Recent reviews by Grim Teacup

Inside is a perfect example of developers taking a beautifully executed concept like Limbo and elevating it in simple and extremely effective ways.

I am not sure if it was because I was already familiar with the game mechanics of Limbo that Inside's puzzles felt easier, but I wouldn't necessary say that's a bad thing. I never felt frustrated with Inside the way I felt with Limbo at times. Instead I was able to focus more on the atmosphere and art/sound design that was beautiful and haunting. There's something surreal about being dropped right in the middle of a story and enjoying how they peel back layer after layer of the world around you.

I am incredibly glad I was never spoiled for the ending of this game. I could see how some people might find it divisive, but I personally love games that allow room for interpretation as a creative art piece. I'm definitely here for whatever Playdead has up their sleeves in the future.

I've had this game sitting in my library backlog for a shamefully long time, but just...wow. The cinematic direction is phenomenal and it takes you on a journey that's unlike anything I've ever experienced. I have no doubt it's going to stay with me for a really long time.

I've been trying to play more small, short story style games that can be finished in a few hours to de-stress at the end of the day or in between the heavy hitters and this game definitely fits the bill. It's basically just searching keywords and pressing play 200+ times, BUT the story and acting is engaging and it kept me intrigued all the way through. I love that they attempted something different with this game, and I enjoyed it for what it set out to do.

Wow...I'm not sure what the devs were smoking when they came up with Inscryption, but it was hands down some of the best hours I've ever spent with a game. I went into it completely blind, and beyond thankful I did. I'm not even into deck building games, and I was addicted. If you're on the fence, just play it.

Super cute and short puzzle game. There are multiple ways to solve that allow for additional play-throughs. My only complaint was that it was almost TOO short. When it ended, I was kinda sad because I was having fun and would have loved to have seen another map level or two. If you're concerned about the length, pick it up on a sale and you definitely won't regret it.

I can't even remember how I heard about this game or who recommended it, but it's been on my list for a while now, and I've definitely been missing out. The brilliance of how they've flipped Grimm fairy tales on their heads while telling a dark mystery within a noir setting was so perfectly balanced, I wanted to know more and more about the world. There were multiple points where my jaw dropped because I didn't see the twists coming, and I'm always delighted when a game can keep me guessing.

The comic book style art is beautiful while still fully keeping the characters real and believable. Great voice acting and music as well. The choice system really allows you to create some polarized reactions from passive to heavily aggressive. The weakest point for me were the controls which were over-simplified and sometimes felt delayed and took me out of the moment, but that could have been by choice due to the animation style. Whatever criticisms I may have about them, they don't at all keep me from recommending this game if you love dark fantasy storytelling.

Now I just have to wait with the masses and keep my fingers crossed that we'll still see the sequel in 2024.

Everything about Strange Horticulture is just wonderful. It's such a simple concept but the execution was what made it such a delightful experience.

If you're someone who can think of no better way of spending a rainy afternoon than combing through an old dusty book while labeling and organizing your plants, you're going to love this game. I got so much satisfaction just in the labeling and organizing process alone, I often forgot I was suppose to be solving a mystery.

The mystery and puzzle games were just challenging enough without being overly frustrating. You really have to examine clues carefully, but I did like that if I got stuck the hint button was available. Being able to pull out the drawer with the various slots for items and an archive for filing clues away when they were completed was extremely helpful.

I wasn't overly invested in the mystery itself (I was having more fun feeling like an expert on plants), but now knowing that there are multiple endings, I am looking forward to playing through again to get different results and achievements.

What can I say, Toem is absolutely delightful. <3

It's games like this that remind you why small game developers should be protected and supported at all costs. There's so much personality and love poured into this game. The art style, music, and story, all came together beautifully. The game play took me back to my childhood days of Eye Spy and Where's Waldo. There's something so satisfying about crossing items off your task list. Such a simple and yet very unique concept searching and collecting through photography, but it sticks with you.

I've been waiting 10+ years to play this game and somehow managed to stay spoiler free all that time. I was overjoyed when I heard it would be coming to PC, but much to my disappointment, the initial release was completely broken and unplayable. After only a chapter or two, I refused to allow horrific graphics and bugs and crashes ruin my first experience of this story (yes, it was THAT bad) so I set it down for several months and returned after multiple patches and when I had some free time again.

Boy am I glad I waited. This time it ran perfectly, graphics were absolutely beautiful (Joel and Ellie no longer looked like a kid drew them with a crayon), and I only experienced one crash over the course of two play-throughs. I was running it on a 3070, High & Ultra, 60 FPS, and no problems as of today. Should it have been released in the condition it was? Absolutely not. But I can honestly say now that I have zero regrets dropping $60 on this game.

The story, voice acting, and motion capture graphics is everything people rave about for good reason. After 10 years of people praising this game, my expectations were VERY high, and I was not at all disappointed. While I have always enjoyed RPG games, I am not someone that particularly enjoys survivalist style game play. You absolutely feel desperate for supplies at times, have to learn to adjust your play styles (freeze, fight, or flight) depending on your inventory, but I learned to love it. It's rare that I immediately am willing to replay a game to 100% it so soon after completing it the first time, but I did for this one and really felt how much I had improved in my game play choices the second time around.

Hopefully Naughty Dog has learned their lesson releasing a bad port, and I'd like to think & hope TLOU 2 isn't too far away from coming to PC down the road. :)

I've had this game on my "highly recommended" list for a while, but just...WOW. Moving story, beautiful voice acting, and immersive and unique game mechanics that bring this story to life and will stick with you for a very long time. Don't research any further, just play it.