Games I Couldn't Stop Playing
I love being completely absorbed by a game, to the point where it's hard for me to step away from it. It's like it leaves an imprint on my brain so that I can't stop thinking about it, even when I'm not playing and long after I've finished it. I have a bad habit of starting games and leaving them unfinished for a while, so when I find one that sticks, it's a rare and wonderful feeling.
A few games I've played so far this year stand out in that respect, and they're listed below. All of them took at least 10 hours to beat. I'm not including games that only took a couple of hours to finish in one sitting. There are plenty of those that held my attention, but I think it's a different beast when you can't stop playing a longer game.
The Seance of Blake Manor
It's October 29, 1897, and you're Private Investigator Declan Ward, an Irish ex-detective who arrives at the titular manor to investigate the disappearance of a guest named Evelyn Deane. There's a big event happening on Halloween night, a seance that has attracted mystics from around the world, and you'll question and profile all of them while searching the creepy manor for clues.
This game is all about using your time wisely. Most interactions take one minute, including examining an item, reading a document, and asking someone a question. Some take longer, however, like sitting down to lunch with a group or attending one of the talks that take place in the drawing room, both of which can provide valuable information. You must balance all of this in hopes of narrowing things down and solving every mystery throughout the course of your stay.
Cut-scenes and some of the longer interactions are voice-acted, but there's a lot of reading as well, including a library full of books you can research. It never felt overwhelming, though. It's well-written without being overwrought, and I learned so much about Irish history and folklore. The characters are each interesting in their own right, making me want to get to know all of them and become friends with some.
While I was constantly thinking about what I needed to do next and how to manage my time, I never felt too rushed or like I wasn't getting enough story and context. It's so captivating, even if you don't manage to solve every mystery, and the way the saves work makes it easy to go back in your timeline if you missed something. I chose to live with my consequences, and I happily only managed to miss out on solving one mystery in the end. I can't wait to see what Spooky Doorway does next, after this and the Darkside Detective games. They're one of my absolute favorite developers right now.
Hades
Quite a well-known roguelike at this point, where you play as the son of Hades, prince of the Underworld. You keep trying to escape, with the help of several different weapons, boons from the gods, and other bonuses. It seems like there are endless possibilities, making no two runs feel quite the same.
Most roguelikes aren't super narrative-heavy, but Hades is an exception. The narrative is what kept me going back and trying to unlock more of the story. Although the gameplay is undoubtedly fun, I'm not sure if that alone would have kept me hooked. And as a very welcome bonus, you get to decorate the Underworld.
Pragmata
I already wrote a pretty extensive review of this game in this blog post, so instead of rehashing it, I'll just quote part of it here:
Pragmata is just a lot of fun, and I feel like it has universal appeal. It has a puzzle element for people who dislike pure shooters. It's not terribly difficult, but it does have an unlockable "lunatic" mode and a demanding series of training sessions for those who want more of a challenge. It has an arcade-y feel for people who simply want to play a game, but there's enough of a story to satisfy those who want to feel something, especially if you accept the default ending as canon and if you pay attention to what the human residents of the lunar base have to say about being replaced by AI.
It's not a perfect game, but it establishes what it wants to do and then completely follows up on that promise. It delivers its narrative well, even if it's not the most intellectual example of storytelling. It expands on its systems in comfortable increments that feel natural as you go along. And it feels really, really good to play.
Resident Evil Requiem
I always look forward to a new evil residence. The two days I spent playing this game felt like an event. All of my friends were playing it at the same time, and my cousin in Washington and I were texting each other about it. There was this palpable collective excitement that was just a lot of fun to experience.
To me, Requiem did a great job of balancing slow-paced horror with fast-paced action. Going back and forth between Grace and Leon never felt jarring. If anything, it was kinda funny. In the first section you're cowering in a hiding spot with nothing but a lighter, and in the next you're mowing down zombies with a chainsaw. Grace is an incredibly endearing character, thanks in large part to her voice actor, Angela Sant'Albano. And Leon is, well, good ol' Leon.
Maybe it's fan service-y. I don't really care. I think the series has earned fan service at this point, and I couldn't stop playing.
Roadwarden
I played this back in February and included it in my Interactive Fiction Log, so I'm going to be lazy again and quote myself from there!
You play as a roadwarden hired by a merchant guild to explore and influence an isolated peninsula on their behalf. You'll travel the roads, offer help wherever you can, and get to know the people you meet in villages, inns, and abandoned hamlets. There are a lot of choices to be made and lots of room for customization of your story. Dark fantasy at its best, with lovely music and pixel art to go with its largely text-based gameplay.
It's one of the most in-depth pieces of interactive fiction I've played, with so much to do and keep track of. Thankfully, it includes a note-taking feature because notes are needed, which I love. I'm still thinking about this game months later.
I've been feeling a bit adrift after finishing The Seance of Blake Manor a few days ago. That always happens, and then I search desperately for something to fill the void. Maybe I'll find something soon, and hopefully I can do another one of these lists at the end of the year.