It's that time of year again! As people delve into their wallets and hunt around for games which they have had their eye on for a while, Steam becomes flooded with new discounts. It's a time for buying, searching and, in my case, to highlight overlooked modern gems.
While more than a few buyers tend to single out the big AAA games or major indie titles (sans Rimworld, because that will never need to drop its price) this blog focuses on the overlooked gems. These consist of classics which never quite got the chance they deserved, a few indie games which were buried under the storefront, and the few RPGMaker releases which actually live up to their promises.
However, today is a bit special. On the first of these articles for this year, we are not looking at a wide selection so much as a single publisher: Wadjet Eye Games. Wadjet is one of those publishers which has managed to hit a niche market so perfectly that they have a small but very dedicated fandom. Sticking to a specific style of point and click adventure, there has yet to be a single one I have found which has been a disappointment. The stories, settings, and puzzles - sans the occasional moon logic - all stand out excellently, and this is just a chance to promote an underrated publisher and the developers of these games.
If you want something a bit more detailed, the previous lists always apply. Really, every game on them is a winner, I suggest you just look through until you find a fun one:
- 2016- 10 Exemplary Games Buyers Overlook In Every Steam Sale
- 2017- Steam Summer Sale: 25 Excellent Indie Titles For Under £2.00
- 2017- 25 Fantastic Games You Probably Missed In 2017
- 2017- 2017 Steam Winter Sale: 25 Excellent Indie Titles For Under £2.00
- 2018- 2018 Steam Summer Sale: 14 Excellent Games For Under £5.00
With that done, here's a few modern classics which should interest you.
Of all those here, Technobabylon is probably the one that you are most likely to have heard of. It's with good reason as well, as it features a creative setting, no third answer complex moral decisions, and great character driven storylines.
The year is 2087, and the game is set in the far future city of Newton. After a hellish series of wars, the world has come to some degree of stability in certain areas, with Newton falling under the control of the benevolent A.I. Central. Unfortunately, all is far from well within the city.
Latha, an unemployed and agoraphobic hacker with a VR addiction, is almost killed by a mysterious bombing effort which destroys her run-down apartment. At the same time, the technophobic and jaded police officer, Doctor Charlie Regis, finds himself blackmailed while following a case surrounding the mysterious serial killer known as the Mindjacker. His partner meanwhile, Doctor Max Lao, begins to uncover details behind Regis and the city which begins to break her optimistic outlook on Newton.
The story is complex, engaging and as cyberpunk as they come. If you have even a passing interest in the point and click genre, this is most definitely one for you.
From one form of dystopia to another, Primordia is as post-apocalyptic as it comes. Set in the decaying remnants of a doomed civilization, the world is on the brink of complete annihilation. Some would argue that it has long gone past that point, with humans now little more than a distant memory and the few machines still working beginning to fail.
The story follows Horatio NullBuilt version 5, and Crispin Horatiobuilt version 1, two robots living in the remnants of an ancient flying battleship. However, their lives take a turn for the worse when a massive flying robot hacks its way into their home, shoots Horatio and steals the power source they need to stay alive. From there, things gradually take turns for the worse.
The game's grimy and decrepit locations would be well worth the price alone, having the sort of haunting beauty that all too many post-apocalyptic games lack these days. However, in addition to this, there is such a skewed and twisted sate of morality and culture among the robots that it influences the very logic of the puzzles. If you're after a game which will stay with you for months after you're done, Primordia is at the top of this list.
If somehow you felt that Primordia wasn't a dark enough game for you due to its science fiction trappings, Shardlight ups the ante. Where Primordia is the Matrix crossed with Fallout, this is very much a Mad Max meets Children of Men. It's as engagingly depressing as you would imagine on every level.
Following a World War III where no one was truly victorious, humanity has ruined itself almost beyond recognition. Millions live in shanty towns, while the Aristocracy attempts to both keep control and save off a growing plague, and the Acolytes of the Reaper death cult grows in strength. Amid all of this, Amy Wellard, a young girl who was barely five when the world ended, attempts to make a living from any junk which still works.
Saying anything more about the story would open it up to huge spoilers in terms of both thematics and narrative. However, I will say that the puzzles here are among the most creative out of all the games and the small scale immediate consequences of your actions are among the hardest hitting. It's not for everyone, but Shardlight remains a strong game on this list of greats.
A science fiction noir game set in a dark future (noticing a trend yet?), Gemini Rue follows the story of two people: Azriel Odin, a former assassin turned redemptionist killer, and a mind-wiped man by the name of Delta-Six or "Charlie" who seeks to escape from a prison facility when more underhanded acts become obvious. Oh, and this is set so far into the future that the Boryokudan - the space Yakuza - own their personal system in the Gemini galaxy. And you're right in the middle of it.
With many ideas, themes and key pointers being taken from Blade Runner among other places, this one leans more toward the noir side of things over outright science fiction. A key point within the tale hinges upon memories, identity and themes of how much each impacts the other. A key point in the endings focuses on how certain elements can be complete constructs, reshaping large swathes of our histories.
Even the very presence of the game's events is intended to play with the player's perception of the world, and this is before you get into the really mind breaking stuff. If you don't mind a bit of darkness for an engaging story and the need to earn your happy ending, give this one a look.
Following an effort to find a new source of energy for the world named resonance, Professor Javier Morales' experiment blows up in his face. The destructive capacity of his creation is astounding, and it comes down to a rag-tag group of heroes to uncover the secret behind the Professor's creation before darker forces find it first.
This game follows a very broad ensemble of characters consisting of Ed, Dr. Morales' research assistant, Anna, a doctor and Morales's niece, Ray, a journalist and Bennett, a detective. The trick is just who you might end up with, if they survive the story, and how they work together. While there is a lot of generalizing throughout the tale, the impact of who dies and who lives still stays with you. It's the Until Dawn of point and click adventure games in that regard.
This one is cheating a bit. Why? Because it's not one game for under £5.00. No, it's a series of five games for £5.81. Honestly, if you're after the one with the most content, this is it right here. The Blackwell series follows a few tropes you have seen up to this point, with noir stylings and an emphasis on a long term mystery. However, the twist comes in the form of its protagonist, Rosangela Blackwell. A jaded and bitter writer, she finds out that she is a spiritual medium and is driven to help the tormented souls of those long gone. This leaves her teaming up with Joey Mallone, a tailor turned spiritual guide.
The series is notable for its sense of legacy along with the strength of its world-building elements. With the fantasy elements kept largely to a very controlled and focused level, it becomes far more of an urban fantasy outing than a full-fledged blend of the two genres. This means you need to keep guessing what you are going to get next, and half the time its puzzles require you to think in terms of which genre conventions apply at the time. This makes it a highly engaging outing, even without discounting its advantage on this list.
Rabbi Russell Stone is a conservative Jew who is slowly losing his way in life. With the loss of many of his congregation, a dwindling faith in God and having fallen heavily into depth, he is on the brink of death when fortune seems to throw him a bone. A deceased member of his faith leaves him a substantial fortune in his will, allowing Stone to rapidly resolve a multitude of monetary problems overnight. However, things just do not add up. The dead man, Jack Lauder, had been estranged from Stone for years and had shown him little love. As things make gradually less sense the more he thinks about them. Stone decides to delve into the matter in person.
This one is an interesting take largely due to its protagonist. Stone is as well rounded and developed a character as you would expect for a game of this nature, but his role as a Rabbi plays into the story multiple times, in both mechanics and dialogue. While you won't be throwing the Star of David as a giant shuriken or calling down lightning, the questions posed and knowledge of its basic teachings can help to give you an edge. These are worked brilliantly into the game, and it adds a surprisingly nuanced layer to what would have easily been heavy-handed nonsense.
So, there's eleven games to think about. You can expect more in the weeks to come, but each of these is a great starting point if you're looking for something new to sink your teeth into.
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