Comments for Matchsticks for my Eyes

Comment on Clippings: Civ VII expansion & major update, Humankind 2, and Paradox post-apocalyptic game by Peter Sahui

Peter Sahui — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:40:19 +0000

In reply to Flat Eric. Thanks, glad you've enjoyed the blog! I love TI despite the long endgame, but if/when I play it again I will definitely use my own mods...

Comment on Clippings: Civ VII expansion & major update, Humankind 2, and Paradox post-apocalyptic game by StrategyHub

StrategyHub — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:47:25 +0000

The Humankind 2 mention caught my attention. It’s interesting to see how many strategy games are now trying to rethink the 4X formula rather than simply adding more content to an established series. I’m especially curious about how Humankind 2 will differentiate itself from Civilization VII once we know more about its actual mechanics.

The Paradox post-apocalyptic project is another one I’ll be keeping an eye on. Paradox has plenty of experience with complex systems, so the setting could work really well if they manage to combine that sandbox approach with a convincing survival and exploration layer.

Comment on Musical Monday: “Adventure” & “Crimson Sky” (Guns of Icarus Online), composed by Zain Effendi & Gimmen Gong by StrategyHub

StrategyHub — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:22:09 +0000

Great soundtrack choice! I remember how much atmosphere music like this could add to strategy and tactical games. I’m also following newer strategy games and their soundtracks on StrategyHub, a Ukrainian gaming blog focused on strategy games, guides, reviews and news: https://strategyhub.com.ua/

“Adventure” and “Crimson Sky” have a really distinctive atmosphere — thanks for sharing these tracks!

Comment on Clippings: Civ VII expansion & major update, Humankind 2, and Paradox post-apocalyptic game by Flat Eric

Flat Eric — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 14:14:11 +0000

I found the endgame grind in Terra Invicta exhausting, to the point that I can’t imagine wanting to play it again. On Earth, despite running essentially the entire planet I still had to fight all the factions as they took the occasional country (I suppose I could just have let them), requiring non-stop activity while waiting for the very slow construction and travel time of my final, alien-bashing fleet. I had researched essentially everything and maxed out my mines etc.

I thought the game concept and most of the execution brilliant but it really needed to deal with that. Maybe I’ll try your mod! But for the moment my only thought is ‘glad I played that but never again’

Ps – thanks for your blog, I’ve enjoyed it for years!

Comment on Announcing the Strategy Game Release Calendar by NYALATOTO

NYALATOTO — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:43:56 +0000

A strategy game release calendar is a useful idea, especially for players who follow multiple developers and publishers. I like the inclusion of Steam data, demo availability, and filters for upcoming releases and DLC.

I’m part of NYALATOTO (https://nyalatoto.site/), a digital gaming information platform based in Indonesia. We enjoy exploring gaming technology and different approaches to discovering digital games.

Thanks for sharing this project!

Comment on Announcing the Strategy Game Release Calendar by Comments Exporter

Comments Exporter — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 13:42:46 +0000

This release calendar solves a real discovery problem for strategy fans who otherwise track separate publisher feeds. I especially like the filters for demos and release stages, because they distinguish something playable now from a distant announcement. The iCal note is also useful and sets expectations about broad release windows. A possible future addition would be a compact change log for dates that move after announcement. For players who enjoy short browser puzzles between longer campaigns, this Car Sort puzzle guide offers a very different kind of planning challenge.

Comment on Balatro: The Joy of Making Numbers Go Up by BalatroCalc

BalatroCalc — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:58:58 +0000

The distinction between a poker game and a planning/scaling game is spot-on. What made Balatro click for me was checking the score path before committing a borderline hand; it shows which trigger is actually carrying the run. Blue seals and hand levels also completely changed how I value a supposedly boring High Card build.

Comment on Suzerain: a narrative game that brings policy & politics to life by Clippings: Terra Invicta’s first expansion, multiple expansions and wargame spin-off for Suzerain - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:53:55 +0000

[…] I loved Suzerain and its first expansion, “Kingdom of Rizia”, and look forward to the new content. […]

Comment on Revisiting Terra Invicta in late 2024 by Clippings / what I’ve been playing: Civ VII: Test of Time, more Terra Invicta & Anno 117, Chinatown Detective Agency, and more - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:23:59 +0000

[…] I resumed my Terra Invicta 1.0 campaign (from back in January), in which, knock on wood, I think I’m finally turning the corner on a vicious, Sisyphean struggle. This is my fault: I am playing the game’s hardest faction, the Academy — idealists who start off hoping to coexist with the aliens, and realise that peace must be negotiated at the point of a gun instead — on Veteran (hard) difficulty. And I am very, very rusty after not having played in nearly 18 months. […]

Comment on Interested in a free advance reader copy of my upcoming fantasy novella: Francois He and the River of Spices? by Clippings: Shadow Empire DLC, upcoming Anno 117 DLC, more releases - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Sat, 30 May 2026 05:10:32 +0000

[…] reader copies of my upcoming fantasy novella will still be available through the end of April: more info here, and signup here if you’re […]

Comment on Observations on Xenonauts by Clippings: Shadow Empire DLC, upcoming Anno 117 DLC, more releases - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:38:39 +0000

[…] 2 is now out of early access. I had originally looked forward to the first game, but it left me with decidedly mixed feelings. I did enjoy the brief time I spent with a Xenonauts 2 preview build provided by the publishers […]

Comment on Clippings: Pokopia, digital board games, what else I’ve been playing by Peter Sahui

Peter Sahui — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:37:37 +0000

In reply to Benjamin Lefkowitz. Thanks, I'll have to look up those games! I'm not familiar with them yet. Edit: Actually, my mistake, I do have the digital version of one of his games: Root. I still need to finish the tutorial, but it looks promising!

Comment on Old World: a pathbreaking historical 4X game by Clippings: Old World DLC, 1990s strategy re-release, roguelite deckbuilders, science fiction - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:18:45 +0000

[…] has crept up on me (30 March!). This is a fully-fledged expansion to what I still consider the best, most original, and most tightly designed historical 4X game there is. It adds three new nations (the Maurya, Yuezhi aka Kushans, and Tamilakam), new religions, […]

Comment on Clippings: Pokopia, digital board games, what else I’ve been playing by Benjamin Lefkowitz

Benjamin Lefkowitz — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:25:27 +0000

Can’t wait to see the fiction! If you’re looking for online board games (boardgamearena? tabletopsim?) I really recommend beyond the sun, and the works of cole werle, if you haven’t yet tried them. my boardgamearena user is brlarl, if you’re ever looking for someone to play with!

Comment on Old World: a pathbreaking historical 4X game by First impressions: Civilization VII - Matchsticks for my Eyes

First impressions: Civilization VII - Matchsticks for my Eyes — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 05:23:17 +0000

[…] back, but in a good, elegant way. Each turn moves at a brisk pace. Playing it side-to-side with Old World is an interesting experience. Even in the early game, Old World feels much grander: it has a bigger […]

Comment on Revisiting Humankind, three years on by Endless Legend 2: Hands-on Preview - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Endless Legend 2: Hands-on Preview - Matchsticks for my Eyes — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:01:24 +0000

[…] See my reflections on Humankind in 2024, years after release. […]

Comment on Suzerain: a narrative game that brings policy & politics to life by This Year in Videogame Blogging: 2024 – Critical Distance

This Year in Videogame Blogging: 2024 – Critical Distance — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 02:26:43 +0000

[…] VII Rebirth and the moral imperative to stand up against the violence of militant imperialism. Both Peter Sahui and Sam Dee consider the highly political themes, narrative and simulation qualities of […]

Comment on Revisiting Terra Invicta in late 2024 by Peter Sahui

Peter Sahui — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 06:53:33 +0000

In reply to Gunner.

Thanks, Gunner! Yep – definitely coming along well.

Based on Steam play time (so including AFK), I’d estimate around:
– 150 hours the first time (although a lot of this was on an old, laggy PC, and I also reloaded/replayed years of in-game time);
– 80-90 hours the second time.

So, still a long game, but much faster the second time.

Comment on Revisiting Terra Invicta in late 2024 by Gunner

Gunner — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 03:22:07 +0000

Love the detailed update, sounds like it’s really coming along nicely!

How many hours did your second game take?

Comment on Ara: History Untold first impressions by Clippings: Sea Power, Metal Slug Tactics, DQIII, Ara update, Flight Simulator 2024, C:MO in real life - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 08:44:19 +0000

[…] The 1.1 patch for Ara: History Untold is now out (changelog here). This adds a new crafting screen in a bid to improve the game’s UI, which was one of my complaints at launch. […]

Comment on Old World: a pathbreaking historical 4X game by Revisiting Humankind, three years on - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Revisiting Humankind, three years on - Matchsticks for my Eyes — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 05:03:15 +0000

[…] are innovative, but Old World redefines the 4X genre (with its narratives, characters, order system, ambitions, and more) while Humankind iterates on the traditional 4X. It’s telling that Civ VII seems to borrow more […]

Comment on A theory of fantasy by Authors worth reading: Megan Whalen Turner (The Queen's Thief) - Matchsticks for my Eyes

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 05:33:39 +0000

[…] The books’ setting is inspired primarily by classical antiquity, which extends to their treatment of the divine. While this is generally a low-magic setting, gods and heroes appear in dreams and visions to advise mortals — this felt consistent with myths (and means the books satisfy my theory that great fantasy gets its power from myth, history, or both). […]

Comment on Terra Invicta: An Early Access strategy game that reaches for the stars by 2022: my gaming year in review – Matchsticks for my Eyes

2022: my gaming year in review – Matchsticks for my Eyes — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 03:57:59 +0000

[…] Invicta (PC, early access, 2022) – Sprawling, ambitious, and slow-burning, Terra Invicta is the game I’d looked forward to for years. It’s a hard science fiction […]

Comment on Sable early impressions: a journey of discovery by 2021: my gaming year in review – Matchsticks for my Eyes

2021: my gaming year in review – Matchsticks for my Eyes — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 03:57:30 +0000

[…] things, and write more for this site. I wrote about several games — notably Humankind, Highfleet, Sable, Stars in Shadow, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia, and assorted flight sims — and interviewed […]

Comment on Starbase Orion Android/PC port to be Kickstarted next year! by Spacey Game News and Deals - 11/19/12 - Space Game Junkie

Spacey Game News and Deals - 11/19/12 - Space Game Junkie — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 12:52:06 +0000

[…] friend over at Matchsticks for My Eyes, he has word that the mobile port of Master of Orion called Starbase Orion will be ported to the PC via a Kickstarter next year. Oh, the irony of it all. I […]

Comment on The appeal of common sense: Intuitive gameplay by Unraveling the Mystery: The Absence of Physics Engines in Empyrion – Wovo.org

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 18:18:25 +0000

[…] from intricate physics simulations. Instead, it adopts a player-centric approach that prioritizes intuitive gameplay and creative freedom over the meticulous replication of real-world physics. This intentional […]

Comment on The appeal of common sense: Intuitive gameplay by Harnessing the Power of Paladins in Cortex: A Comprehensive Guide – LiquidSky.com

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:45:43 +0000

[…] these controls for different platforms, be it PC, console, or mobile, to guarantee smooth and intuitive gameplay across […]

Comment on Why Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the best games I’ve ever played by Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom first impressions: flying high – Matchsticks for my Eyes

Sun, 14 May 2023 11:28:46 +0000

[…] of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was a day 1 purchase for me — its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, might be my favourite game ever. So far, I’m having a great […]

Comment on The Beginner’s Guide to Wargame by Wargame Airland Battle Strategy Guide? The 39 New Answer

Wargame Airland Battle Strategy Guide? The 39 New Answer — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 21:33:13 +0000

[…] The Beginner’s Guide to Wargame – Matchsticks for my … […]

Comment on When the X-Universe gives you lemons… by Terra Invicta: An Early Access strategy game that reaches for the stars – Matchsticks for my Eyes

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 09:49:34 +0000

[…] is whether you like similarly complex, ambitious games such as Shadow Empire, Dominions 5, or even X4: Foundations. I love its premise, I admire its uniqueness, and, even as is, I enjoy its execution. While it […]