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Here's my ranking of the indie games I played in July and August! This list does not include games that I haven't yet finished playing, since it would be unfair to rank or review a game before I've finished it. If you've been keeping track of which games I've been playing, I challenge you to guess the order of my rankings!
#6 - Chess Ultra
Developer: Ripstone
Publisher: Ripstone
Available for: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC, VR
Price: $12.99
My Thoughts: There's nothing wrong with Chess Ultra - I'm just not a huge fan of chess.
Citations:
1. Steam, "Chess Ultra," https://store.steampowered.com/app/518060/Chess_Ultra/.
#5 - Night Call
Developer: Monkey Moon, BlackMuffin
Publisher: Raw Fury
Available for: PC
Price: $19.99
My Thoughts: As I mentioned in my Night Call review, interacting with passengers is by far the most interesting part of the game. But once you've run out of new passengers to meet, the gameplay turns a bit stale. It only offers three cases to solve, after which the game becomes fairly boring despite the recent addition of the free roaming mode. Ultimately, Night Call does not live up to its $20 price tag despite being an above average (and very inclusive) game.
Citations:
1. Steam, "Night Call," https://store.steampowered.com/app/680380/Night_Call/.
2. Night Call, https://nightcall-game.com/.
#4 - Fall Guys
Developer: Mediatonic
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Available for: Playstation 4, PC
Price: $19.99
My Thoughts: You may be wondering why Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout ranked above Night Call, since the former received a lower overall score than the latter. Despite its simple (and sometimes frustrating) mechanics, I found that Fall Guys felt fun for a longer duration than Night Call did. Because Fall Guys is so absurdly straightforward, it feels like the type of game you can revisit again and again. The bright colors and high energy behind Fall Guys make it a fun play, no matter how much you may lose.
Citations:
1. Steam, "Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout," https://store.steampowered.com/app/1097150/Fall_Guys_Ultimate_Knockout/.
#3 - Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You
Developer: Osmotic Studios
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Available for: PC, mobile
Price: $9.99 ($4.99 for mobile)
If you've read my review, it's no secret that I love Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You. After my first playthrough, I was determined to replay the game and try all of the other possible outcomes. Orwell appears, at first, to be disappointing in its brevity. However, when you account for individual variations (some people upload more Datachunks and read more documents than others) and the impressive replay value, it becomes clear that the game is worth every penny. Even so, it frequently goes on sale, so I recommend waiting for a discount.
Citations:
1. Steam, "Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You," https://store.steampowered.com/app/491950/Orwell_Keeping_an_Eye_On_You/.
#2 - Stardew Valley
Developer: ConcernedApe
Publisher: ConcernedApe
Available for: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, PC, mobile
Price: $14.99 ($7.99 for mobile)
Stardew Valley is a longtime favorite. It's relaxing and endlessly entertaining (I've committed over 200 gameplay hours). No matter how many times I come back to it, I find something new to enjoy. I recently started a new profile, and I've liked it so far. I plan to add more Stardew Valley content to the blog, including a full review!
Citations:
1. Steam, "Stardew Valley," https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/.
2. Stardew Valley, https://www.stardewvalley.net/.
#1 - Gris
Developer: Nomada Studio
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Available for: Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile
Price: $16.99 ($4.99 for mobile)
Gris is a masterpiece. It takes a lot to top Stardew Valley, but Gris is the rightful winner of this list. Every movement, every frame, every puzzle - it all feels like pure magic. As I mentioned in my review, I took 50 screenshots in my first playthrough despite finishing the game in only 7 hours. The puzzles offer an appropriate amount of challenge - I wouldn't call them easy, but most of them aren't hard either. All the better, lest they distract from the gorgeous art and well-crafted story. I rarely call any game a "must-play", but that's how I would describe Gris. If you haven't tried it yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Citations:
1. Steam, "Gris," https://store.steampowered.com/app/683320/GRIS/.