Publisher: The Chinese Room
Developer: The Chinese Room
Year: 2012
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS
Rating: 4
Released just a month before Journey, Dear Esther is often considered the OG of walking simulators (even though it isn’t) and is similar insofar as there is little to do outside of walking and experiencing the story. Unfortunately, a questionable storytelling mechanic severely mars this otherwise gorgeous trip.
Continue reading Dear EstherPublisher: Raw Fury
Developer: Clifftop Games
Year: 2021
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Switch
Rating: 8
On the eve of the release of Kathy Rain 2, I decided to finally play the director’s cut version of the original. I reviewed Kathy Rain a few years ago and didn’t see a need for an upgrade to the 2016 classic. And while I still don’t feel it was necessary, there are some definite improvements that make this the preferred version for me, though not everyone agrees.
Continue reading Kathy Rain: The Director’s CutPublisher: Tlön Industries
Developer: Montraluz
Year: 2025
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series
Rating: 1
Full disclosure: Outside of The Stanley Parable, I have never played a game about liminal spaces. That game relied on narration to engage the player, but from what I gather, many others about suspiciously empty rooms go for horror, with stalking entities or jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat. Montraluz’s first game, Dreamcore, strips away all of that, creating enormous labyrinths of mostly nothing, almost exclusively relying on the player’s imagination to create tension and intrigue. However, while I appreciated the occasionally entertaining visual aesthetic, long before the end my imagination had been dulled by exhaustive monotony.
Continue reading DreamcorePublisher: 11 bit studios
Developer: Starward Industries
Year: 2023
Platform: Windows, PS5, Xbox Series
Rating: 5
Based on the 1963 hard science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanislaw Lem, The Invincible is the first game by Polish indie developer Starward Industries. A walking simulator with eleven possible endings based on choices you make, this game does a fine job at honoring the spirit of hard science fiction, while unfortunately allowing the game to be slower-paced than actually reading the novel.
Continue reading The InvinciblePublisher: Wadjet Eye
Developer: Wormwood Studios
Year: 2012
Platform: Windows, Mac Linux, Switch, iOS
Rating: 6
I get a bit nervous playing narrative games where none of the characters are humans, even when they’re heavily anthropomorphized. When there’s no human character, it can be difficult to ground the story into something relatable. Primordia, the first adventure by Wormwood Studios, mostly succeeds in overcoming this potential pitfall despite every character being a robot. Some dastardly puzzles do get in the way, as well as some uneven characterizations , but it’s still a worthy play for those who like steampunk sci-fi.
Continue reading PrimordiaPublisher: KAPA
Developer: KAPA
Year: 2022
Platform: Windows
Rating: 2
Half of an ambitious solo project from first-time Estonian game designer KAPA, The Silent Sky is a wonderfully hand-drawn and animated game about a boy who finds a portal in the woods behind his country home. Unfortunately, great animation is about all that it has going for it. Poor localization, poor dialogue, poor character development, and mediocre puzzles make it difficult to recommend.
Continue reading The Silent Sky: Part IPublisher: Stately Snail
Developer: Stately Snail
Year: 2024
Platform: Windows
Rating: 4
Yes, this game killed me early and often, and perhaps my greatest disappointment is that it doesn’t keep a death counter. I earned those deaths! All fifty of them! (At least.)
Continue reading Is This Game Trying to Kill Me?Publisher: EQ Studios
Developer: EQ Studios
Year: 2017
Platform: Windows
Rating: 7
The abandoned mansion/abandoned asylum/abandoned town plot device is beyond overdone. I get why, as having no other characters in your game is a lot easier and cheaper to program. But it still feels amateurish and thus I was hesitant to dive into the first game by indie developer EQ Studios. I needn’t have worried. Rather than going for spooks, The Painscreek Killings goes pure detective mode and does not disappoint.
Continue reading The Painscreek KillingsPublisher: Evil Trout
Developer: Jeremy Johnston, Robin Ward
Year: 2025
Platform: Windows, Mac Linux
Rating: 8
If you liked the deduction aspects of Return of the Obra Dinn but felt it was either too gruesome or too hard on the eyes, then The Roottrees are Dead should be your perfect game.
Continue reading The Roottrees are DeadPublisher: Frictional Games
Developer: Frictional Games
Year: 2015
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Rating: 8
The older I get the less I can tolerate the horror genre. Perhaps it’s the state of the world right now, or maybe I’m just getting old, but my nerves are already wound up enough without artificially tightening them further. For example, Frictional Games is most famous for their Amnesia series. I’ve attempted that, and despite enjoying it, have not been able to get through it due to my anxiety.
Yet they catered to me with Soma, adding an optional setting that more or less prevents you from dying at all. At first I worried that the horror would be dampened by eliminating the risk, but then I remembered that I still enjoy reading a Stephen King book even though I know I’m not going to die then either. Soma’s atmosphere is incredibly intense, risk or not, and the story is strong enough that it’s easily one of the best horror games I’ve played.
Continue reading Soma
Death By Troggles 
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