Pink Gum
Pink Gum is a very short journey through a life as told by chewing gum bubbles. I pondered how to sum this game up in a sentence, and I guess that’s the best I could do. Not great, really.
I think its one of those things that no matter what I might say, you could go, hmm, sounds interesting, but when you actually see it, it will make perfect sense. Which begs the question “Why am I even writing about it then?”
Because I think Pink Gum is well worth checking out. For the small amount of time and money you spend, you get a visually appealing, thought provoking experience. I’m also pretty sure that my opinion isn’t enough to persuade you, so here are some quotes about the game from famous people.
– Real player with 1.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Philosophical Short Games.
Pink Gum is a short but powerful experience that tells us about birth, life and death from a unique point of view.
I really recommend this game to everyone.
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
JACK
JACK is a physics-based 2D puzzle-platformer crafted by bringing textured acrylic paintings and pencil drawings into the game engine to create a tactile and visceral world. Played as one seamless, linear experience, JACK explores existential thought in a surreal environment.
Read More: Best Philosophical Adventure Games.
Broken Roads
Born of a love for traditional computer role-playing, Broken Roads provides a rich, engaging narrative in which players make their way across a desolated future Australia. Blending together traditional and all-new role-playing elements on top of a classless system offering nearly unlimited character development options, Broken Roads presents players with an original morality system: the Moral Compass. This novel design sees dialogue options and questing decisions influence, and be influenced by, a character’s philosophical leaning.
Features
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All-new post-apocalyptic setting
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Unique morality system influencing dialogue, quests and character development
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Authentic Australian locations and environments
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Blend of traditional and original RPG mechanics
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Up to 5 party members
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Turn-based tactical combat
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Hand-drawn artwork
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A content-rich and densely-crafted world
Read More: Best Philosophical RPG Games.
OMNIA
Embark on the world of your subconscious in an adventure aimed at tracing clues of emotions and characteristics that can help decipher your behavior.
The Omnia universe gives you an adventure through the world of consciousness where the player will have to make decisions and carry out activities based on their feelings. During the adventure, you’ll have to collect keys to unlock the next stages by defeating the opponents that appear along the way in the quest to find the key that opens the door to your mind.
Dabado Puzzles
Dabado Puzzles is a very difficult puzzle game that takes its inspiration from the classic Tetris, but provides a completely different approach to block stacking.
The objective in every level is to place the blocks in a configuration that allows you to reach certain spots. While in Tetris the goal is to fill up lines to the full, in Dabado you’ll have to spread them out as much as possible (keeping them connected and on top of each other), and extend your construction in all directions. What you obtain in the end is not a wall of tiles, but a branching structure, very much resembling a tree, like so:
– Real player with 13.0 hrs in game
disclaimer: I did some beta testing before release.
dabado puzzles is a gorgeous tetris-like, and sadly that’s pretty much all the praise I can give. weird shapes of varying weight are falling, try to arrange them in a way that some of them will eventually touch and collect keys (they end the level immediately, so leave them for last), goal and special items, etc. so yeah, tetris with some fluff, pointless abbreviations, a narrative of sorts, and some unnecessarily complicated (or simply unnecessary) resource management.
– Real player with 4.1 hrs in game
Existensis
To all the people reading this, I recommend you finish the full game, explore every location in the game perceiving its beauty whilst doing so, this game is an astounding experience and exploring every region enables you to proceed even further in the lore of the game in which regard I choose not to specify so as to encourage others into experiencing a blind play-through and as to not ruin the lore.
tl;dr - Quit wasting your time looking at reviews and get the bloody game already, its an absolute masterpiece.
– Real player with 19.6 hrs in game
I haven’t finished it yet but it takes me ages to finish games and I really want to leave a positive recommendation.
This game is gorgeous, charming and so immersive. I did not expect to be so entranced by this world – especially because I rarely play fantasy games and I’m never interested in fantasy lore – but the more I play, the more I want to discover more areas, more characters and more of the story. I bought this the day it came out because I immediately loved the artwork and the fact that it’s all hand-drawn by one person, I just wish I started playing it sooner.
– Real player with 7.0 hrs in game
Penny’s Path
This was a great game, a well-written story. Immersive and creative characters with wonderful spins on late 1600s theology and the power of women. The voice acting is top notch. I really enjoyed it. Sister Benedetta is the best!
– Real player with 4.0 hrs in game
A modern day woman gets infected with COVID-19, then … gets sent back in time to the late 1600s of “New England” … or rather has a fever dream?
Praises
• Some animations are pretty.
• The hand-drawn art is a little rough, but it’s a refreshing change from how most visual novels are illustrated.
• Good attempts at old English (I think).
• Criticisms of religion, especially of Puritanism.
Complaints
• No Steam overlay, so no screenshots. (I’m too damn tired for ShareX.)
– Real player with 1.5 hrs in game
tomorrow won’t come for those without ██████
I don’t typically write reviews, but I genuinely loved playing this game. This is just based off of my experience but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys:
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Connecting dots and working a little to figure out the plot. The game doesn’t just come out with an exposition bomb, which I appreciate though I can understand that isn’t for everyone.
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Psychological thriller/horror elements. Creepy vibe? Check. A dash of body horror and existential/cosmic dread? Check.
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Puzzles. There are a few puzzles that stumped me for a bit, but it never felt entirely unfair. (Plus, if you really need help, there is a guide written by luna-terra that will help you through the game and get the alternate ending without spoiling the experience)
– Real player with 4.5 hrs in game
tomorrow won’t come for those without ██████ gives you the same feeling after playing as all of etherane’s other work. your mind gets foggy, your hands feel numb, and you want to cry but you don’t know how. you lay down in bed, turn the lights down to low, and just ponder.
etherane’s newest game comes with a new story just as surreal and mind-boggling as hello charlotte, seeped deep in low-humming religious trauma and blocked memories. the art is beautiful, and the slow-brewing horrors and states of melancholy make it even more so. i do appreciate the ability to turn flashing images off [which, to those curious, only comes up in one ending, and there are flashes when going between some rooms].
– Real player with 3.6 hrs in game
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
Chiasm
If you like time travel as a concept, and are frustrated with all the “time travel” games that are nothing but cooperating with your past self, then this game is for you. The logic is simple, consistent, and interesting, and the levels are perfectly crafted to showcase all the interesting consequences of the time travel model. I wasn’t a fan of the graphics or overall presentation, but it doesn’t get in the way.
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game