Dwarf Fortress vs Novus Inceptio
Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress is one of the most unique and massive fantasy game ever made using only ASCII characters and colors. The game is completely open world in the sense that you are given the freedom to play as an adventurer and set off alone or with other adventurers on an exciting journey above or below ground (or both) to seek glory, fame and riches, or to settle down and help develop your very own dwarven outpost where you can then build a fortress, establish a barony, and in general, order your dwarven subjects around. Aside from the obviously different "art style" used, the freedom of choice, and the amazing amount of details in its gameplay, the game is also unique in its world building. The virtual world created is not only randomly generated with distinct civilizations with detailed histories, hundred of points of interests like towns and caves, as well as a flourishing nature, which includes both flora and fauna.With so many amazing features packaged into a simple-looking game, it is no wonder why Dwarf Fortress is a game that has inspired a wide variety of other modern games, both indie and big triple-A ones, until today. Due to its size, you might feel daunted to dive into a game like this, but once you've learned the basics, you will find yourself fully immersed in this completely open world of symbols and colors.
Novus Inceptio
Novus Inceptio has all the hallmarks of a great sandbox game in the making, despite still being in early access. Aside from its mysterious sci-fi theme, the game features a variety of fun anomalies (mini-worlds) where you can discover, explore and possibly piece together story snippets about the stuff that had happened in the past. The game also has a more complex and in-depth crafting system, auto-harvesting feature, and a potentially fun underwater exploration/harvesting aspect that will definitely elevate the overall gameplay quality. However, the developers definitely need to make sure the game’s fundamental features, such as its action-based combat system.In addition to being an indie game, Novus Inceptio is also a work-in-progress. However, from what can be seen and experienced, it already has most of the winning features it needs to “make it” in the sandbox genre. It has a very interesting anomaly game concept that allows players to discover and explore multiple mini-worlds. It also offers an in-depth crafting system and farming, though its building and combat aspects are still pretty rudimentary. If you enjoy playing survival/sandbox games, Novus Inceptio is a breathtaking game that you wouldn’t want to miss!