Games of the Week: Papers, Fish, and Frogs
Happy Thursday itch.io fans! Roll into the weekend with a stack of hot new games! This time we’re bringing in a remake of a classic, Sokpop’s cutest game ever, and a surprisingly poignant fishing game. This pique your interest? Well read on for the games of the week!
LCD, Please
Even 10 years after release the original Papers, Please endures as one of the best games of its era. The political border agent simulator tasked players with exploring the nature of their work while trying to survive and feed their families.
Now in addition to reminding us that we’re all getting older, Lucas Pope has dropped a “LCD” demake of the original game. This takes the original game’s sorting mechanics and simplifies them down to their barest form under the guise of a handheld LCD game. It’s a cute little jaunt that highlights just how well designed the original game is.
If you’ve never played Papers, Please you should definitely grab it, but if you’re feeling nostalgic then LCD, Please is ready and waiting.
Anglerfish Project
Historically games have made you pick space OR fishing, but no longer. The Anglerfish project finally marries the two best genres of game, but with a little twist: you’re not fishing for fish. On your little space adventure you’re accompanied by a modified probe who you cast into the abyss and pull out messages fishing style. Yep, this is a fully narrative adventure. As you yank these messages from the deep you collect pieces that fit together to build a pastiche of who else is out there in this broad universe.
Anglerfish is certainly a kind game. The writing shines with love and while the game’s short runtime could definitely be extended, it’s the human kind of game that makes me happy to be alive.
Frog’s Adventure
I feel like I say this every time a new Sokpop game drops, but I have no idea how those guys do it. Not only are they dropping games monthly, they also continue to raise the bar for themselves with every release. This time the gaming boy band has dropped a hand drawn adventure game about an adorable sentient frog. Seriously, scroll up and look at the screenshot: That’s one cute frog.
Honestly I would have been happy just walking that cutie around in a circle, but Sokpop took it to the next level and gave us a variety of characters to talk to. The game is mostly wandering around from point to point carting doodads back and forth class Adventure Game style, but with a game this joyous to look at the journey is more than half the fun.
What are you playing this week? Let everyone know in the comments below!
