Third-grader Shunsuke's life is a little bit strange, but it's peaceful enough... until he comes home from a visit to his grandparents to find his town a desolated wreck, his babysitter a mindless monster, and his mother a bloody corpse at the door. Shunsuke escapes to his clubhouse, and meets the remaining population of Kowada Town: six terrified children who just want to call for help. And then there's Yuuichi, the little boy behind it all, whose bizarre demands offer a promise of escape. Can you save your friends, or will you be left all alone? Re:Kinder, a free RPG adventure made by Parun and translated by Vgperson, might sound like a relatively straightforward horror story... but no, that's not the case. It's just that the sheer level of weirdness in this game is difficult to convey with words.

Guide Shunsuke through what remains of Kowada Town, solving puzzles and figuring out the right course of action before it's too late and one among your number is gone for good. When the party needs to fight, you'll be dropped into a turn-based battle. You'll need to pay attention to the characters' abilities and the enemies' patterns of attack— trying to brute-force your way through a battle is the quickest way to lose. Though the combat is far from the star of Re:Kinder (there's no levelling and only one weapon upgrade, and veteran explorers may find a way to skip the final boss entirely), it does an admirable job in its supporting role. Sometimes the gameplay gets weighed down by all the cutscenes, but that's pretty much par for the course in this type of game, and thankfully, Re:Kinder includes the option to skip dialogue. It's not quite as elegant as the skipping system found in, for example, Renpy games, but it is much, much better than nothing at all, and it definitely improves Re: Kinder's replay value.

Kowada Town is a great setting, with oddly-named stores and a park that's only there because the two towns who planned the thing didn't want it, and Shunsuke's friends are for the most part a likeable crew. Not everyone gets enough time to shine, but they work well together as an ensemble, and for me, keeping them all alive wasn't just about winning the game— I genuinely didn't want to see them go. The whole game is teeming with a strange sense of personality, leaping back and forth across the line between tragedy and comedy. Sometimes you're listening to a precocious child babble about sperm and adultery, sometimes you're listening to a depressed child tell you about how they want to disappear (a recurring theme in Re:Kinder, which takes place in a world with very little understanding of mental illness, and quite a few of the characters suffer for it). You learn to roll with the mood whiplash after enough exposure to it, even if it's never quite comfortable. Some games don't seem to know what they want to be, but not this one. Re: Kinder feels more like a game that knows itself perfectly well, but doesn't want to open up to you about it. It's very aware of what it does with game conventions, and it cultivates its unique style of odd in a way that seems... carefully halfhazard, if that's a thing.

Re:Kinder is, as the name implies, a remake of a previous game by Parun, simply titled "Kinder." Kinder hasn't been translated into English, and Vgperson hadn't been able to find it at the time Re:Kinder's translation came out. Some accounts of Kinder mention that the black comedy so prevalent in the remake was completely missing in the original game (link is very, very spoilery). It was a deliberate choice to make this game undermine itself so much, and it begs the question: why? Did Parun think his old game was silly, or needed to be lightened up? Was the comedy for the sake of dissonance; a way to make the creepiness pop? Did he just want to troll the players? Perhaps it tied into the themes of the game— Shunsuke is traumatized by the horrors he faces, but the story's tone doesn't change for him. It's eerily reminiscent of the way that certain characters sought help repeatedly for their problems, but were met with indifference every time.

Sadly, Parun passed away in 2011. Given the circumstances of his death, it's possible that his writing on depression came from somewhere personal. It's tempting, though reductive, to see this game as an explanation of sorts. I don't think it's that simple. Re:Kinder has a message, but it isn't only a message. It's a weird, creepy, funny game about struggling to survive and the hidden depths in people— even the ones you've got every reason to write off. Re: Kinder isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for something a little unconventional, you might want to give it a chance.

(Content note: Re:Kinder contains explicit language, sexual references, violence, and discussion/depiction of suicide.)

Windows:
Download the free full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

It used to be, a girl would dream of her first ball, dancing with princes and wearing a beautiful gown, a gift from her fairy godmother. But now a glass slipper doesn't lead to a dream come true and, instead, the maidens themselves are being turned to glass as The Godmother searches for "Cinderella", the legendary pure-hearted maiden. Dark Parables: The Final Cinderella twists familiar stories of happily ever after into a morbid nightmare where cursed dresses are only the beginning of the trouble. Once again, detective, your mission is to uncover The Godmother's plot, find Cinderella, and protect the world from havoc in this detail-saturated hidden object adventure from Blue Tea Games.

You first task is to explore a strange castle, so you'll need to get the pieces to an emblem that will help you proceed—all without being seen by the giant monster attacking the castle. Use your changing cursor to help your eyes scan the area for clues and tools, then keep track of incomplete details so you can return to them later with the requisite items. Much of the focus of your adventure is to gather objects, either in pieces or whole, to unlock more treasures and open new areas. This leads to a large array of those fragmented hidden object search scenes of Blue Tea Games' signature style. There are occasional minigames varying from ones used before in other Dark Parables as well as a few original puzzles; while some are harder than others, they're always logical and not abstrusely complicated.

Although you don't have a journal specifically, some found objects unlock new parables explaining the backstories. Increasing the ways you can use items, you also must outfit a set of dolls to yield important items and advance your progress. Because of the nature of your assignment and the tasks involved, you'll travel back and forth quite a bit. To help in this, a map shows areas of interest and locations where main objectives need to be met while a hint button will point your toward more immediate goals. More assistance, such as sparkles, faster hints, or the ability to skip puzzles are customized in the difficulty settings.

Analysis: For fans of the Dark Parables series, The Final Cinderella is no disappointment. Everything you like about Blue Tea Games' presentation, story telling, and fragmented object searches is just as satisfying in this latest installment. In a side by side comparison to previous installments, the graphics in some stages seem more grainy yet this still stands out as one of the most gorgeous games you'll ever lay eyes upon. The whole adventure in scope doesn't feel as epic or grand as that in Red Riding Hood Sisters, though. It feels as if there are too many hidden object scenes. They're lovely and enjoyable as always with bright colors and aesthetically pleasing compositions, yet those who prefer more story and adventure over searching may wish they were less frequent.

The story itself is a dynamic fusion of Cinderella, Pinocchio, and a few nods toward several others. Surprisingly, it doesn't turn out to be cliché or predictable. Although the focus is decidedly on finding objects and solving puzzles, the story is deftly interwoven with the adventure so it never feels extraneous or tacked on. In that vein, with so much going on—poisoned ball gowns, armies of puppets, mirror portals, and a morbidly dysfunctional family—the plotlines can seem contrived and not fully developed. Even so, it's fun, almost campy, with superb voice acting and well-written cutscenes. The end result? The Final Cinderella remains entertaining throughout the roughly 5 hours of playing time; it's full of remarkable, color-saturated visuals and the gameplay is the perfect level of relaxing and challenging. If you've played the others and loved them, you can be confident this one will satisfy just as much. If not, give the demo a try: The Final Cinderella is a great representation of the quality and magic that make Dark Parables such a joy to play.

Currently only the Collector's Edition of this game is available. It contains bonus content not found in the standard edition: additional chapters, extra puzzles, a built-in strategy guide, and more. Remember that Big Fish Game Club Members pay only $13.99 for Collector's Editions (or 2 club credits), and collector's editions count 3 card punches of 6 total needed for a free game.

Windows:
Download the demo
Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Get the full version

They say the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but you and I both know that's a lie because going right through the chest is way more efficient. The man in this case, however, happens to be the king of a twisted world, and within his heart lies the power to make or create all of existence... so it's probably not a great thing that it was ripped out of him by a creature straight out of nightmares called "The Final". And it's probably not great for the universe that all the ones who are going to try to get it back aren't exactly heroes... or anyone you'd want to meet in a dark anywhere... or even people at all. Created over the span of seven years by one man, Andrés Borghi, who handled everything about it from the programming to the art and more, The Black Heart is a fantastic free indie fighting game with a surreal dark horror theme and style. Please be warned that this game contains excessive gore and violence as well as some implications that some players may find disturbing. (Note: If you want to play in English instead of the default Spanish, click the second button from the top in the launcher (Idioma) to change the language.)

There are six characters for you to choose from, each with their own unique backstory and moveset, from the ghostly spectre of Noroko who was released from her prison inside a Japanese fertility doll, to the chaos-dwelling Shar-Maki serpent monster that can grow stronger in size and number by implanting embryos within its foes. The default playstyle has you use the [arrow] keys to move and [Z], [X], [C] and [A], [S], [D] to attack, but this can be changed in the options menu in-game. Controllers work too! If you've played a versus-style one-on-one fighter before, you know the score. Win two out of three matches against an opponent to move on to the next. The yellow bar on the left at the top of the screen is your character's health, while the one on the right is your opponent's. Deal damage to build up the green power meter below your health to be able to pull off super attacks, enter Killer Mode, or even execute instant fatalities. Hit [ALT+Enter] if you want to play in windowed mode.

Analysis: Though its description only mentions Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter, thematically at least The Black Heart is much closer to Darkstalkers by way of infamous Playstation fighter Thrill Kill. (Which I promise you was not anywhere near as fun to play as it was to talk about.) It's over-the-top violent in a way that goes beyond simply yanking a guy's head clean off his shoulders, to say nothing of implied sexual assault. But if excessive gore doesn't bother you, chances are you'll find The Black Heart an extremely creative and enjoyable, if very dark, gem. The unique characters shine, with original stories and ideas, and seeing each of their moves in combat is a great incentive. I mean, you'll probably never want to root for any of them to have the power to control all existence, but still. The hand-drawn artwork and animations in battle infuses them with tremendous personality, making each one feel unique to play as well depending on your personal style, so you can find one that fits you. The cutscenes introducing them are so intriguing that it's a bit of a disappointment that you don't get more story throughout the game instead of only at the very end. Also, you uh. Might want to know that at least one of Noroko's victory scenes includes a jump scare.

As for the gameplay itself, well, I confess. I'm a button masher. It's what I do, and it's served me well. That said, the controls feel responsive and it's easy to pull off moves when you know what you're doing. Especially since the same sets of button/key sequences are shared by all of the characters for most special moves. It does feel like it's a little easy to simply stun-lock several characters in a corner and wail away on them without interruption, but it also seems like that only gets you so far. Inevitably, the game is going to force you to battle against "yourself" (or at least the character you're playing as), and if you've been cheerfully bulldozing your way through by blind luck, you're going to hit a brick wall against something that not only knows all your moves, but can pull them off every time. What's frustrating, however, is the lack of a pause function. All you can do is exit to the main menu, which wipes your progress through story mode, and not all of us can play an entire campaign in a single sitting without bathroom breaks. Or getting a phone call. Or needing to take screenshots.

To think that all of this is the work of a single person over seven years is a bit shocking, but you can feel the drive and passion in every single aspect of The Black Heart. It's clear that it was a game created with dedication from someone who enjoys fighting games as much as fans do. The story is more than a little convoluted and will probably require playing through with most characters to understand it all, and some characters have vastly more satisfying endings than others. Still, sporting a cast of incredibly varied characters and over-the-top action, certain players will find this a ton of fun, even if it's impossible to describe it to other people without sounding like a lunatic.

Windows:
Download the free full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Here's a bit of awesome news for retro RPG fans. GOG.com has released three Wizardry games, proving that the first person role playing game will never, ever die! Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge and Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant come as a single package, while Wizardry 8 is sold by itself. Released between 1990 and 2011, these titles are part of the Dark Savant trilogy and share a lot of common themes between them. They also happen to be some of the most complex, most satisfying role playing games ever made.

If you're looking at Wizardry from modern eyes, think of it as Legend of Grimrock or QuestLord, only a thousand times more intricate in every way. The storytelling, the setting, the mechanics, the artwork, the... the... the everything! Aah! It's all so epic! Between the three titles you can expect to squeeze in roughly 500-700 hours of gameplay. Assuming you've got a month out of the year you aren't planning on utilizing in any other way.

Wizardry 6 and 7 are the most retro of the trio, featuring EGA and VGA graphics respectively and preserving the step by step turn based movement and combat we know and love. These two games marked a sort of reinvention of the series from the previous releases. The story took center stage and was remarkably well-written, adding flavor and substance to what would otherwise be hallway after hallway of lookalike rooms and walls.

Wizardry 8 was released in 2001, over a decade after Wizardry 6, and as a result it looks and plays like a much more modern game. Gone are the graphics where you can sit and count the colors on the screen, replaced instead with a world you're free to explore from a first person perspective. Even though the look and feel may have changed, it's still the same old Wizardry underneath.

We couldn't possibly say anything about a Wizardry game that hasn't already been said. Unless we start writing in some strange made-up unicorn language or something. The GOG releases provide a good handful of extras, including manuals, cluebooks, quick reference cards and even a map. And they all run without issue on modern PCs. The Wizardry 6+7 package even includes the original DOS version of Wizardry 7 along with Wizardry Gold, which was released later with a few upgrades so it would run more smoothly on Windows and Mac computers.

If you haven't played a Wizardry game, we highly suggest you clear out your weekend and have a go. These are games you can get lost in, both figuratively and literally. You can spend half an hour in the character creation screen fine tuning everything before you embark, and once you're loose, there's so much to learn and experience it's overwhelming. The good kind overwhelming. You've got a great ride ahead of you.

Windows:
Get the full version (Wizardry 6+7, via GOG)
Get the full version (Wizardry 8, via GOG)

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.

Real-world warfare is a chaotic and stressful affair that requires stark nerve and split-second reflexes. Luckily, this isn't the real world, so we can take our sweet time and plan every little thing out in between sips of coffee. Giving a new edge to tactical combat, Mode 7's much-lauded PC strategy game Frozen Synapse has landed on iPad, bringing with it all of the beloved action along with some new and intuitive touch controls.

Frozen Synapse puts you in control of a squad of armed troops and gives you the ability to precisely map out their actions and movements. Once you have settled on a game plan, you and your enemy's commands are then played out simultaneously in real time (the game's defining feature) and hopefully the resulting encounter leaves you with more men standing than the other guy.

Each battle is broken into turns which comprise of five seconds of real-time action. During each turn, you plot out your squad's maneuvers for the upcoming five seconds, beginning by setting up a pathway for each member to follow. You can either map out each soldier's route point by point, or choose a destination and let the computer choose the optimum route, tweaking nodes where you see fit by tapping to select and dragging to move. You can add in commands at any point on a squad member's pathway, such as instructing them to focus their aim in a certain direction, engage or disengage with the enemy, stand still, duck or run. Once you feel your scheme is foolproof, hit the Prime button and the game will determine the outcome, which you can then watch, presumably while saying "Oh man, I wasn't expecting him to go there..."

You can choose between the single-player campaign, which plays out as a series of missions set in a near-future world of war and political intrigue, or a quick battle against an AI or online opponent. Your missions generally involve some variation of "kill all the bad guys" (and conveniently, all enemies appear in bright neon red) although the campaign adds a little variety with escort and protection missions and such. To note, all of the maps in Frozen Synapse — even for campaign missions — are algorithmically generated, so no two battles are ever the same.

Analysis: Frozen Synapse turns close-quarters combat into a stylish game of chess with guns. It's a great concept, and it's pulled off with a great deal of polish, giving you a high level of freedom and precision.

Take note: Gamers who are used to victory through sheer firepower may find themselves at a disadvantage here. The only way to win is to outhink your opponent — to predict their movements and stay one step ahead of them. Of course, this is all keeping in mind that your opponent has the exact same mindset, and both of you can view the entirety of the battlefield at all times. Also, the randomly-generated maps mean that you have to constantly adjust to new scenarios. Do you play defensively with precisely-placed snipers, or do you blow a hole in the wall with a rocket and go in shotguns blazing? As Olmec once said, the choices are yours and yours alone.

There's definitely a learning curve to becoming a master tactician, which may turn off some gamers with less background in strategy games. However, it's a curve worth tackling for the sake of a deep and unique gaming experience, and luckily there are plenty of tutorials. And the pulsing electronic soundtrack and slick neon visuals also make the whole learning experience very appealing. (Although some graphical variety here and there would be nice.)

All in all, this is an excellent title that really feels at home on iOS. The touch controls flow nicely and there seem to be no compromises with re-envisioning the game in tablet form. Of course, if you don't have an iPad, the desktop version is still very much available and as good as ever. And Frozen Synapse's cross-platform play also means that your account and data will transfer between tablet and desktop versions of the game, which is always a welcome feature. There are really few things that can be said against it — it's well-made, inventive and tons of fun. Frozen Synapse an exciting new take on action tactics that shouldn't be missed by fans of strategic gameplay.

Windows:
Download the demo
Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Get the full version

Hottategoya has more of the same for escape-the-room enthusiasts, which is exactly what we want when in the mood for light, casual puzzles in a minimalist-yet-surreal-yet-photorealistic setting. As you'd expect from the series, this game is both easy and enjoyable; maybe because it's lightweight but remains engaging. You need only click to move around, view clues and work the puzzles. Patiently navigating rooms and stairs while everything looks so much the same is the hardest part. The thinky part is making observations and piecing them together to solve three codes, opening three similar doors, the last one bringing you freedom and congratulations. Well worth that dèjá vu feeling of gratification at the end.

Play Escape from the Similar Rooms 3

It's you versus floor after floor of bad guys in Combo Crew, a deliciously satisfying swipe-based brawling game from The Game Bakers, creator of the SQUIDS series. Utilizing a string of timing-based fighting moves along with ample social features, the game brings a bit of old school punching and kicking to mobile devices. While these sorts of games usually require heavy duty arcade buttons to smash, with Combo Crew, you don't need no stinking buttons.

Combo Crew utilizes a very simple swiping mechanic to handle every bit of combat there is. Swipe anywhere on the screen to have your character attack. Swipe and hold to summon a charge attack, or swipe with two fingers to start a combo. When an enemy steps up with a flashing red exclamation mark over its head, tap the screen to queue up a counter attack. Unless you're in the middle of a long combo, your character will turn around and give 'em what for. You don't actually control which enemies you attack, which is a bit awkward at first. After a few minutes you'll begin to see the simple beauty offered by the no-brains swiping technique.

And now for the fun part: upgrades. Defeating enemies and completing missions earns you coins. Coins can buy perks, which are permanent stat and ability boosters, or items that bestow temporary bonuses. Either way, you're going to need some help if you want to escape this place alive. Combo Crew is dripping with satire, but you don't have to be a big time brawling game fan in order to appreciate what it has to offer. In fact, Combo Crew is a delight for even the most casual players. Just sit, swipe, swipe a lot more, and hope you survive!

I don't have a real description for this week's Link Dump Friday because I'm both having too much fun a) playing and b) saying The Yawhg aloud. It's like I'm Arnold Schwarzenegger! Yawhg! Yawhg? YAAAAWWWWWHG!

News and Previews

Any Relation to the Grue? The Yawhg is coming! What is it? You'll have to find out for yourself, but the village it's on its way to in six weeks' time is full of people living their lives, and the actions you take with up to four of them determines whether they live or die. Due out for PC on May 30th, this choose-your-own adventure style game features a randomly generated story every single time, with over fifty endings available depending on the choices you make in the weeks leading up to the Yawhg's arrival. The game, created by Damian Sommer, Emily Carroll, Ryan Roth and Halina Heron will be available for $10.00USD on release, but from now until then you can pre-order it for $5.00USD, so be sure to check this one out. It looks both stunning and unique, which is a rare combo.

Hold Me Closer If, like me, you have a Dance Dance Revolution pad in your living room and you'd really like to do a bit more with it than resignedly tap your way through a bunch of J-Pop mixes over and over, rejoice! Crypt of the Necrodancer is coming later this year, and it's about to change the way you play your roguelike dungeoncrawlers. Instead of just moving about as usual, you'll move to the beat, either with the game's soundtrack or your own .MP3s, on either a keyboard, a controller, or, yes, a DDR dance pad. Best of all? It's by Ryan Clark, formerly of Grubby Games, so you know it's got some serious talent backing it. Pack in some lovely pixel style, and this game could be your new obsession, so stay tuned and get behind me in line for your chance to throw money at it.

Go Into the Dark... I'm Sure It's Perfectly Safe Things keep getting better with Klei's amazing indie sim game/dark action adventure Don't Starve, and now there's even more to explore. The brand new Underground update adds a brand new biome, the caves, which brings with it a host of new items and creatures! If you don't already own Don't Starve, you're seriously missing out, and there's no time like the present to jump on board.

Hooray, We Get Ghosts! Proving once again that crowd funding can make dreams (nightmares?) come true, Digital Happiness' upcoming indie horror game DreadOut has been successfully funded on IndieGoGo! The game is a dark adventure set in Indonesia and draws from the mythology and legends there to craft a story about a school trip gone wrong when a young woman named Linda finds herself seperated from her group in a deserted town and quickly realises something is very, very wrong. It looks absolutely terrifying, and we can't wait to get our hands on it when it releases for PC, Mac, and Linux!

No, Not Backwards! Well, it might not be the latest installment of the celebrated Submachine series of point-and-click adventure games, but we'll take it... especially since it means supporting its creator! Submachine 6 is now available in HD for $2.00USD. Sure you can still play the free version online, but if you're a fan, it's a great way to show your appreciation for Mateusz Skutnik, who has been delivering top-notch content to us for free for over seven years now.

Kickstarter/IndieGoGo Projects

Dungeon, Meet... Tetris? Hmmm! Frogdice has an idea for a game, and you might want to bottle up any free time you can't do without right now, because it has the potential, if done right, to be seriously addictive. Dungeon of Elements wants to create a dungeon crawling RPG that combines multiple gameplay elements, appropriately enough, for a truly unique experience. The game will combine elements of classics like Tetris and Dr Mario to make its battles more fun and engaging, while still providing all the gear, crafting, and powers dungeon crawlers crave. Most promising, though, is that building up to the release the developers are looking to build a community from their backers to allow their input to help make the game the best it can be. Now that's development I can get behind!

Horror. Horror Always Changes How do you keep horror fresh? By having it never be the same twice. Machines in Motion wants to make procedurally generated survival horror adventures that make your skin crawl in The Kingsport Cases for PC, Mac, and Linux. Set in the 19th century, you're called into a tiny town to take over after its previous detective dies trafically, only to discover the Lovecraftian mysteries that make up the town means the job will be anything but ordinary... or safe. Sporting procedurally generated maps and NPCs and storylines, it sounds like this one has the potential for infinite replay value... but can procedural generation make a story and characters anywhere near as compelling as a more linear plot fully fleshed out? We're going to find out.

Miscellaneous

Rock Out With Your... Uh... Wait... So, you can't have a female character in games, huh? We'll see about that! Inspired by Gamasutra's quote, which was referring to the publishing problems upcoming game Remember Me encountered for its female protagonist, iamagamer is getting ready to host their very first game jam in July... all centered around female characters! It's always nice to see people creating more diversity in games, and I personally am especially interested to see what sorts of ways people choose to represent a "strong female", since obviously that means something different to a lot of people and can be showcased in a variety of different ways. Stay tuned!

"Indie? What's that?" Earlier this week, Microsoft had their big reveal of their next generation console, the XBox One. There are a lot of problems people have with it, such as the unclear "fee" for used games, the required and never really "off" Kinect integration and more, but perhaps for some of us the worst news is that XBox One won't allow indies to self-publish. This is a fairly big blow, since it means any indie developer unable to get a publisher willing to take a chance on them is out of luck, even if they themselves were willing and able to pay. While there are still plenty of opportunities elsewhere for indie developers to get their work out there, it's still a little disappointing to see one effectively close itself off to many of them.

Do you know an upcoming indie project or some community gaming related news you think deserves some attention? Send me an e-mail with LINK DUMP FRIDAY in the subject line at dora AT jayisgames DOT com with the info, and we'll judge it with the all-seeing glare of our own self-importance for inclusion in a future Link Dump Friday article!

There's no story, no plot and no motive involved, unless you count the ongoing human narrative, the trials and tribulations of the workplace and the simple desire to get on the elevator and go home. Who needs a better reason to Escape the Office? Explore your surroundings, collect requisite tools for escaping and reach the best payday of all: that deep satisfaction earned when, your brain versus office equipment, you triumph. So forget about taking the copy machine out to an empty lot for a date with a sledgehammer.

Created by Afro-Ninja, known for logical puzzles and intuitive designs, Escape the Office is quick, fun and easy to play as long as you keep a couple things in mind when you begin. First, after collecting a usable object by tapping it on screen, drag it from the inventory and release when your finger is over the area you want to use the object (not where the object is since it hovers above your finger like a memo). Next, when played on a mobile device, there is no changing cursor to help you find interactive areas. So give attention to small details and tap everywhere that might yield a good result (there's no penalty in trying, unless you're trying to beat the clock or tap timer). Speaking of that, while the game is free, if you're stuck or need extra focus to play, an in-app purchase will provide some hints as well as a list of challenges to meet.

The game's brevity, with only a handful of basic dilemmas and a couple codes to ponder out, leads to disappointment for only one reason: it's too enjoyable to want to end it so soon. Only the most incurable of workaholics would want to linger in the office longer than necessary, yet these neatly rendered visuals and perfectly casual puzzles make for a relaxing getaway. It's fair to hope that the elevator ride would open to a new room, with more hidden keys and even harder to hack passwords. Meanwhile, though, Escape the Office is a great way to momentarily avoid other, less fun duties cluttering your inbox.

The scores have been tabulated and the results are in: the overall winner of the minimalism-themed Ludum Dare 26 72-hour Game Jam is Leaf Me Alone, a retro Metroidvania-style platformer by Mark Foster and David Fenn. Now, "minimalism" and "Metroidvania" aren't two words that usually go together (except, you know... alliteratively), but Foster and Fenn have put together a wonderful little world for a pixelated-blob-type-thing to explore. You'll be moving said pixelated-blog-type-thing with the [arrow] keys, using [Z] to jump. Exploration is when much of the game's charm lies, but suffice to say, throughout you'll be discovering new areas and abilities, all the while trying to unlock that strange gate near where you started the game.

Works like Fez, Melodisle and Proteus have shown that the thrill of uncovering new vistas is no less intriguing even if said vistas are low-rez, and Leaf Me Alone continues that tradition. Leaf Me Alone is a relaxed, quiet kind of experience, more about the journey than the destination, with an almost-poetic feel. Some parts of the game are a little aimless from its lack of explicit direction, and it could use a few more visual cues to distinguish platforms "pass-through-able from below" from the "ones-you'll-clonk-into" variety. Still, Leaf Me Alone is a solid winner, and going on the trip it offers won't leave players too... sigh "bushed".

Play Leaf Me Alone

Snaaaake! is the latest action-packed arcade game from Fernando Ramallo and Miguel Pérez Martinez, and it's absolutely gonzo in the best possible way. Use [WASD] to control a monstrous snake as it rampages its way across the country, hitting [spacebar] to constrict, and causes as much damage as it possibly can within a time limit to unlock the next level. Each stage is full of people and things to destroy simply by ramming into them, and hitting a red "P" barrel will net you a temporary random power-up. Meet certain conditions on each stage to complete "tragedies". Does that make you feel like a bad person? Of course not, you're a giant snake! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

From its toe-tapping menu screen soundtrack to the monster-movie-tastic tune that plays during levels and its fantastic visual design, Snaaaake! is one of those games you really love to look at and listen to. There's a great "The horror... the horror!" vibe to everything, and watching people flee in terror before you while the news-ticker at the bottom of the screen is more amusing than it should be. That said, with little variation beyond new scenery to wreck, it does wind up feeling a bit repetitive, and being unable to discern exactly what power-up you're about to grab is frustrating since not all of them are that useful. Still, Snaaaake! is the sort of giddily over-the-top crazy arcade game that captures all the simple joy of being a giant monster Rampage-fashion, and with one fantastic presentation and easy to pick up gameplay, makes for good clean fun. Provided your definition of clean is massive property damage and untold human carnage.

Play Snaaaake!

It's a common enough problem for a cute little alien: you promised to meet your sweetie in the park, but there's candy. So why not collect the candies and bring them to her? In Flip and Go, a game from Lampogolovii, making the date perfect is not as simple as it looks.

As with most puzzle platformers, use the [arrows] or [WASD] to move. You can use [Z], [X], or [C] to pause everything for a second and flip your environment. Your shadow helps you figure out where you'll end up after the flip, though there's a wide enough variety of challenges that sometimes it's deceptive. Dark blocks don't flip, for instance, and neither do you, but the girlfriend does when you get to control her. Add pulleys and locked doors and a host of other elements, and you have quite a mindbending diversion. There aren't a lot of levels, but what Flip and Go lacks in length, it gains back in originality, challenge, and sheer adorableness.

Play Flip and Go