Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings ™ Game offers a means to jump into Tolkien’s world of Middle-Earth to live a life as a humble hobbit in Bywater. I loved embodying the simplistic life of a hobbit just trying to fit in, and forming bonds with the locals by ways of making them meals. While I fully believe that this game would benefit greatly from some quality of life changes as well as additional crafting and NPC engagement amidst a broader story, I have had a lot of fun as a hobbit and I can see the potential for it to be a fabulous game that will bring me back to continue my new adventure!
Everdeep Aurora is a 2D exploration game set during a devastating meteor shower that is forcing the entire world to evacuate into the safety of the depths below. Its charming graphics gave me a nostalgic feeling as I, Shell the kitten, drilled my way through the rocks on my own personal quest for protection. Through text based dialogue, each enchanting character I encountered told me their stories and uncovered the secrets of Everdeep and the location of Shell’s mother. If you’re looking for your next indie adventure, look no further than this delightful gem from Nautilus Games!
Europa hits every mark in my book for a good quality 3D platformer adventure. It follows the story of Zee, an android boy, as he discovers his past told through his father’s journal entries that are scattered across the land. Its captivating art style, music, and engaging story trapped me within its grasp just a few minutes into the game. Gliding through the environment proved to be my best friend and my worst enemy as I successfully dodged enemies but missed a few of the many collectibles hidden throughout this adventure! The emotional impact of this story’s plot twist will live on in my heart as I slide back into life to uncover my own destiny!
Last Time I Saw You offers a rich, unique story that is told through scripted dialogue, sought-out interactions, and some side reading. I appreciate that combat is minimal, but enough that it kept me aware when I entered a new area just in case something came from the dark. Despite some self-discovery of mechanics, progressing through the game is very fluid. I found myself wanting to learn more about each character’s story as I spoke with each of them, and it gave me a small-town feel with an ancestral history that only added to the plot! I highly recommend giving this hand-drawn game a play-through!