Play game
Horde Rush's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| The Transformation! Is it a cool TF? | #3 | 4.000 | 4.000 |
| Extras? Bells and whistles besides the writing? | #6 | 3.400 | 3.400 |
| Overall | #7 | 3.360 | 3.360 |
| The Writing! Is it enjoyable prose? | #8 | 3.200 | 3.200 |
| Excitement! Does it make you want to play it? | #8 | 3.200 | 3.200 |
| Creativity! Is it unique? | #11 | 3.000 | 3.000 |
Ranked from 5 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Judge feedback
Judge feedback is anonymous.
- Good use of the To Change system and the Cypher conversion is very welcome. An extra fun time for any starcraft fans.
System
Options are included for both To Change and Cypher System
Team
No, just me
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
Getting it out of the way first: This game is Starcraft with the numbers filed off. How you respond to that sentence pretty much sums up if the game is for you or not. If you are in the "want to play a Starcraft RPG with a unique perspective", than this game is for you, recreating an iconic bit of Starcraft lore. Its fairly grimdark, as expected, but it is very up front and honest about what it is.
The module is solid, well-written with clear rules, narrative escalation, useful characters and atmosphere. Again, if you are a Starcraft fan, this is a worthy adaptation of the concept. As a straight adaptation from a ground level perspective, it seems like its a great entry, a labour of love that really seeks to bring the story and setting to life.
Minor spoilers for the game follow:
I think one big issue with the game is that, though it has the numbers filed off, it never quite runs with the concept that it could. Players feel like they are part of that setting's lore, not their own stories, a PoV of a key event, but only barely a determinator of how it might diverge from Starcraft. The most obvious example of this is the fate of Lt. Horrigan. As with her inspiration, her fate is basically sealed. She'll either be killed (the only real bit of story agency beyond personal survival the players have) or become part of the Horde, the champion that she is in the original game. There is no "third way" of saving Horrigan, or even "poisoning" her entry into the horde in some manner leading to a new outcome. Player agency seems limited by an adherence to canon, rather than opening up an iconic moment in gaming into new horizons driven by the player's presence in the game.
Spoilers conclude.
All in all, a solid game with a lot of care behind it, and potentially a good entry point even for those unfamiliar with the inspiration. The "followup" section beyond the endings really opens up the setting for future play, and provides some interesting hooks.
It's a bit too Starcraft for me but I like that there is an explanation of how the players changes can be reversed after they've succeeded :)