"PUSH" By: Maciej Targoni & Michal Pawlowski You might know Maciej Targoni from his games HOOK or klocki, both minimalistic puzzlers that have no instructions and count on you figuring things out through experimentation. Michal Pawlowski also released a puzzle game called Zenge, which similarly doesn't hold your hand but is relaxing and never punishing. Considering how much these games have in common, it makes sense that the two developers have now…
Thimbleweed Park By: Terrible Toybox (Ron Gilbert) As a point-and-click adventure fan, I knew I was supposed to be excited about Thimbleweed Park when it was announced, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I had mixed feelings. As I mentioned here, I didn't grow up on LucasArts games, but rather those like Broken Sword. So I don't have any nostalgic attachment to the retro art or old school action verb…
Flower By: Annapurna Interactive (thatgamecompany) I never owned any PlayStation consoles, so even though thatgamecompany's relaxing Flower released back in 2009, I didn't get to play it until it arrived on iOS this week, eight years later. I wasn't really sure what to expect, as I haven't played anything by thatgamecompany, even their most popular, Journey. I was a little concerned about the tilt control scheme, as I usually avoid games with…
Kensh╬ô├╢Γò¥Γö£┬╝ By: FIFTYTWO What first attracted me to FIFTYTWO's new puzzle game, Kensh╬ô├╢Γò¥Γö£┬╝, were the gorgeous animations and lovey music in the App Store trailer video. I'm happy to say that that the game delivers every bit on both accounts. But what's hard to tell from that video is what that gameplay would be like, and that's unfortunately where the game falters a bit. In Kensh╬ô├╢Γò¥Γö£┬╝, you're following the story of a…
Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story By: Plug In Digital (Accidental Queens) Accidental Queens' A Normal Lost Phone was unique not just because it's one of a rare few games that mimic an entire smartphone, but because of the sensitive topic it explores. Without giving too much away, I will say that it was about teenagers and finding one's way in life, where one can be themselves and comfortable in their skin. It…
Uri: The Sprout of Lotus Creek By: Γò¼├║╬ô├▓├▓Γö¼├¡Γö¼ΓòíΓö£┬╜Γö£┬╗Γö¼Γòí╬ô├▓├▓╬ô├▓├▓ (Dream Tree) I'd been cautiously keeping an eye on Dream Tree's puzzle platformer, Uri: The Sprout of Lotus Creek up to its release. The teaser videos didn't give a good idea what the game would be like, but I was curious about the cencept of using the user interface (UI) as controls. I also liked the look of the game, as it has that…
Bertram Fiddle: Episode 2: A Bleaker Predicklement By: Rumpus Animation Bertram Fiddle has had quite the journey in getting his latest adventures recorded and turned into a video game. It's been a bumpy road, but after a successful Kickstarter and many many delays, we finally get to play A Bleaker Predicklement, the second episode of the point-and-click adventure that follows Victorian England's finest explorator as he hunts down the elusive Geoff the…
Lynk. By: Michael Le Update, October 2017: When I played the game and wrote this review, The Witness was not available yet on iOS. I've since played it and realized that Lynk copied all its mechanics from there and it's not as original as I first thought. It's still worth playing if you can't play The Witness, but otherwise I recommend playing that instead. Based on appearances, I almost ignored the new…