Tharsis

The game is well designed and the dice throwing is something pretty revolutionary in this digital age. However, it seems to be a bit too random for me. Some players claim then can get a 50% ratio by thinking logically, but for the average guy who can't think three steps ahead (me!) the fact of losing 15 times in a row is pretty depressing.

This game is the game I've spent most time on in 2016, been looking for something like this for a long time. Format of a turn-based solo board game based on probabilities estimation and risk management was very satisfying for me. Mechanics are simple enough, yet high replayability is here. One full playthrough takes about 15 minutes, this is a great game to spend some time on in-between your daily chores. People complaining about balance/randomness don't understand mechanics of the game and/or basics of probability theory I think, once you get to know the game better you can easily get 10 or more wins in a row (on normal difficulty), most of them with 1800+ score. Too bad that developing studio got shut down and we didn't get more missions and infinite mode, one of the reasons might have been bad sales/mispricing of this game I guess.

Tharsis... this game will be solely responsible if i ever commit to actual cannibalism. Damn the choices the game forces you to make and the repeated lack of a GOOD one, only a slightly-less bad one. and that really sums up the game quite well: It's hellishly hard, doesn't hold your hand and rewards tactical thinking and planning VERY much, in fact - tactical play is so important that the dice and their random are less of an issue than not planning a turn is. To check out the full review see here: https://youtu.be/aYG7qTUdoIc

One of my all-time favorite games for its replayability and deep strategic elements. I love that on its surface Tharsis appears to be just random chance, but when you learn the game you're rewarded with frequent wins and high scores. With the right strategy nearly every game is winnable, even though many complaints about this game are that it's too random. As evidence for that, a YouTuber named DragonDave17 got to at least 30 wins in a row starting with his very first game. The game design here is truly excellent, from the mechanics to the art and character design. The shifting facial expressions of the astronauts spark my empathy, the dice rolls make me clench my teeth, and the tension and release of making it out of a terrible jam keeps me coming back again and again.