Recent reviews by Bob Loblaw's Law Blog

Fun romp through eldrich america with little secrets sprinkled in.

Could use some QoL and pacing polish but otherwise an inspired game.

A rough but creative horror sandbox with old school sensibilities.

Unferat is a difficult game to play, it has minimal guidance with no handholding. But does it has a clear creative voice and a willingness to experiment.

It’s a simple game with unique mechanics and ideas that stand out, but needs a larger scale with more polish.

One of the best games I’ve ever played.

The only real complaint is that I wish there were more of it! The puzzles are clever, with only a few moments of ambiguity. The story is simple but works thanks to great characters and strong writing.

There’s a ton of attention to detail. The gameplay constantly shifts in fun, surprising ways, with loads of references that never feel cheap or shallow.

The pacing is tight, and the whole thing washes over you like a wave of carnival fun.

Strongly recommended for anyone who likes puzzle storytelling, meta weirdness, or games that keep surprising you.

The concept is good, and there is some definite charm.

The card combat is only deep enough to hold your interest for a few fights, and the grind continues far beyond that. Your deck does not change much over the game and the encounters are very easy.

The town progression is also quite simple, but worst of all is missing any kind of automation or quality of life features. A large village is a painful experience of constantly replacing elements that knock themselves around a cramped area. A continuous grind of elements that have little value until you chance upon the handful of items needed to progress.

I did fully enjoy a few hours, but I doubt I'll return to endure the last few chapters. A shame because the game is quite charming.

It's not the worst but needs a bit more to discover. "Fun little digging games "is a surprisingly crowded field and this is not matching it's peers.

A massive, intricate strategy sandbox built on a brilliant concept... but where meaningful decisions are surprisingly rare.

The agent gameplay is genuinely interesting, but it never evolves. Once you learn the mechanics, you'll be performing the same actions by rote for over a hundred hours.

Earth combat is shallow and almost entirely unnecessary, aside from one brief scenario.

The result is a game that can mostly be planned before you even start, leaving you to monitor and maintain it for long stretches. It becomes a passive experience, putting out fires and letting fate take its course, while dodging the many traps baked into the system.

In theory, a fully developed space combat system could become an expression of player skill and intent, but it would require major design changes that don't appear to be coming anytime soon, if ever.

Space combat plays only a minor role for most of the game, both by design and narrative. By the time you're capable of fighting the aliens, the window where victory is still undecided is already closing. The system is further dragged down by a frustrating, clunky interface, a narrow range of viable strategies, and very little feedback or control for the player. There's a strong emphasis on combat “realism,” but the result is a system that lacks strategic depth and variety.

These problems stem from the game’s core premise. An enemy that could crush you at any moment can’t truly play to win, and the design offers no real path for upset victories. The few strategically tense moments in a campaign are often the delayed result of previous hours or mere AI whims, with a handful being scripted.

Many grand strategy games share similar flaws, but they make up for it with rich storytelling (crusader kings) or historical playgrounds. They're also far more concise. Terra Invicta has a wide range of systems, but none are developed to the depth of its best peers.

Terra Invicta's setting has the potential for a strong narrative, with uniquely motivated factions and a compelling underdog story at its core. But the tools for interacting with those factions, or even simply observing what they’re doing, are lacking. Their AI, aliens included, feels incoherent and anemic.

There are smaller interface and quality-of-life issues that may still be addressed, but with the project nearing completion, it’s hard to imagine there’s time left for the kind of fundamental changes the core systems would need.

A dedicated player with plenty of free time and an interest in space might find a single playthrough worth the investment, but most campaigns lack distinct character, and the systems offer few meaningful alternatives in how they play out.

Bleak, Bold, and Uncomfortably Compelling

A grim blend of resource management and narrative, where the threat of failure hangs over every decision and success feels rare and hard-earned. You’re constantly juggling limited resources, uneasy choices, and a slow slide toward doom. You can carve out prosperity, but it never comes easy.

It feels a lot like Cultist Simulator in its cryptic design, though the tone is even bleaker. It’s more direct, more graphic, and often uncomfortable. The story leans into classic folktales and doesn't flinch from casual cruelty to it's characters, many of whom are enslaved. It’s also, frankly, a bit horny. There's also a kind of aware orientalism that fully embraces the tropes while trying to distance them from any real places.

It’s not always clear how well it handles all of that. Though some discomfort is clearly intended in a story about keeping your humanity under evil. But there’s no question it has a strong voice and commits fully to what it’s trying to be.

If you’re into setting-heavy narratives and don’t mind some darkness, this might be right up your alley.

More of the same but extra polish and less bugs. A little bit better in every way. The ambiance and attention to detail in the setting is still the star. Story is still a bit cheesy but hits it's big moments well.

A tight and well polished game that has studied and learned good lessons from it's peers. The art and the writing has care placed into it. A great example of what can be done with a simple idea well executed.

It does tend to drag twords the end and is best enjoyed on a longer simmer than a straight grind.

Looking forward to more from the developers

This game is a labor of love, and it shows in every corner.

This game’s achievement is the journey it creates for you. You start as a clueless oil change jockey, flipping through a manual mid-panic, desperately trying not to blow yourself up. Soon you're creating undocumented solutions and pre-prepping parts for maximum efficiency.

The blue-collar, cthulhu-punk vibe will have you laughing while you work. Little secrets are tucked away, and the story has a surprising amount of heart. Even when you’re buried in the chaos of your next job, it feels human.

Fair warning: failure is part of the deal. But with perk progression, hidden secrets, and your growing skills, you’ll bulldoze through what once felt like a blood-splattered brick wall. The "Focused" mode is your best friend when you’re overwhelmed, training-wheels for the chaos.

(One quick note for the developers: adding some difficulty scaling within the modes would be a big win. The platforming, in particular, feels like a whole different skillset, so an alternative setting here would help, alongside the other accessibility options.)

This is a masterpiece in its own right. It’s one of the most unique gaming experiences I’ve had. If you’re ready to embrace failure and grow into the role, you’ll quickly find yourself craving more.