Everyone’s doing it, so am I! These are the games of note for me, but I had to separate into categories of titles my friends or myself worked on. I haven’t been able to play many newly released games this year, but here’s a few released this year I’d like to note.
Games from the Home Team
Domonique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over When The Fat Lady Sings”
by Squinky
The reason this title is special to me are very personal reasons for me. I didn’t make this game — Squinky did everything — but as the game was awarded nominations, Squinky trusted me with business and marketing of the title. The work got me though a lot of difficult times for which I’m forever grateful for. It’s also a very mild source of income for me, which at least gives solid proof that I’m still a paid game developer. Which reminds me: Get this game. 😀
Dreamfall Chapters
This goes into the ‘Home Team’ category as Jory worked on audio. The third entry from the Longest Journey series, the anticipation for this title was long before I backed it on Kickstarter. Playing this game was SUPER WEIRD for me for one set of features:
I haven’t played The Walking Dead since my layoff in season one, and I was caught a bit off-guard to see all the choice tech I contributed to at Telltale to be redone by someone else. It’s especially weird from the franchise that gave me the final push to decide to make games my career choice. Weirdest gaming experience ever.
The game is in episodic mode, so the released portion isn’t quite a complete unit, but it’s well worth the investment. Also, Jory works sound on it. 😀
Roundabout
by No Goblin
A game where I keep seeing people I know in the LAV sequences. The game is Tokyo Drift Forever as a game mechanic. The limo is always driving in circles, and you control the position of the limo. It’s a game that can be hard for to 100%, but a fun stupid game to romp around in. Not to mention the LAV sequences and a LGBT relationship development that isn’t played up as a line item on the [virtual] box.
Games from the Away Team
Transistor
The second game by Supergiant, Transistor made some bold choices for themselves with this title. The turn-based-but-live gameplay is an interesting balance. It’s not without things that could be improved on, but it’s a reminder that it’s OK to make big bold choices that may not work out perfectly in the end.
The audio work is haunting in a good way. Great voice direction hits the mark in a way that connects the player to the work in a way unmatched by many. It also contains one of my favorite moments in games this year: Red, who can’t speak, communicates with Transistor at points with typing into a terminal. So simple, but so powerful.
Munchkin: Adventure Time
by Steve Jackson Games, et all
I picked up this game at PAX Seattle this year and is my first Munchkin game. The branding of Adventure Time is matches perfectly with this game, making it one of the better cross-brand titles I’ve seen in gaming. If you never played the game before, you’d think this was made for Adventure Time.
If you already own Munchkin, there’s nothing new as it’s a stand-alone. But if you don’t own Munchkin, want Munchkin, and at least think Adventure Time is OK, get this version.
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure
This game was the other long-time franchise rebirths and also a Kickstarter I backed. The Tex Murphy series is part of the tri-fecta of games that got me into video games (the others are Myst + Sam & Max). This game was a time capsule of an era of video games, for better and worse.
The game did a bit too much fan servicing for it’s own good. Not so much to require back story, but calling out that this game was funded by fans of the series. Sure, you have people who backed the project, but I don’t need to be reminded of that fact while playing the game.
On the good side, it continues a form of storytelling that was left unresolved creatively for the team. How mixing in LAV with 1st person gameplay is a tricky spot, but it’s good to see the past reintegrated.
Hitman GO
from Square Enix Montreal
This game is an absolute gem of an mobile game! It’s an engaging game where you’re solving a puzzle in reaching the goal point with bonus goals along the way. I never got into the Hitman series from which the IP is from, but it really doesn’t matter for enjoying this game. The art style is of a board game with figurines moving around but with no individual animation to the models. It makes for a very clean game that you can put away and get right back into.