PixlBit

Those epic RPGs shot me down. I couldn't take it any more. Neither could I take my rediculous listomania. I was totally overwelmed and so dove into some lighter, shorter fair and found some cool games. Check, check, check it out (to the sound of the Beastie Boys song with those words). 

After milling about in various games like Super Mega Baseball 2, FarCry 5. Slime Rancher, Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 and Pac-Man 256, I started looking up short games on sites like TrueAchievements and HowLongToBeat and tried out this one on Game Pass called Dordogne. 

I finished it in an afternoon and really enjoyed it. It was just what the doctor ordered for my overwrought mind. The watercolor style art was soothing and gorgeous. The gameplay was simple like a point-and-click adventure with some minor platforming, simple crafting, photography and exploring. Collectibles can be found but are not overwelmingly numerous or difficult to find. You also get to compose simple scrapbook pages from the various collectibles. The story was a little bit sad about a family with some problems that the main character was trying to resolve. I really enjoyed it. 

One game I bought on sale was Flipping Death. This is a perfect Halloween game. It is delightfully macabre and funny with an art style similar to a Tim Burton movie or a DoubleFine game like Psychonauts. It's a 2D platformer but with lots of interesting supernatural techniques that have you switching back and forth from the real world and the underworld. You do this to solve some puzzles and also just have fun causing mayhem - gentle mayhem though, like poking everyone or licking things. Here's a trailer. 

I stopped after a few chapters to reassess what I'm doing in gaming, but I'm sure I'll return and try and finish it. I love the art style, kind of like paper craft done creepy. The writing is really sharp too, apparently by a writer of note (I forget who off hand). It definitely gives me a DoubleFine vibe: creepy, smart, funny, clever game mechanics. I kind of love it for that. 

And that was two short, chill games very worth playing. Sometimes you just got to take a step back from the epicocity that is games like Dragon Quest, Trials of Mana or Ni No Kuni and just take it easy.