Partial Control (2019)

Developer: Cavern Head
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 4.3 of 5, 37 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 2.0 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A tense, disorienting tactical struggle where you fight against your own unreliable control.

tenseunpredictabletacticaldystopianchaoticstrategicfrustratingadaptive

What players say

Players praise the novel semi-turn-based combat where you give orders during pauses, then watch the action unfold. Many call it a clever puzzle game with a dark sci-fi atmosphere, but some note the price feels steep for the content. Color blind players report the green and yellow units are indistinguishable.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.