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[nenjin]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/06/19/roguelikeboardgamelike-cryptic-comets-occult-chronicles/

http://www.crypticcomet.com/games/OC/Occult_Chronicles.html - Cryptic Comet's page about the game.

So this seems like kind of a quirky, interesting game. It seems heavily inspired by Fantasy Flight's Arkham Horror (A Cthulhu Mythos board game, if you're one of the handful of nerds who hasn't yet played it.)

Create an agent who goes out to a mysterious mansion to investigate bizarre occult occurrences. You've got stats, and these stats define your options and chances of success during encounters.

This is where things get quirky. When you have a challenge to complete or overcome, you basically play a game of cards to determine the outcome. You get a hand of cards, and flip over other cards and try to match the suit. Match the suit and exceed teh number value on the card, it's a win. Do neither of those things and it's a lose. When all the cards in your hand have been played, you draw yet MORE cards. If you succeeded in your challenge, these cards are beneficial. Health, items, spells, ect... If you failed, they're harmful. Damage to your health, damage to your sanity, ect...

The game is currently in beta, and you can buy in for $15 somewhere on the Cryptic Comets page.

[Neonivek]

Actually this is inspired by Mansion of Madness which was inspired by Arkham Horror.

Dang it make a Arkham Horror sequel!

Also a focus on experience and item grinding with permanent death... in a game based on Mansion of Madness? A game where party wipes are routine...

What the world!?!

[nenjin]

Yeah, I'm not claiming to understand exactly what makes the game tick. I'd buy in but I don't really need another paid-beta languishing on my hard drive.

[Levi]

Looks kinda neat. 

Edit:  Actually, I think these kinds of board-computer games actually have a lot of potential in general.  A lot of these games like Arkham Horror or Descent: Journeys in the Dark are pretty neat, but the bookkeeping involved in playing really slows things down and makes them feel like a chore.  With the computer handling all that, you can keep the complexity but not be hassled with underlying mechanics.

[nenjin]

Looks kinda neat. 

Edit:  Actually, I think these kinds of board-computer games actually have a lot of potential in general.  A lot of these games like Arkham Horror or Descent: Journeys in the Dark are pretty neat, but the bookkeeping involved in playing really slows things down and makes them feel like a chore.  With the computer handling all that, you can keep the complexity but not be hassled with underlying mechanics.

Yeah, I've been saying this for a while. Especially Fantasy Flight games, they load themselves down with a ton of mechanics that makes playing the game as intended hard. After about 4 hours, people simply stop giving a shit about the niceties of the rules.

I'm really surprised they haven't contracted someone to do a computerized Arkham Horror yet.

[Neonivek]

Especially Fantasy Flight games, they load themselves down with a ton of mechanics that makes playing the game as intended hard

You know what is funny? I was playing a game (Twilight Emperium) and I didn't know what company made it. Yet while reading it I saw that they used multiple terms for a turn and yet weren't clear on which is what. As well as other confusing and easily debatable rule sets...

I then said "Fantasy Flight made this didn't they?"

I love Fantasy Flight but I won't pretend like they put enough effort into constructing the basic rules so they are clear and without debate, heck or even balancing their games (Arkham horror needed an expansion because the Old ones were too weak, Descent is broken, and the Dreadnauts are pathetic and Warsuns weak in Twilight Imperium). Also they can be overly pricey.

This game is certainly a megaton cheaper then getting the actual board games this is inspired by and I would bet a lot more balanced as well.

Mind you using misleading inaccurate pictures for different character abilities... certainly seems like something Fantasy Flight would pull... but not really. This game really should have dropped the Arcana and just used proper symbols for Fight, Intelligence, Physical, and Lore.

[nenjin]

It's the same story with their table top RPG games. The WH40K books are kind of a train wreck in terms of consistency, their indices and appendices are worthless and they don't even bother doing them for their splat books.

[Neonivek]

It's the same story with their table top RPG games. The WH40K books are kind of a train wreck in terms of consistency, their indices and appendices are worthless and they don't even bother doing them for their splat books.

It is sad when you can instantly point out an entire company just from lack of quality.

[Delta Foxtrot]

Been following the devblog on this for a while now. CrypticComet does some fairly interesting niche stuff so I'm expecting to get my money's worth on this one.

Also loved this bit from the RPS article's comment section, regarding the game dev:
He’s like a Michelangelo who refuses to work in any medium but pasta shapes glued to paper.

[nenjin]

Here's another, kind of redonkulously long RPS article on the game: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/06/21/occult-chronicles-game/#more-157117

[Azurestrike]

Got this game to satisfy my arkham horror craving since solitaire arkham just gets boring after quite some time.

I'm really enjoying how complex the game can get, I'm playing on easy mode though,(for shame) so it's funny to walk down the basement punching out lovecraftian horrors and exploding their minds with my own instead of the other way around for a change.

I'm not necroing this, am I?

[varnish]

It's only been a few days since the last post, so not at all.

Posting to keep track of. I want to try it, but... I need to be cautious. I get enthusiastic about these sort of games too easily.

[Azurestrike]

Ugh, I just lost a character I've been working on for hours just because I couldn't find the room where the final encounter was supposed to happen. I was already at the deepest floor but the layouts of the maps are just terrible.

[Neonivek]

Ugh, I just lost a character I've been working on for hours just because I couldn't find the room where the final encounter was supposed to happen. I was already at the deepest floor but the layouts of the maps are just terrible.

What is why a review where the reviewer outright admits that he never got more then half and hour into the game isn't too helpful.

A lot of the time the true dynamics of the game only shine forth once you actually get somewhere.

[Azurestrike]

Ugh, I just lost a character I've been working on for hours just because I couldn't find the room where the final encounter was supposed to happen. I was already at the deepest floor but the layouts of the maps are just terrible.

What is why a review where the reviewer outright admits that he never got more then half and hour into the game isn't too helpful.

A lot of the time the true dynamics of the game only shine forth once you actually get somewhere.

I don't know what exactly you're pointing out, but to clarify, I mean terrible as in cruel instead of anything quality wise. I thought I had plenty of time since I went for the basement with more than half of the time slots left but the basement maps have a lot of dead ends, both figurative and literal.