The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep48: Cornerstone, The Song of Tyrim

Legend of Zelda Windwaker meets Dark Souls in this action adventure game!

Cornerstone, The Song of Tyrim is an epic adventure of exploration, combat and crafting. You begin on the docks of a small island with no real idea of what you're supposed to do. The game provides you with some tutorial popups to teach you the necessary controls, and you're left to explore as you wish.

The game makes use of some physics, allowing you to pickup and throw objects, break things into crafting materials, or use them to interact with the environment (such as placing mines or setting things on fire with a torch). You can even use the environment to kill enemies - I shot the ballista on my ship to take out a guard and kited other guards into some laser-shooting flowers! I felt like a number of strategies were available for getting through an area, which was awesome. Additionally, the island is packed with little hidden areas and shortcuts along with a number of puzzle-type obstacles to get from point A to B.

For the most part, the controls were fairly tight for keyboard and mouse. Controller support exists, but you have to map the buttons before launching the game. Being that this is a demo, I can excuse that. It's just nice to see that the game's challenge isn't about fighting with the controls. The art style is cartoony, bright and whimsical, obviously inspired by the LoZ series. I'm not sure if there's really a story in the demo, but I feel that it was intentionally focusing on decent gameplay instead of throwing lore and background in your face (perhaps taking a cue from Dark Souls here as well).

I was a bit skeptical when I saw the claims of Windwaker meets Dark Souls, but having tried the demo I have to say they're going in the right direction. Sure, the demo is unpolished (it crashed a few times and there were a few other glitches) but overall I was impressed. I'll be keeping an eye out for Cornerstone, The Song of Tyrim to see where it goes once it releases on Steam.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep41: A Night in the Woods

A haunting look at survival in a dark and lonely future.

A Night in the Woods is an interesting experience. I'm inclined to call it art more than a game, as there's not much mechanically going on... but it makes up for that big time with atmosphere and exposition.

The title screen appears briefly, then drops you right into the game itself. It's dark, and you've stumbled upon what seems to be a long-abandoned town, though the street lights are still functioning perfectly. Crickets chirp in the background, but it's otherwise quiet. Being dark and cold, you're tasked with collecting scrap paper for kindling.

At first glance, the game appears to be a horror title. It has a dark and lonely setting, you've no way to defend yourself, and early on you find a flashlight. This keeps you guessing as to if there's any danger ahead, bringing the tension up a bit.

As you scavenge for kindling, you discover notes, books and newspapers hinting at what led to the world you now inhabit. The game gives us a glimpse of a possible (and rather bleak) real-world future based on present day issues.

A Night in the Woods is a thought provoking and atmospheric title with a cautionary warning as to where we may be headed. I felt like I was inside an episode of The Twilight Zone, which made for a unique and satisfying experience.

Spooky's House of Jump Scares #7: Finale

Scares, chases and the final boss battle from my Halloween livestream!

Spooky's House of Jump Scares #6: Oh Crap!

Scares and chases through rooms 901-995 from my Halloween livestream!

Spooky's House of Jump Scares #5: What the F!?

Scares and chases through rooms 801-900 from my Halloween livestream!

Spooky's House of Jump Scares #4: Door? DOOR!

Scares and chases through rooms 601-800 from my Halloween livestream!

Spooky's House of Jump Scares #3: Oh Deer!

Scares and chases through rooms 401-600 from my Halloween livestream!

Spooky's House of Jump Scares #2: Damn It All!

Scares and (lots of) chases through rooms 201-400 from my Halloween livestream!

Spooky's House of Jump Scares #1: No, Just NO!

Scares and chases from the Halloween livestream of rooms 1-200!

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep40: The Scarecrow Man & Space Blaster (Lines)

It's time for a creepy double feature! First off, an encounter with The Scarecrow Man followed by a possessed video game called Space Blaster (Lines)!

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep39: VANISH

Trapped in a dark tunnel system and questioning your sanity, you realize you're not alone...

Like many horror titles, VANISH thrusts you headlong into the game with minimal backstory. The short intro suggests you've been thrown into an underground tunnel (perhaps sewer) system against your will, with no explanation as to why.

The area is quite dark - with the brightness turned way up for the video, I could barely see before walking right into a monster. Playing at the recommended settings makes it so you're lucky to see several feet ahead, meaning you'll have to tread with caution so as not to bump into a baddie. This gets progressively worse as the darkness eventually takes hold (whether physically or in the character's mind I'm not certain) and it goes pitch black even with a glowstick and your brightness up.

Those complaints aside, I found the rest of the game to be quite good. It's full of atmospheric sounds that keep you guessing if something evil is lurking nearby, and there's a number of environmental startles like bursting pipes and tunnel collapses thrown in for good measure.

The real kicker though is the unpredictability of the tunnels. Not only is the layout procedurally generated, but it can change behind you too! It's a cool feature that considerably ups the creep factor and reminds you that no place is safe. The downside to this however is the possibility that one could get incredibly unlucky and be hopelessly stuck/lost (though it's hard to know for sure, considering the changing nature of the tunnels). The game seems designed around short play sessions though, making this situation more like a "bad run" in a roguelike title.

In all, VANISH blends atmospheric horror with a slight roguelike twist into a thrilling test of your bravery, patience, and sanity!

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep38: Real Horror Stories

Get ready for point-and-click scares and disturbing imagery!

Real Horror Stories is a click-based Flash game full of bizarre and disturbing scenes. The title of the game is incredibly misleading, as nothing presented in the game seems to be real (or even based on actual events).

The gameplay is uninspired and frightfully dull as you're placed in a scene with several clickable areas and no real clue as to why you're doing anything. Generally speaking, you keep clicking on whatever is available until something happens (typically an animation, sound, or jump scare). There are a handful of small puzzles scattered throughout to help break up the monotony, but they also break what little immersion the game had just built up as you're given seemingly endless time to solve them.

While the game is chock full of shocking imagery, I quickly lost any sense of danger or fear as I realized there was no potential for failure or death. The closest you get to "losing" is choosing one game ending over another, and even this can be easily replayed from a recent save point to see the other choice. I'm not quite certain why save points were added to the game in the first place, unless it was designed more for people playing on a mobile device during quick breaks.

The scariest thing about Real Horror Stories is that you actually have to pay for the iOS and Steam versions (the latter is an "ultimate" edition with added content).

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep37: The Mask Reveals Disgusting Face

3D pixel horror with creepy atmospheric sound!

The Mask Reveals Disgusting Face offers up some insight into depression as well as some scares. You play as Gary, who has isolated himself from friends and family due to his mental illness. Paranoia, depression and insanity have taken their toll over the last two years, but Gary wakes one day to find he's now trapped... and he might not be alone.

One of my favorite things about this game is its atmosphere, especially the audio. As you approach a window, you can hear the rushing wind outside. I recall there being a faint dripping sound somewhere as well. These bits added in with the obligatory spooky sounds (footsteps in the hall, pounding on doors, etc.) really helped to bring it all together.

Unlike many other horror titles, this game has almost no jump scares (but there's definitely a panic moment or two). It is incredibly dark most of the time though, leaving your imagination to fill in what might be lurking in the shadows (which is quite effective).

I enjoyed playing through The Mask Reveals Disgusting Face, and found the ending rather interesting as well.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep36: The Terrible Old Man (H. P. Lovecraft)

The Terrible Old Man is a point-and-click adventure horror title, based on the H. P. Lovecraft short story of the same name.

I'll get my only complaint out of the way - this game isn't very long. Being based on a short story, there's not much source material for the game to really work with. I am glad to see that the game at least remained relatively faithful to the story instead of padding it for more content. 

There are numerous Lovecraft works that would make for interesting games, many of which are much longer than The Terrible Old Man. It leaves me to wonder why this particular piece was chosen to be adapted into a game over others? Maybe it was just a favorite tale of the developers. Perhaps it was more of a "proof of concept" to see if a story would work as a point-and-click adventure? If so, I think it came out pretty well and hope they decide to make more adaptations.

The gameplay itself was standard adventure fare - gather information, find and use items at appropriate times, etc. I liked the hand-drawn art style and the facial expressions were equal parts comical and disturbing, which helped play up the unusual atmosphere.

Hardcore point-and-click enthusiasts will find The Terrible Old Man to be lacking depth, but fans of H. P. Lovecraft should enjoy checking this one out for the novelty.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep35: Stories of Bethem

Classic Zelda-style adventure for the PC or Android!

Stories of Bethem captures the look (and most of the feel) of the classic Legend of Zelda titles. Instead of a magic sword, you harness the powers of elemental magic to break objects and slay enemies.

The game begins with a rather lengthy backstory and control explanation. The intro can be skipped and dialog can be sped through via button presses, which is great when replaying the game. You begin with no weapons or attacks of any kind, but a witch quickly gives you your first spell - a wind blast. She then sets you out on a quest to find a number of magical objects.

Puzzles are heavily featured throughout the game, many of which involve pushing rocks to open paths or cover holes. In addition to damaging enemies, your wind spell allows you to break barrels and bushes to reveal treasures and hidden paths... but using the spell drains magic points. You can find items to regain MP or wait for it to slowly recover, but early on you can go through MP pretty fast as you use it for attacks as well as exploration/puzzle solving. This slows down play somewhat until you can begin recovering health and magic at save locations.

Some of the puzzles seem fairly tricky - I had a hard time figuring out a few of them and for the sake of the episode explored other rooms once I got stuck. I didn't get too far during the video due to the puzzles, but that means they at least pose some challenge which is good. I'd like to see what other types of spells and items become available later in the game, so there's a fair chance I'll continue playing for a bit.

There's nothing impressive early on in Stories of Bethem, but I'd like to take some more time with it. The story, gameplay, art style and controls all seem okay from my first experience.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep34: Tankya's Adventures

Shoot cannonballs at monkeys on a tropical island in this 3D platformer!

Tankya's Adventures - The Curse of Zoltar is a 3D platformer reminiscent of the PS2 era. You play as the feisty Tankya, who enjoys brawling, drinking and relaxing at her island home. The monkeys of the island have seemingly been hypnotized and are out to capture Tankya. Your job is to free the monkeys of the curse (apparently by beating some sense into them) and locating the source of the trouble.

The art style is colorful and cartoony, and overall the game has a quirky charm about it. Unfortunately, this title suffers from horrible controls that will frustrate you to no end. Tankya often enters a "combat stance" that prevents her from sprinting (and sometimes jumping or moving at all). I couldn't find a reliable way to leave the stance via keyboard/mouse - a button press on the controller seemed to toggle it, but then she couldn't move. When you die, the game remembers your last input and respawns you doing whatever that was, meaning you might just walk backwards off a cliff with no control over it. 

The boss at the end of level 2 was actually pretty cool from a design perspective, and I imagine the rest of the game features more interesting characters/bosses... if you can access it. After the second level, I couldn't figure out how to go any farther. The map had a large blacked-out area that never opened up, so I assume this might be a demo of some type. If so, then in a weird way I'm kind of grateful as this is one game you'd definitely want to try before purchasing.

To sum it up, Tankya's Adventure is full of charm and potential, but it's wasted due to terrible controls and horrible bugs.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep33: Tessallation

Loop through time with brain-teasing puzzles, evil refrigerators and flipping squirrels!

Tessallation is a Portal-inspired 3D puzzler that uses a time rewind/replay feature to overcome its various obstacles. When you rewind time, your past actions overlap each other allowing you to help yourself. It's a cool mechanic that oddly makes the title both a single-player and "co-op" game.

The controls are pretty straightforward using a standard WASD setup. 'T' toggles the time feature, right click begins another time loop and left click interacts with objects as appropriate (picking up or throwing things, hitting switches, opening doors, etc.). Jumping feels a bit floaty at times, but it doesn't seem to cause any problems. The game is aesthetically pleasing with bright colors and a quirky character who seems to have a Rubik's Cube for a head.

The title is not without its flaws though. A glitch on one of the earlier puzzles involving a floating platform nearly broke the game (as I couldn't solve the puzzle because of it), though a little creative thinking was able to save the day. I also had the game crash on me at one point, though to be fair I think that's a bug from an older version of the Unity Engine as it's happened with other titles.

If you can get past that one glitchy platform, Tessallation is a pretty neat puzzle game. It will certainly test both your timing and your ability to plan ahead.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep32: The Wizard's Lair

Roguelike dungeon-crawling RPG fun!

The Wizard's Lair is a no-frills graphical Roguelike title. The game tends to strip much of the clunkier bits found in Roguelikes, which also reduces the complexity a little. For example, your inventory is a short list with a description of what items do (so there's no need of having to identify things). You have to manage hunger as well as HP, but a number of items provide amounts of both. 

The title plays very smoothly and you can use either a controller or keyboard and mouse. It's doesn't feature any fancy graphics or amazing GUIs, but they do the job well enough. There's no in-game music, but many of the sound effects are classics from other oldschool titles (or they sound incredibly similar).

In all, The Wizard's Lair is a streamlined Roguelike that's fun to just relax with. The simplified system could serve to ease new players into the genre without being overwhelmed with stats and rules. I found it pretty enjoyable, wanting to descend "just one more level" (several times) before stopping.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep31: Naev

Trading, combat and exploration in space!

Naev (Not Another Escape Velocity) is a single-player open-world sandbox space title. You begin with a basic ship and make your way through the cosmos completing jobs. Each system has a number of locations, most of which contain NPCs, missions, goods and ways to upgrade your ship.

The game boasts a multitude of options in terms of customizing your ship and ways to earn money. The overall map is always the same, but missions and NPCs vary greatly with each playthrough providing a fresh experience with each game. There's an overall story you can follow, but it's often lucrative to find side missions to complete while working on the main quests.

Naev is open source - there's a number of mods available and even alternate versions of the game with different content. It's a fun title and definitely worth a look if you like open-ended space games.

The Friday FREE GAME Feature! Ep30: Blocaria & Inexistence

Time for another double feature! We've got 2D survival crafting in Blocaria followed by Metroidvania platforming with Inexistence.

I don't have anything special to say about Blocaria. It's buggy, laggy and apparently abandoned. The developer hates if you call it a Minecraft or Terraria "rip-off", but had no problems using the same crafting recipes and even music from the Mojang hit. This game was supposedly rebuilt and renamed to Paradigm (not the point-and-click adventure title of the same name), but good luck finding it - the developer's website doesn't exist anymore.

Inexistence is a Metroidvania platformer with light RPG elements. You play as a reluctant hero attempting to rescue your sister. The game defaults to a controller if you have one, which I prefer for platformers anyway. The controls are very responsive and intuitive which is great. Gameplay feels like they took the best and most memorable things from Super Mario, Metroid, Castlevania and even the classic TMNT game and blended them into an (S)NES-talgic delight. Unfortunately this is only a demo (with the first two levels and a boss fight) but it's enough to give you a fair idea of how the game handles. I enjoyed the Inexistence demo quite a bit, and it seems to have been greenlit on Steam with an expected release to be coming very soon.