As a player and as a game designer, I usually hate driving games; never really that fun to play, and a headache to design.
And then there comes Modus Interactive, with a mind-bottling (yes), fully-realized vision-of-a-game. The fact that this much could be accomplished over the month-long duration of the game jam is stunning, even somewhat intimidating.
Mixing the best elements of Twisted Metal, Death Race 2000 and Tony Hawk Pro Skater (yes!), Groaning Steel has this hypnotic gameflow inviting players for a never-ending cycle of 'just one more try'. You'll want that score. You'll want those unlocks.
Presentation is also top notch. This is miles beyond what could reasonably be expected of the scope of a game jam, and is a game I intend to play again and again for quite some time.
Highly recommended.
The most recurring dreams I have are those depicting an enfilade of rooms branching into one another, making it possible to constantly walk forward without ever backtracking, and always having the feeling of going somewhere.
This might be why the backrooms creepypasta resonates with me (and many others, I suspect) on a personal level.
Now, THIS interpretation of the backrooms is very competent, oozing mood by its every pore. Good music, subtle gameflow feeding player instinct (that 'melting' sound pushing you forward, indicating the birth of new possible pathways, etc.), superb ambiance. Came a point where I began to try to understand the procedural aspect of the game with almost superstitious analysis (always go up, never down; always go left, never right...), which in itself is a proof of great immersion, to me.
An incredible experience, and the best take I have seen so far on the backrooms.
Not much in terms of game here, but that was clearly stated on the game page. But what IS here is very interesting.
#1 presents a single room, no context, and still manages to have some unnerving feel to it.
#2 has the added creepiness factor of amateur/raw photography for its backgrounds, which are inherently disturbing, in my personal opinion.
In both cases, there is a solid foundation for something greater, and one can only hope those abandoned projects will lead to something fully playable along the same lines.
A game that has a very keen sense of rhythm, starting with a slow burn that just reinforces the jumpscares when they finally arrive. Also good use of sound and space, reinforcing the disorienting nature of the map. Recommended.
A very interesting game, and the first time I've personally encountered a 3D Bitsy game, adding to the surrealness of it.
While it is very abstracted, it encapsulates the anxiety generated by those new bizarre behavioral-types business interviews, in a very competent way. Controls are somewhat finicky in places, no doubt having to do with the tools used (Bitsy being a rigid engine, and all).
Halfway between dreamy and nightmarish. Recommended.