Steam Library A-Z Challenge

The challenge: To play through each of the games on my Steam library. The rules: I have to play at least 1 hour of each game, in alphabetical order. I've no idea where this game came from. It's on my Steam library, and it looks like a friend or two has played it, but I do not remember buying it. Presumably it was in a Humble Bundle or similar I bought at some point in the past. So, I didn't know what kind of game The Bridge would be. My guess was an endless runner. Turns out it's another puzzler - strikingly similar to Braid. It's not really a clone, but definitely of the same ilk - soothing music, a distinct yet simple art style, and a kind of off-looking protagonist. You play as Sketchy McMathsman, a drawing who lives in a world of optical illusions, angry balls, and vortexes of doom. OK, I made the protag's name up as the game doesn't really give you much in the way of story - in fact it gives you even less than Braid. I managed to beat the fir...

The challenge: To play through each of the games on my Steam library. The rules: I have to play at least 1 hour of each game, in alphabetical order. Braid is one of those games that I remember causing a stir amongst those who, like me, love thoughtful indie games. Games like The Beginner's Guide & Undertale have, for me at least, gone a long way towards proving that games can be art. Pro-tip though - don't look up these types of games' fandoms... The game itself is a puzzle-platformer, where the main gimmick is rewinding time to change your surroundings. The puzzles are devious, and as far as I can see you have to solve all of them to get to the end. Finishing a level is normally as easy as holding right, but you can (and must) replay each level to try and grab the puzzle pieces scattered throughout, like you're playing some kind of melodious Groundhog Day. Controls-wise, the game doesn't feel great to me - the jumps just aren't high enough to fee...

The challenge: To play through each of the games on my Steam library. The rules: I have to play at least 1 hour of each game, in alphabetical order. I was quite excited to play Before the Echo. I knew it was a rhythm RPG, and really that pushes a lot of buttons for me. The game begins as the protag (Ky) wakes up in a mysterious tower. He's told by a voice over an intercom (a lady called Naia) that he has to ascend all seven floors if he wants to escape. That's as much plot as I got in the hour I played. The game itself is your standard rhythm game ala Dance Dance Revolution, with arrows that scroll down and make your vision wonky. The main difference is that the play is set across three boards.The Defensive board lets you block incoming attacks by matching arrows, the Mana board lets you gain mana by matching arrows, and the Spell board lets you cast a spell of your choice at the enemy you're fighting (by matching arrows). Before the Echo also has an RPG system...