Lone Survivor manages to provoke both horror and charm with its retro graphics and classic survival mechanics. Being more or less created by just one man, it is not a surprise that the scope of the game is a little limited. My first playthrough was 3.5 hours, but its semi-linear set-up gives room for secrets and different ways to deal with the game's challenges that encourage more playthroughs. Besides shooting or hiding from monsters, the game has a delightful amount of eerie dialogue, creepy settings and even some gags thrown in. On top of this are plenty of game systems revolving around hunger, health and sleep that provide a more or less complete survival horror package. If a sidescrolling survival horror game inspired by Twin Peaks and Silent Hill sounds good to you, you will most likely enjoy this as much as I have.

I had to play this game some due to an assignment in System Design. This makes sense, since the game is basically just about its systems. It is a free MMO with permadeath set in a pixelated fantasy universe where the players team up to grind and kill enemies and unlock more classes or get better gear. Its non-linearity and lack of story quests or soundtrack makes it an unenjoyable experience for me, but for anyone interested in system design or wasting some hours grinding, this is certainly recommended.

Dinner Date is a 20 minute game that is hardly a game, but rather an artsy interactive experience. You are the subconsciousness of Julian Luxemburg, a man who planned a date with a woman that does not show up. Your character talks to himself as he sits there, drinking some wine and reflecting on his social life and some literature. There are no real goals and you are not sure if you are doing the right thing or not. You just seem to be doing random things like looking at the clock. Sometimes this triggers more monologue, but sometimes there is only one option, and the game has an annoying habit of doing things automatically. I do not mind the idea of interactive experiences that only require a few button presses here and there, but ultimately I gained nothing from playing this. There are some redeeming qualities like decent audio and okay humor, but I can't say I feel the need to recommend this game to anyone, or ever play it again for that matter.