Recent reviews by Kerriss

Hey. Play this game. If you've ever had an interest in linguistics, if you enjoy puzzles that require building context and let you take wild swings (or controlled swings at uncertain targets) before letting you test your understanding: Play this game.

I was sucked in immediately. The game isn't *difficult*, necessarily, but it is absolutely challenging. With a system that wants you to think about the way people use language and how it affects and is affected by the way the society develops and what they value.

Don't use a walkthrough unless you're absolutely stumped. This is a game that rewards you for figuring things out as you go along and exploring as much as possible.

My only real gripe is that there are some stealth segments which can feel clunky and that some of the areas feel unintentionally difficult to navigate. If you're the kind of person who gets lost easily or struggles with direction you may find this frustrating at times but I still give it my whole-hearted recommendation

There's a LOT of good framework here that I'm hoping can be fleshed out ahead of full or EA release.

The mood is outstanding and the writing and art are solid.
Unfortunately it all felt a little bare-bones. The demo tosses you into play without much direction and, as it turns out, direction really wasn't needed. Everything is a multiple choice question occasionally accompanied by interesting art and text that then changes your statline in the top left and...that's really about it. I'd like to see more signs of the cult growing, maybe see some interactions between cells of the cult, or at the very least some branching narratives a la something like a stellaris anomaly event.

Overall I'll be watching this game, but can't recommend it in its current state

Conceptually? I like it. But, with respect: The dog needs to talk less. Atmosphere was overall nice (though the graphics were a little jank, even on ultra) but the tension or joy of the moment was frequently interrupted by a canned phrase from Hubert. It's the spider-man problem. Overall the VA is competent, the herding mechanic is pretty fun, and the combat--while jank--was easy to figure out and pretty decent. Will probably be checking out the full thing when it comes time for release

There are few games that have made me feel as deeply without an ounce of dialogue. Most of the story is in background details, whether it's sad, wonderful, or just strange. FAR: Changing Tides managed to instill in me the same 'strange land' vibes in me that Elder Scrolls: Morrowind did back in the day. The difference, of course, being that the character in Changing Tides is not a stranger to the land you're in. They're intimately familiar. The idea that you're sailing through someone else's apocalypse invokes the same lonely, gut-wrench feeling that several moments in FAR: Lone Sails--a game which made me cry over a train--did. The obstacles are plenty, the atmosphere is outstanding, the puzzles are pretty good, and the music is amazing.

TL;DR: If you like FAR: Lone Sails, yes you should pick this up. If you haven't played FAR: Lone Sails, you should pick both up.

It's good. It's so so so good. Skip Little nightmares 3. Play this. Taking it into a fully 3d environment while locking off the camera is such an inspired choice for the kinds of horror at play. Tarsier Studios continues to make you wonder what happened in the world you explore and keep things wonderfully, horribly, atmospheric. Can't wait for the full game release

This game moves at a pretty methodical pace (as it should. Fast climbers are dead climbers, more often than not) but despite that: It held my attention the whole way through. While the mechanics seem vaguely reminiscent of Jusant--Climbing robot, planting extra pitons to secure yourself, scaling as an end goal--I feel like Cairn puts so much extra time and love into the climbing mechanics. Aava starts to pant and panic when she knows her limbs are about to give out. Limbs wobble on unsteady grip-points. The edges of the screen darken. All easy signs to tell you, the player, that disaster is near Fingers need to be taped up regularly to maintain grip. Food and water need to be found to maintain health.

So much of this game's detail goes into the smaller details so that you're almost forced to stop. Think. Take in the climb and the beauty of the world. I'll be doin' everything in my power to make sure I have the scratch to pick this game up on release

Guys? I'm starting to think this game isn't actually about fish...

Deeply strange, very unsettling, outright horrifying at times. Exactly what you'd want out of a Chilla game

This game is so deeply atmospheric and unsettling. It utilizes the low-poly aesthetic to maximize the sensation of the uncanny valley. More than anything this game instilled in me the sense that -I should not be here-. It raised more questions than it answered and left me wishing desperately that the game lasted longer. Highly recommend

I'm a huge fan of this game. It manages a striking visual style, a story with all manner of twists and turns, and a deep, eldritch terror that taps into any existing fear you may have of unknown depths. The reveal of certain creatures (And their presence as a puzzle or obstacle to be avoided rather than a foe to overcome) keeps you from ever going without tension for too long. All that said: This game is still what I would call a 'cozy' game. The moments outside of night expeditions where you're going for those rare fish at the detriment of sanity and seaworthiness can be deeply relaxing and with time comes mastery that helps sand off the sharp edges of the fear the game tries to induce (usually successfully).

If you're a fan of Sunless Sea and the games surrounding it then you will enjoy Dredge

I'm so deeply enamored with this game. The writing is excellent, the combat is challenging without being overbearing, the characters are almost all likeable (Looking at you Lae'zel), and the devs have really catered to the save scrummers in all of us with the ability to quicksave during dialogue and just before a roll. It's not just 'D&D 5e but a videogame' it's a deeply entertaining narrative in a world with all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore that applies (And, in some places, improves upon) 5e's mechanics. Can't wait to see what's coming down the line