In 2018, I didn’t get around to playing many games outside of those I have reviewed (or are reviewing), but thankfully; it’s been a great year for indie games! 😀
Although I have my top 3, I do feel that there were others deserving of a mention at least – so there will be a few special mentions at the end!
Here are my Top 3 Handheld Games of 2018 (in no particular order):
Planet Alpha
I felt Planet Alpha had a great mix and balance of gaming elements, while also having a brilliant world that offered great contrasts of; vibrant colour to darkness, full of life to emptiness, nature vs mechnical.
Besides the world; the soundtrack made it more engaging and alive, the stealth moments were nail biting but so were the fast paced segments! The physics added another layer of fun to areas, while the transition from night to day to make the environment change (in real time) was brilliant – definitely one of my most favourite platformers! 😀
You can find my in depth review here: Planet Alpha (Switch) Review
Yomawari: The Long Night Collection
Yomawari is brilliantly cute with it’s main characters, but it’s also creepy and atmospheric, as well as rather grim and shocking at times – it’s an interesting survival horror, especially if you are interested in Japanese yokai! 😀
I’ve played a number of horror games over the years, but Yomawari really stands out to me. I love the pacing, the atmosphere, the designs, the graphical approach, as well as the puzzle aspect of having to learn the spirits’ behaviours, to stay safe and avoid dangers. Also, ‘The Long Night Collection’ includes ‘Yomawari: Night Alone’ & ‘Yomawari: Midnight Shadows’ games – so two games in one; awesome! 😀
You can find my in depth review here: Yomawari (Switch) Review
Alwa’s Awakening
Alwa’s Awakening was another platformer that I felt had all the aspects right, but it was for a different reason to Planet Alpha. The creators wanted to make it feel like a true NES adventure game, and I certainly think they succeeded. 😀
I love retro games, and the creators of Alwa’s Awakening put a lot of time and effort into making it look, feel, sound, and play like a NES game. Even the game’s manual includes a NES controller when explaining the controls, and you can find additional information regarding items, enemies,etc (as well as artwork) that you typically found in NES game manuals – it’s great! 😀
In addition to being a brilliant retro inspired game, it also includes a few personal touches from the creators (which is really nice to see in a game). Before you get to the main menu, you are greeted to a welcome message from the creators, and in the about section they thank the players, mention ways of contacting them, and even show little pixel art versions of themselves – it’s those kind of details that make a game extra special I think! 😀
You can download the game manual from the developer’s official website: eldenpixels.com/alwas-awakening
My in depth review can be found here: Alwa’s Awakening (Switch) Review
Special Mentions
WILL: A Wonderful World is a visual novel that gives the player the ability to change the fate of the characters, simply by rearranging blocks of text – easy to do but difficult to get right; it’s great fun!
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is a platformer with a transitional game mechanic; changes not only the character’s form seamlessly, but also the music and everything around them – it’s brilliant!
Heroki is a lighthearted, casual adventure; you fly around maze-like levels collecting items, powering up, finding hidden secrets and solving puzzles – it’s a lot of fun and I love how happy Heroki is! 😀
Review: Heroki (Switch) Review