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For Games Ranked 11–8
11.
Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip
by
Eonhetwo
Release Type:
Original Release
Scuzzy Description:
Gay Savage’s grandma wants her to pick up a carton of eggs at the supermarket, but as she heads outside, Gay discovers an otherworldly mystery invading her ugly town. What follows is a madcap adventure through conspiracies, alien encounters, and lots and lots of inappropriate humor to get to the bottom of this vast governmental cover-up.
But what exactly is hiding in that tall grass in the backyard?
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
9
Lowest Rating:
2
Achievements
Achievement
The Wackness
–Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip is a weird and wild comedy about aliens, drug addicts, and government officials colliding in a graphically absurd world. It’s the wackiest game of the year.
Achievement
Breaking Willy Beamish
–The Adventures of Willy Beamish is a brilliant, cartoonish point-and-click adventure game from the early 1990s. Breaking Bad is a brilliant television show about drug-sellers doing amoral things to save their own worlds. Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip looks as if Willy Beamish took a lot of drugs before starting this adventure.
Achievement
Doorkicker
-Eonhetwo, designer of Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip, used my YouTube channel on the last possible day to join the contest, not Slime Salad.
Achievement
MS Paint Award
-The sloppy cartoon graphics in Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip resemble a 1990s-era battle between the mouse and a frictionless canvas in MS Paint.
Achievement
High Grass
-Well, besides the obvious drug reference here, Gay Savage’s backyard is full of tall grass and hidden snakes that must be attacked to find an important object.
Achievement
A Return to Sour City
–Sour City is a 2016 Heart of the OHR entry about heroes with shaky morals conducting shady business in a scuzzy town. The lowbrow style driving Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip makes it a tamer heir apparent to that earlier game.
Achievement
Clever Push Blocks
-Most players hate the OHR’s native push-block feature because it represents a game designer’s lazy attempt at creating a puzzle. Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip, on the other hand, uses push blocks to hide inappropriate events from the player’s immediate view…until they’re pushed aside, that is.
Achievement
Winner of the Prestigious WTF Award
-Every year, I try to award the weirdest game with this award, and thankfully Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip swooped in at the last minute to claim it. No other game could’ve won this award, and I would’ve hated to let it go to waste in what may become the final Heart of the OHR. Previous winners include AR-PUH-GUH! (2012), T4R4D1DDL3 (2014), Grapnes 2: Kepnalcide (2016), and Asphodelus (2018).
Achievement
The Wackness
–Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip is a weird and wild comedy about aliens, drug addicts, and government officials colliding in a graphically absurd world. It’s the wackiest game of the year.
Achievement
MS Paint Award
-The sloppy cartoon graphics in Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip resemble a 1990s-era battle between the mouse and a frictionless canvas in MS Paint.
Achievement
A Return to Sour City
–Sour City is a 2016 Heart of the OHR entry about heroes with shaky morals conducting shady business in a scuzzy town. The lowbrow style driving Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip makes it a tamer heir apparent to that earlier game.
Achievement
Breaking Willy Beamish
–The Adventures of Willy Beamish is a brilliant, cartoonish point-and-click adventure game from the early 1990s. Breaking Bad is a brilliant television show about drug-sellers doing amoral things to save their own worlds. Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip looks as if Willy Beamish took a lot of drugs before starting this adventure.
Achievement
High Grass
-Well, besides the obvious drug reference here, Gay Savage’s backyard is full of tall grass and hidden snakes that must be attacked to find an important object.
Achievement
Clever Push Blocks
-Most players hate the OHR’s native push-block feature because it represents a game designer’s lazy attempt at creating a puzzle. Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip, on the other hand, uses push blocks to hide inappropriate events from the player’s immediate view…until they’re pushed aside, that is.
Achievement
Doorkicker
-Eonhetwo, designer of Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip, used my YouTube channel on the last possible day to join the contest, not Slime Salad.
Achievement
Winner of the Prestigious WTF Award
-Every year, I try to award the weirdest game with this award, and thankfully Gay Savage and the Enigma Rip swooped in at the last minute to claim it. No other game could’ve won this award, and I would’ve hated to let it go to waste in what may become the final Heart of the OHR. Previous winners include AR-PUH-GUH! (2012), T4R4D1DDL3 (2014), Grapnes 2: Kepnalcide (2016), and Asphodelus (2018).
Audience Consensus:
So many mixed emotions here! Wild and ugly graphics add to the game’s charm, but the character sizes are so mismatched and the wallmaps so poorly designed that gameplay becomes a chore. Map design is so uneven that it’s sometimes difficult to navigate. Story elements keep the game interesting, but much of it is crass beyond reason. Looks like a point-and-click adventure game, which is great for nostalgia. However, hiding a critical item in tall grass with a high encounter rate is a jerk move, as it’s easy to miss. Still, the whole thing is fun, funny, utterly stupid, and exactly what it aims to be. Wears its badge of shame with honor.
10.
Blood Ledger
by
Artemis Bena
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
After learning how to run and throw rocks on a training field, a stealthy hero must infiltrate the village castle while staying in shadows. Can he reach the end without getting caught?
And how does he peek so far around walls?
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
7
Lowest Rating:
3
Achievements
Achievement
Peekaboo!
-Much of the gameplay in Blood Ledger involves peeking around corners to see who or what’s coming toward the hero.
Achievement
Hoods in the Neighborhood
-For some reason, all of the bad guys in the castle are wearing hoods. Is this some kind of cult?
Achievement
Hand Slapper
–Blood Ledger holds the player’s hand throughout the opening training sequence, explaining how to enact all sorts of actions to successfully complete the course, then fails to make tasks or directions clear the moment the real game begins.
Achievement
Rock Thrower
-One of Blood Ledger’s game mechanics is to throw rocks to trigger distant switches or distract incoming enemies.
Achievement
Missing Atari
-The Atari 2600 had a joystick and a single orange button to play its games. All game actions could be taken with these two control sources. Blood Ledger requires a complex sequence of buttons or keys to get anywhere useful. Simplicity left the stage 35 years ago.
Achievement
Shadow Runner
-Success in Blood Ledger means remaining hidden from enemies and running when the coast is clear.
Achievement
Key Is Pressed Award
–Blood Ledger uses custom animations and movement controls to display its actions, the type of features made possible only by implementing a continuous “keyval” or “key is pressed” script.
Achievement
The Jank
-Because Blood Ledger uses custom scripts for movement control, gameplay can get a bit janky, making it harder to play than it needs to be.
Achievement
Peekaboo!
-Much of the gameplay in Blood Ledger involves peeking around corners to see who or what’s coming toward the hero.
Achievement
Rock Thrower
-One of Blood Ledger’s game mechanics is to throw rocks to trigger distant switches or distract incoming enemies.
Achievement
Shadow Runner
-Success in Blood Ledger means remaining hidden from enemies and running when the coast is clear.
Achievement
Hoods in the Neighborhood
-For some reason, all of the bad guys in the castle are wearing hoods. Is this some kind of cult?
Achievement
Missing Atari
-The Atari 2600 had a joystick and a single orange button to play its games. All game actions could be taken with these two control sources. Blood Ledger requires a complex sequence of buttons or keys to get anywhere useful. Simplicity left the stage 35 years ago.
Achievement
Key Is Pressed Award
–Blood Ledger uses custom animations and movement controls to display its actions, the type of features made possible only by implementing a continuous “keyval” or “key is pressed” script.
Achievement
Hand Slapper
–Blood Ledger holds the player’s hand throughout the opening training sequence, explaining how to enact all sorts of actions to successfully complete the course, then fails to make tasks or directions clear the moment the real game begins.
Achievement
The Jank
-Because Blood Ledger uses custom scripts for movement control, gameplay can get a bit janky, making it harder to play than it needs to be.
Audience Consensus:
An atmospheric, moody masterclass in animation, with well-crafted scripting and an interesting stealth mechanic. But it’s all wasted on long, empty maps, with a tutorial that simultaneously teaches the player how to perform moves without giving any practical reason for performing them. Leaves more questions than it answers. Dramatic pauses look more like game glitches. Moves too slowly. Keyboard and controller difficult to use. Most fun part: Jumping into a fountain and dying. No one likes the graveyard puzzle. Needs a lot of tweaking before it can be considered great.
9.
Tough Girl Gina
by
pjbebi
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
Remember that girl who used to wander around town stealing fruit off of bushes, beating up suspicious looking boys, and tormenting faeries who just want to live peacefully in their Zelda jars?
“Yeah!” She’s tough.
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
8
Lowest Rating:
4
Achievements
Achievement
The Sound and No Furry
–Tough Girl Gina has the richest and most nostalgic sound effects of any game in the contest. Also, no furries in this one.
Achievement
Where’s That Broken Wall?
-Paths are often hidden behind a wall of trees, taking a few map sections to reach. Normally, this isn’t a big deal, but in a game where battles are dangerous and plentiful, it can become nerve-racking.
Achievement
Foldout Map
–Tough Girl Gina uses single-screen maps that connect to each other by touching the edges, similar to how a foldout map might look once opened.
Achievement
Stat Stasher
-The HUD on Tough Girl Gina is so cluttered with stats that it’s hard to read any of them or know what any of them mean.
Achievement
Berry Picker
-Gathering items in Tough Girl Gina is as simple as pulling flowers off the grass or plucking berries off a bush. Until you run out of inventory room, that is.
Achievement
Trapped By the Night
-Nightfall is always approaching, and getting caught outside at nightfall has the potential of ruining a good save, assuming you can find a place to save your game.
Achievement
Blackwater
–Tough Girl Gina’s graphics are so retro that lakes are black, not blue, just like a classic PC game from the 1980s.
Achievement
What a Knockout
-Gina gets into a lot of fights, and she loses almost as many.
Achievement
Yeah!
-Whenever Gina succeeds at anything, including breaking pots, she screams “Yeah!”
Achievement
The Sound and No Furry
–Tough Girl Gina has the richest and most nostalgic sound effects of any game in the contest. Also, no furries in this one.
Achievement
Stat Stasher
-The HUD on Tough Girl Gina is so cluttered with stats that it’s hard to read any of them or know what any of them mean.
Achievement
Blackwater
–Tough Girl Gina’s graphics are so retro that lakes are black, not blue, just like a classic PC game from the 1980s.
Achievement
Where’s That Broken Wall?
-Paths are often hidden behind a wall of trees, taking a few map sections to reach. Normally, this isn’t a big deal, but in a game where battles are dangerous and plentiful, it can become nerve-racking.
Achievement
Berry Picker
-Gathering items in Tough Girl Gina is as simple as pulling flowers off the grass or plucking berries off a bush. Until you run out of inventory room, that is.
Achievement
What a Knockout
-Gina gets into a lot of fights, and she loses almost as many.
Achievement
Foldout Map
–Tough Girl Gina uses single-screen maps that connect to each other by touching the edges, similar to how a foldout map might look once opened.
Achievement
Trapped By the Night
-Nightfall is always approaching, and getting caught outside at nightfall has the potential of ruining a good save, assuming you can find a place to save your game.
Achievement
Yeah!
-Whenever Gina succeeds at anything, including breaking pots, she screams “Yeah!”
Audience Consensus:
Tries to reimagine the classic RPG by implementing a custom HUD, map scrolling, voice acting, and character-driven dialogue that merges gameplay advice with story. On paper, these all seem like great gimmicks. But in practice, improvements can be made. Maps sometimes lead to no place interesting, and it’s not always clear where they transition. Graphics can be rough on the eyes. The HUD provides information overload. And it’s not always clear how crafting works, or what should be crafted. Sometimes meeting an NPC’s needs or expectations comes after it’s too late to fulfill them. Likewise, talking to everyone doesn’t always determine where to go next. But at least the sound effects are awesome. Are they really that awesome? Yeah!
8.
Xoo: Xeno Xafari
by
Willy Elektrix
Release Type:
Remake Release
Fuzzy Description:
Far in the future, on an island where interesting creatures live, take a journey of discovery where each new find can unlock a journal entry and get you closer to that pair of binoculars that lets you view a new level of creatures.
What are you waiting for? Come to the island today!
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
9
Lowest Rating:
5
Achievements
Achievement
Lost Vacation
-Even on Vacation Island (not its real name), Xoo’s high-low score is working 9 to 5.
Achievement
Energy Sucker
-The primary limitation to Xoo: Xeno Xafari is the energy meter that tracks how far the protagonist can walk before needing to reach a tent for the night. It rises and falls according to certain actions in the game.
Achievement
Wait, Is That a Cameo?
-If you go down to the southwestern dock, you’re likely to get a Bob Surlaw reference.
Achievement
Island of Dr. Thorough
-The point of Xoo: Xeno Xafari is to find every living creature on the island (including invisible ones) and document them. Leave no stone unturned.
Achievement
What’s Northeast?
-Much of the island’s shoreline can be explored, but the travel path cuts back into the island’s heart before the player can explore the northeast side, begging the question, what mysteries are left undiscovered up there?
Achievement
Egg Hatcher
–Xoo: Xeno Xafari began life as a short game for a 6-in-1 console pack. This game is the result of that former game hatching and growing into a sophisticated, fully fledged adventure.
Achievement
See a Little Harder
-New animals and items appear as sight lenses get more upgrades.
Achievement
Alien Squatter: Havana Nights
–Xoo: Xeno Xafari is basically the tropical island version of Willy Elektrix’s other recent Steam-exclusive release, Alien Squatter.
Achievement
Money or Nothing
-Some commercial OHR games come with free demos to bypass the no-play barrier, but the only way to play Xoo: Xeno Xafari is to pay for it ($5.99) on Steam or Itch.io. Because this is a potential obstacle for some voters, Willy Elektrix agreed to let me stream a 30-minute gameplay video on my YouTube channel to give voters a fair impression (even though the tactile feeling of playing can’t be simulated).
Achievement
Lost Vacation
-Even on Vacation Island (not its real name), Xoo’s high-low score is working 9 to 5.
Achievement
Island of Dr. Thorough
-The point of Xoo: Xeno Xafari is to find every living creature on the island (including invisible ones) and document them. Leave no stone unturned.
Achievement
See a Little Harder
-New animals and items appear as sight lenses get more upgrades.
Achievement
Energy Sucker
-The primary limitation to Xoo: Xeno Xafari is the energy meter that tracks how far the protagonist can walk before needing to reach a tent for the night. It rises and falls according to certain actions in the game.
Achievement
What’s Northeast?
-Much of the island’s shoreline can be explored, but the travel path cuts back into the island’s heart before the player can explore the northeast side, begging the question, what mysteries are left undiscovered up there?
Achievement
Alien Squatter: Havana Nights
–Xoo: Xeno Xafari is basically the tropical island version of Willy Elektrix’s other recent Steam-exclusive release, Alien Squatter.
Achievement
Wait, Is That a Cameo?
-If you go down to the southwestern dock, you’re likely to get a Bob Surlaw reference.
Achievement
Egg Hatcher
–Xoo: Xeno Xafari began life as a short game for a 6-in-1 console pack. This game is the result of that former game hatching and growing into a sophisticated, fully fledged adventure.
Achievement
Money or Nothing
-Some commercial OHR games come with free demos to bypass the no-play barrier, but the only way to play Xoo: Xeno Xafari is to pay for it ($5.99) on Steam or Itch.io. Because this is a potential obstacle for some voters, Willy Elektrix agreed to let me stream a 30-minute gameplay video on my YouTube channel to give voters a fair impression (even though the tactile feeling of playing can’t be simulated).
Audience Consensus:
Neat concept and amusing in practice. Discovering new animals is quirky and a lot of fun, especially as new layers for discovery evolve. But the map design seems aimless. And the menu’s layout seems more complicated and overwhelming than a “chill game” needs to be. Offers no risk, reward, or skill. Nothing more than an exploration game. But that may be exactly what you need after a stressful day. No conflict. Just adventure and discovery. Available only as a commercial game (Steam and Itch.io).
