Recent reviews by Tiamonster

A fun, relaxing way to spend a few hours. Unless you get all three books. Then your mood changes. Drastically.

When you value gorgeous design over functionality, complexity, and pacing. Not worth the exchange, in my opinion. Everyone else seems to disagree, though.

If you're going to take the time to develop a somewhat complex story with multiple overlapping pieces, then don't pair it with a POP-figurine art style. I don't know how I'm supposed to take a Rapunzel bobblehead covered in blood seriously.

These are simple puzzles hidden behind a wasted time-travel mechanic. I wish they would have eased up on the story and put that effort into the puzzles. The level design doesn't even separate the sections, so they just locked doors with a blue mist until it was okay for you to see that part of the "mystery." I found it lazy.

Atmospheric, eerie, and mysterious. I loved exploring this world and its mystery. I found the story a little generic but still emotional. In the good column for walking simulators.

The biggest problem is the narrator, who describes everything the detective does as he does it. This is a major pet peeve of mine in adventure and mystery games. It's made worse by bad jokes that seem to be an attempt at some washed-up Marlowe-esque antihero vibe. Thankfully, you can mute voices, so I was able to enjoy the snowy wonderland and its secrets.

If you can withstand the high-school-writing-class dialogue and the overacting (complete with exaggerated accents!), it's an interesting puzzle experience.

I am sad because this game is unplayable. Settlers build things in a random order and straight-up ignore build orders (to their own detriment). Firefighting robots sit next to a fire with no attempt to put it out. People die of suffocation in the middle of a room because they haven't moved in two days. Doors break CONSTANTLY. I want it to work, but, after trying to get two beds built for four hours, I'm out.

I know this game looks like a gimmick, but the concept is thoughtfully executed with a story that has no business being as good as it is. It's a love letter to Chrono Trigger and an homage to the history and evolution of video games. It's fun and smart and a solid time travel story. My only complaints are the strained dialogue, the numerous typos near the end, and a few really bad jokes--all easily forgivable for such a wonderful experience.

Quern was made for people who love Myst. The world, the pacing, the types of puzzles, the ending ... it's all Myst.

Interesting and challenging puzzles that often make you pull out a notebook IRL: cryptograms, logic problems, mechanics, etc. No distractions or red herrings. Many of the puzzles are contained within their area, minimizing running around looking for a random thing you missed. If you do miss something, the world isn't large enough to be frustrating. My only major complaint is an unnecessary and extremely detailed exposition dump near the end.

I like my walking simulators to be honest with me. Not hidden behind an amazing puzzle concept that's wasted on a handful of puzzles. I don't think I will ever get over how angry I am at this game.

I've tried this game three times, now, and have determined that it's not my thing. That doesn't mean it's not good. In fact, it's great at what it wants to be: a set of brutal, unforgiving morality puzzles. If you enjoy retrying long, complex narrative puzzles over and over, you may love this game (there are even difficult levels, now). If you don't, you will absolutely hate it.