Hangar 8 is an indie psychological horror game where the player takes on the role of a lone crew member trying to escape a derelict space station beset by bewildering—and sometimes dangerous—anomalies. The rest of the crew has seemingly died horribly and it’s up to you to figure out a way past what they could not. Fortunately, they’ve left concise accounts of their findings and experiences with the anomalies on data pads around the ship, and you learn early on that your goal is to proceed to the titular Hangar 8, enter the command center, and escape the space platform via ship. The only catch is the eight decks between you and the escape ship are lousy with otherworldly distortions that can be subtle or overt, and if you try to pass a deck when these are present, bad things could happen

Coming out the other side, I don’t quite know if I meaningfully connected with Mouthwashing on a cognitive or reflective level…It’s not a bad game, but I’m struggling to come up with a single thesis about what it does exceptionally well or better than other properties in this thematic space. It plays for emotional resonance, but undermines itself by being so cynical; it made me think, but gave me no thoughts that begat conviction. I ultimately consider Mouthwashing to be a well-crafted and interesting narrative, but also want it to be a herald to something greater from developer Wrong Organ.

Indika throws a lot of cool things at the wall, but too little of it sticks, creating a mess of elements which work in a proof-of-concept but fail in a full game. While the narrative and storytelling are capable of moments of intrigue and even greatness, the story and game as a whole are thematic skeletons where nothing substantial ever came to be. It succeeded in pulling me in, but didn’t do a great job of keeping me there. That said, there were enough exceptional elements that I am eager to see what Odd Meter/11-bit studios do next.

‘I describe the original Alan Wake as “an early-years Stephen King novel married to an extended cut of Twin Peaks” and feel that does a pretty solid job of capturing the aesthetic. Alan Wake 2 is more original, carving its own path while retaining and respecting that foundation, creating a next-level survival horror narrative that strikes a remarkably well-balanced note between action and story.’

Sagebrush opens with headlights crossing a desert. There’s a brief monologue wherein a woman recounts meeting someone named Amy, who promised inner peace through the teachings of a man named James. Not the disciple, but an actual flesh-and-blood figure who had a church out in the wilderness. Shortly thereafter, the car pulls up outside of the Black Sage Ranch, an abandoned compound somewhere in the American Southwest where the gates are chained and the windows are dark.

‘Single Malt Apocalypse is a great way to spend a few hours. The story, while familiar, is paced and executed well, and the gameplay has just enough depth to remain interesting. It’s a debut that shows promise from the lone developer, and while I don’t think this game will ever be a breakout hit, I look forward to the developer’s sophomore effort and believe we could see some very good things from this creator in the future.’

‘IMMORTALITY is among the finest examples the video game as an artform’

I cannot overstate the perpetual sense of menace that permeates every moment of Visage. Even when you have a good grasp of the game’s mechanics and know where you’re going next, walking down a hallway can feel suffocating, and the sprint across a dark room to the light switch is as tense on the twentieth rendition as it was on the first.