change.

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Games Are Best When Things Go Wronghttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games-are-best-when-things-go-wrongJim RossignolTue, 23 Oct 2012 14:00:38 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games-are-best-when-things-go-wrongDayZXCOM: Enemy UnknownFeatureFTL: Faster Than Light

That headline doesn't refer to the times when games break and throw up oddball bugs for our amusement, but rather when games throw so many problems at the player that they become a sort of jeopardy-based experience in crisis-juggling. Earlier today I was running through my game collection and thinking about what I might like to play. It wasn't Dishonored. Three things other stood out: Day Z, FTL, and X-Com. I began to think about what those had in common which, and what that said about my enjoyment of this year's immersive masterpiece.

And I realised it was this: peril.

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier - The Last Standhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-the-last-standAlec MeerFri, 05 Oct 2012 19:00:51 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-the-last-standDiaryftldiaryFeatureFTL: Faster Than Light

These were the voyages of the Starship Moggy. Its eight-sector mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new weapons and new system upgrades, to boldly go somewhere no-one has come back alive from before (apart from save-scummers).

Sector 8. The end of the line.

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier, Sector 7https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-7Alec MeerTue, 02 Oct 2012 16:00:33 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-7FeatureftldiaryFTL: Faster Than Light

And so my FTL campaign, the flight of the starship Moggy, limps to the game's penultimate sector. It seems impossible that we're still alive at this point - let alone that we now have seven crew, three guns and NO-ONE IS DEAD. The looming question is whether or not we're anything like equipped for the final showdown in Sector 8 - but then again it's foolish to go asking that before we've survived Sector 7.

Ah, we're in the Engi sector. Home, in a sense. I have four Engi on my crew, we're in an Engi ship and we're attacked by roaming Engi a whole lot less than by any other species. Home. But better not get too comfortable.

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier, Sector 6https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-6Alec MeerFri, 28 Sep 2012 11:00:47 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-6FeatureftldiaryFTL: Faster Than Light

I'm feeling pretty good, which is exactly the sort of thing one should never say in FTL. Doom, disaster and dismay inevitably looms, but having pulled my ship and my crew back from the brink of disaster at least I've got a war story out of it. Now, let's see what's out there in Sector 6 - this needs to go well, as I'm now just two sectors away from the final f(l)ight - presuming I survive that long.

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier, Sector 5https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-5Alec MeerThu, 27 Sep 2012 11:00:51 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-5FeatureftldiaryFTL: Faster Than Light

Previously. Now:

Crew: 5 Shields: 3 Guns: 2 (only one of which can be used at once) Fuel: 5 Hull: 1% Scrap: 2 Location: Parked outside the exit from Sector 4 Situation: desperate

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier, Sector 4https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-4-2Alec MeerWed, 26 Sep 2012 19:00:12 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-sector-4-2FeatureftldiaryFTL: Faster Than Light

Continuing my FTL journey into the heart of doomed space-darkness. Read the earlier installments here.

Jump 1

A new sector! We're down to 25% hull, still don't have a proper gun and have spent all our money on repairs that didn't last long. Damn, we're in a tight spot. So do we exercise extreme caution or take big gambles in the hope of big pay-offs?

Here's the first dilemma. We run into some rebels, who miraculously don't attack us on sight. Wusses. Shall I demand surrender of their goods? You never know, maybe they'll be afraid of men called Steven and just cough up without a fight.

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier, Sector 3https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-diary-3Alec MeerMon, 24 Sep 2012 19:00:43 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-diary-3staring eyesftldiaryFTL: Faster Than Light

With two sectors survived, things don't look to good for the good ship Moggy, crewed by two Engis and a human named after cats I have known. The hull's taken a beating, we've almost no cash and we don't yet have any upgrades to speak of. Meantime, our enemies forever snap at our heels, and the challenges we'll face in this next, Zoltan-ruled sector will likely be stiffer than that we've yet faced. Anything could happen, though. After all, space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. It might even be big enough that I'll find a gun in it somewhere. Oh, please dear lord let me find a gun.

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier, Sector 2https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-day-2Alec MeerFri, 21 Sep 2012 20:00:15 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-the-fatal-frontier-day-2DiaryftldiaryFTL: Faster Than Light

Continuing my imperilled escapades in spaceship sim/roguelike FTL: Faster Than Light. With a crew named after cats I have know, I've survived the first sector but at the expense of 50% of my starship's hull and I have no meaningful upgrades. No-one is dead, though. Repeat: no-one is dead. I'm going to keep on saying that, because it's the only thing I've possibly got to brag about here.

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FTL: The Fatal Frontier, Sector 1https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-diaryAlec MeerWed, 19 Sep 2012 15:00:34 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftl-diaryDiaryftldiaryFeatureFTL: Faster Than Light

FTL: Faster Than Light is the spaceship management/roguelike hybrid that everyone in the world is playing right now, living and reliving endless numbers of doomed space crusades, disastrous journeys and euphoric tales. There are eight million stories in the naked universe. This will be just one of them.

These are the voyages of the starship Moggy, crewed by a brave band of humans and aliens named after cats that I have known. This was an egregious mistake, as seeing my childhood pets burned, asphyxiated and lasered to death almost immediately proved traumatic. Still, we exist not merely within a universe, but a multiverse. One crew of feline-named space travellers might meet their tragic doom, but perhaps, in a parallel existence, another band of desperate starfarers might just have succeeded... (Of course they didn't. This is FTL. But the multiverse does at least allow for the story to be told anew).

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All Systems Are Go: FTL Launches Todayhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftlouttodaysteamgogAdam SmithFri, 14 Sep 2012 15:00:40 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ftlouttodaysteamgogmatthew davisIndieFTL: Faster Than Lightjustin maRoguelike

FTL is out today! At long last. I reckon there'll be a fair few people reading this who are about to receive their first Kickstarted game and that's quite exciting, as is FTL itself. I've already shared some of my thoughts on the beta version but it does seem as if I'd been drinking vinegar that day. Skimming back through my words, I don't seem quite as enthused as I actually am about the game's finer points. When fires rage and crew members panic from room to room, FTL is a delicious brew, random elements combining to create a heady commingling of anxiety and roleplay. It's a new form of ARPG. Available direct from the developers, on GOG and Steam shortly.

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Interview: Subset Games Talk FTLhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/interview-subset-games-talk-ftlCraig PearsonMon, 06 Aug 2012 14:00:00 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/interview-subset-games-talk-ftlFeatureInterviewFTL: Faster Than LightSubset Games

Last week Adam posted some impressions of the spaceship managing FTL, and you're allowed to read them. And now, Craig's spoken with its creators, Justin Ma and Matthew Davis. They talk about how the project came to be, how they're still in shock over their massive Kickstarter success, and how it was that the game was inspired by text adventures.

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Impressions: FTL Betahttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/impressions-ftl-betaAdam SmithFri, 03 Aug 2012 15:00:55 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/impressions-ftl-betamatthew davisIndieFTL: Faster Than LightRoguelikeBetajustin maPreviews

FTL didn't just have a successful Kickstarter, it was stratospheric. Having asked for enough to finish off their roguelike spaceship sim, the two person development team received enough mony to build an actual interstellar vessel. Thankfully, they stuck around on Earth long enough to finish off the game, which should be out next month. In the meantime, here are my thoughts on the beta.

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Lightspeed: FTL Beta Arriving Later This Monthhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/lightspeed-ftl-beta-arriving-later-this-monthJim RossignolFri, 08 Jun 2012 08:19:41 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/lightspeed-ftl-beta-arriving-later-this-monthFTL: Faster Than Light

Awesome-looking spaceship-managing rogue-like type FTL: Faster Than Light, is going to get a beta later this month, according to Mr Jubert speaking to BluesNews. You'll recall that the game did extraordinarily well over on the Kickstarters, raising an extra special $200k when they were only asking for $10k. Really, Internet, you do spoil us.

New video below!

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You Could Be Playing Dungeon Master Right Nowhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/you-could-be-playing-dungeon-master-right-nowJohn WalkerThu, 29 Mar 2012 18:00:48 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/you-could-be-playing-dungeon-master-right-nowinterplayLegend of GrimrockFTL: Faster Than LightFree gamesDungeon Master

With Legend Of Grimrock coming up soon, my thoughts turned back to the original Dungeon Master. Released in 1987, a year I mostly spent aged 9, it was for me one of the most defining games of my childhood. Smart, enormous, and terrifying, it was such a stride forward for gaming. But I was pretty certain getting it working on a Windows 7 box was going to be something of a fiddly nightmare. Not so!

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Our Scanners Have Picked Up More FTL Footagehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/our-scanners-have-picked-up-more-ftl-footageCraig PearsonMon, 26 Mar 2012 19:00:44 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/our-scanners-have-picked-up-more-ftl-footageVideoIndieFTL: Faster Than LightBeta

I am sad. The updated version of space-faring roguelike FTL the developers are showing off in their beta video series is a few steps beyond the IGF version I have on my PC. So, yeah, you might like what you're seeing and want to play it, but take a moment to think about what it's like to be me? To see a better version of a game I own, but can't have yet. I will accept your pity. I'm about to throw a massive, over-entitled strop. Hnng. HNNG. No, I can't stay mad at them. Not after this video shows what they're adding to the game: new ship designs, stealth elements, and NPCs to fix fires. Also: fire beams to start fires.

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Finalising The Frontier: FTL Footagehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/finalising-the-frontier-ftl-footageCraig PearsonMon, 19 Mar 2012 10:36:28 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/finalising-the-frontier-ftl-footagetrailersIndieKickstarterFTL: Faster Than Light

You can't spell 'futile' without 'FTL', and demonstrating randomly generated and bastardly tough space roguelike FTL without flicking some special developer switches seems, to me, the very definition of it. But the FTL devs are brave space types, venturing into the depths of their wonderful space-ship management sim to show off the new additions. Their 1000% Kickstarter funded indie game was already amazing, but they're mining those Star Trek tropes for all they're worth: they've added cloaking and teleporting. "Captain, we have an incoming message from YouTube." "Onscreen, Lieutenant Sexington."

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Beaming: FTL Is The Star Trek Game I've Always Wantedhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/beaming-ftl-is-the-star-trek-game-ive-always-wantedCraig PearsonTue, 28 Feb 2012 14:30:37 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/beaming-ftl-is-the-star-trek-game-ive-always-wantedigfIndieFTL: Faster Than LightimpressionsScience FictionRoguelike

Every fantasy you've ever had to reroute power to the shields exists in FTL. I know because I just pulled power from the sick-bay to boost my shields while I attempted to flee a hostile enemy scout. If you don't have those fantasies yet, then soon it'll be all you can think about. FTL's random, rogue-like space-faring nastiness just got me into an unwinnable fight against an unmanned scout ship: if I destroyed it, it would automatically send out a distress signal to inform the rest fleet that I'd just Captain Mal-led him. So instead of going for a death blow, I had to stoke the shields and retaliate by hitting their weapons, keeping us both alive while my FTL drives powered up. No-one was hurt so far; the sick-bay was expendable. Recuperation would have to happen post-battle.

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A Fortnight Of IGF Demos Starts On Onlive Todayhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-fortnight-of-igf-demos-starts-on-onlive-todayCraig PearsonTue, 28 Feb 2012 10:51:44 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-fortnight-of-igf-demos-starts-on-onlive-todayEnglish Country TuneAtom Zombie SmasherDustforceNitronic RushOnLiveDear EstherFTL: Faster Than LightFrozen SynapseSpaceChemVG247TorenBotaniculaTo the Moon

Onlive and the IGF are spooning for a fortnight. The sensual lovers are celebrating the Indie Gaming New Year by giving you access to 30 minute demos of 16 IGF finalists. The alphabetically sexy list of games is: Atom Zombie Smasher, Be Good, Botanicula, Dear Esther, Dustforce, English Country Tune, Frozen Synapse, FTL, Lume, Nitronic Rush, Once Upon a Spacetime, POP, SpaceChem, To the Moon, Toren, and WAY.

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