Beyond This Side
Beyond This Side is an episodic game. This contains the first two episodes.
Update: Apr 17, 2021. I still do not see a release date for the third episode; this is an unfinished product.
This dev is transitioning from HOPAS to adventure.
This is a perfect game for someone who plays Hidden Objects and wants to learn to play Point and Click or Adventure games. It does not fit into any one category. It is a bridge between.
Sometimes I want to play am easy game that I do not have to work at, just sit back and look at the art; this is that game.
– Real player with 10.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Hand-drawn Puzzle Games.
This adventure game is episodic, there are currently 2 out of 3 available which takes around 2-3 hours to complete if you not skipping the dialogue. I am not sure how we going to obtain episode 3 because I can’t find the info on the store page (is it free DLC or paid DLC?). Anyway, the game is only $5 which is fair, maybe even a little underpriced if you ask me. However, this gameplay is somewhat different from a traditional point&click adventure, it kinda feels more like a hidden-object game because of the puzzle design. Whenever you have to do some kind of activity the game will ask you to do things like jigsaws, pattern matching or hidden-object mini-games. The controls have a few small problems, you have to walk by using A+D or holding the mouse, I think you should be able to just click the mouse instead. Also, the game for some reason double checks everything - click on the item and then confirm that you take it on the bottom of the screen (just take the damn item!).
– Real player with 5.9 hrs in game
Letter Vetter
I’ve never played anything like this before! It has so many different parts to the puzzle and leaves you on your own more than I expected which I think is actually really satisfying and engaging to work through. Being both stimulating and calming I feel I can play it any time of the day and similarly it would appeal to all ages. It’s handmade artwork and graphics makes the fantasy land of Pipshire come alive. Finally, it has all the thrill and immersion of a whodunnit combined with the calm that life can lack - I would definitely recommend this game.
– Real player with 10.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Hand-drawn Detective Games.
A really enjoyable game. Nice relaxing atmosphere. Can be played at your own pace, alone or with friends. Could easily be made into a tabletop/dinner party game. You can see my more in depth review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uImL-d6eKH8
– Real player with 10.0 hrs in game
7 Roses - A Darkness Rises
I bought this game because the tittle has the name Rose in it and a heroine called Amy Rose and we girls love seeing us portrayed the way we are smart, strong and fearless like Amy Rose is in this story. She was trusted and given the mission by the village Elder to save her people. It’s a point and click game to solve puzzles. I played the game right away and I found it entertaining and relaxing and didn’t want to stop playing it. I like the music in it and the incredible amount of puzzles which are sometimes simple and other times required more patience. The game and puzzles are fun. There isn’t much of a story line or characters development, but the small animated part at the beginning of the game and drawings are beautiful. I can see the amount of details and effort put into developing this game. I usually only buy games with achievements because they allow me to see my progress as I play and I’m slightly O.C.D. about them, so it drove me crazy that this game doesn’t have any for me to display on my profile xD. I can only imagine what beautiful drawing of Roses the achievements would have if the developers read my review and decide to add them to the game. I know a lot of Steam players feel like me about achievements. I also wish this game had trading cards, beautiful Roses stickers, emoticons, badges and background profiles. The Roses throughout the game are beautifully drawn. The game is reasonably priced. 3
– Real player with 16.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Hand-drawn Casual Games.
One more hidden object game - click everywhere to find objects, use them at the right spot, solve various puzzles of different kinds. Nice music, quite low 4:3 screen resolution only. Nothing special, but relaxing if you enjoy the genre.
– Real player with 11.3 hrs in game
Under the Counter
Under the Counter is a narrative simulation in which you run a bar on a local market. Your task is to solve the mystery of its missing people while serving food and moonshine to both city residents and demonic forces from a parallel world.
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Serve your famous stew and drinks to customers. Be careful to do it right so the payment is adequate.
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Help the locals, the resistance movement, and even the invading soldiers (at least the ones who are friendly!) by using your exquisite networking skills and natural charm.
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Test your senses and serve simultaneously. You know, like a good bartender who pours the pint while chatting up his guests.
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Immerse yourself in a wartime story with a supernatural twist. Surely Eastern European urban folklore is not something that you can experience in video games very often?
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Enjoy the alluring hand-drawn graphics and animations that reflect the strange atmosphere of the unfolding story.
You play as Vincent, an ex-sailor who started his stall with food and drink. People still need to eat during the war, and you can cook the best stew basically out of anything. To make things fancier, your second specialty is home-made booze. [And in times like these, people drink a lot.] It is unique not only because of its sheer alcoholic content but also in the way it is served. Most people will drink just as a straight shot, but AT YOUR PLACE they can mix it with cherry juice! Simple, but genius.
The biggest problem that interferes with your business is the Great War that has started a few months ago. So, your city is now occupied, the enemies are imposing their new order, and they don’t treat your people in a good way. But by some strange twist of fate, they do seem to like you and your services. It makes you the perfect double agent and you immediately start plotting with your former friends from the military.
The war is in its prime and the enemy is omnipresent. But that’s not all. The market keeps getting weirder. First, you hear about the disappearances. On top of that, there are rumours about an odd military unit that has just arrived in the city. Since the day you heard about it, you’ve kept having eerie recurring dreams about a monstrous entity slithering in the darkness and gazing at you with its many eyes. And your customers seem to become increasingly stranger each day, not to mention that mysterious woman who carries a faint, yet so easily recognisable scent of the sea…
Skaramazuzu
Somewhere between life and death, there is a world made up of hopeful dreams and broken shadows. Souls may sometimes find themselves lured into this strange world to be tested. Examined to find out where they are worthy of moving on to.
Zuzu - A lost Soul
Skaramazuzu is an atmospheric 2D slow-paced, story-driven adventure, taking place in a moody, solemn and mysterious landscape. The protagonist Zuzu, a joyful and innocent soul without any memory, has been summoned by a mysterious entity called Master to discover the meaning of its existence. Through this bizarre journey, Zuzu will meet some strange and capricious personalities who offer to help.
Game Features
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A classic story-driven 2D Adventure, crafted with the appropriate modern and fresh approach.
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Explore over 20 distinct interconnected locations of a strange and dark world.
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Highly-tuned casual 2D controls. Control Skaramazuzu and interact with the characters and the world with minimal effort.
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Full support for keyboards and controllers! Play and enjoy the game with your favorite configuration.
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Discover the story of Skaramazuzu and Master, a unique duo of a lost soul and a mysterious entity.
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Collect and give items with an easy-to-use inventory system.
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A vast collection of creepy and cute characters, all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
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Meet and interact with over 20 unique surreal characters and unlock their individual stories.
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Graphic Assets and animation frames with resolution up to 2,5K
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Unique sound effects for every interactive element.
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A peculiar sound system of voice emotes and expressions for every character.
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A dark, atmospheric original score accompanies the players on their journey.
The void
The world of Skaramazuzu, has a unique aesthetic of a black and white shadow puppet world, set among the ruins of ancient gothic-like structures, while all the while engulfed in a moody and subdued pale ghost light. Every part of this strange landscape offers something new for you to discover. You will encounter almost every location to the unique backgrounds and soundscapes that will enchant you with their sombre and dreamlike aesthetic from the interesting yet mysterious characters. Skaramazuzu is a slow-paced, story-driven adventure game with a cute, creepy, moody and strange feeling.
A collection of surreal and strange personalities
Many strange and whimsical characters are waiting to be discovered by Zuzu on this adventure. Every character will be willing to listen and help Zuzu and ask for something in return. Some of these strange personalities might turn out to be key figures in Zuzu’s little peculiar adventure. By accepting to help these newfound friends, Zuzu will not only learn a little about each one of them but will eventually learn the truth about this strange world.
Broken Thorns: West Gate
Shadowgate style game mixed with self-reflective, thoughtful dialogue and options.
Lots of surprises and humor, too.
Some of the artwork is incredible.
Can’t recommend this enough, it’s definitely on my all-time favorites list!
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
Such a nice game, I played this for a while, I love how you reflect in mirror’s, and the story is taking me closer to myself. When you consider all these questions on your own life, not just game progress, it can show you who you really are. How others see you. How weak you are. Worth the price.
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game
Trouble Hunter Chronicles: The Stolen Creed
Iskonsko Studio has put a lot of hard work into this indie gem and it really shows!
From the starting scene I was instantly hooked and wanted to keep playing to find out how the story unfolded. There’s a lot of puzzles to solve and most of the characters in the game are voiced which I think adds a lot to the immersion.
Don’t be fooled by the demo. The full version is so much better, smooth and fun to play than that early build of the game.
I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys Point & Click- adventures
– Real player with 15.9 hrs in game
It’s a long path to the truth; good luck getting there.
Though my recommendation is somewhat low, those particularly fond of Point & Click will find more to digest here, if not a sufficient challenge. Trouble Hunter Chronicles: The Stolen Creed is a pretty packed adventure with a lot of dialogue and puzzle-based trials. If one can get past some rather apparent technical visual and auditory mishaps, it’s a perfectly satisfactory mystery title geared towards retro veterans. But I really must stress: good luck.
– Real player with 8.2 hrs in game
捉迷藏 Hide and Seek
Introduction
This is a plot-oriented 2D scrolling horror game, the protagonist will follow the plot development through the red and white worlds to solve the mystery and find the exit. What we want to present is not just a simple gore, but a sad story. We hope that you can follow the protagonist to the end of the story and understand the truth of all this.
Game features
・Fridge-horror plot
・2D hand-drawn style
・Diversified puzzles
・Immersive music effects
Cube Escape Collection
If you are into these sort of games, you’ll probably enjoy it. A cool collection of self-contained “escape the room” type puzzles. It’s not that good, but it’s perfectly playable.
Half the puzzles are awesome and half the puzzles are absolutely random and often don’t make any sense even after “solving” them. Thankfully, I didn’t get stuck for too long and didn’t really need too many hints. Although some things were… obscure.
Timed and arcade-y puzzles bad due to clunky controls. There are some changing expectations which is never good. The minigame puzzles are very “meh”.
– Real player with 33.2 hrs in game
“There will be blood”. “The past is never dead, it’s not even past”. “All that you touch, you change”.
Wow, what a trip! I am still reeling from the experience of playing this fantastic collection of puzzle games! Developed by Dutch developer Rusty Lake and heavily inspired by Twin Peaks, the Cube Escape collection offers nine stellar Rusty Lake games that kept me enthralled and busy for many hours. The puzzles can be fiendishly difficult but the game somehow has a visceral rhythm and theme to it, making playing it almost a meditative and surreal experience.
– Real player with 24.1 hrs in game
Minute of Islands
To be informed as humanly possible, I completed this game. In fact, I got 100% completion just to ensure I was as informed on this review as humanly possible. I would like to break it up into two parts, as my opinions on them clash wildly.
The visuals and audio in this game are simply stunning, and my main draw to the game when I first saw the E3 trailer for it. The world seemed very unique and reminded me of a children’s book, and I quite enjoy this aesthetic. And once I started playing, I found that the music and sound design was simply stunning. It’s clear that a ton of work went into making this facet work (See the headphone recommendation every time the game is booted), but sadly some more time should have been spent on other parts of the game.
– Real player with 15.0 hrs in game
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Review by Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam.
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Is this game a masterpiece? Yes, as long as you look for an easy, slow going platformer where the main challenge is to find your way (and some secrets). Yes, if you enjoy narrative games in an interesting, dystopian setting. Otherwise, no. No challenging action sequences, no convoluted puzzles. You don’t even have a real inventory. Minute plays a bit like… Loom.
– Real player with 12.0 hrs in game