This is such a precious gem!

A Story Beside tells a story about a girl named Lyric living in a peaceful secluded village, Pyreside, with her family - parents, sister and grandma. Life there is idyllic and her childhood is full of happiness. Sadly, nothing lasts forever and on the eve of a big celebration everything changes. Ancient danger is slowly creeping back into the world and threatens everyone's safety. In this atmosphere, Lyric has to keep on living and try her best to preserve her family's inn, find love and against all odds keep the village running.

Usually, when some ancient evil tries to destroy our world we assume the role of heroes and go on a quest to defeat it. Not this time though. Lyric doesn't have such ambition as she knows there are better ones for such a task. She wishes to remain in the village offering her services to the heroes in need - that is the meaning of her life. The main line is thus set, yet we can shape Lyric's life through many choices over the life. But as she is deeply connected with her town and the people living there they are all going to be affected by them for the better or worse. There is no crying over spilled milk though and all decisions need to be carried over proudly and then see what effect they will have in the future (or you can load it up if you have saved it before).

The game is visually very pretty and I enjoyed exploring around to see all of the little changes through the years and seasons. The piano score is just phenomenal and greatly complements the story, I could listen to it over and over again (sadly there is no soundtrack to buy). I have enjoyed the other perspective we get to experience in the game - seeing the mercenaries coming and going on their quests was strangely compelling. The story is nicely written with believable and likable characters, there is no one that wouldn't grow on me. Following Lyric's life is rather emotional, both the sad moments and happy events brought tears to my eyes. I have made three playthroughs and each time I cried pretty hard in the end. Even though there are some weaker parts in the story and some plotlines could have been more developed it stayed with me for a long time, I can wholeheartedly recommend it! <3

So, we have already visited Greece and Sweden in the Endless Fables series. Now we will investigate mysterious supernatural happenings in the moors of Scotland! Peaceful visit of distant relatives and birthday celebration turns into a race against time as our niece is kidnapped by an angry banshee. Her steps lead us to an abandoned family manor full of dark secrets ready to break through and plague our world.

Dark Moor is much better than the previous game (Frozen Path) even though the story isn't about some specific mythology legend instead it's only inspired by universal myths. The whole game is, thanks to the setting, rather dark, gloomy and grim, but the visuals are still very pretty and colorful. Thanks to the ghosts, specters, possessed items or other supernatural entities the overall atmosphere is rather spooky! There are even a few jump scares that work pretty well as you wouldn't expect them in a HOG! Sadly, the final villain doesn't have enough space to shine and the finale is a little bit lackluster.

Both the puzzles and hidden object scenes are of good quality with nothing too hard standing in your way. There is a slight backtracking, but the game has a good pace so it doesn't turn into frustration. I liked the visualization of the extras, especially for the collectibles (you can read more about the pumpkins you find) and skill achievements (which are in the form of letter stamps - I collect stamps).

The whole game is rather short but still quite enjoyable. After you are done with the main game you can help little tree spirits in the bonus chapter. Can easily recommend it.

The last time I played this classic adventure was many, many years back. So even though I have a few fond memories of it (termites, Swampy, dragon, ladder in Simon's hat…) I don't remember the exact solutions for the puzzles so I have more than often wondered what the hell am I supposed to do now?. xD Add to it pixel hunting, large open area, red herring items, verbal commands, obscure solutions and you are one step closer to insanity! Good old times. 😂

I love the humor and many pop-culture references. I think I have caught much more of them now, being older and all of that comes with it. If we look aside from pixel hunting the graphics are pretty and I consider myself lucky to have the original version and not that abomination they call a 25th anniversary! I have enjoyed watching all those little things that can happen on the screen - like a snake slithering from a tree or a hawk catching a mouse… and there is much more! The music is nice and varied, although the more time you spend in the same location the more you can become easily overfed with it. The game can be played with voices or without them (we picked this one as we are more familiar with it), just beware that there are no subtitles in the voiced one.

Not sure what to say more. It's a classic that doesn't disappoint. We are going to play the second game, but no one will force me to play the 3D game… why does it even exist? 😅 On the other hand the announced prequel looks very promising!

The city of Boston is plagued by a series of murders and our task as the detective is to find the culprit, nicknamed The Guilty Man! Mysteriously all the clues point to a long-dead criminal. When the chief detective starts to hinder our progress it's clear that something fishy is going on! The hunt for the killer is dangerous and our own life will be at stake… but we can't back down in the pursuit of justice!

Ghost Files: The Face of Guilt is a short, standard hidden object game with nice visuals and not-so-good voice acting (our protagonist looks to be in late twenties and speaks like an old granny, on the other hand, other older women talk as a young maiden… ridiculous). Puzzles and hidden object scenes are fine, varied and not so hard. We also get to use forensics utilities when examining the collected evidence, which is neat, but only for a brief time. The game takes place in two "realms" - our normal world and the supernatural afterlife world.

The weakest point of the game besides the voice acting is the story which is too far-fetched (a good theme for a Hollywood movie not for a HOG, reminds me of Face/Off). It feels very rushed as we jump from scene to scene without a proper feeling of development.

The full price is too high, grab it during a sale if you need another HOG in your collection. ;)

Very good hidden object game with a male detective as a protagonist - quite unusual! The story isn't anyhow groundbreaking, but still enjoyable. A young girl went missing and her trail leads to an abandoned castle where overgrown rats serving an evil wizard have their nest. The wizard wants to absorb her life energy to become immortal and the only way to stop his evil plans is to free the magical Unicorn from his stony prison! As we search for the missing girl on the castle grounds we get to learn more about its history - especially about the gruesome end that met the previous owners. Their ghosts are still bound to this place unable to leave so they ask for our help and in return they will provide us with the necessary means to save the poor Sophie!

The visuals are very pretty with a lot of additional effects, like when there is a fire in the castle you can see it even from far away, which is a nice touch! Also, hidden object scenes often have living items, flickering lights or moving shadows, which makes them more lively. The scenes get repeated two or three times, but never in close succession so it doesn't become boring. The puzzles are nicely varied and of good quality! Few of them are truly challenging, but still solvable (on the highest difficulty they can't be skipped). At your disposal is a journal, where everything important gets noted down and through it, you can even replay cutscenes! You can also freely use a map where you can see active tasks even on the highest difficulty (not sure if you can fast-travel through it, as I always went on my own). As the area is quite big and there is a lot of backtracking it's advisable to consult the map - it will save you from wandering around and searching for what to do.
Through the game, you will have to make karmic choices that will influence your character and the ultimate ending of the story! After completing the game you can play a bonus story that serves as a prequel.

There are in-game achievements and to get them all at least two playthroughs are required. The game isn't long and has a good pace, you can also choose from four difficulty levels. My playtime is equal to three whole playthroughs (yeah my fault, my partner did say to play it on the highest difficulty right away ^^'). We have enjoyed it very much and can easily recommend it to all lovers of HOGs!

Exiled scientist-alchemist Celsia had enough of living in complete seclusion in Barren Lands. Her ticket back into civilization is her newest and the most brilliant creation - Elixir of Immortality! With it, she will show all those ignorant old men, who had the guts to banish her into a wasteland, who's the best in the world! There is just a small problem, tiny really… the potion isn't ready yet. And what's worse, her latest attempt didn't go as expected and she ended up with sealed-up powers. Oh, and she also shrank in size! If word of this disaster reaches the Ministry of Mages it could mean her ultimate demise so there is no time for idle!

Absolute Alchemical Potion is a standard otome game with three romanceable boys. What isn't much standard is the role of the main heroine - she is in a higher position than her suitors. Gestalt is her former assistant (and lover), Sitri is her familiar and Glem is her servant. Their interactions are influenced by this position and although I am not exactly a fan of this, it wasn't that bad. At least it was a change from the mostly naive and useless heroines. ;)

The writing is rather good and most of the time engaging. At your disposal is even a logbook that describes the important facts about the game world. The visuals oscillate between pretty and average. There are a lot of additional visual effects that make the screen more vivid, but sometimes they can prove bothersome - like when the screen is shaking even with the text you want to read! The music is fine. There is no voice acting, but I don't take that as a bad point.
I liked the look of the interface but totally hated the save system - it's done vertically and every time you want to save/load you need to scroll down… unbelievably bothersome. Searching for a specific save in the growing pile can also be rather confusing as you can only see the date and time of the saving - it's hard to recognize the scene just by that.

The endings are influenced by affection and (Celsia's) character choices. I liked that you can check on your status anytime you want. The game is quite linear and you shouldn't have any problems with going through all possible lines. You can even see the conditions for each ending!

All in all, it's a nice otome game, good for a short relaxing gaming time. The characters are sympathetic and the story is rather interesting with quite a lot of funny moments. The quality of sprites and more importantly of CGs isn't consistent, but it isn't something that would put you off. The endings are pretty good and surprising!

Something bad is happening in the mind! Heavy thoughts full of darkness cloud the world and from them emerge three fearsome nightmarish creatures. Their presence leaves the mind in a state of chaos and it slowly crumbles away! The only hope for the mind world is its former courageous protector Dusty! But his most famous days are long over and he now wishes only for a good iced drink. But not always can we have what we desire and instead, we have to go and face the most unpleasant things in our lives… like Dusty and his joyful friend Piper!

In the surreal world of Figment we will explore the recesses of the human mind via The Cerebrum City which serves as the center for our adventures. Through there we can access Freedom Isles, Clockwork Town and finally The Pathway. Our goal is to defeat the Nightmare at each location and free the mind from its fearsome presence. The path isn't easy though as the Nightmares are doing all they can to hinder our progress and pollute the mind the best way they can. Dusty needs to sharpen his fighting skills as their dark minions make regular surprise attacks against us. But not only the enemies are slowing us down. To be able to progress we need to find panels for repairing elevators and colored batteries for operating switches or windmills. Like this, we will be running back and forth quite a lot.

The fighting is rather simple - we have a normal or strong attack that needs to be charged first. Enemy attacks are best avoided by rolling away. If you don't get surrounded by a larger group of stronger enemies the fights shouldn't prove too hard. There is no penalty upon dying and the checkpoints are luckily frequent. After defeating the enemies we are rewarded with gray balls that raise our maximum health bar. Green balls that are often growing around are used for healing. Different cases are the boss battles. The Nightmares can't be hurt by our attacks. Instead, we need to turn their attacks against them with the help of our surroundings. It doesn't take long to realize what to do to defeat them, but the fights are still rather challenging.
The game is also full of puzzles - pushing boxes, memorizing and then recreating patterns, replaying melodies… nothing too hard and they are fun to solve.

The hand-drawn graphics are very pretty. Each world is different from colorful and lively to gloomy and dangerous. The music is also very good. It accompanies us at our every step as most of the things around us play some music - like trumpet trees or guitar grass! The Nightmares love to sing and boss battles are accompanied by a song. Here comes my complaint - I am unable to concentrate on fighting, avoiding enemy attacks and listening to the song lyrics - moreover to be able to read them! Like this, I can't properly enjoy it. The voice acting is heartfelt and funny, but I have found Dusty to be lacking sadly.

There is no quick travel and if you missed a collectible memory or some puzzle-related achievement you have to navigate through the locations yet again. It's fine that you can get back freely but the backtracking is horribly slow like this, luckily the game isn't long so it doesn't turn into frustration. The overall mood is cheerful with hints of serious themes. I liked that, but the story didn't in truth touch me much. Most of the time I had a feeling of playing Bastion combined with Dust: An Elysian Tail, which isn't per se a bad thing as those belong between my favorite games. In terms of design and gameplay, I have enjoyed it and can safely recommend it.

I am rather torn apart on this game. On one hand, it's almost an artistic piece full of emotion, on the other it's a lengthy walking simulator with an extremely blurred view.

11-11 Memories Retold brings us a story about World War I. It's told through the eyes of two simple men who both end up in the hell of war. Harry - a young, naive and hopeful Canadian photographer joins the army to become a hero and win the heart of a girl he loves. Kurt - an older, devoted and kindhearted German technician joins the army to find his son who went missing on the front. Although they are enemies they are bound to meet and even to establish a peculiar friendship. But as the war is nearing its end their characters will be tested, for the better or worse.

We have two main heroes and our decisions are shaping both their characters and lives. At the beginning of each chapter, you select whose story you will start first and after completing it you get automatically switched to the other one. I have enjoyed this switching perspective as you get to see the same place through the eyes of the Allies and then as a German! You always have a goal that you must reach, but before doing so you can explore your surroundings. You can find collectibles that describe true historical items and events, you can talk with your comrades or you can take some photos (as Harry). Sometimes though it isn't exactly clear what will trigger the switch and you can end sooner than you wanted and like that miss a collectible or some achievement. This can be a little frustrating because even though you can select a "main chapter" for a replay, you can't select from "little chapters" and have to play through both Harry's & Kurt's stories yet again.

The visual style of an oil painterly is… strangely beautiful, it adds to the game a different kind of feeling. Some scenes are, thanks to it, very emotional. But you can become fed up with it pretty quickly, especially if you are searching for collectibles that are in some cases practically invisible. The orchestral soundtrack is exceptional and helps to create the right atmosphere. Without this music, the whole game would be empty. Very important is also the voice acting as only through it we can properly connect with our main heroes. Harry is voiced by Elijah Wood and Kurt by Sebastian Koch. Both have done a great job of portraying their emotions and characters with their voices.
I enjoy multi-language games (apparently only games about World Wars are like that, right Wolfenstein?) and their interactions when they can't understand each other are nicely done. However, I was disappointed that Kurt was speaking in German only in the story, his thoughts and summaries were all in English. Even the letters from his wife were voiced in English. I don't really understand why it wasn't all consistent.

The story of two men and their fates unfolding in the background of a horrible war is interesting and I was rather captivated by it. I wanted to know how it would continue, but sadly a believable story became slightly ridiculed toward the end. I have also found Harry a little bit annoying over time and I cheered mostly for Kurt. Also, playing as the cat is a simple joy.
It is important to remind us about our history and the game manages to portray the distress of the war very well. Just, if it wasn't made as a game with achievements and collectibles that distract you from the story and like so interrupt the immersion, it would be much better.

Welcome to Hawk Peak Provincial Park! Here are some tips for your visit!

As the park is a popular place among visitors you can meet a lot of curious characters here - some will challenge you to a race or to play a game with them; others will ask to find lost items or to help them with other stuff; and some will just talk about the weather… everyone can find their best friend here! With their help you can even obtain new fashionable hats and that’s always a sweet bonus!
Hmm, or you would rather have some peace of mind away from noisy people? Fear not! You can chill out in the warmth of a campfire, just put it out once you are ready to leave ok? Ready for more seclusion? You can go fishing in the calm lake waters, on the open seas or even in the rapid flow of mountain rivers! There are even talks about rare fish variations to be found here… nonsense if you ask me… but please, let us know if you found anything golden. Ehm, anyway… if you fancy more action during your vacation what about some geocaching, oh sorry, treasure hunting? You can find buried chests all around the island, but some of the places are unmarked and a bit hard to notice, so pay attention to details on your travels!
Did nothing pick your interest yet? Well, you can always go swimming in the ocean, but for visiting the other islands I suggest using a boat as it will surely be more comfortable… and quicker. If you wish to stretch yourself more you can hike our monumental mountain! The route gets harder and harder so don't forget to carefully prepare, but don't worry, our Mountain rescue service won't let anyone overestimate their strength. And if you get so high up don't forget to jump into nothingness and enjoy the simple soaring in the winds… that can always bring peace to a troubled mind.

Without further ado, I wish you a pleasant stay. Your other possible questions will be answered by the on-duty ranger. Don't forget, if you find some garbage, pick it up and throw it in the bin - Thank you for keeping our Park clean!

One last thing… the sight is just phenomenal on the peak, so be sure to visit it in the end!

This game is cute, funny, peaceful, heartwarming, beautiful and simply a joy to play! <3

In TOEM you set out on an adventure to experience the TOEM phenomenon for yourself, but before reaching the final destination you need to visit other locations full of peculiar silly characters that require your help: Oaklaville - a lonesome hotel in the vicinity of a mighty Oak; Stanham - seaside with a lot of bridges and boats; Logcity - the busy city with skyscrapers, cars and a lot of workers; Kiiruberg - a ski resort in mountains with snow and freezing winds! At each location, you need to obtain enough stamps from the locals to get a free ride on the bus and then you can get to the next location. You can also freely choose to solve everything at once or just the needed amount for the progression and come back later for the rest. The quests will challenge your ability with the camera, so prepare to take a lot of pictures!

The cartoon visuals in many shades of gray are adorable and the music is sweet. The events tied up to the various characters are funny and most of the time you will run around with a big smile on your face! I enjoyed the ability to change your clothing and accessories, some of them are only fashionable, but others provide even some bonuses (or denuses). Taking pictures of different kinds of creatures, items or just your surroundings with your little camera is so much fun! As you progress you can even add filters and make those photos even more rad (although I would love to play with the filters after you take the picture and not set it before). ;D There is enough free space in your photo album so do not worry about snapping everything you find interesting!

After completing the main story you get to visit Basto island with a new cast of characters, creatures and more funny events! I enjoyed playing with the day/night system.

TOEM is a cute little game that will fill you with happiness. The final credits are a pretty emotional recapitulation of your adventure. It was a beautiful experience. <3

The story you are about to live is shaped by its details. Observing everything with care will lead you to the truth. - That's the first line you get after starting the game (well, after the warning about game sensitivity) and it couldn't be more wrong! Don't waste your time with details as you won't find anything there.

Okay, so where have I seen it before? Oh, I know… Kubrick's Shinning! The whole game is filled with references to the famous movie and I am not sure if it was a good idea (or intention) to make it so openly similar, because the well-known feelings of uncertainty, discomfort, and deepening insanity aren't very apparent in the game. You can of course argue that the story isn't the same, which is right, but if the game starts in the same way as the movie, happens in a secluded hotel in the mountains during winter or the hotel has almost the same carpet, the missing axes etc., I just can't simply Overlook little comparison between them.

But back to the game. Ten years ago Nicole and her mother Claire left their family business and home at Timberline Hotel in Helena National Forest to start a new life somewhere else, especially somewhere far, far away from her father who cheated on her mother with a 16-year-old girl, Rachel Foster. After the death of both of her parents, she inherited the hotel and now needs to deal with this burden. Her mother's wish is for the hotel to be sold. So Nicole comes back to the place she once called home and asses all the necessary things to finally forget all about it. But as she returns old memories begin to resurface and she learns that grudges and love never completely leave our world.

So that's the premise for the story, which is actually rather good. Sadly it's very poorly written with many contradictions and blind spaces so the overall experience isn't anyhow compelling or satisfying. The story is happening over nine days in a vacant hotel that is supposedly haunted by none other than Rachel's ghost (but we don't know that at the beginning). Due to a heavy snowstorm, Nicole has to spend a few days completely alone in the hotel. The only person she will be in contact with is Irving, the kind voice on the other end of a cell phone - the new hot product of technology! Their interactions are fine, but sometimes totally random and you can miss some of them because they are apparently tied to a specific place at a specific time! Sorry, I haven't explored the same whole hotel every damn day! You know, right on your first day you can get almost everywhere. Some rooms open with a story progression, but everything else is opened right away or closed forever. I admit that it might be my fault for exploring everything before the story even begins, but I like to know my surroundings, and therefore it seemed mundane to explore it again some other day… As for exploration itself, it's rather pointless. There isn't much to learn about the rooms as Nicole barely comments on them if it isn't part of a storyline. Nothing much happens if you don't visit them - like the museum, locker room, or dining hall… You can also closely check on many items… on many totally uninteresting items that bring nothing to the story like a sponge, various cleaning tools, dishes, pencils… But there are also interesting items like photos, artifacts, various books about mathematics, psychology, esoteric, philosophical studies… and all these items are just silently stared upon!!! Not a single word is uttered about them! That's just a huge disappointment. We don't get to know if Nicole enjoyed growing up in such a place, what was her father's opinion on some of the books he read, or what her mother liked in the hotel… you know, to become somewhat familiar with them, learn about their relationship… it's about a family breaking apart after all, no? No, nothing, it feels so empty, pointless even.

To make it even worse there are factual mistakes that bring the whole story down. Quick example - Nicole arrives at the hotel in December 1993, 10 years after her father's affair was uncovered and Rachel Foster committed suicide - that would be 1983. Wrong! From newspapers we learn that it all happened in 1981… so what was it? Next we learn that Rachel was 16 years old at the time of her death (1965-1981). Scandalous! If we follow the suggested year 1983 it would mean that she was 18 years old, that isn't so shocking, right? Also, let's not talk about how both of Nicole’s parents died of some deadly sickness in just ten years. Yeah, it's possible, but not probable. Her father was 49 years old - that would make him 59. About mother we know nothing, just that she died even sooner than father… that's so strange, from the few past "memories" nothing suggests that they were closing in on their graves. The Father of Rachel Foster is a priest, so one would expect some story progression in this way as suicide is a terrible offense in God's eyes. But no, not a single word, so why is it important that her father is a priest and not a damn cook?! Oh, and I love that Nicole is visiting the hotel in the mountains right on 23rd December with an incoming snowstorm. You know, I think that selling such a property can wait until someone can get there without the risk of getting trapped there for a few days! Stephen King had at least enough reason to put the start of his story at the end of October, just before the winter truly began.
Ah, and don’t get me started about the chaos in the years… Well, as classic says: shit happens, but it certainly shouldn't in a story-focused game. Poor job.

The visuals of the surroundings are rather well done, although every room in the hotel feels the same. There isn't any noteworthy place that would sink into your brain with a big impression (well maybe the toilets, but their design is rather predictable and they are totally optional so you can miss them). In some moments the view of our heroine got slightly dizzy, not sure why as there wasn't any reason for it, which disturbed the immersion. Also, zooming on documents isn't working well and most of it remains blurred and unreadable. Again, I believe that if the game prompts you to "observe the details" one would expect the observation would be good for something!
The sounds are pretty good actually. You can hear the hotel creak, wind howling through the broken windows, water leaking from the pipes, or some footsteps on the stairs, sights right behind your shoulder… it helps to create a tense atmosphere. In some situations, it all works pretty well together, but sadly there are only a few such moments.
As for the voice actors - Irving won the prize, I really liked him, it was easy to connect with him and the story development made through him a nice impact. Nicole is fine, but I really didn't like the way she laughed. Our father is completely off.

Not sure why, but I thought the game was really good before playing it, so now I am a little bit disappointed. Every aspect of it has so many flaws and there is nothing that would outweigh it to the side of favor. You can be done with it in 3-4 hours, depending on how much you wish to explore. Through my two playthroughs, I have uncovered that you can miss some conversations if you take a different way toward your goal, which is yet again a huge oversight. I am wondering if any of the developers actually played the game… or what the playtesters were doing. Not sure about the sensitivity warnings as I really wasn't shocked by any of it and I'd say they don't go anyhow deep with the theme to make any impact. And the ending is totally stupid, pointless, and doesn't make any sense - BIG SPOILER it would make sense if Nicole was the killer.
You have been warned.

FRAMED Collection consists of two excellent puzzle games that offer a Noir-styled story wrapped up in pretty innovative gameplay, a catchy jazz soundtrack and comic book graphics!

I have found the gameplay very fresh, innovative and a lot of fun! Each screen is separated into panels (sometimes just a few, sometimes a lot) and you need to rearrange them in the right order to progress. Wrong solutions lead to miserable ends, the right solutions lead you through the story and both variants are accompanied by fitting animation! Sometimes it's just fun to try something silly out and see what will happen to our hero on the screen. XD
The puzzles are nicely varied even though they are bound to repeat and new obstacles are introduced with the progression. Also, puzzles can't be skipped as they tell the story, but the vast majority of them are pretty straightforward and easily solvable. The pace of the game is thanks to it smooth and quick.

I also liked the stylized visuals, a little bit simplistic with all the charm concentrated on our black & white heroes! Their movement animations are simply perfect and a joy to look at. The music is excellent and creates a great atmosphere throughout the whole game - gonna grab the soundtrack!

We had a lot of fun with FRAMED and I can easily recommend it! :3

I completed the main story in 2022, so this time I played only the DLCs - I liked that it was still the same yet different experience. The DLC's don't clarify much of the story, only a few things, but most of the important questions remain unanswered. Apparently, the second game makes it all crystal clear… As for the whole game, well my statement still holds - "Little Nightmares is what would Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi by Hayao Miyazaki look like if Tim Burton decided to film it." And I am still not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

The DLCs consist of three chapters with a different hero and run in parallel to the main story, which is a pretty interesting aspect that pushes the immersion to a higher level. 1) The Depths felt the weakest and shortest of the three. Even though the level design is good with an ugly monster it doesn't have a powerful impact. More or less it quickly turned into a chore - there was only a tiny moment to escape the monster and it seemed to me almost luck-based because a few times I got caught even though I was already at the safe spot; another thing was that sometimes you need to prepare the scene for progression, which takes time and if you get killed, booyah push the boxes yet again… argh. 2) The Hideaway was the best for me. I enjoyed it very much! This time it's not only about hiding and running away from something, this time you need to be creative! The reference to Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi is particularly strong here, for the better or worse. 3) The Residence offers yet again a different kind of approach, it's more about solving puzzles, which I have enjoyed. The second part of the level felt like Alan Wake and thanks to BAD controls it easily became the most frustrating part of the whole game…

So I have enjoyed Little Nightmares and can recommend it further, although it's certainly not for everyone - the experience is rather bizarre and thanks to an obscure story you know nothing for certain in the end.

When a young girl ends up in a coma and no conventional cure can help then the only hope for her is a Dreamwalker - a psychiatrist with the ability to enter other people's dreams! Searching for the reason why she doesn't want to wake up will uncover many dark secrets in the small village and its citizens.

An OK hidden object game with a darker, almost horror setting, which isn't very typical. The story got a little bit wild and confusing toward the end though. I liked the dream sequences as they had a nice surreal visualization. Puzzles were nicely varied and of good difficulty, nothing to get stuck on. Hidden object scenes were also fine - colorful and full of things. Just searching by the shapes was somehow painful.
The game is short and pretty straightforward with almost no backtracking. Just beware that if you miss a collectible you can't come back to it and have to replay the whole game, but you can see if you have already collected everything on the screen so you should be safe!
The visuals are nice to look at, music is standard. Voice acting is mediocre, but there are even worse.

All in all, it's a good game for a quick casual playing session.

Bookstores, not just fictional ones, hold many interesting books inside. Every book is filled with various stories - fantastical adventures, romantic encounters, thrilling investigations, tremendous battles… But some of them are filled with stories that are hard to imagine, and even harder to believe. And such a book is found by a young girl in an old bookstore, hidden in the attic, almost forgotten. When she brings it to the shop owner all the memories hit him with full power and he begins to tell a story…

To tell a story about two kids, a boy and a girl, caught up in dark times when an army of evil robots begins an assault on their country. With them comes an overall oppression. People are selected, marked as unworthy, separated, and then… taken away. In all this turmoil the kids do their best to survive, to keep a little part of their childhood intact. It's hard, but they try. When people rebel against the robots, the children are there to help with the fight in their own way. But as the situation gets direr with every month, they need to hide or for the best get somewhere safe. There could be a way, but maybe only for one of them… it's still worth the risk though.

My Memory of Us retales a horrific part of our, not so long ago, history - World War II, more precisely that of the events in the Warsaw Ghetto. Although the game itself doesn't refer to our world (Nazis are robots etc.) the parallel is pretty clear. Collectibles open short bios from which you can learn about the real people or events that occurred and were an inspiration for the game.
The stylized cartoon visual in 50 shades of black with a touch of red is very powerful in portraying the overall sorrow. The contrast between cute graphics, funny moments and the seriousness of the events occurring on the screen is with you every second of the game.
There is only one voice that accompanies you through the story and that is the narrator (Sir Patrick Stewart). It works well.

As for the gameplay, well you control two characters and because they have different abilities you need to often switch between them. The boy can sneak around and has a mirror at his disposal. The girl on the other hand can run, jump over holes and has a slingshot. By holding hands they become one and you control both of them, with the leader's abilities influencing the other member. The good thing is that you can quickly switch their positions without breaking their bond, which is mandatory in some chasing sequences. But to be honest I was even slightly annoyed by it - I understand that the boy can't jump over a large hole even when the girl is leading the way and stops before it, but I can't understand why they can't both climb over a box! Anyway, sometimes multitasking felt rather overwhelming. I wonder why the game wasn't made in co-op because I believe that it would make a bigger impact on the audience - especially children, as the need for their mutual help through the story would prove even more emotional. But yeah, both of the characters aren't always together on the screen…
Otherwise, it's a logic game where you need to overcome obstacles with your skills and items. Failing means only getting pushed back to a checkpoint. Only if you aim for an achievement you have to be extra careful. There are also various minigames - rhythm, labyrinth, "bullet-hell", etc. I'd say their difficulty is of a higher level and I have quite struggled with some of them, which can sadly interrupt the immersion (like the final battle, which was a pain honestly).

My Memory of US is certainly worthy of your attention. It offers you an opportunity to look at the dark moments through children's innocent eyes… although I am sad to say that I have felt somewhat detached and not very much emotionally struck by the story. I suppose I am not their targeted audience as it seemed very oriented toward younger children. The Valiant Hearts worked better for me.

Quite a standard hidden object game, this time with a scientifically themed story full of historical figures - it felt rather refreshing from all of the fantasy settings in these games, but still better to be prepared for some silliness. The visuals are very pretty to look at, voice acting is fine.

I got stuck a few times throughout the game, unsure of what to do next and searching every screen for something interactive that would help me to progress, which was a little bit frustrating. The difficulty of puzzles or hidden object scenes wasn't particularly hard.

All in all, we have enjoyed it.

It's going to be pretty hot in Italy! A member of the secret order of Myth Seekers went missing during an important investigation of a powerful ancient artifact - the Hammer of Vulcan. If it should fall into the wrong hands the safety of the world would be threatened! As Amelia, a new member of the order and an expert on Roman mythology, we have to uncover the secret of the Vesuvian codex and prevent another disaster like what happened to the village of Pompeii in the past… and maybe find the true culprit of the event! She won't be completely alone on this task though as even the Gods themselves will offer a little helpful hand.

Quite a nice hidden object game with an interesting mythological setting, although a bit short. The story is pretty dramatic at the beginning but gets wild rather soon. XD We travel a lot, even through time, so we don't spend a lot of time in one place. The locations are nicely varied and connected to the mythology.
Puzzles and hidden object scenes are of good quality, nothing that would make you suffer. Supposedly some bugs can prevent you from completing the game, luckily we haven't encountered any.

Overall, we had a good time with it (reminded me a little of Endless Fables: The Minotaur's Curse).

Veeeeeeery short, but cute little game that serves as a free introduction to the style of Amanita Design games which are known for their peculiar graphics, beautiful music and funny stories told without the need for words.

The second part in Samorost trilogy. This time a little bit longer than the first game, but still fairly short. The graphics are yet again very peculiar, it's a combination of real photographs and hand-drawn images – the world has thanks to it a mysterious and surreal atmosphere. The music is very charming. There are no voices, only various sound effects which are pretty funny.

The story is simple. The little gnome, Samorost, whom we met in the first game, is taking a nap, and at that moment mischievous aliens steal fruits from his orchard… and also abduct his dog! Samorost won't abandon his friend in need and bravely follows the aliens to their home planet! On his journey, he needs to be rather resourceful and use every wit to get both of them safely home.

Puzzles are pretty straightforward although some can be a little bit obscure to realize (also the final puzzle with seals can be sadly somewhat tedious). There is no penalty if you do something wrongly, so if you don't know what to do next just try clicking on everything on the screen!

All in all it's a very pleasant game and I can only recommend it. :3

The final part of the Samorost trilogy. Also the longest one and with the most complex story about restoring lost balance back to the Universe.

The visuals are still beautiful, colorful and mesmerizing with almost everything you see on the screen being interactive! Some of those things are part of clever puzzles, others are just for your enjoyment (and achievements). The music greatly accompanies the surreal visuals and helps to create a fitting atmosphere with many funny situations. The story is traditionally told without any words, accompanied only by charming vivid images and "cutscenes", but it's easily understandable.

Overall difficulty isn’t particularly hard, some of the puzzles can prove challenging and require a little bit of out-of-the-box thinking, but the satisfaction upon solving them is even bigger! :D Also the musical puzzles are simply ingenious!

The third *Samorost* is a great closure to the charming series, I can totally recommend it!

Another short HOG from Artifex Mundi, this time with a Nordic mythology setting. The story is a little bit excessive, but that is normal with these games I suppose. ;)

The visuals are yet again nice and colorful, and the music is fine. Puzzles and hidden object scenes are of good quality, nothing too hard or frustrating. There are also collectibles and morphing objects to be found.

All in all, it's good for a relaxing evening playing session.

In the third game of The Legend of Kyrandia series we assume the role of the main villain - Malcolm, a former Court Jester who is responsible for the death of previous rulers of Kyrandia, usurps the throne to himself and after a final showdown with Brandon, the royal heir, he ends up petrified on the castle grounds. His stony imprisonment is one day broken by a lightning strike. Now, free again he needs to disappear from Kyrandia or risk ending up in jail. But as Kyrandia is his true home he keeps coming back again and again. To have hope for a somewhat peaceful life he needs to clear his name from the horrible accusations though… because all might have happened in a completely different way! Who could have known?!

If you have played the first Kyrandia you know what you are getting, although Malcolm presents some new elements - for the better or the worse. It's a classic point-and-click adventure where you mainly combine items to use them on something else. There are a lot of possibilities on what to do and what route to take - for leaving Kyrandia there are at least five options on how to do it, which is absolutely amazing if we consider the year it was made (1994)! However, the game doesn't exactly hold your hand and you can easily become stuck as you wonder which thing to combine and use in the right way that helps you to proceed. The following sentence holds a lot of truth in it: Definitely not a game for the beginning or impatient player. Can only agree so don't feel bad about consulting the walkthrough!
To add even more complexity to the game we have a personality scale at our disposal. That means we can switch what way Malcolm acts (truthful, normal, and deceitful), which will then influence the outcome of some conversations. So, if you find yourself stuck in some situations try changing your attitude, it can save you a lot of headaches. And ultimately you will have to choose which one of the three Malcolms you will become!

One of the main aspects of the story is Malcolm's bad conscience Gunther who comments on (almost) everything he does - like that, he provides a hint, a sharp remark upon his death, or just simple encouragement. For your actions, you collect points that are completely useless on one hand, on the other they nicely show how many things you have tried to do. And there is a lot to do!

Let's look aside from the fact that the game is old. The visuals are fine, they tried for a modern 3D-ish look, but I am a bigger fan of the first game graphics for sure. The music is also okay with some catchy tunes. As for voice acting, well, you can switch every voice into a high-pitched mode which brings a lot of laughable moments even outside the scripted jokes… let's be honest, some of the jokes are rather lame so with the silly voices it's actually more enjoyable. Especially the head warden lady whom we nicknamed Smurfette! Also, you can switch on something like a sitcom laughter which will be played during something funny, well sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Luckily all of it is optional so you can adjust it to your liking.

Although I am not a patient player and got thanks to it into some frustrating moments I have enjoyed the third Kyrandia. I liked that you are not tied up by only one right solution and can in some moments choose which way to proceed. The execution isn't completely top-notch, but they certainly deserve respect for trying such innovative gameplay.

Rather short but quite enjoyable hidden object game from Artifex Mundi.

Visuals are traditionally very pretty. Our main duo of heroes is fine and the voice acting isn't so bad (as sometimes can be).
Puzzles and HO scenes were good, nicely varied and nothing too hard to solve. I enjoyed preparing potions in the Apothecary mini-game and also the boss fights were fun! The story made sense for once and I liked the Persia setting. It felt like a combination of Aladdin and Prince of Persia! :)

Great for casual and quick gaming sessions.

Amber, an aspiring artist, is preparing her art piece for a gallery exhibition. Right across the street lives yet another artist, an old man with an old cat, and every morning she watches him working on his canvas. The daily routine of her life gets twisted and old memories becomes to resurface. The truth is hidden deep below the dried paint.

I think I am slightly torn apart on this one, but gosh, I simply LOVE the visuals! It's like playing through some of Studio Ghibli's movies! The music is beautiful and creates a fitting atmosphere. I also liked the gameplay, you are not being rushed anywhere and can just enjoy your surroundings, but you are just a passive watcher and you can't influence a thing in the story (which is a little bit disappointing). Painting and sketching are done in a simple way, but it's fun. Puzzles are nice, varied and some even challenging.

The story is bittersweet, with DLC's story being more bitter than sweet. If I understand it right, the game is inspired by the lives of two real artists… which sadly doesn't make the whole story any less sad (for me).

Behind the Frame is a relaxing and visually beautiful game. The message of the story missed its point with me, but that's just because I value and search for different things in my life. I have still enjoyed my time with it. Also, in one chapter I had the feeling I am playing the Layers of Fear, but don't worry it doesn't turn so macabre. ;)