Dear GOTD users,
Twitter authorization problem was fixed!

Please try to get the code now.

Sorry for the inconvenience and have a nice weekend,
GOTD team

...................Moderator Comment........................

Thank you for trying to sort the problem out. However, it's still not working for me. When i click on the twitter button it takes me to a reauthorisation window, where i sign into my Twitter account the allow the giveaway app to authorise. I get the message:

''Redirecting you back to the application. This may take a few moments.''

There's a small circle that rotates indicating the process is running, this continues without a break for much longer than a few moments.

Update:

It's still redirecting 20 minutes later........

over 1 hour later, still redirecting, then I decided to cancel and received the following:

in TwitterOAuth.php line 138
at TwitterOAuth->oauth('oauth/access_token', array('oauth_verifier' => 'Cc6wY35WHeSILC6PBUp6RgsGotLWw0E4')) in Twitter.php line 63
at Twitter->callback(object(Request)) in LoginController.php line 26
at LoginController->callback(object(Request), 'twitter')
at call_user_func_array(array(object(LoginController), 'callback'), array(object(Request), 'twitter')) in Container.php line 507
at Container->call(array(object(LoginController), 'callback'), array('type' => 'twitter')) in Application.php line 1399
at Application->callControllerCallable(array(object(LoginController), 'callback'), array('type' => 'twitter')) in Application.php line 1364
at Application->callLumenController(object(LoginController), 'callback', array('1', array('as' => 'competition.callback', 'uses' => 'App\Http\Controllers\Widget\LoginController@callback', 'middleware' => 'locale'), array('type' => 'twitter'))) in Application.php line 1335
at Application->callControllerAction(array('1', array('as' => 'competition.callback', 'uses' => 'App\Http\Controllers\Widget\LoginController@callback', 'middleware' => 'locale'), array('type' => 'twitter'))) in Application.php line 1303
at Application->callActionOnArrayBasedRoute(array('1', array('as' => 'competition.callback', 'uses' => 'App\Http\Controllers\Widget\LoginController@callback', 'middleware' => 'locale'), array('type' => 'twitter'))) in Application.php line 1283
at Application->Laravel\Lumen\{closure}(object(Request))
at call_user_func(object(Closure), object(Request)) in Pipeline.php line 139
at Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(object(Request)) in LocaleMiddleware.php line 43
at LocaleMiddleware->handle(object(Request), object(Closure))
at call_user_func_array(array(object(LocaleMiddleware), 'handle'), array(object(Request), object(Closure))) in Pipeline.php line 124
at Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(object(Request))
at call_user_func(object(Closure), object(Request)) in Pipeline.php line 103
at Pipeline->then(object(Closure)) in Application.php line 1439
at Application->sendThroughPipeline(array('App\Http\Middleware\LocaleMiddleware'), object(Closure)) in Application.php line 1284
at Application->handleFoundRoute(array('1', array('as' => 'competition.callback', 'uses' => 'App\Http\Controllers\Widget\LoginController@callback', 'middleware' => 'locale'), array('type' => 'twitter'))) in Application.php line 1262
at Application->handleDispatcherResponse(array('1', array('as' => 'competition.callback', 'uses' => 'App\Http\Controllers\Widget\LoginController@callback', 'middleware' => 'locale'), array('type' => 'twitter'))) in Application.php line 1212
at Application->Laravel\Lumen\{closure}(object(Request))
at call_user_func(object(Closure), object(Request)) in Pipeline.php line 139
at Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(object(Request)) in ShowDebugInfoMiddleware.php line 30
at ShowDebugInfoMiddleware->handle(object(Request), object(Closure))
at call_user_func_array(array(object(ShowDebugInfoMiddleware), 'handle'), array(object(Request), object(Closure))) in Pipeline.php line 124
at Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(object(Request)) in StartSession.php line 62
at StartSession->handle(object(Request), object(Closure))
at call_user_func_array(array(object(StartSession), 'handle'), array(object(Request), object(Closure))) in Pipeline.php line 124
at Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(object(Request))
at call_user_func(object(Closure), object(Request)) in Pipeline.php line 103
at Pipeline->then(object(Closure)) in Application.php line 1439
at Application->sendThroughPipeline(array('Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession', 'App\Http\Middleware\ShowDebugInfoMiddleware'), object(Closure)) in Application.php line 1213
at Application->dispatch(null) in Application.php line 1153
at Application->run() in index.php line 28

Spellweaver

In Brief

Spellweaver is a 'Free to Play' game developed by Dream Reactor and released Feb 2016. It's a trading cards game on the lines of Magic: The Gathering. Where two players assemble decks of cards that contain spells and enchantments as well as attacking creatures.

If you don't like today's game please give some feedback detailing why you don't like the game and how it could be improved from your point of view . If you don't like this genre at all, explain why. There are still thousands of subscribers to the game giveaway of the day every weekend which makes this an ideal forum for giving developers ideas as to what their consumers (i.e you) would like to see in a game. For example, you could suggest extra content such as mini games, or a level editor that you would like to see that would make it more appealing to you, and in the case of todays game include a mode that would allow you to experience the game without using a VR head set.

If you miss today's game giveaway you can get the game free either via Steam HERE or directly from Dream Reactor HERE

This version appears to be linked to Steam, I cannot confirm this becasue I'm unable to complete all three actions becasue Twitter won't authenticate. If you are having this problem, there were a couple of comments from last weeks game that gave suggestions as to how to fix this. It didn't work for me. If you are unable to get a key for todays game, you can download the game directly from the developer HERE

You can also install the game directly from Steam by going to the Steam store. The game is free, tohugh there are extra packs that can be purchased. It may be that the key you get for completing all actions unlocks a giveaway special dlc that gives you a free extra pack of cards, but this is supposition. If anyone can confirm this for me i'd be grateful. Thank you.

If you still haven't opted to install the Steam client, it can be worth it just for the free games available of which there are a few hundred. The client does not take up much hard drive space and has a small memory foot print. Once installed make sure you are not signed up for the beta program otherwise you'll get daily updates, which often means re booting the client. For those who want to add even more games to their Steam account cheaply there are literally hundreds of excellent Steam game codes available at this time for upwards of 90% off from various Indie bundle Sites. You can see these by checking out the thread called The Weekly Round-Up of Game deals over in the game discussion forums HERE. Also the Steam summer sale has started with discounts as high as 90% off. You can pick up loads of indie games for as little as £0.39p.

There are also a few hundred free Steam games, some of them Free to Play which generally means pay to win as most (but not all) include dlc's that enhance the game. If you play one of those games, you are likely to get trounced by those who have purchased the buffs and better weapons. there are also lots of free single player games. You'll find lists of these free and free to play games via various Steam groups or via the Games drop down menu on Steams Store page. Just hover your mouse over games (next to Featured Items) and you'll see Free to Play. Clicking on that will open up a list of free games with four tabs labelled Popular New Releases, Most Popular, Coming Soon and Specials. If you look to the right of the Most Popular list you can see a filter system that is divided into four sections, i.e. Narrow by tag, Narrow by category, Narrow by feature and Narrow by Operating system. The first one is extendable by clicking on see all. You can now see all of say the single player games by checking the checkbox labelled the single player. If you want to see a list of all free and free to Play games check all of the boxes. Checking just the single Player box then selecting the Most Popular tab will show you every free single player game available. At this time there appears to be 117 free single player games. If you check all of the boxes you'll find 445 games of various genres.

The game installs to the following path by default unless you either selected to install to a different path or if you went directly to the developers site and cut out the need for Steam. Those with multiple hard drives are able to save games on any drive they wish:

C:\Program files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\

You can select to have a shortcut installed to the desktop and start menu if you wish

Introduction:

Spellweaver is a fast-paced and strategically deep digital card game, featuring several mechanics unique to the genre. Created by an indie team of seasoned game developers, and designed by a Magic: the Gathering National Champion, it is easy to learn, yet challenging for veteran card game players.

One of Spellweaver's core gameplay features is hero development. During a game, your hero levels up, gains resources, and can develop additional hero skills, letting you craft the perfect hero to complement your deck's strategy.

Spellweaver's combat system features an innovative creature speed mechanic. Fast creatures allow you to dictate how combat goes, but they have generally weaker stats. Slower creatures are bigger and stronger, but they are also easy to outmaneuver.

Spellweaver's design allows for quick games, yet offers a huge number of combinations and paths to victory to explore. Join in and have endless hours of fun with this strategic card game created with a lot of passion!

Reference accessed HERE. 25th June 2016

If you have a problem installing or activating or getting Spellweaver to work please visit the problems section, which I've now incorporated into the FAQ's thread, which you can find HERE

The Game:

These days, collectible card games are a dime a dozen. For a while, the pool size of available CCGs, especially digitally, was about one: MtG. But thanks to the popularity of Hearthstone — and other titles like HEX: Shards of Fate, Ascension, Legends of Norrath, even Pokemon TCG — the genre has found itself as one of the more popular ones around (of course, the dozens on iOS and Android devices have certainly helped its cause as well). The problem this all presents, though, is that it is hard to stand out among the crowd as a digital CCG. Because there are so many solid titles fighting for players’ time these days, developers have to knock it out of the park with their design and execution to get people to leave the heavyweights, like Hearthstone and Magic, and flock to their product. So how does Spellweaver fair when put next to the handfuls of great games in this burgeoning market?

Right off the bat, Spellweaver is working against itself. This is not an easy game to simply jump into, learn, and then be off to the races. This is an involved, strategic card game that is going to require expert analysis to outwit opponents. The game uses Magic as something of a foundation, and then builds on it, mixing in additional systems that will delight those looking for high-level, super nuanced play and absolutely madden, and then subsequently isolate, those wanting something a bit more accessible. It’s safe to say that with Spellweaver, there isn’t going to be much cross-pollination with games like Hearthstone, which is the king of the “easy to learn, difficult to master” design philosophy. Nothing makes this more apparent than the forty-five-minute time limit each match has. Forty-five minutes. Talk about setting a particular tone.

At its core, Spellweaver is a PvP-centric card game in which two players forge decks of cards so as to square off against one another. Like Magic before it, cards here are broken down into items and spells of various types, attacking and defending creatures, damage-dealing spells, enchantments, artifacts and the like. These cards are summoned to a playfield, giving way to a back-and-forth cadence between opponents until one is out of hit points. Sounds pretty basic, right? Yeah, it’s not. Each play-deck is built by the player, put together from cards obtained through booster packs that range in size from four to ten cards. The cards are random, of course, and can be paid for via in-game resources or purchased with real money. When building a deck, it’s a pretty standard affair: each card has a fixed cost, which is paid using resource cards that folks must include in their deck composition. So, it’s just like the system used in Magic; resource cards here just aren’t called “mana” but they operate in the exact same way. But, it’s not as easy to accumulating enough mana to then summon a creature. There’s an extra step in here.

Cards now have levels to them. So, what players must do to effectively put a creature on the board is they have to have the required mana and also the required level. So, how does a player gain levels? By making a choice with resource cards. When playing a resource, folks will have to decide if they are going to play it and apply it toward their mana pool or their level. It’s an added layer of strategy that really changes the rhythm of the game. Some will love it because there’s another proverbial moving part to all of this; others will hate it, not wanting to have to strategize about yet another thing. This mechanic rewards smart play, and because of that, is actually a pretty unique addition to the tried-and-true formula. Unfortunately, as a result of this, it creates another barrier to entry, and it drags the flow of matches down. There are also champion abilities to unlock throughout the game as well. These are level-based, thus giving players another incentive to choose to play a resource card toward their level rather than mana pool.

The problem this feature presents is in the domain of balance. It was already easy to get mana-starved in MtG; and now with Spellweaver, it’s even easier to, not only get mana-starved by a bad deal but to shortchange yourself with one poor decision whose effects linger for the remainder of the match. Again, this presents an issue when trying to build up a playerbase. No doubt, the CCG purists will love this punishing approach; but a game can only survive so long on ardent fans — at some point, they need a broader audience for sustainability, and I’m just not sure Spellweaver will have that thanks to these design choices.

Speaking of these kinds of choices, let’s talk about the game’s attacking system. So, players can’t just summon a creature to the board and then have it attack whomever. That’s not how it works here. Creatures, in addition attack and life values, also have speeds. And a creature can only defend an attacking creature if their speed is equal to or greater than that of which is attacking. This is another factor to keep track of when laying down a card. Again, veterans are probably going to like having another thing to take into consideration when planning their advance; but the average player (not just the casual player) will find this, in conjunction with the others, to be daunting, overwhelming, annoying, or some combination of the three. At least there’s the option to play just the AI — so those at a loss, will have the opportunity to understand the various systems. It’s just too bad that to even play the AI, one has to be connected to the Internet.

With that said, it should be known that, despite these limitations, Spellweaver employs some truly unique cards. With as many CCGs as there are out there, it’s hard to find a card game that manages to surprise you with interesting card abilities. And yet, I found myself routinely surprised at how distinct some of the creatures and spells are here. Better still, there are a lot of cards available, sure to delight those who want a CCG with serious card depth.

Where the game also sets itself apart from the others is in its approach to something resembling a campaign. While this is not HEX, which has a super robust campaign complete with characters, dialogue, and a story, Spellweaver does have a world map with various locations to which players visit. Traveling to these spots (which is simply done by clicking on a target location) nets a quest. Completing said quest then provides a reward, usually in the form of a new card. It’s a really neat system that adds a bit more replayability than something that’s strictly match-oriented. Players also have a persistent level, which is also a fun inclusion. Completing quests provides experience points; the more a player levels up, the more they unlock — be it modes, titles, or decks.

There are also trials in which to take part that earn folks booster packs and gold. When it comes to content, Spellweaver really has a decent amount of it. This is all the more impressive not only because others of its kind sometimes lack in this department, but also because the game is very new. So, here’s hoping the devs continue to update and support the game going forward. We do wish, however, that more would have been done with the concept of persistence. It doesn’t embrace the notion fully, like HEX, but it also doesn’t want its features to be barren like a more straightforward card game. It’s as if the developers weren’t quite sure what they wanted to do with the game outside of the core gameplay. Consequently, what we’ve ended up with is slapdashed campaign-lite component.

Helping Spellweaver‘s cause is its presentation. The game is really quite striking. From the gorgeous card art to the beautiful world map, the game has one of the stronger aesthetics out there regarding CCGs, even if it is a bit on the generic side. The only downside to the visual presentation is the interface. It gets the job done, but can look like a bad browser game at times. Or at the very least, looks outdated by approximately a decade. The music, on the other hand, is also more than serviceable. It won’t win any awards, but there’s a little bit of everything — smooth, rolling legato pieces thrown in with heavier, pulse-pounding anthems and haunting dirges. There aren’t a plethora of tracks, which is too bad considering how well-composed each are, but folks looking for a quality aural experience to go along with their card-combat will be more than pleased.

Review and conclusion was written by Bradly Halestorm. (I've not had time to explore the game fully) Reference accessed HERE. 25th June 2016

Other Reviews:

You can see other reviews of the game HERE, HERE , HERE, HERE, and HERE

Video's:

You can see a few videos of Spellweaver gameplay HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE

Conclusion:

Spellweaver‘s very nature is the thing that will ultimately get in the way of people playing it because let’s be honest, you either love collectible card games or you don’t. But for those who do love the genre, there just aren’t a ton of reasons to devote your time and money to Spellweaver and not something like Hearthstone or Magic. It’s not accessible like Hearthstone, it lacks the history and entrenched playerbase of MtG and it doesn’t commit to fully to embracing its dabbled-in persistence, making it inferior to something like HEX, which is, for all intents and purposes, the only true persistent CCG out there. Those who want to play something akin to Magic with added (but extraneous) systems so as to have just one more layer of tactical depth to contend with will enjoy Spellweaver. At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t know its audience — and games that don’t understand who they’re for typically fail to capture anyone.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the developer Dream Reactor for giving away a key for Spellweaver, and to the game giveaway team for giving the community the opportunity to check out this game.

Useful Information:

The problems section that used to be posted here in the Game review is now included in the Game Discussion FAQ's thread; which you can find HERE.

I've updated the games section that used to be posted with the review. The thread is now called 'Weekly round up of game deals', formerly the games section of the weekly reviews. You can find the new thread (which I've posted in the sticky section of the game discussion forums to make it easier to find if you are perusing the game discussion forums) HERE.

The latest free game over on Origin has changed to Nox. Nox is an action role-playing game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts in 2000 for Microsoft Windows. It details the story of Jack, a young man from Earth who is pulled into a high fantasy parallel universe and has to defeat the evil sorceress Hecubah and her army of Necromancers to return home. Depending on the player's choice of character class at the beginning of the game (warrior, conjurer, or wizard), the game follows three largely different linear storylines, each leading to its unique ending. If you've ever played the early RPG's such as Baldurs Gate and Icewind dale or the early Fallout series and liked them, you'll probably lik e this game as well. It's 16 year sold now, but still looks oretty f=good for it's age. This type of game has held it's appeal and looks far more than the early firs tperson games. I highly recommend it..

You can get it HERE. Please note that you do require the Origin game platform to be able to download and install the game.

If you are having problems installing the game check the thread I've linked to above. If you can't find any fixes check the comments made by the community below and over the last few weeks for suggestions. Thank you.

If today's game wasn't to your liking, you may find other games either free or for less than the price of a cup of coffee (from your favorite coffee house) via the 'Weekly Roundup of Game Deals' thread which I've posted a link to above, or HERE.

I've still to send out some Steam keys to those that commented on previous weeks games. I decided to take a break from virtually everything for the last few weeks partly to recharge my batteries. I am not going to run the free keys again this week as I'm still behind with everything at the moment, it would just confuse my morphine addled brain even more than it is already. :) I will resume giving more keys away once i've sent out all of those I owe to community members. To those that have qualified for keys so far , please be patient. Also, remember I need to see what you want via the thread I've linked too above that can be found in the game discussion forums. If you've had problems signing into your forum account, let me know what your forum name is and i'll resend you a new password.