Episode 23 – “The 2nd Foe May Be The Charm”

Welcome back to The Proving Grounds, the game club where we delve deep into the worlds of CRPGs, blobbers, and roguelikes with insight, detail, and a little chaos. In this episode, JCServant takes on Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard — exploring how Atlus refined its labyrinth-crawling formula from the first game and sharing a personal journey through the punishing floors of Yggdrasil. From ice puzzles to cherry blossoms, from victory to burnout, it’s a full climb.

We also spotlight Dr. Zeus’s unique control-focused party — a study in battlefield manipulation and probability — and cover recent RPG news, including the Avernum 4 remaster, the sci-fi dungeon crawler Descent of Lunaris, and the new demo for The Secret of Weepstone.

To close, we touch on the legendary Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition expansions, grand strategy storytelling in Crusader Kings III, and creative empire-building in Age of Wonders 4.

Join the discussion on Discord, share your Question of the Week thoughts, and help us celebrate the enduring art of dungeon design.

Discord: https://discord.gg/nSSTqzfKmz

Question of the Week:
How do you feel about FOE puzzles that require items or movement tricks to progress — satisfying challenge or pacing killer?