Games You Might Not Have Tried - ep 5 - Find New Games - Extra Credits

Yay, this again. It's time to recommend some more games you might not have given a shot yet. As always, these lists aren't so much about quality as novelty. It's Ah, you guys know the drill. Let's do this. Thomas Was Alone It's very rare that we get to call a game charming, but there's no better word to describe Thomas Was Alone. It's the model of simplicity in terms of production, with smart choices throughout on how to make this game on a bare-bones budget without it feeling bare-bones. It's also a fantastic example of how to do a tutorial. Something about the boiling, toxic, glowing water intimidated Thomas. He didn't like it. He certainly didn't want to swim in it. But where it really shines is in demonstrating the mechanics as metaphor concept. This game has an endearing story that comes to life not only through the narration, but through the interaction.

They were doing really well. Claire hoped she could get them all across. John was fully aware he could do this alone. Thomas hoped he'd never have to. You can't help but see the tiny quadrilaterals you're stacking on top of one another not as a pile of boxes, but rather as friends helping each other out. This gives a presence and meaning to the narrative that most multi-million dollar games don't pull off. Tokyo Jungle This thing is bonkers. All the people have vanished from Tokyo and animals have taken over. It's a fight for survival and dominance in the post-apocalypse, and you can be a kangaroo if you want. The game is a bit complex and the tutorial is simultaneously too long and yet not extensive enough, but the The are amazingly solid once you get into it. They managed to make just being a rabbit a tense, thrilling, nerve-racking

experience. Yeah, I know it looks like a PS2 game, but let me just throw two words at you. Pomeranian parkour. I should probably add a word of warning though. If you have a lot of empathy towards animals, this game will be a bit hard on you at times. I mean, the violence on display here feels like the violence of the wild, but sometimes making a meal out of some of the other weaker animals around you can be a bit rough. I love this game and I don't think their depiction of violence is inhumane or anything, but just a heads-up, you may have to put the game down a few times. Home. Rarely do you get as much choice in how a narrative works as you do in Home. The game is deeply flawed in some ways. Often you can't see the correlation between your actions and their consequences until it's too late, but for three bucks and an hour of your life, it's worthwhile.

Mark of the Ninja. Stealth done right. I really don't want to say too much about this game because we've got an episode on stealth gameplay planned soon, but if you like stealth games, this is something you should play. It looks great, it plays great, and just speaking for myself, I would rank it as one of my favorite games of last year, so get on that. FTL roguelike in space.

This is a space game in which you can extinguish fires by opening your airlocks and starving them of oxygen. If that sounds appealing, this game is totally for you. I do wish this game had more content. After a few runs through, you'll find yourself in the same scenarios over and over again. But, for anyone who loves the random generation of a roguelike, but wishes they could do it while commanding a starship rather than hacking at orcs, this is the answer. Natural Selection 2 Are you looking for a multiplayer first-person shooter with a bit more depth than today's standard run-and-gun fest? Much like the original mod, Natural Selection 2 will probably scratch that

itch. It's part classic Alien versus Predator, part Tribes base building, and if you're playing in Commander mode, it's part RTS. Admittedly, it's a little impenetrable at first. The depth here is bought with a lot more complexity than your standard shooter, but if you can wait through the learning curve, there's a lot of fun to uncover. Commander: The Great War We get to play World War II all the time. We've seen the earth tones of modern combat, the fields of Rome. We've been knights and crusaders and samurai, but rarely do we get to strap on a pith helmet or hop in the trenches. This game makes it on the list because it lets us do just that. Take on World War I. It's a grand strategy game that feels

exactly as grinding and slow as World War I should. You'll have to be a lot better than I was if you really want the Western Front to move. It's certainly not the most robust grand strategy game I've seen, and even if you read the manual, there are some things left unexplained. But if you think you're actually capable of turning the tide of World War I, here's your chance. Though seriously, Mustafa Kemal, nowhere near as badass as he should be. Kerbal Space Program You ever wanted to build and pilot a rocket ship? I don't mean a space vessel, I mean multi-stage big hulking one-way ticket to space rocket ship. If so, Kerbal Space Program is a fantastic simulation. It doesn't sacrifice much on the altar of fun. So if building rockets isn't your thing, you'd probably better avoid this. But if you love old countdown videos and

you still mourn the abandonment of the Saturn V's, this is something you should try. And finally, The Unfinished Swan. This game is just beautiful. It shares a lot in common with that game company's work, blending aesthetic beauty and novel gameplay, a sense of wonder, and a touching story at a budget price. It's not a lengthy game, but even within those few hours, it mixes things up a lot to keep the gameplay fresh. One moment you'll be splashing black ink to navigate a completely white space. Another moment you'll be watering vines to help you climb. And that soundtrack.

If you're the type of person who loves experiences like Journey or Flower, you probably ought to check this out. Well, I hope that gives you something intriguing to chew on. I know we could all use a few more unplayed games on our Steam queue. As always, feel free to send us links to any games you found that are a little unusual or a little outside the norm, cuz we love seeing what's out there. See you next week.