Shakes and Fidget

Dungeon crawlers are becoming more and more complex lately, even if they were originally intended to be lightweight RPGs focused on mob evisceration and epic loot. It’s not a bad thing, on the other hand, as far as the experience is still engaging and the armors are shiny. There really needs to be an emphasis on fun, however, because no one wants to draw battle plans before each encounter in a hack and slash.

Shakes and Fidget is certainly not a complex game, but it does provide the players with a hefty number of options and customization possibilities. On the other hand, the gameplay mechanics are disappointingly simple, which kind of undermines the whole experience. As such, your only job is to pick the desired quests and wait for your hero to complete them. Actual, non-interactive waiting, which means you just watch the screen in silence while your hero presumably engages in unprecedented acts of heroism.

There are multiple classes and races to choose from when you create a character, and the choice you make has repercussions later on. While the gameplay doesn’t change one bit anyway, you at least have different stats, and your hero must also use the appropriate type of weapons. Hence, whether you are a hunter or a warrior, the only difference is whether you equip a bow or a sword.

The town you start in has a number of locations you can visit, such as the tavern where you can acquire quests from NPCs, or the weapon shop where you can spend currency in exchange for better gear. Some quests also provide you with items, and they are obviously much better than what you can afford to buy. There’s also an arena where you can challenge other players to a duel, in case you are feeling particularly brave.

You can amass a few different currencies, some of which are harder to come by than others. Hence, most quests reward you with gold, which is fine for buying regular gear from various vendors, but you can also win magic mushrooms. These are much harder to obtain, and you can actually buy them using real cash, in case you are willing to do so.

All things considered, Shakes and Fidget is obviously not the type of game to engage a hardcore RPG lover, but it may be the perfect cure to those boring afternoons everyone experiences every once in awhile. There’s enough content to last you for a long time.