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We didn't hear from Yoshio Ishii for a long time - the last game was Compopo released three years ago - and now we've got whole advent calendar with twenty four puzzles to solve!

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Note: Medieval Cop is a series of games, with some of its own canon and lore. This episode is more standalone than the others, but you might wish to check out previous episodes as well!

Even though it's well past Christmas and we've finished saying Happy New Year, VasantJ delivers one post-holiday gift that you won't need to return!

Bearing the fruit of thoughtful craftsmanship, Rudowski Brothers gifts us with The Trader of Stories - Chapter 2. After spending nearly a Blossoming in the human city of Bark, Little Willow's life seems fairly ordered. She works as a waitress and storyteller in Gofung's teashop, has acquaintances - if not friends - and generally makes do. But amnesia still bothers her, alongside an odd sense of not belonging. Until one day, a tall, dark, and mysterious guest arrives. Will she find the answers she seeks, or will trouble find her first?

For the newcomers to this series: while Chapter 2 is indeed enjoyable as a standalone game, it follows an intricate storyline that is most comprehensively appreciated when its predecessors are played first. This installment of the Big Old Tree that Dreams series follows Bell's Heart; A Grain of Truth; and Chapter One. A useful feature of Chapter Two is that it's mobile-friendly.

When you wish upon a star, can your skills get you quite far? Take a breather with Nekogames' latest release, Compopo, which is a cute brain teaser in sleek design. Your objective seems simple: "Operate the four components, turn on all the lights!" In other words, on each level there is a combination of up to four types of mechanisms, and it's up to you to light all the stars by manipulating a variety of these puzzle-laden systems.

What does it take to be a hero - a plate of armor, a fabled sword, titan strength? Or perhaps a brave heart, adoring fans, and luscious, flowing hair? In GROW Comeback, you must develop all six traits to their maximum potential to vanquish the beast and gain adoration from your whole village.

If you've browsed JiG frequently over the past year, you might have stumbled across my reviews of some of VasantJ's games, including the Medieval Cop and Medieval Angel Series. From this same creator comes another game of the same sort, a spinoff around the beloved, slightly-more-positive-than-Dregg (who are we kidding, that description is pretty empty!) detective Amber Heart. Starting with the innocuous enough premise "A flock of sheep walk into a bar," VasantJ soon tosses us into the newly 3D-rendered world of Amber Heart conducting an interrogation at a murder scene. It seems she's hellbent on using some techniques that would scare the daylights (or a confession) out of anyone!

In the first part of this episode, author of the Medieval Cop/Dregg Morriss VasantJ saga left us hanging on all the important questions. Questions such as: how will Amber Heart and her friend Mel Vin ever escape the fowl play at the hands of the chickens? How do you launch a sneak attack if your friend insists on screaming upon entry? What awful puns will they have to endure this time?

Note: Before playing this game, you may wish to check out the previous episodes in Medieval Angel series, as well as Part 1.

Warning: If you haven't played Part 1, this review may contain plot spoilers. Proceed at your own risk!

Amber Heart, unusually cheery for a detective in the kingdom of Rightia, is about to be faced with an adventure bigger than she can imagine. As she drifts through the unconsciousness of sleep, she can barely make out the voice of someone trying to talk to her, to tell her everything will be okay and she can handle it. Then, before long, she comes to, and realizes there is empty space all around her, and her bedroom has suddenly been relocated to...the middle of nowhere? Unless, as she jokes, Grandma has done some overnight renovation!

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! You're on a small 5x8 platform and a magical mirror has appeared, beckoning you to battle. Your opponent fancies himself as a magician, no wait, the ringmaster of the show. He's got all sorts of tricks up his sleeve as well - he can make flowers spring up on random tiles. Remember that saying about every rose having a thorn? There are going to be plenty in your side if you don't manage to dodge the spots. Next, pick a card, any card-ouch! Don't let their sharp corners stab you and deplete your health. Finally, he'll flip coins down onto your arena, limiting your already cramped space further.

You are exactly what Chaos City needs but does not deserve - not a hero, but a villain! A few months ago, we released a review for a prototype of a new series that author Vasantj was developing, Anti-Villain. After being dumped by his girlfriend upon acceptance into the prestigious Hero Institute, the main (anti-) hero Rory sets off on his very own quest to become a Supervillain. Rory soon learns, though, that underhanded tricks abound in their ranks. In Anti-Villian 1, you are assigned missions you must complete in exchange for glorious fame...or at least, a bit of pocket money. This episode takes on more of an RPG feel with a lobby base where all you and your fellow baddies can hang out. In addition to the mission board where you can choose to accept assignments, there is a ring where you can bet your in-game money on one of two fighters, a hospital where you can pay for healing (what? You didn't expect it to be free, did you?), and a store offering upgrades to Rory's skills and abilities - if you can afford them, that is. You'll need to throw everything you got at times, fighting through hoards of - you guessed it - baddies who think they can cut you loose and make off with all the loot and credit themselves!

What do you make when you don't want to forget the things you have to do? Exactly! You make a To do list, where you write down all the tasks you have to do that day. So did the protagonist of this game. There are 7 days for you to live through, and each day has it's own To do list. Some tasks you need to do are; fixing the roof, cleaning the garden, digging up your old friend, wait..

Note: Before playing this game, you may wish to check out the previous episodes in the series, or at least Parts I and II of Episode 8. Some spoilers lie ahead!
The previous two parts of Episode 8 - Deathwish - have chronicled the adventures of hero Dregg Moriss in a very hot place. After eagerly bargaining with the Devil to try and have another chance to find (un?)happiness back in the real world, he has been granted his wish and allowed back to the land of the living to try and complete a dangerous mission. After seeing his friends trapped in some hybrid of fantasy and reality and helping to break them out of their respective trances, he is quite hopeful that it is finally the end.

In the previous part of this episode, our slightly sadistic hero Dregg Moriss found out that he was, well, dead. And not only that, but he was stuck between a melted rock and a very hot place - it turns out he has gone to hell. However, Dregg is not happy to resign himself to this conclusion, and demands a way out. He was consequently awarded a Court Case, a type of trial, set up by the Devil, but before they can really get going, they were rudely interrupted.

When the author kills off a main character (spoiler alert!), it is typically not a move endorsed or adored by their fans. But despite VasantJ's Medieval Cop series being constructed from RPGMaker's layout, typically is the one adjective that this very series defies, the latest installment making no exception. But before I delve further into the world of these very odd kingdoms, a slightly obvious disclaimer: this game has many parts, and if you've never heard of it or it has been a while, you may wish to play the previous ones first. We reviewed the previous game in the series, Medieval Cop 7 - Adam and Eva here on JiG, and you can find more details and links to play the other games on VasantJ's Patreon page here.

It is no secret that the fans of JayIsGames quite enjoy a good escape game. Indeed, the weekly weekday escapes are some of the most popular entries on the site. And today for all escape lovers out there, we want to show you a special treat in the one-of-a-kind Exit/Corners, as well, a different sort of escape game. The danger and claustrophobia is no less real, though. Did I mention that there are puzzles and an (implicit, at least) time limit as well?