I recently discovered a website that provides free downloads of indie games. This is probably the worst thing for me to have discovered during exam week, because before long I had already downloaded an obscene amount of games to try out and it is safe to say, studying was the farthest thing from my mind. But they are good to take your mind off things in the evenings. I wouldn't exactly say the ones I've played are good to help you relax though, considering they're mostly tense thriller/horror games... But they're still good. And I have now realized I am a huge sucker for a good horror game.
I figured since I've already done reviews for films and podcasts it's only right that I do some game reviews too. So here goes.
1. Only Footsteps
Ok, I think this is the first game I played. It's pretty good. I mean, there's an interesting story to it I guess. And that is really the only thing that kept me going with it, but not much happens until the end. Basically you're in the snow and you have to find a cave and make your way through it to the center. You find notes along the way giving you pieces of information about you and about what's going on. The cave is the most interesting part though. You end up spending most of the game walking through really long, stone corridors to get to the center of the cave. And the character moves painfully slowly which is annoying. But once you get there it's interesting. The ending? It's weird. Be prepared for that.
2. Letter to a Friend
This one... This one is weird. It's alright, I think. Again nothing much happens, but there is a slightly more interesting story here. You're at this weird old subway station. It's dark. And you basically just explore all areas while you wait for the train. There isn't much to explore as you can only go so far. Some weird stuff happens. The train comes. That's it. It's a little creepy, but just make sure you explore every inch of the subway station otherwise nothing will happen. Note: You can't move past the darkness.
3. Fran Bow
Ok... This one gets a little disturbing. The art is cute, the story is cute... until she looks out the window, then the whole thing is just weird and disturbing. It still manages to maintain that cute element throughout though. Which is strange. I haven't gotten very far with it, but it's good. It's one of the few games on this list which isn't an RPG, ha. There is a much better story to this. Basically Fran's parents were killed at the beginning by a weird monster and now she's in a mental hospital and has to find her cat. He comes to her in dreams and tells her the medicine will help her find him... Weird, but that's Fran's main motivation for getting out of the hospital. That's as far as I've gotten, but it's intriguing. I'd better go finish it...
4. Anxiety: Lost Night
This is the only game in the anxiety series that I've played so far, and god... It's so frustrating! Where is the radio power cable?! Ok... The whole point of this game is to start the car. But it's not as simple as it sounds. There's something... unnatural out there in the woods around you. Don't look into the darkness for too long, or you just might see something you don't want to...
5. 7Days
I just played this properly before I started writing and ohhh... ohh no. No. Pretty sure I'm only on like day 4 now, but if this is day 4... I don't want to know what day 7 is. My heart was pumping like I was running a marathon. It really lures you into a false sense of security because the art is really nothing special if I'm being honest. It reminds me of Pixel Dungeon. So I didn't expect big things from this. But ohh no... The noises... There are running footsteps, always behind me. And the pixel blood stains... And that damn ominous music that plays in the library. And Sam... Who is Sam? He seems important for some reason. I mean his name is written in blood in a book and on the wall soo... Maybe the aim is to find him...? Who knows. But it's so tense... Here's hoping I make it to day 7 before I give myself a heart attack.
6. Hotel Remorse
So... This one. It's awesome. Pretty intense also. But awesome. There are a few loud noises so be prepared for that. You start off in a hotel room, a loud gunshot has been heard coming from that room and you have to find out what it was through finding the letters left by the guest who was staying there. The first letter is an obvious find. But here's a little tip for once you leave the room; don't waste your time checking any of those doors. They're all locked. Literally just go straight to the end of the corridor. After that it gets weird... It really got my heart racing. And beware; the hallways can kill you.
7. Bunker16
This is one of my top two favourite games of the ones I've downloaded. It is awesome. Really intense. As you can probably tell, I have a thing for intense games that get your heart pumping. It's a fun adrenaline rush. But I just love this game so much... The general outline of the story is that you are stuck in a bunker and you have to find a way out. Lucky for you the previous person to get stuck in this bunker has left his diary entries scattered around for you to find. You have to make your way through the entire bunker each day; explore literally everything. Find those notes, they're really helpful. Once you have exhausted all of your options, checked everything, go back to where you started and take a nap. Then the cycle will repeat... But usually with a difference... Watch out for disturbing faces at the ends of the corridors, and the creepy messages in German on the walls. Here's hoping you find an escape...
8. Lurking
Ohh man, this is my favourite one. I really want to know what happens at the end, I'm so close to finishing it. You start in a dingy little room with a hospital bed and a night stand. This room serves no real purpose. It's just the starting point. Once you leave things are going to go dark. The key to this game is to make noise. Audio pulses allow you to see. But they're also the thing that will get you killed. See, you're in some kind of testing facility. And you have to pick up the audio tapes you find along the way. Each one provides another piece of the puzzle needed to discover what happened here when the experiment went horribly wrong. Avoid anything that emits a red pulse at all costs. Those are the test subjects. They will eat you. Your noise attracts them. Anything white is harmless. Anything yellow, like the computers and boxes, can be picked up and thrown to make a noise. Make your way through the facility, room by room, and explore everything. Find those audio tapes. And try not to get eaten along the way...
These next two games aren't on the site. They're flash games, but they're awesome so I thought I'd share them.
9. Every Day the Same Dream
Basically, break the cycle. That's all I'm gonna say. It's awesome, the art is very clean and sharp and I love the music. It's a quick play once you figure it out. The ending was a little shocking to me though. Gotta catch that leaf...
10. Coma
And to complete the list, this is my favourite game of all time. The art is awesome, there is a really nice story to it and the music is so beautiful. Makes me want to cry... If I were to describe my aesthetic, this game would be it. I don't want to spoil anything, just go play it.
