Recent reviews by Surplusage

Two vampire youngsters fumble their way through the NY trilogy's violent showdown

Sadly, this is a flop. The protagonists seem to have escaped from a young adult novel, the writing is clunky and ripe with silly references, the character art looks like airbrushed dolls, and the music is MIA. Only play if you are super invested in the series.

Reporter-turned-vampire solves murder mystery while monologuing a lot

It's Coteries but with a more nuanced protagonist and story. Playing as a capable ex-journalist Lasombre is unique. The level of detail is great, even the in-game glossary is written like a reporter's notebook. The music is fantastic. Best part of the series.

New vampire gets a crash course on NY's kindred establishment

The first part in Draw Distance's NY trilogy works well as an intro to the setting. The art and music are good and the NPCs well written (the very online Malkavian steals the show). Sadly, your own character is quite flat and the ending feels rushed.

Sea creatures in glowy spaceships sing pirate shanties

Great we finally have aquatics in the game. The portraits are diverse and pretty, the ships ornate and sleek. Both origins are solid, I love Ocean Paradise for going tall. My one gripe is that the advisor's pirate talk makes no sense and gets old really fast.

Aspiring artist solves puzzles in interactive Ghibli movie x escape room game

What the game lacks in puzzle challenge and playtime, it makes up for in atmosphere. It's a warm, melancholic story accompanied by gorgeous animations and a masterful piano & string soundtrack. Played best while drinking hot cocoa.

Father and son relive moments of their live in brain-racking perspective puzzler

The idea of moving around a box to combine scenes on its sides is cool. However, the game is terrible at setting goals, highlighting interactable objects, or giving helpful hints. With better playtesting and improvements this could have been a great game.

Playful sack-creature rescues fellow lost pilgrims in spiritual sokoban puzzler

It's like exploring kid's picture book full of cheerful colors, quirky characters and mild puzzles. I love that the puzzles are physical representations of each pilgrim's story. Bonus points for the narrator's etheral voice and bittersweet story.

Late night shopper looks for perfect gift in magical realism walking sim

There is an odd joy in perusing items in a tiny convenience store in the middle of the night. The game captures this vibe and blends it with hints of larger mystical world outside the store. It's like a vivid short story that left me wanting more.

Caravan crew tries to get by in adventure novel x trading sim set in dark fantasy world

What an intellectual sandbox. It requires lots of planning and reading and rewards you with becoming part of its immersive world. The lore is deep; there is an RPG franchise's worth of content here. Fair warning: The game is hard and savescumming is near mandatory.

Three young adult friends navigate queer themes in charming and thoughtful VN bundle

A great intro to mundane issues of transgender persons, such as going to the titular hot springs. There are other themes such as aro-ace and they are all explored in an insightful and relatable way. The cute art and relaxing chiptune/piano music fit perfectly.