June is quickly becoming my favourite month of the year because of the annual Neo-Twiny Jam. Instead of participating myself this year, I wanted to show my appreciation for all the incredible games that are coming out with a series of short reviews. There are already 9 (!!) games out at the time of this post, so hopefully I can stay on top of everything. Watch this space…
12 Likes
A delightful game to start the thread off on! You follow two cats as they try to find a bite to eat, travelling from the forest to the city…
I absolutely loved the doodles in this and how they complemented the background images used. The dialogue was also really adorable, and it was a perfectly self-contained little story, and I walked away with a sense of delight and satisfaction.
4 Likes
黃鶴楼 (yellow crane tower) by PortableDocumentFormat
A personal experience translated into a game. The author visits Wuhan, their ancestral hometown, and comes across a poem by Mao Zedong in a museum/civil service building in the city.
Over the course of the game, you get to click on individual words, participating in the process of translation itself and the myriad ways that the poem can be translated. The game hinges on the fact that there is a pool of translations for Mao’s poem, focusing on the craft and construction that goes into the work of an individual who was so set on destroying the classics of the past.
I really enjoyed that it’s a work with so many layers, literally within the game and in its historical approach - the author’s note is an extremely thoughtful and interesting take on the text and the history that a figure like Mao represents, combined with a modern/diasporic perspective.
5 Likes
The first in a planned trilogy, this is a sylloge (cool word that I hadn’t heard of before!) looking back on the glory days of a decaying empire, and tales told in a half-forgotten language.
The atmosphere created in this game was fantastic, as was the attention to detail with the language, process of translation, and overall imagery. Excited to read the rest of the trilogy to try and piece together the wider story!
5 Likes
despoina, by Lapin Lunaire Games
You play as an unknown creature, fashioning yourself into being through unstoppable hunger.
The pacing of this was incredibly tight for something under 500 words, and the textures and sensations you feel as you slowly pull the world into focus felt so raw and beautifully wrought.
4 Likes
You play as a reptilian creature soaring through the skies, grappling with your inner demons. There are a few choices throughout that lead you to two main endings.
I thought that the minimalist background allowed the language to shine, and the description of the transformation and transition towards the endings were nicely done as the creature grapples with its inner conflicts.
4 Likes
Mouse Train: Overland by solipsistgames
A short game part of the InBetween universe, where you play as a mouse driving a train, haunted by the spectre of an unnamed white mouse.
I think all the parts came together really beautifully, with the graphics and the short bits of text. I loved the description of each stop and also the mysterious, but crucially not sinister, just unknown or inscrutable, actions of the white mouse.
5 Likes
in sky above, in earth below by Naarel
The first in the Alchemist’s Oath trilogy, where you witness a conversation between Petra and her master, as they hash out the details of Petra’s oath.
I found the combination of implied “serious” fantasy (alchemist, oath) a really delightful contrast against the more sci-fi terms used, as well as the colloquial/modern language used (touch some grass, the conversation about gender). It works very well as the introduction to a series, raising just enough questions that keep the player engaged in learning more about the wider world while also depicting an intriguing setting that gives a good picture of the bond between Petra and her master.
4 Likes