10 Seconds of Fear: 10 Seconds in Hell, 2013

Sometimes there are moments in life, so brief, yet so impactful, that you can't help but recall every second of it in excruciating detail. This seems to be the premise of 10 Seconds in Hell, a first-person game made by Amy Dentata for the Ludum Dare 27 Competition. The game places you in the midst of a terrifying situation, one which is remembered as only lasting 10 seconds; the outcome of those 10 seconds is left up to the player. The immediate situation is that your boyfriend/companion/friend/ is very angry with you for not following him out the door, but the more fundamental issue lies in the abusive relationship at hand and your character's fear to follow: "He thought I walked out the door with him. I don't want to go. I know what's going to happen if I do."

Don't be fooled by the robotic speech: this is a very human tale. The room in which these 10 seconds are spent is the only thing the character of the game remembers clearly. In this way, the environment is especially important to the value and conception of this game. Dentata calls the game "like horror but more like real life." The effect is devastating. The choice you make may be as well. Consider 10 Seconds in Hell an exercise in confrontation--that is, in confronting one's traumatic experience.

Available to download for mac, windows, linux, or simply play the game in your browser.

Only Two: Two Bullets to Hell, 2009

This simple, noir-ish, minimal stealth shooter is short and sweet. I was frustrated at first, but everything came together once I got the hang of how to navigate thru the baddies. The premise is simple: you are a man with a past (in black), seeking revenge, and you only have two bullets -- and both bullets have names on them. Two Bullets to Hell is a dark game created by Scott Warren.

platform utilized: pc
genre: stealth
where to find: Download Two Bullets to Hell at Flipskip Games.

Crawling In the Dark: Wages of Darkness, 2012

This was an absolutely delightful surprise! Wages of Darkness was an unexpected treat. Its use of darkness, in the context of an adventure game, was welcomed with open arms by me. While this move could be interpreted as intended to cover up a nonexistent art design, I actually think it were more of a sacrifice. adventure games thrive on graphic visuals. This move was completely uncalled for yet perfectly set for the storyline.

Wages of Darkness intends to "distort the player's sense of reality through limiting his/her sense of sight." The way this is accomplished is by way of utter darkness. You are a woman who has no idea how she's gotten to where she his. she can not see a thing. Only her senses can guide her out of this nightmare and into the light.

The features of interaction include an inventory and what's know as a a dynamic label, which describes what a surface feels like. This dynamic label is your eye sight in this game. With it, you must determine where you are and what to do next. Perhaps the most exciting moment of this game lies at its conclusion.

platform utilized: pc
genre: adventure
where to find: You can find Wages of Darkness right here.

Redheaded Stepchild: Contract J.A.C.K., 2003

Everything about Contract J.A.C.K. feels recycled.

If I'm not mistaken, most of the music has been lifted from the last game. Recycled. And is it just me, or does the soundtrack seem more repetitive than usual? There is also the all encompassing issue of there being less interactivity throughout the game: cupboards don't open; locks can't be picked; there is no longer surveillance to steal, or merely read through, or hilarious conversations to eavesdrop on; stealth is no longer a necessity, which in turn strips the 'walk' button of its use and value. In fact, it doesn't even matter if you walk or run, because each group of baddies will emerge like clockwork whenever your movement/interaction within the game triggers the enemy respawn. To the untrained eye (and my eye is certainly untrained), this seems like a very unsophisticated system. Recycled.

Now, I don't want to give off the wrong impression. I don't dislike the NOLF series. On the contrary, I am a huge fan of the series! the first game was amazing. It had so much style, so much to add to the genre. And then the second game came along and, as far as I am concerned, blew away any expectations I had beforehand. The second game is by far my favorite, with that whole first section taking place in Japan, fighting in the dark with guns and a katana. So badass.

Anyway, the worst part is that I am pretty certain the given personality of John Jack is just an excuse to fudge through the shortcomings of the game. I mean, it's comical to make the American spy louder, more brash; you know, more "American." But is this just meant to mask the fact that there is no longer any sort of stealth element to the game? Are we supposed to just forget the magic of the first two titles? Are we supposed to just pretend that it's okay that there is no intuitive element at work within Contract J.A.C.K., and furthermore, no skill-system? I mean, what is that about? That was the best part about NOLF2 (right beside being able to hide in the shadows).

platform utilized: pc
genre: action, first-person shooter
where to find: The official site for Contract J.A.C.K. seems out of commission at the moment, however you can pick up a copy of the game here, playable on Windows.

Unpretentious Elegance: Knytt, 2006

Knytt is a platform, side-scroller created by a swedish game developer named Nicklas Nygren (known better by his handle, Nifflas). It has all the elements you'd expect from freeware: a short storyline, modest graphics, simple gameplay. But what it lacks in length and complexity, it makes up in character and style.

The plot of Knytt is simple. While out for a stroll, the Knytt is abducted by an alien. The spacecraft ascends into the cosmos, and while traversing, is hit by a meteoroid. The ship crash lands onto another planet, scattering its components across the terrain. It is Knytt's job to retrieve these parts so he and the alien may escape.

The spectrum of movement employed in Knytt is limited to just a few simple maneuvers, however, they are in perfect balance with their dictating physics system.

Knytt jumps, climbs, and descends his way through the strange world. Each one of these maneuvers is necessary to utilize in order to accomplish the goals of the game. In a way, this makes Knytt an interesting observation (and perhaps study) in simplicity, being a condition of profundity. What I mean by this is that Knytt, through a return to gameplay simplicity (like in the games of vintage), manages to strip itself down to its bare essentials: run, jump, climb, fall. Because of this technical simplification, a new world can be observed. Knytt is not concerned with gathering a weapon with which to kill creatures, nor is he concerned with collecting artifacts or establishing mercantile relations. Knytt just sort of scampers up and down rock faces and grassy knolls. His movement is light and an aesthetic delight to observe.

As for the music, it can only be described as fitting. Subtle ambient quips interject tastefully throughout gameplay. Soft pads and delicate percussive hits act as a background for the world of Knytt. This is a delight for me. I am always excited to see music being used as another layer to gameplay rather than detracting from it.

The environment of Knytt is vibrant and lush, with every color emerging from its designation. It's a bouquet of minimalism, showcasing what any good game designer can do with less lines and less explosions.

This guy Nifflas is the real deal. He's just a little, semi-independent swedish game designer, but he has already impressed me with his work. Oh, did I mention he writes all of the music for his games?

Knytt's gameplay is rather short (which is certainly a result of its being freeware) and does lack some depth to its gameplay. But as I've said, what it lacks in depth seems to be made up in simplicity, which in turn elicits a new and valuable plane of gameplay experience. In a time of MMORPGs and first-person shooters, Knytt is just a drop in the ocean. However, that is part of the game's appeal. It's quaint. It's unpretentious. It's subtle and beautifully elegant. The gameplay is focused on more than merely accomplishing the task of finding the missing parts to reassemble the alien ship. It instead seems concerned with the journey itself.

platform utilized: pc
genre: platform, side-scrolling
where to find: Luckily, Knytt is freeware. That means you don't have to pay any money. Visit Nifflas' site or download right here.