Constance is a game about confronting your inner darkness. Its hand-drawn cartoony art style won me over initially. Its challenging platforming puzzles and boss fights that required me to fully utilize the plethora of techniques I’d learned throughout the journey kept me engaged and always felt satisfying to complete. This fluid and extremely rewarding gameplay loop alone solidifies Constance as a must-play platformer. The heartfelt story at the core of it all is a welcome added bonus.
Hell is Us initially hooked me with its horror vibe and cool-looking action. After a fifty-hour playthrough, I’m happy to report that the combat is indeed cool and the vibes are indeed horror-adjacent, but Hell is Us is much more than that.
Particle Hearts is a puzzle game that plays primarily like a walking simulator. On the one hand, its puzzles are mostly rudimentary, and its narrative isn’t one that will move the needle. On the other hand, the game’s emotion-filled music and unique world of particles make exploring it a visual and audial pleasure that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Dune: Awakening is a big game. Its wide array of content to explore makes the game a perfect one to boot up with a group, but it’s also entirely playable solo as long as you’re prepared for a slow grind.
There are weirdos like me that find comfort in horror games, but The Midnight Walk strategically and intentionally walks the line between cozy game and horror game. Come for the vibes, stay for the vibes, as you tread along The Midnight Walk.
It’s tough to recommend Flint, though. While I did enjoy combat well enough, there was no real payoff for it. I didn’t care for why I’d win in battle or what that meant for the characters and the overall story. If you’re looking for a deep narrative adventure, this is probably not the game for you right now, but if you’re really itching for more strategic turn-based combat, or just really love the pirate setting, maybe consider giving Flint a try.
At a glance, it’s clear that Silent Hill and Resident Evil were major influences on indie horror game Hollowbody. While its retro PS2-style visuals are what initially drew me toward the game, inside of that is a competent survival horror experience that, while not doing too many things different from its predecessors, establishes a world and setting that’s worth exploring. If you’re looking for a game to scratch the itch of those classic survival horror experiences, Hollowbody is definitely worth your time.