Samantha Lienhard's Reviews
Transient isn’t a long game, and its gameplay tends to take a backseat to its storytelling, but if you’re looking for a cyberpunk mystery or a cosmic horror story, Transient blends them remarkably well to create an engrossing journey.
Amnesia: Rebirth stumbles a little with its narrative-based approach and certain gameplay choices, but every time I started to feel frustrated with its direction, it had a nightmarish encounter waiting to remind me that no one does heart-pounding terror quite like Frictional Games.
Despite an unsatisfying conclusion, Raji: An Ancient Epic is a fun action-adventure game well worth looking into for anyone who wants an enjoyable story told alongside fast-paced combat or is interested in learning more about Hindu mythology.
While it’s a tough sell based on any of its individual pieces alone, you might check it out if the story intrigues you–as long as you remember it isn’t what it first seems to be.
There’s no denying that it’s fun and well-designed, with solid 3D platforming gameplay and third-person shooter combat, but the blatant lack of cohesion between these two styles of gameplay results in the overall package feeling a bit odd.
Ary and the Secret of Seasons is cute, clever, and fun, with a beautiful world to explore and entertaining puzzles to solve.
Best Friend Forever is cute, and you’re bound to get some smiles out of it if you’re a pet-lover. Unfortunately, the rest of it ends up feeling half-hearted.
Maid of Sker might not be the scariest horror game out there, but the tense moments, sound-based gameplay design, and intriguing story come together to form a solid horror experience nevertheless.
Although it occasionally becomes tedious and some sections can be frustrating, Skully should please fans of the genre looking for a 3D puzzle platformer with a fun, well-told story to accompany its platforming challenges.
Despite its short length, Dear Devere is a compelling tale with elements of both romance and mystery that should be viewed as a short story told in visual novel form.
The story resolution won’t sit well with everyone, but it’s still worth playing for the mystery and clever puzzles.
Dark, disturbing, and intense, Those Who Remain might not be a perfect game, but it’s one horror fans shouldn’t sleep on.
Wintermoor Tactics Club is ultimately a feel-good story with fun tactical battles. It might not be the most complex strategy game out there or have the deepest plot, but it’s an enjoyable way to spend 10 or so hours.
The Shattering is a surreal, psychological adventure game. The story might not be anything groundbreaking, but its portrayal of memories makes for an intriguing storytelling experience.
It’s a simple slice-of-life story with straightforward puzzles, but if that’s your thing, Half Past Fate does a clever job of connecting its cast of characters in ways that feel natural.
If you like picross, Murder by Numbers has some entertaining dialogue and colorful characters to go along with your puzzles. If you aren’t going into this for picross first and foremost, however, the rest of the game isn’t going to carry it.
While its storytelling might leave you with questions, LUNA The Shadow Dust is a beautiful game with some truly clever and challenging puzzles.
Do you enjoy slower-paced, puzzle-driven horror games? Does the phrase “Lovecraftian horror on Mars” get your attention? If either or both of these is true, Moons of Madness is a horror game you shouldn’t miss.
Deliver Us The Moon is a beautiful, haunting game perfect for anyone who enjoys games featuring exploration and light puzzle-solving, wants to piece together a tragic story by finding clues and logs from the past, or just dreams of visiting the moon.
Blair Witch has a good atmosphere and lots of interesting concepts, its multiple endings provide replayability, and Bullet is a wonderful companion