Clean up ocean waste in this relaxing & satisfying cozy game! Recycle, earn coins, upgrade your boat, repeat! Explore and clean up new areas with more waste and new challenges!
Spilled! is a breezy 10-15 minute demo that I recommend checking out if you enjoy flow-state, meditative games.
Upon booting up the game I was greeted with a very wholesome screen with a small amount of information about the developer. They are creating this game after leaving school to follow their dream, living from their savings while living on a boat! I honestly would love if more indie games would do this as I immediatly felt more of a connection knowing the story behind the game. This isn’t the entire reason for the recommendation of course. The game is zen, therapeutic and ran smooth as can be.
In Spilled! we take control of a boat, driving around clearing spillages and plastics polluting the water around us. The more that we collect, we can cash it in to buy upgrades for our boat, allowing more efficiency in our cleansing operation. The more that we clear the waters of the litter, the clearer they get in colour, giving us the real time effect of the efforts we are making and we can collect wildlife along the way.
Lente the developer, is very transparent about the goals of her project. This isn’t going to be a long game, but it is clearly made with love and I hope that the game sells well when it gets a release, allowing her to move onto further projects!
Demo Length – 10-15 minutes At a glance + A meditative experience. + Very pleasing on the eye. + Cleaning rather than fishing fits the wholesome feel. + A solo developer with an interesting story. +/- It is going to be a short game.
Death Trick: Double Blind is a detective visual novel. And it is a very good one. There has been a murder at the travelling circus and it is their last day in the area. We have until the conclusion of their big show tonight to solve it and it is up to us to use our time wisely.
This game was satisfying on both a narrative and mechanical level, the game-play providing a fantastic spin on the genre while the characters played a large part in populating this colourful world.
In Death Trick, we play as dual protagonists. A private detective hired to investigate the case, and a magician, here to ensure that the show goes on. Through both of these characters we get to know the cast of the circus from both an outsiders perspective and within.
The game is played in hourly blocks. First, we play as the magician, behind the scenes of the circus getting ready for our big performance. We are under cover as the famed murder victim herself, meaning that not only do we have to work to be accepted by our peers but we must avoid public areas to keep our performance a surprise. Then, we play the same hour as our down on his luck detective, re-orienting himself after a nasty black-out. As an outsider, we are not allowed into the behind the scenes sections, catching the entertainers for a word in the public areas between their performances.
Conversations are made using Action Points. Every hour they refill, and it is up to us how we use them. As we chat to different characters we gain topics and evidence that we can then question them about. Each question takes up an action point so you really want to take care to ask the questions that matter. Scouring environments for clues and calling out contradictions also use points. You can’t talk to everyone about everything, so a huge part of the game play is prioritising your questions, deciding whether you want to chase up every lead immediatly, or get to know a character in ways which may or may not get you closer to solving the mystery.
The circus setting is pleasing, the cast are colourful to say the least, the currency of points adds an angle of puzzle and the dialogue, as well as the mystery itself are well written, entertaining to read and easy enough to follow along. The music sets the scene, the art is evocative and does a good job visually presenting the characters personalities and styles alike.
I discovered two things playing this game. One is that I want more games set in a travelling circus. The other, is that I want many other games that follow this structure, set in their own weird and wonderful locations and telling their own fantastical stories with their own cast of characters. If any of this sounds appealing to you then I would urge you to give the game a go for yourself.
Developer: Misty Mountain Studio Publisher: Neon Doctrine Release date: 12 March 2024 Average Playtime: 7 1/2 hours Available on:PC, Switch
I’ll be your newly hired guy in the chair. How can I help you today?
The Operator
Developer: Bureau 81
Release Date: 22 July 2024
Welcome to the FDI. As our newest Operator, your role is to use your detective skills to assist our field agents and investigate mysterious crimes. Use cutting-edge FDI software to dig for clues, solve puzzles, and uncover the truth.
In The Operator, we take control of a high security computer, using the tools available to us – such as a person database, evidence files, photo and video analysis and more – to assist the agents that are out in the field.
I have played a few games that take place within a computer interface and I am thoroughly impressed at how this particular game has implemented it so far. In order to recieve files to investigate we communicate with agents via phone call. These are fully voiced and continue running regardless of whether we are listening intently, or furiously doing our own research in our other files. It is all transcribed and logged in-case you need to re-read and the dialogue itself feels natural and easy to follow.
At it’s heart this is a puzzle game. We are provided with information and questions, and it is up to us to solve the query, whether it is as simple as finding someone’s last known address, or a little more complex like pointing out discrepancies in a victims testimony. A notable point is that we don’t loose access to the previous case we were working. I am very curious to see how far they take this. Can you imagine the web of mystery that we could uncover, finding minor, seemingly unrelated details that weave together further down the line, unravelling a mystery that we didn’t even know we were trying to solve? Someone get me a corkboard and some string!
While the demo is brief, it told me everything that I need to know about how The Operator plays, showing that I am not in for a railroaded experience and will be required to use my brain in detective-like ways. Not only that, it laid plenty of ground to get me feeling very intrigued. The opening minutes of the game set a scene that is unexpected for a computer based experience, and the final minutes confirmed that there is more going on than meets the eye.
Demo Length – 30 mins At a glance + Polished. + Allows player freedom. + An unexpected but intriguing mystery. + Potential for some complexity. + Very user friendly. + Good voice acting and dialogue.
Here you can find all of my coverage of the Summer Game Fest 2024, including shows like Guerrilla Collective, Wholesome Direct and Steam Next Fest June 2024.
I already wrote at length about my first impressions of 1000xRESIST. Instead of rehashing that, I am going to talk about what I consider to be the games strengths. I would also talk about the weaknesses but I honestly have difficulty finding any beyond the slow start that I mentioned in those impressions.
The more you try to recommend this game to folk, the more you realise how difficult it is to define the genre. There is a surprising variety of touchpoints for comparison, but every similarity I point out is usually a specific tone or mechanic, rather that the game itself being similar to any other. Here, I want to talk about what this game does, and why it works for me.
+ Scope
I often wonder how people come up with stories like this. But then I read something from an AMA with the developers. This game is a fantastic example of using what you have to inform what you do.
A question was asked about what birthed the idea using clones. There were two answers, one we will get into later, but the second one stood out to me.
“The other thing was SCOPE. Yes, it meant we could focus on making the character model that we had, better!”
It’s fascinating how a creative decision so important can stem from such a technical, meta reason. I personally find that given all of the freedom in the world, my work will often be weaker than the work I had to do under restrictions, which could be why this resonates so much. Scope takes discipline, and while they could have decided to spend more time creating more characters, they made it a core part of the story, giving them more time to focus on the intricacies of the world they were building.
Thinking of it this way, it begins to dawn on me that there are a lot of reused environments too. Many of the places that you go, you will see again for one reason or another. However, there wasn’t a single visit to any of these locations that made me feel sick of them. It never got tiresome. Every revisit was repurposed so carefully that suddenly, fewer environments become a blessing, allowing me that familiarity that makes me feel more involved in the story.
+ Nature vs nurture / themes
Nature vs nurture is something that has always intrigued me. It’s not something that can ever be researched ethically, but the questions remain ever fascinating. How much of a person is in their genetics, and how much is their circumstance? What would the best of us be driven to under difficult circumstances? Could an evil person have been good? Is everyone capable of anything? Is anyone capable of everything? We will never know and it makes for an extremely rich setting for a narrative to explore. One thing that no one can deny is that we are influenced by the people around us, no matter how much we want to be, for better or worse, and that is explored well here.
There are two reasons why we wanted to look at clones! One, was getting to explore the classic thematic of nature vs. nurture. How much of how we turn out as human beings is because of things we don’t understand?
The game also took on many tricky themes that could very easily have been too much. Generational trauma, oppressive regimes, faith, sacrifice, ends justifying means, intent, justice. It was a lot, but never too much. Everything was handled with care and in a world where everyone is waiting for the next thing to be outraged about, I found the game handled everything with class, giving no ammunition to the folk who try to drag things down. Equally, it felt like a safe space to consider these delicate topics without judgement.
+ The Writing
As I mentioned in my first impressions, I didn’t like the writing at first. However, once I got used to the rhythm of the speech of these characters, I was finishing their sentences. I when I finished the game, I couldn’t remember the specific lines in some important moments, but I could hear their rhythm like a melody stuck in my head. And it’s believable. No one talks like this, but they do. It is another one of those bold choices that went well because they rightfully have confidence in the excellent quality of their storytelling.
+ Everything Audio
The music goes a long way to setting the atmosphere of this game. Every time I sat down for a session, hearing the melancholic tones had me immersed immediately, whether it was light, sombre melodies or a little heavier.
The voice acting is another auditory factor that solidifies this games identity. There are so many characters, all so similar and yet so different. The hushed tones, words spoken so softly yet carrying so much weight. It is all so intentional and commendable. The voice acting also contributes to the rhythm of the speech as mentioned above. Without it, I am not sure the game would have bled into my thoughts the same way that it did.
+ Visuals
The game does not have ‘impressive’ graphics. As in, don’t come here for photorealism or next gen aesthetics ala Hellblade. It is stylized. Sometimes, particularly walking around the hub area, the textures felt a little PS3 to me. However, I think any reasonable gamer, and particularly indie enjoyers, can accept that photorealism is only one choice in a medium that can achieve anything, and beauty can be created in other ways.
What this game does have is very impressive art direction and cinematography. It is ambitious in its style in every way except perfection. Colour is already an in game concern, but the use in a creative sense, alongside lighting, can be striking. Whether you are walking around a corner into a set piece, or being guided by a cutscene to see something new, the developers clearly had a vision and they did everything they could to put that on screen, succeeding with flying… colours.
+ Balance
1000xRESIST contains a huge, winding story, the likes of which is very rare to be told so comprehensively within a 14 hour experience. The reason that it is done so well is the balance achieved in the conceptual phases as well as the execution. This story is about disaster. It is about eras. Civilisations. But it is also about people. Individuals. It is about things much bigger than we can possibly comprehend, and it is about the nuance of being human within that. It never loses sight of either of these things.
+ Attention to Detail
Just because the scope was kept in check, that doesn’t mean there is a lack of anything. In fact, that is most likely the very reason that the game contains the density of detail that it does. Again, I am not talking about the textures or foliage. I am talking about continuity, and the stories that are being told indirectly throughout the entire game. It is worth looking around and talking to everyone that you find. You never know who or what will make a huge difference down the line. While it isn’t the focus of the story, I find there to be a bit of butterfly effect between the lines and it is really neat to identify the triggers that may change the course of history, no matter how small they seem at the time.
+ Respecting the Player
Possibly the thing that I found the most impressive above all else is the way that I felt respected as a player. In my initial impressions I complained that I felt I was supposed to care about something I had no understanding of or context for. I understand that decision a lot more as I have made my way through the game. The developers trust that you will come to understand, without any clumsy exposition dumps or codexes. We learn through experience, exploring the environments we are in, and observation. It is no coincidence that our main character is called ‘Watcher’.
Of course, there is exposition, there has to be, but it is weaved into the game so well that I never begrudged it. In fact I welcomed it as the more that I found out, the more that I realised I still wanted to know. There is even an exposition device written into the story in the form of communions, allowing us to learn about the history of the game world alongside our main character.
I felt respected in another way too. Throughout this whirlwind of heavy hitting themes, I never once as the player felt that I HAD to feel a certain way. These characters are flawed. They make mistakes, mistakes that we are making with them, whether we believe it is a good idea or not. Never once did the game then shame you for what you have done. It provides opportunities to think, but it never does the ‘What have you done?! You, the player, you did something despicable’ thing that some other games do. It could easily have gone down that route but I am very grateful that it did not and as a result it is a richer experience.
1000xRESIST appeals to the part of me that loves YA dystopian fiction. There is nothing wrong with that, but it also somehow feels very reductive. I think what I ultimately mean is that this is not going to be for everyone. For me, it came out of the blue, infecting my thoughts both in and out of the game for a while, but not everyone will have that experience. I think it is important to temper expectations, especially if you aren’t going in as blind as I did.
If anything that I have wrote sounds interesting to you then there is a good chance you will enjoy the game, but be aware that this is an immersive, experimental, narrative based experience. If that isn’t your jam then I don’t necesserily think this is the game that could convert you. My recommendation to everyone is that if you aren’t feeling the beginning, just like I wasn’t, try finishing the first two chapters and see if it grabs you. If it hasn’t by then it probably wont but that is a good amount of time to see some of the variety of storytelling on display.
One thing I do know is that I am not finished with this game.
This is a game about breaking barriers. Some characters giving their all to destroy them and some giving their all to stop them. But also the developers, creating a game that I can’t ever imagine a large studio having the courage to try. It is unconventional, it nails what it is going for, it is a breath of fresh (and emotional) air, and as I said in my impressions post, this is what indie gaming is all about.
Hekki Grace.
TLDR: + Scope + Themes + The Writing + Everything Audio + Visuals + Balance + Attention to Detail + Respecting the Player
Centuries of experience brings centuries of baggage.
Vampire Therapist
Developer: Little Bat Games
Release Date: 18 July 2024
Guide vampires through centuries of emotional baggage, decades of delusions and the odd bout of self-loathing with real cognitive behavioral therapy concepts and become a Vampire Therapist! Even vampires need a shoulder to cry on when a neck to bite just won’t do.
Vampire Therapist caused my brain such conflicting opinions that despite the game not feeling entirely for me, I had to write up some impressions. Generally, if I don’t completely vibe with a game then I don’t do a write up as indies need all the help they can get, deserve all of the love, and if a game is not for me that is ok, it is probably for someone else. This demo, just like life, had its peaks and valleys, and once I got to the summit I just wanted to shout about it, despite the trudging I felt I had to do to get there.
The complication with writing about my valley is that it is all about the tone of the game, which of course is entirely subjective. Horniness around vampires feels like a well established trope at this point, and while I believe it is supposed to contrast with any more serious tones occurring, I just personally didn’t find it endearing at all. If anything, it was a little off-putting. However, once I reached the meat of the game, it felt worth it.
Vampire Therapist is a visual novel where we play as Sam, a vampire with a mission to help other vampires. Over his centuries alive he has met a few people and learned some things. He is now ready to pay it forward under the mentorship of an already established therapist. While part of me expected a meme game, it didn’t take long from this point to provide me with legitimate profound moments, suddenly making me want to take it a whole lot more seriously.
As Sam is chatting to his new mentor about himself, you are taught about certain thought patterns that can occur – generally unhelpful but sometimes involuntary habits that you may not even recognise that you are doing. The aim of the game is to recognise when your client is expressing these behaviours, identifying which it is and calling them out on it. In the demo I spoke to two clients, and since then I have also caught myself doing almost every one of these same behaviours in real life. That is what flipped my opinion of the game and made me want to play more despite not enjoying the rest of the style very much.
Anyone who has ever had therapy before knows that therapists can’t solve your problems. What they can do is give you a safe space to address things, and share tools, growing your own toolbox so that you are better equipped to deal with the challenges that face you. I feel like, so far, the game represents that really well.
Overall.. I could be bitter, deciding not to play or recommend the game as the tone is not catered to me. OR, I could take the parts that resonate, let go of my control fallacy enjoy the game for what it is, which for me is a thought provoking environment to practice healthy habits through entertaining stories.
Demo Length – 1 hour At a glance + Could help teach habits of checking and identifying your own thought patterns. + Very forgiving, these is no failing. + Centuries old characters have so much opportunity to have interesting stories. + Fully voice acted. + Recurring characters. + Treats therapy respectfully. +/- The tone.
This dungeon is closed for cleaning. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Goblin Cleanup
Developer: Crisalu Games
Release Date: To be announced
A co-op cleaning game where you have to clean and rearrange a dungeon before the next adventurers come to complete it again.
As evidenced by my Powerwash Sim and Crime Scene Cleaner love, I have a bit of a tendency towards a nice, cleaning, task simulator. I am always so grateful when another game pops up like this and they are good. The line between compulsive and boring is surprisingly thin, it would be so easy to misstep, but this demo – along with the other games I mentioned above – sits on the compulsive side.
The game is planned for an Early Access release (no date at the time of writing) and that makes Goblin Cleanup all the more exciting to me. This was a great, fully functional, polished demo that showcases the core concept of the game. Community feedback will inform the direction of the rest of the game and the functionality of the demo makes me have confidence in the developers to really deliver the content.
What I mean by that is everything just worked so well. Goblin Cleanup is a twist on the genre where your job is to clean away the blood and gore of heros and adventurers that have fallen in the clients dungeon. Through the grime you will be both avoiding and resetting traps, placing the furniture back where it belongs and wondering what the heck happened to make such a mess. It is user friendly, snappy and there was only one mechanic that I would have liked an upgrade for.
The traps add a new idea to a tried and tested core, adding a slight order of operations puzzle to ensure maximum efficiency. After all, you don’t want to trip the crossbow to shoot you point blank because you didn’t move a piece of furniture earlier, spilling your own blood and meat over your freshly mopped floor. Navigation is also part of the fun, finding the best way to get the furniture to where it belongs without stepping on a pressure plate because you couldn’t see in front of your feet, because you were carrying furniture. Each dungeon has a large amount of levels, allowing you to experience the journey that the unfortunate heros themselves would face, with interesting winding level design and no way of knowing how to navigate until you try it for yourself.
I can’t speak for the co-op experience as these types of game are a solo endeavour for me, but it is certainly going on my wishlist as a podcast/tv show companion game. I only played 2 levels but I am sold that this is a fun time, worthy of it’s place in the genre. Adding magic to cleaning is an angle I didn’t know that I needed.
Demo Length – 2+ hour At a glance + Another fine example of the genre with its own twist. + A funny concept. + Plays smoothly. + User friendly. + Compulsive. + Stays on the right side of fun vs tedious (so far). +/- I did not get as far as levels with enemies yet so I can’t comment on whether that adds a fun challenge or frustration. – My one problem was walking backwards and forwards so much to get fresh water, I could have used some pockets for my slimes.
Welcome to Mt. Holly, where every dawn unveils a new mystery. Navigate through shifting corridors and ever-changing chambers in this genre-defying strategy puzzle adventure. But will your unpredictable path lead you to the rumored Room 46?
Blue Prince is a first person, exploration puzzle game where you will be using RNG and resource management to make your way through an ever changing mansion. Almost all of what you find is temporary, but some lessons will stay with you as you reset each day, making another attempt at traversing this bemusing abode.
The gameplay is very decision focused. The house you are exploring is made up of Schrödinger’s rooms – every room simultaneously existing and not until you open the door. What I mean by that is, every door that you open will grant you a choice. Three different types of rooms are presented to you and you can pick which one you want to walk into, adding it into the bluprint map that you carry around with you. Layout, benefits and resources within all need to be carefully considered as you attempt to make your way towards the north of the house.
I am going to make a potentially strange comparison so bare with me here, but I can’t help but feel a lot of very similar feelings that I get when I play The Binding of Isaac. Blue Prince doesn’t have combat and is an entirely different tone, but RNG and resource management are two stand out mechanics of Isaac, ensuring every run is entirely different and causing difficult decisions. Where Isaac has it’s keys, bombs, coins and health, Blue Prince has keys, gems, coins and steps. You are going to want them all but whether you get them is another question. Movement itself being a currency adds another complication, as your keys aren’t worth anything if you pass out as you open the door.
Continuing with the Isaac theme, you are not going to be able to do everything in one go. The items that you draw in TBoI inform how you play your run – for better or worse. A similar thing happens here, except it isn’t only the items that you have found, it is also the rooms that go with them. For example, you may find a room with dig spots but never make it to a shovel. This coulddd be considered annoying and even cruel, but if you are anything like me, it will trigger the synergy hunting and experimentation part of your brain. No run is wasted when you have a goal to try something new, and even if you don’t succeed, you are likely to run into something else.
The last thing that I want to bring up about my first impressions are how I enjoyed the whole concept of the puzzle solving, from the micro to the macro. Every type of room that you draw may or may not contain something relevent to the overarching mystery. This makes it extremely tempting to use new rooms immediatly, even when there is a chance that they will mess up your route or lead to a dead end. In doing this I managed to find some neat things that I will need to write down on paper for the full game. There are also individual puzzle rooms, containing bite sized puzzles that serve their purpose well. They take less than a minute to solve, you get your reward and then are back to the rest of the problems at hand.
I was impressed that by the end of the demo I had found so many loose ends that I had not found the answer to, and sad that I couldn’t continue on. I have never played a puzzle game like this, it is very unorthodox but it is exactly my flavour of dopamine and I really hope the rest of the game lives up to the first couple of hours.
Demo Length – 1-2 hours At a glance + Overarching macro puzzles. + Smaller puzzles within. + Tough decisions. + Short runs. + Time to think. + So unique. +/- Doesn’t hold your hand. +/- Resource scarcity. +/- RNG – was fun for the demo but has chance to get frustrating.
The Guerrilla Collective was a cracking start to the indie coverage of Summer Game Fest 2024. Here, I am highlighting my 10 favourite trailers from the showcase!
Some of them have demos available right now. I haven’t played any yet – this list is based off of first impressions alone – but if I end up posting any Demo Impressions I will be sure to link them below.
The games are in alphabetical order for convenience!
Beloved Rapture
Developer: Rapturous Studio
Release Date: 2024
Beloved Rapture is an indie jRPG that blends modern themes with classic gameplay. Explore beautiful landscapes, fight in turn-based battles, and uncover many secrets. This mid-length adventure balances both an intimate coming of age story, and larger threats looming over the troubled kingdom.
Wishlist Beloved Rapture on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!
Chocolate Factory
Developer: Tbjbu2
Release Date: 18 Jun 2024
Build your dream Chocolate Factory among candy cane forests and gumdrop hills to produce the tastiest sweets. A delicious first-person factory automation game with a little exploration and combat. Confectionary conveyor belt heaven awaits!
Wishlist Chocolate Factory on Steam here. There is also a free Prologue available!
Cozy Dungeons
Developer: Them Handsome Fellas
Release Date: To be announced
Explore deadly dungeons, clear them out of enemies and renovate them in Cozy Dungeons, a one-of-a-kind adventure/interior design game!
Let your empathy guide you as you play an exciting action-adventure, creature-saver game. Understand and tame the creatures of Ava and let them lead you through a variety of ecosystems – all in the hopes of saving the planet from a life-consuming infection.
Control your environment, gather your party, and build your best deck to overcome outlaws and supernatural forces, across a rich fantasy world. Watch as your tactical choices and deckbuilding prowess play out through stylish fight sequences.
Wishlist Knights in Tight Spaces on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game
Developer: Posh Cat Studios
Release Date: 2024
Little Problems is a Cozy Detective game about solving mysteries around minor inconveniences, everyday misunderstandings, and of course, little problems. This game is not about saving the world; it’s about enriching it, one case at a time.
Wishlist Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game on Steam here.
Neon Blood
Developer: ChaoticBrain Studios
Release Date: Coming Soon
Viridis, year 2053. Growing inequality drives Bright City and Blind City further and further apart until idealistic detective Axel McCoin starts a revolution to change the world in this fast-paced cyberpunk adventure.
A first-person resource management game about running jobs for picky aliens! As Rebots Corp’s newest agent, it’s your task to journey to diverse asteroids, terraform the land, gather resources through bot automation, and fulfill client’s needs! And who knows, maybe you’ll get a raise ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Wishlist Rebots on Steam here. There is also currently a demo available!
The Secret of Crystal Mountain
Developer: Revolutron
Release Date: Coming Soon
Adventure through a land full of mystery and wonder in The Secret of Crystal Mountain, a platforming game about a delivery fox making his way through a magical world, exploring and uncovering secrets.
Wishlist The Secret of Crystal Mountain on Steam here.
Yooka-Replaylee
Developer: Playtonic Games
Release Date: To be announced
Embark on an epic open-world 3D platforming collectathon adventure with Yooka and Laylee! The search for Pagies starts anew in Yooka-Replaylee, the enhanced definitive version of the beloved indie darling with all new challenges, secrets, mechanics, and accessibility options.
With Summer Game Fest 2024 just getting started, I am looking forward to seeing what the other showcases bring in a year that is already panning out to be an all timer for indie games.
It is a pleasure to report that this game is stellar.
Times & Galaxy
Developer: Copychaser Games
Release Date: 2024
Embark on an interplanetary adventure as the first robo reporter for the Times & Galaxy, the solar system’s most trusted holopaper. You’re just an intern, but if you can get the scoop, write great stories, and impress your colleagues, maybe you’ll get to keep your job!
I am having a blast with all of the new ideas on display at LudoNarraCon 2024 and Times & Galaxy is no exception. In this demo we are an intern robo reporter, given the opportunity to take on 2 very different cases and explore our central hub.
I am not a stranger to adventure style games, particularly enjoying the detective type. In those games you generally hunt for clues, trying to get to the bottom of a mystery in order to deliver justice. Times & Galaxy takes that general concept but adds its own entirely new spin on it. We do get to inspect scenes, snooping around as we see fit and interviewing witnesses, professionals and suspects alike, but delivering justice isn’t necesserily the end goal, unless you want it to be.
Our actual goal is storytelling. Just because we have figured out the culprit of a crime it doesn’t mean we actually have to tell anyone, especially if it aligns with our own morals or interests (how morally right or wrong that is is a whole other discussion). It is up to us to choose the angle of the story that we present to our readers based on the information that we have collected. Writing about a spaceship crash.. Do we implicate the police, do we play it down due to the fact that it is not an infrequent occurrence in this area, or do we expose a huge scandal that we may or may not have discovered based on how much digging we did. Do we respect a persons wishes for anonymity at the cost of our reputability, or do we break their trust and tell everyone exactly who the are for our gain. We get to shape the identity of our cosmic newspaper one story at a time.
I already applauded the whole twist on the detective genre, but there was a second stroke of genius here – setting the game in space. I would have been happy enough trekking around our world reporting on global events, but the extra terrestrial setting allows for anything to happen. Anything. What a choice this was. You can give me the most mundane scoop to chase and there will be fun in it due to this funky universe we are scrutinizing. Of course, the cases available so far are anything but mundane. When my colleague scoffs at me for being delegated menial cases like the intergalactic cat show, all I can do is scoff back about the things I saw.
The excitement of space shines through the entire style of the game. Colourful, cute and creative, it is almost comic like which makes sense in this world because we are literally making holopapers. This runs through everything from the UI to the environments we are scouring. It is all so bold, smooth, and it just fits. The puzzle isn’t only about finding as much information as possible, but asking the right questions to get responses that fit your narrative.
If you are looking for a new take on the adventure genre where you value being learning about and being within a world as much as the play, then I do recommend checking this one out. It is charming, it is cosy as heck and it gave me a good laugh.
Demo Length – 1 hour 30mins+ At a glance + New take on detective genre. + Player has a lot of agency. + The reward for exploring is getting more data for you to decide how to use. + Creative cases. + The reveal in Chapter 2 got me good. + I really appreciate the commitment to the jokes. + Feels it will be easy to pick up and play a story at a time. + The bold and colourful aesthetic is energizing. + Only being able to ask a limited amount of questions makes you think about which questions are worth asking. +/- Has a familiar, comfortable structure of hub, story, hub, story.
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![A Noob’s [Mini] Review – Death Trick: Double Blind](https://ctrlaltnoob.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/death-trick-double-blind-review.png?w=1200)
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