“What is worth our limited lifetime?
What do we sacrifice to pursue the things we love?”
These are heavy themes that are not commonly explored in video games, but Heart Shaped Games plans to do just that with Hero Generations. The game is currently on Kickstarter and is approaching its goal (90% at the time of this writing) with less than two weeks to go.
Hero Generations is a strategy game that forces players to make very careful choices. Each turn represents one year of a characters life so you need to think carefully about each move in order to keep your character’s family line continuing forward.
The harsh reality of Hero Generations is that if you fail to have a child to take your place before you die then it is Game Over. This means you can’t just ride off into the sunset at an old age, or go out in a blaze of glory. You need to balance your wild adventurous side with your inner homebody to make sure that you are able to attract a bride (or groom) and have a successor.
Players will be presented with FAR more than they can accomplish in one lifetime and will be forced to make tough choices along the way. Should they develop their kingdom and infrastructure (making it easier for their offspring to move around)? Should they go on a wild adventure (and have a greater chance to bring back wealth)? Should you settle down and have a child early (making it more likely to carry on the family line)? These are the kinds of gameplay decisions that players will be asked to make.
Most strategy games are so grand in scope that the value of time and of the day-to-day human experience is lost. Hero Generations does the opposite. It pleads with its player to remember that life is precious and to cherish every bit of it.
Hero Generations is being developed for PC, Mac, Linux, and the Ouya. It is expected to be delivered sometime early next year (but that could change). This game needs to exist and it might not see production without our support. Get on over the Kickstarter and be a hero!
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[…] game, but it might not see the light of day without a little help. It is currently listed on Kickstarter and still has a ways to go. Do yourself a favor if you have younger kids and back this game. You […]