As you might have noticed, we here at Snackbar Games have been running a Holiday Gift Guide to let you know which of this year’s titles are worth picking up on each platform. Which is fine, but what if the people to whom you want to give gifts aren’t gamers? Despite the massive gaming advances of various mobile devices and more general-appeal nature of the Wii and Kinect, there are probably still quite a few people on your list who couldn’t tell a PS3 from a 3DS. If you still want to give the gift of gaming, here are some unplugged suggestions to inspire you. READ MORE
Simple fillers are some of the best gaming values around, and they don’t get much simpler than Stefan Dorra’s 2008 classic For Sale (published by Gryphon Games). The instructions literally take up a mere three pages, and a game can fly by in less than half an hour, but the fun had in that time can be disproportionately immense. READ MORE
Have you played any of the previous four Professor Layton games? Yes? Then you know exactly what to expect here. Thanks for reading!
If you haven’t played any of them yet, think of them as a collection of puzzles (135 in the main narrative, optional downloadable unlocks, a few mini-games and, if you’re good enough at the latter, 15 incredibly difficult bonus puzzles) hidden amongst the scenery and population of a whimsical adventure starring the London gentleman and archaeology professor Hershel Layton, his young apprentice Luke Triton and, returning from Last Specter, research assistant Emmy Altavia. The details of each narrative differ from title to title, but they all involve a bunch of mysteries (many apparently supernatural in nature) that the Professor and company will have to work out as they progress. Along the way, they will encounter a variety of bizarre characters, almost all of whom will eventually force them to solve some sort of puzzle for whatever random reason. READ MORE
Quick-playing card games with deceptively simple mechanics are always welcome at my gaming table. My latest acquisition, Brett J. Gilbert’s Divinare (published by Asmodee), is a fascinating mix of bluffing, treachery, and strategy flavorfully disguised as an international tournament of psychics and mediums. READ MORE
The escape-the-room visual novel 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (999), developed by Chunsoft and localized/published by Aksys, was a daring departure from typical DS fare when it arrived Stateside in late 2010. A mature title in both content and tone, it took any player who dared to brave its numerous walls of text on a wild ride of original story, well-developed characters, a crazy premise and puzzle-rich gaming segments. 999 quickly gained a loyal cult following and earned rave reviews from the scant handful of people who actually played it.
And somehow, against all odds and expectations by even the most ardent fan, we got a sequel. READ MORE
