From Cozy To Creepy: Women Are Making Their Mark

 From Cozy To Creepy

Women are Making their Mark

It's not secret that the gaming industry has been largely dominated by men from the beginning, but that doesn't mean this will continue to be the case. And thanks to Women-Led Games I was able to find some new game demos to try out that have once again reminded me that women deserve their place in gaming.

I played 4 game demos ranging from cute to creepy and recorded footage of all of them along the way. The last one was so amazing that despite not being dressed up for recording, I turned my camera on so everyone could see my live reaction to how genuinely scared it made me! 

I also might have immediately told my friend to play it so he could get terrified too.

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So let's start things off nice and cozy with Projected Dreams.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2318800/Projected_Dreams/

This is actually a game I first heard about on Threads and had been excited to try out, even more so when I realized that it was a women-led game. The basis of the game is simple but different from anything I've played before.

Projected Dreams utilizes shadows created by manipulating various toys left around the room. Each one of these finished objects is added to a snapshot that slowly tells a story about the character you are playing as. Each of these snapshots shows a life unfolding, whether it be the birth of a younger sibling, or reading a favorite book.

While the mechanics of the game can take a little getting used to, I love the creativity and how you don't always have a correct answer when it comes to building up each shadow. There were definitely times when I didn't use the recommended blocks, but with a little manipulation got the desired effect all the same.

The atmosphere of the game is cozy and I love that it's full of endless possibilities. Once we finish the story of this protagonist we could easily go to a different room and learn about someone else. This game can be truly endless depending on how many stories the developer wants to make.

So should you wishlist it?

If you like cozy and relaxing games then absolutely. The vibe of this game is similar to Unpacking, A Little To The Left, and Tell Me Your Story. If those games are up your alley then Projected Dreams will be a perfect addition! The mechanics set it apart from the others while keeping that same cozy and relaxing vibe.

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Next I'd like to move onto a game that I thought would be cozy but really just got me thinking. It was profound and thought provoking in ways that I wasn't completely ready for. Yet I loved it and I want to go back and play more once the full release is out.

So let's talk about Blueberry.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536120/Blueberry/

Blueberry tells the story of a woman who is combating her trauma. She's a new mother who is trying not to be the same person her own mother was. This is shown through memories as Blueberry travels through a puzzle platformer, remembering different things from her youth. 

As the player you get to make choices that do shape the outcomes of certain memories and the game does an excellent job of manipulating the player into making decisions that will lead to certain outcomes. One part that really struck me is when you're a young child and go to the store with your mother. The game leads you to believe that you're doing something fun in trying to sneak cookies into the cart, but really it leads to the desired outcome of not being able to afford all the snacks. The player goes from feeling like a mischievous child to the realities of adulthood in less than five minutes. We see it as a game until suddenly we are relating to the mother. It's heart breaking because had we not been drawn in, perhaps things would have been different.

It's themes like this that continue throughout Blueberry. We make decisions that feel okay in the moment but then we see the realities of situations and how the mother might not have been the best, but she isn't a villain either. 

This game has stuck with me since playing it. The story telling style is thought provoking and clearly the developer put a lot of effort into it. It would be so easy to just villainize the mother yet that doesn't seem to be the intention at all. Nor is it the intention to see the child as always in the wrong. Mistakes are made and what's unique about this game is its ability to show both sides.

So should you wishlist it?

If you enjoy games where your choices shape the gameplay then Blueberry is an excellent addition! It reminds me of the Life is Strange games where it's telling you a story that is ultimately so much bigger than you.

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Now it's time to turn up the creepy factor with our next game.

Everlasting Tomorrow follows the story of Alice, a girl plagued by strange dreams and scary visions. The demo of the game takes you through an old subway as you try to just reach your home. Nothing appears to be as it seems and you have to keep calm or risk your certain demise.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2999910/Everlasting_Tomorrow/

This game was quite different from what I expected but definitely in a good way. I enjoyed the puzzles that I encountered and found them to be interesting without being too repetitive. The ambiance is creepy and I'm left wondering what exactly is going on with Alice and why do these things keep happening to her.

As I was playing the demo we meet Alice's friend Adrian and he immediately left me with more questions. Although he invites us out, we keep telling him that he should know we can't. This is a fantastic set up for the first mystery of the game. Clearly they're close and want to spend time together, yet Alice can't and as the player we aren't able to just immediately learn why.

There seems to be a lot of symbolism in the game, including a blue moth that we see throughout the demo. It seems to be a sign of safety, helping Alice navigate one of the many horrors she's seeing during a simple trip home. Yet eventually we are presented with a choice. I won't spoil it, but it definitely gave me pause as I was playing the demo.

So should you wishlist it?

Well, the good news is, the full game is already out. So if this appeals to you then it's ready and waiting!

This game has really good ambiance, fun puzzles, and trippy storytelling. The horror imagery reminds me of games like Ib and The Witch's House. It's definitely in that RPG Horror type style that blends story telling and scary imagery as you uncover the truth of what's going on. So if you're like me and enjoy RPG Horror games, then this is a good one to check out!

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Now it's finally time for the last game and the one that had me recording my genuine reaction to it. This game showed me that I actually do, in fact, have a fear of alien abductions and that maybe I don't want to know what the lights in the sky really mean.

This is They Are Here.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1547540/They_Are_Here_Alien_Abduction_Horror/

They Are Here has a demo that works in 2 parts. You have the prologue which sets the stage for how the events of the game came about, and then you have the demo itself which follows Taylor Fox, a journalist investigating strange things happening on a farm.

First I want to tackle the prologue. 

In the prologue of the game you play as someone part of the military, going to investigate a strange sighting. You travel on foot, hearing the story play out on your walkie-talkie. It's creepy but honestly the build up didn't leave me too scared. Until the incident happens. Suddenly this game takes on new terror and when I tell you my screams were completely genuine.

Now for the demo itself.

This demo takes place after the events of the prologue and instead you play as a journalist. It's a walking simulator game where you collect evidence of alien sightings and read notes left to you by the farmer who has gone out in search of his missing daughter.

One of the most interesting things about this game is that it doesn't shy away from showing you exactly what you should be afraid of. I actually found this to be very refreshing since so many games hide the monster from you as a way to build suspense. They Are Here has no issues building suspense despite the fact that you know exactly what you're running from.

The aliens themselves are creepy and draw upon so much alien media that many of us probably watched when we were younger. When combined with learning about the farmer's story, it gets so much scarier as you uncover the events leading up to the disappearance of his daughter. 

I felt nothing but anxiety as I played the game and even though I knew the ending would be scripted, I never felt truly safe in that house. The aliens might not have been able to get me in there, but it certainly felt like they could!

So should you wishlist it?

I'm just going to go ahead and say yes. This is a game for alien lovers. It's a horror game that draws on the very real fear that the truth is out there and we aren't ready for it. This game will unlock a new fear and after playing it, I definitely had a bit of trouble falling asleep.

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So there you have it, 4 Women-Led games that left me absolutely stunned. From cozy to creepy, these games absolutely stood out. All of them still have free demos up as of posting this blog entry. So if any of them appealed to you, I highly recommend checking them out and wishlisting.

And now, I'm going to go make a tinfoil hat because I'm back in my alien phase!

💛 Memento