If you want a cosy game to relax with, but are getting tired of playing yet another cartoony farming sim, look no further. This game is a tad creepy on the outside, surprisingly sweet and comfy on the inside, delightfully strange and brimming with creativity. It's a slow-paced journey, but one I'm enjoying every minute of. If looking at the screenshots intrigues you even just a little, stop reading reviews and just hop in!

A very dark, pessimistic game about a society of "machines" - homunculus-like creatures attached to carts, which exist in a world built around a track system. The visual style is immediately arresting, as are the ambient sound textures and the constant rattle of your wheels as you go from place to place. Without two forms of fuel, you will die, so you're constantly monitoring your levels as you explore, trying to find out why you're here. This quest for self-knowledge, combined with the rusty, industrial aesthetic, reminded me a lot of Planescape: Torment.

Like Ryūnosuke Akutagawa in his story Kappa, the makers of Garage present their world as a shadow version of the one we know. The rules and behaviours contained therein serve as a pungent comment both on society at large, and the psychological motives that govern individuals. And yet, in truth, the machines of Garage are a mixed-bunch: while there are those that lose themselves in material possessions, substance abuse, or sexual sadism, there are also those that exhibit higher aspirations, whether it be the desire to create, or living in a conjugal situation at odds with the rest of the world, in which the majority of female machines must exist in degrading conditions I won't elaborate on here.

It's a very grim game, not for the fainthearted, and containing some truly disturbing scenes (i.e., potentially "triggering"). The horror is communicated most effectively by the visuals, chiefly the character designs, and the sheer inventiveness of the premise. The weak point is some of the writing, as text from documents you acquire later on in the game can slip into an overwrought, adolescent angst. Some might also have a problem with the fishing minigame that is required to progress, and the process of acquiring "stamps" (money) to further your exploration. But I think on the whole, those attracted to this kind of game will be patient enough to endure some minor quirks in the gameplay. This remaster has even added an anachronistic but effective in-game achievement system, providing motivation to perform tasks and explore.