Happy New Year!
I started 2023 off with a Giveaways win, so a quick thanks to
@dare4ce for the chance to win
Toem! I can't wait to play it!
Also, I appreciate
@burningpixel82 for their posts highlighting free games on Steam. You can see I played three of them this past month, so thank you for sharing them back in Nov!
I love finding hidden gems!
As for December, here are the games I ended up beating:
Breadsticks -
Free on Steam - A brief game in which you play as a fox who wants to get to Bear's house for tea. The character is adorable (The little teacup on the fox's head spills when it dies! So cute but so sad!) and so is the concept where you traverse by throwing and jumping on bread. The art is pretty basic and so is the gameplay. It was not challenging, and can honestly be skipped, but it was a nice distraction. Now, excuse me, I have to go munch on a baguette.
In the Rural Village of Nagoro -
Free on Steam -
@wanderlave commented last month about how this game made him sad and warm, and I agree. You start as a young girl walking to school, and your only action is to wave to villagers as you pass. As you walk by a playground, along the road, and past little shops, the families, drinking buddies, construction workers and elderly all wave back at you. Halfway through the game is a shift. I don't want to spoil it, because it was so moving, but all I can say is read the info at the end of the game. The simple crayon-like artwork and music throughout were pleasant. There's a warm happiness that a smile and wave can bring, and a homesickness that the passage of time causes. It's very fitting that this was my last game I played in 2022. For something so simple, it left a major impact.
Overcooked - Shareplayed with friends - You and your friends are chefs tasked with cooking up meals to eventually satiate the appetite of a giant killer meatball. You are tasked with cooking and delivering various recipes while battling time limits, rats, shifting kitchen layouts, fire, ice, and of course the clumsiness of your team members! This game will put your friendships to the test lol
. We were lucky we couldn't strangle each other over Steam... but we stuck together and eventually beat it and both the DLCs. Some of the levels are extremely complicated and frustrating, and the variety of recipes becomes a bit stale (At least the Christmas DLC added some different ones!), but overall it was a wicked fun experience.
The Stillness of the Wind - Was a free game on Amazon - You're an older woman alone on her farm just trying to get by, when all of a sudden you start to get letters from family that become stranger and stranger. The days are short, and you never really finish all that you want to, but that's the challenge and such is life on a farm. Then the game gets harder in a pace that's difficult to notice at first. You try to maintain a sense of structure and normalcy but the grim feeling of a crumbling routine and reality weighs heavier and heavier on you as you struggle just to make it one... more... day. Sadly, or thankfully, the climax happens, and you are left to form your own opinion on whether reality unraveled or you did.
The Tale of Bistun - Gifted by
@maxlevch - A narrative adventure about a magnificently mustachioed hero, Farhad, who teams up with a banished goddess, Shirin, in a tale of love and loss based off a 12th century Persian poem. Your hero has forgotten everything, and throughout your journey, you piece together more of his memories the deeper you dig into Mount Bistun. It's a very linear game and the enemy diversity becomes a bit stale, but I still left impressed. Persian folklore shines throughout this, from the starting artwork to the mystical tree spirits, talismans, and rare birds that join you on your quest. I had never played a game completely narrated like this, and it was totally worth it to hear the epic
"It tolls for thee!" line towards the end!
Walk While My Grandmother Plays the Piano -
Free on Steam - You do what the title says
The music she plays isn't perfect - it pauses and jumbles notes - but I think that's the charm. It's those small nuances that give the game life. Your mind will probably wander while playing this but bring it back and meditate/reflect a bit. I closed my eyes and just took in the music for a while. The music eventually gives way to her voice as she tells stories. The reviews made it seem like it was a very emotional experience, but the audio equalization prevented that for me. I get what the creator was going for, and I can appreciate how his grandma will now live forever within the game, but I couldn't really make out what she was saying most of the time. The loud sound effects of your footsteps and lights turning on didn't help. It's a heartwarming gesture and a creative way to deal with the permanence of loss, but I still think you can pass on this one.
www.pcgamer.com
