So, uh, I was supposed to do this back in August when Gamescom happened, but life got in the way (as it is wont to do) and now it's... October. Anyway, if you don't know, Gamescom is (checks wikipedia) an annual video game expo in Germany, and it's apparently the world's largest gaming event? Huh, TIL.
Goodbye Seoul is a gorgeous 2.5D pixel art puzzle adventure set in Korea, just six months before an impending asteroid collision is set to wipe out humanity. You play as Rion, a young woman who gets a shot at hope and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind a secret space evacuation project amid the collapse of society.
I'm not too invested in the story, but it's got super nice visuals and great atmosphere, and the puzzles feel just the right amount of tricky to keep it interesting.
Verdict: ⭐ Wishlisted
If you've dreamed about leaving the city to live out your slice-of-life fantasy of selling books, this game might be worth checking out. Tiny Bookshop is a cozy management sim where you run a small, secondhand bookshop out of a trailer in the coastal town of Bookstonbury. Gameplay isn't too busy, I think, (probably best not to take my word for it) but still manages to be engaging.
Verdict: ⭐ Wishlisted
Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson is a turn-based RPG where you take on the role of Rob, a musician fighting to restore peace and harmony (pun intended) in a world overtaken by the villainous Rick Riffson, who uses the Battle of the Bands to trap musicians with deceptive soul-binding contracts. The gameplay is a strategic, rhythmic combat where you collect riffs and unleash powerful solos.
The music and animations are nice, but some parts of the demo feel like they could use a bit more polish. In the end, I just didn’t enjoy it that much.
Verdict: ❌ Not Wishlisted
I’ll just say it—this was an instant wishlist for me on vibes alone.
Keylocker is a pixel art, turn-based rhythm JRPG where music is outlawed. You play as B0B0, who's a singer rebelling against an oppressive regime on Saturn. The game mixes classic turn-based combat with some pretty punishing real-time rhythm mechanics, where you need to time your moves for maximum effect.
Verdict: ⭐ Wishlist Express
KILLA: Kill the La is an adventure mystery game where you play as Valhalla, an alchemist on a path of revenge, hunting down her mentor's murderer. Much of the story happens on a mysterious island, with other characters who all seem to share a suspicious link to her late mentor. KILLA features psychological and supernatural story elements with multiple endings, and combines puzzle-solving mechanics using unique abilities like "Resonance" and "Dreams" to unravel hidden mysteries.
Originally written in Korean, the prose for the English translation was okay-ish in the beginning. The turns of phrase were repetitive enough to stand out, but they do get better around the second half of the demo. It also comes in this pop up story book style, and gets much more colourful when you deep dive into your target's psyche.
I was a little on the fence for this one, but the game mechanics and the story elements were enough to put this on the wishlist.
Verdict: ⭐ Wishlisted
Miniatures by Other Tales Interactive is a visual interactive fiction composed of four short stories that explore themes of wonder and nostalgia, with a dark undercurrent of mystery and magic. Each story has its own distinct hand-drawn art style and gameplay, where you engage with a variety of dream-like puzzles.
Looking forward to giving this try.
Verdict: ⭐ Wishlisted
Another narrative adventure game is The Berlin Apartment, where you uncover relics that reveal the stories and lives of the apartment’s past inhabitants over the last century as you renovate it. Each episode is its own story, with distinct characters and genres, but always unfolds within the same walls of the apartment.
I had a great time with the demo. It's fully voiced, has a nice art style, great atmosphere, and an engaging narrative that kept me hooked.
Verdict: ⭐ Wishlisted
From the same creator as How Fish is Made, Mouthwashing is a PSX-style psychological horror game set in a deep-space freighter called the Tulpar, where a crew of five is stranded after their captain seemingly crashes their ship for unknown reasons. With dwindling resources and increasing paranoia, the crew slowly descends into madness that you experience through time jumps and hallucinations.
I really liked the surreal vibe and tension in this game. The constant feeling of teetering on the edge of something about to go horribly wrong was so good, it made this an instant wishlist for me.
Verdict: ⭐ Wishlisted
And that's pretty much everything I got to try for this year's Gamescom. It was a lot of fun trying out demos, so I'll probably be doing more of this in the future.