Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out
Life after myths. Death, disaster, despair.
This new installment in the Six Ages series is a stand-alone survival-storybook combining interactive fiction and turn-based strategy. The world is ending, and your small clan’s survival depends on how you manage its relationship with the remaining gods and their followers.
Managing your clan is complex, but may require you to:
- explore the wilderness
- trade with (or raid!) your neighbors
- settle disputes mundane, spiritual, or political
- improve livestock pastures
- make offerings
- build altars
- travel to the Otherworld
Whether you’re dealing with angry ghosts or clan policy, there’s rarely one “right” or “wrong” answer, because the deep simulation will make your particular situation unique. Remember that your choices have socio-economic impact, and your advisors often squabble amongst themselves, but some consequences might not be obvious for decades.
Your clan struggles to survive in the world of Glorantha, one of the richest, oldest game settings ever created, perhaps familiar from other games such as RuneQuest or King of Dragon Pass. This bronze age world is facing an existential crisis as it undergoes a transformation. Ten generations after the events of Ride Like the Wind, some gods have already perished and humanity itself seems to be on the brink of annihilation. Here, the laws of physics themselves are subordinate to the whims of the gods and spirits.
In Lights Going Out, you can continue a game you began in Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind, or start a new story in this Great Darkness.
Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out is immensely replayable, with over 600(!) interactive scenes with multiple, system-driven outcomes. Short episodes and automatic saving mean you can play even when you only have a minute or two. The built-in saga records your story for you, while advisors help you track your promises, though their personalities will often judge your actions.
Miracles have always required sacrifice. Now, your people need them more than ever, but the costs are higher, too. Is it worth aiding the destructive gods of Chaos to ensure your own survival?
Game Discussion
Steam User 10
I played king of the dragon pass before. This game's story feels much more integrated, and I like how each character in the ring has more character.
Steam User 3
Started with King of Dragon Pass then did six ages now playing through this one. I never knew of the world of Glorantha before but these games have made me want to go a discover everything i can about the world. I hope that the next sequel comes out eventually. 10/10 game.
Steam User 6
Great game. Humorous, well thought-out, amazing gameplay, very original story. Challenging, but doable - which is the perfect combo to experience flow.
Steam User 0
Good, relaxing game with an interesting story.
Steam User 5
Manage your clans resources, choose your council of leaders according to their different strengths, decide if you want to be friends or enemies with your neighbors (and steal their cattle). Random events which you need to react to and make decisions alternate with choosing which actions to take (rituals, exploring, making war, sending emissaries...)
Overall the game generates a story of your clan over several generations. Takes about 20 hours to complete (40-50 years).
I think i liked the first part better, because there you are on a journey and it feels a lot more like deciding your fate. This part is rather static, you just live in your city and events come to you. Also several events happened more than once exactly the same, meybe the pool is too small.
Steam User 3
I never beat King of Dragon Pass though I tried for hours. So many clans. Same for Six Ages. Maybe I can somehow survive this one.
All of these games are great. The best text-based game I have ever played in my life.
Steam User 1
This game is honestly amazing. It is a clear continuation to the first game, Ride like the Wind, without being simply a retread. Where RLtW had more of a sandbox feel and was more focused on management, Lights Going Out shifts more towards the narrative elements. In my view, it does a better job of balancing the management/story dual-focus than RLtW did, making it a better game.
While both games are great, LGO fixed the issues I had with RLtW in that its ending is a great climax to the story and that it does not feel like it ends too abruptly. I still had a couple of issues, the increased difficulty was welcome, especially when it came to food, but the removal of so many rituals was a puzzling decision, and I ended up a bit bored having to constantly do the same ventures or the same spirit bargains to feed the people since those are single click actions. I really wish Inilla and Dostal rituals were possible for example. My second small issue is that too many of the possible leaders are scripted with even replacement kids lined up, which severly reduces the diversity of leadership we can have. I wish the kids were at least not 100% certain to spawn and were instead, like many other narrative chains, only a possibility.
But that's it really. The game is very fun and fascinating, the ending was very atmospheric, and there are clearly multiple paths to pursue within the game with regards to kingship and collaboration with Chaos and the like. Can't wait to fire it up again after I complete another RLtW game.
Please release the next game in the series devs, your work is too good. I promise I will buy it at full price on release!