I feel like this game was made specifically to cater to a certain era of gamers who grew up with games that are hard to maneuver, with janky controls because of hardware limitations. It serves to tickle their nostalgia while trying to have a good story. If you’re that kind of person, maybe a person who enjoyed games in the 70s or something? And a person who maybe lived in Europe? Maybe you’d like this game. But that’s not me, maybe that’s just the reason, that I’m not the audience for this game, but at the same time I came in at the very least for a story, and I come out of this experience mourning the loss of my time.

(full review here https://doorplays.substack.com/p/horace-review)

This game is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of game. It is nonstandard yet very bold. I love the uniqueness of it and how it asks the question of what a game actually is. Some won’t consider this a game and think of it more as an interactive movie, but as a person who is very interested in the narrative potential of games, I appreciate the bold experimentation that this game pulls off. Sam Barlow has been doing this kind of game since Her Story (2015), and I feel like he has perfected the formula here, though I wonder how he will make another game like this.

(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/immortality-2022-review, also spoilery essay https://doorplays.substack.com/p/immortality-2022-spoilery-review)

Chicory: A Colorful Tale has been a lovely experience for me. I probably used the word “cute” a lot in this review, but that’s because the game just oozes with cuteness! There’s a certain serenity to playing this game, just coloring places at your own pace. It set out to be a coloring book game of sorts, and I think it’s successful in that regard and then some! More people need to play this game, and frankly I think it’s criminal that this game doesn’t seem to be that well known! So go and play it!!!!

(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-chicory-a-colorful-tale)

PRODUCER 2021 is definitely an interesting visual novel. A playthrough is roughly 2 hours, which is short and sweet. I ended up doing three just to explore all the options! Despite this though, I’m not sure I can wholeheartedly recommend this as it feels VERY experimental. I’m not a person who has played a lot of visual novels but it still doesn’t feel like your typical visual novel experience I think. I nonetheless recommend it if you’re looking for something refreshing story-wise. If nothing else, play it for the sick beats!!!

(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-producer-2021-2022)

I found Elsinore interesting. Very much gripping at times. Its twists and turns are exciting. The journey to getting to some exciting parts can be a bit of a slog, but it does make you feel that you really have to work to get your happy ending.

I liked it! I enjoyed the discussions it put forth. I recommend it!

(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-elsinore-2019)

I don’t think this game is bad, despite how I wrote about it. It’s decent! The aesthetics are great! The prose is good! I just struggle because it looks pretty, and for what? I feel like there should be more to this, that this is a diamond in the rough that with a little shine, will become more than what it is. But, well… it just is. It is itself, and I find it wanting.

If you want a quick jaunt through 1920’s San Francisco, then you might like this game. But if you want a deeper and enjoyable mystery, other games might serve you better. It’s a decent game, but I just can’t remove the feeling of disappointment right now.

(full review https://doorplays.substack.com/p/door-reviews-a-case-of-distrust-2018)