Heads Up Gamers: Civilization VI Expansions Packs are Free

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Aspyr is giving gamers a fantastic deal for the holidays. The Civilization VI expansion packs will be free for the rest of December. There will only be a free pack every 48 hours though. This is only for the iOS app. Here’s the schedule:

  • Dec. 20-22: Poland Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
  • Dec. 22-24: Vikings Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
  • Dec. 24-26: Australia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
  • Dec. 26-28: Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$8.99)
  • Dec. 28-30: Nubia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$4.99)
  • Dec. 30 – Jan. 1: Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack (usually US$8.99)

Gone Home Game Will Launch on iOS on December 11 (Update)

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The Gone Home game, the BAFTA award-winning first-person adventure exploration game from the Fullbright Company launches today, allowing even more players to experience the groundbreaking title. Published by Annapurna Interactive, the game retails for US$4.99 in the App Store. Gone Home previously launched on Nintendo Switch earlier this year in celebration of its 5th Anniversary, and is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux and PC. Critically acclaimed for its compelling narrative, Gone Home invites players to interrogate every detail of a seemingly normal house to discover the story of the people who live there, revealing the events of one family’s lives by investigating all they’ve left behind. App Store: US$4.99

App Sale: The Ocmo Game is Currently Free

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Ocmo is an award winning ninja rope platformer that challenges even hardcore gamers. Fluid movement, physics based gameplay and tight controls create unique sense of freedom and flow. Survive the 80 dangerous levels including secrets and boss fights. Set new records and share speedrunning videos. Swing with tentacles through the levels using momentum to your advantage. Eat rabbits and discover the world. You are the monster of the forest. Features: Lots of dying, ragdoll rabbits, physics-based eating, unique and precise controls, hard to master, well crafted and diverse level design, loads of depth, designed for speedrunning, online leaderboards, beautiful world with a small but dark story to discover, and more. App Store: Ocmo – Free (usually US$4.99)

App Sale: The Ocmo Game is Currently Free

Pixel Starships for the Mac

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Whilst procrastinating and surfing through the app store on my MacBook Pro I came across a new game Pixel Starships made by Savvy Soda. Unable to resist anything that is a) space b) pixellated and silly, I immediately downloaded. The premise is simple. You are the captain of a starship and you must conduct missions, earning rewards and building your ship and crew as you go. Pixel Starships is fun, silly and totally addictive. If you spent hours playing Clash of Clans or similar on your phone, you will enjoy this. Available in the Mac App Store for free (with in-app-purchases).

Pixel Starships for the Mac

Grab Turn-Based Sci-Fi Strategy Game 'Xenonauts' Free at GOG

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The folks over at GOG have just launched their “SummerGaming Sale” and they’re kicking things off by giving away a free copy of Xenonauts, a turn-based strategy game inspired by the classic X-COM series. The free download includes versions for macOS, Windows, and Linux and, like all GOG-distributed games, is DRM-free. The GOG sale is on until June 18th, but the free Xenonauts offer is only good for the next 48 hours.

Grab Turn-Based Sci-Fi Strategy Game ‘Xenonauts’ Free at GOG

Australia Expansion Comes to Civilization VI on iPad

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Aspyr is bringing even the expansion packs to Civilization VI on the iPad. This week the company announced the Australia Civilization & Scenario DLC pack was available on iPad as an in-app purchase, joining Multiplayer, Vikings, and the Poland packs already out. I liked the Aussie pack, though I didn’t beat the Australia scenario. That scenario is economics only, involving growth and exploration. In multiplayer matches, Australia gets a bonus production rate at the beginning any defensive war, coastal cities get Housing bonuses, and Pastures can trigger a culture bomb that steals tiles from other civilizations. The unique unit is a Digger, which replaces Infantry, and its unique building is an Outback station Workers can produce. I enjoy the economic aspects of Civ VI, and the Aussie pack is a lot of fun. The right strategy can use their strengths to dominate the battlefield, too. All of the Civ VI expansions are $4.99 on iPad. The full game is $59.99, but it’s half price until May 17th. If you’re interested in Civ VI on iPad, get it before then!

Australia Expansion Comes to Civilization VI on iPad

Civilization VI: Rise & Fall Expansion Adds Golden Ages, Dark Ages, Loyalty, More

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Aspyr has released the Rise & Fall expansion for Civilization VI on Mac and Linux. It’s a substantial expansion and refinement of the game including Golden Ages (along with Dark Ages), city Loyalty, Emergency Situations, and a lot more. There are also Historic Moments (a sort of visual history of your Civilization that ties into Golden and Dark Ages), as well as new leaders and civilizations. I’ve been playing Poundmaker of the Cree, a First Nations tribe in what is now Canada. Plus, new Wonders, including new units you only get a Wonder, and plenty of interface enhancements. For instance, there is now an animated element showing Religious pressure, and for the new Loyalty system. In the image below, two NPC declared an Emergency Situation against me after I took a capital. Against capable opponents it adds a time-pressure element to the game. There’s definitely a lot going on in this update. Civilization VI: Rise & Fall is $29.99 through Steam and as an in-app purchase in the Mac App Store. You’ll have to update Civ VI from the Mac App Store to see the in-app purchase.

Civilization VI: Rise & Fall Expansion Adds Golden Ages, Dark Ages, Loyalty, More

OneCast Lets You Stream Xbox One Games to Your Mac

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Check out OneCast, a service that lets you stream Xbox One games to your Mac. According to The Verge, OneCast’s engineers reverse engineered the protocol Microsoft is using to allow Xbox One games to be streamed to PCs. Which means it’s not an official Microsoft app, and you might want to think about that before paying the introductory price of $9.99 (there’s a 14-day free trial, too). Streaming games—in this context—means you’re running the game on your Xbox One, but using your Mac as the display with an Xbox One controller. It’s aimed at players who want to play their games remotely, or maybe don’t have access to their TV due to competition in the house. Microsoft offers this service to Windows users, but OneCast is making it available to Mac users. The consensus seems to be that it works, with some glitches, but that hyper-competitive twitch games may leave you with a disadvantage. I’d certainly try it before buying it.

OneCast Lets You Stream Xbox One Games to Your Mac

Feral Interactive Bringing Rise of the Tomb Raider to Mac, Will Include All Downloadable Content

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Feral Interactive is bringing Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration to the Mac and Linux. Players will become Lara Croft, as she “seeks the lost city of Kitezh to recover the Divine Source, an ancient artifact with the power to grant immortality.” Like other titles in the franchise, players solve puzzles, avoid traps, and generally adventure through gorgeous maps. This game is being bundled with all the original downloadable content , including add-on adventures, different player modes, additional outfits for Lara Croft, and Expedition Cards. Pricing and availability haven’t been released, but Feral’s announcements tend to presage release by a few months. Screenshots for the game look amazing, as does the trailer, below.

Feral Interactive Bringing Rise of the Tomb Raider to Mac, Will Include All Downloadable Content

Civilization VI Comes to iPad, For Real!

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Aspyr Media released Thursday Sid Meier’s Civilization VI on iPad, the first game from this great franchise to come to iOS. Aspyr said the interface has been reworked for Touch, and it otherwise looks like Civilization VI. Which is awesome for gaming fun and miserable for my time management. I mean, utterly miserable. I do loves me some Civ action! The game is priced at $59.99, a hefty price that tests new waters for bringing premium games to iOS. But, it’s being released with an introductory price of $29.99, half off. This is the base Civilization VI game without any of the expansions for the desktop game. It’s a free (3.1GB) download that lets you play your first 60 moves for free. After that, you have to make an in-app purchase to buy the full game. Aspyr said the game is playable on iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, or any iPad Pro—the requirements listed in the App Store’s requirements pulldown are more expansive, but I’d stick with the models specified in the description.