Absolutely understand why it gets such praise and love. A landmark game with genuine things to say and an utterly unique translation that sticks out in my mind. I'll be thinking about it for a while.
Bug Fables
The financial controversy regarding unpaid devs soured me on it but... what a delightfully charming game. Not always a perfect game but it wears its heart on its sleeve and its flaws become endearing rather than problems.
Heart in the Woods
Gay, magical, full of dread, and a delight. Highly recommend.
Fire Emblem: Fates
Does a game have to be "good?" Is it not enough to see anime teens fight each out, now with the game hacked to let them be gay?
Literally couldn't finish it until I applied the gay hack.
Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Path
Its got everything! Themes! Drama! Heroes challenged on their moral views! Sins of the parents left to haunt the present! It rules! One of my favorite of the franchise!
Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Its not... very good. But a lot of love went into it. They tried hard. I wish it didn't do the "all just a dream" thing but I get it. Its cool to them. Narrative dramas gotta start somewhere.
Luigi's Mansion 3
Bounced off it for a bit when I hit the water level, but I came back and blitzed through it. Its not quite the same magic I'm looking for from Luigi's Mansion 1 but... maybe that's for the best. This is doing so many new and exciting things, with new characters and game mechanics galore. The series needs this. If this is the direction the franchise goes, all the better.
Wide Ocean Big Jacket
FANTASTIC. One hour experience, delightful, intimate, utterly charming.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Grim. Uncomfortable at times. I think the first death is a bad pick to introduce the game mechanics but... the rest of it is pretty good. It gives you a lot to think about and mostly nails what its going for. Leaves things just vague enough for you to make your own conclusions. And all around genuinely compelling.
Chibi-Robo
Time management games about helping people is my SHIT. I love every second of this. Its dark underbelly on top of everything else? Easily skyrocketed to one of my favorite games ever made.
Town of Light
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh not great but A for effort.
Chulip
It’s really unpolished, weird design choices, and the final “boss” requires a metric ton of effort into digging deep into the world of this game. But it’s also insanely charming, fun, adorable, and goofy. It helped me get through the first two weeks of quarantine.
Murder By Numbers
My first picross! Had lots of fun! Wore out it’s welcome pretty quick!
This game RULES. I can’t be impartial about it. It’s the first one I ever played. I bought this and Last Train at Target when I was ten or twelve. I adored it. I loved every second of it. I was almost disappointed to discover the rest of the games were modern era, but this is such a GOOD anniversary game. A perfect ode to what Nancy Drew is. This one teaches you about old things like ham radio, cars, and more.
Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
It’s less polished, but it’s also my second Nancy Drew game so I have a hard time being impartial about this one too. It’s a train mystery! Those are always fun! It's also got a fun batch of character and there’s a good theme in there about how to appreciate what you have. The villain reveal is fun too. There’s a character beat about a police detective trying to frame a black man that’s really HMMMM. I’m also deeply uninterested in its attempts to teach you mining stuff.
The Haunted Carousel
A deeply disturbing examination of memory and how we escape our own mistakes.
Danger on Deception Island
its... goofy. Goofy in the weirdest ways and not very interesting otherwise? Character motivations are never explained. The final reveal is… complete nonsense with a sudden swerve towards running around a smuggling ship. They try to explain it in the credits and it just does not work. Kind of a mess!
The Final Scene
I really appreciate the different layers this goes for. Every single person contributes to the MESS that this kidnapping turns into. The kidnapping itself is a mistake, but the other suspects contribute to making the situation worse. Simone turns it into a press event that leads to a fake kidnapper trying to wring money out of it, Brady hides evidence, the bureaucracy is a mess. The entire crime wouldn’t even have happened if the culprit had looked a little closer at the documents he had in his vault! It’s all such a complicated mess! I love it! There’s also a really great time mechanic that works wonders. A+
The entire final climax relies on the realization that no one is going to help you. Every single ally you have was using you for their own ends and now they’re betraying you. The nervous movie star? Using this for publicity and couldn’t give a shit that your friend is trapped somewhere in this soon-to-be destroyed theater. The police? Following a hoax elsewhere. The friendly caretaker? Slowly going out of his mind, revealed to be the culprit and potentially not even aware of his own actions. The protestor? Well, he’s only in it for his cause and he’s just one guy against bureaucracy. You’re on your own, Nancy Drew. Good luck.
Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake
Kinda not great? There’s some character beats I like but it also completely ignores those moments at the end. There’s one character who should have depth and they completely ignore that depth. It’s weird.
Warnings at Waverly Place
GIRLS SCHOOL DRAMA. I LOVE IT. This one teaches Edgar Allen Poe and stuff. Kinda iffy on some parts but it’s a blast otherwise.
Message in a Haunted Mansion
Okay so this is the oldest Nancy Drew one I can Actually Play and. It’s too old. Pixel hunting and precise puzzles and shit. It’s too much.
Treasure in a Royal Tower
Vast improvement! Great puzzles, fun characters, it’s About something? It’s a big Marie Antoinette defense squad game while not defending the other rich people in the French Revolution. I really like that its really trying to be about SOMETHING rather than NOTHING. And its the first one to try and tell a story about a generation long past. Its really charming!
Secrets Can Kill
Its the original and the series hasn’t quite figured out its purpose yet. It’s dark and gritty and in a really silly way. Steroids, drug deals, murder- its all way too far and incredibly silly. I appreciate that the remaster leans into it rather than change it though.
Curse of Blackmoor Manor
There’s a whole thing in here about family legacy and its dangers. Everyone is so attached to the history of family, the things that used to be, that they can’t see the future available to them. The victim is an outsider to the family and is beginning to believe she’s been cursed for interfering with the family. Jane’s motive for hurting her stepmom comes out of resentment for the changes in her life. This is a really highly regarded Nancy game. This series is always evolving and in a great way.
That said, I don’t like this one. It goes so far into weird obtuse puzzles. It’s frustrating.
Shadow At Water's Edge
Compelling stuff, stronger writing. I burned out on sudoku puzzles.
Secret of the Scarlet Hand
I really liked this one! Weird fucking ending! But exciting stuff about shitty museum practices!
The best and worst of classic point and click homages. They throw every joke at the wall, even the dated offensive ones. They try to wring some feelings at the end but it doesn't quite nail it. Kickstarter games doing their thing.
Nairi: Tower of Shirin
A charming little point and click, more inspired by Layton than other examples. I found it really sweet and cute! Definitely worth keeping an eye on if it gets a sequel.
Fire Emblem Three Houses: Azure Moon
Wheels of Aurelia
If I was making a game about road tripping, with endings that change depending how well you drive, I would make the driving mechanics easy to use. RIP to devs, but I'm different.
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Video Games
Jan to March
Final Fantasy VII
Absolutely understand why it gets such praise and love. A landmark game with genuine things to say and an utterly unique translation that sticks out in my mind. I'll be thinking about it for a while.
Bug Fables
The financial controversy regarding unpaid devs soured me on it but... what a delightfully charming game. Not always a perfect game but it wears its heart on its sleeve and its flaws become endearing rather than problems.
Heart in the Woods
Gay, magical, full of dread, and a delight. Highly recommend.
Fire Emblem: Fates
Does a game have to be "good?" Is it not enough to see anime teens fight each out, now with the game hacked to let them be gay?
Literally couldn't finish it until I applied the gay hack.
Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Path
Its got everything! Themes! Drama! Heroes challenged on their moral views! Sins of the parents left to haunt the present! It rules! One of my favorite of the franchise!
Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Its not... very good. But a lot of love went into it. They tried hard. I wish it didn't do the "all just a dream" thing but I get it. Its cool to them. Narrative dramas gotta start somewhere.
Luigi's Mansion 3
Bounced off it for a bit when I hit the water level, but I came back and blitzed through it. Its not quite the same magic I'm looking for from Luigi's Mansion 1 but... maybe that's for the best. This is doing so many new and exciting things, with new characters and game mechanics galore. The series needs this. If this is the direction the franchise goes, all the better.
Wide Ocean Big Jacket
FANTASTIC. One hour experience, delightful, intimate, utterly charming.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Grim. Uncomfortable at times. I think the first death is a bad pick to introduce the game mechanics but... the rest of it is pretty good. It gives you a lot to think about and mostly nails what its going for. Leaves things just vague enough for you to make your own conclusions. And all around genuinely compelling.
Chibi-Robo
Time management games about helping people is my SHIT. I love every second of this. Its dark underbelly on top of everything else? Easily skyrocketed to one of my favorite games ever made.
Town of Light
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh not great but A for effort.
Chulip
It’s really unpolished, weird design choices, and the final “boss” requires a metric ton of effort into digging deep into the world of this game. But it’s also insanely charming, fun, adorable, and goofy. It helped me get through the first two weeks of quarantine.
Murder By Numbers
My first picross! Had lots of fun! Wore out it’s welcome pretty quick!
The Nancy Drew Marathon
This game RULES. I can’t be impartial about it. It’s the first one I ever played. I bought this and Last Train at Target when I was ten or twelve. I adored it. I loved every second of it. I was almost disappointed to discover the rest of the games were modern era, but this is such a GOOD anniversary game. A perfect ode to what Nancy Drew is. This one teaches you about old things like ham radio, cars, and more.
Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
It’s less polished, but it’s also my second Nancy Drew game so I have a hard time being impartial about this one too. It’s a train mystery! Those are always fun! It's also got a fun batch of character and there’s a good theme in there about how to appreciate what you have. The villain reveal is fun too. There’s a character beat about a police detective trying to frame a black man that’s really HMMMM. I’m also deeply uninterested in its attempts to teach you mining stuff.
The Haunted Carousel
A deeply disturbing examination of memory and how we escape our own mistakes.
Danger on Deception Island
its... goofy. Goofy in the weirdest ways and not very interesting otherwise? Character motivations are never explained. The final reveal is… complete nonsense with a sudden swerve towards running around a smuggling ship. They try to explain it in the credits and it just does not work. Kind of a mess!
The Final Scene
I really appreciate the different layers this goes for. Every single person contributes to the MESS that this kidnapping turns into. The kidnapping itself is a mistake, but the other suspects contribute to making the situation worse. Simone turns it into a press event that leads to a fake kidnapper trying to wring money out of it, Brady hides evidence, the bureaucracy is a mess. The entire crime wouldn’t even have happened if the culprit had looked a little closer at the documents he had in his vault! It’s all such a complicated mess! I love it! There’s also a really great time mechanic that works wonders. A+
The entire final climax relies on the realization that no one is going to help you. Every single ally you have was using you for their own ends and now they’re betraying you. The nervous movie star? Using this for publicity and couldn’t give a shit that your friend is trapped somewhere in this soon-to-be destroyed theater. The police? Following a hoax elsewhere. The friendly caretaker? Slowly going out of his mind, revealed to be the culprit and potentially not even aware of his own actions. The protestor? Well, he’s only in it for his cause and he’s just one guy against bureaucracy. You’re on your own, Nancy Drew. Good luck.
Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake
Kinda not great? There’s some character beats I like but it also completely ignores those moments at the end. There’s one character who should have depth and they completely ignore that depth. It’s weird.
Warnings at Waverly Place
GIRLS SCHOOL DRAMA. I LOVE IT. This one teaches Edgar Allen Poe and stuff. Kinda iffy on some parts but it’s a blast otherwise.
Message in a Haunted Mansion
Okay so this is the oldest Nancy Drew one I can Actually Play and. It’s too old. Pixel hunting and precise puzzles and shit. It’s too much.
Treasure in a Royal Tower
Vast improvement! Great puzzles, fun characters, it’s About something? It’s a big Marie Antoinette defense squad game while not defending the other rich people in the French Revolution. I really like that its really trying to be about SOMETHING rather than NOTHING. And its the first one to try and tell a story about a generation long past. Its really charming!
Secrets Can Kill
Its the original and the series hasn’t quite figured out its purpose yet. It’s dark and gritty and in a really silly way. Steroids, drug deals, murder- its all way too far and incredibly silly. I appreciate that the remaster leans into it rather than change it though.
Curse of Blackmoor Manor
There’s a whole thing in here about family legacy and its dangers. Everyone is so attached to the history of family, the things that used to be, that they can’t see the future available to them. The victim is an outsider to the family and is beginning to believe she’s been cursed for interfering with the family. Jane’s motive for hurting her stepmom comes out of resentment for the changes in her life. This is a really highly regarded Nancy game. This series is always evolving and in a great way.
That said, I don’t like this one. It goes so far into weird obtuse puzzles. It’s frustrating.
Shadow At Water's Edge
Compelling stuff, stronger writing. I burned out on sudoku puzzles.
Secret of the Scarlet Hand
I really liked this one! Weird fucking ending! But exciting stuff about shitty museum practices!
Quarantine Games
Final Fantasy V
Gibbous: A Cthulu Tale
The best and worst of classic point and click homages. They throw every joke at the wall, even the dated offensive ones. They try to wring some feelings at the end but it doesn't quite nail it. Kickstarter games doing their thing.
Nairi: Tower of Shirin
A charming little point and click, more inspired by Layton than other examples. I found it really sweet and cute! Definitely worth keeping an eye on if it gets a sequel.
Fire Emblem Three Houses: Azure Moon
Wheels of Aurelia
If I was making a game about road tripping, with endings that change depending how well you drive, I would make the driving mechanics easy to use. RIP to devs, but I'm different.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
The Outer Worlds
Hypnospace Outlaw
What the Golf?
The Samaritan Paradox
Umineko Episodes 1-4
Feria d'Arles
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
The Outcast Lovers
Sumatra: Fate of Yandi
Fire Emblem Three Houses: Verdant Wind
Fire Emblem Three Houses: Cindered Shadows
Unforeseen Incidents
Takeshi and Hiroshi