#story-driven

Local Enby Writes Indie Game

I feel like I always preface these little game recommendations with, 'I'm not a gaming blog, but...', so I'll spare you this time.

(This post is not in any way sponsored-- I just like highlighting games that really knock it out of the park!)

Beacon Pines is a well-paced choose-your-own-adventure game with a compelling narrative that delivers at every turn. You step into the shoes of 12 year old Luka only a few months after his mother goes missing. Armed with nothing but the help of his good friend Rolo, the sly wit of his newest neighbor Beck, and the power of Charms, it's up to him to unearth the truth behind their quaint town... and save it from catastrophic ruin.

Without spoiling anything, Beacon Pines is gameplay light. Instead, it takes it's cues from the visual novel genre... with a twist. The story unfolds as a narrator guides you through the various chapters, and through your journey you'll encounter branches where one word makes all the difference. That's where you come in! Using the collection of terms you pick up by exploring the world, you can radically alter the course of fate. You'll rarely get everything right on your first try, but don't worry-- even failure is rewarded with new clues, new threads of the mystery, and new hooks that will draw you further into the story.

Sitting at a runtime of 5-7 hours, Beacon Pines is short but satisfying. The art is bright, fun, and well-rendered. The characters are all well written, and the music perfectly encapsulates whatever mood the story demands-- whether it's the comfort of a slow morning or a warning of danger in the dark.

However, the thing that really sets Beacon Pines apart from other visual novels is the writing! The mystery is a fun romp that keeps you guessing, the "multiple paths" mechanic is executed so well that you never really feel like you've made a bad choice, and best of all, the characters and their interactions feel sincere. I found myself smiling, laughing, sometimes stunned silent, sometimes teary-eyed... Though the game is short, the world is just deep enough for the story and it's characters to swim.

Beacon Pines is really just... sweet and genuine. I think that's the best way to describe it. If you need something to whittle away a few hours and get away from it all and like story-driven games, give Beacon Pines a go! It was recently on sale for $4.00, but it usually retails for $20.00.

For reference, other games I love that I'd put in a similar category (note, not the same-- I'm mostly looking at high-quality narrative games here! I'm providing this so you can decide if my taste aligns with yours!):

Firewatch

Oxenfree

Disco Elysium

TellTale Games (Tales of Monkey Island, Tales from the Borderlands, etc)

Inside

Night in the Woods

For several hours, Rayne lay enveloped in darkness (unable to hear or feel anything).  She wasn't sure where she was or what was going on.  She also felt like she was everywhere, and nowhere, all at once.  

Then suddenly, her body didn't feel so strange and she started to feel her arms.  Sometime later, she started to feel her legs.  Once she could feel all her limbs, she started to hear faint voices.  Rayne couldn't really tell what was being said, or who was saying it, but she was sure she wasn't alone.  

Eventually, Rayne feels her eyes open for a second or two,

before closing them (The light now feeling brighter than before).

"What's wrong, Rayne?" she can hear the familiar voice say.  

Rayne is silent for a little while (Not sure what to say and feeling a slight headache, from how bright the light felt), before she says, quietly, "It's too bright."  

"What is?" 

 "The light's too bright!," Rayne says, a little louder (and somewhat annoyed), this time.  "Turn it off!"  

There's silence for a little while, before Rayne hears, "Why would I do that?  You can't get used to it that way."  The familiar voice pauses, then says, "Open and close your eyes a few times.  You'll be fine."  

Rayne keeps her eyes closed for a while, before she opens them.  After a few times, her eyes adjust and she feels like she can keep them open.  

"Now that your eyes have adjusted, sit up on the bed and try and close the door."  

Rayne isn't necessarily in the mood to listen to what the creature said.  Yet, at the same time (for some reason), she doesn't feel like she can stop herself from doing what it wants.  So, she sits up, looks over at the door, and thinks about closing it.  After a couple attempts, she's able to close the door half-way.   Feeling tired, she waits for food to be brought to her, and after eating, loses consciousness.

In this episode, I encounter Bobby Schroeder of Super Lesbian Animal RPG! 👉💖⚔️

Venture into a discussion of how a fan game started her career, and hear about how @slarpg formed from her struggles and striving to make her dreams a reality!

Envy! 1920s Murder Mystery Escape Room Game

This post details a gorgeous top-rated 1920s themed escape room game, Envy! A printable murder mystery escape kit to download, print and play at home. From Lock Paper Scissors. All the work’s been done for you, everything you need to play this escape game is included, just print out, follow the instructions to set it up and you can be ready to play in just 20 minutes! For top free full escape…

It’s the summer of 1904, over 20 years before the events of Cuphead took place, in a little town among the Inkwell Isles called Quillville. Quillville is but a humble town, with only one main street and a simple square, cocooned by homes and businesses. This is where 18-year-old Dice Roll lives, a boy with ambitious dreams and the will to take the gamble to achieve this dream. His focus is turned towards the horizon- towards a bright future- and so he doesn’t notice shadows looming just behind his back.

This was life before the casino.

Before the soul contracts.

Before the devil. 

Before everything.