Games that drew me in!
Growing up, I deprived myself of the fascinating world of video games except an occasional Mario Brothers, Tetris or Prince of Persia session. Over the years I’ve met, befriended and also gotten married to people who grew up on these action and art filled challenges, some of which take user/ gamer experience to a whole new level!
Here, I’ve talked about four games that have left a lasting impression on me and how they worked so beautifully to draw me in!
Drawn Series
The Drawn series is a delightful series of games that more than satiates your appetite for visual and otic treats! If you are someone who likes visual arts, powerful storytelling and solving puzzles, do not give this a miss.
The plot follows the journey of a young, mystical girl called Iris, who the player has to rescue from a painted tower in the first instalment, The Painted Tower, and help her dethrone an evil king and become the queen in the second instalment, Dark Flight. Iris has the magical ability to draw things and breathe life into them. The third instalment called Trail of Shadows is about a little boy who needs to be rescued from yet another painted world.
The poignant setup of the game is full of mysterious art and evokes immense curiosity. The tower itself has a melancholy look and feel but the paintings within the tower explore several bright and interesting worlds. These paintings are home to some brilliant and unique puzzles and challenges.
The interactive elements in the game are done immaculately and make one nostalgic – they have puppets, pop-up books, crayons, and so many other features that you will be reminded of from your childhood.
The background music is haunting and doesn’t let you forget it for a long time after the game is over.
There are a variety of puzzles and challenges through Iris’ journey and the sheer versatility keeps one hooked. Some are more straightforward than others, but all of them will make you think, spend some time figuring out the solution and keep you stimulated.
Limbo
Another game with a dark and mysterious setup, Limbo sets off a little boy on an unidentified journey – we don’t know what he is after or where he is going, but we know that there are deadly challenges along the way and the player needs to have or develop an acute sense of observation to overcome those.
It’s a bleak setup, with a number of gruesome deaths the boy faces, dreadful creatures he has to fight and scarily diabolical children.
The game also epitomizes simplicity – there are no complicated rules or plot, the setup and sound are beautifully and intricately done, but the style is monochromatic and doesn’t overwhelm. The sound design is realistically eerie, adding to the thrill.
Monument Valley
A relatively short game with ten levels, Monument Valley is a highly imaginative game that has the player take a young girl called Ida into a magical world, replete with M.C.Escher-esque environments of fascinating optical illusions. The motive of the game is simple, the puzzles become progressively more challenging, but not frustratingly so. The whimsical and wonderful art opens up the player’s minds in a way that defies logic but embraces ingenuity. There are many surprises along the way like totems, crazy levers and annoying crows! Download the game and spend a very interesting couple hours being Ida.
These were just some of the games I tried my hands at lately and ended up in awe of game designers and developers – such mind blowing concepts, detailing and challenges! There are two other games that I’m in the process of discovering and exploring – 140 and Device 6, which also seem to be extremely original concepts.