An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Free for everyone at the time of review.
Hardware: Win 10x64, 3570k mildly OC, GTX 1070, 16 GB, SSD.
Super laggy on my system; took me a full 30 minutes to complete a game advertised as 5-10 minutes. I see the system specs state “Windows 7”; I’m guessing this is either a Win 10 issue (some games lag badly in 8 / 10 that run fine in 7) or possibly the 10xx series video card.
I recommend taking a very brief glance at the videos before playing to see how fast the game is supposed to move. If the game is going to lag for you, it will start at the opening credits, which take so long to change screens (tapping an arrow key helps) that it feels like the game is locked up. Don’t press ESC; that instantly closes the game.
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Classic Dark Games.
‘The hardest tumble a man can make is to fall over his own bluff’' - Ambrose Bierce
James Cox has adapted, as part of his ‘100 games in 5 years’ project, the timeless classic short story titled An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge written by Ambrose Bierce in 1890. It has seen many variations since its inception ranging from short story to full novel inspirations, radio screenplays including a Twilight Zone broadcast, TV drama/movies and even music videos including Bon Jovi’s song Dyin' ain’t much of a livin'.
– Real player with 0.1 hrs in game
Bundle Kitt
This is literally the best game I have ever played. It has an amazing soundtrack and stunning visuals with a deep and complex character with a profound character development arc. I was instantly taken in with Bundle Kitt, it was a perfect combination of cute and fun that left an aching desire to play more. I love this game and honestly cannot recommend it more, its a free, cheap game that will brighten your day and put a smile on your face. Thank you Bundle Kitt.
– Real player with 9.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Classic Experimental Games.
My Experience
OK, Bundle Kitt is fantastic. The speed at which the character moves and the abruptness of the mews are just perfect. There are many games that try to be funny, often through scripted jokes and cutscenes. The brilliant thing about Bundle Kitt is that it actually involves the player in the comedic timing. The scenes often don’t end until you meow, but once you do, they end immediately, like a jump cut. Bundle Kitt is one of the funniest games I’ve ever played. For the price of free, you should check it out.
– Real player with 0.2 hrs in game
EnviroGolf
A text adventure golf game, well, sort of.
The game consists of a series of prompts, selecting your club, and then your power. After every hit, you’re treated to a screen with a message criticising the sport of golf due to its various specific negative effects on the welfare of the local fauna. That’s the whole game.
It’s hard to say what exactly this game is trying to accomplish. It certainly can’t be a text adventure, because there is no adventure to be had. The environmentalist message is negated by the store description of the game, so it can’t be in support of that. It can’t be a sardonic criticism of preachy games, because there’s no hint of self-awareness. What is there to be had here? Nothing, really. It sets out to do several things and does none of them well.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Classic Sports Games.
I used to participate in the sport of Golf. Both watching it and (ashamedly) playing it. I now know the consequences of my actions. I sincerely apologize to any forest animals reading this review. I never knew how many I was personally responsible for killing. But now I know. Golf was invented by the devil. Golf will end civilization. That is, unless we spread the word and get more people to play this game. I need to go contemplate how to fix my terrible decisions over a delicious juicy hamburger. Hamburgers are the only thing that clears my mind.
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game
Plot of the Druid
A disgraced druid apprentice goes on a quest to prevent the world from going crazy by restoring balance to the forces of love, wisdom, and wealth.
A mystical comedy adventure with sarcastic British wit, hand-drawn cartoon art, and an innovative shape-shifting ability for solving puzzles.
Plot of the Druid is a classic-modern point-and-click game that’s reminiscent of Simon the Sorcerer, Discworld, and Harry Potter.
• The player can decide whether to deal with a situation as a human or as a ferocious animal. Well, maybe not that ferocious, but one with a unique skill set.
• Harness the powers of nature in order to solve puzzles. After all, sometimes an earthquake is just what’s needed to get people’s attention.
• Beautiful hand-painted HD artwork in the style of old-school pixel art.
• Dozens of wacky characters, ALL fully voiced.
• Cool references to classic LucasArts and Sierra games.
• Two difficulty levels: Young Apprentice and Master of Disaster. Finish the game to earn a digital certificate with your name on it, signed by the Elder Druids themselves!
• Many MANY smooth 2D animations, including thrilling cutscenes.
• Over an hour of immersive, charming music.
• A hotspot reveal option to avoid pixel hunting.
• Lots of achievements to be gained by exploring the world.
• A journal to help keep you on track.
• Available in English with German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Hebrew translations.
• And the wind cried Mary!
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Sumatra: Fate of Yandi
I adore “Legend of Hand”, and so I dove in to Sumatra: Fate of Yandi. Its a quiet, contemplative type of adventure game with some messages here and there, and I overall I very much enjoyed my time. I’ve been around in Indonesia, the cities in Java mainly and not the jungle, but there is enough in common in terms of people in culture that felt right to me. Its also a unique setting, as I’ve not run across another adventure game set in a SE Asia island. By the way, Borneo would be an awesome spot for a game…Its got rainforest, beaches, a huge mountain, all kinds of cool animals, and 3 different countries own various parts of it.
– Real player with 12.4 hrs in game
Initial playthrough: 4 hours
Pros
- Learn real things about survival, nature, and human culture in rural Indonesia. I got a strong sense Cloak and Dagger did their research.* There’s a satisfying sense of progression, as the game contains very little backtracking.* Cloak and Dagger instill a mild off-beat quirkiness in their games, which makes them feel fresh.
Neutral
- Some will find it too linear, but I personally enjoy the sense of focus and progression this creates.
– Real player with 8.9 hrs in game