Hello, Friends! Here we are again, ready to dig through the
deep reaches of Itch.io to find the most interesting games we can find and,
hopefully, a hidden gem or two. If you don’t mind, let’s get right to it!
1. Forget Away
Source: Itch.io Page
Forget Away is a short sort of a mystery game with a surreal
feel to it created by joot. You play in a first person perspective and get to
explore a mysterious cabin for clues about what is going on. The entire
experience was confusing and rather surreal. From the clues in the cabin you
can determine that Nora and Kina were in a sort of hot and cold relationship,
and had their own fair share of issues. We can also see that they were involved
in an accident, and Nora did not survive the ordeal.
I had some trouble putting my ideas about the game into
words, however, Angry does a good job in his Youtube video *here*. You can also
download the game to try for yourself free from Itch.io *here*.
2. That Spongy Thing on Your Tongue
Source: Itch.io Page
That Spongy Thing on Your Tongue is a strange and twisted
tale created by Andrea Pignataro. I didn’t know what to make of this game on my
first play through. You are playing as a man, who seems to be being held
against his will by a woman. The woman’s monologue will tell a bizarre and
unsettling story. I played through this game twice because the first time kind
of went over my head.
I don’t want to spoil the game for anyone who plays it, so I
can’t say too much. However, the conclusion that I came to at least, was a
surprising twist. It does touch on some rather taboo topics, such as a stalking
relationship, obsessive or delusional love, and it also swaps the typical
genders that you see these behaviors from. A female stalking a male is much
less talked about than the other way around. The game was quite an interesting
experience, and you can download and play the game for yourself from the
Itch.io page *here*.
3. You Were Made for Lonliness
Source: Itch.io Page
You Were Made for Lonliness is a text based interactive
story created by Tsukareta, which is comprised of a large team of individuals.
You can find detail on each of them on the Itch.io page for YWMFL *here*. In
YWMFL, you are an android who has been purchased and awoken after a long
slumber. This story takes place in the future, after a cataclysmic event called
“The Fall” and what remains of humanity has taken to colonies in space to live.
This game is like reading a novel. I will tell you now, if
you don’t enjoy reading, you will not enjoy this game. I did enjoy it. It felt
confusing, but enthralling all the same. It made me think of a TV show that is
out now called Humans, where there exist androids with expanded consciousness. This
topic has always fascinated me. From what I gathered, it seemed that our
android has been filled with a multitude of memories, many you will experience
through the game. I couldn’t quite decide myself if these memories were past
incarnations of her consciousness, or if someone simply stored a bunch of other
peoples’ memories inside of her.
Whatever the case, this text adventure wove quite a tale of
love, loss, and finding your independence. It is a long experience, so settle
in and relax with this story. You can experience this game for yourself, by
downloading from Itch.io *here*.
4. Continuum
Source: Itch.io Page
Continuum is an exploration puzzle game created by Baku, the
same bloke who made Blomst from a previous entry (*this one*). In Continuum you
are a ghost, but for some reason you haven’t moved on from this earthly plane
yet. In order to do so, we have to go back and relive some of our strongest
memories. Perhaps it’s that “life flashing before your eyes” moment?
This game was creative and well done. The atmosphere is
fitting, I like the Limbo style characters, but the music can seem a little
more suspenseful than I thought was appropriate. I felt the game was more
sentimental and though some more relaxing music would have fit better. The game
advances by you making rotations around a looping scene, which was an interesting
mechanic. It’s short, about half an hour long, but I recommend you try it for
yourself. You can download free from Itch.io *here*.
As always, please be sure to leave your words of
encouragement or helpful criticism on the creator’s Itch.io page. Doing so
helps them continue to improve their skills and content.
Happy Gaming, Friends!
Bell
