roytheboy
2015
I still don't like horror games, but this one is pretty amazing.
Exploring the ideas of what makes us human, who are we really, can we recreate ourselves...and if so, what does that mean for us? It is a truly breathtaking experience and horrifying from beginning to end.
Some really freaky moments as well for those who like to scream.
If you can handle horror games and spooky moments and getting attacked by monsters and also want an engaging and thoughtful story, this is the game for you.
Exploring the ideas of what makes us human, who are we really, can we recreate ourselves...and if so, what does that mean for us? It is a truly breathtaking experience and horrifying from beginning to end.
Some really freaky moments as well for those who like to scream.
If you can handle horror games and spooky moments and getting attacked by monsters and also want an engaging and thoughtful story, this is the game for you.
If you liked Celeste or you liked N64 platformers (or both), then I recommend you check it out. Its short, cute, and a lot of fun.
First thing in this game's favor: it's free! This was a gift from the Celeste team honoring the game's anniversary and you can really feel the original team in this game. All the mechanics from the original game are here but with a 3D platformer spin. The challenges get progressively more difficult, but nothing here is insanely hard. If I can beat it in 3 hours, anyone can.
Second, its a cute game. While not much of a story, the bits that are there are enjoyable and bring you back to the old Celeste world. A few familiar faces pop up throughout and each time its a real joy.
But (and of course there is a but) this is still probably only a 3 out of 5 game overall. As far as free games made over a week or two - yeah it's a five. This is a great game hitting exactly the beats it wants too in exactly the ways it intended. But this is also a very niche game for a niche audience and it does struggle at parts. For instance, the camera can be a real pain. I'd also hoped for a few more story beats, I don't think it would have been too hard to add in a few more characters from the game for you to meet with and slowly progress the story to the ending. Finally, I didn't really like the way it "ends". The goal isn't clear at all and when I got to the ending I didn't even realize it. I think they could have advertised a path or a purpose a bit more clearly.
Still, what a great cute game that I really enjoyed. Thank you Celeste team for this!
First thing in this game's favor: it's free! This was a gift from the Celeste team honoring the game's anniversary and you can really feel the original team in this game. All the mechanics from the original game are here but with a 3D platformer spin. The challenges get progressively more difficult, but nothing here is insanely hard. If I can beat it in 3 hours, anyone can.
Second, its a cute game. While not much of a story, the bits that are there are enjoyable and bring you back to the old Celeste world. A few familiar faces pop up throughout and each time its a real joy.
But (and of course there is a but) this is still probably only a 3 out of 5 game overall. As far as free games made over a week or two - yeah it's a five. This is a great game hitting exactly the beats it wants too in exactly the ways it intended. But this is also a very niche game for a niche audience and it does struggle at parts. For instance, the camera can be a real pain. I'd also hoped for a few more story beats, I don't think it would have been too hard to add in a few more characters from the game for you to meet with and slowly progress the story to the ending. Finally, I didn't really like the way it "ends". The goal isn't clear at all and when I got to the ending I didn't even realize it. I think they could have advertised a path or a purpose a bit more clearly.
Still, what a great cute game that I really enjoyed. Thank you Celeste team for this!
2021
This game was recommended by a friend and fellow streamer, Garytron who said, "This is very much a Roy game" and he was right. I can't express how much I loved this one.
The Artful Escape follows a man stepping into adulthood with a shadow of expectation hanging over his head. One he is ready to embrace (albeit it out of the pressure he feels, not out of a love for that future). And then, out of nowhere, aliens show up and take him on a journey of discovery.
The themes of this game had me locked in, figuring out who you are, developing your own personal style and personal sound. Being challenged to create your own journey and definition of who you are, where you come from, and (most importantly) where you are going. And then, wrapping it up with themes of a legacy ending - of losing the thing that defined you and trying to figure out who you are while others take your place.
What a game. What a spectacular game.
I would consider changing two things about it though:
1. I would make the musical gameplay more difficult. This is really a walking simulator (a fun one!) with a few moments of discovery and a few moments of rockband like playing. But the rockband piece is lacking in difficulty and engagement. I think with a little more work they could have made this part of the game more difficult and much better.
2. I felt the ending was slightly abrupt. No way to talk about this without spoilers, but while not a bad ending, it felt like there could have been just slightly more to it and it would have finished the game perfectly.
Still, what a spectacular game. Running through worlds wailing on the guitar is a true pleasure. Definitely recommended!
The Artful Escape follows a man stepping into adulthood with a shadow of expectation hanging over his head. One he is ready to embrace (albeit it out of the pressure he feels, not out of a love for that future). And then, out of nowhere, aliens show up and take him on a journey of discovery.
The themes of this game had me locked in, figuring out who you are, developing your own personal style and personal sound. Being challenged to create your own journey and definition of who you are, where you come from, and (most importantly) where you are going. And then, wrapping it up with themes of a legacy ending - of losing the thing that defined you and trying to figure out who you are while others take your place.
What a game. What a spectacular game.
I would consider changing two things about it though:
1. I would make the musical gameplay more difficult. This is really a walking simulator (a fun one!) with a few moments of discovery and a few moments of rockband like playing. But the rockband piece is lacking in difficulty and engagement. I think with a little more work they could have made this part of the game more difficult and much better.
2. I felt the ending was slightly abrupt. No way to talk about this without spoilers, but while not a bad ending, it felt like there could have been just slightly more to it and it would have finished the game perfectly.
Still, what a spectacular game. Running through worlds wailing on the guitar is a true pleasure. Definitely recommended!
A unique, free game. It is very much an in-development game and I'm not sure if it was a game jam or something else, but the gist is you clean up a person's home after they died so the family doesn't have too and as you go through this person's belongings you learn about their life and what may have led to their untimely demise. At the end of the game, you provide the family with three pieces of their life with different endings depending on what you decide to give them.
This idea for this game is great. With a bit more development, polish, and story design this could be a huge hit. As it stands right now, I'm glad the game is free. It isn't finished and you can see weird names for things. Additionally, it is somewhat hard to figure out what you are supposed to do throughout the game.
As it stands, I wouldn't recommend playing this game. It is a cute distraction for about 20-30 minutes and then its just...over. However, I really hope the developers keep working at this one. It has the potential of a sleeper hit, it just needs more dev time.
This idea for this game is great. With a bit more development, polish, and story design this could be a huge hit. As it stands right now, I'm glad the game is free. It isn't finished and you can see weird names for things. Additionally, it is somewhat hard to figure out what you are supposed to do throughout the game.
As it stands, I wouldn't recommend playing this game. It is a cute distraction for about 20-30 minutes and then its just...over. However, I really hope the developers keep working at this one. It has the potential of a sleeper hit, it just needs more dev time.
2013
This game is fantastic! What a perfect little game. Multiple endings makes replayability a blast! And being part of a bureaucratic cold war monster is, shockingly, wonderful. I can't recommend this one enough.
2011
A cute game and certainly echoes of what would eventually become Hades. The story is intriguing but not as deeply examined as I hoped it would be.
There are some mechanics that were pretty frustrating for me. Aiming is a pain. Most of the long distance attacks don't have any sort of lock on mechanics or crosshair, so you have to guess. It's also difficult to figure out where the edges are sometimes. And, my other big critique is that the game itself gest a bit repetitive as things go on. But, it's a 5-6 hour game, so it's not like you're doing anything for that long.
In the end, I liked the game overall and I could see myself playing it again in the future to explore alternate endings and paths. And, if nothing else, this is a pretty cool piece of internet history to what would become one of the best Game Devs in the business.
There are some mechanics that were pretty frustrating for me. Aiming is a pain. Most of the long distance attacks don't have any sort of lock on mechanics or crosshair, so you have to guess. It's also difficult to figure out where the edges are sometimes. And, my other big critique is that the game itself gest a bit repetitive as things go on. But, it's a 5-6 hour game, so it's not like you're doing anything for that long.
In the end, I liked the game overall and I could see myself playing it again in the future to explore alternate endings and paths. And, if nothing else, this is a pretty cool piece of internet history to what would become one of the best Game Devs in the business.
2022
There is nothing to this game. They came up with a really clever idea and the start of the mystery is great, but it leads to nothing. There is no ending. There is no story. There is no reason. You just solve puzzles for the sake of solving them and have "multiple endings" depending on how you lose.
I really can't recommend this one. It's a really, really cute idea that simply isn't executed.
I really can't recommend this one. It's a really, really cute idea that simply isn't executed.
2020
What a great little puzzle game! You're a stickman solving platformer puzzles to get from one puzzle to the next all for some mysterious purpose.
It's a straight forward game with almost no side puzzles or secrets or multiple endings.
The ending is a bit of a trip and an extremely clever idea, but it does leave a ton of open questions, none of which are answered. That's probably where it lost points for me, the ending sets up something amazing but then just sort of...ends. I wish there was more meat there at the end of the game.
Still, what a cute, wonderful game! 4/5
It's a straight forward game with almost no side puzzles or secrets or multiple endings.
The ending is a bit of a trip and an extremely clever idea, but it does leave a ton of open questions, none of which are answered. That's probably where it lost points for me, the ending sets up something amazing but then just sort of...ends. I wish there was more meat there at the end of the game.
Still, what a cute, wonderful game! 4/5
2021
Sable was very cute with an extremely strong opening and a solid ending. I really enjoyed traveling around the world, exploring the different people within it, trying to figure out what I was going to become.
One of my favorite moments comes at the very beginning when a member of your village encouraging you on your journey say, "You're going to love it out there, even when you don't." And WOW, that blew me away! What a succinct and beautiful reminder of how we look back on the good and bad times in our lives - especially when we are younger. The game is chock full of that sort of stuff and I really enjoyed hearing it, digesting it, and talking it through with my friends.
Also, the art is beautiful. The style is simply perfect for this sort of adventure and I loved looking at the beautiful world they created for Sable.
A few critiques you should know about going in though: First, it's buggy. Really buggy. Even this many years later it has its hiccups. Nothing game breaking, but its noticeable. Second, the game gets a bit grindy in the latter third. If you want to do everything, you're going to be grinding, which feels like an imposition in this game. I should be exploring and enjoying not grinding. Better explanations on what you need to do next would go a long way. Finally, the while beautiful, at times and in certain locations the colors all blend together and the world loses definition. Mostly at "dusk". I had trouble seeing a few times and some of my vision impaired friends really struggled with this.
Still, with all that, Sable is a great little indie game with a good story and some nice meat to chew on as you step into life. I would 100% give this game to someone entering into college or who is struggling to figure out what's next.
One of my favorite moments comes at the very beginning when a member of your village encouraging you on your journey say, "You're going to love it out there, even when you don't." And WOW, that blew me away! What a succinct and beautiful reminder of how we look back on the good and bad times in our lives - especially when we are younger. The game is chock full of that sort of stuff and I really enjoyed hearing it, digesting it, and talking it through with my friends.
Also, the art is beautiful. The style is simply perfect for this sort of adventure and I loved looking at the beautiful world they created for Sable.
A few critiques you should know about going in though: First, it's buggy. Really buggy. Even this many years later it has its hiccups. Nothing game breaking, but its noticeable. Second, the game gets a bit grindy in the latter third. If you want to do everything, you're going to be grinding, which feels like an imposition in this game. I should be exploring and enjoying not grinding. Better explanations on what you need to do next would go a long way. Finally, the while beautiful, at times and in certain locations the colors all blend together and the world loses definition. Mostly at "dusk". I had trouble seeing a few times and some of my vision impaired friends really struggled with this.
Still, with all that, Sable is a great little indie game with a good story and some nice meat to chew on as you step into life. I would 100% give this game to someone entering into college or who is struggling to figure out what's next.
2022
This review contains spoilers
An extremely clever game that doesn't quite stick the landing. Considered a "spiritual successor" of Portal, the gaming mechanics alone are worth a playthrough. The story is engaging, though pretty confusing at the end. It ultimately won me over and I would certainly recommend it, but I wish they had done a little more to bring it together and lead into something.
2019
I liked this game. It does what Little Misfortune failed to do - discuss very difficult topics in a way that is engaging, interesting, and doesn't make you feel bad.
I don't want to say much about this game except it does a phenomenal job of taking you on this journey through this unique world and exploring a very difficult topic. My only real critique would be how, "out of nowhere" the ending is.
Out of nowhere isn't really fair because they do a pretty good job of hinting at it throughout, but it takes a pretty dramatic turn at the end. Still, a good game that I'd recommend playing if you can handle the dark themes.
I don't want to say much about this game except it does a phenomenal job of taking you on this journey through this unique world and exploring a very difficult topic. My only real critique would be how, "out of nowhere" the ending is.
Out of nowhere isn't really fair because they do a pretty good job of hinting at it throughout, but it takes a pretty dramatic turn at the end. Still, a good game that I'd recommend playing if you can handle the dark themes.
2020
A cute little game dealing with grief in unique ways. Seems focused on being a game for children, which is actually a win for the game overall as I think it introduces the topics of death and grief to children in fantastic ways, but it was a bit too kiddy for me, which knocked it down a few points.
If I had kids, this would have been 5/5 though.
If I had kids, this would have been 5/5 though.
2018
A very clever concept - you have 1-minute to beat the game before you die. Not much time, but it figures out a way to work. Cute little puzzle game (sorta) but wasn't enough for me to try and 100% it.
2018
This is the best game you've never heard of. The story of a bard trying to be a hero, but never really succeeding. The story of people and all their messes. A story of a witch trying to save the world. A story of dealing with death and grief and rage.
And most importantly, a story of hope.
What a game. What a stupendous game. I wish I could play it again with fresh eyes.
And most importantly, a story of hope.
What a game. What a stupendous game. I wish I could play it again with fresh eyes.
Games this good don't come around too often, but Season was a beautiful journey through an unfamiliar (but all too familiar) world. It deals with remembering, with forgetting, with trauma, with building...it is the perfect type of this sort of game.
Highly, highly recommended.
Highly, highly recommended.