March 2025 - Desecration, Killers and Shitty Neighbours
Whether you're into big open-world RPGs like Atomfall or tight mystery games like Expelled!–it's another great month for gamers everywhere. As always, I strive to find and write about the best indie gems you might have missed, like a (more) deranged Liam Neeson from Taken.
Well, it's official: Split Fiction is my game of the year. Okay, maybe it's too soon to tell, but I think it's a safe call. As much as I'd like to endlessly effuse about Split Fiction, March had plenty more on offer. Whether you're into big open-world RPGs like Atomfall or tight mystery games like Expelled!–it's another great month for gamers everywhere. As always, I strive to find and write about the best indie gems you might have missed, like a (more) deranged Liam Neeson from Taken.
Desecrators
I'm hard-wired to enjoy zero-gravity combat. I don't get motion sick, so I think it's fucking awesome being able to maneuver around in any direction. The term is six degrees of freedom or 6DOF; one of the pioneers in that space (pun intended) is 1995's Descent. Fast forward 30 years, the spirit of Descent is still being carried forward by Desecrators.
The biggest draw for Desecrators–besides the nostalgia–is that campaigns are randomised with procedurally generated levels. This gives it some serious replay value, but it's undermined by one big problem: progress between campaigns doesn't carry over. Persistent progression would have made each run feel a lot more rewarding and made each relatively short campaign feel more impactful.
There is a myriad of modern amenities contributing to really smooth feeling experience. Dogfights are like a delicate ballet; constant movement in every direction to avoid enemy projectiles while unleashing a fury of missiles yourself. It runs like a dream on my Steam Deck (where I logged the most hours). Despite some issues tied to progression, it still delivers an adrenaline-fuelled 6DOF shooter that's a tonne of fun.
I Just Want to be Single!!
If any game could change my mind about visual novels, it would be "I Just Want to be Single!!." A self-proclaimed anti-dating sim wherein you play as Aya, someone who wants to make friends. Unfortunately, Aya finds themselves swarmed by a vicious crowd of wannabe suitors.
In terms of gameplay, it doesn't deviate too far from your typical visual novel fare. There are moments when you'll type an answer rather than pick from a multiple-choice list and you also need to consider Aya's stress levels when engaging with their classmates. Managing these factors does give it a bit more bite than a typical visual novel but a game in this genre is all about the writing. So it's good then that the game is hilarious. The humour is offbeat and might not be for everyone but when it lands it hits with the force of a meteor.
Visually, everything is overflowing with personality; it's a joy to look at. Every character is unique and vibrant and cutscenes take the form of beautifully drawn manga panels. The only caveat is that this is an early-access game. You won't be getting the complete experience for a while, but it's got a strong foundation to build off of.
Anthology Of The Killer (2024)
I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I had the chance to finish Anthology of the Killer this month; I couldn't pass it up. This is a collection of short horror/adventure games presented as part of an interactive gallery. BB publishes her own "zine" and is relentless in her search for new material as she traipses through a city flooded with Kafkaesque ordeals and enigmatic killings.
The levels you explore all have a harsh, liminal design; textures are loud and the geometry is full of sharp edges and confined spaces. It should add up to an assault to the eyes–to some, it still may be–but I found it oddly cohesive. The writing is often irrational yet biting and altogether clever, wielding satire with the precision of a scalpel. Even as overtly weird as BB's world is, she still has to live in it; and it is refreshingly relatable seeing her overcome these obstacles.
The Mute House
AI DISCLOSURE
The developer has advised that the textures used for some of the paintings in the environments are AI-generated.
Okay, I played catch-up again, sue me. The Mute House was originally released in January this year but I've been meaning to play it. Between the extravagant manor to explore, expertly positioned fixed camera angles and elaborate puzzles to solve; The Mute House would start erring on plagiarism if it were any more like Resident Evil.
Important note: there are functional keyboard and mouse controls, something you never take for granted in this genre. The game performs well, considering how gorgeous each scene looks; the combat is smooth, punchy, and reliably tense when needed. The puzzles are deliberately obtuse, but so far I've found them to all be solveable. I already mentioned it, but the game looks astonishing; each room has a pre-rendered quality and the 3D models are well-designed and detailed. It's a bit undercut by the use of AI for certain textures, but given this was created by a single developer I'm willing to admit to some corners needing to be cut.
But this is a horror game–how are the scares?! Well to be honest there are precious few good scares in The Mute House. My first encounter with an enemy was in a long, empty hallway where I had time to comfortably line up a headshot. It felt like the tension that was building had fallen flat, which is how many of the "scares" landed. Lots of build-up but the payoff was always just out of reach. Like any good survival horror, most of the stress comes from resource management and exploration–which The Mute House absolutely nails.
Utter a Name
I fucking suck at these kinds of puzzles. You could say I utterly suck, but that's all besides the point. Utter a Name is a mystery puzzle game where you have to piece together the disastrous events of a dinner party gone wrong. At least, that's what I got out of it. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and think the premise is super interesting. That being said, I barely managed to get my first deduction correct.
It doesn't seem like a desperately long game, and it's a really interesting little brain tickler. I love the premise of seeing into these windows to the past and putting together these puzzle pieces in your mind to determine who died where and who killed them. It comes together more like a logic puzzle than a traditional mystery and pulls it off with some great atmosphere.
Expelled!
While Utter a Name is more of a logic puzzle, Expelled! is a full-on detective game. Developed by Inkle, who created 2021's Overboard, you assume the role of Verity Amersham as she finds herself accused of a crime she didn't commit. Relive the same day until you solve the mystery, pin the blame on someone else to avoid expulsion.
The structure and framing for Expelled! makes it a real pleasure to play. You're not actually reliving every day, you're explaining the events to your father after the fact who is picking at inconsistencies with your story. Every day is tightly scheduled with a clock ticking along at all times. Characters will be at different places doing different things at all hours of the day, not to mention you have your own schedule to keep to. Exploring the school grounds and talking to these characters will all help to elucidate the true nature of the crime committed.
Running through a day takes around 20-30 minutes and it can feel like you're ramming your head into a wall. In some runs, you may think you've done everything right, yet still end up expelled and/or banished. The game gently nudges you along with reminders of breakthroughs you've made which is an enormous help. That's all without mentioning the delightfully charming art style and superb writing. There are some rough edges, specifically, it feels optimised for touch input (it was also released on iOS) and can be a bit awkward on PC, but it is an otherwise tip-top detective game.
That's Not My Neighbour
Considering the breakout success of Paper's Please when it was originally released, there have been shockingly few games that attempt to replicate that success. That's Not My Neighbor seeks to break new ground in that regard. Set in an alternate history 1955, you play as a doorman for your apartment complex, tasked with keeping nefarious "doppelgangers" out of the building. Using a combination of cutting-edge documentation gameplay and puzzle solving, keep yourself and your neighbours safe.
The pacing feels a bit rushed; while Paper's Please slowly ratcheted up the tension and difficulty, That's Not My Neighbor has you "cleansing" doppelgangers and sifting through a shitload of identification from day one. I don't mean to drag it, it's an otherwise novel take on the formula. I think the art direction is phenomenal and the horror aspect kicks things up a notch too. Plus I can declare another temporary moratorium on the saying "more Papers Please, please."
So that's March, maybe I spent a bit too much time catching up on older games like The Mute House and Anthology of the Killer. There are a couple of games I really want to try that I missed like Look Outside, Rosewater and the Diablo-like Tower of Kalemonvo. I hope I can cover these games in April; but between South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and even more indies, it'll be tough to squeeze everything in. All things considered, too many great games to play is hardly a bad thing, I'm sure we can all agree.