Maggie's Grinning Soul (PC)

Source: Itch.io Page

Maggie’s Grinning Soul is a point and click mystery game created is a collaborative effort by 8 students from the CNAM-ENJMIN and Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle. You play as Yolanda, a psychic detective who is tasked with investigating the unexplained death of a teenage girl named Maggie. You go to Maggie’s room in search of clues, and an object that will have a strong enough connection to commune with Maggie through a Ouija Board.

Once you find the correct object, you can talk with Maggie using yes and no questions. After you find the first object and establish a connection, you investigate other objects in the room to unlock more questions to ask. Be careful of the questions you ask, though. You may upset her spirit, and if you do that, it’s game over. The questioning works like a game of hangman, so you have a fair number of chances to make a mistake. I made a fair share, I assure you. If you die, you start over from the beginning of Maggie’s room. However, it doesn't seem that the order of the objects or questions change so it becomes more of a trial and error process. 

Source: Screen Capture from Game

I enjoyed the art style of the game, and I really liked Maggie’s room. It looks like what I would expect a teenager’s room to look like—for the most part. The art is detailed, and the color scheme is somewhat muted, which I also liked. The only character you really see drawn is your detective superior that gave you the job, so I kind of wish there had been more, perhaps the spirit or even Yolanda herself.

The sound effects are nice, and the music is intense and powerful. The game is fully voice acted which was a nice touch as well, and the VAs did a good job. The very beginning of the game starts like an episode of Law and Order, and made me laugh even. “The is one of their stories….” I almost expected the Law and Order sound effect to play.

The controls are nice, I didn’t have any trouble, although it did take me some time to figure out what I needed to do since I didn’t read the tutorial. I also didn’t realize that there was more to the room than the first screen, since you have to move your mouse all the way to the edge of the screen for the cursor to become the pointing hand of movement, and the hand seems so tiny that I didn’t see it at first.

I do not want to spoil the ending, but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t what I expected. After the credits, you can hear your superior calling you about another case, which hopefully means there will be a sequel! If that is the case, I certainly look forward to it.

Source: Screen Capture from Game

Considering that 8 students made this game, it is well polished and a good quality of game. The story is solid, the art is nice, the voice acting is well done, and I didn’t run into any weird bugs or glitches when I played through. Overall a very solid and well made little game. You can try the game for yourself by downloading it from Itch.io *here*. The game is free so why not?

Be sure to leave your comments of encouragement, or helpful criticism, to help the developers grow and improve their skills and content.

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell

Lads in Distress for PC

“I think women should be more independent. In society, we’re portrayed as people who simply wear make-up and sit around. We need a Princess Charming—a woman who rescues her man and slays the dragon instead of the other way around.” -Adora Svitak

Source: Itch.io

Princess Charming is exactly what Catfish Crews delivers in their free to play game, Lads in Distress. It’s no secret that otome and dating simulators are a guilty pleasure of mine, so when I saw this game on Itch.io I was intrigued. The art caught my eye as it’s just beautifully styled. I can sometimes be a little shallow when I play otome and dating games. I was to see cute looking guys and gals. Not necessarily gorgeous, but well drawn at least. 

In this game, we play as Princess Charming herself! She is the Princess of the Lunar Kingdom, but unfortunately, the Lunar Kingdom is also near a financial crisis. To help save Lunar Kingdom from being completely broke, it is decided that a ball will be help and Princess Charming will choose a suitor from a, hopefully, more affluent kingdom. Doing this will form an alliance and therefore remedy the financial situation. Charming is not thrilled at the idea, preferring to focus on her magic. Her closest friend Nicholl, who doesn't seem thrilled either, advises her that three of the potential suitors on the list of guests are to be avoided at all costs. So of course, those three suitors are going to be the ones we want to choose from, right? Right.

Source: Itch.io

Our three princes are Prince Mer of the Water Kingdom, Prince Snow of the Snow Kingdom and Prince Zel of the Forest Kingdom. You get the opportunity to briefly meet Prince Mer and Prince Snow at the ball, however Prince Zel has been missing for years. I have played through all of the Princes and gotten both endings for each of them, and I have to say that Prince Mer is my favorite of the 3. His story genuinely surprised me at the twists and turns. Both of the endings are so starkly different that after the second ending of Mer’s, I stared at my computer screen, mouth agape in surprise at the whole thing. 

Normally I go into otome and dating sim games expecting typical clichés and tropes… and Lads in Distress takes them and reverses the roles, throwing the clichés and tropes out the window. I was overjoyed with each Prince’s story and the surprises held within each one. Mer's story was unlike anything I had heard before, and I loved it. I won’t talk about them too much because I don’t want to spoil the surprises, but it was worth it to replay each path to get the other endings, especially Mer’s.

Source: Otome Twist

This game plays as a visual novel, with beautifully crafted characters and stunning background locations. The visuals are just lovely, and the music is a great compliment as well. The game did have a few spelling errors I happened to notice, and the game did crash on me once during my second play through of Mer’s path. There were no serious flaws or anything that I noticed otherwise.

The game is not complete. Catfish Crews is currently working on an expansion, with more princes and more wonderful fun. I’m going to keep a close eye on it so that I can play it when it does release. I’m genuinely looking forward to it!

If you want to try this wonderful creation for yourself, which I highly recommend, you can find it on Itch.io *here*.  The game is free to download and play, so you have nothing to lose, and a few hours of enjoyment to gain, so get at it! Then be sure to leave comments of encouragement for the creators, cause that’s the nice thing to do.

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell

View the Gaming in Pajamas Completed Compendium *here!*

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Free Itch.io Games #2

Hello, Friends! You may be able to tell that I spend a lot of time browsing Itch.io in my free time, and I like to share because who couldn't use more free games to play? Plus, I love indie developers and games. The work is often unique, and sometimes unfinished, but it really shows what they are capable of. Enough of me talking now, here are 4 more free games that you can find on Itch.io! Links will be posted in the descriptions!

1. The Shadows That Run Alongside Our Car

Source: Itch.io

The Shadows That Run Alongside Our Car is a visual novel style game by Lox Rain. The Lox Rain team created this lovely piece of game in only 4 days, but they did an exemplary job. The two characters of the game, default names Shelby and Dustin, are in a car during the zombie apocalypse, trying to drive to safety. These two strangers become connected through these events, and during the game you get to know about each of the characters, and the troubles they suffered before and during the zombie break out.

The story is well written. The characters feel human and the emotions that they feel seem real. The art and style is charming, and the music and sound effects are spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed this game experience. I played through Shelby’s story once, and Dustin’s story once. They were moderately different, but I’m sure choosing different text options would result in somewhat different endings. At any rate, Shadows can be found for free on Itch.io *here* and I highly recommend giving it a play through! The only downside was that at the end of the game, I wanted more!

2. Animal Inspector

Source: Itch.io

How many animals would you be willing to sentence to death to ensure the safety of your own? In the game, Animal Inspector, you are working for a corporation that is trying to “cull the herd” of animals, so to speak. You are in charge of accepting and rejecting animal applications. You are the one who chooses whether Grandma gets to keep her precious cat, or whether it’s bye bye mittens. You have to follow guide lines, such as “you must reject 2 animals” or “We’re low on space, so reject all large animals.” Which animals will you choose to save? Will you follow your orders blindly? Remember that the life of your dear pet is in the balance…

I enjoyed this game a lot. Although, as a big animal lover, I found some of the decisions really difficult. The game is about half an hour long if you take your time, and the sound is decent. The art is cute, and the real photos of animals on the applications to approve or reject were a nice touch. It really made the decisions more difficult for me. You can download and try this game on Itch.io *here*.

3. Cat Poke

Source: MadMonkeyStudios on Youtube

It can get pretty boring on rainy days as a kid. Your mom won’t let you go outside to play, reruns are on the TV… what’s a kid to do? I know! We have 9 cats, so lets play a game of Cat Poke! Cat Poke is a cute little game created by Squiddershins for the “A Game By Its Cover (AGBIC)” competition. The goal was to create a game based on a previously existing game. Apparently Squiddershins based Cat Poke on the game Neko Touch by Olulu Up. I have never played Neko Touch, so I can’t make any comparison, but I can tell you that Cat Poke is delightful.

You play as Molly, a little girl stuck inside on a rainy day. Molly decides to play a game of Cat Poke with her 9 cats. Molly will have to utilize many items in order to lure some of the cats out and make them poke-able. It’s a simple puzzler, but an enjoyable one. Molly’s sprite is so gosh darn adorable with her little bouncing hairdo, and the cats are just as cute.  The music is decent, very bouncy and upbeat, but not quite my cup of tea. This game can be found free for download on Itch.io *here*. The game took me about 15 minutes to get through so it isn’t long, but fun none the less.

4. Yum Yum Dating Show

Source: Itch.io

Yum Yum Dating Show is a hilarious mock-dating sim/otome game created by qualifiedbadger where you get to choose from 6 dating sim clichés: Bad Boy, Shy Guy, Mysterious Guy, Sexy Nerd, Mr. Attitude, and Heartbreaker. The host forces these personas onto the boys in an absurd and hilarious fashion. As the girl, you ask the bachelors questions, and then eliminate the guy who gave the worst answer. Something that did bother me was that you were given a choice often between just two of the guys’ answers, so it wasn’t quite like picking what you thought was the worst, but rather the worse of the two.

The game plays, like most otome, in a visual novel style with static pictures and text underneath. The sprites are nice, and the background is just a drop curtain, which works for a dating show, although some variety would have been nice. The music is also nice to listen to, and it changes at certain points to give a variety. Despite some of the shortfalls, Yum Yum Dating Show is still worth the 20 minutes of entertainment it offers. You can find Yum Yum Dating Show on Itch.io *here*.

As always, please give these free games a try, and be sure to leave words of encouragement or constructive criticism. The developers often really appreciate hearing how you enjoyed their game, or what they could improve!

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell

View the Gaming in Pajamas Completed Compendium *here!*

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Mr. Massagy for PC on Steam

Welcome back, friends! I don't have a clever quote to begin this entry with, sorry. Today we are going to dip our toes into the weird side of gaming, with Mr. Massagy. Mr. Massagy is a dating simulator

game, brought to you by Green Lava Studios. It was released December 6^th 2016 on Steam and has been getting overwhelming good reviews. I bought the game because I wanted a pick me up, I was feeling a little down in the dumps, and it really delivered.

Source: Steam

In Mr. Massagy you play as Johnny (or as I call him, Muscles McAbs) and your Wingman wants you to get out there and… you know… enjoy the company of pretty ladies.  The game as it is right now offers you 9 different ladies to try to impress enough to take you home. Each is unique, and responds differently to what you say, and how you say it. If you have the right kind of controller, you can get a “massage” at the completion of each date. My Ps4 controller didn’t work, but per the steam store site, most controllers should. Once a date completes, your controller will vibrate. According to the Steam page, there are even different vibration patterns according to each girl’s personality.

Green Lava Studios would also like to advise you to take it easy with the controller. They don’t want any more proctologist stories. Here is the proper way to utilize the massage function:

Source: Steam

So let’s talk girls. As I said before, there are 9. Tuto-Rial(Haha), Nicole, Martha, Sarah, Mayo, Janein, Dorothy, Anne and Papu-Aiye. Using an app called Linger you swipe left or right through the girls, although you may be turned down is your profile picture, bio, or experience is wrong. I won’t talk too much about the girls because I don’t want to spoil the surprises for anyone who chooses to play it. However, each one is unique, if nothing else….

The game’s graphics are decent. It’s like a visual anime style novel, with generally static images, and the images change well to reflect how the girls are feeling and reacting to Muscles. I thought it worked well for the game.

The music sounds like funky club music a lot of the time, which is fine for me. There is a good variety to the songs so it doesn’t get boring or too repetitive. If you’re at home looking through your phone you can even skip tracks to find some music that you like.

This game really shines in the interactions between Muscles and the girls. I found it laugh out loud funny, and sometimes I was almost in tears laughing. There are a good variety of choices most of the time to illicit different reactions from each girl. I enjoyed even replaying through to try all of the options.

I would be really happy if there are updates to the game that add more dates. Rumor is, there will be. If that is the case, then I will for sure replay it. I may replay it for fun, however with the surprises ruined it wouldn’t be QUITE as enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a quick, silly game to pass some time, Mr. Massagy may just be for you. If you’ve played it, let me know what you thought. If you haven’t… what are you waiting for? You can buy Mr. Massagy on Steam HERE(http://store.steampowered.com/app/511350) for 6 bucks. What else are you going to get for 6 dollars?

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell

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Limbo for the PS4

“A shadow leaned over me, whispering, in the darkness,

Thoughts without sound;

Sorrowful thoughts that filled me with helpless wonder

And held me bound.”

-Alfred Noyes

Source: Playstation

Bound with helpless wonder is exactly how I felt playing Limbo on the PS4. Limbo is a puzzle platformer published by Playdead, that originated on the Xbox 360. Limbo is now available across all major gaming platforms. The world of Limbo is crafted in creeping shadows and piercing darkness, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I went into Limbo knowing nothing about the game. In fact, I was looking for another game entirely. It happened across me as I perused the PSN and since it was on sale at the time, I ended up purchasing it out of curiosity. Oh, but I am so glad that I did.

Before we discuss game mechanics and the technical aspects, let’s talk story. While playing Limbo, I had no idea what I was doing, and more importantly I didn’t know why. We play as an unnamed boy, traversing the shadows, and trying to survive in a world that is full of danger.

There was been some debate about the actual meaning behind Limbo’s story. There may be some story spoilers here, so I will try to hide them. If I can code it right, you should be able to click on the spoiler to show it. The most popular theory, and the theory that I ascribe to is that our young protagonist boy is, sadly, dead. I’m not religious but this is about to get a little religious, so I’ll try my best to explain this. Christian Ideologies ascribe to a place called “Limbo.” Limbo is derived from the Latin word limbus, which means edge, and Limbo is considered an outlying area of Hell. You end up in Limbo if you were too good to end up in Hell, but not good enough to get to Heaven. That doesn’t explain why our young boy would be here, does it? Well, Limbo is also the place for unbaptized babies.

Perhaps our young boy was never baptized, and thus he ends up in Limbo. You cannot escape Limbo unless Jesus intervenes directly.

At the end of the game, the boy is seen breaking through what seems to be a wall of glass, after which he finds a young girl—his sister. This theory suggests that the glass breaking was the boy making his way out of Limbo and being reunited with his sister. However… his sister is likely dead too. After the credits are complete and you return to the title screen, you may notice something odd… In the areas where the boy and his sister were both located, there are not 2 separate swarms of flies, and you can hear them buzzing. The rope ladder to the tree house now also looks dilapidated and worn.

The game and its meaning are open wide to interpretation, and the creator is confirming nothing. Although he has said that some people were close. But I wonder who?

Limbo does an exceptional job of creating a suspenseful, and spooky, atmosphere. The shadows, the music (or lack of), and the subtle sound effects in the background, like flies buzzing, create and immersive experience. I found myself on the edge of my seat through much of the game.

Source: XBox Game Store

Next, let’s talk about game mechanics. The game operates as a side scrolling puzzle platformer. As such, I was happy with the controls. The controls are simple—move, jump, and grab. Many times, you must manage those in quick succession, lest you should be caught by a giant spider, caught in the rising water, or struck by falling objects. The darkness of the game also hides many traps, such as bear traps, so it’s important to move with caution.

Limbo requires some skill in timing, and patience. I died a LOT. And every time you die, you have to watch your poor character be crushed, suffocate, get cut up by saw blades, or watch his broken limbs flail as he crashes to the ground. When you die, you start over from checkpoints, which are frequent, so it’s not quite as frustrating. However, if you can manage to make it through the game without dying, then you can get a special trophy/accomplishment. I have not managed to do it, but good luck to you.

Source: Rely on Horror

The art style only adds to the charm, and eerie atmosphere, of this game. Even though the game is in grey-scale, the details of the environments are something to behold. The darkness against the lighter background creates a dynamic effect. Even small details were given consideration, such as the sway of the grass, the spray of dirt as a giant spider tries to impale you, and the hairs on said spider’s body. Although this game may come off as simple, it’s clear that the creators poured their souls into this game. I have such admiration for their team of artists.

I think I have gushed enough. If it isn’t apparent, I really love this game. Limbo was a surprise to me, and a very pleasant one. I highly recommend that you play it yourself to get the true feel of it, as I cannot do it enough justice. Limbo can currently be found on Steam for 9.99, click here and you'll be taken there. It can also be found on nearly any other major console, so have at it!

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell

See my Current List of Games to Play: Here!

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Deponia: Part One for the PC

“People say I’m extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage?” -Imelda Marcos

If there is one person who is sick of garbage, it’s Rufus. Rufus lives on a planet called Deponia and Deponia is covered in garbage, junk, and useless trash. He’s been trying for years to escape Deponia and reach a place above them known as Elysium, where he imagines life would be immensely better for him. However, Rufus is… not the sharpest chunk of scrap metal in the junk heap. He’s failed many times before, but THIS time it must work!

Source: Steam(link below)

Welcome to Deponia, the point and click adventure-puzzle game developed by Daedalic Entertainment. We start by helping Rufus put together his latest scheme to get off Deponia and start living life as he deserves! He has no job, he still lives with his ex-girlfriend, and he has no friends. It’s no wonder Rufus wants so badly to leave. It’s worth mentioning though that Rufus is arrogant, self-centered, sexist, and rather obnoxious…. So most of his problems are a direct result of himself.

Once we get Rufus's er, rocket(?) together, we take off and end up on an Organon Cruiser where we see Goal, the beautiful Elysian. She looks like she is in trouble! In an effort to help, we end up sending her pummeling down to Deponia, and Rufus ends up not far behind her. Once we locate her, we find out her brain implant is damaged and she isn't waking up. Now Rufus must find a way to help her, because maybe if he helps Goal, she can take him back to Elysium! But it won't be easy....

I remember reading a lot of reviews that called this game out as sexist garbage, and I don’t necessarily agree. Rufus as a character is sexist, sure. Toni, his ex-girlfriend, is depicted (from Rufus’s point of view) to be a harsh, nagging, mean woman in a stereotypical fashion. However, you can also clearly see that Rufus himself is the cause of his own plight. In my eyes, Toni is a saint for not killing Rufus in his sleep. A parade should be held in her honor. Apparently, a lot of people saw issue later in the sequel games, so we’ll see if my opinion changes. For right now I’m going to say that being sexist fits in Rufus’s character. The game can have some dark humor, but it’s more of a “Oh man, did he really do that?” and not outright rage as I see expressed in some places.

One of the things that I really enjoy about Deponia is the hand drawn environments. The entire game looks hand drawn and the style is appealing--almost a comic book style. The colors are fitting and rich, making this game enchanting to look at. The character movement cycles can seem a little choppy sometimes, like some frames are missing. 

Just beautiful! Source: Indie Gaming Magazine (link below)

The soundtrack is fitting, but nothing special. At the beginning of each chapter you are treated to a little song which helps sum up events in a humorous way. Speaking of humor, I found this game extremely funny in a boyish, immature way. The kind of humor not everyone finds funny. For example, there is a scene towards the end of the first game where Rufus gives someone a wedgie, and then you hang him from the nearby flag pole and reel him up so he is hanging from his underwear near the top. THAT kind of humor.

Now for the real bread and butter of the game… let’s talk puzzles. I love puzzle games. Puzzle platformers and point and click puzzlers are some of my favorites. I was glad to hear that Deponia would offer challenge, but I didn’t expect the puzzles to be as difficult as they were. I tried to not use a guide. If I had stuck with that I wouldn’t have made it very far. About 1.5 hours into my gameplay I found myself stuck and had to resort to using a guide because I didn’t think to give a parrot laughing gas. Yeah, really. The hints you can receive from some items by right clicking on them are vague, and there is no in game way to get help to solve anything. So, have fun clicking on everything, and trying to combine everything item by item in your inventory because some of the combinations are really stretching in. It seems strange that Rufus can come off as such an idiot, and be able to put together some of these complex schemes as he does. 

Even through the frustrating puzzles, I enjoyed the game. The story isn’t revolutionary. Rufus is motivated by the lust he feels for Goal because she is from Elysium and represents his ideal life. The characters are interesting, but aren't given all that much depth. All of the characters kind of feel superficial to me, except Rufus. Maybe that's the way it was meant to be, though. Poki could have intended us to only experience Deponia the same way Rufus does. I really liked Goal, the small amount of time she was conscious during this game. I mean, hey... The first time she woke up, she uppercut punched Rufus and that was enough to make me love her. 

POW! Right in the kisser! Source: GamezPlay (link below)

Overall, I enjoyed the first part of Deponia. I look forward to playing part 2, but I’m going to play some others in between. If the puzzles continue with such difficulty, it may take me some time to blunder through them. Deponia: The Complete Journey can be found on Steam, for $39.99. If you’re a fan of complex puzzlers, this might be the game for you. You can find the link below! Let me know what you think of this game, if you’ve played it!

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell

Purchase Deponia on Steam here: Deponia: The Complete Journey

See the list of games I plan to play here: Game List

Follow me on Twitter here: BellAnnMae Twitter

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Or email me at: bellannmae@gmail.com

Sources:

Steam

Indie Game Magazine

GamezPlay

A Gaming Agenda

I decided this would be the easiest way to keep track of the games I have played or plan to play. Since I'm taking suggestions, I'll be updating this periodically so that you can keep track of what I am doing(game wise). Also, I'd lose my own butt if it wasn't attached so this will, hopefully, help keep things centralized so I won't lose my head.

So, here we go!

Games Reviewed:

Heart Beaten
Attack of the Friday Monsters!
Deponia: Part One
Limbo
Seduce Me the Otome
Mr. Massagy



Planning to Play:

Nintendo 3DS

• Kingdom Hearts: 3D Dream Drop
• Legend of Legacy
• Stella Glow
• Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy
• Fantasy Life
• Story of Seasons
• Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
• Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
• 999
• Virtue’s Last Reward
• Zero Time Dilemma
• Moco Moco Friends
• Bravely Default
• Doodle Jump Adventures
• The Legend of Kusakari
• Adventure Labyrinth Story
• NightSky
• Grinsia
• Journey to Kreisia
• Witch and Hero
• Fairune
• BOXBOY!
• Alphadia
• Chronus Arc

Nintendo DS

• Alice in Wonderland
• Golden Sun
• Rhapsody
• Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
• Boing! Docomodake

Playstation 4

• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
• Saints Row: Re-Elected
• Unravel
• Flower
• Dragon Quest Heroes
• Tearaway Unfolded
• Root Letter
• LIMBO
• Don’t Starve/Don’t Starve Together

PSP

• Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
• Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
• Cube
• Phantom Brave: Heroes of the Hermuda Triangle
• Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
• PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe
• Tactics Ogre
• Daxter
• Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
• Popolocrois
• Mana Khemia: Student Alliance
• Persona 3 Portable
• Breath of Fire 3

Playstation 1

• Vagrant Story
• Rugrats: Search for Reptar
• Heart of Darkness
• Final Fantasy Anthology
• Alundra
• Guardian’s Crusade
• Arc the Lad Collection
• Threads of Fate
• Alundra 2
• Xenogears
• Dragon Seeds
• Legend of Legaia
• Tomba!
• Suikoden 2
• Brave Fencer Musashi
• Grandia
• Wild Arms
• Tales of Destiny
• Tales of Eternia
• Thousand Arms
• Rascal
• Tail Concerto

PC/Steam

• Machinarium
• Adventure Manager
• Deponia: The Complete Journey