The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily Gets New Pre-Release Demo
Jul. 17th, 2025 07:42 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
rpgamer_feedOne or Eight and Alliance Arts released a new demo for tactical RPG The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily ahead of the game’s release on PC next week. The new demo, available on Steam, lets players access the prologue and first chapter of the game. In addition to expanding the content of the previous demo, it adds tutorials, new events, rebalanced difficulty, and a new difficulty selection option.
The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily follows Scarlet, a duchess who becomes the subject of false murder accusations. While she attempts to evade capture from the imperial armies, she forms a partnership with time-traveling livestreamer Lily to convince opposing generals of Scarlet’s innocence and begin her own rebellion. The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily will release on July 24, 2025, priced at $29.99.
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New Release Round-Up (July 17, 2025)
Jul. 17th, 2025 07:41 pmrpgamer_feedWelcome to RPGamer’s new release round-up. In this column, we look to provide our readers with details on the major RPGs released in the last few weeks, with the start of July offering a bit of a chance for many to catch up on their backlogs. Please note we do not currently include Early Access releases where the game is still in development. Pricing is shown in US dollars before application of any discounts, local pricing may vary.
Arhaekon
Publisher: Predict Edumedia
Developer: Predict Edumedia
Available: Steam
Price: $14.99 (15% launch discount)
Tactical turn-based dungeon crawler Arhaekon is set in a dark fantasy world where a lost civilization is caught up in a battle between two god-like factions: the Arhaekon, who seek to save mankind from destruction, and the Prospherisors, who pledged to destroy humanity if it attempts to transcend its limits and disrupt the balance of the void. The game sees players explore dungeons while obtaining treasures and knowledge, commanding units, and rebuilding civilization.
Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition
Publisher: Aspyr
Developer: Aspyr, Obsidian Entertainment
Available: Steam, GOG.com, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop
Price: $29.99
Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a remaster of Obsidian Entertainment’s 2006 follow-up to BioWare’s Neverwinter Nights, though the stories are largely unconnected. The game uses an adaptation of the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition ruleset and is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting around the city of Neverwinter. It sees players start out as an orphan living in the village of West Harbor. After the village is invaded, players are told by their foster father to bring a mysterious silver shard to Neverwinter.
Edens Zero
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Available: Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store
Price: $59.99
Edens Zero is an action RPG based on the popular space fantasy manga of the same name by Hiro Mashima. It begins on the theme-park planet Granbell in the Sakura Cosmos. It follows a human boy, Shiki, who lives alongside the planet’s robots and is taught how to use superhuman Ether Gear powers. His adventure into the cosmos begins after encountering content creators Rebecca Bluegarden and Happy. The action RPG features a retelling of the manga’s story alongside new and expanded content and quests. Combat sees players controlling a variety of characters — including Shiki, Rebecca, Weisz, and Homura — using combos, Ether Gear, and special abilities to defeat their foes.
Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson
Publisher: Playdigious
Developer: Ritual Studios
Available: Steam
Price: $14.99 (10% launch discount)
Deckbuilding turn-based RPG Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson follows friendly musician Rob, who is attempting to stop the corrupt plans of the Super Metal Records company. Its boss Rick Riffson is using a Battle of the Bands contest to trap musicians with soul-binding contracts. The game sees players amassing their own collection of riffs, being able to add them to their deck and unleash powerful solos. Players can also select their preferred instrument, and customise it with bridges, strings, and more.
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster
Publisher: Nightdive Studios
Developer: Nightdive Studios
Available: PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop
Price: $29.99
System Shock 2 takes place in 2114, 42 years after the events of the first game. The game puts players on the faster-than-light starship, the Von Braun, on its maiden voyage and its accompanying ship, the Rickenbacker. During the voyage, the ships respond to a distress signal from an alien planet, which results in them being taken over by a force dubbed the Many. The 25th Anniversary Remaster version includes completely remastered visuals, including cutscenes and weapon and character models. It also includes an adjustable FOV, post-processing effects, ultra-widescreen support, and cross-play co-op multiplayer.
The Necromancer’s Tale
The Necromancer’s Tale is a narrative-driven top-down RPG set in an alternate history 18th century. Players control a minor noble in a kingdom near the Adriatic Sea who is drawn into the necromantic arts. They must investigate, negotiate, and coerce to achieve their aims, while trying to maintain the trust of the townsfolk. It features turn-based combat with players and their allies (including undead minions) taking on both natural and supernatural foes.
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Cralon Coming to Consoles
Jul. 17th, 2025 07:40 pmrpgamer_feedDeveloper Pithead Studio has announced that its first-person action adventure dungeon-crawling RPG Cralon will be released on consoles. In addition to PC, the game will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, though a release window has not been announced.
Cralon is the first game from the developer founded by former Piranha Bytes developers Jenny and Björn Pankratz. It puts players in the role of the eponymous Cralon the Brave, who is hunting a demon preying on a nearby village. However, he is surprised and ends up falling down an old mine shaft. Looking to escape, he ventures the maze of corridors, soon learning there is more to mine than there initially seems, using the assitance of the creatures living there to uncover its secrets.
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The Israel-Syria Dilemma
Jul. 17th, 2025 07:23 pmfp_best_defense_feedHow Strong Is China’s Rare-Earth Card?
Jul. 17th, 2025 06:23 pmfp_best_defense_feed‘We Came Here to Work’
Jul. 17th, 2025 05:59 pmfp_best_defense_feedNonfiction
Jul. 17th, 2025 02:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkatAgustin Fuentes, Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary: ( not as detailed as I wanted )
Deborah Valenze, The Invention of Scarcity: Malthus and the Margins of History: ( Malthus and corn (and corn laws) )
Jane Marie, Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans: ( The bad kind of MLM )
Becca Rothfeld, All Things Are Too Small: ( in praise of excess )
Douglas Brinkley, The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion: ( a big day and its commemoration )
Anthony Shadid, Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War: ( shockingly, it's complicated )
Guru Madhavan, Applied Minds: How Engineers Think: ( they try things )
Theatre Fandom: Engaged Audiences in the Twenty-First Century, ed. Kirsty Sedgman, Francesca Coppa, & Matt Hills: ( live theater as a fandom source )
Dan Ariely, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves: ( he's not wrong or exempt )
Tony Judt, When the Facts Change: Essays, 1995-2010: ( foresight that didn't help )
KC Davis, How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing: ( functionality is all )
Womens March program on feminism and fan culture July 22
Jul. 17th, 2025 02:19 pmexecutrix posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thisfinecrewWe’re diving into the wild side of the web where feminism meets fan culture, from stan wars to shitposts, fanfic to fandom memes. Let’s talk about how fan spaces and meme culture are part of feminist movement building!
📅 Tuesday, July 22
⏰ 8PM ET/5PM PT
🔗 RSVP at https://ow.ly/N9m850WqUjp
6 things I love
Jul. 17th, 2025 08:12 pmtinnyretro_icontest was about things we love. It was originally meant for entertainment-type things, but the challenge explicitly included stock, and my muse decided to use that opportunity for a change. So, the things I love: HPI, my current favorite show and obsession, and... my cat. :D
Reasons I love HPI: because Morgane can't resist a puzzle, because Karadec is soft-spoken and sensitive, and of course because of the romance.
Reasons I love cats: because they're cute, because they're curious and often hilarious, and because their fur is so soft.
I'm happy to receive all kind of comments, including concrit! All icons shareable. Credit for brushes and textures I use can be found here in my resource post.
Glancing at Trump's tantrum-of-the-day
Jul. 20th, 2025 11:39 amconuly( Read more... )
New Zealand slang needed please 🙏
Jul. 17th, 2025 05:50 pmkitarella_imagines posting in little_detailsAlso, do New Zealanders play keepy uppy? When you bounce a football on your knee and see how many times you can do that without dropping it. A well known British game but maybe it's called something different in New Zealand?
~~~
“G’day mate,” said the Australian. “Sorry, we're playing keepy uppy and the ball got away from us.” He was smirking as he picked up the football.
“Don't be such a flaming galah.” L threw the ball at N.
“Strewth mate, that’s 50 already.”
“Here we are,” said L. “Enjoy, you pair of hoons.”
Why Japan Might Be America’s Most Frustrated Ally
Jul. 17th, 2025 04:09 pmfp_best_defense_feedCan Trump Be Sold on Supporting Ukraine?
Jul. 17th, 2025 04:02 pmfp_best_defense_feedReligion, boggling
Jul. 17th, 2025 05:04 pmoursin“They were lost to their passion and their lust” - it's actually Buddhist monks in Thailand, but this is not a scenario unknown in the annals of Christian monasticism in Europe, hmmmmm?
The disappearance of a respected monk from his Buddhist temple in central Bangkok has revealed a sex scandal that has rocked Thailand, with allegations of blackmail, lavish gifts and a string of dismissals raising questions about the money and power enjoyed by the country’s orange-robed clergy. Investigations into the whereabouts of senior monk Phra Thep Wachirapamok unexpectedly led police to a woman who the police suspect conducted intimate relationships with several senior monks, and then blackmailed them to keep the liaisons quiet.
I am somewhat boggled at this:
Monks in Thailand receive monthly food allowances of between 2,500-34,200 baht (£57-785), depending on their rank, but temples and monks also receive donations. The latter can prove especially lucrative for monks of higher stature, who might be given tens of thousands of baht, or even more, by wealthy individuals.
Though perhaps not, again reflecting on historical parallels.
But this is just Damn Weird:
A group of seminarians studying at Denver’s St. John Vianney Theological Seminary were taken on the trip in January 2024 by then-vice rector of the seminary, Fr. John Nepil, during which they were woken in the middle of the night and invited individually to swear a “blood oath” in a ceremony involving a dagger and a man in a yeti costume. During the bizarre ceremony, video of which was sent to The Pillar by multiple sources in the archdiocese, seminarians were told to scream as if in pain before returning with a bloodied cloth wrapped around their hand and their mouths taped shut, to a room where others waited for their turn to be brought in.
Bizarre, huh? This is described as 'a prank':
[T]he idea of this prank came from the man hosting the seminarians and the seminary staff on the ski trip, whom he confirmed was the person in the yeti costume. “This Catholic man is well known in the town and is regularly asked to appear at events in this costume,” Nepil said. “He has done this specific prank many times with family, friends, and other guests who stay at his ski cabin. At no time was there any risk of physical harm, but in hindsight, and even though the host wanted to do this, it should have never happened.”
But productive of massive upheaval and confusion, including the subsequent involvement of an exorcist.
(Is the yeti actually a fursona, we ask.)
India’s Air Force Is in Crisis
Jul. 17th, 2025 03:30 pmfp_best_defense_feedThe Starbites Releasing on Japanese Consoles in October
Jul. 17th, 2025 02:30 pmrpgamer_feedPublisher Happinet and developer IKINAGAMES announced that turn-based mecha RPG The Starbites will release in Japan on October 16, 2025. The game will release physically and digitally in the country for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. An international PC release (via Steam) and a western console release are also planned but have not been dated.
The Starbites is set on the war-torn planet of Bitter and follows rookie scavenger Lukida, whose life changes after encountering a being called the Oracle. She is based in Delight City, a tower-shaped city that is free-spirited despite being slowly swallowed by the sand. Players advance the story and unlock new parts of the city by interacting with NPCs and finding special objects. The game will feature turn-based combat, with players forming a party of Lukina’s allies. Combat makes use of a Drivers High mechanic, where a gauge increased by attacking or taking damage allows players to interrupt the usual turn-order.
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Fantasy Maiden Wars: Dream of the Stray Dreamer English Release Announced
Jul. 17th, 2025 02:30 pmrpgamer_feedPublisher Phoenixx announced an upcoming English release for Touhou doujin strategy RPG Fantasy Maiden Wars: Dream of the Stray Dreamer. The English version of the game, which released for Nintendo Switch in Japan in 2022, will be released in 2025 for PC (via Steam) and Nintendo Switch. The PC version will be a new release in both English and Japanese.
A spin-off to the Touhou bullet hell franchise and developed by Sanbondo, Fantasy Maiden Wars: Dream of the Stray Dreamer is set in the world of Gensokyo, where humans, yokai, and gods coexist. The game sees players using a party from over 70 available characters in grid-based battles as they deal with a series of supernatural incidents. Players choose between Reimu Hakurei or Marisa Kirisame as the main protagonist, which impacts parts of the story. The game includes multiple difficulty levels, a tutorial system, and a detailed series encyclopedia.
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