Volantia

Volantia

Got this one for free. I was excited when I realized it involved crafting chains with little men carrying goods along roads that you build. I have fond memories of Serf City: Life is Feudal and I like the Settlers type of game. Nothing has been scratching that itch lately so I had high hopes for Volantia. Also, it is the same developer who did the excellent Desktop Dungeon.

Worth Playing Once For Free

While I enjoyed my one playthough, it was enough. Unless I'm missing something, there isn't a lot of game there. The crafting chains aren't very complicated and I never felt much urgency. The objectives are a little odd -- you must build a long road to a monument to keep playing for another 20 minutes until you finally build the YouWin building.

It was a fine little game and I think without much work it could be turned into something great. It needs more depth in the production chains, and perhaps additional threats.

The Turing Test

The Turing Test

I loved The Talos Principle so finally got around to playing this one.

What Is It?

The Turing Test is a 1st person puzzle game. It has a lot in common with Portal and The Talos Principle. There are some items and some physics and lots of puzzle solving. Meanwhile, there is an overall story being told with the help of a mysterious computer-like mentor/tormentor. 

My Reaction

Lots of fun. The puzzles were good and the story especially appealed to me. I don't want to give many spoilers but it was quite philosophical and dealt with the nature of humanity.

Should You Get It?

Maybe. I never played the first Portal, but Portal 2 was very good and a bigger part of gaming culture. Get that instead. I also really liked Talos Principle. So if you've enjoyed those games, The Turing Test is a safe bet. 

One advantage of Turing Test is that it is shorter than the others. I did my playthrough in less than 15 hours, compared to 25 for Portal 2 and 30 for Talos Principle.