The Dwarves - Gameplay and first impressions

I recently picked up this game through... HumbleBundle? Maybe? I honestly can't remember what month it was from, or how long it's been sitting in the sickeningly large list of unclaimed keys that I finally made an effor to actually claim. What I do know, is that I finally claimed it and downloaded it three days ago.

Today was my first shot playing it. The gods blessed me with a toddler who went to sleep at 9pm finally instead of fighting me until 11, so I felt like celebrating this rare and clearly divinely inspired situation with a bit of gaming. I have to say, it's a really neat game!

Mechanically, this plays as a hybrid of a strategy rpg with vaguely moba-feeling elements, and a text-based choose your own adventure. The story so far is, I'm not going to lie, pretty predictable and full of tropes... but hey, I'm here to be a dwarf and smash shit with a hammer - not play through the Next Best Story Ever... so I'm okay with it.

The main map screen that you get to reminds me a lot of the Pathfinder: Kingmaker game, as you're essentially a token on a board hitting pre-defined spots and finding out what happens in each. It's enjoyable, and the text is fully narrated. The narration itself is pretty good, and they do make an effort to splash in a bit of humor which I have so far enjoyed in my ~30 minutes of playing.

So far, there's not been too much by way of combat. I suspect that's likely a product of where I am in the game. It's clear that we're currently in the arc of the story where our naieve hero is being thrust into a grand adventure and is soon to build an epic team of friends. So far, we haven't met any of them though, but I get the sense that a companion awaits me at the end of the current mission.

All in all, it was an enjoyable way to spend my free time this evening. The story is interesting enough, despite it's predictability, that I'll probably try to fit in some more time for this when I've got a bit more time on my hands... I want to at least get far enough to see how a few more companions work and confirm if the story is leading where I suspect.

If you're a fan of this kind of game, and you're interested in trying it out - snag it on sale would be my recommendation.