Today I'm going to continue to talk about games I played on itch.io! Hopefully if I continue to do this I will finish checking out the 100+ games I've saved for later...

1.) "Disparity of the Dead" by Bryce Bucher is a short horror platformer with light detective elements which makes sense as you play a deceased detective in the land of the dead. The game has a content warning as it dives into topics such as death and suicide which may be upsetting to some players. It's a crunchy and stylish game that delivers on an eerie mystery of why certain people's souls are not appearing after they have died. I loved the character design and the platforming is simple and only sometimes annoying. Definitely a great game to play during the Halloween season.

Also, while looking around on the itch.io page I discovered this game is a part of a horror anthology called, Dread X Collection 3. There are five of these collections in total and they're all available on Steam for relatively cheap ($9.99). I'll have to check them out sometime!

2.) "Lizard Tower The Abyss" by nicknicknicknick and G.P. is about climbing up four towers and lighting the beacons. That simple. There are a variety of lizards that talk to you (who is presumably also a lizard). The game truly begins when you can jetpack into the sky and throw flares to light the towers. The platforming is very forgiving and relatively fun. There is a horribly loud song that plays when you ride up an elevator at the beginning but otherwise it's a very quiet and chill game. I wonder what the rest of the world is like for these lizards?

3.) "Wraith Rancher" by Fable Miller is a short RPG Maker game jam project about feeding the wraiths that live on your grandmother's farm. I was really pulled in by the simple visual style of the game- sort of like rough MS Paint doodles with bold black outlines and imperfect shapes. Definitely my vibe. The story isn't mindblowing but I had fun existing in this strange little world. Biggest downside is the lack of music but I listened to the author's recommended song mix which did enhance my experience.

4.) "Friends for Strawberry" by KC Amber is the demo for an upcoming first person horror game. The premise is that you are trapped on an island made of trash full of strange cannibals run by an animatronic named Strawberry. It's definitely a bit eerie and absurd in its premise but an interesting idea for a horror game. I had fun with the demo but it definitely feels like it needs more polish before a full release. Navigation was the game's biggest weakness and would definitely be helped by increasing the walking speed and more clear indications on where to go to avoid backtracking and figuring out where to go next. With enough time and polish I think this game can be really fun!

I played these games on separate evenings and looking back I realized that most of them were horror games (or contained some element of horror). They also have that distinctly strange experimental indie vibe when it comes to storytelling and worldbuilding. I love seeing what people create! It reminds me how important it is to express yourself creatively! I want to catch a glimpse of the worlds inside your head no matter what form it takes. Get weird, be inspired, and never stop creating art.

Thanks for reading!