Recent reviews by kodie

So I hit credits this morning on TR-49 and I enjoyed my time with it. For me, it doesn't hit quite as strong as the top-most tier of detective games like Her Story and Outer Wilds but it's just below that tier.

Importantly, I think the low price makes it something that you should probably just buy and play for yourself if you have any interest in the genre or game. Inkle set the base price to $6.99 as an experiment: "we wanted to see what it would be like to make a game where there’s almost no point in wishlisting it and waiting for a sale – something that encourages an impulse, 'jump in' mindset for players." gi.biz

As with any Inkle game, the writing is incredibly strong. If anything, I think the excellent writing is squandered a bit in this format. Though the core narrative is compelling, the point of the game is to unravel, what is, essentially a mess of literature. The "twists" you uncover are mostly done in quiet and you're nudged towards checking off the next box, rather than reflecting on what may be a new revelation. In contrast, I had moments in Her Story where I sat back and thought about what I'd just learned.

In truth, I'm not entirely sure what incentivized that reflection in Her Story that was lacking in TR-49. An unexpected conclusion may be that it was actually the chattiness of the main character(s). For such a pensive game, they didn't give me time to think and instead flooded me with thoughts of their own.

Mechanically, the game did a fantastic job of nudging me towards more solutions. I never consulted a guide and admittedly, I sometimes brute-forced my way through, but I felt smart as I I made what felt like really tricky connections. TR-49 employs some clever invisible hand techniques that I don't want to describe in detail because that really is the entire point of the game. Likewise, it keeps really good notes for you. I still kept my own notes in some scenarios but I was surprised at how often I could refer to the in-game folios for potential connections I had forgotten about.

Finally, I'd like to shout out the controls. I tried touch screen, mouse only, keyboard only, and pad only. They all have their quirks to be sure, but I could tell that time went into playtesting all of these modes of play. Usually games like these are tailored to a specific input format and this, more than any other detective game, felt input agnostic.

At $7 and a 5-7 hour runtime, I think it's a must try game if you're a fan of the genre or developer. It may not hit the heights of my favorite detective games but I think it stands out as an early must-play of the year.

Mate'Morphosis is a clever puzzle game where you morph into the chess pieces you capture, using limited moves to reach checkmate. Each puzzle presents a unique board with different boundaries and mechanics to master.

What makes it special:
The variety of mechanics keeps things fresh throughout. You'll encounter crumbling tiles that disappear after use, missing tiles that force creative pathing, tiles that grant you extra moves, (or take them away), and special pieces with unique behaviors. These mechanics are introduced gradually and kept me engaged, though I would have loved to see them explored even further.

Who is this for:
Knowledge of chess rules is helpful and will deepen your appreciation, but non-chess players can still enjoy this. As a puzzle fan, I found the difficulty relatively easy overall with some satisfying head-scratchers sprinkled in. My one frustration: you must complete puzzles in order with no option to skip and return later.

Technical notes:

• Completed in under 5 hours
  
• Mouse controls work perfectly; touchscreen also supported
  
• No native controller support, but Steam Input works fine for mouse emulation
  
• Minimal music (2 contemplative classical-inspired tracks) that suits the thoughtful gameplay
  
• No performance issues or bugs

The bottom line:
At $2.99 (or even less on sale), this is exceptional value. While replay value is limited (I earned most achievements in one playthrough), the game feels complete and satisfying. I only wish there was more because it's genuinely great, not because it felt unfinished.

If you enjoy logic puzzles and creative mechanics, grab this. You'll finish it in an evening, but it'll be a memorable one.

I like typing games and this is a unique take on the genre. Recommend.,

this game is amazing, buy it!

GOTY? GOTY!

Webbed is such a happy and charming game - I have a huge grin when I play. And there is some challenge to the web slinging platforming too. Must play.

Another excellent puzzle game from Draknek. Their best so far - I love the humor and the open-world structure.

This game gud. There's some "jank" and sometimes it feels like the hitboxes are quite picky but I really enjoyed this game's systems. The movement was fun, the secrets are engaging, and the encounter design is creative. High recommend for fans of the genre; try the demo otherwise.

My GOTY. While I can see how the number of waves can get tedious for some, I was never left wishing for shorter encounters or challenges. The bite-sized campaign allowed me to jump right into a NG+ which ratchets things up considerably. Like recent Mario games, I imagine that for veterans of the genre the game doesn't start, in earnest, until after you hit the credits. The various achievements seem to reinforce that notion.

What's more, Boomerang X is a trojan horse for Flick Stick. If you want to play shooters on a pad more accurately, please use this game as a Flick Stick trainer. The learning curve may feel steep but I was almost immediately better than traditional control pad aiming.

Wunderling is a delightful gem of a game. It contextualizes the auto-runner mechanic by putting you in control of a typical goon in a platformer. You've been granted the ability to jump but that's about all the agency you have in the game. At least at first.

The auto-runner mechanic was used to great effect to build an excellently crafted puzzle game, rather than a platformer. Sure there is the need for well timed button presses (especially for the secrets), but most of the challenge stem from the puzzle design. Virtually every hour of play, in my 10 hour playtime, brought a new mechanic and with it: a new set of logical wrinkles. It never got so challenging that I felt compelled to consult a guide, but it kept me engaged - in a state of flow.

Accompanying the excellent puzzle design was well-crafted pixel art, a joyous soundtrack (Caravan Shake [https://youtu.be/pgEReWBEy7M] is a banger), and the ability to dress your avatar up with cosmetic unlocks. The gameplay is focused and honed to a fine point and contains more content than I expected for this "small" indie title.

My "short" break between games got extended as I slowly descended into sawblade-obsessed madness.

In interviews, I've heard the dev team say they really found the game when they realized it was not a game about surviving but instead a game about dying. This is really the key to seeing how they were able to iterate on the Humble Original, and keep the successor fresh for so long. 8 hours in and well past credits, there's still so much to explore and uncover.

And shout out to the indies (and others) trailblazing accessibility options. I didn't use any of them but apparently until the first patch, they are necessary for 100%ing the game due to a bugged achievement. Moreover, they are useful to players of all skills given that they can be used to practice rooms for advanced runs.