Gordian Rooms 1: A curious heritage
I enjoy the ‘Escape the Room’ genre because (typically) they run shorter, can be played in bursts, and involve pure puzzle solving. They are more relaxing than having a complex story to keep track of and success is rewarded. For me, a good Escape game has a variety of puzzles, different environments, and uses conceptual (rather than outright) clues which make me think. Gordian Rooms met all of my criteria and my only complaint is that it is over. I would have loved to play through a few more room before seeing the credits and hope that Crimsonite Games will consider another installment!
– Real player with 11.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Mystery Indie Games.
This is a very good “Roomlike” game. The visuals are impressive (in fact they improve substantially as the game goes on- the demo is somewhat misleading in this regard!), the premise and setting are neat, and the writing can actually be quite clever.
Overall it is more challenging than the Room series; for the most part this is a very good thing as the puzzles are clever and complex. There are some “hidden clickable thing” puzzles, possibly about 50% of the interactables in the game- while I usually find these frustrating and bordering on unfair, the ones here I mostly actually like because it is possible to reason about where objects might likely be hidden. There are, however, a few cases where I thought the game did verge on being straight-up unfair (two or three puzzles to get to the ending, another two to get 100% completion out of maybe 25 total?).
– Real player with 8.7 hrs in game
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
This review is for both The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux. I’ve played both games, they are the same, the redux version has better graphics and some small interface differences. At the end of this review i explain more about the differences*.
More than 20 years ago, when i first played Myst i remember thinking, well, this game seems cool and all, specially the graphics, the story is very vague…and i don’t really see too many things to do…i hope i soon have some things to do.. because if i don’t i’m not so sure this is gonna work out….aand, of course, turns out, in myst, i did have some/several things to do, but in an original and unexpected way and there was a story, although not like you were expecting it to be, and it became one of the most known adventure games of the 90s (even though, it wasn’t considered an adventure by many…). And that’s fine, because the game was anything but a normal adventure, it was something else. You could like it, or hate it, but it was difficult to remain indifferent (once you played it).
– Real player with 5.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Mystery First-Person Games.
Paul Prospero, a detective with a unique skillset, is called towards a piece of fan mail as though the sirens themselves would emerge the moment he sliced the licked adhesive apart. A boy named Ethan Carter writes to him, detailing some dark happenings in the hidden countryside town he resides in. Paul realizes that Ethan wouldn’t have chosen him if these dark things wouldn’t require his particular abilities. His last case shall be this one, Paul decides, and sets out to the breezy hillsides of Red Creek Valley. Within minutes of arriving, he comes across a series of potentially deadly traps in the woods just on the outskirts of town. This case will be anything but ordinary for most people, but Paul Prospero is used to it.
– Real player with 5.1 hrs in game
Play With Me: Escape room
Robert Hawk and his wife Sara are driving home from their celebration out on the town for his birthday when suddenly their car is thrown off the road crashing into an embankment. Robert wakes up handcuffed to a chair with a splitting headache in a dimly lit room, and Sara is nowhere to be seen. Surveying the area as best you can from your position, you will need to find a way to unlock the handcuffs by seeking out items that may be helpful or give you clues. Soon you will discover you are being held by a serial killer about whom you have been writing articles. Yours is not the only life in danger; logical thinking and the ability to think outside the box will be required if you are to save all the lives at stake.
– Real player with 11.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Mystery Singleplayer Games.
Hey man, why don’t we just play some board games.
With a new Saw movie being released for the first time in seven years, you gotta get some life threatening puzzle solving somewhere. The official Saw games do not do it justice but what about Saw inspired games?
We come into the picture right as our protagonist, Robert Hawk, get kidnapped and put into a dark room. Still fresh from his car accident, or perhaps it was planned all along, this investigative journalist now has to go through puzzles made by the very man he was chasing, Illusion. Robert must be close to identifying Illusion if he was put in one of his puzzles to die, rather than a criminal that evaded being jailed. If Illusion made one mistake, it would be putting a journalist specifically trying to find out who they are, right in the same building.
– Real player with 10.0 hrs in game
NORCO
NORCO is a sci-fi Southern Gothic Adventure that immerses the player in the sinking suburbs and verdant industrial swamps of Louisiana’s petrochemical hinterlands. Your brother Blake has gone missing in the aftermath of your mother’s death. In the hopes of finding him, you must follow a fugitive security cyborg through the refineries, strip malls, and drainage ditches of suburban New Orleans.
Immerse yourself in an uncanny and surreal South Louisiana
NORCO features detail-rich and atmospheric pixel art born from the natural and industrial landscapes of South Louisiana, accompanied by the eclectic soundscapes of composer Gewgawly I.
Meet strange, unforgettable, and dangerous characters
Navigate your way through a world of uncertainty and moral ambiguity as you venture deeper into the swamp to unravel the threads left by your brother. Fight, sneak, or fast-talk your way past any hometown bullies, security contractors, or death cults that stand in your way.
Explore vast scenic landscapes of pulsing nightlife and eerie solitude
Skulk through the crowds of downtown New Orleans, recruit a wild-eyed river dog, break into a refinery, boat through cypress swamps, and explore the desolate batture woods of the Mississippi River.
Discover a world haunted by both past and future
From Southern Gothic literature to adventure game classics to experimental indies, NORCO fuses its wide sources of inspiration into something new and unseen.
NVC: That’s when your dreams began?
Catherine: Yes. Towers falling from the sky. I’d stay awake just to avoid them.
NVC: You say here that they lasted for years.
Catherine: I worry that I somehow passed them onto Kay. She’d have nightmares of cell tower lights. She said they grew closer every night.
NVC: Have you told anyone about these dreams?
Catherine: No.
NVC: And tell me about the robot.
Catherine: Million?
NVC: That’s right.
Catherine: She came to me in the parking lot when Kay was twelve or so. She knew Blue from his days at the refinery. I stared for a long time into her constellation of eyes. They swirled in a kind of desperation. I took her home, knowing it was a mistake.
RUSA Odyssey
RUSA Odyssey is a third-person exploration game set in the post-apocalypse world. Play as a lone deer and travel to the unknown world. Discover the story and mystery that lies along the way.
Note: “Rusa” means deer in Malay/Indonesian.
A Murmur in the Trees
Good little indie game. I hope there will be more to explore in future.
There are things you could easily miss, if you don’t pay attention, can you find all secrets? :)
I was 1 of many testers, so that is reason why I got it free.
– Real player with 5.2 hrs in game
A short and sweet story, only takes about an hour to get through. If you like walking simulators you should check it out.
– Real player with 1.9 hrs in game
Finders, Keepers
Finders, Keepers
A hike above ancient woodland on summer solstice; the longest day of the year. Two friends explore an enigmatic forest, talking of life and love. Mysterious landmarks dwell in the primal wood, echoes of beauty and pain that scar the land, and await those who seek the truth.
Finders, Keepers tells a tale through unconventional means; tips left by users of the fyndr/keepr dating app hint at a tragic tale, strange profiles lead to hidden clues, landmarks hold a mysterious history. A dreamlike atmosphere permeates through joyful interactions; blowing dandelions, skimming stones, rustling wind chimes, while the narrative evokes a range of emotions, from humorous dating profiles, to unsettling discoveries.
An Atmospheric Mystery
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A magical realist narrative told through unconventional means.
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Experimental gameplay using a dating app interface.
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Playful interactions use simple swiping mechanics in creative ways.
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Fluid, evolving musical score moves seamlessly with the story.
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Mouse and controller support with innovative thumb interface.
Hitchhiker - A Mystery Game
Philosophical road trip, where the word “trip” might be a part of the word “trippy”. Surreal and thought-provoking, with phenomenal storytelling, it’s definitely worth a playthrough for those who like to ponder on things.
You start as a hitchhiker in someone’s car. There’s little information given on who you are, where are you and, most importantly, why are you there – in that moment. As the ride unfolds, there comes the realization that you’re searching for something – yourself? Missing partner? An event in the past? Lost memories? At first, it’s unclear and seems surreal, as odd conversations with drivers seem to be hinting at something deeper while you try to stay rooted in reality and figure out what exactly happened. As the rides with different, strange companions continue, you’ll eventually find yourself threading on the thin line between dreamlike and real still, however, searching for the answers to this mystery, which in itself is no longer solid…Will you ever find answers? Perhaps strange people, new places, odd clues and lots of philosophical musings will help to point you in the right direction. Or not. In the end, you’ll still get to enjoy one bad-ass road trip showing beautiful scenery of the great United States’ cross-county drive.
– Real player with 6.1 hrs in game
I don’t know what to make of this games storytellers.. the game itself is a laid back low key Indie AA, decent production values. Not the best Indie AA I have ever played but a fair attempt.
I’m really on the fence between a yes and no recommendation.. okay so MASSIVE STORY SPOILER WARNING:
! ### So the story itself is very chilled out, I enjoyed it for the most part.. until you get to the end and you have been doing all this for your dying girlfriend whom you know was cheating on you?? .. WHY THE FLIP DO I CARE IF SHES ALIVE OR DEAD? She cheated.. cheating is a horrific thing and instantly disqualifies her as a valid person.. meaning everything she ever said to me about me, was a lie. So with that in mind.. and note that guy didn’t go and kill them both, which may have been a fun aspect if it was included in the game.. but not only does he not kill them both, but he simps out and goes to her bedside..?! WHO THE FLIP CARES.. DIE ALREADY!.. life isn’t like what these Devs imagine.. ohw you once told someone you loved them and then they cheated on you, let’s all be friends?? Obviously they felt nothing for you or they wouldn’t have cheated! and at that point.. WHO CARES? You died in that second you cheated.. there is no sorry.. the idea of this is horrific.. No.. a hundred times no.. this game while having good points.. just stole the price of it off me.. can’t believe you would write such a weak pathetic character.. compassion?.. where was her compassion while she is taking ** ** *** **** on holiday.. no excuse, this is the modern age, everyone’s got a phone on them, it takes 5 minutes to make a phone call and done.
– Real player with 5.3 hrs in game
Lifeless Planet Premier Edition
EDIT: There is a Premium Edition FREE upgrade for current owners in 2015 so buy now!
TL;DR at the bottom.
Lifeless Planet is an incredible game filled with atmospheric joy and a story that only gives you just enough to figure out what is going on. You play as an American astronaut that is sent to explore a planet that your readings suggest is brimming with life. Upon arrival you find that this planet is nothing like you expected. It houses strange secrets of past explorers and a nation trying to find the perfect life away from Earth only to find that meddling with things they don’t understand almost never ends happily. An interesting mix of casual exploration and platforming, it keeps things relatively fresh most of the time. You should feel the want to get to the end to see how everything pans out and what the mysteries of this Lifeless Planet are, but at the same time your feeling of eerie isolation and the ambient sounds of the world make you want to take your time looking at the planet and chilling out as well. I became lost in the isolationist atmosphere and didn’t want it to end.
– Real player with 21.8 hrs in game
81 / 100
Lifeless Planet is a beautifully atomspheric adventure game, throwing you in the space suit of an astronaut who, after a long journey through space, reaches a mysterious planet in search of life & potentially a new home for humanity. On arrival, you discover you are alone, isolated on a planet seemingly devoid of life, yet strangely there is a Soviet town abandoned long ago. How can this be & what has happened here? As the story unfolds, & you explore more of this intriguing alien world, you soon realise there is a much more going on than meets the eye. The planet is not as lifeless as it seems…
– Real player with 14.3 hrs in game
A Little Golf Journey
So ‘A Little Golf Journey’ is a really great game. It’s a chill game even though you may not be a big Golf fan like I am this is a really easy game to play and doesn’t require much effort so it’s a nice game to play here and there and to relax. You can maybe also listen to music or listen to a podcast or whatever you like while playing this.
I completed the game 100% just now and even though I liked it for the most part there are these white blocks that are pretty hard to see and reveal themselves when you get close which I don’t really get. It was so random to encounter them all of a sudden and it was a bit frustrating to see it in one of the minigolf courses.
– Real player with 23.3 hrs in game
There are not enough good golf games on Steam. This one though, is one of the gems.
It’s relaxing, the low-poly graphics are nice to look at, and the music is chill.
It can be quite challenging though, if you want it to be.
– Real player with 18.1 hrs in game