Taleweaver's top games of 2019
Well...the end of the year is upon us once again, so in somewhat of a tradition I'll nag you with what games I like playing this year.
Previous entries: 2018, 2017, 2016,2015,2014
This year, I gotta mention that I moved and renovated since about April. Meaning: I hardly sat down at a computer that wasn't meant for office. I managed with a laptop...somewhat, but nothing too fancy (e.g.: hardly any linux adventures this year
).
EDIT: added in game tags. While not on every game, I'm amazed at how many obscure games can still be found. thanks for that, gbatemp admins!
That said: the runners-up (in random order):
30. Trigono (android)
basically super hexagon 2. Balls hard and trippy, but at the very least an interesting two-button reflex game (note: it's somewhat tied with one finger death punch 2 in that regard)
29. Bridge constructor portal (windows) [GAME=/game/bridge-constructor-portal.76770]Bridge Constructor Portal[/GAME]
Best bridge constructor game, and it's not just because it has gladOS and protals. But even so...after an initial great start, the interest waned a bit for me.
28. Inbento (android) [GAME=/game/inbento.121438]inbento[/GAME]
Nice follow-up to nr. <??>. You basically have to stack, swap or otherwise manipulate tiles so the lunchbox match the example. It may not look like much, but it ticks all the boxes a mobile game should tick for me.
27. Evergarden (windows) [GAME=/game/evergarden.107191]Evergarden[/GAME]
Triple town by the makers of race the sun? Move over, rest of the monthly bundle: I'm playing THIS! In evergarden, you grow a honeybee rate of flower that you'll stack on top of one another. It's relaxing, interesting and yet stressful somehow. On top of the main game is an intricate way of using the gained pieces in puzzles that eventually feed back into the main game.
26. Pixelo / Nonograms katana (android)
I'm a sucker for nonograms, so when I saw pixelo "temporary free" I jumped right into it. It was great at first, with many unlocks into it...but it hit bottom like a brick once 15x15 grids were unlocked: misclicking is easy to do, and with that being punished it wasn't funny. So I tried a few alternatives and settled on nonograms katana. It's less a race against time but more the relaxing puzzle solving it's meant to be (plus: it also has colored nanograms).
25. Evo explores (android)
Yes, a 'monument valley' clone. But so what? It's great at being that.
24. Where shadows slumber (android)
One that's hard to place. It's an isometric puzzle game that is perhaps best described as "monument valley gone dark". You play a cutesy ghost that finds a lantern with the ability to change what its shadows touch. And perhaps those first levels you might think this is the sort of kiddy theme android users have to fathom.
...but it's not. During the (for this price point surprisingly many) cutscenes a grim and dark tale unfolds. Many want the lantern, but while you can eventually overcome them, it's done in a NSFW kind of way, which is rather disturbing considering the otherwise rather cartoony theme.
The puzzles themselves are okay, but man...I just kept playing for the story. As far as surprises go, this one surprised me most (in a good way) based on what I found on it.
23. Ganz Shon Clever (android) [GAME=/game/ganz-sch-n-clever.105957]Ganz schön clever[/GAME]
As a board game affiniado, this was a hype this year. I tried the app, and quickly found out why: you roll dice, choose one color on your pinball-like sheet, then roll the remains. But after a while, crossing off one box might trigger another box (which might even trigger YET ANOTHER ONE). That combo-potential is awesome, and the game itself is short enough for a play session. The app, however, isn't much up to snuff. It does what it's supposed to, but there's not even an opponent here. So in a way, this is just something to draw in people buying the game. Still...for the couple bucks, you can't complain on the fun you'll get with it...
22. Hexologic (android)
I played through this one twice now, but must've forgotten to rate it last year. In any case: this is yet another great numbers puzzle game. Despite it having 100+ levels, I want more levels.
21. Mark of the ninja (windows) [GAME=/game/mark-of-the-ninja.2129]Mark of the Ninja[/GAME]
Tried this before, but I finally beat the story completely. It was fun, but...to be honest I had higher expectations after the introduction levels.
20. Cat lady (android)
A pink card game about collecting cats and attributes? Yeah...I'm probably the only straight male this side of the hemisphere enjoying this, but intuitive controls, depth, actual strategy and lots of polish go a long way.
(note: tides of time tick many same boxes and has better graphics to boot...but the actual gameplay felt more like luck to me).
19. Mushroom 11 (android) [GAME=/game/mushroom-11.15549]Mushroom 11[/GAME]
a weird platformer. You are basically a huge blob in a radioactive environment. By removing one part of the blob, it regrows to its volume in all other parts. So you're basically MS paint erars brush. I played this a couple years ago on windows, but the experience is obviously different on android. Equally good, though.
18. Stories untold (windows) [GAME=/game/stories-untold.27094]Stories Untold[/GAME]
I made a rant recently about this one (it's here). The gist of it: the first episode is incredible as far as horror games go, the rest...let's say it goes downhill after that.
17. The quarry & bleentoro (pro) (android) [GAME=/game/the-quarry.123858]The Quarry[/GAME]
For months, I had bleentoro pegged as "the closest to factorio on android", despite it being puzzle-oriented rather than a sandbox where you basically make your own objectives. And okay, the style was abstract at best, but other than that it had that same "get your input here, combine things there and put the output over there". It was pretty decent up until the more advanced levels, where it became more a game of 'guess what the developer was thinking'.
...and then the quarry arrived on my radar. This hits the factorio vibe much harder: it had comparable visuals and a sandbox mode that lets you explore. It's environmental-neutral and doesn't have a protagonist running around in it, but still: it's factorio. Up to the point where I don't dare start the game for the uncertainty if I'll ever leave ("okay...so I'm finally building steel ingots. Now how do I increase production so I can hit that 95 faster for the next objective?").
16. Oxxo (android) [GAME=/game/oxxo.119208]OXXO[/GAME]
I've played many 'hamster on coke' games. They're short, wordless puzzles. Their atmosphere is always soothing, rules of the game change every so many levels slightly, and there's not really an end goal. Perhaps not the meatiest game on the list, but certainly worth playing.
15. Istanbul (android)
A virtual board game...and based on a very popular board game, no less. Istanbul is...perhaps the best description is "a race in all directions". You and your opponents run around the 4x4 grid occupying spaces, taking actions, grabbing resources and - at some point - ending up with enough rubies to win the game. Simple to learn but surprisingly deep. And runs well on a (large) phone, no less!
14. Gorogoa (android) [GAME=/game/gorogoa.9136]Gorogoa[/GAME]
my best description would be "a child's fantasy". It's a puzzle game with 2-4 panels that show some sort of scenrey. You usually interact with these in some way to change them. At times, this locks in place with one or both of the other panels, which progresses the (wordless) story. Hard to describe, but the gaming experience is like a fine dream on a summer's day...
13. Santorini (android)
I actually bought the board game a few years ago. When playing with my girlfriend, she quickly accused me of cheating because "I had more experience" (this was the first time we both played it). Unfortunately, I have somewhat the same experience with the app: the AI has seven levels and anything above the second is either a struggle or impossible for me. and that's painfull, because this is a simple tactics game in the vein of chess. The basic game is that you've got 2 pawns on a 5x5 grid. On your turn, you move one pawn (even diagonally, but not more than one floor up), then build a floor adjacent to this new location. This goes on until someone can climb to a third floor.
While challenging enough as this game can be, it gets much deeper. On top of this, each player can pick a special power that gives him/her an unique advantage. This ranges from better moves, potential swapping the turn order, restricting the opponent to alternative win conditions. This makes each game radically different...but a hard AI just wipes the floor with me as if I were playing against alphago on steroids.
The game looks and plays beautiful, though...
12. Zelda: minish cap (android) [GAME=/game/the-legend-of-zelda-the-minish-cap.1035]The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap[/GAME]
Obviously would've been higher if this was my first time playing it, but even a third playthrough kept the magical charm intact (except for those freaking kinstones, that is...).
11. Guacamelee 2 (windows) [GAME=/game/guacamelee-2.75234]Guacamelee! 2[/GAME]
it may be more of the same, but it's more guacamelee! So...more silly Mexican wrestling/brawling with a chicken theme!
10. Minesweeper genius (android) [GAME=/game/minesweeper-genius.101496]Minesweeper Genius[/GAME]
The lovechild of nonograms and mine sweeper...with a protagonist, no less! The idea is that you're a gardener (Aristotle, for some reason) that has to sweep up a path between bombs. Honestly: if you love either of these games this is a must buy. Not only are the levels fun and varying, but it got a whole lot of it as well!
9. The messenger (windows) [GAME=/game/the-messenger.71628]The Messenger[/GAME]
Another great indie platformer. You're a ninja carrying something to somewhere, and you've got to fight baddies doing so. I haven't played much ninja gaiden, but I feel the messenger is a hommage to this game. Still: the levels are decently designed, the bosses are colorful and I just plain love that shopkeeper ("why yes I DO want to hear a story").
8. Despotism 3k (android) [GAME=/game/despotism-3k.75056]Despotism 3k[/GAME]
Some background information first: it's the end of the summer. Our initial plan to finish renovating in early July has proven drastically wrong, and our budget is rising as well (note: we ended up borrowing from my parents). The days shorten, it gets colder and the work seems never-ending. I'm in a grim mood in this.
...and then google of all platforms, suggests me this game. It's a dystopy-em up wherein you play as a robot mashup of a Big Brother, Mustapha Mond, the matrix's architect and (of course) gladOS. In a game that's both simple to control yet has a surprisingly amount of management to do, considering that you only get a single screen.
And man, are you playing as the villain in this game. You thought GTA, postal or hatred set a bad example? Try this game: you'll force people into producing power for you (hamster wheel), increase your population in the mating dome, have them produce food for you or become food themselve as you maul them into soylent green and extra power. MuhahahahaHAAAAA!!!
What? Yes, I said 'mating dome'. As said: this game puts dungeon keeper in the "for pantsies" category.
7. Burgle bros (android) [GAME=/game/burgle-bros.75825]Burgle Bros[/GAME]
Here's the thing: while you are playing payday with an unavoidable 'casa de papel' skin, I'm playing a PROPER heist game. This one is based on a board game, but I like the video game better. Basically: it's a turn-based co-op game wherein a team of nine different characters break into a bank, crack the safe and get out unseen...hopefully. The style is in old James Bond or Ocean's eleven style, with lasers, fingerprint sensors and so on. Guards move after you move, but even though you can see where they are heading, avoiding them isn't always easy. Like many co-ops this take time to learn. And admittedly, it's a bit too hard on normal difficulty for me. Luckily, there is plenty of fun customizability in this game. Oh, and not only does each character have an unique power, they also have two variants. So there's lots of ways to get the upper hand.
6. Steamworld dig 2 (windows) [GAME=/game/steamworld-dig-2.27433]SteamWorld Dig 2[/GAME]
Another sequel! This rates higher than Guacamelee for me because this one improves more over the original. I think it's also longer, but that might just be my impression. In any case: a fun little digging down platformer.
5. Golf peaks (android) [GAME=/game/golf-peaks.107329]Golf Peaks[/GAME]
I got this one on a discount, but it blew me away instantly (I bought bleentoro just as a "thank you" sign). Card based golf...would that really work? The answer is simple: yes. It's a puzzle game in which direction to end up exactly IN the hole. Correction: a very decent puzzle game.
Now excuse me while I lob this ball up that ramp, then 2 squares over ther and, uhm...no, I'll lob it two spaces in THAT direction, and...
4. Mystic vale (android) [GAME=/game/mystic-vale.112942]Mystic Vale[/GAME]
okay, okay, I bought cat lady to see whether nomad games know how to make video games. Y'know...just so I didn't end up with this weird deck carting virtual board game and it being crap. And it certainly is a lot of things, but not THAT. Mystic vale is an atypical deck builder (more on those just ahead). You buy cards, but you actually place them ON your cards instead of among. This mechanic, an important "push your luck" factor and a lot of different currencies make this a more complex game than most. It shouldn't be your first deck builder, but damn, does this game look GORGEOUS! Perhaps the theme isn't for everyone (rescue nature by...nature magic?), but if you like experimental games this is a very good one.
3. Hardback (android) [GAME=/game/hardback.104714]Hardback[/GAME]
After playing burgle bro I wanted to buy the board game. Problem with that was that it had to be shipped from the US and there was a discount for 2 games onward. So I checked a few other virtual ones from this designer (Tim Fowers...you might wanna remember that name). Paperbag immediately drew my interest as a deck builder with letters. While the board game of this is more popular than hardback, and admittedly simpler to get into, hardback is the one that stole my heart.
But lemme start with explaining 'deck builder': in this genre, each player starts out with a fairly weak deck of cards (usually ten). During your turn you draw five cards, and use them in any way. Especially at the start, you want to buy extra, more powerful cards. These cards, along with your played ones, go in your graveyard. If you can't draw a card anymore, you simply shuffle your graveyard into a new deck, thus putting new bought cards to use.
Like paperbag, hardback has you use your cards to create words. But here you have four types of cards (not including the basic deck); if you create a word that uses two or more cards of a single type, it'll give massive bonusses. As such, it properly ties a dry scrabble-like game onto some sort of abstract RPG-building.
Admitted: this game earns its place on originality alone. It's abstract, and therefore not much in terms of visualss. But damn...I don't know a single game similar to this one, and with the exception of paperbag: nothing even REMOTELY similar.
2. Shards of infinity (android) [GAME=/game/shards-of-infinity.116048]Shards of Infinity[/GAME]
Shortly after hardback, I wanted to play more deckbuilders. Their concept intrigues me, and until dominion gets an actual app (not likely), I had to look elsewhere. Ascension was okay, but IMHO felt slow. Star realms had the right idea, but I disliked the theme (it's just space ships). Oh, and they're free to play, which I'm wary toward...
...and then, just at that time, temple gates releases Shards of infinity. So the creators of the well polished race for the galaxy (my best game of last year) creates a game in the genre of my choice? Yes, please!
Granted: I had almost no idea what I was getting into, but as it turns out it was another winner. It's similar to star realms, but adds single use cards and a leveling system. And as I found out, that creates a fine balance in strategy (do you spend your mana on attempting to buy cards that deal damage? Do you hold back and level up? is there a way to do both? And how do you keep your deck consistent enough to hit where you want it?).
It's an absolute blast to play, and for nearly half a year I was sure I was going to award temple gates with my 'best game of the year' trophy (meaning: ALL their video games thus far ). But alas...while I still play it often and have a great time with it, I have to admit that it could use some expansions (heck...I even bought the card game and the first expansion, even though my girlfriend wouldn't be seen dead playing a game like this). And more importantly...something just bumped higher on the list.
1. Celeste (windows) [GAME=/game/celeste.26226]Celeste[/GAME]
I can't thank epic enough for this giveaway (twice, no less!). I heard of the hype of this game but couldn't see why. I mean...pixelated platformers are a dime a dozen. What makes this so special? But with this position I'm part of the hype and to be honest it's hard to tell why. The best I can say is "celeste doesn't do anything wrong". There is literally nothing that is annoying or bad. There's a climbing and a "fart jump" ability to make it upward, the levels are decently designed, the story has great characters in it, the game strikes a good pose between too easy and too hard by making the screens the checkpoints...all in all it's good stuff. The story gets special mentioning because though simple in premisse ("you must climb this mountain"), it deepens into a believable tale of personal interest without it being overly cliché or forced in any way.
Platformers are a saturated genre, so it takes effort to rise to the top. Celeste isn't revolutionary, but has clearly evolved from pointers raised in other games. The result shows: it clearly stands toe to toe with the best platformers this world has to offer.
Well...the end of the year is upon us once again, so in somewhat of a tradition I'll nag you with what games I like playing this year.
Previous entries: 2018, 2017, 2016,2015,2014
This year, I gotta mention that I moved and renovated since about April. Meaning: I hardly sat down at a computer that wasn't meant for office. I managed with a laptop...somewhat, but nothing too fancy (e.g.: hardly any linux adventures this year
).EDIT: added in game tags. While not on every game, I'm amazed at how many obscure games can still be found. thanks for that, gbatemp admins!
That said: the runners-up (in random order):
[GAME=/game/the-darkside-detective.35283]The Darkside Detective[/GAME]
Grids of thermometers
[GAME=/game/part-time-ufo.75957]Part Time UFO[/GAME]
Thimbleweed park
[GAME=/game/elder-sign-omens.16729]Elder Sign: Omens[/GAME]
Takenoko
[GAME=/game/mechcom-2.105984]MechCom 2[/GAME] and [GAME=/game/mechcom-3.106918]MechCom 3[/GAME]
Paperbag
Ascenscion
mighty dungeons
[GAME=/game/cultist-simulator.26878]Cultist Simulator[/GAME] (android)
Tile realm (android...basically kingdomino the app)
Wolf and moon sudoku
Star realms
While true: learn
up left out
onion hotel
[GAME=/game/sinkr-2.111667]SiNKR 2[/GAME]
Through the ages
Do not feed the monkeys
AdVenture communist
Grids of thermometers
[GAME=/game/part-time-ufo.75957]Part Time UFO[/GAME]
Thimbleweed park
[GAME=/game/elder-sign-omens.16729]Elder Sign: Omens[/GAME]
Takenoko
[GAME=/game/mechcom-2.105984]MechCom 2[/GAME] and [GAME=/game/mechcom-3.106918]MechCom 3[/GAME]
Paperbag
Ascenscion
mighty dungeons
[GAME=/game/cultist-simulator.26878]Cultist Simulator[/GAME] (android)
Tile realm (android...basically kingdomino the app)
Wolf and moon sudoku
Star realms
While true: learn
up left out
onion hotel
[GAME=/game/sinkr-2.111667]SiNKR 2[/GAME]
Through the ages
Do not feed the monkeys
AdVenture communist
My top games for 2019
30. Trigono (android)
basically super hexagon 2. Balls hard and trippy, but at the very least an interesting two-button reflex game (note: it's somewhat tied with one finger death punch 2 in that regard)
29. Bridge constructor portal (windows) [GAME=/game/bridge-constructor-portal.76770]Bridge Constructor Portal[/GAME]
Best bridge constructor game, and it's not just because it has gladOS and protals. But even so...after an initial great start, the interest waned a bit for me.
28. Inbento (android) [GAME=/game/inbento.121438]inbento[/GAME]
Nice follow-up to nr. <??>. You basically have to stack, swap or otherwise manipulate tiles so the lunchbox match the example. It may not look like much, but it ticks all the boxes a mobile game should tick for me.
27. Evergarden (windows) [GAME=/game/evergarden.107191]Evergarden[/GAME]
Triple town by the makers of race the sun? Move over, rest of the monthly bundle: I'm playing THIS! In evergarden, you grow a honeybee rate of flower that you'll stack on top of one another. It's relaxing, interesting and yet stressful somehow. On top of the main game is an intricate way of using the gained pieces in puzzles that eventually feed back into the main game.
26. Pixelo / Nonograms katana (android)
I'm a sucker for nonograms, so when I saw pixelo "temporary free" I jumped right into it. It was great at first, with many unlocks into it...but it hit bottom like a brick once 15x15 grids were unlocked: misclicking is easy to do, and with that being punished it wasn't funny. So I tried a few alternatives and settled on nonograms katana. It's less a race against time but more the relaxing puzzle solving it's meant to be (plus: it also has colored nanograms).
25. Evo explores (android)
Yes, a 'monument valley' clone. But so what? It's great at being that.
24. Where shadows slumber (android)
One that's hard to place. It's an isometric puzzle game that is perhaps best described as "monument valley gone dark". You play a cutesy ghost that finds a lantern with the ability to change what its shadows touch. And perhaps those first levels you might think this is the sort of kiddy theme android users have to fathom.
...but it's not. During the (for this price point surprisingly many) cutscenes a grim and dark tale unfolds. Many want the lantern, but while you can eventually overcome them, it's done in a NSFW kind of way, which is rather disturbing considering the otherwise rather cartoony theme.
The puzzles themselves are okay, but man...I just kept playing for the story. As far as surprises go, this one surprised me most (in a good way) based on what I found on it.
23. Ganz Shon Clever (android) [GAME=/game/ganz-sch-n-clever.105957]Ganz schön clever[/GAME]
As a board game affiniado, this was a hype this year. I tried the app, and quickly found out why: you roll dice, choose one color on your pinball-like sheet, then roll the remains. But after a while, crossing off one box might trigger another box (which might even trigger YET ANOTHER ONE). That combo-potential is awesome, and the game itself is short enough for a play session. The app, however, isn't much up to snuff. It does what it's supposed to, but there's not even an opponent here. So in a way, this is just something to draw in people buying the game. Still...for the couple bucks, you can't complain on the fun you'll get with it...
22. Hexologic (android)
I played through this one twice now, but must've forgotten to rate it last year. In any case: this is yet another great numbers puzzle game. Despite it having 100+ levels, I want more levels.
21. Mark of the ninja (windows) [GAME=/game/mark-of-the-ninja.2129]Mark of the Ninja[/GAME]
Tried this before, but I finally beat the story completely. It was fun, but...to be honest I had higher expectations after the introduction levels.
20. Cat lady (android)
A pink card game about collecting cats and attributes? Yeah...I'm probably the only straight male this side of the hemisphere enjoying this, but intuitive controls, depth, actual strategy and lots of polish go a long way.
(note: tides of time tick many same boxes and has better graphics to boot...but the actual gameplay felt more like luck to me).
19. Mushroom 11 (android) [GAME=/game/mushroom-11.15549]Mushroom 11[/GAME]
a weird platformer. You are basically a huge blob in a radioactive environment. By removing one part of the blob, it regrows to its volume in all other parts. So you're basically MS paint erars brush. I played this a couple years ago on windows, but the experience is obviously different on android. Equally good, though.
18. Stories untold (windows) [GAME=/game/stories-untold.27094]Stories Untold[/GAME]
I made a rant recently about this one (it's here). The gist of it: the first episode is incredible as far as horror games go, the rest...let's say it goes downhill after that.
17. The quarry & bleentoro (pro) (android) [GAME=/game/the-quarry.123858]The Quarry[/GAME]
For months, I had bleentoro pegged as "the closest to factorio on android", despite it being puzzle-oriented rather than a sandbox where you basically make your own objectives. And okay, the style was abstract at best, but other than that it had that same "get your input here, combine things there and put the output over there". It was pretty decent up until the more advanced levels, where it became more a game of 'guess what the developer was thinking'.
...and then the quarry arrived on my radar. This hits the factorio vibe much harder: it had comparable visuals and a sandbox mode that lets you explore. It's environmental-neutral and doesn't have a protagonist running around in it, but still: it's factorio. Up to the point where I don't dare start the game for the uncertainty if I'll ever leave ("okay...so I'm finally building steel ingots. Now how do I increase production so I can hit that 95 faster for the next objective?").
16. Oxxo (android) [GAME=/game/oxxo.119208]OXXO[/GAME]
I've played many 'hamster on coke' games. They're short, wordless puzzles. Their atmosphere is always soothing, rules of the game change every so many levels slightly, and there's not really an end goal. Perhaps not the meatiest game on the list, but certainly worth playing.
15. Istanbul (android)
A virtual board game...and based on a very popular board game, no less. Istanbul is...perhaps the best description is "a race in all directions". You and your opponents run around the 4x4 grid occupying spaces, taking actions, grabbing resources and - at some point - ending up with enough rubies to win the game. Simple to learn but surprisingly deep. And runs well on a (large) phone, no less!
14. Gorogoa (android) [GAME=/game/gorogoa.9136]Gorogoa[/GAME]
my best description would be "a child's fantasy". It's a puzzle game with 2-4 panels that show some sort of scenrey. You usually interact with these in some way to change them. At times, this locks in place with one or both of the other panels, which progresses the (wordless) story. Hard to describe, but the gaming experience is like a fine dream on a summer's day...
13. Santorini (android)
I actually bought the board game a few years ago. When playing with my girlfriend, she quickly accused me of cheating because "I had more experience" (this was the first time we both played it). Unfortunately, I have somewhat the same experience with the app: the AI has seven levels and anything above the second is either a struggle or impossible for me. and that's painfull, because this is a simple tactics game in the vein of chess. The basic game is that you've got 2 pawns on a 5x5 grid. On your turn, you move one pawn (even diagonally, but not more than one floor up), then build a floor adjacent to this new location. This goes on until someone can climb to a third floor.
While challenging enough as this game can be, it gets much deeper. On top of this, each player can pick a special power that gives him/her an unique advantage. This ranges from better moves, potential swapping the turn order, restricting the opponent to alternative win conditions. This makes each game radically different...but a hard AI just wipes the floor with me as if I were playing against alphago on steroids.
The game looks and plays beautiful, though...
12. Zelda: minish cap (android) [GAME=/game/the-legend-of-zelda-the-minish-cap.1035]The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap[/GAME]
Obviously would've been higher if this was my first time playing it, but even a third playthrough kept the magical charm intact (except for those freaking kinstones, that is...).
11. Guacamelee 2 (windows) [GAME=/game/guacamelee-2.75234]Guacamelee! 2[/GAME]
it may be more of the same, but it's more guacamelee! So...more silly Mexican wrestling/brawling with a chicken theme!
10. Minesweeper genius (android) [GAME=/game/minesweeper-genius.101496]Minesweeper Genius[/GAME]
The lovechild of nonograms and mine sweeper...with a protagonist, no less! The idea is that you're a gardener (Aristotle, for some reason) that has to sweep up a path between bombs. Honestly: if you love either of these games this is a must buy. Not only are the levels fun and varying, but it got a whole lot of it as well!
9. The messenger (windows) [GAME=/game/the-messenger.71628]The Messenger[/GAME]
Another great indie platformer. You're a ninja carrying something to somewhere, and you've got to fight baddies doing so. I haven't played much ninja gaiden, but I feel the messenger is a hommage to this game. Still: the levels are decently designed, the bosses are colorful and I just plain love that shopkeeper ("why yes I DO want to hear a story
").8. Despotism 3k (android) [GAME=/game/despotism-3k.75056]Despotism 3k[/GAME]
Some background information first: it's the end of the summer. Our initial plan to finish renovating in early July has proven drastically wrong, and our budget is rising as well (note: we ended up borrowing from my parents). The days shorten, it gets colder and the work seems never-ending. I'm in a grim mood in this.
...and then google of all platforms, suggests me this game. It's a dystopy-em up wherein you play as a robot mashup of a Big Brother, Mustapha Mond, the matrix's architect and (of course) gladOS. In a game that's both simple to control yet has a surprisingly amount of management to do, considering that you only get a single screen.
And man, are you playing as the villain in this game. You thought GTA, postal or hatred set a bad example? Try this game: you'll force people into producing power for you (hamster wheel), increase your population in the mating dome, have them produce food for you or become food themselve as you maul them into soylent green and extra power. MuhahahahaHAAAAA!!!
What? Yes, I said 'mating dome'. As said: this game puts dungeon keeper in the "for pantsies" category.
7. Burgle bros (android) [GAME=/game/burgle-bros.75825]Burgle Bros[/GAME]
Here's the thing: while you are playing payday with an unavoidable 'casa de papel' skin, I'm playing a PROPER heist game. This one is based on a board game, but I like the video game better. Basically: it's a turn-based co-op game wherein a team of nine different characters break into a bank, crack the safe and get out unseen...hopefully. The style is in old James Bond or Ocean's eleven style, with lasers, fingerprint sensors and so on. Guards move after you move, but even though you can see where they are heading, avoiding them isn't always easy. Like many co-ops this take time to learn. And admittedly, it's a bit too hard on normal difficulty for me. Luckily, there is plenty of fun customizability in this game. Oh, and not only does each character have an unique power, they also have two variants. So there's lots of ways to get the upper hand.
6. Steamworld dig 2 (windows) [GAME=/game/steamworld-dig-2.27433]SteamWorld Dig 2[/GAME]
Another sequel! This rates higher than Guacamelee for me because this one improves more over the original. I think it's also longer, but that might just be my impression. In any case: a fun little digging down platformer.
5. Golf peaks (android) [GAME=/game/golf-peaks.107329]Golf Peaks[/GAME]
I got this one on a discount, but it blew me away instantly (I bought bleentoro just as a "thank you" sign). Card based golf...would that really work? The answer is simple: yes. It's a puzzle game in which direction to end up exactly IN the hole. Correction: a very decent puzzle game.
Now excuse me while I lob this ball up that ramp, then 2 squares over ther and, uhm...no, I'll lob it two spaces in THAT direction, and...
4. Mystic vale (android) [GAME=/game/mystic-vale.112942]Mystic Vale[/GAME]
okay, okay, I bought cat lady to see whether nomad games know how to make video games. Y'know...just so I didn't end up with this weird deck carting virtual board game and it being crap. And it certainly is a lot of things, but not THAT. Mystic vale is an atypical deck builder (more on those just ahead). You buy cards, but you actually place them ON your cards instead of among. This mechanic, an important "push your luck" factor and a lot of different currencies make this a more complex game than most. It shouldn't be your first deck builder, but damn, does this game look GORGEOUS! Perhaps the theme isn't for everyone (rescue nature by...nature magic?), but if you like experimental games this is a very good one.
3. Hardback (android) [GAME=/game/hardback.104714]Hardback[/GAME]
After playing burgle bro I wanted to buy the board game. Problem with that was that it had to be shipped from the US and there was a discount for 2 games onward. So I checked a few other virtual ones from this designer (Tim Fowers...you might wanna remember that name). Paperbag immediately drew my interest as a deck builder with letters. While the board game of this is more popular than hardback, and admittedly simpler to get into, hardback is the one that stole my heart.
But lemme start with explaining 'deck builder': in this genre, each player starts out with a fairly weak deck of cards (usually ten). During your turn you draw five cards, and use them in any way. Especially at the start, you want to buy extra, more powerful cards. These cards, along with your played ones, go in your graveyard. If you can't draw a card anymore, you simply shuffle your graveyard into a new deck, thus putting new bought cards to use.
Like paperbag, hardback has you use your cards to create words. But here you have four types of cards (not including the basic deck); if you create a word that uses two or more cards of a single type, it'll give massive bonusses. As such, it properly ties a dry scrabble-like game onto some sort of abstract RPG-building.
Admitted: this game earns its place on originality alone. It's abstract, and therefore not much in terms of visualss. But damn...I don't know a single game similar to this one, and with the exception of paperbag: nothing even REMOTELY similar.
2. Shards of infinity (android) [GAME=/game/shards-of-infinity.116048]Shards of Infinity[/GAME]
Shortly after hardback, I wanted to play more deckbuilders. Their concept intrigues me, and until dominion gets an actual app (not likely), I had to look elsewhere. Ascension was okay, but IMHO felt slow. Star realms had the right idea, but I disliked the theme (it's just space ships). Oh, and they're free to play, which I'm wary toward...
...and then, just at that time, temple gates releases Shards of infinity. So the creators of the well polished race for the galaxy (my best game of last year) creates a game in the genre of my choice? Yes, please!
Granted: I had almost no idea what I was getting into, but as it turns out it was another winner. It's similar to star realms, but adds single use cards and a leveling system. And as I found out, that creates a fine balance in strategy (do you spend your mana on attempting to buy cards that deal damage? Do you hold back and level up? is there a way to do both? And how do you keep your deck consistent enough to hit where you want it?).
It's an absolute blast to play, and for nearly half a year I was sure I was going to award temple gates with my 'best game of the year' trophy (meaning: ALL their video games thus far
). But alas...while I still play it often and have a great time with it, I have to admit that it could use some expansions (heck...I even bought the card game and the first expansion, even though my girlfriend wouldn't be seen dead playing a game like this). And more importantly...something just bumped higher on the list.1. Celeste (windows) [GAME=/game/celeste.26226]Celeste[/GAME]
I can't thank epic enough for this giveaway (twice, no less!). I heard of the hype of this game but couldn't see why. I mean...pixelated platformers are a dime a dozen. What makes this so special? But with this position I'm part of the hype and to be honest it's hard to tell why. The best I can say is "celeste doesn't do anything wrong". There is literally nothing that is annoying or bad. There's a climbing and a "fart jump" ability to make it upward, the levels are decently designed, the story has great characters in it, the game strikes a good pose between too easy and too hard by making the screens the checkpoints...all in all it's good stuff. The story gets special mentioning because though simple in premisse ("you must climb this mountain"), it deepens into a believable tale of personal interest without it being overly cliché or forced in any way.
Platformers are a saturated genre, so it takes effort to rise to the top. Celeste isn't revolutionary, but has clearly evolved from pointers raised in other games. The result shows: it clearly stands toe to toe with the best platformers this world has to offer.
