A linkdump of games I especially enjoyed this year (in no particular order).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Cain<\/strong> by Jim Nelson<\/a>. Travel back in time and use alchemy to investigate the first murder. A clever, poignant retelling, and my favorite game of last year’s IFComp. More thoughts…<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pentiment<\/strong> from Obsidian Entertainment<\/a>. A murder mystery in sixteenth century Bavaria. Also, an illuminated manuscript brought to life. Possibly the best-researched game I’ve ever played? More thoughts…<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Roottrees are Dead<\/strong> by Jeremy Johnston<\/a>. Research, the game! Reconstruct a family tree by digging through archival materials. Besides a good time, this is an early look at what one person can build with generative AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patrick\u2019s Parabox<\/strong> by Patrick Traynor<\/a>. Finally got around to this sokoban about recursive spaces, and devoured all 364 puzzles in about four days. Exemplar of gradually teaching new concepts through level design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Immortality<\/strong> from Half Mermaid.<\/a> A staggering project, three feature-length films interactively recut into a Hollywood thriller, that ventures into horror territory by playing with the box. Can be slow, but hides some of the best moments of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Repeat the Ending<\/strong> by Drew Cook<\/a>. “A sort of polyphonic epistolary wrapped around a parser game.” A singular authorial voice and a core mechanic imbued with meaning made this Spring Thing entry stand out. There’s also a lot of effort to make the work accessible even if you aren’t into IF. More thoughts…<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Slice & Dice<\/strong> by Tann<\/a>. A fantastic mobile-friendly roguelike that reminds me a bit of Terry Cavanagh’s Dicey Dungeons. “Combat dice” is a hard idea to get right! This one’s super addictive, packs in tons of variety – my new waiting-for-stuff game going into 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n