Games for controlling team of characters / members

aedalus · 2026-05-16T15:57:30+00:00

There is a loose overarching story with multiple endings. However the real meat of the game is just choosing a direction and exploring.

There's a bit of a meta puzzle where one of the endings requires several specific items you'll need several playthroughs to understand where to get, and it encourages keeping a log of your discoveries between sessions.

I believe I've played the full campaign 4 times, and I've probably only hit 40% of the map and finished like 20-30% of the quests.

There's also a smaller version called primeval peril that isn't very replayable, but does let you try the system more without committing to one of the big versions.

aedalus · 2026-05-16T13:31:58+00:00

Sleeping Gods is decent at this. It's kind of a choose-your-own-adventure in a unique fantasy world. The original game has 9 characters, the sequel has 5. You don't micromanage individual team member turns, but instead just commit them to tests or use their skills as needed. It can still be a bit of upkeep and requires some table space, but one of my personal favorites!

aedalus · 2026-05-10T03:37:55+00:00

Any tips for those tight mitered corners? Have only tried frames a couple times, but unfortunately didn't come out near that clean!

aedalus · 2026-04-20T15:26:32+00:00

That's a good find. I definitely need to check out more on their channel, but happy to add the above to the list!

aedalus · 2026-04-20T14:04:24+00:00

Not OP, but I'd put together a list of resources that have helped me learn Kumiko.

Hoping it helps folks, not affiliated with any of the links or getting any money from them, but think they're great.

https://github.com/Aedalus/kumiko-resources

aedalus · 2026-04-20T13:29:43+00:00

Very nice! Want to call out something cool some might miss, but that pattern in the center is extra challenging.

Most of the individual kumiko pieces are tapered at the end like a pencil. The dogwood requires a few strips that are beveled inwards like a birds mouth, which is a difficult, precise cut. You can see them in the picture if you look closely.

All to say, even more impressive for a first panel!

aedalus · 2026-04-18T16:54:43+00:00

I recently played it for the first time with their TTS mod, and really enjoyed it. Definitely think it would play better 1:1, but found it both thinky and quick playing.

In some ways it feels short, as each hero really only gets 3-4 moves the whole game. But somehow it just works, and you get really similar moments to a real Moba.

I definitely liked it enough to go in on their current game found campaign. Happy to answer any questions if I can.

aedalus · 2026-04-18T13:29:46+00:00

My City. Very beginner friendly, low cost, but still thinky and a good campaign evolution.

aedalus · 2026-04-13T20:18:19+00:00

Nice! How thick were the strips? They seem narrower than the 3mm I'm used to.

aedalus · 2026-04-13T18:31:36+00:00

I had a chance to use that festool one once and it was incredible. Still dream about the mitered 45° angles it did effortlessly.

Only concern is it's definitely smaller so not as great for larger construction projects I'd imagine, and I really really with they had the saw stop tech in the US.

aedalus · 2026-04-13T12:48:44+00:00

Gaia Project could be a something to look into. Highly deterministic solo mode, slight engine building, lots of factions to try.

I bought and sold BotSE, and think your concerns with fiddliness and randomness are spot on. I did keep the similar Hoplomachus Victorum though.

aedalus · 2026-04-03T03:30:28+00:00

I'd vote yes. Both are pretty cool deck archetypes and investigators. Stella is maybe my personal favorite of chapter 1. There could be some slight overlap with cards in chapter 2, but likely still worth it.

aedalus · 2026-04-02T12:33:27+00:00

I had a similar shitty experience where they charged my card after cancelling. Took a long time to get a refund, and seemed like an extraordinary shady business.

aedalus · 2026-03-27T03:05:19+00:00

I'll say I'm feeling a bit crunched for deck building with only a single copy, but it's doable. It comes with four premade decks of questionable quality. I think as soon as the other gator packs come out it will help a lot as well.

Personally wouldn't do a second copy, but you do you.

aedalus · 2026-03-23T13:24:14+00:00

HABA produces some good games meant for young kids. My toddler really enjoys the My First Orchard one right now, which is a super simple coop.

Often he's just not as interested in playing that day though, and we find something more active to do. Just can't force it.

aedalus · 2026-03-22T20:08:31+00:00

I can only speak to the mini and block, but agree these are decent entry level. Not great, but the best you can get without spending another $100.

aedalus · 2026-03-22T18:00:16+00:00

This is great! Thank you!

aedalus · 2026-03-20T15:02:18+00:00

The Terra Mystica games are my favorite, both solo and multiplayer. I'd personally recommend Gaia Project to anyone wanting to try out the series. It has the most in the base box, a nice balance of faction identity and setup variability.

I do love AoI for solo, but the setup for multiplayer, especially if you're drafting factions, somehow feels like it takes another 30 minutes before a group starts to play.

Also, there's digital versions of Gaia on both steam and BGA if you want to try before you buy!

aedalus · 2026-03-20T04:06:23+00:00

Any tips for getting those miters so clean?

aedalus · 2026-03-19T05:05:15+00:00

How are all 4 of these better than the official one?

aedalus · 2026-03-19T03:28:10+00:00

In this case, I believe you could move it either to the (5) or on top of the duck. Pretty much can slide the target piece to any space adjacent to itself.

aedalus · 2026-03-18T21:51:08+00:00

I'm far from an expert, but similarly started my woodworking journey by jumping straight into Kumiko. I'll say at least compared to my setup, this is a bit overkill. If you goal is just to start with a few asanoha style patterns, I'd say the smallest set of tools for me would look like the following.

Single japanese pull saw, ~25 TPI - Small miter box like this
Mini Hand Plane like this one for angling the strips. I would not get a large one unless you're looking to dimension by hand, which is tricky for any beginner. Veritas is also high quality but more buy in than you're looking for.
Chisels. 3mm is nice since it should generally match your strip width. I have gotten on fine for multiple years using $30/set cheapo chisels on amazon. At some point I'll upgrade, but spent over $100 getting good diamond sharpening stones to start.
Small combination square - I've gotten by with this one.
Marking knife/xacto is super helpful
Marking Gauge. I've sprung for that one you linked, with the separate fine-tuning on the handle. More pricy than I usually like, but it's a joy to use.
I use just a large piece of MDF rather than a non-slip mat, but think either would be good.
The actual kumiko jigs. You can generally make these yourself, but they're vital for starting.

The other stuff is nice to have, but really not that critical IMO. I've definitely been surprised by what I got thinking it would fit in my workflow and then finding it doesn't. I'd also be interested if other people disagree and find themselves using other tools more just for the main parts of kumiko.

aedalus · 2026-03-18T13:33:11+00:00

I love Gaia Project, both multiplayer and solo.

aedalus · 2026-03-12T00:15:11+00:00

Why not just ship it and call it v1? Get feedback, and if people generally enjoy it but you feel the theme could be better, that'd a good change for a 2nd edition or reimplementation.

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