From the creator of The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide comes Wanderstop, a narrative-centric cozy game about change and tea.
We live in an era of hustle culture that glorifies work over wellbeing. We are encouraged to put everything we have into everything we do. If we don’t achieve our goals, we must not have worked hard enough. If we managed to take breaks or have fun along the way, did we really work hard enough? Of course, not everyone actually believes this, but we certainly all have met people who do, and based on the reception to this game by both critics and gamers alike, I would say a lot of us have internalised this mindset somewhat, whether we want to have, agree with it, care to admit it, or not.
Wanderstop challenges this mindset in a way that only a game really could.
These are demo impressions only, so I have yet to experience any of the story beyond the intro, but this small taster had a big enough impact that it felt really important to sum up my experience.
So far, Wanderstop is a commentary on passion and obsession. Where is the line between those things and if we are walking it, would we even realise it? Say we do take a step back and recognise, “Yes. I have a passion about something (in our main character Alta’s case, it is fighting). I am so passionate that I am going to chase this dream, idea, goal, or whatever it may be. I am going to chase it so completely that no one could possibly question my passion.” Wanderstop asks the question, “at what cost?”
We meet Boro, the most gentle, content soul, and the game asks another question. “Are you ok?”. Then, gives you all the time you need – probably more time than you would usually give yourself – to ponder it.
As someone who is prone to going all in on things and has burnt myself out multiple times before, every cutscene and conversation in this demo had an impact that I did not anticipate would hit me so hard. Personally, I am at a time in my life, I’d say a little further on than Alta is currently, where I have started to recognise the need for – and desire – balance. The moment I met Boro, his energy felt like the end goal for me. While Alta is wrecking herself, living her life with one goal in mind, desperatly clutching at one potential outcome and tormenting herself for falling short of an almost impossible goal, Boro is living in the moment, enjoying the journey, the here and the now. Alta, and I can confidently say a lot of us too, could do with taking a leaf or two out of Boro’s book (or tea… hehe).
Perhaps, feeling a longing for a Boro to find you and give you this opportunity the way that I did is an indicator that you yourself should take some time to reflect, to have no schedule, and to be. Whether that is through getting out in nature, a duvet day, doing absolutely nothing, or through making tea in Wanderstop, that is up to you – although I’d say Wanderstop is a good place to start.
The action of playing this game forces the player to do the very thing the narrative is encouraging. Slow down. Potter around. Make some tea. No rush. No worries. This is our time. Rather than just telling you that you should do these things in a way that you have likely heard 100 times before, Wanderstop teaches you through showing and doing. This, along with some beautiful artwork, voice work and dialogue, is the reason this game stands out to me among a sea of cozy games, and I am really pleased to have it accompany me during my LudoNarraCon 2025 coverage. I am thrilled by the prospect of taking a break from my other IRL projects to go all in on game content for the month, but I am going to keep Wanderstop going on the side, reminding me to take a break and check in with myself every so often. And I am rooting for Alta to do the same.
Demo Length – 1+ hour At a glance + Writing – both conceptually and dialogue. + Beautiful cutscenes. + Heavy hitting package, relatable to many. + Meta in a way that only a game can be. + Voice acting is great. + Boro is precious. + Alta is imperfect in a very real way + Themes of tunnel vision, failure, sacrifice, exhaustion, burnout and the consequences of that have already been explored in the first hour. +/- I am anxious to see where the story goes and whether it continues to resonate. +/- I am also anxious to get further into the gameplay, to see whether it is therapeutic, or becomes tedious, boring or repetative.
Watch my playthrough and first impressions of the Wanderstop demo here!
2024 was undeniably an incredible year for games. I don’t often tend to play new releases, so it is to my complete surprise that four games from the current year have made it to my top 10 list this year. Four! As primarily a backlog and PS Plus gamer, I often don’t even experience that many current games in a year, let alone enjoy them enough that they dominate the top 5 of my list.
While I haven’t managed to play as many games this year as I did in the previous years, it is safe to say I had some all timer experiences and it was a particular struggle ordering the lower end of the list, having to decide who to cut despite also giving me some fantastic memories.
Without further ado, here is the best of my 2024 gaming experiences.
I do my game tracking on GG App, you can see all 34 of the games I experienced in 2024 here.
10. Alan Wake 2
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Release Date: 27 October 2023
Saga Anderson arrives to investigate ritualistic murders in a small town. Alan Wake pens a dark story to shape the reality around him. These two heroes are somehow connected. Can they become the heroes they need to be?
Number 10 on the list is a game that I didn’t play myself, but was one hell of an experience regardless. Watching a friend play the game and theory crafting along the way of this absolute trip of a journey was an especially fun time. Tying it into the first game – which I didn’t enjoy very much – and Control – which was only just bumped down from this very list – allowed us to go full corkboard and strings while taking in the atmosphere of this dingy, eerily beautiful world.
Ask me right now to summarise the story and I am not sure that I could off the top of my head, but it was a lot of fun along the way and now I think in spirals.
The Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from the highly acclaimed Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs — remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD.
Finishing up the Mass Effect trilogy was a monumental moment. Legitimately the end of an era. Despite the fact that we only played Mass Effect 3 this year, I am including the others in here too as they are all within the Legendary Edition.
It took us years and now I finally understand why the ending is disliked on such a universal level. Thankfully, it did not dampen the memories of my years long playthrough of this epic series, with moments of the finale having me in actual tears on stream, something that I generally prefer to avoid.
The Talos Principle is a first-person puzzle game in the tradition of philosophical science fiction. Made by Croteam and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (The Sea Will Claim Everything).
This list has a couple of games that I didn’t have the most fun playing but shone so bright in other areas that I loved them anyway. The Talos Principle is the first of those. I made my way through the puzzles because I had to. What I was really there for was the story, delivered in the form of a computer archive. Every new area I made it to gave me the rush of finding new information. While I found the puzzles fun at first, they eventually became a block between me and my next lore fix.
I will admit, by the end I was following a guide for most of the puzzles – especially the stars – but the story was so interesting that despite this, I think this is my favourite first person puzzle game that I have played yet (unless Portal 2 co-op counts as its own game).
Frostpunk is the first society survival game. As the ruler of the last city on Earth, it is your duty to manage both its citizens and infrastructure. What decisions will you make to ensure your society’s survival? What will you do when pushed to breaking point? Who will you become in the process?
Frostpunk is the only game that made it onto this list from my 12 Days of Epic Games series, but it sure did earn its place. It was only the second game of the 12 and I immediatly broke my own rule that I was only trying out these games. I ended up finishing the campaign within the week.
I couldn’t get enough of the stress. I am not sure that I have played a game that balanced that line of helplessness but just scraping by so well in my entire life. I was sure I was going to fail, tens of times. Yet every time, through some miracle, we managed to pull through. It was not elegent, there was suffering, but I fully embodied my position of leader and did everything in my power to save my people.
What I am saying is, this is the most immersive, thrilling, coldest city builder that I have ever played. It was memorable, and it was pretty incredible.
UNDERTALE! The RPG game where you don’t have to destroy anyone.
Above I mentioned some games making it onto the list despite not having the most fun during the act of playing. Undertale is the second. I very nearly quit, but I am so pleased I persevered.
I had heard bits about Undertale but didn’t really know what to expect until I tried it out during 12 Days of Game Pass. Even then, I knew that I liked it, but I didn’t realise quite how much I was going to enjoy it until I finally jumped back in, 2 years later. Despite having some things spoiled, I really appreciate what this game is. It is humorous, clever, heartfelt, more difficult than I had hoped but I am not sure that is a problem for everyone.
Whether you find it iconic or cheesy, the Stay Determined messaging stayed with me for a while, making a real life effort to notice things that I too could stay determined about.
The five crew members of the Tulpar are stranded in the empty reaches of space, shrouded in perpetual sunset. God is not watching.
Mouthwashing is the second and final game on the list that I watched rather than played. Once I watched it, I immediatly watched it again. And again. And I wasn’t sick of it even after watching 3 different playthroughs. I was glad that I didn’t play it myself because of certain gameplay sections, although part of me wishes they weren’t even there. Not just because I wouldn’t have enjoyed playing them, but because I think the game would have been better for it.
Overall though, I couldn’t get enough of the bleak, disturbing tones of this game. The claustrophobic setting and the off putting characters drew me in in the exact opposite way that I would have fled from them in real life. The game is an examination of a few themes that almost feel spoilery to mention, but hits that morbid mood itch in its own unique, worthwhile way.
Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets. Collect items to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. Encounter beautiful and unsettling creatures, as you attempt to survive what lurks in the dark. There is more than what you see.
Just like Undertale, I very nearly quit this game. But despite that, the impeccable uncanny atmosphere, the stunning colours and the freedom of puzzle solving kept me coming back for more. It took my eyes a short while to adjust, but once they did, this could well be the most stylish pixel art game I have ever played. The audio design also deserves a massive shout out for being both confidently understated yet enticingly effective.
Animal Well would never have worked as a stream game for me, but I desperately wish I could capture the absolutely chaotic energy during my journey of discovery. I perhaps got even more joy from stumbling into solutions than I did using my brain. Over and over again I would somehow make exactly the right mistake at exactly the right time to learn something that I would never have even thought of. It is masterful in design and the lack of handholding is somehow empowering.
This game can get spooky. My blood ran cold at least 3 times and I almost quit at least as many. Guides were my friend in these scenarios and I am glad that I pushed through to experience this gem that I would have passed on if it wasn’t available on PS Plus.
After a tragic incident, brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz run away from home. Fearing the police, and dealing with Daniel’s new telekinetic power, the boys head to Mexico. Each stop on their journey brings new friends and new challenges.
Life is Strange 2 was the final Life is Strange game that I had left to play. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I definitely saved the best till last.
This game was better than I could have hoped. It didn’t take me long to get invested in the brothers, but it was the ‘on the road’ element that really made this game tailored to me. It was full of emotions, highs and lows, wondering what might be next, and I connected with it more than I have any other LiS game to date.
I think it is a shame that so many people pass this one by. I understand that my experience isn’t the most common one, but if you enjoy the LiS format but skipped 2 because of low expectations, I would ask you to reconsider and give it a shot. It was definitely worth my time and may well be worth yours too.
1000xRESIST is a thrilling sci-fi adventure. The year is unknown, and a disease spread by an alien invasion keeps you underground. You are Watcher. You dutifully fulfil your purpose in serving the ALLMOTHER, until the day you discover a shocking secret that changes everything.
Oh. My. God. 1000xRESIST came out of nowhere and just decided to become part of my life. I have written extensively about both my first impressions (which took me a while to warm up) and my full experience with the game, so I won’t go into much detail here. What I will say is that this game is worth your time.
There is a reason that this game recieved so many nominations and awards. It tells a story that so many others could only hope to tell, so confidently that you don’t have any choice but to listen, admire, and continue to ponder long after playing. It is bold in its choices in a way that most AAA could not be, and if you can buy into the world they created – which you should – then you are guaranteed to go on a thoughtful and emotional journey, on both a personal and grand scale.
You can read my first impressions of 1000xRESIST here or my full review here.
1. Astro Bot
Developer: Team Asobi
Release Date: 6 September 2024
The PS5® mothership has been wrecked, leaving ASTRO and the bot crew scattered all over the galaxies. Time to ride your trusty Dual Speeder across more than 50 planets full of fun, danger and surprises. On your journey, make the most of ASTRO’s new powers and reunite with many iconic heroes from the PlayStation universe!
I think everyone knows by now that Astro Bot is a delight. This feels like an objective fact, and I can’t imagine anyone disputing it. I was slightly worried that it couldn’t live up to Astro’s Playroom (more on that below) but my worries were completely unfounded as the compact yet densely packed levels provide so much fun and so many surprises along the way that I could hardly contain myself.
The level of detail is just phenomenal. Every new level, just take a second and admire the physics of every single thing that you touch. I have never been in such kinetic and satisfying environments and this could only possibly have come to fruition from a team putting their heart and soul into their project. It is genuinely awe-inspiring, as well as wholesome and nostalgic as you make your way through the carefully crafted planets.
For the record, I have been championing Astro since Playroom and if you haven’t played it yet, I still think it is very worth it. It has a different set up to Astro Bot and it will make everytime you power on your PS5 feel like magic. Plus, it has one of my favourite video game songs ever (I am looking at you, GPU). I have yet to play the VR game but overall, this is the most joyful series that I have ever touched and Team Asobi have my trust for anything that they create in the future.
You can see my full playthrough of Astro Bot here.
Considering I have had so many high quality experiences with game in the past, it feels insane that there are still so many waiting for me. I have already selected a bunch of games I hope to play in 2025 as part of a backlog challenge and I look forward to seeing which games make it onto next years list.
Demos have not only made a comeback, they have firmly solidified their place in the gaming world.
Sometimes playing a demo will show that a game is not what you expected, is not for you, or simply that your device cannot handle what is required to run the game smoothly. However, sometimes you stumble upon a demo so excellent that sells you on the experience so well, that you would wishlist it 10x over if you could.
I have been covering Steam Next Fests and other festivals for years, but at this point in time, even without anymore festivals, I have so many demos to check out that I could play a new one every week and still have plenty left over for 2026. Not to mention that rarely a week go by that I am not alerted to at least one more demo that catches my interest, be it a game that I missed or a brand new release.
In 2024 I played somewhere around 80 game demos, writing impressions posts about 23 of them! Below is a list of my favourite 10 demos that I played in 2024.
The list is in order finishing up with my favourite, but all of them are worth checking out if you think they could be up your street.
Going into 2025 I still have demos of 2024 releases to play, as well as games from a few years back, and games that don’t have release dates yet. I hope to continue making my way through, highlighting the gems that I uncover along the way.
In this second season of my 12 Days series we took a look at 12 different games that I have received for free during Epic Games giveaways, trying them out for an hour or two, or a chapter or two, whichever came first. I then decided whether to continue them online as content, continue them offline for myself or to drop them, content that they are no longer part of my backlog.
Now that the challenge is over, I thought it would be nice to do a wrap up post. I recorded the videos in advance so in the time between recording and the series finishing, I managed to secretly play through a few of the games to completion.
Day 1 – Recipe for Disaster (2022)
Recipe for Disaster is a management sim that captures the fast-paced, drama-filled environment of a professional kitchen and dining room. Build your dream restaurant, create recipes, design menus and manage your staff, all while contending with demanding customers and disastrous situations!
While I thought that Recipe for Disaster was doing something interesting with its menu creator, it turned out to be a very forgettable experience for me. Despite being one of the longer videos, I did move on from it completely once the video was done. I am always on the look out for the management games that scratch the itch that I have, but unfortunately this wasn’t the one for me.
Ranking – That’s enough for me. Current Status – Dropped.
Day 2 – Frostpunk (2018)
Frostpunk is the first society survival game. As the ruler of the last city on Earth, it is your duty to manage both its citizens and infrastructure. What decisions will you make to ensure your society’s survival? What will you do when pushed to breaking point? Who will you become in the process?
Oh man.. Frostpunk. Les than one week after I finished recording, I had completed the entire scenario. By then, it felt like a shame not to show how it ended so I managed to find a way to add it in to the video.
This was my favourite game in the entire 12 days and I think that is for good reason. The tension kept me on my toes throughout, every decision made me question whether I had made the correct choice. The desperation was palpable and the stress had me sweating, despite the bitter cold my colony were trying so hard to survive.
An extremely memorable experience and I am really glad I have it on video for memories sake even if it isn’t a full Let’s Play.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Completed the scenario and moved on. May try other scenarios in the future if I ever run out of new games to play and get the itch.
Day 3 – Transistor (2014)
Discover the world of Transistor, a sci-fi-themed action RPG from the creators of Bastion.
I am a little sad that Transistor didn’t hit for me the way it seems to have for a lot of others. I found the combat difficult to navigate and the story even more so.
I respect a game that doesn’t drown you in exposition. Naturally, when a story is set in its own world like this it will take time to learn about, but I have discovered that I like at least a little more handholding than Transistor offers. Having said all of that, since playing I have enjoyed what I heard about the story while listening to podcasts and will look forward to seeing the full game vicariously as a Let’s Play with this new context.
Ranking – That’s enough for me/watch someone else. Current Status – Have listened to a podcast, looking for a Let’s Play to watch.
Day 4 – The Spectrum Retreat (2018)
Check-in to The Spectrum Retreat for a stay you won’t forget. Manipulate your way to the truth in this captivating narrative-driven puzzler.
I really liked The Spectrum Retreat as a first person puzzler. I went on to finish the game and I think it was the perfect length, never overstaying it’s welcome while regularly revealing more of the story as you go (it evolved after the video ended and I like where it went). The puzzle difficulty never got too much, adding in fun new mechanics each chapter to keep it fresh.
A pleasant surprise and an easy recommendation.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Completed.
Day 5 – The First Tree (2017)
A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts from the son’s life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.
It is never a good feeling to not gel with a game, especially an indie and especially during recording. But there were a lot of reasons The First Tree fell flat for me. Rather than get into a critique of the game, I will report that I did finish it, and that unfortunately did not fix my issues.
Ranking – Continue playing offline/That’s enough for me. Current Status – Completed.
Day 6 – Death Coming (2017)
‘Death Coming’ is a non-linear puzzle game where you must harvest human souls ‘Final Destination’ style. However, pesky mortals are not your only problem, as the Agents of Light will do everything they can to stop you.
I liked Death Coming for what it was, but after some time away I didn’t find myself desperate to play anymore. I booted it up one more time just to be sure, and as I got back into the swing of it, I enjoyed seeing what the remaining chapters had to offer. More than anything, I feel like the developers must have had a blast pooling together their ideas, and I am glad to have played through this game.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Completed.
Day 7 – 20 Minutes till Dawn (2023)
20 Minutes Till Dawn is a survival roguelite where endless hordes of creatures lurk from the dark. Craft an array of overpowering builds and eradicate waves of Lovecraftian nightmares. Will you be able to survive the night?
20 Minutes till Dawn made me feel very similar to Vampire Survivors. I enjoyed trying it out but there is no magnetism for me to get back in there to try to master it. I was going to replace Vampire Survivors with 20 Minutes till Dawn on my PC, but I realized it is fine enough to keep them both installed as they take up next to no space. I think one day the genre will either click with me, or I will drop it completely, but for now, I keep trying.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Still installed.
Day 8 – Loop Hero (2021)
The Lich has thrown the world into a timeless loop and plunged its inhabitants into never ending chaos. Wield an expanding deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along each unique expedition loop for the brave hero.
Considering how much I enjoyed this one, it is shocking how little I remember about how it played. I shelved it immediately as I knew that I could sink a lot of hours into it, but in the few weeks that have passed, I can barely remember the gameplay loop.
That doesn’t put me off continuing though, I know that it will all come back to me when the time comes and I look forward to seeing how it escalates.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Still installed.
Day 9 – Breathedge (2021)
Survive in outer space! Together with your immortal chicken, discover the truth behind your sudden spaceship crash. Craft tools, pilot vehicles, and even control space stations to survive and explore the wreckage.
Breathedge is a game I enjoyed as I was playing it, but am hesitant to say that I will definitely play the full thing through. Going out on little expeditions and gradually upgrading my equipment is fun, but I do wonder how long that fun will last.
I am so thoroughly confused as to how I am remembering this as a chill game that I could perhaps listen to a podcast to, yet we were in such a precarious situation in the most dangerous setting there is. I will find out whether the podcast idea works out when I pick it back up soon enough.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Still installed.
Day 10 – Beyond Blue (2020)
Beyond Blue is a single-player narrative adventure that takes you deep into our planet’s beating blue heart. Explore the awesome wonder and unbounded mystery that exists within the world’s ocean.
Beyond Blue is the game that I always wanted. It isn’t a huge game, but the focus on the ocean and what lives within, having an ongoing story while giving you the freedom to take your time, educating you while entertaining you, all create a Noob tailored combo that I would love to see more of. I, predictably, ended up spending a lot of time in photo mode, the results of which will be shared on the blog soon enough.
While I am most interested in the life below, I was grateful that the game took the time to acknowledge the people that work in the field. I had no idea the sacrifices they make, but their passion is clear and it is a good thing we have people like them in the world, striving to not only understand, but do so in an ethical way.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Completed.
Day 11 – Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018)
Story-driven open-world RPG that immerses you in an epic adventure in the Holy Roman Empire. Avenge your parents’ death as you battle invading forces, go on game-changing quests, and make influential choices. Explore castles, forests, villages and other realistic settings in medieval Bohemia!
Kingdom Come: Deliverance was more difficult than I expected, but also so much more engaging. I love a dramatic story like this and I am curious to see the twists and turns that may be presented as the narrative unfolds.
I am still intimidated by the gameplay. Research has told me that you can get quite strong to make the game easier, however that is my biggest worry about continuing online. Either way, I had loads of fun and would love to see how the story continues one day, despite the game not making it to my 2025 backlog list.
Ranking – Continue playing online/Continue playing offline. Current Status – Not on my immediate backlog but would like to play fully in the future.
Day 12 – Wilmot’s Warehouse (2019)
Wilmot’s Warehouse is a puzzle game about keeping a warehouse running in tip-top shape. Just remember where you put everything, because when the service hatch opens, you’ll need to find the things people want quickly, in order to earn the coveted Performance Stars.
Wilmot’s Warehouse is even more niche than I expected. I didn’t know 100% what to expect going in, but it is literally exactly as the description says. It is the kind of game that is satisfying when it goes well, and makes my brain itch in all of the wrong ways when it doesn’t.
I have played more since the video and appear to be exactly half way through. I am enjoying it but almost feel as though I have had my fill. I will continue as I have a feeling it is going to become absolute chaos, but I have to admit, the game running slightly long for what it is for me.
Ranking – Continue playing offline. Current Status – Half way through. I don’t know how I am going to do the rest 😂
Playing new games always feels nice. Even if I don’t like the game, removing it from my backlog list is satisfying in itself. Playing so many in a short space of time doesn’t really reflect a natural way of consuming games, but I think I will always enjoy it.
We had some very different results when compared to Season 1. It has been great to play through some of the ‘continue offline’ games during my holiday, and I am going to strive to finish them all up throughout the year, as well as Tunic which is the only game that remains from the Game Pass season.
After previous years of following game release dates and witnessing delay after delay, I heavily lost interest in keeping track of what games are releasing and when. Admittedly, this is also in no small part because I rarely buy or have time for new games immediately. My philosophy is, once they are out, I will get to them when I get to them. In the meantime, I am not running out of other things to play.
There is something about this mindset that has been an absolute boon this year, where I have been taken by surprise time and time again by the amount of games I really want to play. 2024 has been an outstanding year not only for games, but especially for indies.
Here are some of those games that I absolutely must play.
This list is in release order, from the beginning of the year to the end!
Persona 3 Reload
Developer: ATLUS
Release Date: 2 February 2024
Dive into the Dark Hour and awaken the depths of your heart. Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era with cutting-edge graphics and gameplay.
To my knowledge, the only JRPG other than Pokemon that I have played and finished, is Persona 5. I have dabbled in the first hour of a couple of modern Final Fantasy games, but otherwise it is a genre that I have not embraced yet. When I did play Persona 5 though, I was enraptured. From the first hour or two I was drawn into the story, then hour by hour as the gameplay revealed itself, I was all in. By day, I was Noob. By night, I was Joker, Phantom Thief of Hearts, delivering justice and making the world a better place, one intervention at a time.
Once I finished P5 I saw that both Persona 3 & 4 were available to buy and play immediately, but I dug deep and resisted, knowing that I would most likely be once again consumed. Cue Persona 3 Reload – here to allow me to play the most modern version, and to tempt me all over again.
I am exceptionally curious to see how the game presents itself with any other storyline than the Phantom Thieves. One day.
Hunt ghosts as two memorable characters in a story-driven Action-RPG where your decisions carry dramatic consequences. Torn between honoring your oath to the living and saving your departed partner, how far will you go for love?
I don’t know a lot about Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, except that I saw a trailer, liked what I saw, and filed it away as a game I would really like to play. Both before and after the game released, I haven’t seen much chatter around it and I am not sure why. Is it average and forgettable? Or was it just under the radar? Whenever I am presented with these questions my desire to find out for myself rises dramatically.
The stage is set. Imagine an old baroque manor, perhaps a hotel or a museum, somewhere in central Europe. A woman wanders in search of answers.
Classic Noob disclaimer: I get weirdly intimidated by puzzle games. Usually that is only confined to playing them as content. Whether that is the fear of showing myself up, of failing, of being judged, that is an entirely different conversation. So why does this game intimidate me? Even the idea of playing with 0 viewers makes me feel slightly unsure. Everything I have heard about Lorelei and the Laser Eyes sounds intriguing and great, but every part of me is sure that I am not going to get far with it.
I think one factor is a fear of the unknown. All I truly know about this game is that I have seen photographs of peoples notebooks during playing it. As far as I am aware it is a non-linear puzzle game, and that gives me flashbacks to how hard I dropped The Witness 4 hours in. Even the way that the visuals look so oppressive in their own, stylised way. Vibes work hard on me and I almost dropped Animal Well – one of my favourite games of the year – due to a spine chilling moment and gameplay section causing stress and terror. Will this game do that too?
Ultimately, it is my choice to avoid the answers to these questions because I know deep down I would like to find out for myself. And the most burning question of all… why laser eyes?
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without.
This is another new game that I was aware was releasing that I have heard little to nothing about post launch. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a very important game to me. I didn’t play it myself as I was way more nervous about potential horror back then, opting to watch a playthrough instead. Despite not being the one playing, the game left a huge impression. This is a game with huge themes of grief and it came to me at a time when I was heavily grieving myself, even inspiring me to take my own solo trip into the wilderness in an attempt at healing. This is the impact that I remember the first game for, before I even remember the fantastic audio design, the stunning visuals and haunting atmosphere. All of this to say, I am very fond of the first game, but was surprised when a sequel was announced.
I don’t crave another Hellblade game, but I have got to know where they went with it. Whether it brings disappointment, another extremely emotionally profound experience, or anything between, I feel ready to pick up the controller for myself this time.
Solving crime is no walk in the pond. You are a down-on-his-luck detective who also happens to be a duck. Use your powers of de-duck-tion to inspect evidence, fill in the blanks, and bust the case wide open! This is a short but twisty detective case.
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami was one of my favorite demos of the year, of course I have to play this game. Deduction gameplay, mysteries, good jokes and phenomenal voice acting all within a bite-sized package sounds absolutely perfect for a Noob stream.
You can buy Duck Detective: The Secret Salami here.
Still Wakes the Deep
Developer: The Chinese Room
Release Date: 18 June 2024
1975. Disaster strikes the Beira D oil rig off the coast of Scotland. Navigate the collapsing rig to save your crew from an otherworldly horror on the edge of all logic and reality.
I can’t put my finger on why I am so insistent that I want to Still Wakes the Deep. I have already mentioned my aversion to horror, but this one is drawing me in. The setting is certainly a factor. Not only is an oil rig the perfect isolated environment for whatever horrors lie ahead, but whenever a game is relatively local to me it immediately piques my interest. They really did have me with 2 words – North Sea.
Survival horror is too stressful for me, but I have lead myself to believe this is a more linear and straight forward experience, more akin to Soma than Alien Isolation. Hopefully I don’t get a rude awakening when I finally get to playing it but if so, I would 100% watch a Let’s Play instead as it seems very much up my alley.
Once you get tangled with the mob, you will forever be a part of the mob. At least they pay a decent salary and all you have to do is clean up after their dirty work, but you know what you’re doing. So clean crime scenes, earn as much money as you can, and get ready for the next mission.
Another demo that I thoroughly enjoyed, Crime Scene Cleaner is a game that I would love to be my next House Flipper, Powerwash Sim, task based, hands busy, half a brain, podcast game. I went in with low expectations and came out with a game very high up on my wishlist. Something these types of games do is fun, subtle environmental storytelling and it is endlessly entertaining to me. I imagine I will be picking this one up next time that mood strikes.
You can read my impressions of the Crime Scene Cleaner demo here.
Grunn
Developer: Sokpop Collective, Tom van den Boogaart
Release Date: 4 October 2024
A gardener gets hired for maintenance work over the weekend. A simple task, but strangely some tools are missing… The owner of the garden isn’t around, and their house is off-limits. Perhaps new tools can be found in the mysterious town, or maybe some of the reserved townsfolk have seen them?
Grunn was a demo that I actually had to stop playing because I was seeing too much and I HAVE to play this on stream. Weird, wonderful, awful, hitting those task based feelings I mentioned above but mixing that up with what I can only describe as ‘right unsettling vibes’.
I imagine playing this on stream will be super fun, collaborating on ideas, chat being both the angels and devils on my shoulders at the same time. Noticing any changes will be an entertaining group effort and they might even give me the courage(?) to stay out at night.
You can read my impressions of the Grunn demo here.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Developer: ATLUS
Release Date: 11 October 2024
The throne sits empty after the king’s assassination. With no heirs, the will of the late king decrees that the next monarch will be elected by the people, & thus begins your fight for the throne..
I felt the fomo HARD when Metaphor: ReFantazio released. I didn’t touch the demo as I knew already that I would want to play it. I haven’t played enough Persona to be sick of the high school setting yet (see the Persona 3 Reload entry above), but regardless of how you feel about real life monarchy, it makes an exciting prospect for fictional drama and I am so here for that idea alone. As the reviews released the fomo grew even more and I knew that this is something I am going to have to make time for eventually.
You can buy Metaphor: ReFantazio or play the demo here.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Developer: MachineGames
Release Date: 9 December 2024
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in a first-person, single-player adventure. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones™.
I haven’t seen a single Indiana Jones film and I wasn’t particularly interested in playing this game. That is until the reviews came out of course. The more I heard about it, the more fun this game sounds.
I think a lot about Uncharted, and wonder if there are many others like me who enjoy adventurous shenanegans but really could not stomach another Uncharted game. After playing all 5, the formula becomes so glaring that it feels impossible to un see it. Everything I have heard about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle makes me feel hopeful that I can have these adventures again in a new and exciting format.
You can buy Indiana Jones and the Great Circle here.
As always, there are way more than 10 games that released this year that I would like to play. The top 10 got swapped around so many times this year, here are some others that I would also like to get around to some day.
Balatro
Botany Manor
The Casting of Frank Stone
Caves of Qud
Clem
Cryptmaster
Dungeons of Hinterberg
Ete
Europa
Hades II
Indika
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Little Kitty, Big City
Phoenix Springs
Rise of the Golden Idol
Tales of Kenzara: Zau
Times and Galaxy
Thanks 2024 for another stellar year of video games!
A dice-driven RPG, in a human and heartfelt sci-fi world. You are an escaped android, with a malfunctioning body, a price on your head and no memory of your past. Get a ship, find a crew, and take on contracts while you navigate across the Starward Belt.
The Citizen Sleeper 2 demo throws you straight into the narrative. We are a sleeper. We are disoriented and lost as we come to our senses in an unfamiliar situation. The eloquent introductory scenareo does a great job of filling you in if you have yet to play the original, while not lingering too long for those that are already acquainted with the fiction. The ever familiar UI and soundscape provide comfort to me as a player as I get to know a new individual in an entirely new scenareo. We are no longer confined to the Eye, and based on what I have played so far, I cannot wait to see the stories that are yet to be told throughout the rest of space.
Citizen Sleeper is a Narrative RPG in which we use dice rolls to determine and distribute our actions. As is the case in Citizen Sleeper, your character has stats to give an advantage to certain types of tasks over others based on your strengths. Building these up over time as you gain experience in the world is just one of the mechanics in play in this management style, choices matter story.
What strikes me about the sequal so far during my 2 hours with it is that while a lot of the tone is synonymous with the first, there is a subtle change that has huge implications in both the gameplay and the narrative experience. We have a crew. In the first game we met plenty of people, got to know them, relied on them, even grew to love some of them, but deep down, it was a wholly solitary experience. For me at least, it felt deliberate as we go through the personal struggle of acceptance of what/who we are. People can help us along the way but that journey has to be ours and ours alone. I went to sleep alone at night, and I made my decisions based on what was best for me as survival had to be my number one priority. The small shift of having a crew is going to ripple out not only into my decisions, but into my way of thinking, and that is an exciting proposition.
Another impactful mechanic added to 2 is the contract system, changing up the day to day gameplay. If you are not currently on a contract, you are probably going to want to stock up for the next one as these multi-day jobs take you away from any bustle, to focus solely on the hustle. This new system is sure to complement our nomadic lifestyle, but presents its own challenges in resource management, risk reward and possibly even crew relations. I can tell you that my first contract absolutely did not go as I intended.
The writing is just as engaging as the first and with the universe at our fingertips, the possibilities feel endless. And with the recent announcement of a January 31st release date, we don’t have long to wait.
Demo Length – 2 hours At a glance + Meaningful changes from the first game. + A comfortable familiarity with the general structure and UI. + Choices matter, even during contracts. + Time pressure still feels weighty. + The addition of crew stress adds more plates to spin in an interesting way. + Writing and design remain stand out. +/- Looking forward to seeing the rest of the structure of the game.
![A Noob’s [Mini] Review – Death Trick: Double Blind](https://ctrlaltnoob.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/death-trick-double-blind-review.png?w=840)
CtrlAltNoob 