Perusing for Vinyl: Daymare Cat, 2013

The beautiful hand-drawn Daymare Cat is a delight to play. Part puzzle platformer, part point-and-click adventure, Daymare Cat confidently and maturely tells the story of a girl trying to escape from a gloomy town. The gameplay is straightforward, modest even, but the end product is memorable. And creator Mateusz Skutnik makes it even more unforgettable, as you will see with the completion of the game. Check it out.

platform utilized: browser
genre: puzzle platformer, adventure
where to find: You can play through Daymare Cat right here.

Looking For the Dead in Your Dreams: Sequester, 2012

It's taken me awhile to get around to writing about Sequester, not for lack of trying, and not to mention being extremely taken by its storyline. I just kept putting it off, moving other projects ahead of it, until, by the time I'd realized it, a few months had passed.

Sequester, a morbid and atmospheric affair, finds a young boy trapped in a sort of sequence of dreams, each leading to the next successively. In these dreams, the boy's dead sister talks to him and rain falls torrentially. The music is eerie, incredibly moving at times, with vocal crescendos reminiscent of something from the HoMM IV soundtrack. Within each dream, this young boy is put to the test, as he must find his way through dungeon-like labyrinths, seeking out his sister's spirit, which for some reason is trapped in between life and the afterlife.

The game is quite good. I believe that, given its platformer form, one is entitled to a certain level of skepticism, because there are just so many platformers out there (and so many mediocre ones)! But Sequester is unique, and kinda sophisticated, and showcases quite a few levels, all of which are intelligently designed. In short, it does justice to the genre, and is worth your attention and your time.

I like to think of this boy's sister as a kind of Zoe Deschanel.

platform utilized: browser
genre: puzzle platformer
where to find: Play Sequester here.

After Death: The End, 2012

The End is an interesting exploration of death and the beyond, with any sort of religious presuppositions cast to the wayside. The effect is grim yet extremely insightful. You begin your existential journey, shortly after the game begins, with your own demise. You are immediately thrust into a social afterlife, whether it be heaven or hell, with your goal being that of exploration. There are worlds to explore; within these worlds are respective levels, each with its own sought after object, which seems to be related to a question that is asked at the end of each level; questions such as, "Is is possible to be happy simply living in the moment?" or "Would you still be yourself if your mind was put into another body?" Each question requires a "yes" or a "no" (unfortunately, there is no option to say "you are asking the wrong question") and your reply directs your particular worldview, as it relates to other great thinkers and figures of the past (Einstein, Descartes, etc.).

You are required to create an avatar to your liking, and mine ended up looking like Charlie Brown, but with purple shutter shades.

One of the most novel ideas The End presents is this idea of light power, which effectively turns shadows into solid platforms that can be crossed over. This skill is a lot of fun to use. It's not quite as fun as bullet time, but no one's perfect. anyway, light power comes in real handy at points in the game.

In conclusion, The End is well worth your time to explore. Another interesting aspect of its gameplay is its social integration. There are a whole lot of ways to link to outside social networks (Facebook, et al.) and players from all around can explore each other's profile.

platform utilized: browser
genre: puzzle platformer
where to find: Come join the online community here.