I've explored a few of "100 hidden…" titles so I didn't expect much from this casual HOG game with cats, but I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of the white canvas there are 10+ colourful levels with various art styles and accompanying soundtrack. There was never a sense of repetition and I found myself constantly mesmerized by the backgrounds. Couple of them have no right to be so gorgeous ( ̄З ̄)

It's a freebie, but now I'm lured into buying other 11 titles in the "I commissioned some cats" series. Not complaining though, since it's peak casual gameplay.

To be honest, I enjoyed this game more when it was just a demo. The anticipation for the full release was great after a couple of levels that were presented in the demo, but when I got to play the entirety of them I found myself a bit bored. Sometimes less IS better.

The puzzles are easy, the objectives are clear and the story is almost non-existent. It’s satisfying when the gears click into place and the scene gets into motion, but that's it.

It's a short FMV viking game.
I'm not a fan of graphic violence, so I had to skip some scenes, there's only so much blood and gore my eyes can withstand. The story is a plain bloodshed survival quest that never gained my interest. And it became a real chore when I somehow managed to make ALL the wrong decisions…

Honestly, when there's only one correct answer that lets you continue the journey, the "choice" mechanic feels excessive. 30-40 minutes of playtime could be easily condensed into a short movie, since the production value is good and the narrative is straightforward.

Stylized art and sound design make this forest quite pleasant to explore for a minute or two. But then you realize that all the assets are copy-paste, the border of the map is glitchy and there's literally no reason to stay in this game. Sure, there's a list of "goals" (objects you need to find), but with no background information as to why are you running through the forest looking for giant mushrooms and bone fields this list looks like just an excuse for prolonging the mindless wandering. I managed to stumble upon 4 of them (out of 6) and won't even bother with the rest since there's no in-game map to guide me through the repetitive landscape.

I do enjoy these cute "hidden object" games, especially when my mind is occupied with some heavy processing and I'm not ready to invest myself into serious gameplay. But this particular one is a disappointment.

- Clicking is often not registered properly. It's more annoying than you might think… when clicking essentially IS the gameplay.

- It's small and forgettable. It does entice you to buy level 2 to find another batch of 100 cats (paid DLC), even redirecting you to your shopping cart with the said DLC already added (without your consent). I wouldn't mind paying for DLC if I'd enjoyed the core content, but the said content consists of 1 low-res picture that I spent 10 minutes staring at.

- 2 out of 7 achievements are locked behind paid DLC. I find the practice of locking achievements behind paywall kinda foul, no matter the price.

If there's some competition in the "100 hidden…" subgenre, it's to be expected that someone would try to recreate the success in the lazy, low effort manner.

It's a short hidden object game with cats. My gameplay consisted mostly of clicking on everything that looked even remotely clickable, bc I decided to go full-on petting every cat in the vicinity. Money and time well spent.

P.S. The devs added the bunker floor after I finished the game. Not a fan of these kind of decisions since they're easy to miss.

2015

I found the best way to play Hook is sparingly in sessions lasting from 10 to 20 minutes, consisting of 1-3 puzzles. It had great therapeutic effect on me tbh. Tinkering with devices in no rush, calm and unassuming music. I felt at peace and my mind switched off its usual "frantic" mode every time I booted the game.

Steam deck run: OK.

It's weird and quirky just the right amount and I enjoyed it much more than expected. Short and easy too, but still engaging. My favourite part would be the dance party. Every game from now on should have a dance party with some cool moves or else (⌐■_■)

It's a sequel to Existentia. Still post-apocalyptic walking simulator, but now with a voiceover and multiple endings. It took me nearly 2 hours to explore everything the game has to offer (fixing the train took me longer than I should admit (//ω//)

Atmosphere is gray and dull, harsh and sad, defined by the tragedy, as it should be. Most memorable are locomotive rides (with unexpected companion even more so).

Getting all endings is a bit annoying without the save system, but at least there's chapter selection.

Didn't expect much, but it turned out to be a decent walking simulator in a post-apocalyptic setting.

It's straight-forward and short (30 minutes max.), and more about narrative, less about puzzles (and they're not even real "puzzles" at that). Music is nice, sets the mood perfectly. But the invisible walls in the forest is a bummer (>﹏<)

Gameplay: I got stuck in the beginning. Turns out, I had to touch some random rock to open the passage. Never got the hint though. Uh huh.
And then I got lost in the woods, trying to find some interactable object to open the next passage. All the while switching between blurry reality and some sort of "predator" vision (it gets everything red and more blurry alright, that's what it does). Sounds tedious and somewhat rage-inducing, trying to find non-existent clues as to what random object to touch? It's exactly how I felt getting through this walking sim.

Narrative: I listened intently to Sara's story, and the dark, harrowing undertones her narrative was laced with felt more vivid than the main "grim and sinister" revelation. The rest is not very memorable.

Overall: I would not recommend it to anyone, even the hardcore walking sim fans. Although the premise was alluring, it's just not worth the time with its' incomprehensive gameplay mechanics.

It was fun. I still have recurring dreams of pushing stuff from the shelves in a frenzy.
+ cats of all shapes and sizes
- a bit grindy when it comes to achievement hunting

The Immaculate Drag pulls you right into the melancholy of walking through a night city street with a hazy goal and a chance to meet like-minded souls. Most of them are out in the streets to take a breather, much like yourself, and next morning every encounter with them might seem like a distant dream, disconnected from a blazing sun of reality. Sometimes it's a reminder that you're not alone in your worries and painful memories, and sometimes it's a whole new perspective given as a casual remark from a total stranger that you're bound to never meet again. Same as this very night when you're out in the streets to move at your own pace towards the dawn is to never repeat again. Existing only here and now, flowing between every step and inevitably taking you closer to your next immaculate drag that might as well be the last.

I can't help but feel it was heavily inspired by El invierno en Lisboa (Winter In Lisbon) written by Antonio Muñoz Molina. It has the distinct smoky, jazzy, desperate love story vibe that dominates both the book and the game.

Chill "puzzle" game that involves a cat running around 'n trying to find its' favorite toy before falling asleep in a cozy cot.
The mechanics is easy to comprehend. No rush. Even if you're bad with spatial imagination (just like me), running in circles pays off (sooner or later you'll stumble across the right corridor).

Gameplay is so slow I couldn't finish the game.
Turning and walking in any direction takes ages.
Clues are almost non-existent.
I gave up on the 1st floor, trying to find the light switch.