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[Aoi]

I'm going to be travelling for an extended period with no expectation of internet access in a few weeks and am looking for a few ideas that'll fit the use-case:

System is probably equivalent to about a well-built 400$ desktop in capabilities.
No mouse/controller/numpad. (Touchpad, which means low speed mouse actions, like UI navigation, is possible, as is clicking.)
Nothing that requires internet at any point (like license verification).
Nothing where audio is required.

Since I end up with these restrictions fairly often (though never as long as this upcoming trip), I've ended up with a healthy roster of deckbuilders (StS, Monster Train, Roguebook...), roguelikes, low-spec tactical games (X-Com+mods, Battle Brothers, Wildermyth...), and turn-based RPGs (Octopath, Labyrinth of Refrain...), though quirkier entries may have passed me by. A colony builder, or farming sim might be a nice addition, but I'm not familiar with any that are designed for a pure keyboard interface that aren't awkward ports?

[Iduno]

Emulators used to be good at filling that niche (hundreds of games you can't play any other way, and have simple control requirements), but most companies have come down on them hard enough that they're difficult to find.

You might grab something like the Shadowrun games, old Infinity Engine Games (if you can figure out enough without internet) on pause instead of real-time, the first 2 Fallouts, or a lot of the stuff on Itch.io.

[JWNoctis]

Surviving Mars is pretty good for a colony builder, and had system requirements similar to XCOM.

The original Space Colony as well as Evil Genius should also be good fits. War for the Overworld is a fine successor to Dungeon Keeper/II.

For literal colony builders, Empire of the Undergrowth is a curious modern take on SimAnt's concept, though it's quite a bit more gamey, and had been in early access for quite some time already.

If Stardew Valley counts as a farming sim, then it might work for you as well.

All of these can be had DRM-free somewhere.

EDIT: XCOM

[EuchreJack]

I've actually had good luck playing Mount & Blade with that sort of setup, but you need to max out the lighting for night battles.

Additionally, I would suggest investing in an external number pad and mouse. They're like $10 each and super portable.
You'll feel so much better for so little money.

[Micro102]

Indiegala has King of Dragons Pass for free right now. If you download it from your profile's showcase, you get a folder with a .exe file so I don't think it requires any sort of verification. I've been having fun with it.

https://freebies.indiegala.com/king-of-dragon-pass

[Stench Guzman]

A colony builder, or farming sim might be a nice addition, but I'm not familiar with any that are designed for a pure keyboard interface that aren't awkward ports?

I think you can play SimFarm without a mouse.  In fact I'd look at just about everything from the late 1980s/early 1990s since not everyone had mice back then and many games didn't need one.

[Journier]

Chinese dev company, which im unfamiliar with, making Settlement Survival Ummm, Its a pretty complete game at this point? Pretty much banished ish game.

All i can say is its not even release version yet, it has a pretty nice trading screen, for sending out convoys/ships for trade, tons of resources, and resource technology's to research and trade for. It feels so good to play it. and its super cheap like 11.99, try it out.

I just sat down and played it for 12 hours straight. before i knew it... it was 2 am and i was confused. got my 12 bucks out of it lol.

TLDR- Settlement Survival, chinese dev?, games super playable now, and fun, and cheap.

[Il Palazzo]

This is more of a question: Minecraft. How does it work?
Never played this game, don't know the first thing about other than what seeps through via general osmosis. Now a kid wants to play it, and I feel like a proper out-of-touch geezer trying to install it.
So, do you need to purchase it via Microsoft's online platform? Is there, like, a standalone, drm-free installer, or is it really xbox app only? Other vendors? A free version maybe? (there seems to be a demo, but it appears to need xbox account all the same?)
Like, basically, do I need to shell out 25 bucks-worth of local currency and hook myself up to Bill Gates' spy software, just so that a six year old can get high/pacified for a bit?

I guess it'd help if I weren't >slightly< tipsy when trying to figure this out. Alas.

No, wait. Fuck it. It's not me. It's Microsoft. Always blame Microsoft.
Still. How does one Minecraft?

[Frumple]

I... don't actually know these days, tbh. Last time I played it was a standalone java program that didn't interact with microsoft's stuff at all... somewhere or another I still got login credentials for it loitering around, I think. Quick check suggests that's at least maybe sorta' still available? Couldn't say if it's still DRM free(-ish, outside the login), though.

No clue whatsoever what's going on with the Win-10 specific version. There's also the question of which one the kid's interested in, because if there's a difference they'd be keyed into, well. Maybe see if the sprog can clarify?

[lemon10]

This is more of a question: Minecraft. How does it work?
Never played this game, don't know the first thing about other than what seeps through via general osmosis. Now a kid wants to play it, and I feel like a proper out-of-touch geezer trying to install it.
So, do you need to purchase it via Microsoft's online platform? Is there, like, a standalone, drm-free installer, or is it really xbox app only? Other vendors? A free version maybe? (there seems to be a demo, but it appears to need xbox account all the same?)
Like, basically, do I need to shell out 25 bucks-worth of local currency and hook myself up to Bill Gates' spy software, just so that a six year old can get high/pacified for a bit?

I guess it'd help if I weren't >slightly< tipsy when trying to figure this out. Alas.

No, wait. Fuck it. It's not me. It's Microsoft. Always blame Microsoft.
Still. How does one Minecraft?

You have to make a Microsoft account to play the game since Microsoft owns the game, but you don't need to buy the game from any specific website.
Typically you would go to this adress, (which is also Microsoft since again, they own the game) and pick what one you want.
If you are playing on just PC I would personally pick the java version since AFIAK it has modding and some other stuff, note that apparently bedrock is lower spec, so if you don't have a decent computer it could be better.
No, you cannot (legally) get it permanently for free, outside some super ancient versions.

Honestly buying it was all a lot simpler before the Fire Nation attacked Microsoft bought Mojang.

There are like a dozen non-microsoft launchers for the Java version, although note that you still need a Microsoft account anyways. I will note that if you aren't planning on modding the normal launcher works just fine and isn't a huge pain in the butt. Some launchers include the twitch app (don't, the app sucks) along with many I haven't tried (eg. the FTB launcher or the Curseforge launcher). I personally use the MultiMC Launcher, which is very lightweight and more importantly has excellent* mod support.

*Although note that if you have to mess with the memory allotment to load large mod lists because Minecraft wasn't really designed with modding of that scale on mind.

No clue whatsoever what's going on with the Win-10 specific version. There's also the question of which one the kid's interested in, because if there's a difference they'd be keyed into, well. Maybe see if the sprog can clarify?

Ehh, if the kid is six it would be very easy for them to not really know or mix the versions up. I know this because as (a much older than 6) kid frequently messed up myself in not knowing exactly what to ask for.

[King Zultan]

No, you cannot (legally) get it permanently for free, outside some super ancient versions.

I remember back when I bought Minecraft it was just starting to get popular and I only had to pay once, so how does it work now days then?


Also I have no idea what all Microsoft did to the game, the last version I installed was the last one Mojang did before they got bought out.

[Niveras]

No, you cannot (legally) get it permanently for free, outside some super ancient versions.

I remember back when I bought Minecraft it was just starting to get popular and I only had to pay once, so how does it work now days then?

Java version: (Windows, Mac, Linux). Still buy once, no subscription or DLC/MTX purchases. Its main benefit is getting updates first and the extensive modded scene.

Bedrock version: (Win 10/Xbox, mobile, also other consoles like the switch). Still buy once, no subscription. Microsoft has tried to monetize the mod scene with the Marketplace, a store to buy mods and resource packs (submitted by the community, with authors earning a share of sales). In terms of variety and functionally, the mod scene on bedrock is vastly inferior to java, but it does run better. Some block/entity behavior in bedrock is slightly different than java. The biggest benefit is bedrock is cross-platform compatibility - except with the java version.
Note: Although all bedrock versions are technically the same, I believe you need to purchase it separately for each platform. You can't buy win10 and somehow install it on switch, you have to buy it from the switch store directly.

The biggest confusion in choosing versions is that java and bedrock versions are not compatible. You can't connect to a bedrock server with java version, or vice versa. They require separate purchases and, for all intents and purposes, are separate games. But any bedrock version (e.g. console) can connect to any bedrock server (provided, of course, they are at parity with updates).

Both versions also have Realms (Microsoft's attempt to monetize server hosting), but it's cheaper to run a server through a third party (though third parties may not have as much support for issues as a Realms server).

A short while ago, it was possible to get the java version free with bedrock purchase, but I don't know if that campaign is still running.

Also I have no idea what all Microsoft did to the game, the last version I installed was the last one Mojang did before they got bought out.

Microsoft is remarkably hands-off about it. Despite development of bedrock, they still fully support java (and in fact java version gets all the updates first, that are then ported to bedrock).
The java scene is mostly quite happy with how microsoft is running things, aside from growing pains around the mojang->microsoft account switch or anxiety that the java scene is running on borrowed time (microsoft are well within their legal rights to unilaterally kill modded or outright end java support if they so choose). There might be some complaints about how long they go between updates and the amount of content that results, but I don't think that's specific to versions. (Java version has also had a bunch of technical changes that takes the modding scene time to adjust to.)

[heydude6]

Microsoft has the right to kill support for the Java version, but they do not have the ability to take away our offline mode. With the way modding is and the general hatred towards Bedrock/Microsoft, if Microsoft stops updating java, then the community will just stick with the final java version and continuously update it via mods.

Microsoft literally cannot stop this.

[Aoi]

Ugh, sorry; schedule for my first period of limited/no internet unexpectedly moved up by two and a half weeks. Thanks for the suggestions!

Emulation's pretty solid and probably the way to go... could load a lot of it right to my phone with minimal storage or control issues. Especially since I don't have much transfer time/capacity right now. 

Once I get to somewhere with a better connection, revisiting some of those 80/90s titles is probably a good idea... maybe I can actually finish Betrayal at Krondor for once, twenty years later.

[Frumple]

that game

that game

over a decade

at least three different operating systems

like five different computers

i could never get the damn thing to run

not once

It's not a white whale or anything, but damn if I'm ever going to try again. At some point you learn it's time to just give up :V