The following is a selection of favorite games compiled and reviewed by JIG community member, AlternativeDave. It is also one of the winning entries from our previous call for submissions for community favorites, for which AlternativeDave will be showered with gifts and prizes. Thank you to everyone who participated and for sharing your favorites with us! Look for more community favorites in the coming weeks.
A Grain of Truth - In a grain of truth you'll take control of Myosotis, A traveller roaming her world collecting stories in a search for her lost, mysterious past. With the ultimate goal being to find the 'Wise Man' who might be able to shed some light on your story, you'll meet strange, fantastic creatures, discover the secrets of clouds and still have time for a game of Mahjong! Whilst the aforementioned 'Wise Man' is a carbon copy of a certain green Jedi master we're all familiar with the rest of the game is totally original, wonderfully drawn, beautifully written and incorporates puzzles that are challenging but logical. Set in the fictional realm of The Big Old Tree That Dreams the Rudowscy brothers have created not just a game to point-and-click around but a whole world. Whilst the cliff-hanger ending will have your mouth watering, it's been 2 years since the first instalment of the adventure, so maybe pop the kettle on...
Submachine 7 - Confused? You should be! Seven games in to the Submachine series and we are still no wiser to the world we are functioning in, How we came to be here or why we are here at all. In Submachine 7 you'll guide our faceless protagonist, typical of Mateusz Skutink's games, closer to the elusive Murtaugh and the answers you're looking for. Whilst older instalments of the series may seem crude in comparison, Submachine 7 is crisp to look at with a narrative moving at more pace than it has done previously. The sound effects also create a great moody atmosphere best listened to with the headphones on but whilst the puzzles are challenging (to put it mildly) at times it's frustrating to feel you're pixel-hunting rather than using any logic. Submachine's creator is notorious for keeping quiet about release dates for his games, but if you can't wait to just stumble across Submachine 8 there's a helpful guide as to his progress here!
The Dream Machine - Whilst later Chapters of The Dream Machine need to be bought for a pocketful of Euros, Chapter 1 is free online, and the perfect way to introduce you to the world of Victor Neff. After waking Victor from his odd dream of a desert island we find He and wife, Alicia, have moved into a new apartment, but all is not as it seems in this strange, old building. As the story unfolds we find it's not just Victor who's bothered by his new surroundings, as a hastily destroyed note from the previous tenant makes clear. The other residents also have a touch of the surreal about them, and that's not to mention your new Landlord, who becomes conveniently unreachable as the plot thickens. Whilst using clay as a platform to make the game has caused some issues with character movement, the design and creation of Victor's world is impeccable. This combined with an intriguing story, deliberately slow moving plotline and tough puzzles makes for a 'dream' of a game.
Gateway 2 - As anyone with a mobile phone, laptop or iPod will tell you it's not hard to form an emotional attachment with a machine, and such is the case with the Anders Gustafsson's Gateway 2. As we guide our chunky, metal advocate around robot limbo we observe from a distance a small family (also mechanical). Through our hero's eye's we learn the story of controlling mother and a daughter who just wants to be left to her own devices. When seemingly empty threats are carried out it is up to the title character to piece together events so that others can move on. Although some puzzles seem to be a bit repetitive you'll plough through them happily to develop the story and find out the fate of our players, and although the ending might make you feel a bit flat, you'll enjoy the journey getting there.
While we welcome any comments about this particular selection of games, we do ask that if you need any help with individual games, or wish to comment on the games featured here, please post your questions and comments on the respective game's review page.
Nice picks, AlternativeDave! I quite like all of these games as well. Congrats on being featured!
Thanks Isi! If you can recommend any games in a similar vein I'd love to hear them.
amazing choices, these are some of my favorites =D
You want recommendations? Hmm, from what I gather from your picks here, you like puzzle based point and click games set in interesting, detail rich and sometimes surreal worlds with emotionally driven stories. I assume you're already familiar with Mateusz Skutink's other works, but I'd also recommend looking into Amanita Design's games (the creators of Samorost). I particularly enjoyed Machinarium, if you're willing to spend a few bucks.
Jonas Kyratzes is by far one of my favorite developers, and he typically makes emotionally driven point and clicks (though even his more experimental oddball games like Alphaland are worth a look). Definitely check out his games set in the Lands of Dreams if you haven't already (Desert Bridge, Book of Living Magic, The Fabulous Screech). They're not as heavy on the puzzles, but the colorful, detailed settings more than make up for it.
Other various games I can think of that might interest you are Memohuntress, The Tipping Point, Something Amiss, MOTAS, possibly Alice is Dead or the point and click series by Aztec (The Shrine, Escape from Island, etc).
Thanks Rachel, I'm glad you liked my picks :)
And thanks for the recommendations Isi. Some I'd played before but enjoyed playing again (MOTAS certainly took me back!) But I hadn't played any Jonas Kyratzes games before and I thought they were great!
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