Recent reviews by Jackal

I bought the game to decide if I want to buy the physical copy, because I was sceptical at first. I was truly wrong - that's an addictive smart puzzle-battler with progressive dice system. The digital version is real good, and I learned the core of rules in no time because of the interactive tutorial - learning just from manual would have taken so much longer (I read it too but it lacks some clarity). Now I think I will stick with the digital version which it strips away all the hassle and leaves just the fun part to enjoy (minus the tactile sensation)

Bought with the refund in mind. I won't refund this, it's an awesome game
[UPDATE] Arc grows on me, I started looking forward to playing it. Even bought the deluxe upgrade to buy the astronaut skin for added immersion (=lore)

Ignore the graphics (though the details are beautiful when you zoom in) - it's one of the best squad/battalion-level tactical wargames I, as a wargamer, have ever played. Its origins and inspiration is the tabletop game "Advanced Squad Leader" (ASL) which is creme-de-la-creme of wargames. Price? It's ugly when compared to other video games, but it's totally all right in the context of solid tabletop games. It's not an easy game BUT the 2-level tutorials (basic and advanced) will help you to play and enjoy it in no time (unlike some other games that require 100s of hours of tutorials in advance). Disadvantage - the main game contains only few (5?) scenarios, 2 of which are tutorials - the bulk of the content is in expansions. If you are a wargamer, you must experience this

Phenomenal deck-builder, with awesome presentation - AAA-level comic book animated illustrations (AI generated) on cards + surprisingly good [Mass Effect inspired] music. Being Scifi-themed doesn't hurt at all too. The sessions are longish - for some it's a plus, for others it's a disadvantage. The obvious differences from Star Realms is that Stellar Orphans does have some atmosphere and sort of story, and it cannot be finished in 3 minutes.

I haven't played the physical version of this boardgame but now I am considering buying it - MV is a surprisingly good, pleasing, and fit-for-all game with ecological theme. Awesome art and presentation, well fitting music. I bought the smartphone app too

For over 2 decades the Labyrinth's older brother Twilight Struggle is the top selling game of the legendary boardgame developer GMT, and it's totally justified - play any of these two to see it for yourself. These two games are very similar, the main difference is the theme and some mechanics. I personally prefer Labyrinth as a theme, as a game, and as software (which is mature). The game itself is extraordinarily immersive, the tutorial is the best I have ever experienced, and the PBEM is PC-Android multiplatform. I am going to buy the physical version as well after playing this

Easy to learn, hard to master type of game. Some are complaining the the UI/mechanics are not intuitive, but I would earnestly disagree - this game is played by well defined and presented phases, just follow the flow. That said, it is not a typical grognard game, but I would still recommend the game to such players for these reasons:
1) The historical context is nicely presented, and the rules' relevance to them is explained
2) It's a classic old school tabletop wargame - if you have a soft spot for tabletops, you might like it
3) At the very least, it's a fun game for your coffee break
The only negative for me personally is the upbeat/propaganda music, which is, yes, historical, but overshadows the drama of the Stalingrad battle. I would prefer ambient war horror background sounds (you can always turn the in-game music off, of course)
P.S. I bought it on sale, but I still consider the full price fair - it's a niche game, the dev has to survive somehow :)

I was looking for a WW2 wargame where logistics are as important as the battles, and found it in UoC2. The mechanics of it are simple here, but it's on par with the chess-like approach here ("easy to learn, hard to master"). It's a charming one-more-turn little game, optimised - as the devs noted themselves - for a single player campaigns. The game is extremely well polished and user-friendly. But grognards should keep to what they playing instead of this, however UoC2 is highly recommended for wargame beginners and those who like good puzzles. I love that the AI is aggressive and proactive
P.S. For the context my other top fav games are The Shadow Empire and WDS Panzer Campaigns (not on Steam)

that's game that is worth buying a dedicated PC

The team ate my dog Jane :'( Uninstalling