Vampyr excels in making its mechanics, systems, and presentation mirror its protagonist’s inner struggles. It associates vampirism with disease and corruption, immersing us in a claustrophobic, hostile city whose inhabitants are at the mercy of predators of every kind – including the main character, Dr. Jonathan Reid. The game starts with a discussion on mortality, framing dying as a blessing: …

“You got kids? Sounds rough.” Hugh Williams asks his colleague Nicholas No Last Name, who promptly replies, “Nah. I wouldn’t trade it for a thing.” Parenthood is at the core of Pragmata, a game that boasts an innovative and engaging combat system, but a narrative so sparse, shallow, and repetitive that it makes us long for the next moment our …

There is nothing inherently wrong with unlikable narrators, as their problematic personality can very well add to the narrative, being tied to its themes and discussions in an engaging way. Liars Called’s despicable narrator, however, only subtracts from the experience: if at first, the protagonist’s self-centered attitude seems to be a perfect fit for an allegory for predatory capitalism, his …

Indivisible is a curious mix of RPG and Metroidvania that boasts great art direction, building a colorful and vibrant fantasy world, but is unfortunately marred by some questionable design choices that take the fun out of combat and exploration. The story follows Ajna’s quest to avenge her father, who was murdered in front of her by a soldier named Dhar. …

Orange cats are Jellicle cats. I could could happily ramble about the nature of a Jellicle cat for hours, and explain how they can fly on a broomstick to places far distant or sing, in more than one key, duets by Rossini and waltzes by Strauss, or even more importantly, how Jellicle cats can, would, and do, but suffice it …

The Warded Man, the first volume of Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle fantasy series, is a well-structured book that presents a frightening universe inhabited by tormented characters. Its final act, however, throws both character development and common sense through the window, demolishing much of what had been built so far. The story takes place in an even more bleak and …

Tacoma explores an (awfully close) dystopian future, where our society is fully dominated by large corporations and is much worse because of it, by focusing on the crew of a space station in crisis. Transforming audio diaries into something new and refreshing, the title only slips up at the very end, when a single plot twist alters how we view …

“What a frightening thing is the human, a mass of gauges and dials and registers, and we can only read a few and those perhaps not accurately.” ― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent Charlotte Maria Gray is in a cabin in the middle of nowhere at night. It’s snowing heavily outside, so she’s got to make a fire so she …

The Luminous Dead is a horror story about two women having to both confront and help each other under terrible circumstances. The novel excels at building tension and maintaining a suffocating atmosphere, immersing us in the protagonist’s paranoia, while establishing a very troubled relationship between the two main characters. The story follows Gyre Price, a young caver who is one …

Last Stop presents three different stories set in the same city, mixing family drama with the fantastical: they are mostly well-told tales, featuring endearing characters and some neat ideas, even though they take too long to converge into a proper climax, which consequently feels rushed and underdeveloped. There are three main characters in Last Stop. We have John Smith, a …