Lonesome Village

Puzzles are too simple and progression, too slow. This plus the excessive amount of hand-holding made me quit the game before finishing the story.

This is the kind of game I come back to when I genuinely want to focus on something and let my worries fade into the background for a while. The graphics, the cute character designs, and above all, the light, easygoing story let me step away from the tension of stressful, action-heavy games. Or maybe it's just about spending time somewhere I'm not getting worked up over anything. Ogre Pixel definitely has a strong track record in the gaming world, and I love seeing them keep putting out interesting proposals for all kinds of players. If you're into games that are mostly puzzle-focused with a light, relaxing story, Lonesome Village is exactly what you're looking for. Worth noting this is Mexican talent behind it, and while that's a nice extra, it's definitely not what defines the game.

Gameplay Genre: Puzzle/adventure, small town restoration Story Genre: Mystery, Save The World Story/Gameplay Ratio: 1:3 **Gameplay** Ideas: 7/10 | Solid concepts behind it, giving the player options without being too broad or vague. Execution: 5/10 | Puzzles are of inconsistent difficulties, with middling quality. Parts of the game are tedious, while others feel trivial. **Story** Ideas: 6/10 | Not revolutionary, but a decent plot with some interesting ideas. Execution: 5/10 | Pushed more to the background than a story with its potential for emotional weight should be. **Characters** Ideas: 5/10 | Middle of the road. Not very complex, but then again, this game isn't meant to be. Execution: 3/10 | Dialogue repeats, interactions are stale, and I didn't feel attached to any of the characters, despite their adorable designs. **Visuals & Sounds** Ideas: 9/10 | An adorable art style with a silly, cute musical tone to match. Execution: 4/10 | While the music and sprites are very good, the animations are often stiff and bland and the music cuts jarringly when changing areas instead of even a simple fade. Music also often takes a while to start after entering an area. Menu sound effects are annoying. Cohesiveness: 7/10 | Coherent narratively, but not always mechanically. Personal Favor: 5/10 | I don't feel very strongly about this game. **OVERALL RATING:** 5/10