Well, I succeeded that one time where I summarized a game and talked about its strengths and weaknesses. What if I just did that for a bunch of games you’ve maybe never heard of, but might interest you? Also, I have 24 hours to make this. Let’s go!
Killer Frequency (2023)
You’re Forrest Nash a 1980s radio host moved from a big city to a small town, debuting to maybe 35 listeners a night. But uh oh! A killer from the 30 years ago is making rounds again and the only 911 station in town is being rerouted to YOUR hotline service! Can you make sure nobody dies before the killer gets caught?
This game is so… Stupid. It’s a lovely sort of stupid. It’s almost entirely a lighthearted take on the slasher genre, barely taking any time whatsoever to like immerse you in the horror of the situation. Oh no! A man was just murdered because you didn’t correctly solve the puzzle. (sad trombone) Hey, there’s a killer on the loose, but don’t go away—You might be next. And then you play a song from your record booth or whatever and dude, that’s so funny.
There’s a limited selection of characters (majorly you and this one girl behind the booth) but they’re pretty funny. So yeah, mystery element, lack of seriousness about murder, and a little bit of charm! Would recommend!
Night in the Woods (2017)
PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEYOUKNEWTHISWASCOMINGJUSTPLAYIT
Night in the Woods follows college dropout Mae Borowski coming home to her rust belt town of Possum Springs. Not everyone is ready to accept her return; many are mad or flat out disappointed, even the few people excited to see her have largely moved on with their lives. As a Mississippi kid, this story hits. Her town has massively changed in her absence, with major stores leaving and being replaced or just simply closing down. Her friends struggle with convenience store jobs and unsuccessful family businesses, and her family… Woof.
The small town vibes of this game just hit. You stop and talk to random people on the side of the road and they know you. Some are your friends, some are just strangers, but you know them. You and your friends make up for not having anything to do in town by smashing lightbulbs for fun or following each other to work. And don’t even get me started on the emotional beats. Have you ever felt like a failure? Are you emotionally dependent on others?
Great! This game hates you and will target those feelings specifically and leave you with a moving experience like no other.
And I was talking about how much this game changes you I overlooked that its largely a comedy. The humor is very 2010s which might break your immersion idk, but if you can look past that and see this game as a time-capsule with some ‘lol random’ comedy, you will have a fun time.
pleaseeeeee….. please play it…
The Beginner’s Guide (2015)
You follow the creator of the Stanley Parable, Davey Wreden as he shows off the games of an old friend from 2009-2011 who stopped talking to him. He shows you the details, the heart, and really gives you a look into the psyche of this person and what they might think.
This game is so artful. I love it. It’s basically a walking simulator as Davey Wreden the Narrator guides you through each server and world so you get as much perspective as possible and then it just… it starts speaking to you. It’s a game all about story, authorial intent, and what an audience takes from a work. I genuinely believe this game is timeless. This could be due to the fact there’s no perceptible comedy, it’s just a man and you, looking through old files of someone he’s lost contact with.
I think the genius in this game is its almost domestic nature, you feel close with the person who created the game. It’s really special, and I still come back to playthroughs of it. If you have ANY feelings about media analysis or being an author or a creative, yes yes you should. you should look into this game.
Also, it has a really beautiful song at the end that like. you ever get punched in the stomach. that’s the song in like five words.
