Hi everyone and welcome back to another installment of My Week Unwrapped, where I discuss all the games I’ve been playing over the last seven days. There have been a lot of great ones to cover, and some that are perfect for Halloween. So if you don’t have plans to go out tomorrow, you might want to curl up with one of these instead. Also, don’t forget to check out the sales at the bottom of the page. There are some hot deals going on!
FROST
Kunabi Brother’s artful puzzle/toy hybrid, FROST, came out of nowhere this week. It was hard to tell from the screenshots and trailers if it would be a puzzle game at all, or mainly a toy. I was surprised and relieved to discover that it is very much a puzzler and it has some clever mechanics. I already wrote a full review, though, so I’ll let you read that instead of repeating myself. I also made a complete walkthrough guide for anyone who’s stuck.
SIMULACRA
SIMULACRA is from the makers of Sara is Missing, which I really enjoyed. It wasn’t a long game, but it was free with no strings attached. Im still playing through SIMULACRA (have you noticed the acronym SIM in the title?), but so far it feels a lot longer than SIM. I’ve put in 3.5 hours already and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. Once again, you find someone’s phone and start answering texts and learn that the owner, Anna, is missing. The game has been full of twists and turns and surprises, even hidden Easter eggs I’ve been trying to decipher. I’ve been genuinely creeped out by it here and there, though it hasn’t involved any of the more disturbing videos seen in SIM…yet? I’ll likely have a full review up once I complete the game, but if you can’t wait for that, check out the video below. I have more videos here, but I really recommend just playing it yourself. It’s superbly crafted and incredibly immersive. Perfect for Halloween!
Adventure Escape: Starstruck
It had been a while since Haiku Games released their last Adventure Escape game, so we were due for a new one. Sadly, it’s not Halloween-related, but I do appreciate that it shines a light on the very important topic of animal abuse and exotic pet smugglers. It’s called Starstruck and follows the disappearance of a young movie star. The puzzles are basically what you’d expect, but there are some surprises thrown in and a few puzzles that stumped me for a bit. Anyway, if you like the others, there’s no reason not to play this one. And if you get stuck, I have a complete walkthrough guide here.
Stranger Things: The Game
Season 2 of Stranger Things finally came out in Netflix and to celebrate, they added some rated content to the game. I already had a great time with it, so I was happy to have more to play. This content update allows you to unlock the latest character in the series, Max, as a playable character with psychic abilities. There’s some other items to find as well, but I don’t want to spoil them for you. If you do want help finding everything, I made a separate walkthrough guide for the new content.
Yesterday Origins
I only just started this, but I remember liking the point-and-click adventure Yesterday years ago when it released, so I’m looking forward to playing more of the newly-released Yesterday Origins. It’s developed by Pendulo Studios and published by Microids. I can’t remember details of the first game, so I may replay it after. But for now, I’m enjoying the twisted subject of this prequel, which starts off during the Inquisition. I’m a young man locked in a cell with a man-eating hog and only a few tools to help me escape, one being a torture device called The Boot. If o don’t get out, the guard will do unspeakable things to me with all sorts of torture devices. I haven’t gotten far yet in the game, but I absolutely love the soundtrack and I’m totally digging setting. I plan to play more over the next week, so I should have more impressions for you later. Until then, you can watch some of my gameplay video below. And definitely check out the first Yesterday of you haven’t yet.
IOTA’s Journey
I don’t really have much to say about IOTA’s Journey at the moment. It’s a turn-based stealth puzzler that feels a bit too similar to other games but lacks the charm to keep me interested. It’s like parts of Linelight without the atmosphere. It’s just not holding my attention when there are so many other games to play. But it’s free to try, so give it a shot if it looks like something you’d enjoy.
Nory’s Escape
And last, I grabbed Nory’s Escape for just $0.99 because I liked the art style and concept enough to take a chance on it at that low price. It’s a bit too stressful for me, as it goes at a fast pace. It’s an auto-running platformer where instead of jumping, you draw lines for Nory to use as bridges. It’s a great concept and I’m sure there’s a lot of people out there who will enjoy it. But I think it’s a little too punishing for me. It’s cheap, though, so if it looks like something you’d like, check it out.
And that’s a wrap! Make sure to check out the sales below and I’ll see you back here next Monday for more of My Week Unwrapped! Happy Halloween and let me know how you’re celebrating! I’m likely going to the parade if it’s not too cold. But if you pick up any spooky Halloween games, I’d love to hear about them!
Sales:
The Forgotten Room – FREE
Inbetween Land (Full) – FREE
Inbetween Land HD (Full) – FREE
Forever Lost Episode 1 HD – $0.99
Iron Marines – $2.99
Crow – $0.99
