At first, To Nothing sounds like a misnomer for SuzumeDr's newest escape game. You start out in a somewhat sparsely furnished room with nothing in your hands except a black-and-white sports bag. You dump out the bag's contents and instantly all the slots in your inventory are full.

You navigate around the room by clicking the edges of the screen when the arrows appear, and clicking on anything worth investigating. You manage things in your inventory by clicking them to select them for use, or double-clicking to examine them more closely. The catch? As you go around and solve puzzles, every object in the room and in your inventory will... disappear, one by one. That nightstand by the bed? First thing to go. The TV on top of the minibar? Try not to grow attached to it. That pair of pliers? Its minutes are numbered, too. The cabinet by the door? Poof. The pack of chocolate candy? Hope your sweet tooth wasn't aching.

It's hard to be original in a well-established genre like the room escape, but SuzumeDr is definitely good at his trade. As with his previous works (Triangle, Lift for Life), the puzzles are well-designed (albeit a little obscure in one or two places), the graphics are clear but not distracting, the sound effects are fitting, and the theme's execution is simply perfect. The game's a little on the easy side, but there's nothing wrong with that. To Nothing is a game worth playing through for your weekday buzz. Just be careful, there's no telling what will vanish from the room next. Possibly even you!

Play To Nothing

Another day, another handful of hours spent puttering around in his little cave home. Muu doesn't know it, but his ordinary life is about to undergo a big change when an explosion rocks the land, and he sets out to investigate it... maybe even becoming a hero in the process. Muu: Just Another Day is a short retro platformer by Miktar that serves up a delightful old school vibe with some simple yet challenging gameplay.

Use the [arrow] keys to move, [Z] to jump, and [K] to activate easy mode if you're having difficulties and feel like having a game be condescending to you. It triggers some extra helper boxes (with flattering chickens on them) to make some of the platforming easier, but can't be disabled once you turn it on. Despite some issues with certain surfaces being difficult to jump on or off of easily later in the game, Muu's beautiful design and adventurous vibe make this a little gem worth checking out. After all, couldn't we all use a little more motivation to stick our heads out of our caves now and again?

Play Muu: Just Another Day

In the idyllic moments before sundown, the slant of the sun's rays often sketch a sentimental hue over the landscape. Those moments of gloaming have been scribed in time by many a poet and artist, and Jonas Kyratzes takes it a step further in Arcadia: a Pastoral Tale, an interactive fiction game of exploration set in a dateless pastoral state.

Kyratzes, who also created one of 2011's best, The Book of Living Magic, says Arcadia "is not a race... It is a stroll, an afternoon walk." Keep that in mind as you play. Play, in this case, means reading the text, pondering the circumstances, and choosing your next action by selecting a highlighted word. The path you travel depends on your choices, with multiple options bringing several new discoveries. Because of this, you'll want to play through more than once. As for what the game is "about," since discovery is an integral part of playing Arcadia, let's leave that unsaid for now and talk instead about its merits as a game overall.

Casual gamers realize the general public doesn't give our esteemed game developers enough notice or credit for their creations, that there is sometimes a prejudice against this artistic domain as if its moniker denotes insignificance and immaturity. Without knowing the depth of lyricism and creativity that can compose a game, they'd even mistake the entirely textual Arcadia as not a game. What defines a game is as varied as what defines a sport. Games are distinct from work; they're entertainment, an amusing pastime, and involve the player at some level. Good games are more than that—they resonant with their players at an innate level, tapping our logic or reflex or dexterity in pursuit of a goal or a win. Arcadia does all of this by providing choices then rewarding our decisions lavishly with rich prose.

Absent is the possibility of losing, but winning or losing are only a means of providing resolution at the end of a game. It is here that Arcadia excels the most because Arcadia's denouement is naturally beautiful, surreal and meaningful; it is as if Thomas Cole is the player's muse, that this isn't a narrative simply told to you, it is an archetypal romanticism in which you're enveloped; you play for the experience, for the discovery, and for the escape. Arcadia: a Pastoral Tale elevates the oft undervalued browser game onto the loftier plane of artistic poignancy.

Play Arcadia: a Pastoral Tale

Sure, Earth is nice and all, but you gotta admit... it's strictly squaresville, daddy-o. (Am I hip? I want so badly to be hip.) Since most of us will never get swept off our feet to intergalactic adventure by a two-headed alien president, we'll have to settle for the next best thing. This week's Vault looks at some of those games that have best whisked us away to other places we'd ordinarily never get to visit. That's right; each and every one of these developers are going to act as your personal Willy Wonka or Ms Frizzle. They love you that much.

• Aether - Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaeil combined their dark powers to create this unique physics puzzle adventure back in 2008, and wound up taking home top prize in that year's Best of Adventure category. The game follows a lonely boy who befriends a monster that comes out of the sea and takes him on a journey into the stars and the world beyond. Combining a striking dreamlike design with surreal, unique gameplay, Aether delivers an experience like no other... sort of like a children's book combined with an MTV cartoon. Each of the worlds you'll visit is distinct and has a puzzle to solve, but getting there is half the fun, and after just a few moments swinging around like an interstellar Spider-Man you'll be hooked.
• Mr. Coo: El Laberinto Esférico - I'm a sucker for unusual design and comic book flair, and this bizarre adventure puzzle from Nacho Rodriguez definitely succeeds at both, and then some! Gorgeous animation leads the way through this unusual journey about Mr. Coo, who has fallen to his death but somehow still manages to have a dream about a labyrinth full of strange obstacles. It's part choose-your-own-adventure and part puzzle, and although having to restart on death can become annoying, it's still well worth experiencing for the high quality of design and distinctive oddball characters.
• The Fog Fall - While technically Mateusz Skutnik's atmospheric point-and-click adventure series is more alterna-future than "another world", as anyone who has played Fallout will tell you; there's just something fascinating about the end of the world and the idea of society continuing on in some fashion after it. Speaking of Fallout, there are definitely some similar themes and concepts, but this eerie series is well worth experiencing for its own merits. You survive day to day in a grim existence with your family in a bomb shelter. Until the day you look outside and see the fog rolling in. It's creepy, it's fascinating, and with all the trademark style and design of Mateusz, it's easy to see why The Fog Fall has been one of the community's favourite series for years.

While we welcome any comments about this weekly feature here, we do ask that if you need any help with the individual games, please post your questions on that game's review page. Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and rediscover some awesome!

Your grandma was pretty rad. Not only was she giving Indiana Jones a run for his money, she claims she stumbled across an ancient place decades ago in her travels where the people were able to control the seasons at will. She's too old to continue on now, but she's entrusted you with a relic from that place, an old stone heart, that she believes is the key to solving the mysteries there and restoring the balance of nature. The Lost City for your iOS device is a gorgeous puzzle adventure from Fire Maple Games (creators of The Secret of Grisly Manor) that might be somewhat light in the challenge department, but delivers a beautiful and engrossing expedition sure to speak to the Indiana Jones (or River Song) in you. Ancient artifacts? Mystical energies? I am so there.

All you have to do is tap around to investigate. Interactive areas aren't always highlighted, but you'll usually get a fairly obvious visual indicator of someplace that has something to tap on. Items are stored in your backpack, and when you tap on that to open it, you not only gain access to a handy map that tracks where you are, but your journal which jots down various clues and also lets you view a walkthrough right there in the game if you so desire. (If Grandma's journal can do that, I kind of think she was just being lazy when she didn't solve all this the first time through, don't you? For shame, Granny.)

Also available: The Secret of Grisly Manor for browsers, iPhone (iOS), Android, Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire!

Even without the handy-dandy hint/walkthrough function, however, it's unlikely The Lost City would provide much of a challenge for fans of the genre. There aren't really any surprises, and the straight-forward design means it's usually very clear what items you'll need for any situation as soon as you find them. This shouldn't be taken as a mark against it, however; with its beautiful design and accessible gameplay it's the perfect casual treat to sneak some time in with whenever you get a chance. It's the gaming equivalent of one of those relaxation CDs, something with whales or panpipes, or whales playing panpipes or whatever (panpipe whales?). Its friendly user interface and beginner-ready gameplay coupled with its beautiful style also makes it perfect for roping in non-gaming friends and family members. Looking to get away from it all but don't want the journey to be too challenging? Then chart a course for The Lost City.

iPhone, iPod Touch:
Download The Lost City (iPhone and iPod Touch)

Android Marketplace:
Download The Lost City (Android)

Nook Apps:
Download The Lost City (Nook Color/Nook Tablet)

Amazon Appstore:
Download The Lost City (Kindle Fire/Android)

Who knew that everything through the looking glass was actually made of cardboard? Yamada Box Legend is a quirky fantasy game that sends you spiraling into the Cardboard World after being the stooge for a magician's vanishing act. A team of students calling themselves Arcane Kids, including Tom Astle (creator of Spikes Tend to Kill You), produced this graphically pleasing puzzle RPG adventure that will draw you in with its bizarre characters and engaging gameplay. In this Lewis Carroll-esque 3D world, you take on the task of exploring different cardboard realms, led by the helpful (and perhaps sinister) nudging of various rabbits. Filled with mischievous characters and challenging environmental puzzles, the only thing that may prevent you from hopping right into this surreal delight is a severe case of leporiphobia.

To explore the critter-filled world you've found yourself in, you'll need to use the [WASD] or [arrow] keys to move yourself to and fro and the [spacebar] to jump. Move the cursor to rotate the camera and to direct your character's movement. Left click in order to pick up objects, hold down the right mouse button to target, and then left click once more to toss the held item. Scattered about the game, you'll find different boxes with portals to new worlds, and it's up to you to jump in [E], solve the problem inside, and jump back out [Q].

As you wander about, be prepared for instructions or requests from a carnival of creatures. An angry bear needs your help, a mob of rabbits wants you to obey, and a gerbil desperately wants to save a princess. Each box in the game transports you to a different place, though some are for moving from one level to the next and others have the problems you need to reason through that will help you succeed. The puzzles presented may seem straight forward in the beginning but as you delve deeper you may find yourself scanning the screen frantically for some type of clue, whether real or imagined. The cluttered landscape of jumbled magician's tools will seem less like a behind the scene's tour and more like a descent into a rabbit takeover.

Exploring this imaginative little cardboard universe is made all the more entertaining by the well paired music that accompanies you through the various challenges. The camera angling can sometimes be awkward, and if you're using a Mac with a single button mouse or touch pad you may find yourself having mild difficulty with the controls. However, in the face of the humorous dialogue and nicely crafted brain teasers, it's possible to endure the added challenge with a Cheshire Cat-like grin. Unlike some other Unity games, Yamada is crisp instead of clunky and shows a promising example of the great direction NoxiousHamster can take this tantalizing hybrid.

Play Yamada Box Legend

Does the world seem a bit dull, lackluster and noisy? Robamimi never fails to delight escape-the-room aficionados with beautiful yet minimalistic interior design, light puzzles that require thought without enervating the brain, and buoyant endings that leave us smiling in accomplishment. Sound Color R (or "Otoiro" in Japanese) is true to Robamimi form in all these respects and this time the puzzles all focus on, as you would guess, color and sound.

As ocarina, violin and xylophone melodies mark the easy pace, move about the room following the arrow keys, clicking on anything that begs closer examination and keeping an eye out for clues, no matter how surreptitiously found. The cursor changes to indicate hotspots and a hint button will guide you in the right direction if you get stuck. All hues are labeled where necessary so chromatic subtleties are never a stumbling block.

In length and difficulty, Sound Color R is closer to the Snow Dance end of the Robamimi escape game spectrum than to the Hermit Rabi and the Wonder Fountain or Ancient Scripts end. Only a few tasks hinder your way through the two rooms and out the final door. With its seamless, intuitive quality to gameplay, a neatly organized inventory, and lack of misdirection, Sound Color R turns a graceful and serene diversion into a spark of vibrancy and music to light up your day.

Play Sound Color R

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We've all had that problem. You know, the one where the Netbots start to plug up the kitchen sink so the water doesn't drain. Or the one where the Netbots keep your bowling ball from coming back down the ball return at the local bowling alley. Managing the Netbots can be quite a tricky task, as a group of scientists find out in Maik Haider's Netbots, a puzzle where you have to learn to divide to conquer.

In each level, you'll find a field of Netbots that need to be cleared away. However, they can only be cleared away in specific formations found on the left side of the screen. To clear a cluster, click and drag with your mouse to trace the shape of the cluster. When you release the mouse button, the Netbots will turn the color of the shape you've chosen to indicate that they've been cleared. If you can find a way to split up the field to clear all of the Netbots using all of the shapes provided, you're on your way to the next challenge!

While some of the game's puzzles range from simple to moderately tricky, all can be solved with a bit of trial and error, and a number of puzzles have multiple possible solutions. If you get stuck on any level, a short countdown timer will activate a clue for you, suggesting the starting places for a few pieces. Can you split the Netbot population to clear away a disaster? If so, can you come by the local bowling alley and unstick the ball return? I really want my lucky bowling ball back.

Play Netbots

Sorry. You're too late. You're already dead. Game over! You snooze you lose... right? Well, maybe not quite. In Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, an iOS port of the original puzzle adventure game by Capcom, you play a freshly dead spirit who wakes up in the middle of a junkyard to find a helpless young woman and a mysterious gunman having a standoff over your corpse. Things aren't looking good for her, but with a little otherworldly help she might just make it out alive, and you might find out who you are and what happened to you in the process... or you might just vanish when the sun comes up if you can't figure out how to use all your ghostly abilities in time. No pressure.

Since you're dead and incorporeal and whatnot, you can't do the usual adventure game stuff like using items or even moving around under your own power. By switching to the Ghost Realm, you'll freeze time and be able to jump your soul to nearby objects, which is not only handy as a means of transportation, but also allows you to directly influence the world. Certain items can be used to perform Tricks; anything from opening a door to moving an object or just causing some sort of malfunction. Just hit the button to hop into the Ghost Realm, and then drag your soul from object to object to get around. You can only move to certain items nearby, so you'll need to plan your route carefully to get around. The bar at the side of the screen will tell you what, if any, Tricks you can perform in the item you're inhabiting.

It's through your Tricks that you can get around and learn things, but also change what happens in the Living Realm... maybe even change someone's fate. See, you also possess the ability to go back in time four minutes before someone dies. That might not sound like a lot to you, but if you pay attention to your surroundings and experiment, you might figure out just the right moment to intervene or set up a chain of events that will save the day... for now. As it happens, there are a lot bigger things going down in town than one or two extra corpses. Strange figures are on the prowl, the spirits are restless, and it seems like everyone but you knows something big is going down tonight... and I don't just mean that hairstyle.

Analysis: Ghost Trick is, in a word, gorgeous. Also colourful, swanky, hip, and funny. It looks like the best jazz music sounds. It animates beautifully on the iPad, and comes with a style and flair all its own that makes it a joy to behold. It's easy to get smitten with its cast of vibrant, quirky characters, and their expressive body language packs a ton of personality and detail. (Is Detective Cabanela the best? Trick question. Of course he is.) As you might expect, coming from the team who brought you Ace Attourney, the tone walks a tightrope above the twin pits of absurdity and seriousness, sometimes dipping a toe into either one. It's weird, surreal, and supernatural in all the best ways with plenty of off-beat humour and memorable moments that are worth experiencing.

More annoying is the game's habit of endlessly reiterating information you already know in little scenes and dialogue exchanges. What? No. Stop playing that cutscene again. I paid attention when it happened five minutes ago. Stop narrating what's happening, I have eyes! Fortunately, it's refreshing to play an adventure game where the puzzles are so very different, less "use item x on item y" and more "Rube Goldberg waiting to happen". While the timed scenes add pressure, paying attention to the surroundings and animations will give you plenty of clues, and experimenting is just plain fun besides. Timed scenes definitely get harder as the game goes along, however, and having to re-watch certain scenes of dialogue over and over if you mess up and need to restart can get frustrating. Oh well, you know what they say. You have to crush a few hitmen to make an omelette. Or... something.

The first two chapters of this game are free on the App Store, with additional chapters available for purchase in chunks, or as a whole game for $9.99 USD. And do you want to know something? That's a steal. That is highway robbery on the developers, because with all its charm, cleverness, and high production values Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is more than worth the price of admission. I can't remember the last time a game had me laugh aloud or just grin at it in delight like a dope. If you're looking for something packed with distinctive style, weirdness, and some seriously unique puzzle-based adventuring, you owe it to yourself to at least try the demo. You'll be glad you did.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad:
Download Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (iPhone and iPod Touch)
Download Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (iPad)

Here's a puzzle for you to piece together: how can you help a pack of dogs evade the cops while getting the attention of a girl who won't pay you any mind even though you've got the moon on a string? PROTIP: You'll need two iOS devices to pull that simultaneous feat off!

Jigsaw Mansion 2 (iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad) - Even if you're categorically opposed to jigsaw games, you should take the time to try out Jigsaw Mansion 2. It's a luscious, engaging, and utterly addicting puzzle game that's loaded with extras, and the controls are so buttery smooth you'll wonder why anyone bothers with real-life jigsaw puzzles. Explore a mansion while you complete jigsaw puzzles from portraits scattered about the halls. Simple touch and drag controls allow you to easily move pieces around, and auto-rotate takes some of the hassle out of matching pieces together. An in-game store opens up new puzzles and other possibilities, and you can even make puzzles using your own pictures, which can either be cool or supremely creepy. Also worth noting: the team behind Jigsaw Mansion 2 also created A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda, a superb sidescrolling action platform game for PC! Jigsaw Mansion 2 HD for iPad is also available.

Off the Leash (iPhone/iPod Touch) - The life of a dog is wrought is stress. Take, for example, running from the police, avoiding obstacles, staying away from stationary human folk, and gathering coins and power-ups, all while recruiting as many dogs as you can without stopping even for a moment. Off the Leash is just such a crazy game, utilizing motion controls for a mission-based arcade experience that's, well, completely off the leash. Control a pack of dogs running from the police while you work to go as far as you possibly can, increasing your pack size to gather more power-ups and switching your running formation to creep through difficult obstacles. It's an absolute riot of a game, and once you start completing and seeing new, crazier missions, you'll be absolutely hooked on this gorgeous game. From the same team that brought us the equally-awesome Land-a-Panda!

Boy Loves Girl (universal) - Valentine's Day isn't too far away, so it's time to turn your attention to amorous pursuits. Or, at the very least, play a game that involves an amorous pursuit. In Boy Loves Girl, you're chasing after a lovely lass while quite literally tugging the moon on a string. Swipe the screen to avoid sleeping clouds and other obstacles, all while completing missions that appear over the course of your run. Eventually, you'll catch the girl, but then a new twist is introduced, and you'll head off on another chase entirely. Cute, entertaining, and surprisingly challenging!

NOTE: Games noted as 'universal' have been designed for iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone devices alike. Any game not listed for iPad will work on the system, but native full screen will not be present. Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.

Brash and energetic Arche Plumfield, being young, isn't concerned with much beyond making the most of her family's new life and business in the town of Tonkiness. Her first day at her new school, however, she finds her dreams of learning magic are crushed when she discovers that she can't do so without an expensive elemental stone that her family can't afford. But because this would be a very boring and depressing game if it just featured a little girl and her poverty-stricken family struggling to make ends meet, Arche and the friends she makes in town naturally stumble upon an ancient treasure that could wind up changing much more than whether Arche fits in at school. Fortune Summoners: Secret of the Elemental Stone from LizSoft by way of Carpe Fulgur (the same team that localized Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale and Chantelise: A Tale of Two Sisters) is a big action platforming RPG adventure packed with charm, humour, battles, and more. Also, lots and lots of grinding and brutally hard battles. Yaaaaay!

By default, the game controls with the keyboard; [arrow] keys for movement, and [Z], [X], and [C] for various actions. The options menu will let you set the bindings to anything you want, however, and also allows for a gamepad if you have one. (Which you might want to for this if you prefer controllers for action games like I do.) The set-up is a bit like a side-scroller in that the playing field is presented on a simple 2D plane. There's a fair amount of platforming to be had here, ranging from simple to difficult, and dungeons are full of puzzles and obstacles you'll wind up needing teamwork to solve as well. Initially, all you've got is Arche, who does battle with a sword. Combat is in real-time, so enemies will constantly be moving, attacking, blocking, casting spells, and wiping the floor with you in general. As you defeat enemies, you'll gain coins to buy things with and experience to help you level up and get stronger, just like any other RPG. As the game progresses, you'll eventually gain more party members who can lend a hand in battle, each with their own spells and abilities. Don't worry too much if you get wiped out; you can simply take a cash penalty and return to the last safe place. Just remember to save whenever you get the chance, and make sure you're stocked up on adventuring essentials like weapons, armor, bonnets, and underpants looted from your neighbours' homes.

Analysis: Plucky, sweet, and more than a little magical, Fortune Summoners is a game about a bunch of little girls going on adventures and being super excited about all of it. So you know it's got to be more than a little cute. Even if I did utter a small groan of loathing every time Chiffon opened his mouth. (No, he's not adowwable.) The game is a gorgeous throwback to classic action RPGs, with bright colours and a story that remains comparatively lighthearted throughout its substantial length. The writing is generally very good, even if the story holds few surprises, and players who prefer more cheerful RPGs will find a lot to like here. It's well worth exploring everywhere you can and talking to people more than once. The little touches you'll encounter, such as a teacher yelling at you not to run in the hallway, or a little girl urging you to go ahead and take things from people's houses because "you look heroic, and that's what heroes do", are wonderful. Though... there are a lot of underpants to be found.

One thing a lot of players may find hard to get past is that Fortune Summoners is most definitely not a button-masher, and any attempts to play it like one will result in sound defeat. Arche can't exactly turn on a dime, and the game doesn't really respond well if you just quickly stab the attack key over and over. There's a lot more timing involved that forces you to pause a beat between each attack to make sure things are registering properly, and as such it doesn't capture the same fast-paced reflexive combat of, say, Namco's "Tales" action RPG series. It's something some players will embrace outright and take to like ducks in a pond, while others will struggle to master it, and others still will find somewhat too stiff or restrictive. Or, like me, you might rage-quit from time to time and then come sulking back to it shortly thereafter. You can adjust the difficulty from the options menu at any time, but when you combine it with the Smash Bros-esque "slippery feet" style of combat, this is going to be one you'll definitely want to try before you buy to make sure it's your bag. Luckily, the demo is remarkably lengthy and should give you ample time to decide how much you like getting beaten like an old mattress.

Fortune Summoners: Secret of the Elemental Stone isn't for everyone, which is a shame because there's a lot to love about it. The writing, the presentation, the cheerfulness, the classic adventuring, even the combat, if you can handle it, makes for a vibrant and exciting game. The combat is going to make or break it for most players, but those with patience and a steady hand will find the flashy spells, combos, and fighting a lot of fun too. Try the demo and decide for yourself. There's a big beautiful world out there full of colour, wonder, and even a little cheekiness from time to time, and if you can handle Fortune Summoners, you're probably going to love it at least a little too.

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

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

There's a ship floating in deep space that's been lost for thousands of years; the Mugunghwa was a generation ship that was supposed to establish the first interstellar colony, but contact was lost and it had disappeared. Until now. You've been sent to board it and find out what happened to it by combing through the logs of its crew, dead these long centuries but still simmering with familial and political drama. Analogue: A Hate Story is a visual novel from indie developer Christine Love that is by turns touching, funny, dark, and introspective. Are some crimes unforgivable? What makes people believe the horrible things they do are done for the right reasons? What does it really mean to be human... and to love someone?

Since you're stuck on your own spaceship, the entire game is presented through a computer interface similar that allows you to talk to either Mute or Hyun-ae, the two AIs still active on the Mugunghwa, read the logs left behind by the crew, or access a terminal to execute more complex commands. The core of the gameplay, however, revolves around the text of the dead crew and discussing it with your two companions. Ultimately, your goal is to find out what happened to everyone on board, but Mute and Hyun-ae won't be satisfied until they feel you've really learned the truth, and that's a lot harder than it sounds since they both seem to have conflicting ideas as to what that is.

You can only have one AI active at a time, but once you've reached a certain point early on you can swap between them freely in the terminal. Show the logs you read to each of them to get insight, more messages, and find out more about them, which is more important than you might think. From time to time, they'll ask you a question, and your response will influence their opinion of you which can direct the game towards any one of five different endings. Just remember that you can right-click the screen to open the options menu and save or load your game at any time.

Analysis: Christine Love is a fantastic writer. The world revealed bit by bit is both fascinating and troubling, and is practically begging for some sort of sequel if only to expand a little more on the universe. There's so much left unexplained that people more interested in science fiction than character development might wind up frustrated, but I would call the story more tantalising than annoying in that regard. It's something you really want to know more about, but it isn't the star of the show; that would be the characters, and not just our two leading ladies. Mute and Hyun-ae are drastically different personalities with more layers to them than you might think based on first impressions. Talking to them and seeing them open up bit by bit in ways that even seem to surprise themselves is extremely rewarding.

Make no mistake, however; this is most definitely plot-focused rather than gameplay-focused. Most of the gameplay focuses simply on reading, showing every bit of text to Hyun-ae and Mute, and occasionally answering a question... with the exception of one clever puzzle-like timed sequence towards the end of the game. Whether this is a bad thing depends entirely on you. Your responses to Mute and Hyun-ae are extremely limited in a way that may frustrate those of us who are less "black and white" and more "shades of gray". Is it understandable given the way the game is structured and Hyun-ae's explanation for the choices at the beginning? Sure, but as the game wore on, the less I felt I could easily answer the questions poised as a simple "yes" or "no", and there were a few times when I felt I had to compromise my true feelings just to proceed.

But perhaps more importantly, I did feel. Analogue's complex narrative and varied cast of nuanced characters, even those you don't get to meet, is almost scarily good at pulling your emotions in unexpected directions. That the story makes you feel that strongly about the things you read about, from the people to the things they did, is more than a little impressive. The careful pacing won't appeal to everyone, but those who appreciate cleverly structured character dramas will get a lot out of it. The gorgeous artwork by Raide breathes life into Mute and Hyun-ae, while Isaac Schankler's soundtrack is unobtrusively beautiful and expressive.

My first playthrough took me somewhere around five hours or so, and while the endings feel a little abrupt, I don't regret a second of it. At times it was uncomfortable, grim, and more than a little saddening, but Analogue: A Hate Story was always, always heartfelt and smart with a light at the end of the tunnel. (Depending on your choices of course.) While it might be light on action, those looking for a deeper and at times darker narrative with a big focus on character development will want to give this one a chance to get inside their brain.

Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Order the full version

Linux:
Download the demo
Order the full version