Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Once upon a time… oh, you have heard that one? That’ll be because it’s an absolute standard fantasy trope, setting for a countless number of simple children’s stories told for centuries now. The Plucky Squire absolutely revels in tropes, not only relating…
Read MoreCaravan SandWitch first caught my eye because it was colourful and filled with places to explore. But the story and the gameplay loop is what got me hooked! The game is nearly stress-free: there is no timer, death, or combat. In the game, Sauge has lived away from her home…
Read MoreNot to be that person, but I’m a trained photographer who can no longer do much of it due to chronic illnesses. Because of this, photo-based games have a special place in my heart. Fomography is a story-driven game about an aging man reliving his life through the lens of…
Read MoreIt’s been a while since I’ve thought about Popcap’s classic Peggle – and that’s not helped by the series being dormant since 2013 – but I’m willing to bet that back when I did, I never once considered that what Peggle, that classic and relaxing mix of Pachinko and bagatelle…
Read MoreCopycat stood out at this year’s Not-E3 after being featured in Future of Play Direct (Season 5). That trailer haunts me due to its quick shift in tone. In the beginning, Olive adopts a cat named Dawn. But don’t let the colourful visuals fool you: she starts bonding with her…
Read MoreI would be excellent at Survivor. I’m fully convinced of that. The people that go on that show are idiots. I’d go on there, get a little clique “alliance” together, play them off one another like they’re chess pieces, own that I was a total sociopath about it at that…
Read MoreThe 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…
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