Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley

A cute farming game with lots to do.

Overview

At first glance, Stardew Valley is a farming simulator but once you get into it there is much more. You get to learn the personalities of everyone in the town. There is an interesting plot that is slowly revealed. Besides farming, there are other activities like fishing, mining, crafting, combat, and all sorts of collecting. There is a lot of depth to it.

The Good

There are lots of things to do and you can pick whatever style you prefer to focus on. Every type of sub-game has a fair amount to do, so there are many avenues of progression. Collection is a big part of the game.

The Bad

Like other farming games, there is no real challenge. There is some enjoyment in finding optimal ways to achieve your goals, but at the core the game is little more than grinding. Watching the story unfold is enjoyable but it is slow.

The Neutral

I'm not a fan of the retro art style and game interface. However, it is done well so if you are a fan you will likely enjoy it. The inhabitants of the town have extensive scripts, but ultimately I did not care much about them.

Conclusion

Stardew Valley is very good for a relaxing way to pass time. If you enjoy farming simulators or simple RPGs, you will certainly enjoy this game.

Broken Age

Broken Age

A cute point and click adventure game.

Point-and-click isn't my favorite genre. I've played many, and I certainly have fond memories of Monkey Island and Space Quest. There are some great Telltale Games out there (RIP, Telltale).

The Good

Broken Age has a lot going for it. The artistic style is unique, the voice acting is incredible, the plot is fresh, and it has a neat gimmick where you switch between two characters.

Art & Sound

Some people love the art in Broken Age. It is very unique and creative and adds much to the surreal atmosphere. For me, it is easy for "unique" art to be distracting, but Broken Age managed to find the line between entertaining and off-putting. 

The voices actors have an impressive cast including Elijah Wood, Will Wheaton, Jack Black, and Jennifer Hale (one of the most talented game voice actors out there). The dialog is well written and has a lot of funny lines when you attempt to do the wrong thing.

Plot

I've played so many adventure games that it is rare to see such a fresh plot. Normally I sit back and watch the story unfold, but the twists in Broken Age kept me guessing and that engaged me further.

The Bad

Broken Age suffers from the same problems as all point-and-click games. It is easy to miss a hot-spot on the screen. Sometimes the "correct solution" doesn't really make sense. Often you have to figure out puzzles through trial and error, applying all of your inventory items on all the screen hot-spots.

Puzzles are hard to balance. It's hard to know where a player will be stuck and need a hint vs. a player is who just starting to try things. For example, if there is a lock a smart player might try to put a key in it. Someone playing around might put a spoon in it and get the response "that spoon can't unlock the door". I mean.. thanks for the hint, but I don't think most people need a hint that a key goes into a door. On the other hand, Broken Age had a few spots where I missed a single piece of dialog and wasn't sure how to proceed. In general, however, the puzzles were more likely to have too many hints than too few.

Conclusion

Broken Age is of the highest quality. If you are in the mood for a point-and-click adventure, you won't go wrong.