Holiday Playlist: Kurt Indovina

And so it begins: The Holiday break.

And so it begins: The Holiday break. For many (myself included), the Holidays can be… well, at times, stressful. Often, there is this self-motivated obligation to drive around town, visiting family members stretched between yourself and a significant other’s families, or being forced to interact with the politically incorrect individuals on your Mom’s side; these things are inevitable. But we must always remember what’s truly important around this time of year, and that’s what video games you can use to escape the realities of Holiday stresses.

Here’s what I’ll be sinking into over the next week:

Kentucky Route Zero can be best described as a Coen brothers’ film meets a surreal interactive novel. Thus far in the episodic series, Kentucky Route Zero has done some of the most interesting and innovative things I’ve ever seen done in a point-and-click adventure. Cardboard Computer has designed a game that simply engulfs me into an atmosphere and world that I truly feel apart of. From act to act, Kentucky Route Zero feels extraordinarily dream-like, and breaks conventions of structure and storytelling I rarely even seen attempted in film. Click over to the gam e’s Steam Pageto find out more information.

I like spooky stuff. After all, I am frequently referred to as “The Spooky Kid” (no I’m not). When I first saw The Last Door on Kickstartermany moons ago, I said “hey, that’s pretty spooky looking, and it’s also a point-and-click adventures game. I can dig it.” Since then, I’ve been keeping a keen eye on it, and have been eager to experience it in all of its pixelated, spooky beauty. Inspired by the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, and H.P. Lovecraft, The Last Door is a horror adventure game set in Victorian England. There and then, I was sold. In the spirit of the Holiday season, I was gifted such a desired game and can now escape the happy holiday festivities into something a bit more dark and brooding… just like me.

Sometimes you just gotta kick-it-back and get classy. The Journey Down by Skygoblin Games is as classic as you can get with the graphic adventure genre. You’ll be solving several puzzles at once with an inventory filled with plenty of items, having sarcastic witty conversations, and endlessly exploring environments and their quirky characters. The Journey Down has a funky “afro-caribbean” vibe, with somewhat grim character design; all the characters faces are designed based of African death masks. Spooky, the way I like it. The game follows the bumbling protagonist Bwana on his journey, beginning as a poor gas station employee across a tale of crime and corruption that kicks off when a mysterious woman enters his life looking for a rare and highly desirable book.

It’s true, I like the point-and-click adventure genre. I’m a sucker for narrative and atmosphere, and nothing allows me to sink away into an atmosphere at my own pace the way an adventure game allows me too. These are games I’ve been patiently waiting to dive into, and no better time then when I’m trying to avoid undesirable relatives.

I hope all those reading this will gain some insight and inspiration for titles to check out, and more importantly, have a wonderfully safe Holiday break, filled with a calming escape from our somewhat hectic and busy lifestyles.

Be well and game on.