Markus Ritter - Ghosts of the Past

Legacy of the Schattenjaegers, continued

After a very promising demo/prologue (The Lost Family), the Markus Ritter storyline now continues with the main game, Ghosts of the Past. A lovingly conceived, beautifully designed and executed tribute to Jane Jensen's iconic Gabriel Knight universe, the Markus Ritter games feature the eponymous character and his estranged cousin, Roberta - another honorable allusion to full motion video (FMV) game pioneer and Jensen's early collaborator, Roberta Williams.

The House of Da Vinci

In the maze of a genius mind

Very beautifully designed, as all the games in this series, based (albeit somewhat loosely) on historical figures and facts. Game mechanics are reasonable but also challenging and a thoroughly researched blend of history and fiction is always a treat for the players who enjoy this kind of plot.

The Wild Case

A fantasy laced crime mystery

Endearingly pretty design, reasonable (for a change) puzzles, an engaging story. In all, an enjoyable, challenging enough indie game, which keeps the player's interest alive till the end.

Markus Ritter - The Lost Family

Legacy of the Schattenjaegers

A very well made, interesting and enjoyable tribute to one of the beloved, iconic games in the adventure genre - Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within - with full motion video (FMV) starring real actors.

Darkarta - A Broken Heart's Quest (Collector's Edition)

Of love & other demons

Being a HOG (Hidden Object Games) enthusiast ever since I discovered their existence, I opted for the Collector's Edition of Darkarta: A Broken Heart's Quest, which includes the soundtrack and a bonus adventure (also offered as separate DLCs).

Call of Fries

Still want fries with that?

Never thought I'd get pwnd by a fry, of all digitally simulated entities out there. Oh well.

Keepsake

Suspiria, anyone?

Not the (rather incomprehensible) recent remake, but Dario Argento's original 1970 masterpiece about a ballet student arriving at a dance academy which is actually a witch coven. Keepsake is a lovely vintage adeventure game that seems to be using an engine similar to the one another, older classic game, Sanitarium, was made with. Throughout the evolution of the plot, there are many winks at Argento's visionary thriller, although the general atmosphere and spirit are quite different.

Gabriel Knight 1 - Sins of the Fathers (20th Anniversary Edition)

And there was light

The first time (about a decade and a half ago) that I attempted to install Sins of the Fathers on my then Windows 98 SE PC, I was met with bitter disappointment; the game just refused to run properly, defying any and all workarounds. It was only in 2015 - thanks to its drastically revamped, 20 year anniversary edition distributed on Steam - that I finally got to play this legendary adventure, rightfully considered as a cornerstone in its genre.

Serena

Twists of plot, twists of fate

A nice, atmospheric little game telling the story of a failed writer who finds himself locked in a wooden house in the forest, unable to remember his recent past. An exploration of his surroundings gives him some clues which make him doubt his own actions and motives. Serena seems to be his wife, who has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. But what exactly happened to her, and why?

The Dream Machine

A Freudian nightmare in clay and cardboard

A young couple, Victor and pregnant Alicia, move to a somewhat decrepit urban apartment building, only to find out that their elderly landlord, lonely and mysterious Mr. Morton, is spying on them and the other tenants through a sophisticated surveillance system. In an attempt to catch him red-handed, Victor stumbles upon an unimaginable discovery...

The Room Two

Aesthetically superb, intellectually challenging

Aesthetically superb and intellectually challenging, The Room Two follows in the steps of equally gorgeous riddlefest The Room, this time with a hint of a story.

Morphopolis

The wonderful adventures of a grub

A visually gorgeous little game with a surprising and original premise, some decent puzzles and above all else, lovely design and soundtrack. It was offered at a tiny fraction of its already low price via a gift coupon from Steam, so I gave it a go.

The Nadi Project

The mysterious island

The NADI Project is a very nice little game, with pretty graphics and a good story. A lot more sophisticated and beautifully accomplished than one might expect from a free game, which brilliantly proves that lack of financial means is not an excuse for lack of quality.