In this blog I go over a few indie games that I have played recently that I have spent no more than $5 on. They've provided me some entertainment and felt like writing about my experiences with them each briefly.
Gris
Gris is an exploration platformer. You begin as somebody who has clearly lost all of their powers and the world is missing color. You start off the game slowly hobbling around and build up to being able to sing plants to life. The game is extremely easy, but the art is great and the soundtrack is relatively decent. I give it a 7/10.
The Suicide of Rachel Foster
This game is an exploration suspense title which tells the story of a family separated by infidelity, but still haunts them to this day. You begin as the daughter of a recently deceased man, who had a secret relationship with Rachel Foster, who killed herself by jumping off a cliff. There's a lot of sensitive themes in this game and many reviewers seem to feel the game developers skirt around some of these, but I don't think having to acknowledge them at every turn is how these situations would work out in the real world. Regardless, a great game deserving of a 7/10.
Tchia
Tchia is a surprisingly polished game that is a love letter to New Caledonia. It tells the story of a little girl who is basically investigating the disappearance of her family, which takes place using Wind Waker style exploration and combat. There's plenty to see even though the world is relatively bare, but quite detailed for the small studio that developed it. Giving this a 6/10 mainly due to limited amount of fast travel.
Wales Interactive FMVs
I've played a bunch of FMV games by Wales lately. I have to say, they don't have the highest production quality or acting by any means, but they do a decent job of presenting a mildly interactive movie experience and some of them end up being fairly enjoyable. Late Shift, The Bunker, The Complex, and She Sees Red are among the ones I have tried, and they're all enjoyable for their own reasons. A blanket 6/10 for these titles.
Toem
I can't say enough good things about this game. The art is great, the humor is excellent. You are tasked with exploring the world outside your small town and climb the mountain to view the "Toem". I don't really want to say too much more, but this is easily one of my favorite puzzle games. This game gets a solid 8/10 from me.