The first trilogy of Pixel Pulps from LCB Game Studio had phenomenally pulpy narratives and retro graphics. Each game (Mothmen 1966, Varney Lake, Bahnsen Knights) stood solidly on its own, but if you play all three you also follow the story of a paranormal investigator attached to each. I deeply…
Read MoreWhat do you get when you combine an Assassin’s Creed designer and a bestselling author known for his Warhammer storytelling? An emotional indie walking simulator, of course! The combination seems to be cooking up something special in Tales from the Mabinogion: it is a narrative-rich, third-person adventure game that travels…
Read MoreI don’t think I’ve played a lot of games developed in Indonesia, but the ones that I have remain with me: Coffee Talk, its sequel, and A Space for the Unbound are great examples. While more horror than cozy, Let Me Out can teach its players about Indonesian mythology. Fascinating!…
Read MoreVoyeurism, exploitation, and a dash of bubblegum: An interview with the developer of The Crush House
“It’s time to start taking reality TV more seriously,” a headline in Columbia University’s magazine proclaimed. It’s true, too. As the article goes on to note: “Studies reveal that more people in the US are watching reality TV than not, and nearly half of all TV series are unscripted. Media…
Read MoreI’ve always found hidden object games relaxing. There is something about allowing your brain to zoom in on a scene to find things that is just delightful. I cannot tell you how many of those old Big Fish Games titles I’ve played for stress relief. Hidden object games are currently…
Read MoreThis week in games, the trend is titles set in a taiga featuring protagonists with amnesia! That’s oddly specific, but let’s run with it! First, Grizzly Man was announced (and you’ll want to read more about it here). Now the spotlight turns to Angst: A Tale of Survival. Teased before…
Read MoreWith its series of Pixel Pulps games, LCB Game Studio is bringing something fresh to the visual novel genre. The games look retro (and the stories are retro-pulpy), but they don’t quite play like a retro title might because different minigames are incorporated into each game. For example, you can…
Read MoreAfter Untitled Goose Game, I’ll check out any game about a bird doing pesky things to local hoomans. Because of this, Just Crow Things makes perfect sense to me. How could you not want to play a game with something called poop modes?! This punny sandbox adventure has you playing…
Read MoreI’m not going to lie, one of the better ways for a game to catch my attention is to mention anything witchy. That, combined with the fact I’m a mid-80s baby who grew up on ’90s Disney cartoons, means Marko: Beyond Brave is right up my alley. The first game…
Read MoreThat’s what I get for taking my time with The Last Waltz. Another indie developer is going to waltz in (hah) and have the first dance-themed visual novel. I’m not jealous though, because Light de Deux looks lovely and I hope it’s a big success. Related reading: It’s not specifically…
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