MMOs, like most games, are very derivative. Generally, when you see an original idea in an MMO, it isn’t a full game, just a new component added to the mix. EverQuest probably did the most, though even then, many of the things it brought were simply mechanics well-known to RPG players brought into an online world. I mention this because when Blizzard Entertainment developed World of Warcraft, it really didn’t do anything that new or innovative. The success was purely gained from taking existing mechanics and making them less tedious and more fun for players, while keeping that same gradual progression that keeps players coming back for more. READ MORE
Writer Mike Walbridge’s goal: play every Molyjam game and tell you about as many as he can. Want to know more? Click here.
196: These automatic arms.: “Game where your arms are controlled by a psychopath who keeps firing guns at innocent people. You must turn away from them and run.”
This is the most creative and best-implemented version of the “uncontrollable arms” tweet, despite its minimalist art style. There was a unique pause mechanic, a theme, a story, and characters that manage to involve you in the game. I also enjoyed the challenge of figuring out the best way to get through the rooms. It is difficult to successfully mix strategy and player’s real-time responses in a 2D top-down room-to-room game, but here it is. READ MORE
Cycladeswas one of my favorite new games in 2010, but it has not made it to the gaming table too often since then for various reasons. Perhaps the mix of expansion modules contained within Cyclades: Hades can bring it back a little more often? Three new additions and one optional rules modification flesh out the mythology of the game. Players can use as many of these as they wish, perhaps adding one at a time to get used to them, although adding everything is probably the way to go. READ MORE
The trenches of World War I are not a familiar battleground for any gamers, as most games tend to focus on the Second World War. However, that’s exactly where you’ll find yourself in The Wasted Land. These trenches aren’t populated merely with Germans though, but also the horrors of the Cthulhu mythos. Your squad is the last hope for saving humanity. READ MORE
Right before 3DO’s death, they had a few upcoming releases that showed promise. Back in 2003, the one that stood out to me was The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an action game set right before the supposed end of the world. In it, you control the archangel Abaddon and team up with a group of three humans known as the “chosen,” to track down and kill the riders of the apocalypse in order to prevent, well… the apocalypse. It attempted to mix heavy action with some light exploration and horror elements to create a game that was not unique, but had some interesting potential. READ MORE
