Game Pile #4

in no particular order…

I do enjoy games like this that are visually aligned with a well known game (Animal Crossing here) but then immediately subvert the tone. It’s on my backlog to play.

I’ve been getting a bit tired out by the loop of rogue-like games recently. More and more they feel like a loop that has been polished and now have too little friction Sol Cesto is refreshing in its unique feel and has something intangible in that it does not seem to encourage the “one more run” itch.

I’m an old time sucker for EA’s Skate series. This title has enough going on in the skateboarding gameplay to be perfect for putting on a podcast or playlist and tuning out the world. Ignore the soulless currency and the loot boxes - they bring nothing to the table here. Best played as a nice video game “walk around the block”.

A game jam release that has simple tight arcade mechanics. Load it up on your lunch break and reach the top of the tower. Games can be this simple and fill small moments in your life.

An upcoming game that seems neat. It is pleasing to the eye in the way Noita is, with many pixels flying around as a result of your actions. It also reminds me of space-ship-building-over-time games like Captain Forever which I adored. I’m looking forward to it.

If the developer of this has never encountered any Aphex Twin music videos I’ll be shocked. A horror game with gameplay reminiscent of the all time great Papers, Please. I don’t usually go in for horror games but I might make an exception in this instance.

This feels like a game that just wants to be delightful and fun and I’m there for it. The split screen mode feels perfect for an evening with a friend and a couple of drinks.

It’s not quite Proteus, not quite No Man’s Sky but definitely has feelings of both. The end result is a slow-paced game where you explore varied worlds and slowly uncover a story. I find it to be a very relaxing game but also out of step with our current world of dopamine saturation. No bright lights, fast graphics or instant gratification here, and that’s okay.