The Top 3 Games Scarlett Shiloh Got During the Steam Winter Sale ’17-’18
By Scarlet Shiloh ’19 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Alas, that time of year has passed once more. The holidays, the New Year (welcome to 2018!), and finally, the most important of them all: The Steam Winter Sale, one of the best times of the year! As per usual, I buy a few games for dirt cheap and review them here so you can consider buying them this year (or during the Summer sale, whichever works best). Without further ado, let’s review some games!
1.Gone Home
“Wow, Scarlett, you’re late to the party,” I can hear you shouting at your computer. Yes, yes, I know I should have played this ages ago. But here I am, having played it finally. Gone Home is a walking simulator where you explore your house after your sister, Sam, has run away. You go around and check out various objects that hold significance and tell the story of you, Katie, Sam, and your parents. The notes Sam left behind tell the story of her and Lonnie, and their budding friendship(/relationship). There are also various puzzles, such as figuring out combination locks. Most walking simulators go hand in hand with horror games, but Gone Home is more of a story than a game.
The amount of detail in Gone Home is stunning. Every single object holds significance and helps tell the heartbreaking and somber narrative of why Sam left, and where she went off to, and her bond with Lonnie. This game tackles social issues such as queer identity and family rejection, setting an example for many other games to take the risk and do the same, even if they are not story-driven games. Gone Home is a sweet story, and that’s what makes it a great game. When you play it, explore everything, and leave no stone unturned. (Also, try to get it during a sale. It’s $20 for a 3 hour game… my friend actually got this one for me.)
2.Typoman
I’ve wanted this game since the Summer, since my friend bought it during the Summer sale for the PS4. I love, love, love the aesthetic of this game. Using letters as graphics is innovative to say the very least, and the gritty sprites and backgrounds make it even better. Most people would use the letters-making-characters theme as a basis for a children’s spelling game, but the creators of Typoman have done exquisitely well at using that to create a post apocalyptic platformer-puzzle hybrid where you use language and words to advance in the levels, all while escaping monsters and trying to find out the truth to this world and just what happened to it.
3.Dropsy
Dropsy is charming. At least, that’s what you’d think, later on. No one likes clowns – they’re scary, eerily colored, and the recent movie It really doesn’t help. Dropsy is different. He just wants to hug people and help them with their problems, along with his dog who… wants to pee everywhere. Structured as a point and click adventure, this game does not utilize words at all, but instead pictures and symbols the player is meant to decipher. Despite this, the puzzles are fun and relatively simple once you get the hang of it. The graphics are adorable too – very wobbly and colorful, and the color palettes of each location perfectly map out the vibe or situation. When Dropsy is next on sale, go forth, and HUG EVERYONE!
Those are my top three games of this sale. If you want to pick these games up at full price, you can do so now – otherwise, time flies, and so does the year before the Summer Sale starts!