The Room 3
A more ambitious entry in the series, feauturing a central hub through which the main levels are accessed. There's one large puzzle in the hub that is probably the most impressive thing I've seen thus far. Unfortunatley there is some fat here, there are certain sections that play out like an old blobber/dungeon crawler that are a huge bore. Not my favorite of the series, but I remain a great fan of this series. Looking forward to the fourth entry.
Downfall
Very neat experience coming to this after having played The Cat Lady. Gameplay takes place in one large contiguous space and the puzzle solving reminded me a bit of the Lucasarts games, find x, use on y over in an previously explored area. Voice acting was pretty rough but it's got a lot of heart. Atmosphere and sound was very well done. Looking forward to finishing off the trilogy w/Lorali.
Gorogoa
Overhyped "puzzle" game that plays a bit like
The Room series. It's all about interacting and poking at a pop-out artbook. I was frustrated often, but when I did find the solutions to progress I was impressed by how much it felt like "moving painting." The experience is pretty short, especially once you get into the way of thinking the majority of the puzzles fall into. I wasn't impressed by the music, but it is a visual treat.
Dead Secret
Part walking sim, part Amnesia. I had a great time unraveling this detective mystery. It's an on rails game, definitely feels like a mobile game, but a lot of care went into the design of the setting, the characters, and has a well-thought out plot device that sets up the second game.
Dead Secret - Circle
I didn't feel like
Dead Secret needed a sequel, but we got one anyway. No longer on rails, you move at the speed of a snail as you explore a 4 story apartment complex. I wasn't as invested this time around, I think because there isn't as strong of a connection to the case as with the first game. Atmosphere is still a strong point, but I do feel like they went overboard with showcasing some truly prosperian looking NPCs. I enjoyed this mostly for its aesthetic points, not so much its narrative and cast, which was a bit of a shame since the cast was super strong in the first title.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Another walking sim that takes major influence from
Gone Home. I enjoyed participating in the little vignettes throughout the Finch home, reminded me a bit of Mario 64 in that regard. Smart move, since it gives the devs freedom to throw you into wildly different settings and modes of play too. I think this elevates it above other walking sims in which your mode of expression is severely limited. Strong characters, VA, and a touching narrative make this one of the better ones of the genre. Wish they would give us the option to increase the walking speed though, ffs.