Birth ME Code
EDIT: Review updated to reflect the Feb 7th 2021 ending rewrite (version 1.2.1).
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Birth ME Code (BMEC) is solid second entry in the ABiMe series and sequel to Head AS Code.
Overall, an enjoyable experience, although not without its criminals cons. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys darker, grittier plot-heavy mysteries and visual novels.
Disclaimer: From a gameplay perspective, BMEC does NOT offer fully integrated escape room puzzles like Zero Escape nor Classroom Trials / Endless Debates like Danganronpa, so if you go in expecting either of these from this indie game, prepare to be disappointed in that regard.
– Real player with 56.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Mystery Dark Games.
I rarely write reviews, but I felt compelled to write about this… experience, I think I’ll call it. I’m a huge fan of Zero Escape and having played this developer’s first game (Head AS Code), I was counting down the minutes until its release so I could have a solid excuse to ignore the giant pile of work sitting on my desk.
So was it worth it? Yes, absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, every penny.
Birth ME Code is an ontological mystery game wherein a bunch of people are dumped in a place and told they’ve gotta play a death game for the chance to MAYBE get out alive. So yes, same premise as Zero Escape. However, this genre is less about premise and more about world building, twists, and flowcharts. Flowcharts are essential because they allow the player to live the story from all perspectives. How many times do you play a game or watch a movie and think, “I wonder what would happen if that guy died instead of this lady?” I know, frequently. It was a rhetorical question.
– Real player with 39.1 hrs in game
NUTS
Nuts is a fantastic little game with fantastic art and sound design. I played the demo when it was released and immediately fell in love with the look and feel of the game. The best way I can think to explain the extreme appeal of this game to ME is that it feels like you are occupying a liminal space. Like you are on the threshold of two planes of existence. From the desolate bus stop that you initially arrive at to the wide empty forests with these strange little squirrels being the only living things besides yourself… it’s strange, perhaps even a bit eerie in later chapters, but overall peaceful.
– Real player with 4.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Mystery Stylized Games.
I feel like I am the perfect audience for this game—I love Firewatch, Gone Home and almost all first-person adventures / walking simulators. Recently I’ve enjoyed Call of the Sea and Old Gods Rising, despite their flaws. But Nuts left me very unsatisfied.
The success of a game like this rests on three things: The game world, the puzzle mechanic, and the story. Ideally, all three would be great, but usually one of them is weaker. So, Firewatch has an incredible game world and characters, but weak puzzles. The Witness has an incredible game world and puzzles, but no real story. Sadly, Nuts has an incredible game world, but the puzzle mechanic and plot just did not work for me.
– Real player with 4.0 hrs in game
A Hand With Many Fingers
So I was given a key for this game, to create some content. The result of which you can see here: Before you watch, to clarify the video contains SPOILERS however this text review does not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaO7fwtkQUQ
Firstly the concept of the game is great, I would love to see this adapted to a more conventional case-based system for murders, true crimes, etc. Maybe split into an episodic story etc.
The searching, retrieving boxes, reviewing evidence is interesting although a slightly tiresome mechanic. Thankfully the game isn’t too long, much longer and I would have resented the walking up and downstairs.
– Real player with 4.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Mystery Indie Games.
I absolutely loved A Hand with Many Fingers.
In my college studies I work under a history professor as a research assistant, focusing on digging through FBI files from the mid 60’s / 70’s (specifically COINTELPRO related documents). Given this context, A Hand with Many Fingers scratches an itch I have only ever really been able to experience while doing actual archival research work. The game is a like a direct injection of the dopamine rush experienced when something finally clicks in your investigation. Leaving out the hours of scanning useless or redacted pages of documentation, this game plays like a highlight reel of those “Ah ha!” moments of coming across something juicy or finally making an important connection that can move your research forward. The use of a conspiracy cork board that you put together over time only goes to make the experience even more satisfying as things fall into place.
– Real player with 3.5 hrs in game
Rebellion Gaia
This is the best RPG since final fantasy 7 and it’s genius stepson spiritual successor. Took a solid 70 hours to beat it and I enjoyed every minute. Full of red pills, humor and good storytelling. A gem. A real treasure.
– Real player with 70.4 hrs in game
This game is a lot of fun… and quite hilarious. Yes the voice overs are awesome!!! But the references to real life are bang on. I can’t wait to dive deeper into this game as I have only played for a few hours up to this point but trust me, if you like RPGs, this game will hopefully spread some awareness to the unaware and provide knowledge in areas that you may already be familiar with. Plus the proceeds go to a good cause and I will support this crew anytime I can. Thank you for this game!
– Real player with 49.7 hrs in game
Who is the Liar?
I loved the art direction chosen for this game. It combines pieces that look like they came out of the board game Clue with beautiful, more realistic 3D scenarios and comics iconographies. The game also has an engaging story and charming characters.
With all of these elements at the developer’s disposal, the game practically begs for more content. Since it is still in early access, it is sure to develop into a great game.
Very promising!
– Real player with 9.8 hrs in game
A fun game, very well produced. The visuals are incredible, combining cartoon 2D and stunning 3D. A humorous narrative, it reminds me of the movie Knives Out with its crazy eccentric family. Looking forward to play the next stories in the final version.
– Real player with 8.3 hrs in game
Head AS Code
I like it. This is an indie game styled after the Zero Escape franchise, so there are a lot of references and spirit you can feel throughout the game. Just so you know, Head AS Code is a remake of the original title and is somehow superior in every sense. The presentation is pretty simple and there’s a lot to think about in this plot-driven story. I wish I could say much about the characters and the plot, but a lot of this game relies on reveals, so the magic would happen best if you saw them yourself. Coming up with theories is great, and I like to think this game gave me many opportunities to guess at what’s going to happen next. One of my only real non-spoilery complaints about this game… I’d say it would be the serious lacking of puzzle difficulty. As in, there’s only one real head-scratcher and that’s it. All the “puzzles” are just clicking the next option and that’s it. I get why creator decided to remove the difficulty from the game and I understand that many puzzles in the original version alienated the player from ever solving them without outside help. Still, this beats out doing obscure mathematics anytime.
– Real player with 26.3 hrs in game
A refreshing swim during an absolute drought of mysterious multiple-route sci-fi visual novels, exploring esoteric concepts both originating from science and philosophy, and delving into matters of the mind and body.
Many game reviews I’ve read act redundant by repeating the plot summary and anything else you would find on public platforms, so I’ll try to refrain from doing so.
Written alone by one person, this visual novel features a strong and distinct cast whom you will interact with often, soaked in their own mysteries, to varying degrees of intimacy and personality across several routes. This is one of few VNs where, when given the option to talk with certain characters, I had wanted to talk to everybody right off the bat. What fuels the nuanced characters, their desires and motives? Hidden behind layers of facade and veil, YOU will quest to learn the reason for each member’s existence.
– Real player with 25.3 hrs in game
Ruthless Water
Was a kawaii chatroom, changed to parkour overnight. ┌╏ º □ º ╏┐
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
1. This game’s thumbnail is clickbait
2. optimization is doodoo fart
3. Slender man can walk through walls
– Real player with 0.2 hrs in game
The Black Hole
The Black Hole is a TPS with puzzle solving elements. You’ll play as a secret agent in the Black Hole Agency.
Defeat enemies with your gun and solve puzzles.
Collect mysterious items in the levels and survive a conspiracy.
Encounter various traps, enemies, and puzzles.
Let’s enter the world of secret agents!
You VS Drugs
YOU TAKE ON THE ROLE OF REAL-LIFE AGENTS WHO EXIST IN YOUR BRAIN, WHERE YOUR OWN WIT CAN RISE TO REVERT A WORLDWIDE DEVASTATION. THE ENEMY CAN ENSLAVE ANYONE, ANYWHERE. BY EMBARKING ON AN ADVENTURE THAT WILL DEFY YOUR IMAGINATION, YOU WILL DISCOVER HOW DRUG ADDICTION THREATENS HUMANITY. BY WATCHING REAL NEUROLOGICAL EVENTS, YOU WILL BE EMPOWERED TO BETTER PROTECT YOURSELF, AND THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE —IF YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!
Inspiration & theme: “In 1960, only 4 million Americans had ever tried drugs” (2.2% of people). “By creating the Bureau of Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs in 1968, the U.S. set the basis of an official national/international war on drugs” (Drug Enforcement Administration Museum).
50 years later, the National Survey on Drug Use & Health (2019) showed that 164.8 million Americans aged 12 or older (60.1% of people) were past month substance users. Even worse, “children are already abusing drugs at age 12 or 13 (…), including tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana, prescription drugs such as sleeping pills & anti-anxiety medicines” (National Institute on Drug Abuse -NIDA-, 2020). And now, the United Nations’ 2021 World Drug Report states that “pandemic effects ramp up drug risk, as youth underestimate cannabis dangers”. So, what now? NIDA (2020) states that “Increased understanding of the basics of addiction will empower people to make informed choices in their own lives”. But if science took +100 years to unravel how drugs change the brain and produce addiction, how can regular kids & adults learn such complex topics to foresee the hidden dangers of trying drugs?
‘You VS Drugs’ is the first brain-based video game saga in the world designed to prevent drug addiction by empowering people with real knowledge, so they can make better choices in their own lives!
Design & gameplay: It’s a chibi cartoon-style 3D graphic design of characters & settings which give players a sense of action and fun at first glance. Friends & foes, level challenges, sounds, structures & objects are designed for players —that can play alone/with a partner— to explore, have fun, get surprised, fight, and make decisions that test the knowledge players acquire while watching how their brain works, and how drugs mess up with people’s lives. All relevant situations are inspired in real events of the working brain.
Game mechanics (and link to the learning experience):
• Incorrect responses to Path questions lead to situations that diminish energy levels.
• Correct responses to Path questions earn players points. Enough points allow the discovery of a special feature in the camp’s hospital.
• Your choices sometimes affect other AI teammates’ energy levels.
• To complete the first half of a level you need to take care of your fellow(s).
• Once a level is completed, the subsequent level is unlocked.
• Before a new level starts, weapon improvements or new skills can be learned at the camp’s gym.
The List
“The List” is a mystery game where you search and watch video clips from a police database in an attempt to solve a cold murder case.
The mechanics are very similar to “Her Story”. You have access to a database of video clips showing the answers of a crime victim during several interrogation sessions in a police department. You can search this database by entering single words, and the database will show you the first 5 clips in which the person uttered that word. Finding new clips gives you new ideas for search terns, such as the names of people or places. As you find more and more clips, your understanding of the case grows, though you still have to do a lot of interpretation and deductive reasoning (partly because you don’t have access to the policeman’s questions). What’s nice and really helpful, is that each clip you have viewed will automatically be added to a timeline, where you can rewatch clips in their correct chronological order.
– Real player with 10.8 hrs in game
The List is another addition to the FMV mystery search type, where the player has to piece together a set of clips to ultimately solve the mystery surrounding the main character. If you liked games like “Telling Lies” and “Her Story” this is for you.
The design of the game itself follows those games in which you have some limited case information, a database, a search function and a series of videos of a one sided interrogation to piece together. This was decently done, with a few hiccups in it’s search terms (There was a typo in one of the clips) or the general vagueness of terms, where words might have a tense that you must acknowledge otherwise no results can show. I felt that maybe the developer could have changed some of the terms for a few of the clips.
– Real player with 8.3 hrs in game