GRUNND
GRUNND is a 100% handcrafted, fully voiced adventure game about travelling to a seemingly ordinary place right next to you that slowly introduces itself as surreal and twisted world and has it’s own invisible gods, agendas, and order. You - tired after a dull day at your 9to5 job - fall asleep at the train on the way home. Next thing you do is jump out of that train into unknown station, and now need to plan your way back home. Surely enough, it’s not so easy?
People you meet are slightly weird, and in the air there’s an ethereal, omnipotent power floating just beyond your senses…
A bit of a different take on the point-and-click genre, with platformer-style built locations, fast travel, and multiple choice events introduced early on. This is not a puzzle heavy adventure and all puzzles are made without any nonsense or moon-logic. There is a rich story background for you to unravel; that is not only about you and the world - the people around you have their own thing and they are not here to help you.
The world is inspired by the works of Franz Kafka and David Lynch, and the setting has those taste droplets of Southern Gothic. This is not only the Protagonist’s journey - it’s yours as well.
Please enjoy the Demo, and let us know about your experience!
Read More: Best Story Rich Atmospheric Games.
Nowhere New
TLDR: If you like indies, play this game. Its story and atmosphere are well worth a few hours of your time.
This is not a full size game. It was created by a small group of students on no budget, and it shows. However, for that size and scope, it is impressively complete. I greatly enjoyed the couple hours I spent playing.
Narrative:
The writing is very strong. The mystery is intriguing, the characters are likable and complex, and the story is well constructed. There are several emotionally impactful story beats; at various points I felt shock, anger, suspense, horror, compassion, etc. I enjoyed the prevailing theme of identity, trust, and how our experiences shape who we are. Also, LGBT rep is a plus!
– Real player with 3.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Story Rich Detective Games.
Even though the game has unappealing visuals, I thought that the writing was very strong and I liked most of the characters. However, I ultimately was disappointed with the experience because the ending felt very anticlimactic, a big exposition dump to what otherwise was a mysterious story that could have gone in many ways. We play as a character that crashlands on a mysterious world where inhabitants lose their memories as they share them with other people. The game presents memory share as a mechanic but it’s somewhat cosmetic, for the most part, the story is pretty linear and you can only trade a few memories for a couple of hints, although I cannot confirm that as I decided to keep them. I wouldn’t say that it has any puzzles, you just have to talk to the characters in the right order, it’s not too convoluted. If anyone cares you can complete the game in about 90 minutes.
– Real player with 2.3 hrs in game
Untale: King of Revinia
I mean this is a probably one of the best visual novels ever made…like easily. I think the only visual novel that is better is Seeds of Chaos. If you are going to make a visual novel you have to dedicate considerable time to the story, art direction, and ability for the player to make choices that have an effect on the story. For some reason I don’t understand, almost no visual novels can meet that minimum standard. Untale doesn’t just meet those standards it exceeds them. The amount of different choices you have in this game is quite stunning and it’s clear a ton of work was put into making the outcomes of these choices make logical sense. Even the music here is great, I think they could use more music, but it’s probably the most robust visual novel soundtrack except for probably Lady Killer in a Bind’s amazing jazz score.
– Real player with 24.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Story Rich Drama Games.
The art of the game is good, the story/plot is interessing and the characters are quite interessing.
Why I do not recommend it ? Because playing a “power less” guy that just do is best to survive is frustrating. And the save mechanism really help to keep the frustration very high.. ( please restart from the beginning and remember you choice… such a pain… ).
I also dont like the “combat” behavior ( being able to skip the minigame once done was a good idea… why keeping the combat ? ).
I’m sad because I really find the ambiance good but keeping trying to find the less bad ending is not where I take pleasure to play.
– Real player with 9.0 hrs in game
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
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
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
The Last Show of Mr. Chardish
The Last Show of Mr. Chardish is a story with multiple layers and is made up of a central framework with 5 very distinct ‘mini-adventures.’ The sound track is enjoyable and the voice acting well done.
The primary story is played from a first person perspective and is much like a walking simulator, exploring an old theater. You are Ella, an actress returning to your history at the request of Mr. Chardish (a person you worked closely with in your past). You walk through the ruins of the theater, listening to a taped interview with Chardish. You examine items lying about (collectibles) and listen to snippets of remembered conversations. You find several masks in the theater and putting on each submerges you in an adventure based on a play by Chardish. These vary in artistic style and objectives. The mechanics of each are very different, as well. Within each of 5 segments, there are collectibles that contain more recordings of conversations to build out the history of your own past with the man and the theater. The segments have different styles of puzzles with a common theme of using the environment to build your path through a surreal landscape.
– Real player with 12.7 hrs in game
Are you looking for an emotional game with an interesting story, incredible soundtracks and decent voice acting while experiencing a game with artistic and sometimes surrealistic visual graphics? Then The Last Show of Mr. Chardish is for you.
Not all games about battle royales/PVP, having impossible challenges during platforming/parkour games, etc. Story oriented games could be called a niche genre, mainly created to adults because of their deep thoughts. These games offer much lower playtime than other games while the asking price is still 15-20$+. Considering a purchase is still a valid option if you like to support quality games with a deep meaning instead of buying the 500th reskin of a boring shooter.
– Real player with 9.3 hrs in game
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
Blackhaven
its ok.
I’m not saying its unplayable!
The story isn’t bad, and i did enjoy it a few times, but its mostly just walk around, press this, read that, listen to this audio. you don’t actually get to make decisions or explore properly, visually its nice, but there is so little of actual interest to look at, the house itself was disapointingly small, with only two chairs, a small table, a bed, a weird thing on a wall, and a few stone pillars. it doesn’t feel like a proper museum or historical exhibit.
– Real player with 5.4 hrs in game
I really liked this game. For me it was pretty much Job Simulator because:
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I work in history, preservation & archives (the game even mentioned one of my old jobs, Library of Congress)
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I’m Black
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I live in Maryland, visited Virginia lots (obv. not now, not trying to die of modern plague)
Hence why this game was basically Job Simulator for me. From the decor to the scanner/computer set-up to the gift shop to the micro-aggressive White employees (I couldn’t help but to go, “wow, did they just pull these emails direct from the jobs I have been on?") to the douchebaggery of the estate when there are Black American patrons trying to simply trace their family trees, not write exposes, because the estate goes “Oh noes! Our reputation!” - everything is pretty dead on accurate for me. It’s also wild hearing places in Maryland & Virginia and going, “I know where that is and, wow, these documents look just like the ones I scan and transcribe daily.”
– Real player with 5.3 hrs in game
Commissar Catlov
Hopefully no animals were harmed in the creation of this garbage?
– Real player with 7.0 hrs in game
Best $2.69 I spent.
– Real player with 0.2 hrs in game