I’ve been thinking recently about what I have termed “microstrategy games.” I don’t know if there are enough examples or if they’re distinct enough from other games to really call it a thing. But I’m pondering it anyway because it really fits the kind of game I enjoy playing these days, in my middle age (38 years old, 4 kids). They’re the kinds of games I would make if I could (and I might). Some examples:
Quick playtime is key. Strategic decisions, usually turn-based. Procedural content is common. Obviously, these are really mobile-friendly. I don’t include explicit boardgames, but most of these games include some boardgame inspiration.
Clearly, that’s not many examples. Even FTL is a stretch. Some other games that lie on the (purely intuitive) boundary of this genre:
Frozen Synapse
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
Galactic Space Battles
Shadow Watch
Sid Meier’s SimGolf
Patapon
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some of these on console (XBLA, PSP) that I’m not aware of. I just assumed I had some on DS, but I really couldn’t find any.
I suppose a whole lot of tower defense games are basically in this category–and that explains why I enjoy playing some of them–but I’m happy to let them live in their own micro-genre.
Does this “genre” hold any water? Any other nominations for games that should be in this genre?
I think you could include most short / good roguelikes in that bin. I get the same way when I’m crunching. I’m really looking for something that still engages me but feels disposable, not like a commitment. I’d add:
Zaga-33 868-Hack (this is sort of a thing for Michael Brough) Brogue Doom RL
Rogue (the original, which still holds up surprisingly well) Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup (which isn’t really that short, but it is for me because I suck at it)
Those first two are mobile, and DCSS can be played in a browser. I’ll also plug my roguelike which I made with this intention and is browser friendly: Through. The other ones require opening an app at a computer so I don’t play them as often. When I’m in this frame of mind, though, I don’t play exclusively turn-based. Recently, I’ve been digging Nuclear Throne for a 5-10 minute throwaway adrenaline rush. I still regularly boot up Waves as well.
I would add Atom Zombie Smasher and maybe Flotilla to the mix. Funny you should mention Hoard. Just started replaying yesterday. What a charming little game!
Both great suggestions. AZS is almost trending out of the “micro” bucket with all the units and abilities it has, but it’s all at the service of the core gameplay which never changes, to I think that’s a good argument to keep it in there.
I really like Hoard–“charming” is the perfect word. It just does very well on a high fun/low commitment scale.
(Update: After saying that, I’ve been playing it all afternoon. The dudes are too dumb and slow and the challenge ramps up too quickly. The defense gameplay just isn’t as satisfying as it should be. But clearly I also haven’t figured out the strategy. Haven’t even made it to day 10.)
Oh, yes, Eufloria! Great one. Hey, what’s the deal with Galcon? I recognize that it’s got a lot of the same things going on that Eufloria does, but the one I played (Galcon Fusion) seemed completely broken. The rush strategy (as I recall) seemed way too powerful, and the AI could totally out maneuver me. Is that just something about Fusion?
I played Galcon a long time ago when it released on mobile, so it’s possible Fusion updated this, but in my experience, it was a rush game. It wasn’t really a strategy game at all, more an adrenaline game about capturing places as quick as you could. You do have to look for openings in your opponent (when you can trade planets in your favor), but again, more twitch then strategy because it’s more just running basic numbers in your head. Getting good at the game just meant doing it faster. At the time, doing this got me past all levels of the AI up to the final one, so I think that was the intended playstyle. I’m not really sure it qualifies in your genre definition. It’s a fun game, but not for strategic decision reasons.
I haven’t played Stoneship, but love Oasis. Just hearing it’s Oasis like has me downloading it now.
So would PBEM/ Asynchronous games count? I would think so because you only need to play them a little at a time. That would open a lot of possibilities.
If you like Galcon and/or Eufloria, you really ought to check out Tactical Space Command. It’s the latest attempt to add some depth to Galcon without losing its elegance, and I think it succeeds where Eufloria failed.
I don’t care about platform. In my definition I put aside board games intentionally. They probably fit most of the criteria, but it almost felt too diluting–there would be far more board game adaptations in my little freak genre than anything else. But I can’t defend the decision any better than that. (Well, actually, there’s also the fact that I consistently find digital board games unsatisfying, despite the fact that table top board gaming makes up my favorite gaming experiences of all.)
I never played the game table top. I bought it on Android and enjoy it a lot. From that experience, i felt it was kind of around whatever genre Oasis is which I also enjoyed. It might be worth a look. I play a few digital versions of board games, and this one is the only one I would say fits your initial list.
Great work Nightgaunt. What about Vic Davis’ games? I’ve fond memories of really drilling down into some of the more difficult decisions I had to make in Solium Infernum. Glad you mentioned Frozen Synapse as well because to me that seems like a perfect fit.
What about games like Neptune’s Pride or Blight of the Immortals? Or Dungeon Raid? Or Triple Town? (Possibly too match 3?) What about Rebuild? I’m just thinking of the more casual/slight but cerebral games I’ve played in recent years.
I’m torn on some of those. I think Rebuild is one of those on the boundary between full strategy game and micro. But when I played it still took a couple hours at least, right?
Neptune’s Pride (going off what I remember about it; I haven’t played it) and other asynchronous games are interesting because the game itself can take days to play, but your commitment each day or each turn is very minimal.
Solium Infernum feels like a full-blown strategy game to me, although I guess it’s asynchronous too, isn’t it? That cowboy one might count. And I don’t know about the latest haunted house game. How long does a typical session last?
