November is upon us, with its dark days, wintry aura, and freezing nights. No better time to stay at home with a steaming cup of tea, a lit scented candle, and a nice game to let the evenings fly by with some rest and relaxation. As usual, there are way too many games coming to account for all of them! And so, I would like to bring to your attention a few titles I definitely will try to get my hands on and play from start to finish, as these managed to find a room in my mind and sit there, wriggling and tense with anticipation. Let's take a look at what this month brings to the table!
TRASH GOBLIN | 6 November
I still have a somewhat fond memory of the demo. The game felt cozy, in a very gentle and relaxing kind of way. But at the same time, I had a bit of trepidation considering its engagement factor. Working with the trinkets wasn’t exactly the most riveting experience. But it showed a glimmer of potential, a sparkle of hope - that with a greater variety of tools and blocks to tackle, it can become the fun puzzler it promises to be. Be able to live up to its potential.
Otherwise, it’s hard not to like what’s on display. Charming characters, a pretty and warm environment, and little goblin-shaped nook and cranny in the tiny shop we occupy. Feels good, and restive. The whole process of cleaning up various bits and odd bobbins to fix up and sell is almost meditative. The game isn’t releasing fully just yet either - the 6th of November is its debut into Early Access with 50 items to play with and the promise of new systems to come in over time to broaden the gameplay experiences. Neat! That’s what I wanted to hear. I sure do hope it will be a worthy game packed with fun little activities at the end of its development journey.
THE RISE OF THE GOLDEN IDOL | 12 November
More of the Golden Idol is only a blessing upon this world. The original title was quite a wild ride in its own right and a true cerebral mind-bender. Was one of the very few sleuthing games where paying attention and thinking ahead and outside the box felt not merely rewarded, but strictly necessary. The pacing of difficulty is excellent as well, each little vignette growing in complexity, demanding more and more out of your sizzling synapses. No wonder that the coming sequel is much anticipated by the adamant fans of detective games.
The excellent demo already shows that this time around we’ll be starting big and going bigger than before. I had to crank out a pen and notebook pretty much on the third case in the first act! The stories are more robust and more complex and to compensate for that we are given a bit more guidance and leeway with special cards to fill with extracted data that act as helpful dossiers for assembling the final story bit. The art style might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it definitely has its unique charm and works well with the cryptic narratives. Can’t wait to scratch my brain with this one as soon as it comes out.
MINIATURES | 14 November
It was a bit of time since I managed to get myself immersed in a little arthouse project. Sure, I could consider a short romp in FLOCK or recent completion of the new LIFE IS STRANGE to fulfill that desire, but they were a bit too big and linear to really boggle the mind. MINIATURES, on the other hand, promises to be an experience but more divorced from reality. With four stories, each connected to a single item in the mysterious box, each offering a distinct scenario to delve into - from a more regular point-by-point story to a musical sandbox.
With a subdued, hand-drawn art style, haunting soundscapes, and peculiar themes it might just turn out to be a tiny game with a big impact. A bit of a ‘wow’ generator, trying to tantalize the player with some unique experience a regular game just can’t hope to provide. How well it will do so, remains to be seen…
ON YOUR TAIL | 21 November
Another title that I have big hopes for and anticipation up the wazoo! The demo was superbly fun. Showing off stellar art direction, cute and charming characters, fun minigames, and a promise of a riveting story to follow like a proper gumshoe street plodder. The systems put in place seem interesting enough to follow - turning most everything into cards that you can use to get snippets of crucial info at your leisure is a good idea executed well. The visuals are the game's strong point, with great animations, adorable static art, and lovely environments to set the scenes. Now the only thing that needs to click to make a game worthy of praise and acclaim is to deliver on the story front. Making the twists hard to guess, and the challenge in sleuthing out the information more than some rudimentary walking from one person to another.
So yeah, I really want this game to continue the good vibes I got from playing the demo and toss me into the colorful world of the summer-time marina. With a mystery to crack open, fish to catch, and cute characters to mingle with. Looks like it’s going to be exactly that, so… fingers crossed.
TOADS OF THE BAYOU | 19 November
When THROUGH THE BREACH meets the spirit of Mardi Gras, it goes through a month-long trip around the Louisiana swamps and infuses itself with croaking toads. I was sold on it the moment I first saw it. Gorgeous art, both with precise, colorful, and smoothly animated pixel art and detail-rich paintings adorning the cards. Tight gameplay of tactical combat on tiny areas, where you have all the information to make a good move - with the challenge lying in proper deck construction and smart use of limited resources.
And of course, it’s a full-fledged roguelike with all the expected gubbins. Relics to modify your runs. Cards and companions alter your plays. Multiple characters to change the core loop of your runs. And many more things to unlock as well as challenges to uncover and complete. The demo provided a great first-hand experience with what the game has to offer. And for me, it was a superb experience - tight, cerebral, and well-paced. Hoping for it to be a contender in the roguelike category for my personal GOTY, but of course will see if it lives up to my expectations.
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