Cracks
Cracks is a single player side-scrolling platformer following the couple Liam and Lana, as they navigate the highs, lows and struggles of their relationship. Their relationship is part of the game, where their level of cooperation depends on how connected they are. Join them on their adventures and learn how you can overcome the biggest obstacles as a team, whether it’s dealing with overbearing store clerks, or finding seats together on the tube. Experience the joy of doing even the most mundane chores together, and grieve with them when their arguments turn ugly and they are unable to work together on the smallest task.
Read More: Best Story Rich Romance Games.
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.
Read More: Best Story Rich Atmospheric Games.
Essence of Time
In Essence of Time, you are thrust into a school of elemental magic at a critical moment in history; it is time to choose a new emperor. As is tradition, the emperor will be chosen from the students. However, when controversy surrounds the winner, civil unrest grows into outright war.
Fortunately, you have access to the essence of time! By repeating those fateful last days at the academy, you can try to change who becomes emperor and prevent war from breaking out.
Essence of Time mixes turn-based RPGs and visual novel storytelling with time-travel puzzle solving. As you explore various timelines, you will experiment with your sphere grid, make new friends, wage combat against deadly foes, and unravel the many mysteries held within the hearts and minds of all who cross your path.
Read More: Best Story Rich Nonlinear Games.
Creepslore
Welcome to the world of CREEPSLORE, where text shown in all caps means someone is SHOUTING!
Take part in a surreal, interactive arthouse adventure inspired by older Adventure Games mixed with Choose Your Own Adventure books and RPGs. Supported by it’s massive list of (112+!) characters, heartfelt story, and uniquely weird art style, Creepslore is here to make you laugh, cry, and question it’s creators' sanity and overall well being.
The game takes place sometime during the 1970’s, and is told from the point of view of a sarcastic character who gets suckered into an adventure after arriving on a monster filled island. Realizing there’s no way back, he now has to deal with a bunch of intoxicated creatures with idiosyncratic tendencies (ergo: they’re also stupid) who think humans are the de-facto best gourmet food option.
What this game offers:
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surreal & tongue in cheek humor
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a story with 5 completely different scenarios (no forced repeats of dialogues to unlock ‘extra’ content!)
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18 explorable locations, ranging from cities to swamps
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more than 110 individual characters
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pre-rendered backgrounds created in Quake
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even MORE NUMBERS to grab your attention
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text, text and some more text
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a sad fish
What this game DOESN’T offer:
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saving the world
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cute anime girls
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fan-service
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a happy fish
PS: if you’ve ever wondered why the Giant Spider in Skyrim carries coins, and where the hell it puts them, we’ll, let’s just say we have the answer to that.
Apocalipsis
The title and the beginning of the story already make the truly apocalyptic mood of this masterpiece clear: Apocalipsis is a point-and-click game that lets you slip into the role of Harry, who truly regards the death of his beloved Zula as the end of his world and who, on his journey, literally goes to the end of the world in order to perhaps bring her back to life through a magical ritual.
As in the Book of Revelation, however, the hoped-for resurrection of the dead might only happen at the end of the story. Before that, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (tyranny, war, hunger and illness/death) are attacking mankind: Harry wanders, depressed and sickly coughing, through scary landscapes, where he encounters the scourges of medieval mankind: cruel torture, devastating war, emaciating hunger and merciless illness/death. Death dances its macabre dance in almost all of the pictures: either there are already many bodies or skeletons in the picture, or the grim reaper can hope for a rich harvest in view of the condition of the living creatures or the actions of the people involved. Especially in the first half of the game one often encounters monsters that seem to come directly from the hell of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. Can Harry save his beloved by dark magic?
– Real player with 9.6 hrs in game
Apocalipsis:
Sitting together on the top of a hill like two love birds, Harry and Zula were enjoying the beauty of the night when suddenly a falling star illuminated the sky on its way down to Earth. Zula stood up, mesmerized by this incredible spectacle, and decided to share with Harry an old legend she had heard. It says that only a woman can follow and find where the falling star has landed, and when she reaches it, she will be granted eternal love. As she walks down the hill by herself, it will be the last time Harry sees her safe and sound. This is how Harry’s world falls apart, and he’ll do anything to have her back!
*– [Real player with 5.4 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198003030375)*
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## 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](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199111216657)*
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](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561199110360560)*
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## Mundaun
Mundaun is really good. It's very refreshing to play a horror game set elsewhere than an asylum, a space station or a suburban house, there's way too few games taking place in Switzerland. The game looks unique and I'm in awe just thinking how many graphite drawings it took and there's quite a few striking setpieces I still think about to this day. The atmosphere is thick and eerie, you know something's not right but can't quite put your finger on it.
The characters are great, huge love for a certain evil one who oozes darkness. The romansh voice acting adds so much to the sense of mystery and it's not like you'd play games in romansh everyday. The story is pretty straightforward and feels like a folktale you'd tell just before bedtime, a story the whole town would know.
*– [Real player with 24.4 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198019243346)*
Sometimes it only takes one picture to see that the game will be - at the very least - interesting. I saw the first picture of _Mundaun_ on an indie website something like two years ago, and after that was patiently waiting for release. I was expecting another tiny 2-3-hour horror game - only this time with actual style and atmosphere.
What I didn't expect was was ten hours of high production values all across the board.
* A culturally informed take on the classical European 'deal with the Devil' scenario.
*– [Real player with 9.9 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198081477001)*
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## Samorost 3
### ESPRESSO SHOT REVIEW
For an entirely original adventure game with no dialogue that consists of quirky characters, a beautifully composed score, and worthwhile puzzles, Samorost 3 delivers. Explore the hand drawn worlds and discover this little gnome’s grand adventure. Score: 9/10
### PROS
- no language barriers, anyone can enjoy the game
- memorable scenes made in a very original art style
- amazing musical score
- a built in walkthough system in case you get stuck
- hand drawn back-story visuals
*– [Real player with 17.6 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198063350180)*
Samorost 3 was one of my most anticipated games for 2016\. When I finally played and finished it, it left me a tad bit dissapointed
Right off the bat, I instantly fell in love with the presentation. Like Amanita Design's previous games, the world is weird and wonderful, with all of the vibrant colours and impressive locations. The world is constantly full of life and energy; often at times, I just stared out into the distance and saw weird creatures in the background and observing their behaviours, and each time doing so felt like observing strange animals in David Attenborough documentaries. It is not hard to fall in love with the off-beat world of Samorost 3\. The atmosphere is pushed forward with the beautiful score by Tomas Dvorak, the same composer for the music from Samorost 2 and Machinarium. The sound design, much like Amanita design's previous entry, Botanicula, is very bizzare and maybe even out of place at times, but that made the world even more weird and charming. The presentation is definitely where Samorost 3 really shines.
*– [Real player with 10.6 hrs in game](http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198169006812)*
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## 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.
* Serve your famous stew and drinks to customers. Be careful to do it right so the payment is adequate.
* 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.
* Test your senses and serve simultaneously. You know, like a good bartender who pours the pint while chatting up his guests.
* 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?
* 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…
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## Where Birds Go to Sleep
Where Birds Go to Sleep is a narrative adventure game set in a fictional Near East-inspired land, brought to life in a painterly artstyle, with voice-acted dialogue and original score.
Slip into the subconscious of Cormo, a churlish smuggler-turned-explorer, only ever influencing his actions, never directly assuming control. You will mould him through every sentence you put in his mind… but you might not like what he becomes.
Confront him about controversial topics like sexuality, prejudice and morality, and change his mind… or have him change yours.
There is no “Mission Failed”; saying “No” opens new avenues. There is no golden path.
Lie to others, and you’ll be more likely to hide the truth from yourself. Fail to justify your actions and you might find your character not heeding your commands.
Every single small choice you make builds up, and shifts the direction of the story. While there are crucial moments and big decisions to be made, it is the small things that – true to life – ultimately decide who we are.
Reflect on your actions along with the protagonist; exchange your thoughts on what happened; regret or rejoice, grieve or laugh together… or independently of each other.
The difference between saying “you tried your best” and “you’re horrible” is empathy.
The smallest of your choices are remembered by the experimental Insight System, which analyses your character and offers you personalised, interesting viewpoints and alternative outlooks on the things you’ve said and done, recontextualizing your experience both in and out of the game.
_An island has appeared in the distant sea…_
Sneak your way into a dangerous expedition to explore that island, reserved only for the worst prisoners. Get to know a handful of very special, deeply developed and fully realised characters. Become their friend, get to know their secrets, manipulate or abuse them to your, or Cormo’s will.
One of the first characters you will meet is Dunlin – a noble-born, young man who is steadfast in his moral and religious principles. But what must a purebred like him be guilty of to end up here with you?
Sprawling, naturally flowing dialogue: react in intense back-and-forth conversations. Every dialogue is ready for the choices you make, and can potentially branch off into a completely different conversation with game-changing significance.
Explore the mysterious island, unravel its secrets and lies. Shrouded in noxious, mind-altering mist, you must prepare for every journey inland, anticipating the challenges ahead. The provisions are scarce… but the others need them less than you.
#### **Is Where Birds Go to Sleep a text adventure?**
Where Birds Go to Sleep is not a text adventure. It is an adventure game featuring graphics akin to those seen in the trailer with fully voice acted dialogue, sound effects, ambience and music.
#### **Will there be localisation to [language]?**
Where Birds Go to Sleep is likely to release with only English, but we are keeping an eye on wishlists and interest from different regions, and will strive to localise the game accordingly post-release.
#### **Will there be Linux support?**
Unless we run into major platform-specific issues, we would like to release a Linux version in parallel to the Windows version on Steam.
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