W4RR-i/o-RS: Descent (2019)

Developer: Xeneder
Publisher: Phoenix Reborn Games
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie, Simulation
Rating: 3.2 of 5, 11 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 36 minutes
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.

More games like this

How it feels

Playing feels like operating a cryptic corporate spreadsheet where you make consequential choices without ever seeing their human impact.

minimalistabstractcontemplativedetachedmechanicallore-lightstrategicatmospheric

What players say

Players describe a short, cryptic puzzle game that does not explain its mechanics, leaving them to figure out everything on their own. Some enjoy the challenge and abstract ASCII presentation, while others find the combat rules impenetrable and the story nearly absent.

Screenshots

More games like this

More by Xeneder

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.