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Samantha Lienhard


Favorite Games:
  • Tales of Symphonia
  • Ace Attorney
  • Silent Hill 4

92 games reviewed
80.2 average score
80 median score
69.6% of games recommended

Samantha Lienhard's Reviews

I'm a horror and fantasy author as well as a freelance writer. I love a wide variety of video game genres, especially RPGs.

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.

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3.5 / 5.0 - Tamarin
Sep 10, 2020

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.

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Sep 1, 2020

Ary and the Secret of Seasons is cute, clever, and fun, with a beautiful world to explore and entertaining puzzles to solve.

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Aug 27, 2020

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.

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4 / 5.0 - Maid of Sker
Aug 9, 2020

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.

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4 / 5.0 - Skully
Aug 4, 2020

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.

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4.5 / 5.0 - Dear Devere
Jun 26, 2020

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.

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Jun 15, 2020

The story resolution won’t sit well with everyone, but it’s still worth playing for the mystery and clever puzzles.

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4.5 / 5.0 - Those Who Remain
May 28, 2020

Dark, disturbing, and intense, Those Who Remain might not be a perfect game, but it’s one horror fans shouldn’t sleep on.

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May 15, 2020

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.

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3.5 / 5.0 - The Shattering
Apr 20, 2020

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.

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4.5 / 5.0 - Half Past Fate
Mar 12, 2020

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.

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Mar 5, 2020

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.

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Feb 12, 2020

While its storytelling might leave you with questions, LUNA The Shadow Dust is a beautiful game with some truly clever and challenging puzzles.

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Oct 28, 2019

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.

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Oct 26, 2019

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.

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Aug 30, 2019

Blair Witch has a good atmosphere and lots of interesting concepts, its multiple endings provide replayability, and Bullet is a wonderful companion

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Aug 2, 2019

Blending the storytelling of film noir with the premise of a child playing with toys, Bear With Me: The Lost Robots is a point-and-click adventure game that manages to be a lighthearted romp and a gritty crime story at the same time.

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Jun 8, 2019

While holding true to the same basic gameplay formula, Layers of Fear 2 takes great steps toward distinguishing itself from the first game. Unfortunately, while this pays off in some respects, Layers of Fear 2 struggles to be as cohesive as a psychological horror game should be.

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3.5 / 5.0 - Observation
May 31, 2019

Observation’s tedious gameplay and intriguing story kept me asking myself if it would have been better as a film than a game.

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