I've sure been finishing short games while taking my time on longer ones! Let's pretend I've been doing that on purpose instead of just feeling flighty!
Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, & The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist:
Sometimes you play a short game & wish it had been longer. This is one of those. A delightful concept, but this only left me wanting more. It's certainly great for being free, but I'd almost rather have skipped the freebie & gone straight to a much bigger experience in this realm. I'd pay for it. Oh well. Safe to say I'd recommend checking this out-- don't learn any more about it than you absolutely have to to download it though.
Thimbleweed Park:
So good. Soooooo good. If you ever liked ol' point & click adventure games, you gotta check this out. I mean, I myself never considered it a favorite form of game, but I like the retro vibe. The controls take some getting used to, if you don't mostly rely on the touchscreen, but it's not awful (just use the touchscreen 90% of the time like I did). There's a lot of fun stuff going on with this, amazing writing, humor EVERYWHERE, fun puzzles, beautiful art. Not for everyone though-- if you hate, say, "backtracking" or reading a lot of things, well you're gonna have a bad time. You'll be like "why did Valerie recommend this telephone simulator game" & you'll have only yourself to blame because I just warned you. But if I say "there's an entire library of books that you can read the titles of each & every single spine" & that excites you, please, get yourself this game asap.
To the Moon:
I expected a bit more from this, honestly, because I know so many folk who loved it so much. Everyone is supposed to love it & cry, & I just didn't get that level of attachment (or perhaps I simply attached too much to not-the-intended-character?). That said, I'm so glad I played through it. Definitely a great take on a love story, & another topic that is dear to my heart but I don't want to give away. I am SO anti-spoilers in my reviews, you guys, sorry if that makes things super vague sometimes! You trust my judgement though, right? If you like games that are short stories with interesting facets & moral issues, totally check this one out. The music is lovely & you will experience emotions. Great for when you're stressed out & want to escape to some digital problems instead of dwelling on your own. One of those games that isn't exactly "fun", but worthwhile. Play it & then argue with me about feelings.
Bury me, my Love:
Maybe I'm a sucker for games disguised as conversations. You put this game on your phone, & suddenly you're a Syrian dude whose wife departs for Europe & safety. It has a nice compromise between "real time" & all-at-once (though the latter is offered as an option) where it could be a few minutes or a few hours before you get a notification of a "text" from your fleeing loved one, & it doesn't punish you for not getting to it quickly, which is great. In some parts, it feels a bit too edutainment or forced, not really how a husband & wife would interact, but overall it's very engaging. It has to set context for you somehow, & it does pretty well. Sending/receiving photos was my favorite part, & it uses music in a nice usually-subtle way. This game had me scared, worried, stressed out, angry, curious, relieved, & overjoyed. I wouldn't say it's a must-play, but it's a great way to open your heart & mind to the plight of so many.
Emily is Away:
An instant messaging simulator that is TOO REAL. It's perfect in its sights, sounds, & social anxiety. So much fun to be had in picking your profile image, changing your font/background colors at a moment's whim, & thinking of every friend you've ever lost. A wild journey of coming of age, being an inevitably shitty teen, struggling & failing at anything that matters... oh, & it's free! Don't you just want to rush off & try it right now? I'm glad it exists, I really do like it, but also ow my heart. The timing in my own life feels a bit raw, I probably would have enjoyed it more without the context of recent personal events, but it's probably going to make you think & feel things no matter your history with online friendships.
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