Game Watch
Game Watch
Explanation: Every now and then, there are a number of games that continuously appear in my feed. A lot of players might find these games appealing for a number of reasons, but that doesn't necessarily make them as enjoyable to me. Down below are games that might have once populated my watchlist but upon further review were dropped.
Necesse - There's a pixelated game that was in Early Access for about 6 years. I've heard a bunch of people try to describe it by throwing a bunch of similarly built games like Minecraft, Terraria, Core Keeper, and Rimworld. It had so many features from other games that it ultimately stood unique over them all. I played a good 8 hours of the game before realizing the complexity of its mechanics. There is an above and below world. There is a day and night cycle. Most importantly, there is a settler system where you can invite people to your little town, assign them duties, provide them access to chests, and equip them for adventures. You need to make sure each villager is happy with their own bed, food, room, and activities. Once you figure out what each person can do, the game sort of automates itself with people chopping down wood, hunting animals, and guarding against zombies. It sort of becomes a sim where you have to maintain every part of their lives.
Pilgrims - Originally a free game on the Epic Games Store, this oddball gem comes from the developers of other adventure games like Chuchel and Machinarium. With very little gameplay, you are tasked to try a number of different combinations between characters, items, and interactions. Depending on who you ask, this can be interesting or frustrating. By only playing less than an hour of this game, I quickly realized that this wasn't something set for my tastes.
Sable - Another free one from the Epic Games Store, this unusual game throws you in the middle of the desert where you learn how to ride a bike and explore the hidden temples. Unfortunately, they probably did too well of a job hiding where you need to go. There isn't much when it comes to directing you where to go and there is a specific path that you need to take in order to get the abilities to progress in other areas. I quickly got lost, got angry when something was out of reach, and gave up almost immediately after starting the game. Apparently, there are many other players who shared a similar experience.
Inscryption - Whenever a conversation started about card games, players talked about Slay the Spire or this game. I browsed a number of reviews and ultimately found the mechanics to be too weird for my tastes. A number of players complained about how the setting shifted between the acts with a short section of the game where the entire game becomes pixelated. I decided to look elsewhere.
Wildfrost - This brings me to another game that was bookmarked a couple years ago. There was some hesitation to play a card game that was tagged both roguelike and difficult. Unfortunately, the learning curve is rather steep when your progress is highly dependent on the number of times you played beforehand. What you are offered from the start doesn't get you very far in the game.
Dispatch - The quality of this game alone should be enough enticement to have anyone want to play it. There are some fantastic characters, an interesting story about how you manage a bunch of villains who are trying to be heroes, and some choose your adventure options that can change things throughout the game. Unfortunately, the game subverts the genre by jumping into the adult category. For those who might have watched The Boys or Peacemaker, this would probably match their enthusiasm. I personally don't think there is enough accessibility to make the game enjoyable for the other crowd. Big bold black bars cover up nudity, animations still slow down during long cinematic sequences if you choose to skip quick time events, and the amount of bleeps and star censorship can get rather tiresome. I'm obviously not part of the core audience.
Len's Island - There are many developers who try to put together a multiplayer game where you gather resources, grow crops, and craft a base. Unfortunately, this game was very poorly optimized and gave me some trouble just trying to keep it running. You can build anywhere on the island, build structures a piece at a time, and choose how you want to advance. Yet, enemies will still come and attack you at night regardless of what you might have built. I admire when a game does something different just as long as it clicks with me from the start.
Wall World 2 - Mining games have come a long way and this one has you traveling up a wall. There are subtle differences between the first and second games, but the spirit remains the same. You are in a race against time as you try to mine enough material before the next wave of enemies comes after your vehicle. There are a few technical issues, a small learning curve between temporary and permanent upgrades, and a little bit of immaturity with the girl's bouncing chest. My enthusiasm for the game didn't last long enough to keep my interest.