With more video games releasing than ever before, it’s easy to get bamboozled by what to play, and what will speak to your heart. It’s an issue that’s grown over the last decade, as the games scene has grown more crowded – but there may be a solution, newly-released, in the form of Ludocene.
As announced by developer and game journalist Andy Robertson, Ludocene is an app that ‘reimagines video game discovery.’ Combining elements of a dating app and a deck-builder, it lets you select favourite games across multiple runs, with each new selection introducing related games, as curated by experts.
Ludocene notably relies on the expertise and opinions of game critics and journalists, with Robertson and a whole team of industry specialists contributing their suggestions to help the app’s recommendations in accuracy and insight.
That list of journalists includes, via the Ludocene Kickstarter: Simon Parkin (New Yorker), Lucy Bundell (Videoverse, Kinmoku Games), Alexander Donaldson (RPG Site), Christian Donlan (Eurogamer), Matt Lees (Shut Up And Sit Down), Dominic Tarason (Rock Paper Shotgun, PC Gamer), Rachel Watts (LostInCult, GamesRadar), Susan Arendt (Previously The Escapist), Brian Crecente (founded Kotaku, co-founded Polygon), Jenny Windom (Wholesome Games, Geeks And Grounds), Matthew Castle (Backpage Podcast), Josh Boykin (Intelligames Streamer), Nick Suttner (Panic, Eggplant Podcast), James Batchelor (GamesIndustry.Biz), Chris Schilling (Previously Edge), Mairi Nolan (Escape Room Championships), Joseph Mansfield (Thinky Games), Angela Hickman (Education and Healthcare), John Rogers (Gaming In The Wild), and Cath Knibbs (Game Therapist).
Each has worked to link games through a network of tangible similarities that go well beyond algorithmic recommendations. That human touch means that even esoteric and vibes-based similarities can be addressed.
Ludocene: How each run works
Heading into Ludocene (whether on web or mobile), you’ll find a simple, neat UI defined by a sense of play. As noted, the app is inspired by deck-builders in form, with its game recommendations manifesting as card draws. Click each card as it arrives to cycle through recommendations. If you see a game you loved, you can either pin it or put it in ‘loved.’ The more games you add, the more new cards will appear in the ‘recommended’ section, with some swapping out and changing based on each new addition.
To shake things up, you can also add in Expert Cards that contribute the tastes of experts (for example, someone who’s work you read and love) to the recommended games.
Going on multiple runs, I was able to discover a range of games I wasn’t across, at all. Loving Alan Wake 2 and Control led me to Ghost on the Shore, Under the Waves, and Lake. I also got a recommendation for Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, which has been on my list for ages (and people keep badgering me to play this one because ‘I’d love it,’ so I know the recommendation is accurate).
Beyond the convenience of being able to find new games, Ludocene is also compelling for its moreishness. With a simple, clean UI and instant recommendations provided in a card flip, it’s easy to use, and is ultra-satisfying. It also certainly fills a need for cleaner, more informed game recommendations. A Google search might get you some of the way to your next favourite game, but there’s nothing like getting a hint from a human pal.
Ludocene is now available, following years in development. The app is free, although there is a £3 per month subscription for those keen to support it in the long term.
