What videogames are you playing in 2026?

[Thomas Shey]

Another video game rut, another Civ VI palette cleanser

That's usually the function the old Master of Orion 2 serves for me. As it is, I'm trying to finish up a game of XCOM2:WOTC before I do the dive into Battletech I talked about.

 

[Gradine]

That's usually the function the old Master of Orion 2 serves for me.

 

[Pale Violet Light]

I remember whatever it was as the New Jericho ending. As I recall the Phoenix Project ending required capturing a Scylla, which I just didn't seem up for and seemed unlikely to be able to get to before I lost.

The NJ ending is fine; though not my favourite (both Synedrion endings and the Anu one are pretty good). I’d probably push through if you’re that close, just to get the (betentacled) monkey off your back.

You see that happen a fair bit. Its notable that the variety of opponents you could face in Battle Brothers increased notably as various DLC came out, and they had the advantage that the stylization of art styles for individuals made that easy compared to a game with full animation.

I love turn-based tactics but never meshed with Battle Brothers. Just a bit too punishing when you lose a brother, and it’s incredibly tedious training up a replacement. Perhaps I just need to get good.

Another video game rut, another Civ VI palette cleanser

My current palette cleanser is Old World; close enough I guess.

 

[Thomas Shey]

The NJ ending is fine; though not my favourite (both Synedrion endings and the Anu one are pretty good). I’d probably push through if you’re that close, just to get the (betentacled) monkey off your back.

At this point I'd have to go back and remind myself what I was doing; its been some months.

I love turn-based tactics but never meshed with Battle Brothers. Just a bit too punishing when you lose a brother, and it’s incredibly tedious training up a replacement. Perhaps I just need to get good.

I find I enjoy the early to mid game but then kind of trail off, so there's something to what you say here. I probably like it in part because its got kind of a feel like the BRP RPG system, which was one of my go-to systems for years before I moved away.

My current palette cleanser is Old World; close enough I guess.

I started that a couple times, but stalled out. Don't know why; on the surface its something I should like.

MOO2 admittedly just has the advantage its also comfort food since I've played it for decades.

 

[Pale Violet Light]

I’m now having a crack at the original Fallout, which I never played back in the day. It’s alright, but (in the absence of nostalgia) certainly doesn’t hold up that well anymore. I like the classless system, the worldbuilding, and the overall plot. However, combat is extremely boring, the AI (for both enemies and companions) is terrible, and dialogue is functional at best. Still, it’s a piece of cRPG history, so I’m glad I’m finally able to see what all the fuss was about.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Still working on my making my mod load order for an Xbox Skyrim playthrough. There are so many quest mods to choose from.

 

[MarkB]

I've finished my first playthrough of Star Wars Zero Company, and on balance I really enjoyed it, and can easily see it going into the rotation when I'm craving an XCOM-like. Heck, I kinda want to start a new playthrough right now, just to be able to put into play everything I learned along the way.

I really came to appreciate Cly, the Mandalorian, after initially failing to grasp where her true abilities lay. She was absolutely OP by the end - I didn't take her on every mission, but the results when I did were always spectacular.

I'd like to try out the Jedi more than I did on a second playthrough, she initially feels like an underpowered melee specialist until you come to realise her ranged abilities offer both decent damage and utility.

 

[Gradine]

I really came to appreciate Cly, the Mandalorian, after initially failing to grasp where her true abilities lay. She was absolutely OP by the end - I didn't take her on every mission, but the results when I did were always spectacular.

Nothing beats a tactical RPG character who makes no sense at first blush but ultimately ends up being MVP.

If y'all enjoy isometric strategy RPGs in the Final Fantasy Tactics vein, this is like 80% of the character roster in Triangle Strategy, I cannot more highly recommend it.

 

[Gradine]

Religious victories are way too easy in Civ VI. I didn't even reach a 3rd-tier government! Having Holy Order and especially Papal Primacy as Tamar is really unfair.

 

[Pale Violet Light]

Nothing beats a tactical RPG character who makes no sense at first blush but ultimately ends up being MVP.

If y'all enjoy isometric strategy RPGs in the Final Fantasy Tactics vein, this is like 80% of the character roster in Triangle Strategy, I cannot more highly recommend it.

I know I’m missing out but I never got into the console strategy RPGs. Something about the cartoony art style puts me right off (Likewise with jRPGs, though I also dislike traditional jRPG “stand in a row and pick the same moves from a dropdown menu over and over again” combat rather a lot). I’m sure my prejudices are decades out of date but nonetheless the very sight of a cutesy big-headed protagonist sends me into a fit of retching.

Are there any that have been ported to PC that have a more “realistic” art style that I might be able to tolerate? Or the gameplay is just so damn good I’ll be able to power through? Is Triangle Strategy unmissable?