Review: The Incident at Galley House
If there was a genre (or sub-genre) that I'd claim to be an expert on it would be the somewhat vaguely-defined narrative deduction genre, and one which will certainly have popped up on the radars of anyone who's a fan of these types of game is The Incident at Galley House, from Evil Trout Inc.
That could be for one of a couple of reasons, firstly that this is from the same team that brought us last year's The Roottrees are Dead, to overwhelmingly positive acclaim, and secondly because it is a self-professed remaster of another incredibly well-received game: Type Help.
Review: The Ratline
Frequent readers will have seen me mention today’s game a couple of times already this year, as The Ratline from Owlskip Games was, I think, my most anticipated release going into this year. I’ve spoken before about how that can be a double-edged sword: obviously it means I was excited to get my hands on it, but there have definitely been games in the past that I hyped up for myself and then, probably due to unrealistically high expectations, felt underwhelmed by. So, uh, no pressure.
Review: The Horror at Highrook
Full disclosure: I’m not really a fan of the occult. Be it vampires, ghosts, or Lovecraft, it’s a bit of a hard sell for me, as far as themes go. Which is to say that The Horror at Highrook from Nullpointer Games might already be starting at something of a disadvantage with this review.
My immediate instinct was that Highrook would be a more structured Cultist Simulator: instead of a game that’s trying to melt your brain, one that wants to guide you through a story with some neat, if not similar, card-placing mechanics. The aforementioned theme certainly helps with that parallel, I’m sure I’m not the first or last to draw it, but I’m yet to see anyone comparing The Horror at Highrook with Stacklands. Point is, it’s easy to see where the comparison comes from, but it doesn’t really tell the full story.
Review: Expelled!
In inkle’s Expelled!, you play boarding school student Verity Amersham, the prime suspect of the defenestration of another pupil. It’s impossible – you were fast asleep when it happened – but clearly someone is out to frame you, as all the evidence is pointing your way. Can you find a way to prove your innocence before you suffer the game’s eponymous fate?
Review: The Roottrees are Dead
In The Roottrees are Dead, the Roottrees are Dead. Namely, the President of the Roottree Corporation, his wife, and their three daughters. You’re tasked with identifying all the remaining blood relatives of the Roottree family, ostensibly to sort out the inheritance issues that might arise with the family’s untimely demise.
It’s often compared to Return of the Obra Dinn - which is likely IndieLoupe’s only five-star game... can it live up to that hype?