3 new turn-based games for March

Scarecrows, a mouse, and moods

I’m finally back in a groove testing demos and playing games, all while writing for this newsletter. I had a chance to try out Escape from Duckov, a feathery take on Escape from Tarkov. It’s quirky fun if you like survival extraction shooters!

Hello JOMT Reader!

How many of you remembered to look away from your monitors as Civilization VII took over your lives? While many of you might still be leading your civlizations to world domination, there are many other games releasing next month. If you want to take a little break from conquering the world, take a look at some of these amazing games coming out next month!

Scarecrow Tactics

🔗 Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3091420/Scarecrow_Tactics/
📅 Release date: March 28, 2025
🖥️ Developer: Shining Gorani
📢 Publisher: Shining Gorani
🎮 Platform: Steam (PC/Mac)

The first thing that drew me to this game was the art. The pseudo-monotone, old parchment paper look, with splashes of colour to highlight important information, adds oodles of atmosphere to this game.

If you've ever played Gwent (or a similar lane-taking card game), Scarecrow Tactics will be familiar to you, except that the lanes are in columns, not rows. The premise seems simple: place soldier cards to "win" the lane. But you also have scarecrow cards that you can use as bluff cards to trick your opponents into thinking you have more soldiers. It’s your job to figure out where the real soldiers are to place your cards correctly in order to win the lanes.

There are other effect cards that change the board and its cards, which will affect your strategy. I can see myself being sucked in by the simple mechanics and playing until the wee hours of the night with that "just one more turn" feel that this game offers.

Once Upon a Tile

🔗 Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2465730/Once_Upon_A_Tile/
📅 Release date: March 2025
🖥️ Developer: KnotHorn Studio
📢 Publisher: KnotHorn Studio
🎮 Platform: Steam (PC)

In most games, you are responsible for the characters on screen, guiding them to victory (or doom). But there are a growing number of tactics games that puts you in control of the environment, leaving your characters to their silicon whims.

Once Upon a Tile is a game that lets you direct your character, a cute mouse heroine, through dungeons of your own design. Each turn, you'll place your choice of dungeon tile, after which your heroine will move, collecting resources or battling enemies. The movement happens automatically, so what you place and how you place it will have a big impact on your heroine.

I tried out the demo for Deck of Haunts earlier this month, which lets you build a haunted house to torture the characters who happen to wander in. If you don't fancy unleashing mayhem on digital humans, and instead want to help an adorable mouse heroine, take a look at this game!

Oddventure

🔗 Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1235710/Oddventure/
📅 Release date: March 6, 2025 (early access)
🖥️ Developer: Infamous Rabbit
📢 Publisher: Galaktus
🎮 Platform: Steam (PC/Mac)

This game looks like a mix between a traditional RPG and Undertale, where maybe you don't have to be violent for every encounter. At least, that's my take on Oddventure, based on how encounters are resolved using a mood-based system.

Set in an alternate Grimm Brothers fairy tale land, Oddventure will take you on a story of discovery about the main character and her family. Along the way, you'll solve puzzles, encounter baddies, and make or break friendships. Every consequence, based on your choice of mood, will have long-lasting consequences for the game.

The game itself has had a long journey, starting with a successful Kickstarter campaign that was funded back in June 2021. Since then, the developer has provided regular updates on the Kickstarter page, outlining the progress on the game, which will be in early access next month. If you're looking for an RPG adventure with a twist, make sure to give Oddventure a try!

If you liked what you read, please consider giving this post a like! What games are you most looking forward to? Let me know below!