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This January's blog is another oops all video games edition! These are 5 games I played at the end of 2025 that didn’t quite make my top 12 games of the last 5 years post, but these are all close runners up and are easy to recommend. Image via Steam Strange Antiquities by Bad Viking A spiritual sequel to Strange Horticulture, Strange Antiquities is a video game where you run a shop full of strange relics. As you play, you must determine what items to give your patrons based on the item descriptions, information found while investigating the relics, and research from within your books. This game plays similarly to its predecessor, but adds in new mechanics, such as map exploration and clue solving. As far as puzzle games go, I found it to be on the lighter side but still engaging. I also appreciated the possibility of different endings depending on the choices you made. I had fun exploring the world and making connections, though there were a few instances where I felt misdirected. The hint system could use some improvement to help smooth over these moments, but it was serviceable overall. If you want a mellow gaming experience that can still keep you engaged for hours, look no further than Strange Antiquities. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~9-10 hours Roottreemania by Evil Trout Inc Roottreemania is an included expansion of The Roottrees are Dead that builds upon the story of the main game and nearly doubles the amount of content. The gameplay is very similar to the original, where players need to research information to find members of the family tree, but this expansion specifically focuses on several family members’ affairs and finding their blood relatives. Roottreemania had more false leads than the main game, so we found it a bit more difficult to find everything we needed without help. Thankfully, the hints were quite effective at getting us back on the right track. Despite this, we felt that there were too many details we were expected to meticulously notate in order to figure out the final solution. While we wished for fewer red herrings and less frustration at the end, we overall really enjoyed uncovering the story of this game and felt the mystery was clever with a lot of fun discoveries. Difficulty: 4/5 Time: ~6 hours Image via Steam The Séance of Blake Manor by Spooky Doorway The Séance of Blake Manor is a supernatural detective mystery where you investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane in 1897 Ireland. I found it easy to become immersed in this game, and it was really satisfying to see how multiple characters’ storylines came together. There are a lot of documents, conversations, and locations to wade through and, while they make for an enriching play experience, they also can be a lot to keep organized. All of the information is accessible in your records, but it can get a little overwhelming as you move through the game. Additionally, the game does make investigation webs, which I appreciated, though they could be simplified to be more easily digestible. As I explored the rooms, I found it very easy to miss small key details or to miss talking to the right character about the right topic. This led me to want to spend more time carefully going over every room—the catch however, was that searching took in-game time, and the plot advanced and characters moved every hour. As a result, I referenced an online walkthrough a bit more than I would have liked while playing, just to avoid wasting precious in-game time. Overall, I really enjoyed this game for its storytelling, atmosphere, and addition of folklore. Difficulty: 2.5/5 Time: ~15 hours Image via Steam Dredge by Black Salt Games Dredge is a single-player video game where your fishing adventures take an ominous turn. Players will upgrade their boat, sell the fish they catch, and uncover the secrets hidden beneath the water’s surface. Like I often do while playing nonlinear exploration games, I fell into a time hole and finished this whole game over the course of three days. There is a mix of exploration, push your luck mechanics, light dexterity challenges, resource management, and polyomino packing strategies—this combination leads to a nice balance of gameplay. There are also narrative and atmospheric mechanics that add layers to the game. For example, if you do not sleep, navigation becomes more difficult and you start hallucinating. Monsters can offer an additional challenge, but players can turn that mode off if they, like me, prefer a less stressful experience. Careful navigation is required for players to not damage their ship, and upgrading the ship becomes imperative as navigation challenges become harder. I found the boat movement painfully slow at the beginning of the game, so I put a lot of early effort into my ship improvements. If you are looking for an exploration game with excellent ambiance that you can lose yourself in, or want to dredge up some freaky fish, I definitely recommend Dredge. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: 10-14 hours Image via Steam Botany Manor by Balloon Studios Botany Manor (not to be confused with the TERPECA-nominated escape room in Belgium, Botanist Manor) is a puzzle video game that feels like The Witness meets Strange Horticulture. In this game, you play as retired botanist Arabella Greene, exploring your estate in order to discover the habitats and properties of forgotten flora. The onboarding of this game was very intuitive and I enjoyed the clear sense of progression throughout. I also liked the bit-by-bit narrative that was told through the succinct documents in the game. The puzzles were overall not very difficult and mostly consisted of connecting information found around the manor to the correct actions. I appreciated that there were planting stations throughout the manor, so I never had to backtrack too far to complete a puzzle. However, I was frustrated that clues recorded in your journal were not accessible for later reference. This meant that in order to avoid retracing my steps to verify information, I had to take physical notes or screenshots while I played, which felt tedious. Simply making the clues available in the journal would have been a big quality of life update for this game. At the end of the game, I was left missing two clues without any idea of what I’d overlooked. Thankfully, I managed to sort out what to do and was allowed to proceed to the game’s conclusion. I overall enjoyed playing through Botany Manor and would recommend it to anyone looking for a light, puzzley game. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~4 hours What have you been playing lately?

I always love curling up with a nice video game over the holidays, so I thought I would share my absolute favorites that were released in the last five years. Most of these are also currently part of the Winter Steam Sale, so don't miss the chance to pick them up at a discount! In no particular order... Image via Steam Chants of Sennaar A beautifully executed language-learning game inspired by the story of the Tower of Babel. It builds on its own early-game principles in a way that felt uniquely satisfying. Play this if you like: Languages Contextual deduction Decoding puzzles Image via Steam The Forgotten City A first-person narrative-driven mystery adventure that combines a clever time loop mechanic with an engaging story that can result in multiple endings. I was impressed with how many of my gripes with time loops were resolved, resulting in much smoother gameplay. Play this if you like: Exploration Narrative discovery Character interaction Image via Steam Blue Prince An absolutely brilliant and incredibly addictive room drafting game. It combines puzzles with rogue-like drafting mechanics (i.e. you start fresh every run and learn more information as you go) and draws you into an unexpectedly expansive story world. Play this if you like: A deep dive into a puzzle game Tons of content and secrets to uncover Image via Steam NORCO A dialogue-focused point-and-click adventure that takes place in a surreal and distorted version of Louisiana. I really enjoyed this one for the story, which is told from multiple viewpoints, as well as the strange world the designers created. Play this if you like: Narrative-driven gameplay Funky/surreal worldbuilding Image via Steam Pentiment A comic-book-like role-playing game with quests, personality, and surprising depth. I enjoyed playing as a Medieval scribe in the Bavarian Alps, solving mysteries, and navigating the political landscape of the time. Play this if you like: Exploration Narrative-driven gameplay Mystery-solving Image via Steam The Case of the Golden Idol and it's sequel, The Rise of the Golden Idol Both excellent deduction scenario mystery games with a story that dives deep into history and use of a fictional artifact. The creators leveraged their signature fill-in-the-blank-style answer mechanic to include a wide variety of strange and entertaining situations. Play this if you like: Point-and-click style deductive mysteries Exploring bizarre scenarios Image via Nintendo Store The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom An infinitely impressive sandbox that builds on the incredible world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild . Not only is the gameplay gorgeous and the map expansive, but the advanced use of physics lends itself to a multitude of unique puzzles that demand not just logic but also player creativity. Plus, you can build all sorts of contraptions just for fun if you want. Play this if you like: Exploration and open-world gameplay Sandbox-style building Solving object manipulation puzzles A little combat (or at least don't mind it) Image via Steam Viewfinder A mind-bending game of perspective puzzles that use in-game photography as the main means of transforming an element. It's similar to other games I've written about, such as Maquette and Superliminal , but something about this game really tickled my puzzle bone. Play this if you like: Puzzles that play with perspective Solutions that make you think outside the box Image via Steam It Takes Two A cooperative puzzle platformer in which you play as a couple with some marital problems... only now you've been turned into dolls. The gameplay is exciting, joyful, and creative—there was so much more to this game than we initially expected. The cooperation throughout feels meaningful, and the platforming is surprisingly satisfying (as well as very forgiving for those who aren't great with a controller.) Play this if you like: Solving puzzles cooperatively Whimsical environments Some action sequences (or at least don't mind them) Image via Steam Balatro A rogue-lite deck-builder that can keep you going for hours, even if you've never played a single poker game in real life. The more you play, the more cards you unlock, adding variety and bringing you new challenges to overcome. It doesn't take long before you start creating powerful synergies, making gameplay both exciting and highly addictive. Play this if you like: Deck-builders Rogue-lites A fun mobile game to pass the time Image via Steam Lorelei and the Laser Eyes A surreal point-and-click adventure that takes place in an old European manor. It is mysterious and bizarre, but full of puzzles and secrets to discover. The best way I can describe it is if David Lynch made a puzzle game. Play this if you like: Exploration Puzzle-solving A spooky and surreal atmosphere Image via Steam Death Howl This game just came out, so I haven't even finished playing it yet, but I already know it belongs on this list. It is an open-world deck-builder in a gorgeously rendered environment. The gameplay is challenging and engaging, as each area of the game map contains its own flavor of cards, enemies, special skills, and play styles. Play this if you like: Deck-builders Thinky strategy games Feasting your eyes upon beautiful color palettes How many of these have you played, and which one was your favorite? Are there any gems I completely missed?

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our November edition, which includes a variety of puzzle games and video games. Image via Steam Birth by Madison Karrh Reminiscent of the Rusty Lake series, Birth is a dark, surrealist point-and-click adventure game where you collect bones and organs to build a companion. It was both cute and a little creepy at the same time. I generally enjoyed the series of tasks and puzzles you had to complete as you moved through this game. The actions had almost a meditative feel to them, and the music added to the calming quality of the game. Although, the tasks eventually got somewhat repetitive, and I wished for more of a build up with some variety. Simple and spooky, Birth is a good choice for when you want a brain break but are still looking to play a game. Difficulty: 1/5 Time: 2.5 hrs The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge by Hunt a Killer Based on an Agatha Christie short story, The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge is a boxed mystery game where players investigate the death of a wealthy man whose body is found in his nephew’s hunting lodge. This was more of a deductive mystery than a puzzle-driven game, though there were a few codes to break along the way. I thought the story was well put together and enjoyed unraveling its layers with a group. This did mean that we missed some connections between documents before we had all had the chance to read them. We appreciated the variety of the props, but felt that some of them were underutilized. The puzzle to open the locked compartment was a little convoluted, though we felt the overall plot was not too hard to crack once we had all the materials. With its wealth of documents and interesting text, we think there is plenty in this game for sleuths to sink their teeth into. Difficulty: 2.5/5 Time: 3-4 hours Image via Steam Taiji by Matthew VanDevander Taiji is a puzzling video game that focuses on grid puzzles. Exploring the open world while listening to the soundtrack was relaxing and peaceful. The logic of this game did not feel immediately intuitive, and I often felt like I was solving puzzles based on vibes as opposed to understanding the logic. It could just be that I kept accidentally running into more advanced areas before their easier counterparts, but I felt that some of the rules were difficult to figure out and I would have appreciated more onboarding. Despite some confusion during game play, I enjoyed the ending sequence and appreciated the way the game put a twist on what I had already learned. This led to a satisfying conclusion. Overall, there was lot more content in this game than I expected. Fans of logic puzzles and puzzle-driven games like The Witness should definitely check this one out. Difficulty: 3.5/5 Time: ~12 hours The Kai Leary Case by Crime & Logic Games The Kai Leary Case is a deduction game in which a young insurance adjuster and community advocate had suddenly and mysteriously died. Players can expect to pore through documents, reports, and records in an attempt to find a suspect with motive, means, and opportunity. The central mystery was generally well put together, and our group enjoyed making connections across different documents while uncovering the subtext in the narrative. The documents were numerous and gave us a good sense for the characters, but could be improved with better graphic design. Additionally, they could benefit from some proofreading because we found several mistakes in our playthrough. There was an online audio element that we couldn’t listen to because the provided QR code led to a dead link. This leads me to believe that support for this game has been discontinued. We were worried the missing piece of information would prevent us from solving the mystery, but we still managed to come to the correct conclusion on our own. The website hints offered for this game were very lean and not especially helpful in determining if we had missed something. Thankfully, the answer envelope contained a detailed walkthrough of the solution, as well as the conclusions we should have reached about the other suspects. We appreciated the depth of information and found it satisfying to have our theories and observations verified. While fun to play, this product appears to be currently unavailable and it is unknown whether or not it will be back in stock. If you are interested in taking a crack at the case, you may be able to find a copy secondhand. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~2-3 hours Image via Steam TOEM: A Photo Adventure by Something We Made TOEM: A Photo Adventure is a relaxing exploration video game where you discover the mysteries of the world through your photographic eye. You complete quests by taking pictures of the things you find in the world, and can even create optional collections, such as a creature compendium. I liked the simple, charming art of this game, and the black and white color scheme reminded me of an old-school cartoon. I also enjoyed the small added touches, like getting to pet the animals! It was often hard for me to orient myself without a map, but each area was contained enough that I never felt overwhelmed. I decided to not go the completionist route while playing, but was still surprised at how many details I missed, even in the areas I explored extensively. While there was no big narrative or puzzle presence in this game, the cute characters and enjoyable gameplay loop made it a charming and delightful way to wind down at the end of a long day. Difficulty: 1/5 Time: 3-4 hours Image via Steam The Rise of the Golden Idol by Color Gray Games The Rise of the Golden Idol is the standalone sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol. It contains twenty cases for you to solve, and was an interesting and enjoyable twist on the original game. The storyline in this game felt more spread out than the original, which allowed for more variety in the gameplay. While some characters did appear multiple times, it was less focused on a specific set of characters than its predecessor. This meant that, in order to solve the case, you had to match characters to residences and symbols to meanings instead of just inserting words into mad-lib-like solutions (though there was plenty of that too). Some scenarios were more challenging and complex than others, but they all generally felt fair. There were a few times where we struggled, but were usually able to find our way to the solution and rarely needed to resort to using the hints. An excellent follow-up to The Case of the Golden Idol, this comprehensive series of mini-mysteries will reward your “aha” moments with more and more chapters, and eventually even downloadable content. Difficulty: 3/5 Time: ~12 hours for the base game What have you been playing lately?

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our October edition, which includes a variety of puzzle games in different mediums. Chapter 1 of Interstellar Adventures by Minty Noodles Interstellar Adventures is a cooperative, narrative-driven puzzle game that can be played completely offline. I got a chance to play the demo chapter, so some things I experienced may change before the game is released. Overall, it was exciting to see a game with this level of character design and world-building. I loved the art—it felt like I was reading a comic book as I played through the game. The puzzling felt a little light, and it would have been nice to see some more puzzle content, but my understanding is that the subsequent chapters will be meatier than the first. Even though the game is primary card-based, they managed to squeeze in a fun reveal at the end of the chapter. I also enjoyed the optional mini dexterity challenges. Even though they weren’t required, I felt they added a fun element to the gameplay. I appreciated the crew cards from a story-telling standpoint, but they felt a little underutilized. Similarly, I appreciated having analog hint cards to help when I needed a nudge, and, while I understood their thematic purpose, I was not sold on the hint penalties. Chapter one ended on a cliffhanger, and I’m definitely left wanting more! I’m excited to spend more time in this world, and look forward to playing the full game. This game is currently raising funds—check out the Kickstarter page here. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~30m Image via Steam Tunic by Finji With its cute Link (from The Legend of Zelda)-inspired fox avatar and land exploration, Tunic feels like a love letter to the Zelda games. By completing dungeon crawls and solving mini puzzles, you gather the pages from the game manual and piece together how the game works. I had originally stepped away from this game after finding the combat too punishing, but returned to it after learning that there is a “no fail mode” hiding in the Accessibility settings that prevents you from dying in battle and having to start an encounter over. This was a relief and allowed me to focus on enjoying the story, though I did wish that combat would pause when you entered a menu screen. The puzzly sections appear later in the game, meaning there are often many secrets left to unlock once you are done with the "main" gameplay. This can lead to some frustration, because you can only get the “best” ending if you find everything that’s hidden in the game. Additionally, I found the mechanic for the last puzzle to be clever, but incredibly tedious, which slowed down my momentum and interest right at the end. This game rewards those with patience, but does have a lot of fun elements to explore. Difficulty: 4/5 Time: ~13 hours The Woman in the Fog by Exit: The Book From the creators of the Exit: The Game series, The Woman in the Fog is an interactive graphic novel about three friends working their way through a mysterious mansion. This was a really novel concept (pun intended) and I found the artwork to be more exciting than what I have seen in the boxed EXIT games, The story was well-written as a whole, but the text was sometimes very small—I can imagine many people struggling to read it without a magnifying glass. This was also true for the answer-checking mechanic—it was cool, but parts of the diagram were small and hard to read, so I wasn’t sure if I assembled it correctly. The book itself was used in some very interesting ways, but this occasionally made the puzzles not make sense within the story. I also ran into an issue with the first puzzle where I figured out the solution, but could not actually make the puzzle work. The answer to every puzzle was a three digit code, which worked smoothly for this style game. However, I had some difficulty with the answer-checking mechanic beyond text size. When you submitted a correct code, you were directed to a new page, and I had trouble keeping track of which page I had come from. Additionally, you were sometimes redirected to another page while just reading the book, which seemed unnecessary and disrupted the flow of the graphic novel portions, especially because the story was linear. At one point I skipped ahead one page and, while I managed to get to the ending, I accidentally missed a huge portion of the book and then had to backtrack. So, if you play through this game, make sure you stop at each puzzle. Overall, the puzzles didn't quite hit for me, but this felt like more of a matter of personal preference rather than an issue of quality. I have to commend the EXIT team for trying a new format, and I look forward to trying more EXIT graphic novels in the future. Difficulty: 3/5 Time: ~2 hours The Fifth Column by Puzzling Pursuits The Fifth Column is a puzzle mystery game where you play code-crackers in 1945 tracking down a group of Nazis who have fled to New York City and are planning something malicious. While World War II is not my favorite historical topic, I enjoyed the gameplay as a whole. The puzzles were solid, with many clean, multi-step solves and some novel concepts. There was one moment where we felt like we had skipped a puzzle and, while we ended up solving it eventually, it would have been too easy to bypass it altogether. The materials were nice quality and I appreciated the moments of authenticity and historical inspiration (though the actual quotes from Hitler were not my favorite part of the game). I played with a group of five and there was enough material for us all to be puzzling simultaneously. Additionally, the hint system, while relatively basic, always helped us get back on track the few times we needed it. Overall, this was a solid game with some interesting puzzles. Difficulty: 3/5 Time: 1-2 hours per chapter (2-4 total) Strange Jigsaws by FLEB Strange Jigsaws is a puzzle video game that, in spite of its name, actually has a variety of puzzles types. If anything, jigsaw pieces are merely an inspirational jumping off point for the content of the game, which is full of fun "aha" moments and satisfying solves. The puzzles kept my wheels turning and I often had to think outside of the box. It was not so challenging that I found myself constantly looking for help, but I did get a little stuck once or twice. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the wholesome humor added to the experience. The graphics are understated, but work well with the theming of the game. There was a pleasant sense of progression throughout, and, if anything, I wish the game was longer so that the creator could have explored their concepts even more deeply. If you want to play puzzles to wind down at the end of a long day, or are just looking for a relaxing game you can solve in 1-2 sittings, this is a great choice. Time: 2-3 hrs Difficulty: 2/5 What have you been playing lately?

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our September edition, which includes a variety of puzzle games in different mediums. The Shackleton Series Parts 1-3 by Escape Mail The Shackleton Series is a 6 chapter puzzle game that unlocks the mystery of how Ernest Shackleton and his crew stayed alive while stranded in Antarctica for two years. We tackled chapters 1-3 so far and really enjoyed them! Each chapter comes in its own envelope that is chock full of surprises—like a little clown car vessel, bursting with ephemera—and the envelope itself is not just packaging material either. Chapter 1 took about 70 minutes to complete, and we felt it was a good introduction to the game. The onboarding was well done and the puzzles were very approachable. We particularly enjoyed the meta puzzle in this chapter. Chapter 2 took us a little longer as a few details sent us down the wrong path, but we did manage to solve most of the puzzles without hints. We found that we had to use the “flow” cards because, in most cases, it felt like it would have been hard to tell if we had everything we needed for a puzzle without them. The puzzle difficulty of this chapter felt a bit uneven overall, but we did appreciate the puzzle variety. Chapter 3 took us about 90 minutes and had some really fun aha moments! While some points were a little finicky, they led to an ultimately rewarding construction. We did not need any hints for this chapter, which speaks to how well it was thought out. Overall, the first half of the Shackleton Series was intriguing and we look forward to playing the second half. Difficulty: 2.5/5 Time: 1-2 hours per chapter Image via Steam Escape Academy by Coin Crew Games Escape Academy is a puzzle video game where you study to become an escape room master. While there is not a lot of narrative to this game, the puzzles are enjoyable, and we appreciated that, in co-op mode, they are designed to require collaboration. In the context of video games, Escape Academy felt more like a challenge arcade than a fully conceived escape room, in that it focused on speed and tasks rather than atmosphere or story. The time limit provided urgency, but the puzzles felt achievable, which I appreciated. Additionally, the task-focused approach made it light enough that newbies to the genre should be able to get the hang of it quickly. While I would personally lean towards a game without time pressure and with a narrative that keeps me motivated, this game accomplishes its purpose. It's a great way to scratch the itch if you want to do some puzzly cooperative gaming without too much of a time commitment, or have newbies in your life to introduce to the genre. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~5 hours total but easily split over shorter missions Office World: Book One by Devin Solano Office World: Book One is a graphic novel and, while you can just read the book, it is embedded with puzzles and codes that unlock deeper story mysteries. With the eerie vibes of the show Severance, this book was nice quality and allowed the black and white illustrations to shine. I do wish that there had been clearer sign posting as far as what to do and how many puzzles could be found. I really enjoyed the design and illustrations though—the book was clearly made by someone who has worked on comics before. While I hope they implement a hint system in the future, I am excited to see where the story goes next! Difficulty: ?/5 Time: <1hr for reading, ? for puzzling Game IX: Ashes of Persepolis by Scarlet Envelope We played another one of the Scarlet envelopes, this time tackling Game IX: Ashes of Persepolis. In this game, players are transported to an ancient world to solve the mysteries of the city of Persepolis. The puzzles were fair, but felt a little uneven in terms of difficulty. Getting started was a little hard because the first puzzle was a tricky entrance point, but we enjoyed many of the others. One puzzle in particular eclipsed our expectations by culminating in a really fun aha moment. There was also a nicely layered puzzle, though it could have been made more user friendly with some tweaks. There were also story videos that served as an interlude between each puzzle. These sometimes felt a little long, but we appreciated the addition of the storytelling. While this was not our favorite of the Scarlet Envelope games, we still enjoyed playing it and appreciated the variety. Difficulty: 2.5/5 Time: ~1.5h Summer Day on the River by Yetch It’s rare to find jigsaw puzzles worth a write-up but Summer Day on the River is one. This puzzle depicts a winding river and, fascinatingly, is made up of almost entirely all edge pieces. Overall, this puzzle was quite fun but was definitely a challenge. The art was pleasant, though I think it could have used a little more variety in the hues and textures as it was a little difficult to differentiate between all of the river rocks. I usually avoid using the poster or box cover when assembling a jigsaw puzzle, but I did use it along the way this time to find my bearings. My favorite part of the artwork was discovering all of the cute little animals! All in all, I really enjoyed putting together this puzzle. The “mostly edges” format is novel and full of potential, and I look forward to seeing more innovations like this in the jigsaw puzzle space. Difficulty: 4/5 Time: 🤷🏻‍♀️ What have you been playing lately?

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our August edition, which includes a mix of puzzle games and video games. Image via Steam Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping by Happy Broccoli Games In Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping, the second game of the Duck Detective series, you play a recently divorced duck who has to follow clues in order to get to the bottom of a mystery at a luxury campsite. I enjoyed the entertaining mix of deduction, sardonic humor, and animal characters. The way the game presented information felt at times a bit more confusing than intuitive. This didn’t stop me from making my way through the game and having a good time, it just would have been more satisfying to arrive at conclusions on my own without as much stumbling. If you enjoy fill-in-the-blank style detective games and a mix of puns with your puzzling, this series is worth checking out! Difficulty: 2/5 Time: 2-3 hours Image by Mystery Unfolds Mystery Unfolds Puzzle Cards We recently played more of the cards from Mystery Unfolds, this time tackling Escape the Video Store, Blood Sacrifice of a Salesman, and The Pirate Code! Escape the Video Store took us about 30 to play and was contained a multi-layered puzzle. We likely would not have gotten the last step without a hint, but the sequence of discovery was quite fun. This is a great card for movie buffs. Blood Sacrifice of a Salesman was a fun little puzzle that took us about 20 minutes to solve. We managed to work this one out with no hints, though putting on an Australian accent was helpful in the solving process (the designer is currently working on a less region-specific version). The Pirate Code was probably our favorite of the Mystery Unfolds cards along with Escape the Swedish Furniture Store. This puzzle was shorter than the others, only taking about 10-15 minutes to solve, but it was clever and fun to figure out. Overall, we enjoyed the puzzles and charming hand-drawn illustrations on all of the cards from Mystery Unfolds. Difficulty: 1/5 - 3/5 depending on the card Time: 10-30 minutes per card Image via Steam The Roottrees are Dead by Evil Trout Inc The Roottrees Are Dead is a video game set in 1998 where you search the (in-game) internet for clues about the secretive Roottree Family. I thought this was a really enjoyable game to dive into and, while I’m sure it’s great solo, I quite liked solving it with a friend remotely. The storyline was a little generic, but the deductions and aha moments throughout made up for that. While I understand the reasoning behind the search mechanic in the game, we did find it to be frustratingly specific - for example, there was an instance in which searching “Motor” would bring up nothing but searching “Motors” brought up the information you were looking for. Additionally, a lot of searches appeared to be dead ends but actually had paths of information that were just difficult to find. This became particularly hard at the end when we had few avenues to pursue and could not figure out what we had missed, despite having searched the same things multiple times. Thankfully the game’s hints were able to get us there in the end, and I appreciated that there was a built-in system for this. We also loved getting confirmations when we had correct inputs along the way. If you liked The Return of the Obra Dinn or Case of the Golden Idol, this one is worth checking out. Difficulty: 3/5 Time: ~8 hours The Sherlock Files: Marvelous Mysteries by Martí Lucas and Josep Izquierdo The Sherlock Files: Marvelous Mysteries is a tabletop mystery game that comes with three standalone cases. Players individually determine which elements of the case are relevant and then work together to create a theory based on the evidence they’ve shared. We thought this was a cool mechanic, though your enjoyment of the game may vary depending on the group you play with. Each case took between 45 and 60 minutes, making it easy to commit to sitting down and playing one. One slight downfall to the simplicity of the game was that sometimes case elements that seemed relevant did not make it into the evidence deck. We also occasionally struggled with the grammar of the cards, having to decide ourselves how to interpret the wording in order to determine its place in the case. It was hard to tell if this was just an oversight in the translation, or if these ambiguities were intentional. Additionally, we wished the scoring system had not punished us for sharing cards the game deemed irrelevant but instead had rewarded us for reaching the right conclusions using fewer cards. While there are some things that could be improved, we overall enjoyed this game. It's a nice light mystery to play with friends! Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~45m-1h per case Scarlet Envelope XII: The Scarlet Manuscript Scarlet Envelope XII (The Scarlet Manuscript) is the final challenge of a puzzle series where you work to find the door of an Athenaeum and uncover the mysteries of a secret society. The components were lovely, and we were especially impressed by the design of the game’s main document. There were so many great ideas in this game, but, while we were able to start most of the puzzles, we had to rely on the hints to get through the game. We felt that there could have been better signposting throughout, and there were a handful of elements that felt like red herrings. Fortunately the hints were very helpful and even contained images for clarity. Overall, this game was a beautifully rendered culmination of the Scarlet Envelope series. Difficulty: 4/5 Time: 2-3 hours What have you been playing lately?

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our July edition, which includes a mix of tabletop games and video games. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector by Jump Over the Age I was immediately captured by the writing of this sci-fi, dice-driven RPG video game. It reminded me of my first RPG love, Disco Elysium and the highlight throughout this game continued to be the narrative. I liked the points where you had to make choices about which characters to trust and continue the journey with, as well as the moments of philosophical, resonant writing. Additionally, I appreciated the option to play on “safe mode” so that I could enjoy the story without worrying about dying and having to start over. For a game that is driven by dice rolls, I was hoping the dice mechanics would be pushed further. I expected a little more evolution of the dice placement as the game progressed and was left wanting to use the dice for upgrades or special boosts. This did not detract from my experience per se, but it seemed like a missed opportunity to enhance the gameplay. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Citizen Sleeper 2 and would have happily continued my journey as Sleeper, had the narrative arc not come naturally to an end. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~15 hours Diatoms Diatoms is a gorgeously constructed abstract strategy game where players make mosaics out of algae by laying down tokens of different colors and shapes. With components that handle nicely, it will certainly appeal to fans of games like Azul and Sagrada. There are many paths towards scoring points and, while that could lead to feeling overwhelmed by options, I enjoyed how much player agency it allowed for. Despite the breadth of possibility, actions themselves are simple, so it does not take long to teach the game to new players. Mastering it, however, would be a more ambitious task. I also found the scoring sheet very helpful, with its clear organization and visual breakdown of the scoring mechanics. While it may take a few more playthroughs for me to decipher the ideal strategy for this game, I’m always ready for a rematch because it’s just a pleasure to get out on the table. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~45 mins Stonehenge’s Legacy by Inscape Stonehenge’s Legacy, a laser cut wooden puzzle box, was great for solo play. There were fun, well thought-out mechanisms and novel interactions hidden within the box. Though some could have used better signposting, the puzzles overall felt fair and enjoyable to solve. There was a sense of excitement throughout, as I uncovered more “artifacts” and new tools that would allow me to progress further through the experience. Despite the interesting mechanics, the box suffered slightly when it came to quality of graphics. The majority of the pieces had a cloudy purple background that did not feel relevant to the theme nor added to the aesthetics. While I hope that future iterations refine the graphics, I had fun with this box and enjoyed the moments of discovery I had while playing. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~45 mins Image via Allplay A Message from the Stars A Message from the Stars is a cooperative, communication board game where one player acts as the “alien” who sends words back and forth with the team of “humans” to help them determine a certain collection of letters. The catch? Both parties also have a set of three words that they are trying to get the other team to guess. Since each team only gets to send 4 words per game, there is a really interesting balance of sending clue words that provide information about the collection of letters while also helping to identify the listed words. Guessing letters and listed words correctly are both worth a point at the end of the game, so finding the balance is key in order to maximize the number of points you earn. I really enjoyed the challenge of communicating information through single words, as well as the logic-puzzle nature of this game. Being an alien and a human are very different experiences, so I would definitely recommend trying both. There is also a competitive mode of the game for larger groups. This is a great choice for couples and small groups who like decoding and breaking down problems, as well as communication games like Decrypto and Codenames. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~30-45 mins What have you been playing lately?

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our June edition, which includes a mix of tabletop games and video games. Cryptid by Puzzling Pursuits Cryptid is a boxed puzzle adventure where you try to unravel the mystery of your uncle’s disappearance by exploring the contents of a chest he left behind. The materials of this game were good quality and the visuals were nicely designed. Many of the puzzles had creative mechanics, and we appreciated that the answers were often self-confirming and relevant to the puzzle itself. However, the answers were frequently paired with underwhelming or confusing extractions, and there was a lot of unnecessary anagramming. Some of the puzzles had exciting concepts, but did not quite pan out the way we imagined once played through. Additionally, we wanted a more incremental hint system. Storywise, the first half of the game focused on cryptids, but this theming unraveled in the second half, which involved looking though visually unique “cryptid realms.” While an interesting concept, this felt like a departure from a narrative standpoint, and the story ultimately felt more like a framing device, rather than something we could immerse ourselves in. Despite this though, there were a series of fun aha moments at the end when the meta puzzle incorporated new elements from previously used game materials. Overall, there were some novel features incorporated throughout this game, as well as a good variety of puzzle mechanics. Difficulty: 3/5 Time: ~5 hours Décorum by Floodgate Games Décorum is a 2-4 player hidden information board game - with the twist that it is played cooperatively instead of antagonistically. I could not stop thinking about this game after I played it at a friend’s house and just had to pick up my own copy. The goal is to decorate your house, but each player has their own secret objectives and the ultimate goal is to meet them all. In many ways, it feels like solving a puzzle together. There are 30 different scenarios provided, and the best part of the game is playing through the different scenarios with the same group to see how your communication style develops - you’ll find new ways to convey key information about your objective while still following all the rules. While the scenarios are referred to as “campaigns”, that is a loose descriptor. I would be interested in seeing a version where the story is actually continuous and your decisions have consequences. But that is not a necessary addition and I definitely recommend this game for couples and groups that enjoy cooperative play. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~30m-1h per scenario The Vitalogist by Owner Unknown The Vitalogist is a boxed puzzle experience from Owner Unknown. In this game, you solve puzzles to crack the secret of what is really happening to a mysterious patient at Reviresco Clinics. Owner Unknown is a Dutch company, but we did not run into any issues with the English translation. We solved a majority of the puzzles in this game smoothly, and many had fun concepts. Still, some of the puzzles felt a little clunky or were tedious to solve. The chatbot was also a little clumsy, but we did not need it for a majority of the game so this was not a great hindrance. We did appreciate the way the puzzles were color coded — this signposting was helpful and made the materials more manageable to work through. However, we wished all of the puzzles had enough extra materials so that they could be passed on to other players. While the framing device of the game was fitting, we found that it lacked emotional resonance. Overall, this game had some fun puzzles and was an interesting twist on a familiar idea. Time: ~2.5h Difficulty: 2.5/5 Image via Steam Unravel 2 by Coldwood Interactive Unravel Two is a well-executed, couch co-op platform game with cute characters and good graphics. The two Yarnys, each controlled by one of the players, must work together to solve puzzles and overcome physical challenges on an island. (There is also a solo mode where you play both of the Yarnys, but I only played the co-op mode so can only speak to that.) There is also a background narrative about two young boys told through a series of vignettes, but I found this element of the game vague and confusing. The challenges in the game were not insurmountable, though I did find myself getting occasionally frustrated by having to redo a sequence multiple times. As far as couch co-ops go, this game overall ranks lower than It Takes Two for me, but if you like puzzle platformers and are looking for a way to spend quality time with someone, it’s still a great choice. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~5 hours Game X. Killer Wedding by Scarlet Envelope Killer Wedding was a different style of gameplay than we’re used to from Scarlet Envelope, and it was refreshing to see their take on a deductive mystery! Set in 1980s Maine, this game centers around a groom-to-be who was found dead at the base of a cliff after his wedding rehearsal. With the exception of a couple of puzzles that felt underclued, there was an enjoyable gameplay progression, and we liked the way that solving the puzzles gave us more details about the characters in the mystery. As usual, Scarlet Envelope packs a punch into a small package by utilizing web content to supplement the physical materials. While the website was interesting and detailed, there was a fair amount of narrative to wade through, and we wished there was an easier way to access all the different suspect testimonies and acquired documents. An inventory system, or some other way to see items side by side would have been really helpful in a game where you need to compare information between different sources. Overall, the mystery was well conceived, and we appreciated the summary video at the end to fill in any gaps in what we had learned. Difficulty: 3/5 Time: ~2 hours What have you been playing lately?

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our May edition, which includes a mix of tabletop games and video games. Blue Prince by Raw Fury Blue Prince is a house exploration game, in which the house changes every game day. Every time you open a new door, you draft one room from a choice of 3, in the hopes of eventually finding a hidden 46th room. If you don’t find the room in the allotted steps, you are forced to leave the mansion and try again. This is a brilliantly conceptualized roguelite puzzle game, one I found myself literally dreaming about, after playing it late into the night. There were times where I felt overly limited with what I could accomplish in that gameplay loop, and there was a lot of reliance on the luck of the draw. I often found that I did not have the pieces I needed at the moments I needed them, and it would have been nice in the late game to maintain more inventory items between runs. There were clues and narrative beats spread throughout the mansion, which led to fun discoveries. Occasionally, I found the solutions to the puzzles to be unnecessarily obtuse, though most of them are cleverly conceived. The amount of content in this game far exceeds what the beginning of the game implies (there is a reason it says to keep a notebook!) All in all, this game was incredibly captivating. I was constantly excited to uncover new rooms, items, and puzzles, even when that meant starting a new loop. If you enjoy exploration games, this is a must-play! Difficulty: 3/5 Time: ~10-20 hours to complete the “main” quest, easily twice as much if you keep going Sherlock Holmes: Phantom’s Hour by Wolf Escape Games Sherlock Holmes: Phantom’s Hour is a solid online escape room experience where you follow the path of Sherlock and Watson through the streets of London. To solve the city’s latest mystery, you meet characters and solve puzzles in a linear, story-driven adventure. The puzzles provide some fun aha moments, and are generally not too complex. While run from your browser, the high production value still makes it feel like playing a full video game. If you are looking for a short, well-crafted puzzle adventure that can be played solo or remotely with a friend, this is a good option. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~90 mins Image via Steam Griftlands by Klei Entertainment Griftlands is a rougelite deck-building game in which you play a mercenary traversing a planetary world. The game starts with one playable character, but before long, 2 more are unlocked, each with their own story line. Getting started is pretty intuitive, but there could have been better onboarding in terms of describing card effects so that players could make more informed decisions when building their deck throughout the game. That being said, it was satisfying to upgrade cards and abilities. The gameplay was compelling enough to keep me engaged for a full run with each of the playable characters. It was really interesting to see how their stories intertwined and varied, with subtle gameplay differences between each. I’m looking forward to going back and replaying some of the characters to unlock more card abilities and try different story options. If you like deck-building games, this is definitely one to try out! Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~2 hours per run (more for the first run when you are just becoming familiar with the mechanics) Image via Mystery Unfolds Puzzle Cards by Mystery Unfolds I recently played through two puzzle cards created by Mystery Unfolds: Crossed Words and Escape the Swedish Furniture Store. These cards can just act as self-contained puzzles, or can be an added challenge to the gift-giving process by making someone solve a puzzle in order to earn their present. Crossed Words did some fun things with its solving process, and I enjoyed the unusual, visually pleasing art. There were some moments of odd grammar and a word I did not recognize due to regional differences, but it seems like the designer is making edits to provide more clarity, which is always great to hear. When I had these stumbles, the hint system was effective in getting me back on track. With some tweaks in a new printing, this would be a nice card to give a puzzle lover in your life. Escape the Swedish Furniture Store was adorable, with drawings that resembled a… certain Swedish furniture store… along with its maps and famously simple instructions. The execution was incredibly charming. The perspective drawings had great attention to detail, and it was satisfying to use different parts of the artwork to solve the puzzle. This one comes to Kickstarter soon, so keep an eye out. Overall, I am looking forward to trying the backlog of cards from Mystery Unfolds! Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~15 mins per card Image via Steam The End of the Sun by Mokosh Games The End of the Sun is a first-person narrative exploration game reminiscent in style (but not in content) of Gone Home. By discovering objects in different locations and time periods, you uncover the story of a couple interacting with creatures and characters from Slavic folklore. I rarely see games that focus on this folklore, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere, music, and discoveries that came from exploring a world with that setting. It was also interesting to see the same environment in four different seasons and decades, though the mechanic was occasionally tedious if a lot of walking was required. While the animation and dialogue could use some improvement, the graphics were generally well done, and I found the story and characters compelling. There were some puzzles to complete along the way, and the tasks were not particularly difficult, despite some navigational challenges caused by an unclear map and iconography. This team may have had a small budget, but a lot of love clearly went into making this game. If you like narrative-driven adventures, exploring folklore, and the supernatural, it is worth giving this one a try. Difficulty: 1.5/5 Time: ~7 hours What have you been playing lately?

I’ve resisted writing about this topic, but so many people have asked in the last few weeks if we are "being affected by the tariffs", that it seemed like time to do so. Yes—yes, we are affected. (You are also affected. This affects everyone.) But more specifically, the 145% tariff on China is detrimental to the entire board game industry, for several reasons: We can’t “just” produce games locally. As several other great posts have already talked about, there is very little toy and game manufacturing outside of China. This isn’t just because labor is cheaper and they can therefore produce goods at a lower price point—it is because they have the machines, the resources, and most importantly, the expertise, to produce these types of products. When I first started PostCurious, I spent a long time researching production in the U.S. and Europe before finally deciding to work with a Chinese manufacturer. That decision wasn’t made due to price point, but due to the fact that no one else could make our games —they simply contain too many specialized components. Somehow, even The Light in the Mist , which is little more than a deck of cards and a booklet, couldn’t be produced by local manufacturers due to a custom envelope . The capabilities are very basic, and these manufacturers usually only take work they can make in-house. Even if they were willing to outsource components they couldn’t make, however, those components would almost certainly need to come from China, which would mostly defeat the purpose of moving production elsewhere. Naturally, we also have developed strong relationships with our manufacturers, and this took a significant amount of time. Each game requires multiple rounds of sampling to get all the components right, and occasionally there are mold and custom die fees, which only need to be paid once if you stick with the same place for fabrication. All those would be sunk costs were we to start over somewhere else… if that was even an option. Board game industry margins aren’t what they seem. If we were selling exclusively to consumers directly, we could absorb a decent portion of the tariffs we face (and will end up doing so). However, when you sell games to retail and distribution, the margin becomes significantly lower. With a 145% tariff, that margin is completely decimated, especially for products that cost a lot to manufacture, like The Emerald Flame. As Jamey Stegmaier notes in his blog , "Like many tabletop publishers (import code 9504.90.6000*), we started print runs of products before the President took office, and now we face an unprecedented $14.50 tariff tax for every $10 we spent on manufacturing with our trusted long-term partner in China." So what does that mean, practically speaking? I could lay out a bunch of math for you, but Jamey already did so very eloquently here . The long and short of it is, in order to make even $1 on a distribution sale with the current tariffs in place, you’d have to raise the MSRP of a $60 product to $75, and an $80 product to $115. Such price hikes hurt the consumer, and aren't always a possibility—at a certain point, people aren’t going to buy a product if they don’t think it’s worth the price. As such, some publishers may be forced to stop selling to distribution entirely and focus on direct-to-consumer sales. For those who already do the majority of their sales through distribution though, this may not be an easy transition. The chaos makes it impossible to plan ahead. The 2025 tariffs were activated quickly and have already shifted several times. When the initial 20% was implemented, we already had two shipments from China on the way. Since then, the tariff on Chinese goods increased to 54%, followed by 145%. Of course, all of this can change the next day, week, or month. How are we supposed to plan pricing for games that are launching this summer and won’t ship until 2026? Maybe there will be no tariffs then, or maybe they’ll be at 1000%—it’s anybody’s guess. This uncertainty has already caused more than one publisher to shut down , which is both heartbreaking and scary (though it bears saying, not nearly as scary as some of the other things happening right now). What does this all mean for PostCurious? This week I’m spending my already limited time researching and contacting warehouses in Canada, since we simply cannot afford to bring an upcoming shipment into the U.S. under a 145% tariff. We've already paid a fair amount in tariffs, and will continue to lose money (as well as time and energy) to the tariffs. Navigating these additional logistics and accounting issues is no small feat, especially for a two-person team like PostCurious. That said, finding a storage solution is a manageable problem. Figuring out how to keep a business sustainable, that is the harder one to solve. In the short-term, it might mean not doing reprints of high production value games, like Threads of Fate , and focusing our efforts on making products that can withstand a higher landed cost. We'll also be researching other manufacturing options for our less technically complex games. In the long term, we will continue to design and make games, because that is the reason PostCurious exists. With the support of our players, we hope to come out the other side of this, and to keep making things that connect people and bring them joy, especially in these dark times. What can you do to help? Well, if you can afford it, keep buying games! (Not to encourage consumerism here, but hey, we all want to keep this industry alive, right?) Order directly from the publisher or on crowdfunding if you can. As a backup, shop at indie retailers or your friendly local game stores, and try to avoid big marketplaces when possible. Also, call your congressional representatives and demand they take action against the tariffs. (While you're at it, best demand they take action on some other stuff too.) To end on a positive note, we want to thank you—our blog readers, our players, our newsletter subscribers, and of course, our Patreon members—for your support! Whether it's buying our games, sharing your PostCurious experiences on social media or Board Game Geek, or just talking us up to your friends, we're so grateful for our loyal fans. You make the struggles worthwhile and keep us motivated to keep doing what we do. Thanks for riding these waves with us!

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our March edition, which includes a mix of tabletop games and video games. Box Two by Neil Patrick Harris and Theory 11 Box Two is the highly anticipated follow-up to the delightful Box One, one of the most popular tabletop escape games to date. While Box Two does have a narrative, it’s overall less story-driven than Box One, and the plot wasn't as compelling for us. Where Box Two really shines are its fun reveals and clever game mechanisms, some of which we’d never seen in a tabletop game before. That being said, it was easy to discover things out of order, and figuring out reveals too early was confusing and anti-climactic. This ties into the biggest problem we had with this game—the flow was a bit disorienting. The game’s chatbot directs the game more than the materials themselves, and we often found ourselves switching between components without context, wishing for more integrated signposts. The chatbot also offers a lot of unsolicited hints, meaning we had fewer actual “puzzling it out” moments than we would’ve liked. Even with these complaints, we appreciated the inventive multi-use of components, and the production value is a big highlight. So long as you manage your expectations, it’s definitely an enjoyable game worth playing. Difficulty: 1.5/5 Time: ~2.5 hours Ghost in the Attic by The Mystery Agency Ghost in the Attic is the second tabletop escape room we’ve played by The Mystery Agency. Similar to the first one we played (The Man From Sector Six), we were quite impressed by the components themselves—they are very well-made, and the graphics are nicely designed, with a lot of attention to detail. It’s also easy to reset for other players. It’s worth noting that even though it may seem necessary at first, you don’t need to look up any external resources: everything is either in the box or on the specific websites the game directs you to. Aside from one puzzle which has a few logic leaps in its execution, the puzzles have fun, clean solves. We would’ve appreciated a more granular hint system, but thankfully didn’t need to rely on the hints much anyway. The haunted board game narrative is unique, and we had a nice aha moment at the story’s resolution. While not all of the components are used in the puzzle solving, some of them are part of the playable board game (probably best suited for kids, but it is the aforementioned haunted board game, however, so play at your own risk!). Difficulty: 2.5/5 Time: 1.5-2 hours Pyramid of the Sun by iDventure Pyramid of the Sun is a delightful evolution on the iDventure Cluebox line that combines jigsaw puzzling with physical mechanisms. The main puzzling with this box is completing the jigsaws, rather than solving cryptic instructions. Completing each of the four sides of the pyramid results in being able to “click” a mechanism or release something. The sides also layer upon one another, which adds interest and complexity. It's pretty much smooth sailing throughout the whole experience, and I can easily recommend it for newbies, for someone craving a little novelty, or just for general solo play. It doesn't pose much of a challenge, but there are a lot of clever little ideas throughout, and it is easy to reset and regift. Difficulty: 1/5 Time: ~1.5 hours Image via Steam The Sexy Brutale by Tequila Works The Sexy Brutale is like if you took the time loop mechanic of The Forgotten City, mixed it with the observation mechanics of Unheard: Voices of Crime, then added a bit more whimsy to the theme. Instead of a police investigation or a Roman city that needs saving, players go back in time to save several people from being murdered at a masked ball. While you observe characters in different rooms to figure out how to prevent their murders, you gain more powers, including improved hearing and a magical pocket watch that allows you to rewind time. At times, I wasn’t sure what to do, but with patience and exploration, I eventually found my way. Still, some quality of life improvements would go a long way in bringing this up a level. Walking speed and animation, as well as legibility for the map design and character design could all be better. Though the characters could be more fully developed, the story does have a surprising amount of depth to it by the end. And when I unlocked a new ability or new area of the map, it was hard to put the game down! Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~7-8 hours Image via Steam Balatro by Playstack Maybe it’s just the hipster in me, but I didn’t want to get into Balatro, especially as someone with no interest in poker. However, as a lover of deck-builders, I needed to at least try this game. As predicted, it is in fact very well-done and extremely addicting. Through the simple mechanics and deviously clever gameplay possibilities, it has definitely earned its accolades. It’s refreshing to accomplish goals instead of just fighting enemies, and the more you play (and win), the more new cards and powerful synergies you discover, unlocking achievements along the way. It’s painful to lose a run, but when you find cards and strategies that synergize really well, it’s extremely satisfying. 33 hours in, I’ve now unlocked every deck and beat the game with one of the decks on the highest stake (difficulty), and I think at this point it’s safe to say: I love this game. If you also like deck-builders, this is a must-play. Difficulty: Variable Time: Unlimited What have you been playing lately?

Our February edition of this blog is another oops-all-video-games post! We cover a mix of RPGs, deck-building, and interactive story games, with plenty of genre crossover. Image via Steam Welcome to Elk by Akupara Games Welcome to Elk is a cute story video game based on real experiences of people the author knew. It has a style reminiscent of comic books: most of the world is depicted in black and white (almost as if it was drawn with a sharpie), while interactive objects are cleverly indicated in color. The pacing starts off slowly, but picks up after the first hour, with some fun lightly puzzly tasks thrown in. There are also a few meta elements that break the fourth wall in an unexpected way. While it doesn’t wrap up with any profound meaning, as a collection of stories, it accomplishes what it set out to do. It’s worth a playthrough if you want a short game with some off-the-beaten-path narrative elements. Difficulty: 1/5 Time: ~3.5 hours Image via Steam Death Squared by SMG Studio Death Squared is a cooperative puzzle video game about communication, collaboration, and robot explosions. I appreciated the way the difficulty scales. The first few challenges get you used to the mechanics, and go on to teach new skills as you progress. Later challenges have you sequencing movement between players, and while some require good timing, it’s not overly demanding in this regard. There is a lot of learning from your failures to find new ways to cooperate (and failing is even fun sometimes!). There is virtually no story (beyond a Portal-esque “testing grounds” conceit), but this is a great choice if you want a casual couch co-op with cute puzzles that you can easily pick up and put down. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: 6-9 hours Image via Steam Signs of the Sojourner by Echodog Games Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative deck-building video game that came out several years ago, though I only heard about it recently. Initially I thought it would be a fairly simplistic and trivial game, but the need for strategic thinking and planning evolves as the game progresses. After each conversation you have, you need to replace cards in your deck, which forces you to make decisions and adapt. The more conversations you have and the longer you stay on the road, the more challenging it becomes to progress and talk with additional characters. This gameplay mechanic thematically aligns with the story, and the choices you make have an impact on the narrative and the characters you meet. While this mechanic does increase replay value, I constantly found myself wanting to replay conversations to see what I had missed. By the end, I was disappointed I couldn’t visit all the locations and characters, but it was overall a charming game. Difficulty: 2/5 Time: ~7 hours Image via Steam Life is Strange: Double Explosure by Square Enix Life is Strange is an episodic adventure video game that plays like a movie where you’re able to determine aspects of the plot. The gameplay mechanics don’t pose a challenge, as long as you don’t miss things while exploring. The story is, as the title implies, strange, but compelling. The writing, voice acting, and graphics are generally quite good. Life is Strange: Double Exposure is easy to recommend for fans of the series, and it juicily teases a story cliffhanger at the end of the game. If you’re new to Life is Strange, play the remastered version of the original game before diving into Double Exposure, since it references a lot of plot points and choices from the first game. If you want puzzles or inventive game mechanics, though, this isn't the series for you. Difficulty: 1/5 Time: 5 chapters x ~2-3 hours each = 10-15 hours Image via Steam Dragon Age: The Veilguard by EA Games With gorgeous graphics and a sleek interface, it’s easy to immerse yourself in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The incremental onboarding and wide range of difficulty settings make this a very appealing option for first-time RPG players. Because I’m primarily interested in the narrative, I played on the easiest setting, but to my surprise, I enjoyed the combat portions as much as the rest of the game. I was able to customize my character with a fighting style I enjoyed (ranged magic), which helped me feel powerful and in control without making the fights too easy. The writing in a handful of quests felt a bit heavy-handed, but given the sheer volume of dialogue, content and voiceover in this game, it is unsurprising (even if disappointing) that there are some misses. Though I could nitpick a few other things, with a game of this scope, it’s easy to forgive a few clunky portions. Overall, it looks great, it's a blast to play, and it’s an easy recommendation, especially for RPG fans or RPG curious folks. Difficulty: Variable—choose your own adventure. Time: ~40 hours for the main storyline, ~60 hours for all available quests What have you been playing lately?