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Well, this is a sweet little game, full with mathematical puzzles and pop culture references including Futurama, V for Vendetta, Illuminati, Dune, Star Wars and a couple others that I don't remember at the time. Sadly, I'm here to point some downsides for the game.

Someone asks you to wait before some machine with a big red button - incredibly predictable, just as human nature - and - wait for it - DO NOT TOUCH THE BUTTON until he returns. Catchy, huh? Being a proper example of the human species, you push the button and face a collection of mathematical puzzles to hunt for all the possible outcomes that the machine might present you. There are 22 separate endings, mainly consisting of different apocalyptic ends for the city on the screen of the machine, and some irrelevant endings. The last ending, contains the main joke of the setting. So far, so good.

The downside is that the game consists of this given scene only. The machine, some puzzles and some endings that you may observe from the screen, flavored with references. That's it. And the price of the game is ridiculous for a 'one scene only' game. I'd love it if I were to stumble it as a free browser game, but for 5 dollars, nope, thank you. If you decide that it's worth your dollar, grab this little brain scratcher. If not, it won't be the most irredeemable miss.

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas?" - Joseph Stalin

Congratulations! You've won the lottery and earned the "right" to become a nameless, faceless little bureaucrat who is responsible from the border station of a fictional socialist country in 1980s, alongside countless entrants and their tons of paperwork. Glory to Arstotzka!

Before describing any kind of gameplay, I'd like to warn you: Papers, Please is a highly political satire that parodies Stalin's Russia, or any oppressive totalitarian regime in human history. The humor of the game is comedy noir: cold, immediate and careless with an appropriate dose of existentialism, presenting some genuine examples of your good old-fashioned political dystopia. If you like your sarcasm served cold, and patient enough to go through a simulation of routine banality to observe a comment on the dynamics of government, keep reading. The game manages to set the mood for it perfectly.

Papers, Please doesn't even closely resemble any game that I've played so far. It is a basic simulation that lets you try and decide whomever is eligible to enter the country, and whomever is not. And guess what? The rules change daily, always getting more and more complicated until the point you cannot possibly "not" hate the government. Endless political conflicts between the government, the neighboring countries and terrorist groups that are ever present don't make things easier or even safer. You live, work and try to earn enough to feed your family, but life is impossible for the honest as always. So things start to get interesting both financially and politically for our bureaucrat as the scenario progresses.

The game has 20 or so ending, which presents huge replayability and contains some hidden achievements to hunt for. As a plus, the game takes each save file for each day separately, so it is real easy to load a specific day and replay for the achievement or ending needed.

As the last call: I really liked the game, and probably gonna try to achievement hunt for a while. I advise the game for the curious, the bitter and the know-it-all. The graphic lovers won't find anything satisfactory though.

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"A tale is but half told when only one person tells it." - The Saga of Grettir the Strong, Chapter 46

The gods are dead. The sun never leaves the horizon, shining on boundless wastes of tundra. The land is torn between men, giants known as varl and armored creatures known as dredge, neither carry any reason to trust each other. A new day dawns, and the world is at the brink of turmoil, weary of old wars, always anticipating new wars; nearly void of hope. In such a time, you take the role of leading a caravan across frozen wastes to its destiny.

You play the parts of many characters, make their choices and endure the consequences while discovering the beautifully weaved tale of the realm. Each and every character that you lead tell a story of their own in this Nordic, war-thorn saga. Each choice that you make affects your chances of survival, and makes you approach one step closer to your destination. The setting is incredibly rich, expected from any proper RPG game. Every road, landmark, settlement, mountain or forest; every region depicted on the map contains its own local history. The lore is complete and refreshing.

To begin with, the game contains a diverse gameplay, bringing together elements of adventure, role-playing and strategy games. The adventure elements are directly affecting the story, and the outcome of your choices twist and turn to present you alternative destinies. Combats are turn-based in isometric maps, and gameplay is fairly easy to grasp. Yet 'fairly easy to grasp' quickly turns into 'hard to master'. You are able to level up your characters with renown, a kind of currency that you may gain through heroism either in adventure choices or by slaying your adversaries in battle field. Alongside leveling, you are capable of gathering minor and major items to enhance your heroes furthermore.

The Banner Saga presents a direct example for my reason to become a gamer: a story to be told. The game satisfied all my expectations thoroughly. I do not wish to present any spoilers, but it is safe to declare that the story of the realm is not finished in this game. Good news is that The Banner Saga 2 is in development. Cheers!

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Okay, I have been playing Hidden Object Games for a long while now, but this one went and snatched a special place. I will be a bit biased about this game, considering the theme picked is one of my favorites - European Mysticism. I know it's nothing marvelous as a HOG but Alchemy Mysteries: Prague Legends is a well-made little adventure as it lasts, with well arranged puzzles and a charming story. Some quick to grasp story related achievements are only the flavor.

Our main character is Eva, a young orphan who has just came to Prague to discover about her long lost family. In Prague, the throne of European Mysticism, Eva is to find out about the trials of her heritage, learn long lost alchemical secrets and put a stop to the forces of evil. The story takes its basis from the world renowned alchemist duo: John Dee and Edward Kelley, and adds the fiction into mystical history successfully. The characters themselves sadly don't have much in-depth personality for us to witness, and voice acting isn't one of the best, but they are not as annoying as most that we come across within the genre. Aside from the dialogues and the ending being a bit forced and cheesy - okay, it was pure trash - I adored the setting altogether.

The atmosphere of the game is a great success. The environment is old, dusty and mystical as Prague itself. Color choices, the art, the eerie background music and the whispering effects of the ghosts of Prague are all welcoming details. What has surprised me the most, is that the designers went into the full trouble of animating characters aside from cinematic cutscenes. Beautifully arranged in-game animations were a welcoming change in the HOG genre which we do not observe often if it's not Artifex Mundi.

The gameplay was nicely balanced, between fairly challenging, inventory interactive HOG scenes, and some of the most elaborate puzzles that I've stumbled within the genre. It seems that puzzle setups do change in every playthrough, so it is meaningless to use a walkthrough for puzzles themselves. You really have to think for yourself. The game presents you a useful map to track your progress and gives you means of quick travel for adventure elements.

If you like the HOG genre itself, this one is a must to experience. Don't rush it though, grab it in sale. The ending was hinting a sequel, so I will be optimistic about the story's continuation. There are tons of unexplained details, so there has to be a sequel... God, please there be a sequel, 'cause I refuse to endure that awfuly abrupt ending! Grab it and enjoy it!

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“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust: First Part

As a literature major and a fan of the old German folktale, I can safely declare that this game basically made my day. Games that reinterpret classic books usually end up being tedious and ruin the original work. Soul Gambler, on the other hand, is a beautiful modernization with an elegant subtext of its own.

Our main character, Faust, is easy to empathize with. He is a young adult stuck in the dreary routine of everyday life: bored and jaded - until an old crone makes him an offer he cannot refuse... He is given the opportunity to sell pieces of his soul to rearrange the reality according to his own whims. We make some choices and live through their consequences while trying to discover the actual price of our new found powers.

The display is quite basic; with hand-drawn art and thrilling soundtrack. The story is incredibly well put, with consistent references to the actual tale and a well weaved world of its own. The narration is easy to follow and sets an air of mystery and the thrill of the unknown successfully. As a visual novel, it presents actual replayability and several different endings to discover based on your choices.

As a surprising side note the price of the game hits ridiculously low from time to time, it is a welcome addition to anyone's library. You shouldn't think twice before grabbing it. As a modern interpretation of the classical Faustus tale, this visual novel is a marvelous little gem for the ones that enjoy a mystical story.

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Did you like the previous instalment? Yes? Then, you will like this one, and many, many following games in the series. Is it marvelous? Is it miraculous? Nope, but with each new game in the series, there are small bits of additions, a new feature here and there, and a new villain randomly picked out of the narrative of ancient Greek hero Hercules. Ready? Here is the second part.

Taking a close look at the narrative, Hercules comes up with the brilliant idea of taking the Cretan Bull to plow fields in Thebes, but there is a slight problem into that plan: the beast belongs to Hera. Thus, righteously angered by the theft attempt, Hera becomes our villain for this part. No worries, since the whole series is a Disney-ified version of the Greek narrative, the hero will conquer without any actual threat - simply adding another cute, relaxing waste of time to our Steam library.

Well, this second part of our little time management game is a bit more improved compared to the first one, becoming just a little more challenging. This time, farm and workshop resources are not automatically collected, so you have to keep an eye on their timer. There are also thieves present to steal your resources if you do not supervise them in time. Some shrines have been added to the game to give your workers some bonuses, alongside a little HOG sequence consisting of puzzle pieces to collect in each level to unlock some bonus levels. Aside these little differences, it is the same game, with a different villain - which will be the issue for the remainder of the series.

The game uses the same mechanics as the first one, and basically contains the same automated actions. The same game, polished, added features and presented to us for more time to kill. Oh, and a similar set of achievements for you to collect while looking at the screen with a blank, yet pleasant expression.

I'll vote 'thumbs up' considering that it serves the genre, just as fine as the first installment and the lack of a 'meh' button. Oh, as I was writing the review for this second part, I've come with a challenge for myself: can I possibly write informative, fitting, yet not boring reviews for all the games in the series, considering they'll all be the same to an extent? Curious? I'll try. Bottomline, pick this one up for a day you'd prefer not to think, just as the previous one.

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And also Lady Storyteller's HOG Gems here - for casual games and HOGs you may enjoy!

“There are many kinds of joy, but they all lead to one: the joy to be loved.” ― Michael Ende, The Neverending Story

This game is a must for anyone and everyone! It is not only a game; it is an experience, a tale to be told over and over again! I strongly recommend playing the prequel, The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav, which explains the events a year before Memoria, revealing the background story for Geron and Nuri for you to be able to grasp all heartwarming references of this game.

After the tragic, yet beautiful ending of the previous game, we meet Geron again in Andergast. A travelling caravan is visiting the silent medieval town, hailing from Far East. Driven by the possibility that there may still be a way to turn Nuri back into a fairy, Geron visits the residing site of the caravan to ask for their wisdom. Fahi, the travelling riddler and storyteller welcomes Geron, and challenges him to solve a riddle that resides in a long forgotten tale: the tale of princess Sadja.

I personally think that Memoria is Daedalic Entertaintment’s best work yet. Characters are so deep and alive, you keep carrying them with you long after you finish the series, as if you've just finished reading a good book, and wonder what to do with your life now. Aside from Geron and Nuri, our newly met characters - Sadja and the mysterious magical staff - are remarkable. The story is built so masterfully, you keep playing for hours, anticipating what shall happen next.

The gameplay is easy to grasp, hints and interactions are curiously enjoyable, puzzles are nearly always challenging. The art work is breathtaking just like the prequel, depicting different fantastic environments in a fashion that you'd wish that you are there. There are lots to discover in this game!

I consider myself a hardcore adventure gamer, and I haven't been seeing a game that I can compare to old classics like Grim Fandango, The Longest Journey, Syberia or Monkey Island Series. Memoria, is no less than a modern competitor. I thought Chains of Satinav to be a glorious fairytale that should be considered a classic. In this case, Memoria is a masterpiece!

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“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ~ G. K. Chesterton, quoted by Neil Gaiman, Coraline

I only knew The Dark Eye series as a classic German pen and paper RPG until this point. After some research, I discovered that the realm of Aventuria has been turned into several cool pc games including Realms of Arkania and Drakensang RPG series respectively. But I've never dared to expect an adventure game that takes place in a FRP universe! It has been a satisfying change of pace for a fantasy lover such as myself: enjoying the contents of fantasy without venturing into battle.

Our storyline takes place in humble beginnings, with Geron, the novice birdcatcher of the local ranger Gwinnling who lives in the silent medieval town of Andergast. Geron is considered to be cursed by the town populace, both disliked and feared with heavy prejudice due to an old prophet's dying words: "you will bring great disaster to Angergast!" Geron's unpleasant life takes an interesting turn though, when he is given the opportunity to get rid of the crows infesting castle's quarters. As he tries to attend this opportunity carefully, he meets Nuri, a fairy that will change his so far predictable life - and fate, forever...

I'll try and put my experience on the table shortly: I loved every single moment of this game! Characters are original, the narration is exquisite, and the story is incredibly well-weaved! On a fair notice, the art works are singularly amazing enough to buy this game! It gave me the thrill of old adventure classics like Syberia or The Longest Journey. I found myself wondering the next bold move of our heroes in every pace, so I played the game in one single night!

Puzzles vary between 'the logically expected' and 'the brink of insanity', which sets a tone for every single environment by itself. The context of the game consists of the marriage of two separate themes: the dreamlike, abstract nature of fantasy and the heavy, forlorn quest for philosophy comes together to portray the world of Aventuria, a world worthy of getting to know surely.

If you consider yourself to be an adventure game player, please take note that this game - alongside its sequel, Memoria - are modern classics to the genre. You will not be disappointed!

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A travel down the memory lane... It's been ages since I've played a 2D Fighting Game. I actually remember this game from old arcades and I'd say Guilty Gear X2 is one of the best of its examples. Flashy animations, original moves, tricky combinations, great character concepts and even including a storyline for each and every character, this game has always been one of my favorites of the genre. It's tricky to follow the storyline without some research though; my only regret about the series is that no one made an actual anime or OVA for it yet, so understading the references and character dialogues is a bit tough. Oh, whatever! Grab it, play it, abuse it, enjoy it! It's old school fun for a sunday afternoon.

This first instalment in King's Bounty series has been a great experience for me so far! I was lucky enough to stumble upon it on discount and give it a try. Nope, I wasn't disappointed. Consider a Heroes of Might and Magic game with stronger RPG elements and free roaming on your map - as if you're discovering a Warcraft III map: it is called King's Bounty! It is a great strategy game with a rich setting, interesting gameplay elements and a great deal of fantasy references for the ones that read dialogue texts. I found myself smiling quite often while I was questing in this realm as the Royal Treasure Searcher of the King Mark! I strongly recommend it for both strategy and rpg gamers.