Misthold Welcomes You

Wandersong (2018) is a puzzle adventure game where you play as a bard trying to save the world despite not being the Hero. The game mechanics are focused around music (because you're a bard!), though Deaf/HoH and colorblind players can still enjoy the game because there are directional indicators that don't rely on hearing notes.

I really, really enjoyed this game! I loved the art, the characters, the music, and especially the little special sprinkles of joy throughout. There's multiple LGBTQ+ characters, including the Bard who is canon nonbinary, as well as characters of color and characters of all ages. A well-rounded cast of people to populate an adorable world.

The art is cute and colorful, and the colors shift slightly between each chapter of the game. Also, each "dungeon" area was different. My favorite was the Moon/Sun castle area-- you have to jump at stars, sing to activate them, and then float through space to make it to the next ledge. Very pretty and super fun to play through.

The dialogue in particular was really well done: you can talk to over 100 characters and they each have something unique to say.

But more than that: they each have something INTERESTING to say. It's not just repeating three phrases, or random unhelpful info. These characters have EMOTIONS! They philosophize! They wonder about their life, the world, each other, etc. and they're actually personally interested in the Bard and want to be their friend. It's adorable, and it made the game much more enjoyable and impactful.

Alongside the dialogue thing is a well-written story. Saving the world isn't just about defeating bad guys and using a big sword; the actual Hero character is really mean, and Bard and their friends struggle to handle that situation alongside the inevitable end of the world. There are other, smaller stories happening too-- two countries have been at war for so long that they've forgotten why, a pirate captain searches for his mermaid, some ghost infest a town and scare the neighbors.

Then there's the character growth and individual stories happening between the Bard, their friend(s), and the various people they meet. It's incredibly detailed and rich for a puzzle/adventure game, something on par with what I'd expect from a visual novel. There aren't any storyline choices, but if you choose to skip most of the dialogue then you'd miss a huge chunk of what's enjoyable about the game and story.

Wandersong is actually pretty simple and easy to play, and there's not really a "collect these things and level up" aspect or really anything beyond the main story. There's lots of cute puzzle games that are fun to play, but don't interest me beyond a few hours of play. Wandersong kept me hooked for three days! What makes it special is the story, and the fostering of deep emotional connections to the people who populate that world. It an INTENSE game and well worth picking up, especially if you enjoy games like Undertale or visual novel games.

I absolutely adored it!

Price: $19.99

Available for Windows, macOS, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. I played the Switch version, which is currently on sale for a few more days.

After finishing Wandersong I went looking for "behind the scenes stuff" and found out that the creator was determined to make an uplifting game to make people feel better (paraphrased). It 100% worked and I'm so happy I played it.

Luminous (2018) is a retro-style platformer starring a BIPOC protagonist who has to save the world by rekindling the light. It's got a great style with very strikingly stark colors and pseudo-1980s graphics, plus a really good soundtrack. Plus: the story is not as straight-forward as it seems at first, with some unique twists to the genre/game style.

However, I couldn't finish playing and eventually gave up after about twenty minutes. I had a few problems: one, the light lines-on-dark background style actually made my eyes hurt after a while. Two, I have no patience for trying to jump onto a ledge exactly right in order to move forward in the story and that's basically the whole game. And three, I had a SUPER difficult time killing the monsters-- not sure if that's on purpose or if I just can't get the hang of the controls, but it was annoying.

If you're good at platformers, you'll be fine. And I think the style and unique story elements make it worth checking out!

Price: $1.00

Available for Windows and macOS. I played the Mac version.

Secrets of Rætikon (2017) is an open-world action/adventure game set in the Alps. You play as a bird, exploring the world to find runes, interact with animals, solve puzzles, etc.

I played about 20 minutes before having to give up. It recommends using a controller, and I agree. Using the keyboard to try and navigate my bird over mountains and into the woods was very difficult; a controller would've made it much easier to do ANYTHING.


I actually have a Steam controller, but the buttons don't match up with the keys, and I can't change the bindings. I checked the Itch.io page and apparently it's set to an Xbox controller. If you have one of those, you're set!

Not being able to play this is a bummer, because this has really nice art! And the background sounds of a busy forest are very soothing.

Price: $9.99

Available for Windows, macOS and Linux. I played the Mac version.

A Nightmare's Trip (2019) is a visual novel where you play as Adrien, a nightmare brought to life. And then you take a trip to pseudo-Tokyo!

I liked the art in this game. The backgrounds are photos which have been run through an "illustration" filter (or something) and the characters are 2D illustrations. It's a neat style.

So, straight up, I didn't finish this game. I played about an hour, which I think was almost halfway through the game (it's short, under 3 hours). It's a visual novel but there's very little interaction from the player besides a few dialogue choices, which the game dev says lead to "subtle" plot changes e.g. nothing major. You get clues for the mystery of Adrien's creator but you don't DO anything with them. The people you meet talk for a bit, then leave and never contact you again (as of 1 hour into the game, anyway). Eh.

It's cute, but not enough story or character development to keep me interested.

I do prefer games where choices matter and deciding on a particular "style" of dialogue means sometimes wildly different plot developments, so A Nightmare's Trip wasn't exactly a match. However, if you're really interested in a casual, relaxing game about a furry nightmare creature traveling to an alternate-dimension Japan, then go for it!

Price: $8.00

Available for Windows, Mac and Linux. I played the Mac OS version.