This is the first run of ten games where I didn’t rank any as S-tier on my running list. Unfortunate. Most of these were still solid though.
I guess I played the Cuphead DLC at some point during all this. That filled my S-tier quota.
1.INMOST - This game is obtuse at first but once things start making sense, it’s extremely moving. I cried. Visually stunning throughout.
2.NORCO - Looks good, disturbs you, makes you pay attention, makes you think. The story, atmosphere, and humor are all very grim, which I didn’t necessarily enjoy, but it all has a purpose. (Sidenote, this is the juiciest point-and-click I’ve ever played? Clicking on things, or even just mousing over them, is really satisfying.)
3.A Year of Springs - A-dor-a-ble. It’s just a trio of three little games that exist to make you smile, and isn’t that all you really need?
4.Summer Gems - I was going to complain about another game further down being short, but that would be hypocritical because this game is ridiculously short and I still found it utterly delightful.
5.Death’s Door - I feel like it really speaks to my priorities as a gamer that this is below Summer Gems. Not that this isn’t just as cute as that one and doubly profound, I just found its combat exhausting. Great boss battles though.
6.Windosill - A neat, single-sitting diversion. I recall a few rooms (I hesitate to really call them “puzzles”) being frustratingly timing-based.
7.Fatum Betula - Yes, I only got three endings, which is not even half, but I thoroughly enjoyed getting those three. Plus, this game tested my threshold for spooky stuff.
8.Lieve Oma - Looking back, I really enjoy how it pretended to gamify collecting the mushrooms only to underscore how few mushrooms were really left. Love the use of gameplay to emphasize story. (This is the one I decided not to complain about being short. That’s not a fair criticism. Short games are great.)
9.Strangeland - For some reason I just don’t have the brainpower to solve adventure game puzzles lately. It’s not necessarily the fault of this game (which it’s a real shame I couldn’t get through! Wadjet Eye published Unavowed, which is one of my favorite games of all time) but. I did label all my save files “I’m confused” so. Make of that what you will.
10.Calico - What else can I really say? It is not good.
