“Fantasy World Manager”: Create a fantasy world with heroes, monsters, towns and watch adventures and wars [3 Weekly Indie Picks]

Here are the Game*Spark editorial team’s top indie game picks for the fourth week of October!

This week’s lineup features three titles: “Fantasy World Manager,” a simulation game where you build and observe a fantasy world; “Ghost in the SQL Data,” a programming-based mystery adventure game where you solve cases while learning SQL; and “Shadows Of Thornkeep,” a 3D roguelike dungeon RPG where you explore a cursed island.

Fantasy World Manager

This is a sandbox simulation game where you freely create a fantasy world from scratch and manage the people who live there as well as the development of their civilizations. From a god-like perspective, players design a vast world and place heroes, monsters, races, cultures, religions, and factions within it. You’ll build your very own world and observe the adventures, wars, and daily lives of its civilizations as they unfold.

A dedicated editor is used to build the world, allowing for detailed customization of terrain, biomes, towns, dungeons, NPCs, animals, monsters, and items. You can also assign unique characteristics to races, cultures, religions, and factions, enabling you to create a world where heroes undertake quests and factions clash with one another.

With 18 classes and 21 biomes available, the events and stories of your world will evolve based on the elements you place. Note that the current main mode requires players to build the world themselves; a mode where the world automatically evolves over time is scheduled to be added in a future update.

Ghost in the SQL Data

This is a mystery-based deduction simulation game where you use SQL to uncover the truth behind a crime. The story is set in Paris, France. Players take on the role of an investigator analyzing data and, using a mysterious tip received 14 minutes before a fire broke out at a school as a clue, delve into vast emergency call records to uncover the truth behind the incident.

During the investigation, you’ll use SQL—a real-world database language—to search for information and gather evidence by joining multiple tables. The early cases feature a tutorial where you can learn basic SQL operations, and the investigations gradually become more complex. You can pin the information you find to an investigation board and create notes and graphs to connect the clues.

In addition to the school fire, you can tackle a variety of cases, such as tracking a suspect in the Paris Metro and searching for a crown stolen from an art museum.

Shadows Of Thornkeep

Set on a cursed island, this dark fantasy RPG involves exploring dungeons with a party of four. Players are entrusted with the souls of the dead by a mysterious entity and lead a group of resurrected heroes on expeditions into dangerous regions.

During your explorations, you’ll traverse areas such as cursed forests and swamps, gathering equipment and resources through battles with monsters and discovering treasure chests.In combat, you can form a party of up to four companions and strategize by utilizing their individual abilities and skills. Resources obtained during expeditions can be used to upgrade your base camp, allowing you to manage your party and upgrade equipment in preparation for the next exploration.

Additionally, while heroes aren’t permanently lost if they fall in battle, reviving them comes at a cost, so it’s important to prepare carefully while considering the party’s condition. The game graduated from Early Access on October 28 and officially launched, with the game content reportedly nearly doubling in size. Shortcomings in visual effects, sound effects, and background music have also been addressed.