Tell Me Why (Dontnod Entertainment) is a narrative adventure game about two twins separated from each other after one of them kills their mother in self defense. Reunited as adults, they return to their family home to clean it out and try to understand why their mother suddenly attacked them. Using the Voice (the ability to share their thoughts), the twins are able to delve into the past, replaying their shares memories (which sometimes differ, depending on their individual perspective).

On the whole, I enjoyed Tell Me Why. I liked the exploration of memories and the way they allowed for the exploration of intense, personal moments between the characters. Though, it would have been interesting to see this mechanic explored more in the game. Certain elements of the storyline and some of the choices the characters make didn’t quite resonate with me, but I still got swept up in the story and enjoyed uncovering the past with these characters.

As a side note, the game is set in Alaska, where I spent part of my elementary school years and where I spent almost every summer following our move to California. I love the state, and seeing the beautiful mountains and lakes and pine trees filled me with joyful nostalgia.

I replayed Control (Remedy Entertainment), my favorite game from 2024, for a video game club discussion and in preparation for the release of Control: Resonant in just over a month. And now I can say that I loved the game all over again, so much so I Platinumed the game.

I love Jessie’s as a character and the way she does from being an isolated outcast to the head of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) and all its associated weirdness. She begins as a reluctant hero, mostly there to just find her brother. But overtime, she makes connections and grows into her role as a leader, claiming her own power in the Ashtray Maze (one of the best game sequences I’ve ever played) and discovering the secrets of this strange world.

I’m also such a fan of the Oldest House itself. This shifting building is strange and impossible, and I love the brutalist architecture style blended with the mundane aspects of cubical-style offices. The bland and bizarre is just such a fun combination, making for some interesting office culture within the FBC.

All I have left to play (and 100%) is the AWE DLC, which is the most frightening section of the game, since it’s inspired by Alan Wake and the Darkness. I’ll probably finish it in the next month.

I started playing God of War: Ragnarok (Santa Monica Studio), which picks up some years after the events of the previous game. Kratos and Atreus are in hiding from Freya and the other Norse gods, who have taken issue with the father’s and son’s actions — with Freya viciously attacking Kratos in the name of avenging her son.

Atreus is older, a young teenager now, and his powers are growing — sometimes in ways that he cannot control. He’s also desperate to learn more about who he is, why the Giants called him Loki, and what that means for himself and the world. Kratos, ever the protective father, is reluctant to allow this, but eventually concedes when he realizes that understanding the truth may be the only thing that can protect them.

I’m looking forward to returning to the world of Midgard, interacting (and fighting) more ancient gods, like Thor and Odin, and discovering how Kratos will grow his strength to fight even more powerful gods and monsters.

I replayed Unpacking (Witch Beam), looking for a comfy experience. The game is a casual puzzle game, in which the player unpacks boxes and places Sadie’s belongings in their right place each time she moves to a new home. We see her move into a college dorm, a first apartment with a roommate, and through various relationships. It’s a lovely little experience that can be completed over just a few hours — and it was just as satisfying playing it the second time around.

finity. (seabaa) is a simple puzzle game, involving matching colors to remove lines. Different modes provide various challenge modes and difficulties. The way tiles click into place is so satisfying. It’s a great iPhone game (available on Apple Arcade), if you want something that will allow you to idly pass the time.

Browser Games

Print Gallery of an Artist (Daniel Linssen) is a mind-bending platforming game, based on fractal spirals. Each level spirals in on itself and the player can see multiple versions of their character at the little gold coins they need to collect to open the door and progress. Getting through levels involved constantly shifting between which version of your character you’re focused on, while often keeping track of other elements on the screen. I’m not great at platformers, but was able to get through a handful of levels before the mind-bendy aspects combined with enemies overwhelmed me. I highly recommend this one, though, for those who love platforming in games — because it’s visually stunning.

Under a Star Called Sun (Cecile Richard) is a lovely little adventure game about a journey into space and the loneliness of knowing that you’re never going to be able to return home. As the character goes through their routines on the ship, they remember their connection to the person they left behind and reflect on the ways their memories seem to be fragmenting over time. It’s such an incredibly impactful experience for such a short game.

Death Spiral (kindanice) is roguelike with single-button gameplay. The cursor spirals around in a circle and the player just clicks at the right time to take an action. Clicking on white sections allow the player to attack, while clicking on a red section dodges an attach from the enemy. After defeating a set of three enemies, you return to a shop to recover health or buy upgrades. I’m not very good at playing this game (since I’m too prone to panicking), but I keep returning to it to try again and again. Super satisfying.

Playing Death Spiral lead me to another kindanice game, UFO Clicker. It’s is a simple clicker game about collecting enough humans, so that you can call the mothership. You start off with a single spaceship, clicking up 1-3 humans at a time. Once the players gathers up enough humans, they can implement upgrades to make progression faster. Takes about 15 minutes to play, but I ended up returning several times to see if I could get my run time down by trying different strategies.

Other excelent browser games I played:

• “The Enemies Can’t Hurt You“ by SlimeWitch is a game poem that inverts the typical roguelike gameplay. As you move around a small grid, the monsters attack, but there’s no way to fend them off — and anyway, they can’t hurt you. It’s a lovely little introspective experience.
• “earthworm“ by Yifan is a beautiful autobiographical that uses the simple gameplay to explore the ways memory can haunt us.
• “Glimby“ by thecatamites is a funny interactive animal game. Glimby is a tiny character in a tiny room, and you can get to know him by clicking on objects in the room and discovering more about his world.
• “Late for Work” by Sunfarer is a beautifully evocative. The player wanders down an endless crowded walkway full of people with blurred faces. Every once in a while, the player is stopped by someone in the crowd, asking for help. I don’t want to say to much because I think you should play it, but I love the way it explores how our humanity can often overtake our humanity.

Demos from Steam Next Fest

I also played a number of demos from the Summer Steam Next Fest, which highlights forthcoming games being released on Steam.

Silver Pines (Wych Elm) is a survival horror about a detective searching for a missing musician in a strange town. As you progress, looking for keys to unlock doors and other puzzle items, you encounter strange, gnarled creatures that will violently attack you. Loved the style, gameplay, and story so far. Definitely going to play this one when it comes out. Comes out October 8, 2026.

Boreal Tenebrae Act 0: Sundowning (Snot Bubbles Productions) is a dark narrative adventure about two sisters in a small town full of mysteries. Gameplay involves exploring the town, solving puzzles, and unraveling dark mysteries. You swap between characters (even a cat!) to explore and solve the puzzles. Comes out on July 30, 2026, and its a prequel to Act I of the game (released in 2020) that I’m also planning to check out.

After the Wane (Nova-box) is a visual novel about a ballerina who joins a studio with deep magical secrets. The impressionistic-style animations are just stunning, and I’ll be playing it for that alone — but the story is also compelling. Release date to be announced.

Imagine We Were Human (Vine Moss Games) – Imagine We Were Human features 12 mini games about humans making connections. Each game features its own gameplay and visual style intended to evoke a specific human experience. I particularly liked “Liminal Connection,” in which two strangers passing each other in the hallway each day feel a sense of silent electricity. Release date to be announced.

Virtue and a Sledgehammer (Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbour) is an action game about a woman contending with the actions of her sister, which she deems morally despicable. The player takes their sledgehammer and slams through the world, busting through walls, crushing computers, and dismantling robots. Comes out in 2026.

Technically, I didn’t really get to play much of this one (just a minute or two), because my janky Mac + Emulator setup would not allow me to do so. But everything about this game is my kind of thing, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to play it some day.

Feed It (Games On A Chair) is a horror adventure game about having to feed the monster you live with. You can either feed the monster or feed yourself, each choice having its own consequences to the story. Inspired by Mouthwashing (one of my favorite games from last year), the game has a gritty, grainy style, and I’m curious to see more. Comes out August 17, 2026.

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If you’d also like to know about the books and media that I enjoyed recently, you can check out my Culture Consumption for June and July.