GAME

It's such a great feeling when something comes out of nowhere and knocks you right over. I played a demo for this in a next fest last year on a whim and was immediately smitten with it. I've been championing it ever since and the full release did not disappoint me even one iota. This is such a smartly constructed work, making great use of the hard cuts from scene to scene that e.g Blendo Games or That Which Gave Chase have shown can be super potent. The wider world it takes place within is so amusingly bizarre, it's constantly dangling all these little details in front of you that show an enticing slice of the weird ways it is close-to-but-not-quite the same as our reality. The depersonalisation caused by everyone wearing a crazy helmet is an especially bold aesthetic choice, and there's some really imposing architecture in there that's delightfully framed by the initial camera angle in a scene. Plus the decision to not even remotely explain the titular game everyone plays is so good. All these things that are recognisable from sports/games we know like 'endzones' (but the endzone is a building), a gameboard and a big pitch, thrown into an unholy mix with other, more unsettling things that leave you eternally wondering what the ♥♥♥♥ these people are doing and what the wider society must be like if this is what's on TV (probably not that far from our own though heh eh folks heh) Then under all that eye-catching initial impression you get this really deftly executed portrayal of a toxic devotion to winning passed down through generation after generation, inevitably scrambling the brains of parent and child both. It goes to some real dark places whilst maintaining a fantastic sense of humour and it always feels right on the money regardless of its tone at a given moment, sometimes even combining the two (one hard cut in here is one of the funniest bits of juxtaposition I've seen in any game ever) without losing any sympathy for the events. I've not personally experienced this dynamic as it relates to sports and thankfully have a much better relationship with my parents than seen here, but I definitely recognise aspects of it in my life and even for me it hit on a nerve at points. There's multiple routes through too so you get to explore several sides of how this tragic little tale could play out and each manages to feel natural Just super happy with this one, I've no doubt it'll be way up there for my GOTY. A confidently made gem striking out on its own in every way. Deserves to have way more eyes on it. I love games and I love Game :3

5/5 CONTROLLERS

absolutely certified hidden gem, go in blind if you can, wonderful 80 minutes of swaggering genre-less narrative. funny, imaginative and sad. hands down best character designs of the year

Haunting, harrowing, but not outright horror. Everything about this story resonated with me, having to become good at a sports-related activity you don't like or even understand. Mother meant well, she taught me, in absence of a father figure, how to catch a ball, play chess, pretend to be a boy. Nothing here is randomly placed. Loved the typography. [b]GAME[/b] of the year, I'm not kidding.

I've completed one run of the game and got one ending. It hit me like a sledgehammer. Handles it's subject matter with a deft mix of constrained enigma and maximalist relatability. Total aesthetic control as well. I think I'll give it a bit of space before I dive back in to try some other paths.

GAME is a harrowing work of art. It manages to perfectly juxtapose its bizarre world with a mix of clever dialogue, self aware, intelligent humor, and an incredibly grounded, human story. Everything about GAME catches you off guard in the best way possible. I've gotten two of the endings and will be playing more to get the others. I absolutely recommend this beautiful and thought provoking experience. 11/10, absolute cinema.

Yes, Mom.

One of my favorite narrative games. The themes are explored well and I enjoyed how realistic the multiple endings were, as no true "happy end" exists and this is reflective of the real world. When exploring any complex relationship between families many games display some grand redemption, but many individuals find themselves living their whole lives without this. Regardless of the choices you make, some of those endings will remain out of your control. If you, as the player, don't understand or find it relatable then honestly that's a great thing, the dice rolled differently from you. Too often do peoplePRAISE THESUNOUR SAVIOR I WILL WEILD HISNEWFOUND POWER AND DELIVER HOPETO ALL PRAISEOURSUNGODPRAISE THESUN SUNSUNSUNSUNSUNSUNSUN

finally, one for the GAMErs

GAME is an interactive fiction where you initially think it's just a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ homage to 17776 and two hours later you'll find yourself absorbed, looking into a fixed point while cooking as your dinner gets burned on the frying pan, still thinking on the gut punch you'll get from it.