Games You Might Not Have Tried: Winter 2015 - Find New Games - Extra Credits

You know, it has been a pretty good season for games. So, we figured we would do a games you might not have tried episode before all the holiday sales hit. It's been a while since we've done one of these. So, as always, the same rules apply. We don't promise all of these games are good, just that they all are interesting. There is something you haven't seen or some idea that isn't often explored in every one of these, even if that ingenuity makes some of them a bit of a mess. So, with that disclaimer out of the way, on to the games. First up, Undertale. We have to start with Undertale because it takes some of the oldest conventions in gaming and rethinks them to deliver a beautiful, touching story while at the same time wrenching some of those old JRPG mechanics into the 21st century. This is an RPG along the lines of Earthbound or the old Dragon Warrior games, but instead of just having menu-driven combat, when enemies attack the player, the game turns into a micro schmup where the player has a chance to dodge whatever's coming at them. And

although eventually some of these battles can get a little tedious, the schmup angle makes them so much more interactive and engaging than the menu-driven games it draws inspiration from. One of the most novel elements of this game is that you can talk the enemies into not fighting you. And not through some bloated dialogue tree, but through an elegant system where you simply have to choose what approach to take with them. And as you discover a tiny bit about them, you can decide if they need to be complimented or if they just need some space and some time alone. And this made it one of the first RPGs where winning a battle actually made me feel good about the world. Watching the enemies do a little happy dance because you treated them well or because they simply ceased to carry all that anger that made them a bully is one of the most rewarding experiences that I've had on a victory screen. The big reason to play this is for the story, and the last thing I want to do is spoil that because you really, really should experience this game fresh. Trust me, go into this one as blind as you can. You'll be glad you did.

Warhammer End Times: Vermintide This game's on the list because it carries a powerful message. This game proves once and for all that, yes, you can use both a colon and an m dash in your game title and get away with it. It's a brave new world, folks. Seriously, though, the game is actually kind of awesome. One of my designer friends put it best. This game is bad in all of the ways that don't actually make it not good. No, its graphics aren't top of the line. Yes, it sometimes crashes when you're 35 minutes into a mission that has no save points. No, it doesn't have host migration. But, man, it's still a blast. Imagine Left 4 Dead, but set in the Warhammer universe with gear, loot drops, and a crafting system. If that sentence doesn't sell you, nothing probably will. And if you have a few friends to play this with, it's ridiculous, over-the-top, exactly what I

would want out of such a game. Just know going in that it's hard, like really hard. The default difficulty is probably higher than you're going to be able to handle when you first drop in. Luckily, there are two difficulties below that one to get your feet wet and to gear up on. And the maximum difficulty is just nuts. So, if you get into this, this game will easily last even the most hardcore player the whole holiday season. The Beginner's Guide Hi there. Thank you very much for playing The Beginner's Guide. We're going to look at the games made by a friend of mine named Coda. What was going through his head as he was building this? I want us to see past the games themselves. I want to get to know who this human being really is. And that's exactly what we're going to do here. Okay, full disclosure here. Davey is a good friend of ours and a brother in arms. Regardless, this game is worth looking into if you've ever struggled to

create. Is it perfect? No, but it does deal with issues that games usually don't tackle. It addresses personal imperfection, self-doubt, and the need for validation in a way that I don't think I've ever seen a game attempt. It's one of those games that stuck with me long after I played it. One where I just had to sit and think for a while after reaching the end. If you're okay with a heavy game that's light on gameplay, this one is easily worth a few hours of your life. Read Only Memories. I like this game because it's a good adventure game, but I really like it because it's a game that is overtly about bringing more diverse characters into gaming. And yet, it manages to be about that in such a way that rather than beating you over the head with it, it simply shows how interesting and rich a cast you can make when your palette isn't limited to the standard racial and sexual tropes we find in games. Oh, and

because it's cyberpunk. Did I mention cyberpunk? James really, really like cyberpunk. But yeah, this is an old-school adventure along the lines of Shadow Gate. One that ditches most of the pixel hunting or item fiddling time for more in-depth conversations. One that presents a rich near-world future and brings up questions of obedience to authority, use of technology, and personal freedom. And one that has a cast that you will fall in love with. So, if you're okay with point and click, definitely check this out. Black Watchmen. This is one of the last games we covered on James recommends, so I won't spend too long on it, but this is probably the best digital wrapper for an ARG that I've ever seen. Many people have tried to tie a computer game and an ARG together over the years, but usually

it's resulted in both pieces being less than either would be by itself. Black Watchmen on the other hand focuses on the ARG element and lets the computer game side simply serve as a platform to allow you to solve many of the puzzles on your own, even if the community has long since solved them, just so you don't miss out on the experience. It also provides an easy way for the community to communicate and a channel for people to work together. If you're looking for some good, if occasionally frustrating puzzle solving over the winter, especially if you like a bit of horror and some X-Files type paranoia thrown in, try Black Watchmen. And finally, Mini Metro. Mini Metro is the most elegant new puzzle game I have found. The concept is simple. You're building a

subway by drawing out the map. The goal is to keep traffic flowing, to keep the passengers getting to their stops on time. But the beautiful simplicity of the design and the elegance of the UI make this the sort of experience you can lose hours to. Cities will grow and expand in different ways each time, forcing you to adapt and to find new strategies as you go. If you want to explore and examine a game that really does an incredible amount using very little, or if you're just looking for a strategic puzzle that can keep you busy for 20 minutes and possibly 12 hours, check out Mini Metro. I hope some of those help keep you busy throughout the long winter months. Thanks for watching and we'll see you guys next week.