Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead (2013)

Too much choice makes this game great and bad game in the same moment.

Lets just say that the barrier of entry is so big and vast that most people wouldn't even try to thing about overcoming it.

The only reason for it is that there is so much possibilities for you in this "rouglike" that learning even how to move could become overwhelming.

It is quite sad that many people won't experience this masterpiece.

It would be great to make a steam release like Dwarf Fortress has done. Creating user-friendly GUI and giving creators source of income.

I felt that I was too much of a pleb to tackle Dwarf Fortress since I had given up 3 times within an hour of trying that game. So I decided to ease my way into it with other similar-ish games. One of these games was CDDA, the other was Caves of Qud. I was extremely skeptical at first but now that I probably have over 300 hours logged I can say that it was a good decision to stick to it.

At first I pecked away at the keyboard constantly being confused at what button did what. "No its not 'g' you nerd, it's obviously 'G'" etc. After 5 hours or so of that I became more and more proficient and by the 20th I was like a pianist and wasn't really thinking of what button to press because I was so involved with the game itself.

You do have to create your own entertainment, but the world given to you is vast, interesting and full of crazy/spooky things for you to explore. The way that multiple different possible apocalypse scenarios are mixed into the setting is an absolute joy to experience after you get over the initial brick wall barrier of seemingly clunky UI.

It might seem clunky and overly complicated at first but with a little bit of effort and imagination this definitely becomes a game you can sink hundreds of hours into.

It is easily launched and modded through the CDDA launcher and it is a game I wholeheartedly recommend

"The End Is Nigh! Quick, take this tattered instruction manual (link below) and seek shelter in that abandoned gas station before the sun comes up. Good luck fine sir, though you chances are slim. I must leave you now, I'm venturing into the dreaded swamps with a crossbow and a tin of beans. Good luck and board up your windows before the break of dawn."

This is by far the most impressive in-depth immersive apocalypse survival game I have ever played. I cannot begin to describe how awesome and incredible this game is. People have a peep at it and get scared away by the unwieldy interface, weird controls, steep learning curve and ascii graphics, not to mention brutal difficulty. All of these things are LIES! I want people to jump aboard the Cataclysm gravy train and enjoy this incredible masterpiece and so I have created a guide to set up this game with all the bells, whistles, sounds, graphics mods and stuff with no fuss or complicated nonsense. My guide is here: http://imgur.com/a/SFEJ1

If this game got a little more exposure I think it would be really popular; there's nothing out there like it. It's just mind-boggling. If you haven't tried it, have a look at my link above and have a play around. You can even turn off the zombies/monsters entirely and just wander around the deserted streets crafting cool gadgets/looting abandoned gas stations and being the last man on earth. That in itself is really fun. Even if my little guide helps just one person experience the magic and wonder of this game then I will be happy. :)

The Guide: http://imgur.com/a/SFEJ1

I've been playing this game like CRAZY lately. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead is absolutely incredible, easily the best survival game on the market. And it's FREE! This game needs a lot more exposure. Such a deep, complex game, so much fun and replayability. Though it has a pretty steep learning curve.

If anyone is interested in try it out, make sure you download the newest experimental build, use the MShock32 tileset (it's included in the exp. build) and install the ambient sound mod. I'll have to write a full review soon. This game is just incredible. If you want to see some good game footage, look up SilverDragonLord on the youtubes.

In The Picture: My sweet kitted-out base, it's a room in a giant mansion. The mansion is packed with all sorts of goodies, comfy bed, medieval swords and sculptures, lots of tinned food and other survival stuff. Swimming pools filled with water that I can boil and drink. The mansion is in the woods so I don't get bothered by too many zombies. This room I've boarded up all the windows just to be careful. Just outside you can see part of my sweet RV. It has solar panels and a fridge inside where I can store all my meat (when I go crossbow hunting for moose and mutant toads and stuff) which I can bring back to the mansion for fine dining. I have another vehicle as well; I use that to make runs into town if I need specific supplies. At the moment I'm mostly using a medieval broadsword (I took it from the mansion) but I crafted a crossbow that I use for ranged combat. This game is so deep.. I used moose meat to craft nachos, with cheese! This character is probably around a month old (in game-time).