The fifth most likely way that the apocalypse will actually end for you.

Sharing time: I come from a place where a sizable chunk of the population is actively preparing for disaster. Most of the time this manifests as food storage and 24-hour kits, but sometimes the impulse leads to arsenals and air raid shelters. It’s safe to say that I’ve become familiar with the idea of an apocalypse, so I pretty much know what I’m talking about when I tell you that when it goes down, you do too.

If you live in a city, you’re dead. Near a city? Dead. In the proximity of a highway? Take a guess. In fact, despite your location, extensive preparations, probable sticktoitiveness, sunny outlook, and rah-rah attitude, you’ll probably starve. Or contract cholera, at which point starvation starts to sound like spring break.

So it’s nice to see a game like NEO Scavenger from Blue Bottle Games. Most apocalyptic games present worlds that are dangerous but ultimately surmountable. NEO Scavenger tries something else: this is a world that’s out to get you. And it probably will.

Read the rest of this entry →