The Stillness of the Wind By: Surprise Attack Games / Lambic Studios / Memory of God I always look forward to games that try to challenge the idea of what games are supposed to be. I like when they attempt to create a certain kind of experience through interactivity, worrying less about providing a challenge and more about making something that sticks with the player long after the game is over. Search-based…
Dragons: Titan Uprising By: Ludia I don't normally play or review free-to-play match-three games, as I know that they're almost always going to be pure garbage, with progress linked to how much real world money you're able and willing to spend. But I like dragons, and I like the How to Train Your Dragon franchise and am looking forward to the upcoming movie The Hidden World. I also like match-three games when…
Roterra - Flip the Fairytale By: Dig-It Games I'm always on the lookout for the next great puzzle game, so when I saw news of Roterra a few months back, I knew it was something I had to play. The game was created by Dig-It, a woman-owned studio, and it stars a woman named Angelica, the rightful queen of the land of Roterra. After her brother, Orlando, steals her throne and chases…
BACKFIRE By: Joel Rochon / GRYN SQYD It will probably come as no surprise to those who frequent this site that I tend to prefer my games relaxed and thoughtful instead of fast-paced and chaotic. So if I stick with one that gets my heart racing and stresses me out, you know it's something special. That's definitely the case with the hardcore arena shooter, BACKFIRE. I fell in love from the first…
Alien: Blackout By: D3PA I really wanted to like Alien: Blackout, even if just to prove to all the naysayers that a mobile Alien game can be truly fun and well-designed -- especially one without any ads or in-app purchases. And at first, it seemed like that would actually happen. The overall concept sounds like a perfect fit for the both the franchise and touchscreens -- monitoring the xenomorph through different camera…
BLASK By: Pawel Delimata / SmallBigSquare I've always been a big fan of laser reflecting puzzles, as they often meet that sweet spot between logic and trial-and-error. You can get pretty far just fiddling with the pieces and adjusting them until you achieve the goal, but you get farther if you also have a bit of a plan. I also love when games innovate, bringing something completely new to the table, and…
Barbearian By: Kimmo Lahtinen (GIMBLLL) Someone out there might remember that last year, I played The Witness for months and then finally reviewed it right before the year ended. Well, it looks like GIMBLLL's hectic hack-n-slash, Barbearian, is this year's The Witness. I loved it from the very start, with its fast-paced mayhem and charming hand-drawn art style. But every time I'd get stuck on a boss, I'd take a break for…
Gone Home By: Annapurna Interactive / Fullbright Company Gone Home released on PC in 2013 to critical acclaim, won a bunch of awards and, along with it, a ton of controversy. Dubbed the original “walking simulator,” the lack of any meaningful challenge prompted questions on whether it’s even a game. Basically, you walk around an empty house, picking up objects and reading notes left around by the family. There aren’t really any…
