Great games that I’ve tried and that you should too.
Genesis Noir is an experimental detective story that takes place in a cosmogonic setting in different parts of the universe. If that already sounds mind-blowing, it's artistically extravagant in the creative gears that turn its two-dimensional, or even 5-dimensional, gameplay mechanics--metaphorically at least. The game starts wandering the streets of some strange alternative 1950's cityscape and blows open a new case to investigate with a bang, a big bang. Yes, that one. In this review, I'll talk about the game--and also talk to you about a new project I'm working on involving space exploration in games.
Forgotten FIelds is an indie-developed story-rich interact game about a young Indian author seeking inspiration for his next book in the midst of a major family transition at his childhood home. The character, Siddharth, visits home which at first seems a distraction but may help him re-think his writing completely. The game design is aesthetically pleasing low-poly 3D modeling combined with interactive puzzles and visual novel style dialogue. It recently released on Steam, and is available to download.
Til Nord is a free open world snowmobile game released by students at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. The gameplay is straightforward with its mobile open-world gameplay and pulls off a finished level of design from the beginning. Drive your snowmobile around the Loften Islands of Norway, day and night bright snowy roads and northern lights skies at night, solving delivery missions for enterprises around the village like lumber mills and fisheries. Or test your skill at time-lapse contests with your learned speeding abilities.
RailRoute is a railroad dispatch strategy game for PC. Trains that travel between stations, railyards, and tracks do so at the discretion of railroad dispatchers that use special display maps to direct traffic. This game takes most of the nuances of this real technology and has created a simulation that uses simple mechanics to build a railroad empire. With many options, an informative tutorial, and room to expand, you'll be keeping an eye on your fleet timetables for engaging gameplay.
Doubts is a short interactive fiction game from a talented solo developer by German artist, Fulmen. Play the role of Gerda, a woman in 1926 Berlin, Germany. She has decided to run away with her boyfriend and is left by herself during her boyfriend, Joseph's, temporary absence. She contemplates her surroundings and decisions in a session of examining items around their hotel room while he is away. Without certainty, she wonders if her decision to be with Joseph is such a good idea.
Lab Rags is an upcoming title from the student project studio Salt Mine Studios. It is an art-deco era puzzle level game that shares mechanics with games like Portal and its descendants. Get started right away as a mechanical android with a neat gun similar to the classic gravity gun. You can advance within the game by respawning and then grabbing your previous housing to fling at door-opening buttons, traverse over spike pits, and even build structures like stairs out of crushed cubes made from your metal leftovers. The environments and music are very charming, and it is an appropriate level of challenge and enjoyment.
Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood is a new visual novel/interactive fiction game. The story follows Scarlet, a budding musician in an aspiring band of close friends. Start your journey on route to your band's major performance at a club in the city, plus the opportunity it provides with a heavy offer from the club's boss. In an unexpected twist, you'll soon find yourself, through unforeseen circumstances, in another world! This land is filled with popular themes from classic fantasy stories and solvable puzzles, all blended nicely into a one-of-a-kind story.
Vecter is a free racing game available on Steam from Taranasus. The game is a procedurally generated vector based graphic racer/flyer with a catchy background. It has thousands of overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. It has recently come to a conclusion and left a legacy of the power of free game and participants from an adoring community. Up until April 3rd, 2021 the game was served with constant improvement and imaginative gameplay. It is still available for free on Steam. It has also left a legacy of inspired indie developers who have created their own games based on it, which is expected to continue moving forward.
The Last Act is a visual novel with a theatric theme about an actress in a lead play character. Interact with a social group of charismatic characters, while find yourself getting more and more into the script as the serious drama unfolds. The choices you make unfold the story in different ways, but ultimately you'll find yourself interacting with supernatural characters that seek to interact in your fate. Will you continue on with the play? Or is it too much? Or do people just need to mind their own business? It's up to you.
Half Past Fate: Romantic Distance is a visual novel about a dating during the pandemic. It was released February of 2021. The story revolves around a mutual interest involving a young man and his broken laptop named Stephen and a clerk at a computer repair shop named Robin. Soon after they meet, the city goes into lockdown because of the pandemic. They try to make it work using video dating for multiple months, and test the limits of distant relationships. The game has a very pleasing 2.5D pixel art aesthetic and a catchy chiptune soundtrack.
