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.

The Whisperer in Darkness (2014) is a visual novel game based on the H.P. Lovecraft short story of the same name. It's basically just a retelling of the story, set in modern times.

Since you literally don't have ANY input except for slowly moving a pixel person across the screen, which honestly could've been left out with no loss to the story, I don't think this is actually a "game." There are no dialogue options, no plot choices, no actual interaction except for moving the pixel person.

As an art form this is an interesting concept; as something I spent almost an hour reading I can't say I was that excited about it. (I don't like Lovecraft.) I liked the art and the old school style font, and I appreciate the unique delivery of a short story, but it was VERY boring.

Not really recommended unless you want to try out reading a short story via video game. I vaguely remember these sorts of things from my 1990s childhood, and I don't think I liked them then, either...

Price: $2.99

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

Content notes: Screamer-style art panel at the end, though there isn't actual screaming.

Speed Dating for Ghosts (2018) is an interactive fiction/visual novel/dating sim where you play as a nameless, genderless ghost attending a speed dating night. I went into this thinking it'd be a kooky, humorous game-- but it was way more heartfelt than I expected from first glance.

There are 12 total ghosts to date, plus a secret 13th option. The ghosts' personalities vary a lot, they all have different backgrounds and stories and goals (and genders, including two nonbinary ghosts), and it was really neat seeing such a wide selection of people in one dating sim.

Each dialogue option leads to different story lines, and though you can technically date every ghost, you won't necessarily be able to get ALL the storylines in one play session. For instance, I didn't vibe with one ghost right at the beginning of the game, and he noped out of the rest of the speed dating session and was unavailable for the entire rest of the game. Also, some choices you make in one dating story affect the interactions you have with other ghosts!

You CAN go back and replay the dates individually, but there's no way to skip previously-seen text, unfortunately. There's definitely some dialogue options that help you vibe more with certain ghosts, because when you pick the "right" sequence they get adorable floating hearts around their heads. However, not every ghost is actually a romantic prospect, as far as I can tell-- like, one ghost is a dog? I don't want to date a dog.

A good chunk of the dates aren't actually dates, they're more like therapy sessions or mysteries. But! The therapy sessions just made me sad. And solving the mysteries doesn't lead to happy endings, either. One ghost who had a mystery-solving date went into a dissociative episode at the after-party, and I couldn't figure out how to snap him out of it even having solved the mystery of his death. Or if I even could!

Also one post-date interaction was a mini game of Nim, which I can't figure out how to win.

Anyway, I stuck with the "don't want to hurt people, want to help people" route and through all but one ghost date options. It took me slightly less than 4 hours to finish the game, going just one straight-forward route. I think the other dialogue options lead to slightly different routes, but maybe just ones where they either like or dislike me more than they already do.

I really enjoyed this game! Even though it made me sad, and even though the ghosts were a little scary, it was fun to interact with them. And it was nice to think a little more deeply about what life means, what happens when you lose it and how that might affect you...it was very heartfelt, and had an unexpected depth to its story.

Price: $6.99

Content notes: some ghosts are scary-looking, though they're all in doodle style. Some spooky sounds. Sad ghost stories, and the previously-mentioned dissociative episode.

Available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Nintendo Switch. I played the Mac OS 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.

A Normal Lost Phone (2017) is a puzzle game. I played the Mac OS version.

The story about a trans girl figuring herself out, told through phone apps, emails, and text messages. Some puzzles (mostly finding the right codes), but more just reading a lot of text. Feels a little bit like creeping on a stranger to dig so deeply into their personal stuff, but it's an interesting plot device. Good music! Good art! Really nice design for the phone. I'd call it a visual novel except there are no plot choices or options, and you can't change the outcome of anything. Does that still count? Not sure.

About an hour's worth of play, longer if you read EVERYTHING (I skipped some of the forum posts, but they had good "what does it mean to be trans" info for newbies).

Price: $2.99

Content notes: Homophobia/transphobia, suicide/self-harm, bullying.