Heyo, sorry for the delay
Summer is here, so I've been away from my screen most of the last two weeks brewery hopping, rock climbing, and gardening, but before all that started up, I played a lot of games in May. Here are my thoughts on them:
Klocki - Was free on Legacy Games - A minimalist puzzle game where you manipulate tiles to complete a loop/pattern on a plane. There are no instructions; Klocki is one of those games that relies on intuitiveness. Those games can be neat but need to really nail the learning curve. I think Klocki got close but fell a bit short. It's not like this game ever got impossibly hard, it's just that it never really settled into what it wanted to be
There wasn't much breathing room between gimmicks introduced - it felt like a different game by the end. Klocki is very short, so it could have benefitted from more content to pace out all the different mechanics introduced. The ending puzzle is super cute, though.
Mandagon -
Free on Steam - A short side-scrolling romp around a mountain monastery. You're a pixelated box-dude-thing, and you need to activate totems and place tablet fragments in shrines scattered around Bardo, the Tibetan version of Limbo. The Tibetan influence is minimal, but present. You won't learn much in this game, but you can read some riddles and sayings that won't make much sense until you reach final judgement and learn the sacrifice your entire journey has been about. It's a stunning game graphics-wise and is a tranquil experience, but I don't think it offers enough to justify going out of your way to play it
My Big Sister - From
@whatnitrus 
- A pixelated top-down adventure game where you, Luzia, must save your half-dead sister, Sombria from a witch's curse. I got major Spirited Away and Totoro vibes while playing this game thanks to the spirits, dreamscapes, and noodle lady. The dialog is superb, alternating between humorous and emotional with ease and delivering tender moments like, "Just smell that cow fart infested air!" Really, the writing portrays the mind of a child and the dynamic of siblings well as they work together to break free from the metaphorical loop they are stuck in. The items felt a bit gratuitous because you would use them right after finding them nearly every time, but overall, it's a very good game with multiple endings that range from gut wrenching to heartwarming.
Quell Reflect - From
@loco.1.2.3 
- A puzzle game in which you direct an orb through stages, collecting pearls and hidden gems while avoiding dangers. Nothing new compared to the other games in the series which I've very much enjoyed, but third time around it was kinda boring. At its core, Quell Reflect is a solid puzzle game that increases in difficulty well and is generous with tips. I highly recommend playing at least one of the Quells, but Reflect doesn't add any additional mechanics or attempt a story like Quell Memento did, so I would consider this installment the most expendable.
Rhome -
Free on Steam - A brief psychological thriller. First off, this is set in a really fuckin nice house (they have TWO saunas), so for those of us peasants who won't sniff landownership in our lifetimes, this is a great way to see what a rich person's house looks like without a pesky breaking and entering charge
Hailey, an architect and rich person, arrives home but her husband Derek isn't answering. You wander the house looking for him and notice oddities that at first make you think we're dealing with amnesia - plants alive yesterday now dead, work models on the home office desk, rooms you can't remember... Then reality twists and the house becomes a maze - rooms shift, up becomes down, paintings change, and you reach the final, macabre ending. Aside from some frame rate stutters, this was an exceptionally well-done student project.
Runo -
Free on Steam - Runo is a walking sim set in Finland and influenced by their folklore. There's no save system, so this is meant to be played in one shot. You arrive at your family cabin on Midsummer's Eve, grieving your grandma's passing. As you wander the property and reminisce, you recall some odd behavior and occurrences involving this cabin and your grandparents. The more you remember, the more mysticism blends into reality and you find yourself suddenly in Alinen - the realm of dreams where you must disperse a growing darkness. The journal entries you unlock teach you, the player, about the myths and traditions of the region, with blurbs about Finnish instruments, holidays, gnomes, mana, etc. Oh, and I believe this is the first sit-in-a-sauna-and-drink-a-beer simulator ever, so cheers to that
With stunning graphics, a strong basis in cultural heritage, and a cohesive story, I can't believe Runo is free.
Shadowgrounds - From
@forsaken 
- A top-down sci-fi shooter that clearly draws from classics like Alien and Starship Troopers and delivers some mechanics that modern classics like Dead Space use. You are Wes Tyler, a gruff mechanic on Ganymede's colonization and terraforming project. Curious things start to happen like machines breaking and people disappearing. You soon discover something is in the water, and it ain't just shit (Though that is hitting the fan). The plot isn't really anything groundbreaking - you run through the gamut of cliche sci-fi tropes while you fight to survive, make and lose allies, uncover a massive military coverup, and possibly screw over both the aliens and humanity while you're at it. The lore in the game that you collect is very informative, though, so be sure to read it. There are some frame rate stutters, your character occasionally gets stuck when moving through doors, and the game includes what may be the stupidest missile launch failure in history, but Shadowgrounds still holds up and is a fun experience. It's definitely one of the best games available via Feudalife that I've played
The Little Acre -
Was free via Legacy Games - A superb hand-drawn point and click adventure. It feels like playing a cartoon with beautiful artwork and top-notch voice acting and attention to detail that livens up the screen (Mice crawling, dust falling through light, grass swaying, etc.). You play as a little girl, Lily in a quest to find your father, Aidan, who stumbled into a portal that their missing grandfather, Arthur, created in the shed. That portal leads to a mystical world that has danger lurking under the surface. Luckily, Lily has her trusty dog, Dougal by her side to keep her from unwittingly killing herself many, many times. The audio did cut out for some lines, and I didn't necessary like switching to and from characters so quickly at times, but the quality was so high everywhere else that I forgive it. Albeit a simple story with a simple ending, The Little Acre artfully captures the whimsy of childhood imagination and fantasy, the strength of family and love, and the weight of loss. Cute music and funny credits, too
The Wild Eternal -
Free on Steam - A first person exploration game with roots in Himalayan folklore. The avatar of death visits you, Ananta, as you desperately try to break the cycle of reincarnation in order to escape past trauma and regret. Throughout your journey, you confront your past regrets, gain and upgrade physical and mental skills, and learn many Himalayan parables to reflect on via the fox-like avatar of dreams. I was so disappointed in the convoluted mess of a story, though. There's a lot of historical info in this game, but the dialog is too cryptic for a healthy absorption of knowledge for anyone unfamiliar. Wandering around the foggy areas got annoying, too, since the traversal/navigation in this game sucks. And can we talk about how butt-ass ugly the elephant is?!
Toem - Won from
@dare4ce 
- A cozy, black and white hand-drawn adventure presented in a nifty diorama-like way. You can click and drag to rotate the stage, allowing for different perspectives that uncover hidden objectives. Encouraged by your grandmother, you set out on a journey to see Toem. Along the way you meet people, help them with their problems, and complete little quests in order to gain admittance to each subsequent area. The writing and humor in this game is fantastic, and the journey is
SO fulfilling. I loved taking snaps via my camera; It's a balanced gameplay mechanic that doesn't overpower the experience. After you succeed in seeing Toem (cute use of color, btw), you find out the devs packed in a hidden DLC that satisfies the "Aw, it's over... I wish there was more!" feeling we all get after a good game. A must play
Truffle -
Free on Steam - Yo FUCK this game
But also, play this game
Finishing it was as much of a middle finger to the game as it was me proving to myself that I don't suck. Truffle is a short, retro, dual-tone puzzle game where you drag your character through 10 maze-like levels with ultra precise movement. If you're just one pixel off, you may be tempted to throw your mouse across the room. Stay strong. Completion of each level unlocks the next. Truffle has dope beats, is addicting, and I hate whoever created it.
Nitrous House Renovation Simulator Raffle
store.steampowered.com
lol
— Сегодня, в 9:22
