I feel like we’ve developed a rapport, you and I. I play a bunch of games, you love a bunch of games. It’s symbiotic, isn’t it? Luckily for the both of us, it’s been a week since we last did this which means we get to talk about a bunch of awesome new games!

Wire Wood Daughters

Wire Wood Daughters is one of those experiences that you’re better off not knowing much about. The developer Rooksfeather only but one line of text on their entire game page. So how do you recommend a game that you can’t really talk about? Do you say that it has a great sense of atmosphere? Do you highlight its lush pixel aesthetic? Maybe its self-assured narrative?

So if you can move past the required vagueness of this recommendation, consider giving Wire Wood Daughters a try.

Lost Memories.net

Ready for a bummer? 2004 wasn’t recent. The mid 2000s were long enough ago that we’re starting to see art reflect the lives many of us lived at the time. Let’s face it folks, we’re old now.

With that bit of existential dread locked down, let’s talk about Nina Freeman’s newest project, Lost Memories.net. If you’re familiar with any of Freeman’s past games, you’ll know that they’re personal looks at the creator’s life and what shaped her. Lost Memories.net’s take on early-2000’s fandom culture is no exception. If you ever ran a geocities or livejournal page you’ll be intimately familiar with the game’s faux-desktop UI that features IM, site customization, and drama.

Lost Memories.net is available to play in the browser and pay what you want now.

Duster

Everyone knows cowboys are cool. Hell, they may be the only piece of Americana that is universally loved. Duster gets this and throws you into a randomly generated wild west that is equal parts beat ‘em up and inventory management. Sure there’s a quest for a lost treasure in there, but Duster really revels in its combat featuring combos and parries. Yes you can let your guns do the talking but you’re incentivized to keep things quiet as often as possible.

Duster is currently in alpha but there’s still a lot to do. Sure you’ll run into bugs, but you can still see the underlying charm running through Duster’s veins. Oh, and it’s pay what you want so you can get exactly what you want out of it.