Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Master from developer Goblinz Studio is closing in on the final release, with a fresh big update out now for this mix of dungeon management and turn-based battles.

It actually reminds me a little of the card game BossMonster (which is great by the way). With you in charge of the dungeon and tasked with protecting it from pesky heroes trying to get all your treasure. You need to setup room after room of traps and in Legend of Keepers you're also dealing with your own creatures that you place in defence. Hits the mark quite well and is quite unique.

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What's new in the latest release? Highlights include:

New game modes : Ascension and Endless ! Play with a default team or create your own with the team editor! Available for Supporter Pack owners only until full release.
New Archivist section : keep track of the Artefacts available in the game and how to unlock more of them!
New monster : the Futakuchi-onna!
New Artefacts to discover and play with!
New Steam Achievements !

Legend of Keepers has been in Early Access now for close to a year, and the next update will bring it to the full release so if you've been waiting for it to be finished you might want to keep a closer eye on it.

You can pick it up on Humble Store , GOG and Steam .

For The King: Lost Civilization Adventure Pack is the first ever expansion to For The King, a challenging blend of Strategy, JRPG styled combat, and roguelike elements.

Released originally back in 2018, For The King is actually really good and its certainly a game that deserved to have a whole lot more content to play through. Popular too, as they confirmed they've now seen over 3 million players (although that is across all platforms).

"This hard-as-nails fantasy experience melds challenging turn-based combat, deep roleplaying game progression and procedurally generated maps, quests and events to ensure no playthrough is the same. This potent gameplay mix is matched with a captivating artstyle and options for players to tackle the campaign on their own or in co-op with friends."

This Lost Civilization Adventure Pack gives you a brand new Jungle Falls zone, two new playable character classes and lots more. Check out the trailer below:

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What to expect from it:

• Explore the lost Jungle Falls Realm - A lush jungle forest beckons adventurers to explore its dense wood, but what dangers lurk under its thick mysterious canopy?
• Two New Playable Characters - Go on the offensive with the glory-seeking Gladiator or harness dark energy from the heavens with the wise Astronomer!
• Spectacular Arena Battles - For Glory! Defeat waves of enemies before a cheering crowd in the new gladiator arenas.
• New Weapons - Throw caution to the wind with devastating dual-wield weapons or gamble on the destructive power of the versatile wands.
• New Enemies and Loot - More than 90 new items closely guarded by over 50 new enemies. From giant snakes to petrifying golems, the rewards are great but the stakes are even higher.

You can pick up a copy from Humble Store or Steam , the Linux version is not on GOG .

A big feature players have been asking for a long time is now live in the Factorio 1.1 update, and it should run smoother than ever with big factories.

Blueprint flipping is the big headline feature here, allowing you to pretty much copy and paste creations while also now flipping them around. They repeatedly said no on it but then they wanted it and so they hooked it up in a way that only allows it for blueprints that can flip properly (preventing giving you a bunch of broken creations).

Seems to work okay too:

Lots more than just that arrived with Factorio 1.1 including:

• Spider waypoints and the ability to set spiders to to follow other things. Making controlling the big spider mechs a huge amount easier.
• Smart belt building to lock quick building into a direction, and automatic underground belt traversal. Building belts nicely has never been easier looking at it.
• Multithreaded belts to help boost performance. This will be especially noticeable in the later game stage.
• New Train Overview GUI.
• Much faster saved games.

That's just the basic gist of it, you can see the full details of the 1.1 update here .

Factorio is an absolutely incredible game and I imagine most people who've put a few hours into it will agree. Looking at Steam, it's hit over 87,000 user reviews now and still remains on an Overwhelmingly Positive rating. That's pretty amazing and so hopefully they can keep on expanding it for years.

You can buy a copy of Factorio from Humble Store , GOG and Steam .

As Far As The Eye is a strategy game that has you build a city, while also making you constantly move on before the world becomes submerged. It's tough and it's now available on Linux.

Developed by Unexpected with publishing from Goblinz Studio, Maple Whispering Limited it brings together city building, procedural generation and a whole lot of planning ahead. With limited resources and time against you, there's a constant need to prepare for the worst. This is no Civilization game and certainly not Cities Skylines either, this is a whole new breed. Originally released in September 2020, as of January 26 2021 it now supports Linux.

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It's definitely among the more interesting build and gather strategy games thanks to both the unique gameplay loop and the absolutely charming visual style to it. Seriously, As Far As The Eye is really quite beautifully designed graphically. The UI is a bit difficult to manage at times but the overall artwork is fantastic.

What's also interesting about As Far As The Eye is that you also have no enemies to fight here, it's you and your tribe against the might of nature itself and the looping huge storm that seems to keep happening so you're trying to get to the Eye which appears to be the only safe haven.

Feature Highlight:

• Plan the best path for your tribe to take in order to go as far as the Eye.
• Explore, analyze and search places of interest for long lost treasures on a procedurally generated journey.
• Harvest, build, stock and leave your halt before the wave engulfs your tribe.
• Improve your pupils through the job system, your buildings through the improvement system and your whole tribe through Tribe's Knowledge.
• Survive dire conditions and protect the Pupils against random events.
• Meet allies, negotiate for resources, recruit new Pupils and more!
• Make offerings in Sacred Sites or plunder them, but never forget you'll have to bear the consequences of your actions .

• Live a peaceful adventure as there are no enemies in As Far As The Eye
• Relive a new adventure each time thanks to our Roguelike tribe system

You can buy As Far As The Eye from GOG , Humble Store and Steam .

Joining the list of DLC available for Civilization VI as part of the New Frontier Pass is the Vietnam & Kublai Khan Pack that's now available with a big game update. Available to buy individually like the rest of the packs, or buy the New Frontier Pass to get access to all of them.

In addition to the new civilization and leaders details below, there's also the big new "Monopolies and Corporations" game mode. The whole idea here is to create industry around luxury resources to get powerful buffs, and eventually turn them into a full corporation to create products. If you manage to dominate a luxury resource you get a monopoly, which then gives addition tourism and gold. The idea of the mode is to give a little more fun and depth to the resources.

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As for Kublai Khan, here's their details:

• Leader Unique Ability: Kublai Khan’s unique ability, “Gerege,” provides one extra Economic policy slot in any government. It also grants a random Eureka and Inspiration when establishing a Trading Post in another civilization’s city for the first time.
• As a leader of China, Kublai Khan’s science boosts are even more powerful, and his extra policy slot empowers economic strategies. As a leader of Mongolia, Kublai Khan leverages trade routes for military might.

Up next is a major free update for everyone which is due out likely during February, and then the final DLC as part of the New Frontier Pass in March. After that? Not a clue, perhaps a whole new game?

You can buy Civilization VI with Linux support from Humble Store and Steam .

Perhaps your prisoners in Prison Architect fancy growing something to pass the time? Give them the gift of green in Prison Architect - Going Green and The Glasshouse free update out now.

Most prison tend to a look a bit…depressing. Grey, lots of walls and just terrible. Now though you can give them a splash of colour and of course all this growing comes with its own type of contraband because no prison can apparently be without some kind of special herbs. Here's the list of what's new in the Going Green DLC

• Fruits of Labor: Farming introduces a new type of Prison Labor, allowing prisons to grow potatoes, wheat, apples, and more. Produce can be exported or used as ingredients for inmate meals.
• Room to Grow: Three outdoor rooms facilitate farming: Fruit Orchard, Farm Field and Vegetable Allotment. But that’s not all, players can recruit staff Farm Workers, build a Pantry to store produce, and construct a Shed to house farming-related items.
• Best Buds: Inmates who enjoy nature’s beauty can grow flowers and other plants recreationally. Gardening affects inmates and gives them a positive recreation activity.
• Trouble is Brewing: With new crops comes new contraband. Prisoners can now secretly grow herbs in the fields and swipe kitchen ingredients to brew Booze. Fields can also become Gang Turf, so keep your guards on alert!
• A Greener New Deal: Prisons get an eco-friendly makeover with Solar, Wind, and Solar/Wind Hybrid power sources. Excess power created by these sustainable methods can be sold back to the grid using the Power Export Meter.

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Meanwhile there's also The Glasshouse free update that everyone who owns the base game sees. Here's the highlights of what's free for you all:

• New Recycling System
  • Includes new Recycling Bin object

• New Quick Rooms
  • Yard, Grove, and hedge maze

• 2 New dog types
  • Shepherd
  • Bowtie Bandit

• Community improvement: dump/demolish
• Community improvement: Objects Menu Sorting Methods
• Staff alerts
• Job Menu optimization

According to their Twitter team, it should also be having a Free Weekend on Steam so you can try before you buy all weekend long. It's not live yet though it seems as of time of writing but expect it soon.

You can buy Prison Architect from GOG , Humble Store and Steam .

Wasteland 3 from inXile Entertainment has a big new free update out with the Robots & Rangers" patch, and it's looking to be a good one for all players.

"In Wasteland 3 you take command of a squad of Desert Rangers, lawmen and women in a post-nuclear world, trying to rebuild society from the ashes. More than a century after the bombs fell, you’re fighting a losing battle to keep your beloved Arizona alive. Then the self-proclaimed Patriarch of Colorado radios, promising aid if you'll do a job he can only entrust to an outsider—rescue his land from the ambitions of his three bloodthirsty children."

Originally released in August 2020, the Linux version came just before the year was up in December and since then they've clearly been busy on fixing up bugs and expanding the game elsewhere. Here's what's new in 1.3.0 "Robots & Rangers":

• New difficulty mode: Tourist - Tourist mode is easier than Rookie, letting you enjoy Wasteland 3’s story, with combat difficulty taking a back seat.
• New cosmetics! New Hair, Beards, and Pants have been added to character creation.
• The Handmade Wizard and Knight costumes will let you roleplay all your Robots & Rangers fantasies. Once players in have completed the quest 'Cornered Rats' they will find that a lootable crate has been delivered to Ranger HQ, outside of the base structure, near the transition waypoint that leads to Downtown Colorado Springs. Equip the costumes at the wardrobe in Ranger HQ or the clothing shop in Downtown Colorado Springs ... and attack the darkness!
• Intelligence now gives +1 skill point for every point of Intelligence spent, up from +1 every other point. This change applies retroactively to existing save games.
• The Book Learnin’ and Answering Machine achievements are now achievable.
  Note: The missing Book Learnin’ note becomes available after passing a Leadership skill check when first meeting the Patriarch and then speaking to Magistrate Silas Watkins in Downtown Colorado Springs.
  The missing cassette tapes "Kidnappers in Trouble" is in the Gett Family Homestead in a new container. "A Proposal" is in the Machine Commune, just west of Vivisecto.
• More actions are now able to be bound to keyboard and mouse, most notably camera panning. The game will also unmap double-bound keys to prevent input conflicts, and warn you about missing keybinds before you leave the menu.

There is quite a lot of additional bug fixes, a few improved animation and sound effects, a balancing pass, UI updates and the list of smaller details goes on that you can see in full here .

Note: for the Linux version, it's been reported that on AMD GPUs you may need to turn off Ambient Occlusion to prevent graphical glitches. Hopefully that will be solved in either a Wasteland 3 patch or a later Mesa driver update. There is an open bug report that needs more testing for AMD GPUs on the Mesa bug tracker.

You can buy Wasteland 3 from GOG , Steam or the Humble Store .

After being in Early Access since February 2020, SouthPAW Games have now released their head-swapping rogue-lite action platformer Skul: The Hero Slayer.

Taking place in a world where it seems that things are a bit backwards. The heroes appear to be going on a rampage, enslaving other creatures to help with their dirty work and destroy the demons once and for all. Everyone has been taken prisoner, except for you, a little little Skul. With action comparable to the likes of Dead Cells which I adore, and Hollow Knight, this is a rogue-lite you're going to want to keep on playing.

You're no ordinary fighter though, as you can swap your regular boring old skul with another. When you do this, you gain some pretty impressive abilities and there's quite a lot of different skul's to find. This makes it quite unique because it can end up being very different on each run.

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Like a lot of games that work on repetition, it can get a little…repetitive. It all depends on how much you enjoy jumping around platforms, and slicing through every enemy possible while also unleashing some admittedly awesome abilities. At times you feel ridiculously overpowered, others it's like you're an ant and they're just a big shoe waiting to step on you. RNG can be an issue here though, as it can often depend on what skull you can find to help you progress.

The good news is that for all the repetition needed, the combat is absolutely brilliant mechanically. It feels so good! Swapping between heads which gives you an instant ability firing off (great in a pinch), and then unleash some abilities while you wait to be able to switch back. So much fun to the action and it's not bad looking either, some of the pixel-art that went into Skul is really pretty with lots of little details.

I should note that the current build on Linux has an issue of a black screen instead of the main menu, although all it does it get you to click a button to load back into the game which does work so it's not a big problem. I've let the developer know.

Overall though if you're up for a challenge and you love your pixel-art, rogue-lite action-platforming with plenty of character variation with all the skulls then it's an easy recommendation to go and pick up.

You can buy Skul: The Hero Slayer on Humble Store and Steam .

Stellaris from Paradox Development Studios gets a lot right in how it deals with grand space strategy but some parts of it are still being expanded.

Paradox have continued their regular development diaries on Stellaris for the next big upcoming update. Looks like things are again about to get more interesting, especially when it comes to communication and information gathering on other space civilizations.

Spread across three development diaries ( #1 , #2 , #3 ) they go over changes to First Contact, Fog of War, Intelligence Gathering and Espionage systems that will all see a revamp and expansion. I'm excited for all of this, because Stellaris a good story-teller and expanding on that is a great idea to invite more playthroughs.

For First Contact, there's going to be more options to make it a more engaging process with new First Contact Protocols to pick how you deal with such a huge situation that previous Stellaris made pretty normal. The whole system expands from there, with it being a longer process and much more like the dig site system for relics as it goes through stages. Exciting!

Information gathering becomes hugely more important too. The newer Fog of War system will block out more info on other races, making them that little bit more mysterious. Gathering Intel directly is now a bigger part of exploration in Stellaris, as you will need to do it to get much more details on each race. You get an Intel value from 0 to 100 based on lots of things and Intel will be split into different categories including Government, Military, Diplomatic, Economic, Technology. To go along with that, there will be an Intel Report system, allowing you to gain information in a category over time.

Just as exciting is their new Envoys and Spy Networks system coming, allowing you to put spies to work passively gain intelligence needed due to all the other changes. On top of that you can also give them active roles to work in including:

• Subterfuge - Information gathering and operations that improve the spy network itself
• Sabotage - Ruining things (physical or immaterial)
• Manipulation - Replacing the truth with your own improved version
• Provocations - Don't do these, they're bad

Since empire security can now be a bigger problem Paradox are also giving players and AI new technologies to research, like having telepaths walking around reading the minds of everyone around them or tracking implants to ensure increased local security.

All of the changes make Stellaris sound properly interesting again, and a lot more sci-fi. Looking forward to seeing the full announcement on the next update!

You can buy Stellaris on GOG , Humble Store and Steam .