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Video Game / The Overseer Project

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The Overseer Project is a free browser-based, text-based online game based on the popular webcomic Homestuck, currently in early development. It is basically an Sburb simulation, handling the ridiculously open-ended alchemy system of the comic by allowing players to submit an item for any given combination, which is then reviewed by the player base and a team of volunteer item moderators before being added by another team of item developers.

Combat revolves around a "power" stat, as as a set of eight combat commands that players can receive boosts or penalties to. Power is improved slightly by gaining Echeladder rungs (read: levels), but mostly by creating new weapons. Special abilities and consumable items add some depth to fighting, but it is still relatively simple.

Of particular note is the fact that the game doesn't really have much story and unlike other online games your character is not intended to be permanent. You start a "session" with one or more other players and play it through to completion, at which point you win, so it's more like an "offline" game that's online for convenience and access to the massive item database than a traditional MMO. That said, exploring the alchemy system and coming up with new items can be plenty of fun even after you've "won" your session.

The team appear not to have prioritized making the game easy to pick up during alpha, so it can be quite confusing at first. Fortunately the game's wiki has this page which considerably helps with the process. There's also a wiki, forums, and Pesterchum memo naturally. The Pesterchum memo is #Overseer and features such useful tools as nothing important, and bingo.


This game provides examples of:

  • A Winner Is You: Winning the final fight just yields a slightly different post-combat message.
  • Combat and Support: Active and Passive classes are like this, although everyone is generally combat capable.
  • Dual-World Gameplay: Going to sleep causes you to wake up as your "dream self", and vice versa. Time spent in either self results in the other self resting and regaining health.
  • Easy Exp: Using your aspect pattern for the first time grants a one-off Echeladder boost.
  • Essence Drop: Enemies will sometimes drop "health gel" which refills your Health Vial.
  • Excuse Plot: There's an FAQ that briefly explains the scenario, but after that you're on your own.
  • Informed Equipment: Given that there's no visual representation of the player, this is kind of a given. Although at least the items themselves sometimes have art...
  • Luck Stat: Present for everyone, although Light players are the only ones who get abilities to manipulate it.
  • No Bulk Discounts: While this is technically true, buying items will increase your reputation which will in turn decrease the price of buying more items.
  • Power Up Motif: The final tier of solo Fraymotif abilities offers a link to appropriate music when played.
  • RPGs Equal Combat: Well, combat and alchemy. More content is planned for future updates.

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