GG – 60 Seconds, Reatomized!

Introducing the challenge.

This is somewhat outside the usual pattern, as I went back to make sure I’d ticked it off after leaving this blog fallow for a long time.

60 Seconds, Reatomized!

Publisher/Creator: Robot Gentleman

Format: Strategy game

Released: 2019

Available on: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Platform Played: PC (via Steam)

What is it?

60 Seconds, Reatomized! is a survival strategy game in which you play as one of the parents of a retro nuclear family who must direct and prioritise the welfare of the family members you bring into a fallout shelter with you. Every game opens with a 60 second countdown, during which you have to collect family members and supplies to dump down the ladder into your shelter before getting to it yourself. This is made harder by the awkward controls and comedic physics of the household objects that act as obstacles in your way. Once that 60 seconds is over, assuming you’ve made it to the shelter by then, you enter the game proper. You play through a series of decisions in which you send family members out to hunt for supplies, tackle unexpected complications and ration your food and water, with the intention that you and your family will survive long enough to be rescued. Reatomized is a remaster of the existing 60 Seconds! game, which I have not played.

GG – Alan Wake

Introducing the challenge.

Alan Wake
Publisher/Creator: Remedy Entertainment, Microsoft Game Studios
Format: Action game
Released: 2010 (Xbox One), 2012 (PC)

Available on: PC, Xbox One

Platform Played: PC (via Steam)

What is it?

Alan Wake is an action horror that definitely tends towards the Uncharted style of cinematic game, with lots of cut scenes, big set pieces and genre homages. If you want to step into a Stephen King novel or play an action monster-fighting version of Twin Peaks, Alan Wake is a surprising amount of fun. Plus it’s both pretty and atmospheric, which covers a multitude of sins for me.

GG – Akaneiro: Demon Hunters

Introducing the challenge.

Akaneiro: Demon Hunters
Publisher/Creator: Spicy Horse
Format: Action RPG
Released: 2013
Available on: Not really available any more, in the sense that it no longer seems to work due to the old servers going down.

Platform Played: PC (via Steam)

What is it?

An action RPG based on Little Red Riding Hood, set in a fantastical version of feudal Japan. And, of course, Red Riding Hood gets to kick a lot of ass. Unfortunately, and perhaps unsurprisingly given Spicy Horse’s unstable history as a developer, the company’s closure has left fans stranded with an unplayable game. While this might not be a great loss as a free game, it was both a Kickstarter project and a free-to-play title with microtransactions, so those who have invested monetarily in the game may find that frustrating. A lone developer from the company has been attempting to provide support and workarounds via the Steam community page, but without official patches going out, and only some unreliable workrounds, I consider this title to be defunct. Good for that one developer, though – gotta admire their dedication.

GG – Age of Empires III

Introducing the challenge.

Age of Empires III
Publisher/Creator: Ensemble Studios, Microsoft
Format: Strategy game
Released: 2005

Available on: PC, iOS, some mobile platforms apparently

Platform Played: PC (via Steam)

What is it?

A follow-up to the classic historical strategy game, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, bringing the same innovative concepts to a more modern style of strategy game. Instead of the historical figure campaigns of II, Age of Empires III follows a fictional family as they try to weather significant historical events.

GG – Age of Empires II

Introducing the challenge.

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Publisher/Creator: Ensemble Studios, Microsoft
Format: Strategy game
Released: (Original) 1999 (HD Remake) 2013

Available on: PC, iOS, PS2

Platform Played: PC (via Steam)

What is it?

A real-time strategy game with campaigns based around historical figures and factions. Age of Empires II was groundbreaking for its polish, slick settlement design and its really excellent campaign mode. Despite its age, it still manages to provide a satisfying game experience, especially with the HD remake.

GG – ABZÛ

Introducing the challenge.

ABZÛ
Publisher/Creator: Giant Squid Studios/505 Games
Format: Exploration game, art game, meditation aid(?)
Released: 2016

Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Platform Played: PC (via Steam)

What is it?
A heartfelt ocean adventure in which you take a wondrous tour through gorgeous undersea environments and bring life and colour back to grey places sapped by the draining power of technology (it’s a subtle message).

GG – 80 Days

I feel a bit weird about this one considering one of the creators recently tweeted about an interactive fiction I wrote! But I committed to this challenge and I will not let social awkwardness stop me.

Introducing the challenge.

80 Days
Publisher/Creator: Inkle Studios, Cape Guy Ltd.
Format: Interactive fiction with mechanical crunch (plus a vein of strategy game)
Released: 2014

Available for: PC, Android, iOS

Platform(s) Played: Android, PC

What is it?
An intriguing game adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in 80 Days, in which Phileas Fogg and his manservant Jean Passepartout try to traverse the globe in 80 days to win a bet. Filled with fantastical worldbuilding, wonderful characters and a definite frisson between Fogg and Passepartout, it’s a mechanically simple game easily played on a mobile device, but has immense narrative depth and plenty of variations for replay value.

GG – 2064: Read Only Memories

Introducing the challenge.

2064: Read Only Memories (A New Cyberpunk Adventure)

Publisher/Creator: MidBoss
Format: Point-and-click adventure game
Released: (Originally) 2015
Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One, OS X, Linux, Switch
Platform Played: PC (via Steam)

What is it?
2064: Read Only Memories is a cute cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game that acts as an homage to older adventure games while also remaining very aware of its place within the cyberpunk genre’s theme of “low-life and hi-tech”, and the modern landscape of gaming. It’s vibey, woke and engaging.

GG – Steam Library Challenge

Edit: I’ve decided, since starting this challenge, to not include my partner’s games in this list, because trying to play the games on his games library is a faff that was getting in the way of my continuing the challenge. With that in mind, I have edited the list below to just include the games from my own library and updated it to my current list, as I don’t know what I had when I started this.

I’m really bad at finishing computer games, and right now I’m not reading enough RPGs to be able to review them on here. A friend of mine started doing a challenge a while ago (http://chibissteamchallenge.blogspot.com/) where they started playing at least an hour of everything in their Steam Library alphabetically. It was actually really interesting to read about games I hadn’t ever played but knew by name. So I’ve decided to give it a try, as a low-pressure way of getting back into the habit of blogging.