Welcome to November! I'm starting a comment chain so people can see previous games I've played in one spot.
This was a busy month away from the computer, as Fall is my favorite season and I spent a lot of time hiking, apple picking, etc. But I still played and completed a handful of games.
My Paper Boat, NaissanceE, Songs from the Iron Sea, Sorry, James, Tacoma - Click into this comment to view my thoughts and access previous months.
It's December so lemme share my thoughts on the games I beat this past month! November was a very busy month with holidays, family visiting, and end of year work deliverables (Tbh, December will be the same), so I appreciate games I can experience quickly or play in short chunks. Most of the free on Steam games were found because of this community, so again, thank you for sharing them with me!
Han'yo -
Free on Steam - An admirable school project but it's a shallow game, so don't go into this expecting a deep experience. The gameplay is simple: it's a side-scroller combat game that relies on a balance of attack and defense that counters your enemy's stance. There is not much variation of enemies or their behavior, and the strikes can be inconsistent, leading to frustrating deaths. The story, while thin, is present - you play as a young woman who is seeking revenge on the Oni who killed her family/village. The art direction is breathtaking - I felt like I was playing an old scroll painting with pronounced brush strokes, vibrant colors, and structured layers. If only the gameplay was as well done as the art! Audio-wise, the voice acting isn't the best but it's serviceable, and I also had the music cut out on me a couple times. Because this was made by students, I'm fine with a lower level of polish on the game. It's worth a play.
Lyne - A gift from
@valeyvonne - A puzzle game where you navigate a colored line from one point to another through a grid of shapes, but you have to do so while also balancing other colors' paths and utilizing every shape on the board. The controls are easy and the music/sound effects are minimalist which add to the game's aesthetic. So, in most regards, it is a good game, but (and I know this is going to sound odd to complain about) I feel like it had way too much content. We're talking 650 puzzles just to finish the main letter sets, and then another hundred+ daily levels to unlock all the color palates. It became an extremely tedious slog to finish. There's only so much variation you can have with a game like this, and while I liked the core structure, the creators could have practiced some moderation.
Quell - A gift from
@vic-viper - Quell nails everything a puzzle game should be. It's a straightforward concept: You navigate a ball around levels collecting all pearls and can earn medals for completing each level in the minimum number of "perfect" moves. There is also a hidden gem to find in each level. There's a lot of content without getting stale (Cough, Lyne, cough) and the difficulty curve is paced appropriately (I'm not ashamed to admit I spent my gems to show hints on some later levels). Lastly, the music is enjoyable and relaxing and fits the focus. If you are a puzzle game fan, I highly recommend this!
Submerged: Hidden Depths - Was a free game with Amazon - Take the sailing of
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, mix it with the urban traversing from
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and you get the gameplay of Submerged. I really, really wanted to like this game. It's gorgeous, teeming with aquatic life, alive with colorful and detailed environments, and really nails the post-apocalyptic Waterworld setting. You play as brother and sister nomads who attempt to free the surrounding areas from a mass of invasive black goo and vines. As you clear it away, you realize the blessing the sister carries may be a curse, and that the hope for a new home must overcome the past. The game nailed the scale of sailing and clambering around the remains of a decayed civilization. It's fun to find lore books, access lookouts, salvage relics, and find boat parts. Unfortunately, things do get boring over time: The cutscenes are repetitive and add little about the characters, there's never a question of where to go/what to do next, and there's not much challenge. If you ignore the plot and just play this as an aquatic/urban exploration game, I think it's worth a play. The world truly is beautifully made.
Tukoni -
Free on Steam - A very cute, and very short point and click adventure where you play as a forest spirit, Tukoni, on a walk through the forest. I wonder if this was a teaser for a larger effort that never came to be. There is a lot of potential for a very pleasing and uplifting children's game if it had more content and expanded on the Ukranian book from which Tukoni originates. The art direction really does feel like playing a picture book - almost like it was made with a mix of cutouts of colored art paper and colored pencil. I also appreciate the simplicity of the textless communication through doodles, and how the first objective you had is to make and enjoy some tea
The game is good for a quick smile, but not much else as you'll be over with it quickly.
en.wikipedia.org
