Info about Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew:

Official game description:
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a real-time stealth strategy game set in a fantastical version of the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. A place of mystery and wonder, these islands are home to pirates, vagrants, and all manner of strange folk – but the forces of the Inquisition have set their sights on these isles you call home, and will stop at nothing to eradicate your people as they seek a powerful pirate artifact buried in the region. Recruit and lead an undead pirate crew from aboard your ghost ship to outwit your enemy, striking from the shadows with both blade and sorcery to save your people.
Take charge of an infamous pirate ship and reunite its cursed crew as you fight back against the Inquisition across the multiple islands that dot the region. With eight undead crew members waiting to be revived, you can choose who to recruit to your cause, and when – there are no wrong choices, but your crew’s composition will determine how you traverse the islands, your unique experience through the narrative campaign, and what abilities you have at your disposal at any given time.
*   Each of your eight shipmates is an individual armed with their own unique supernatural powers and mildly unhinged personalities – use these to your advantage in clever and creative ways to overcome obstacles and enemies. Will you bring Gaëlle and her magical cannon to launch friends over walls and chasms, or will you rely on Mr. Mercury’s ability to bypass obstacles from below? Or perhaps von Presswald can simply possess an enemy guard, use him to unlock the gates, and stand idly by as the rest of your motley crew walks in? Use these and other abilities individually and in tandem, timing their executions to orchestrate intricate maneuvers and attacks against overwhelming odds.
*   Mix and match your crew's abilities to find your preferred playstyle among the countless synergies that you can deploy against the Inquisition. Each person’s skills are tailored to specific archetypes built around manipulating movement, operating behind enemy lines, hiding the bodies of dispatched enemies, or being particularly capable killers. Missions will limit how many crew members you can take with you, so choose your comrades wisely based on their abilities and limitations.
The forces of the Inquisition are numerous and well-armed, easily able to overwhelm your crew in a fair fight – make use of cover, darkness, and magic to neutralize your opponents without being seen as you traverse the many islands to accomplish your objectives.
*   Missions span across entire islands in the Lost Caribbean, and not only can you choose the order in which you tackle those missions, but you’ll also have the choice of where to arrive ashore and depart once the deed is done. Will you prioritize safety, targeting less patrolled areas that may be more distant from your objectives? Or will you seek to make haste, arriving at and leaving from more heavily guarded parts of the island to be closer to your objective from start to finish?
*   The various types of enemies have different strengths and weaknesses, each warranting varied strategies – what may easily distract or defeat one foe may have no effect on another adversary. From the lowly footman to the snipers hiding on high all the way to the magically linked pairs of enemies who must be killed in tandem, your foe will always seek new ways to thwart you, pushing you towards inventive new solutions.
*   Keep an eye on your enemies’ movements and lines of sight as you navigate the light and shadow, and make sure no-one is watching when you make that killing blow. Your crew’s abilities can complement your surroundings, as well as open up new strategies not otherwise available. Nowhere to hide? Suledie’s magic can create cover anywhere, allowing you to get even closer for the kill, or sneak past any watchful eyes undetected. Particularly attentive guards watching a path from above? Gaëlle’s cannon can launch friends (and foes) to land onto them, knocking them out at the same time.
Your ship will be your home between missions – a place where you can engage in your crew mates’ personal stories and side-quests, and perhaps more importantly, where you can make your plans to stay a step ahead of the Inquisition.
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew takes a non-linear approach to storytelling – you can unlock new crew members in whatever order you please, and more islands get revealed as you make progress, each harboring multiple missions featuring different rewards beyond simple victory over your enemy.
There is no one designated path forward – missions always have multiple approaches available based on the team you’ve brought with you, but with such freedom of choice, there are many factors to consider. Will you temporarily avoid a more challenging mission to chase after a simpler one and gain more experience first? This may allow you to upgrade your crew’s abilities to more powerful versions that open up new paths. Or perhaps an entirely different, not-yet-unlocked crew member would be useful instead?
The Inquisition must be stopped at all costs – assemble your crew, learn their powers, and take the fight to the enemy, one island at a time. The fate of your world, and the lives of your comrades, is at stake.

Release date: 17 Aug, 2023

Categories: Real-time Strategy, Stealth Gameplay, Strategic Combat, Single-player Story, Character Progression, Unit Management, Exploration, Endgame Content


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Highly enjoyable and fun gameplay (weight 1): Players consistently praise the game for its high entertainment value, engaging gameplay, and overall fun experience. Many found it immersive and enjoyable, even those new to the genre.
- Diverse and unique characters (weight 0.37): The game features a diverse and charismatic cast of characters, each with unique, well-designed, and fun abilities. This variety encourages experimentation and offers multiple strategic approaches to missions.
- Mimimi Games' genre masterpiece (weight 0.33): Many reviewers consider this game Mimimi Games' magnum opus, praising the studio for revitalizing and perfecting the real-time tactics (RTT) genre. It's seen as a culmination of their work and a fitting farewell.
- Improved graphics and polish (weight 0.31): The game features significant improvements in graphics, visual style, and overall polish compared to its predecessors. Players appreciate the enhanced visuals, smooth animations, and refined controls.
- High mission freedom and replayability (weight 0.18): The game offers significant player freedom in mission approach, including choosing crew members, entry points, and diverse strategies. Levels are well-designed, providing multiple paths and high replayability.
- Evolution of genre mechanics (weight 0.13): The game builds upon and refines the successful mechanics of previous Mimimi titles like Shadow Tactics and Desperados 3. It is seen as a natural evolution and improvement within the Commandos-like genre.
- Engaging and well-written story (weight 0.11): The game's story is generally well-received, described as entertaining, engaging, and well-written. Character backstories and dialogues contribute to an enjoyable narrative experience.
- Excellent voice acting (weight 0.08): The voice acting is consistently praised for its high quality, bringing personality and humor to the characters and enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- Innovative save/load integration (weight 0.07): The game cleverly integrates the quick save/load mechanic into its lore and story, making it a unique and immersive feature that enhances gameplay and narrative.
- Rich content for completionists (weight 0.05): The game offers extensive content for completionists, with numerous optional challenges, badges, and achievements that encourage replaying levels with different characters and strategies.

Common complaints:
- Weak Story & Unengaging Characters (weight 0.67): Many players found the story, characters, and dialogue to be bland, unengaging, or even childish. This lack of compelling narrative and character development significantly hinders immersion and motivation to progress through the game.
- Repetitive Map Design (weight 0.54): Players frequently report that the game's limited number of maps, combined with their extensive reuse across various missions, leads to significant repetition and boredom. This design choice makes the gameplay feel tedious and uninspired, especially in the mid-to-late game.
- Low Difficulty & Shallow Gameplay (weight 0.45): A pervasive sentiment is that the game is too easy, even on higher difficulties, and lacks strategic depth compared to its predecessors. This reduced challenge diminishes the sense of accomplishment and makes the gameplay less engaging for veteran players of the genre.
- Frequent Bugs & Crashes (weight 0.32): Several players reported encountering critical bugs, including frequent crashes, freezing, and save file corruption. These technical issues severely disrupt the gameplay experience and can lead to significant frustration and loss of progress.
- Tedious Mission Structure (weight 0.27): The structure of missions, particularly side quests and 'Crew Tales,' is criticized for being repetitive, tedious, and feeling like filler. The requirement to revisit the same islands for different objectives, often with minimal changes, contributes to a sense of chore-like progression.
- Inferior to Previous Titles (weight 0.24): A significant portion of the feedback indicates that the game is a considerable step down in quality, challenge, and overall enjoyment compared to the developer's previous titles, such as Desperados III and Shadow Tactics. This comparison often highlights specific regressions in level design, story, and atmosphere.
- Overpowered Character Abilities (weight 0.08): Players noted that many character abilities are overpowered, leading to unbalanced gameplay where certain combinations make levels mindlessly easy. This reduces the need for strategic thinking and makes much of the character roster feel redundant.
- Limited Interactivity & Content (weight 0.08): The game is perceived to have fewer interactive environmental elements and less enemy variety compared to previous titles. This, combined with a limited RPG system and fewer cutscenes, contributes to a feeling of reduced content richness and polish.
- Free Character Selection Harms Design (weight 0.06): The freedom to choose any character for any mission, while seemingly positive, is seen as detrimental to level design. It prevents the creation of intricate, character-specific puzzles, leading to more generic challenges and reducing the unique utility of each character.
- Clunky Controls & UI (weight 0.06): The game's controls, particularly the 'hold to interact' mechanic and camera controls, are frequently described as clunky, finicky, and frustrating. This poor control scheme detracts from the overall playability and can make basic interactions a chore.
- Grindy Achievement System (weight 0.05): The achievement and badge system is criticized for requiring excessive grinding, especially for the 85% completion achievement. The hidden nature of badges and the inability to immediately replay missions for conditions further exacerbate this issue, making endgame progression feel like a chore.

Gameplay feedback:
- Extensive Character Roster & Choice (weight 0.32): The game features a large and diverse cast of playable characters, including DLC and unlockable ones. Players have significant freedom to choose their crew for most missions, which impacts strategy and replayability. Each character also has unique personal missions and story arcs.
- Unique Character Abilities & Synergies (weight 0.22): Characters possess unique and imaginative abilities, often with a fantasy or supernatural twist, allowing for diverse tactical approaches and strong synergies between team members. While some characters may feel less impactful at times, the overall design encourages creative problem-solving.
- Focused Missions on Reused Maps (weight 0.22): Missions are often shorter and utilize specific sections of larger island maps. While there are fewer unique maps overall, the game reuses them by offering different starting points, objectives, and day/night variations, aiming to provide variety despite map repetition.
- RTT Stealth Gameplay with Fantasy (weight 0.21): The game is a real-time tactics (RTT) stealth game, similar to Commandos and Desperados, but set in a fantasy pirate world. It emphasizes strategic planning, stealth, and the use of character abilities to overcome challenges. The difficulty is generally considered more accessible than previous titles from the same studio.
- Narrative-Integrated Save System (weight 0.12): The game cleverly integrates its quicksave/quickload mechanic into the narrative, making it a diegetic part of the story. This system encourages trial and error, allowing players to experiment with different strategies without significant penalty and enhancing replayability.
- Extensive Post-Game Challenges (weight 0.11): The game offers substantial post-game content, primarily through numerous hidden badges and challenges that unlock after completing the main story. Achieving a high completion percentage (e.g., 85%) can take many hours and often unlocks additional content like a secret character.
- Robust Tactical Pause & Stealth Tools (weight 0.08): Key gameplay mechanics include a robust real-time with pause system for tactical planning and simultaneous actions. Players utilize various abilities for stealth, distraction, elimination, and body disposal, with options for both lethal and non-lethal approaches.
- Adjustable Difficulty & Smooth Pace (weight 0.05): The game offers adjustable difficulty settings, from casual to hardcore, and its design encourages a calm, meditative pace through trial and error. While some find it too easy, others appreciate the smooth and addictive gameplay experience.

Performance notes:
- Performance degrades over time (weight 0.09): Despite generally good performance, several players experience significant FPS drops over time, sometimes to as low as 10 FPS, requiring a game restart. There are also reports of high PC temperatures, suggesting potential resource duplication or poor optimization that leads to system strain.
- Minimal bugs and crashes (weight 0.08): The game is largely stable with very few bugs reported. Most issues are minor visual glitches that can be resolved by restarting, and crashes are rare, occurring after long play sessions.
- Inconsistent loading times (weight 0.02): While some players praise fast save/load times, others report long loading screens and instances where the game gets stuck during loading, indicating inconsistency in this area.
- High Steam Deck battery drain (weight 0.01): Players note that the game drains the Steam Deck battery relatively quickly, with an approximate battery life of 2.5 hours per session, requiring frequent recharging.
- Core mechanics function well (weight 0.01): Despite some technical hiccups, the core game mechanics are reported to function well, providing a solid gameplay foundation.
- Sound desynchronization issues (weight 0.01): A specific technical issue reported is the frequent desynchronization of sound files, which can detract from the audio experience.
- Specific crash trigger identified (weight 0.01): A specific crash trigger has been identified: repeatedly killing and knocking down Spirit Guards can lead to the game crashing.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.43): The game is highly recommended by a large number of players, especially for fans of the real-time tactics (RTT) and stealth genres. Many consider it a must-play and a worthwhile purchase, even at full price, praising its engaging gameplay and overall quality.
- Compares to Mimimi & Commandos (weight 0.18): Players frequently compare this game to other titles from Mimimi Games (Shadow Tactics, Desperados 3) and the Commandos series. While some suggest playing previous Mimimi games first, many recommend it to fans of those titles, highlighting its appeal within the established real-time tactics genre.
- Compared to Previous Titles (weight 0.13): There's a mixed sentiment regarding how Shadow Gambit stacks up against Mimimi's previous hits, particularly Desperados 3 and Shadow Tactics. Some reviewers feel it's not as strong in story or character development, suggesting those games as better starting points, while others still find Shadow Gambit a quality adventure.
- Support RTT Genre (weight 0.03): Many players express a strong desire for the real-time tactics (RTT) genre to continue thriving, especially given Mimimi Games' closure. They recommend the game to support the genre and hope other studios will carry on its legacy.
- Mimimi's Final Game (weight 0.02): The game is frequently referred to as a 'swan song' or 'final voyage' for Mimimi Games, acknowledging its significance as the studio's last title. Players often recommend it as a fitting conclusion to their legacy.
- DLC Purchase Advice (weight 0.01): Players have differing opinions on purchasing the DLCs. Some recommend buying them alongside the base game for a complete experience, while others suggest waiting until the main story is completed to avoid burnout before investing in additional content.
- Focus on Main Story (weight 0.01): Some players recommend focusing solely on the main story, implying that additional content or repetitive elements might lead to burnout. This suggests that the core narrative experience is the most consistently enjoyable part for some.
- Previous Titles Preferred (weight 0.01): While generally positive, some players feel that Mimimi's previous titles offered a superior experience in terms of story and gameplay. This indicates a slight preference for earlier works despite the current game's quality.
- Try the Demo (weight 0.01): For players who are uncertain about purchasing the game or are new to the genre, trying the free demo is a common recommendation. This allows potential buyers to experience the gameplay firsthand before committing to a purchase.

Other player notes:
- Mimimi Games' Closure Lamented (weight 0.4): Players are deeply saddened by the closure of Mimimi Games, the studio behind this title. Many express regret that this is their final game and hope for a future revival of the studio or its unique game style.
- Weakest Mimimi Game (weight 0.13): While still considered a good game, many players feel this title is the weakest in Mimimi's portfolio, especially compared to their previous works. Some point to the pirate theme and narrative as less engaging.
- Consistent High-Quality Developer (weight 0.12): Mimimi Games is highly praised for consistently delivering high-quality Real-Time Tactics games, particularly 'Shadow Tactics' and 'Desperados III'. Players recommend this game to fans of their previous titles.
- Niche RTT Genre (weight 0.1): The Real-Time Tactics (RTT) genre, which Mimimi Games specialized in, is recognized as niche. Players acknowledge its unique appeal but also its limited commercial success and potential for innovation.
- Significant Playtime Offered (weight 0.08): The game offers substantial playtime, with the main story taking around 40 hours and full achievement completion extending to 60-70 hours or more. Players found it engaging enough to invest significant time.
- Strong Character Cast (weight 0.08): The game features a strong cast of unique and memorable characters, particularly the ghost pirate crew. Players appreciate their distinct personalities, backstories, and the engaging 'Crew Tales'.
- Excellent Voice Acting (weight 0.04): The game's voice acting, especially in German and English, is highly praised for its quality and for bringing the characters to life. The overall audio design, including music, is also well-regarded.
- Excellent Thematic Music (weight 0.03): The game's soundtrack is consistently praised for being excellent, fitting the pirate theme, and enhancing player immersion. It effectively complements the game's unique fantasy pirate setting.
- Unique Ghost Pirate Setting (weight 0.03): The game's unique setting, featuring ghost pirates and a talking ghost ship, is a standout element. This supernatural twist on the traditional pirate theme adds originality and depth to the narrative.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.29): Players expressed satisfaction due to the game's high overall quality, including its engaging gameplay mechanics, diverse and well-designed characters with unique abilities, and appealing graphics and voice acting. The game's strategic depth, replayability, and successful blend of stealth and real-time tactics elements also contributed to a positive experience, often exceeding expectations for both genre newcomers and veterans.
- Disappointment (weight 0.15): Disappointment stemmed primarily from the game's perceived simplification of gameplay and reduced challenge compared to previous titles in the genre. Repetitive map design, unengaging story, and a lack of innovation also contributed to a feeling of an underwhelming experience for many players.
- Frustration (weight 0.1): Frustration was frequently caused by repetitive map usage, which made the gameplay feel tedious and artificially lengthened. Technical issues such as game-breaking bugs, crashes, and wonky controls, along with excessive and often dull dialogue, also significantly hindered player enjoyment and progress.
- Sadness (weight 0.09): The overwhelming cause of sadness was the news of Mimimi Studios closing down, as this game was their final release. Players expressed sorrow over the loss of a beloved developer and the potential end of high-quality real-time tactics games in the future.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Players felt excitement due to the game's engaging and strategic gameplay, diverse character abilities, and the overall high quality of the experience. The innovative mechanics, replayability, and the game's ability to exceed expectations also contributed to a sense of thrill and anticipation.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment was derived from the game's fun gameplay mechanics, engaging characters with unique skills, and well-crafted story and atmosphere. The strategic depth, replayability, and the game's accessibility for various player types also contributed to a positive and entertaining experience.
- Joy (weight 0.04): Joy was primarily caused by the game's fun and intricate stealth puzzles, engaging characters, and overall high quality. The humor, captivating quests, and the ability to create chaos within the game also contributed to a delightful experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration was directed towards Mimimi Studios for their mastery of the real-time tactics genre, the game's high quality, and its innovative design. Players praised the developers' skill in crafting engaging gameplay, creative characters, and a polished overall experience, especially as a final testament to their legacy.
- Boredom (weight 0.04): Boredom was a common sentiment due to the game's repetitive map reuse and mission structures, particularly in later stages. The lack of strategic depth, unengaging story, and tedious side content also contributed to players losing interest.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players expressed appreciation for Mimimi Studios' consistent high standards in real-time tactics games and their significant contribution to the genre. The game's quality as a 'swan song' and its innovative design were particularly valued.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope was primarily associated with the desire for the continuation of the real-time tactics genre and the potential for similar high-quality games in the future, despite Mimimi Studios' closure. Players also expressed hope for future projects from the talented developers.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret was felt due to the game being Mimimi Studios' last work and the perceived low popularity of the real-time tactics genre, leading to the studio's closure. Players lamented the loss of a unique and beloved developer.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance stemmed from repetitive maps, a jarring art style, and frequent, often cringeworthy, dialogue and cutscenes. Minor bugs and issues with inter-mission activities also contributed to player irritation.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia was triggered by the game's ability to evoke childhood gaming feelings and its strong resemblance to classic real-time tactics titles like Commandos. Character designs reminiscent of other beloved games also contributed to this sentiment.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players experienced surprise from unexpectedly enjoying a new genre, the game's high quality exceeding their expectations, and the innovative depth of its content. The performance fixes and the transfer of demo progress also contributed to positive surprises.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger was caused by perceived attempts to exploit fans with lower quality work, repetitive and overly difficult late-game content, and critical bugs such as save file wipes. The game's price drop after purchase also fueled frustration.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game was driven by personal preference for the pirate theme and the real-time tactics genre, combined with the game's high quality, polish, and engaging mechanics. The overall aesthetic and colors also contributed to this strong positive emotion.
- Gratitude (weight 0): Gratitude was expressed towards Mimimi Games for their work, their contribution to the real-time tactics genre, and their continued creativity. Players appreciated the high quality of the game and the developers' dedication.
- Confusion (weight 0): Confusion arose from perceived inconsistencies, such as criticism of repetition despite high ratings, and misunderstandings about the game's genre. Some players were also confused by the story presentation and certain ability usages.
- Dislike (weight 0): Dislike was primarily directed at specific design choices, including character design, the art style, and the game's color palette. Some players also expressed a general aversion to the puzzle game genre.}