Arcade feels in Climbros
Here's a great example of good gameplay well done in a way you'd never see if it wasn't for a little indie game. Although it still plays smoothly in single player, Climbros really shines in multiplayer, which I've played online using Parsec. Me and my friend are having a blast clearing its gigantic levels, where a quirky little story is told as you complete multiple tracks to progress through it. Up to four players can play locally, which is something I really want to try, because it ramps up both the challenge and the fun.
Mechanics work as intended: everyone is connected to a rope. If somebody falls, the others can pull them up until he can snap to a wall again. Swing momentum from a fall or a jump can be used to traverse longer distances. Unstable walls and other perils force players to coordinate their actions, so everyone has to pay attention to each other. That's hard to do when there's a timer telling you to hurry up or you'll have to restart your current mission, just like it's even more satisfying when you do complete it.
Get Climbros on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1084710/Climbros/
Avoid going offline in STAY
A man has been kidnapped and has no idea where he is or how to escape. His only connection to the world is... You. Talk to him through online chat, help make decisions, calm him down, bond and see it all through! Where was he taken? Why? You'll find out in this agonizing and satisfying unique take of what could be classified as a visual novel, although it has some really good puzzles.
The game's fully pixelized art style and the whole presentation do a wonderful job at connecting you with main character Quinn, a very talkative and depressed psychologist who wants to get better, even though he finds himself in this desperate situation. Although the amount of chatter he uses can become painful, it's true that some people calm themselves through having lengthy conversations, so I was eventually convinced that's real enough. Now I'm captivated.
Get STAY on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/753230/STAY/
