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My nominee in the Outstanding Story-Rich Game category for Steam Awards 2024. Pretty much the only game I COULD nominate this year as I don't buy a lot of games close to their release but it doesn't make my nod any less valid. And this one definitely deserves it regardless. Kan Gao proves time and time again that he's among the very best writers in the gaming space, and along with his small but very talented team at Freebird Games they consistently produce one of the most engaging narrative games out there.

It may be just an episode in the long-running To The Moon series and you can reasonably complete it in just a few short hours but it is an excellent addition to the Sigmund Corp. franchise. Your experience with the previous installments (To The Moon, Finding Paradise and Impostor Factory) is definitely rewarded - as the episode sees the return of many familiar faces - but it's not strictly required: just like its predecessors, it's a self-contained story in this interconnected universe of deceptively simple-looking RPG Maker games that pack an emotional punch and then some. Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts may be on a short break from their usual work but it's sure to be a memorable one. A cutting blow right to the guts - or at least the feelz - if you will.

As always, the writing is engaging and on point, the characters feel very real but larger than life at the same time, the often understated music is touching just the right chords, and the visuals, minimalistic as they may appear, are aesthetically pleasing, used sparingly but to great effect, skillfully conveying just enough to spark your imagination to fill the rest. All in all, a masterclass in deceptive simplicity with layers upon layers of depth skillfully hidden behind an unassuming exterior. But if you've played any of the previous games by Freebird, that shouldn't really come as a surprise to you.

I don't look forward to many things in life but I definitely eagerly await Freebird's next game - The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG - touted as the conclusion to the series.

Just like a good cuppa joe, this game gives you an instant energy boost with its zen gameplay loop, savory art style, chill soundtrack as well as diverse cast of engaging characters and story arcs. If you played the first installment and was left wanting for more, you're sure to feel right at home: it's basically more of the same, which is exactly what I expected (or ordered, I guess :-P). A brilliant testament to the late Mohammad Fahmi, RIP.

I've nominated it for this year's Steam Awards in the Best Game on Steam Deck category, tho I readily admit I haven’t tested it on that platform myself since I don’t own the device. It’s listed as compatible, however, so it gets a nod from me. It definitely deserves one.

My nominee in the Best Soundtrack category for Steam Awards 2022. A bit cheeky on my part (again) since the game was originally released in 2019 and the extra content in 2022 Director's Cut is rather underwhelming, to say the least, and hardly worth the asking price, but the selection of the licensed tracks is still as superb now as it was back then, featuring the likes of Low Roar, Silent Poets, Chvrches, and even Apocalyptica, each and every one of them perfectly fitting the game's quirky and eldritch ambience.

The soundtrack complements the surprisingly addictive gameplay loop that has you traversing the picturesque landscapes, managing your cargo/inventory and delivering those damned packages but it would be a disservice to call it a walking simulator, as many do. It’d be more fair to call it a HIKING simulator, if anything. I completely understand why the game was so divisive when it came out but in my personal experience, once you get into the groove of this “UPS Man Simulator”, it’s almost zen-like and very rewarding. Case in point: I’ve spent over 200 hours in the game AFTER completing the main campaign, listening to the exquisite soundtrack while plotting my routes and completing hundreds of delivery orders. From an external source, tho, because for some incomprehensible reason, the game doesn’t feature a music player OUTSIDE of your private room which I consider a huge oversight if not a crime against humanity :-P

I thought about nominating it for the best narrative, too, but the story is too up its own rear: Hideo Kojima has very unusual (and not always great) ideas but his direction - and especially his writing - often feels too self-indulgent and a little more than a bit verbose. If I have to smell anyone’s rectal discharges, I prefer my own, Kojima-san, thank you very much ;-) Kudos for the entertainingly bizarre setting and world building, tho.

No other game to date has made me so self-aware about my character’s movement: it’s immensely kinesthetic and tactile and every step you make, I’ll be watching you… I mean, every step you make needs to be carefully considered or you might slip and tumble down the cliff to meet your maker. I could've very well nominated it for the Most Innovative Gameplay too, but the soundtrack is my jam so it gets the nod there.

If you’re looking for a sequel to the exquisite Primordia, you may be sorely disappointed, but if you seek another unique point and click adventure game that goes beyond the usual trappings of the genre, you might just find yourself razzle-dazzled and transfixed all over again by the creative trinity of the twisted minds at Wormwood Studios as I was.

This time around, they deliver a much more personal narrative that feels rather introspective and intimate in comparison to Primordia’s overarching parable of the human condition that, in true sci-fi fashion, seemed to transcend the experiences of an individual and extrapolate them to the whole mankind, or what was left of it in that particular post-apocalyptic setting. Instead, Strangeland is asking you to try and empathize with a plight of a lone and lost husk of a man, driven to his wits' end by a series of tragic events in his life, which I won’t spoil here because deciphering the oft-vague clues and putting the pieces of this nebulous puzzle together is part of the fun and games at the nightmarish carnival that the protagonist navigates through. It’s very commendable, in fact, that the devs are trusting YOU, the player, to figure things out (mostly) on your own, without spoon-feeding you the RIGHT interpretation, but leaving just enough bits and pieces for you to pick up and come to your own conclusions.

The story, tho far removed from my own life experiences (so far and thankfully so, I'd say), feels very... real is not the right word, perhaps, given the – well… strangeness of the overall premise. But definitely vivid, thought-provoking and evocative. Mark Yohalem’s writing is as eloquent here as it was in Primordia, chock-full of metaphors, literary allusions and references, and while some may find it too vague, high-brow and/or wordy, perhaps, I, for one, think it's very powerful.

Victor Pflug returns with his unmistakable brand of peculiar aesthetics in both art and sound direction. The visuals are distorted, gritty and visceral, whereas the soundscape feels suitably tortured and tormented with a lot of droning tracks and reverb, both very unsettling and effective in burrowing their way into your psyche, even without resorting to any gore and jump-scary cues.

And last but not least, James Spanos’ code and visual effects are a masterclass of what you can squeeze from the limited capabilities of the AGS engine, giving both the writing and the audiovisuals a stable scaffolding to rely on without any noticeable frame drops, which is an impressive feat, given how much is happening on the screen (and no doubt, behind the scenes) at any given time.

Although shorter than Primordia (my initial blind playthrough took me about 6 hours), Strangeland doesn’t lack for content, what with the extensive annotations and dev commentary tracks that give you not only a reason to replay the game with those features enabled, but a lot of insight into the creative process of the aforementioned trio. It’s so substantial, in fact, that my second run lasted for about 9 hours, most of which was spent reading and listening to the various bits of trivia from the devs themselves. Now, that’s what I call bang for my buck.

What about puzzles, the crux of any point and click adventure game, you ask? Well, they’re here, of course, and quite varied at that, both in their mechanics and difficulty. They’re quite logical, even if not immediately obvious; some even offer multiple solutions. The somewhat open-ended layout of the world lends itself to exploration, experimentation and discovery, and if you’re stuck on one particular puzzle, you can usually go elsewhere and tackle a different challenge. And if you’re REALLY stuck, you can always use the in-game hint system seamlessly integrated into the world itself populated by many a twisted version of carnival attractions and a cast of memorable characters, professionally voice-acted by the likes of Abe Goldfarb (whom you may remember as the lovable Crispin from Primordia) and Miranda Gauvin, the staples of Wadjet Eye Games’ VO talent.

All in all, Strangeland is not your typical adventure game but one with a unique vision and voice, asking a lot of the players but also giving them an abundance in return. If you’re up to the task, give it a try and don’t be a stranger.

(The game is actually ways better than my terrible pun might suggest, so please, disregard it and stop looking at me funny :-P)

It's a Daniel Mullins' game and that, to me at least, is a mark of high quality in and of itself. Haven't played much of it YET (or at all, really, since I only idled it for a little bit) but I will very soon indeed.

I'm posting this brief pseudo-review only to unlock the last level of the Steam Awards Nomination Committee 2021 badge as I nominated this game provisionally for the Most Innovative Gameplay Award, but knowing the creator's excellent output in the past, I'm pretty convinced my (tentative for now) praises will soon be proven justified.

Will try to update the review soon with more informed opinions :-)

To be honest, words alone are not enough to describe this absolute gem of a game, so how about an old (but very appropriate) meme instead?

https://cs2bus.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1614039979

Technically, it was released originally in 2019 (on Epic Games Store and Xbox Game Pass) but only graced Steam a year later (the cursed 2020), so it counts, which is more than fine by me :-) My pick in the Most Innovative Gameplay category of the 2020 Steam Awards. However, if the rules allowed, I could just as whole-heartedly nominate it for Best Soundtrack, Outstanding Story-Rich Game or Outstanding Visual Style.

My nominee in the Outstanding Visual Style category of 2019 Steam Awards.

Not very scary, but I'd hardly consider it a survival horror game, a misnomer that some people might want to label it as. I'd personally describe it as an existential horror first-person adventure game with a focus on a deep sci-fi narrative and environmental story-telling interspersed with some obligatory stealth sections. Oft-disturbing with its imagery and mind-bending with the philosophical questions it probes. Had a blast throughout. An under-appreciated gem, if you ask me.

My pick in the “Best Environment” category of 2018 Steam Awards.

My rating: 6+/10
Based on: one full playthrough of all 3 episodes with some sequences rewound
Check out my other reviews

TL;DR: The miniseries follows the Telletale formula we’ve come to expect almost to the T, but its length and underdeveloped characters don’t deliver on the promise of exploring a badass heroine that Michonne is in any real detail and lacks the punch of the previous full seasons. It may please the fans of the comic books or the TV series, but serves as a half-cooked meal at best for the rest.

Pros:

(+) the condensed, but interesting enough story of the eponymous fan favourite from the comic books (that I still read passionately) and the TV show (that I can’t stand to watch anymore), set in the time gap between issues #126 and #139 of the former (according to the devs) or before issue #127 (according to Robert Kirkman himself), told in 3 episodes of 6 chapters each
(+) the miniseries recounts Michonne’s exploits during her departure in the comics, alternating between her modern-day seafaring stint on or around the Chesapeake Bay and her past explored intermittently through flashbacks transporting the heroine back to her Atlanta’s home just after the outbreak, focused on the unknown fate of her daughters
(+) Michonne is given a story arc of sorts, juxtaposing her usual blade-wielding badassery on full display with moments of crippling self-doubt and guilt
(+) the classic Telltale formula (an interactive graphic adventure with dialogue choices interspersed with QTE action sequences and third-person walking simulator) works as good (and/or as bad) as ever before
(+) the writing is solid for the most part, if inevitably stunted by the scope of the miniseries, with each episode done by a different team of writers who have contributed to other Telltale’s titles before or since, but can hardly be considered their A material (see the Cons section)
(+) the voice acting is solid, too, if occasionally uninspired, with Samira Wiley (Poussey in Orange Is the New Black, RIP) doing a pretty good job as Michonne, but the real standouts are Cissy Jones and Derek Philips, voicing the antagonists (Norma and Randall)
(+) the coloured comic-style art direction, a mainstay of the series since its inception, still serves its purpose well enough, and even looks crispier and more detailed than in the previous instalments
(+) the music composed by Jared Emerson-Johnson, the man behind the soundtrack of all the previous games in the series, is properly dramatic, but I especially liked the badass licensed song (“Gun in My Hand” by Dorothy) playing during the intro credits of each episode
(+) the QTE action sequences are some of the best the series have seen to date, even though Michonne wields a machete rather than her trademark katana, which stayed with King Ezekiel in the comics
(+) perfectly playable with a mouse and keyboard, but analogue controllers are also fully supported
(+) UI and subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese-Brazilian, Simplified Chinese and Russian, but audio only in English

Cons:

(−) the episodes are pretty short and uneven: the first one (“In Too Deep”) serves necessarily as a setup, with the most interesting developments not occurring till episode 2 (“Give No Shelter”) and stakes ramping up to the somewhat underwhelming confrontation in episode 3 (“What We Deserve”), but Michonne’s underlying storyline (told in flashbacks about her past in Atlanta) gets sidetracked for the most of the miniseries
(−) the story as a whole, however, lacks the punch of a full season, as readers of the comic books or the TV audience can very well suspect that Michonne is pretty much invincible and most of the side characters simply don’t have enough time to grow on you
(−) the ending of the miniseries lacks the tear-jerking bite of the Season 1 finale (which still makes me cry like a little baby whenever I play it) or the heart-wrenching poignancy of the Season 2 wrap-up (which leaves me torn inside to this day)
(−) only a handful of secondary characters (like Sam and Pete) are given enough time to be somewhat fleshed out, the rest relegated to archetypical, one-note roles, especially the pair of antagonists who have no real redeeming qualities, despite the voice actors having a blast playing them
(−) the illusion of choice typical of Telltale’s games is noticeably more overt in this miniseries, given its cursory length and the abovementioned underdevelopment of most secondary characters, so the moral choices presented to the player primarily concern people or issues they haven’t had enough time to start caring about
(−) Telltale Tool, the engine used for all the games in the series to date, is already showing its age and limitations, what with the clunky running animations, frustrating inability to skip dialogue lines even when replaying the same sequence over and over and a lack of major quality improvements, etc.
(−) the mouse click sometimes didn’t register properly when I was selecting what do with a particular spot in the environment, especially if I was standing close to it
(−) occasional graphical glitches (missing or flicking textures, jittering, etc.)

My rating: 7+/10
Based on: two playthroughs (one full and one speedrun)

TL;DR: Double Fine’s Broken Age may have been one of the early success stories for the Kickstarter-backed projects, but it didn’t live up to the expectations of a long-starved fan of the point-and-click adventure games such as myself. Admittedly, that wasn’t entirely its fault: it’s a good game with a great production value for its budget, but it doesn’t exactly stand tall among the all-time greats of the genre, either. Not an instant classic, but very charming, it offers an intriguing coming-of-age story, memorable characters, excellent writing, art and sound design, but the second act is sort of a drag.

Pros:

(+) a heart-warming, disarmingly whimsical but fundamentally mature coming-of-age story divided into two acts and two distinct, seemingly unconnected subplots, each involving the game’s teenage protagonists, the boy Shay and the girl Vella, who try break the cycle and escape their allotted fates in both sci-fi and fantasy worlds
(+) a diverse cast of quirky characters to meet and interact with, including the overprotective ship computer Mom, cult leader and compulsive hoarder Father Lightbeard, cowardly hipster lumberjack Curtis, mysterious Marek, even an over-sensitive living tree and talking cutlery
(+) Tim Schafer’s writing strikes the perfect balance between adolescent humour and mature themes, with many a dirty and puerile quip, joke and gag sprinkled throughout the both intriguing and charming storyline
(+) fully voice-acted, featuring such household names as Elijah Wood (Shay), Jack Black (Father Lightbeard) and Wil Wheaton (Curtis), with Masasa Moyo as Vella, the veteran Jennifer Hale as Mom (who also played Ophelia in Brütal Legend) and some other frequent Double Fine’s collaborators voicing the secondary characters, like Richard Horvitz amd Nicki Rapp (Raz and Lilli in Psychonauts), as well as Nick Jameson (Max in Lucasarts’ classic Sam & Max Hit the Road)
(+) the art direction resembling a 2D animated children’s storybook by the team under Lee Petty, based primarily on the digital water-colour paintings by LucasArts’ alumni Nathan Stapley with some initial concept arts by the masterful Peter Chan and Scott Campbell, brings the fantastical worlds and characters to life with vibrant colours and unique, aesthetically pleasing visual style
(+) the music composed by Peter McConnell, a mainstay of Double Fine’s games, performed by wind and string ensembles and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, evokes a sense of wonder, a thrill of discovery and a high of unchecked tomfoolery
(+) both the sci-fi and fantasy settings are chuck-full of distinct locations to visit, characters to interact with, objects to manipulate and puzzles to solve, which encourages you to probe into every nook and cranny to get the full experience
(+) you can switch back and forth between Shay and Vella at any time, which makes for a welcome change of pace or a breather if you’re stuck on a particularly daunting puzzle with one of them, but isn’t exactly necessary because they can’t interact with each other like e.g. the three playable characters in Day of the Tentacle
(+) the point-and-click controls utilizing primarily the two mouse buttons are simple enough to remember and operate even for a pre-schooler
(+) the clever puzzles require some deductive skills and abstract thinking, though, and a few of them a lot of patience (see the Cons section), especially because the game leaves you pretty much to your own devices to figure out the solutions (which is fine by me)
(+) a hidden retro mode for nostalgia hipsters and blurry pixel art enthusiast alike ;-)
(+) full language support for English and German, with UI and subtitles in French, Italian, Spanish and Russian
(+) an episodic, but very extensive documentary by 2 Player Productions available on DoubleFine’s YouTube channel is a nice bonus and gives a fascinating insight into the nitty-gritty of the entire development process
(+) a very good production value and a good value for money, considering its budget (the over 3,3 mln USD in Kickstarter backers’ pledges plus the revenue invested from the sales of Act 1 on Steam and the studio's own money redirected to finish the project)

Cons:

(−) the second act is somewhat underwhelming: despite delivering an ultimately satisfying conclusion to the story, it basically rethreads the established locations and characters, requires a lot of backtracking and involves a noticeable spike in difficulty in comparison to the previous
(−) the annoying trial-and-error puzzles, especially the ones that involve re-wiring the robots in Act 2
(−) not enough hand holding for novices (many objectives are pretty self-explanatory but there’s no hint system to help you out, no journal nor check-lists to keep track of your progress)
(−) occasional voiceover skipping
(−) the controls and menus have an evident touchscreen feel to them, which I don’t appreciate in my PC games
(−) no concept art gallery, a feature I’ve come to expect in Double Fine’s games
(−) the autosave feature stopped working properly once I loaded the game from a manual save and then an annoying pop-up kept asking me if I wanted to use this or that save spot for an autosave every time I loaded a game

Check out my reviews of other Double Fine’s games:
Brütal Legend
Day of the Tentacle Remastered
Full Throttle Remastered
Grim Fandango Remastered
Psychonauts