Octodad

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: DePaul University

Oftentimes, poor controls result in a poor game. But rules were made to be broken and Octodad is a game that actually benefits from being a nightmare to control...In fact, I don't think that I'd get anywhere near the same amount of enjoyment out of this game if it controlled like a dream. Its controls are absolutely horrible and I wouldn't have it any other way. In Octodad, you are an octopus that has fooled a family into believing that you are their human father or husband. Being an octopus, you awkwardly move around, knocking things over and generally just making a mess of things...It somehow manages to create slapstick comedy out of your unintentional mess making. A sequel was made that landed on PC and consoles subtitled, "Dadliest Catch." If you're a fan of that game, it may be worth downloading the original game to see how it all started - it was, and always has been free. The original website where this game was available to download now links directly to the paid sequel, which you can definitely purchase to support the developers. However, thanks to the fine website known as itch.io, the developers have found a space on the web to toss the original game up, still free of charge, just like it always was. If you'd like to give it a shot, you can find it here.

Review added: 08/26/2022

Off-Peak

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Cosmo D Studios

Off-Peak is a weird game to comment on. It’s a free game on Steam…but it almost feels like it’s a demo rather than a game. The purpose of the game seems to be to establish how odd the setting is in a location known as  Off-Peak. There’s only one real goal here – just collect ticket pieces to create a complete train ticket. Along the way, you listen to and talk to many of the folks in and around the train station, as well as take in all of the bizarre scenery. The entire experience lasts roughly 20-30 minutes for a single playthrough. Maybe you can get another 20-30 minutes out of it if you want to collect all achievements. It's not necessarily a bad game by any means...it just doesn't really feel complete. Still, for what it's worth, I did enjoy my brief time playing Off-Peak. If you’re limited on time but are looking to kill 30 minutes, Off-Peak may be a good game to download. It’s free, so even if you’re not a fan, at least you didn’t lose any money on it.

Review added: 10/12/2020

Okaeri

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: _k.y

I really like Chilla's Art games, but Okaeri is the first one that I simply don't see as a passable game. It's close, but not quite there. It's also a game published by Chilla's Art but developed by _k.y...so maybe that has something to do with it. In Okaeri, you take the role of a young girl who has just moved into a new neighborhood with her mother about a week prior. When you first start the game, your task is to find your house…which you quickly learn that you've forgotten how to get to. Once you find your house and enter it, every door is locked…and gradually, you'll gain access to one room…then a second…and then the lights go out and the remainder of your time in the game is in the dark with a flashlight. There really isn't much to the gameplay…there's a single puzzle to solve…which leads you to the one remaining room that's locked. The game's finale puts you in the woods, wandering around until you come across a temple and something to interact with to trigger the end of the game. And yes, I'm intentionally being vague to prevent spoilers. The game took me roughly 30 minutes to beat on my first playthrough while I tried to figure out exactly how the game worked. I'm sure that when you know where to go, this can probably be beaten in about 10 minutes. If this game had a little more meat to it, I'd give it a better score, but it feels more like a tech demo than a game that you'd charge people money for. I like Chilla's Art, but I just can't consider this game passable.

Review added: 10/31/2024

One Halloween Night

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: ollienoseworthy

From what I can gather, this game was rushed in order to have it release for Halloween this year…and rushed game or not, it's not terrible for a game made by (I assume) a single person. Basically, One Halloween Night puts you in the shoes of a young teenager who has been left alone on Halloween night. Your tasks are basically to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, clean up their mess, and go to bed. Oh, and there's also a task of, well, not dying. But anyway, as weird as it sounds, the first part of the game, where you hand out candy, is very slow-paced, but it's also kind of relaxing. Seeing silhouettes of children going to other doors across the street was a nice touch…I found myself watching through the window next to the door, waiting for the next trick-or-treater, so it was nice to see at least something happening out there while I waited. After the trick or treating is done, you'll eat, clean up candy wrappers in the yard, and then go to bed. Upon waking up in the middle of the night, you'll do a few tasks…and then you're eventually given the options to hide or escape the house. The hide ending doesn't really make sense…if a neighbor called the cops because they're nosey and were watching your house, shouldn't they have noticed something amiss much earlier? I don't want to spoil the game for anyone…but if you play this, you'll know what I mean. Anyway, One Halloween Night is a so-so, short game for Halloween. There's not really anything broken here, but it also lacks anything to make it stand out…Still, though, if you'd like to try it, you can try it for free over at itch.io…and, of course, if you think that they did a good job and want to support their work, you can send some cash their way. 

Review added: 10/28/2025

Onechanbara ZII: Chaos

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Tamsoft

I've always liked the Onechanbara games…they're never masterpieces by any means, but they've got that "so bad it's good" quality in terms of an incredibly cheesy story with a cast of bizarre characters. The gameplay, unfortunately, is what really tends to hold these games back from being something that's worth recommending to others. The gameplay tends to be mostly mindless, boring, hack and slash action. Sure, some enemies require strategy and all, but the majority don't, so you may just find yourself mindlessly mashing buttons in-between conflict with the few enemies that actually require specific attacks done. I will say, though, the quick-time events are very well done. I generally hate quick-time events. This game gives you plenty of time to not panic and screw it up, but also has a limit on it, so you can fail them if you don't put the proper commands in. The commands are also done with the analog sticks of a controller, which feels a little more natural, to me anyway, than pressing the right button at the right time. Story-wise, it's as cheesy as ever, in a good way. My only complaint on the story end of things is that it assumes that you know the backstory of everyone - it likes to reference stuff from the other games. While I'm not an Onechanbara expert, I am a fan, and I wasn't getting some of the references, so I can only imagine what someone new to the series would think. A little history or backstory with things related to the plot of this game would have been helpful. Anyway, Onechanbara ZII: Chaos isn't a bad game…it's passable. Unfortunately the very repetitive gameplay holds it back from being something better. Still, if you like cheesy b-movie stuff and/or want to chop up hordes or zombies and undead monsters as a gal with in a bikini with a pair of very large….uh, swords….well, then you still may find something to like here.

Review added: 10/31/2024

Owlboy

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: D-Pad Studio

I played a lot of Owlboy...about a year ago. I got to the "final boss" and found out that there was more to the game...explored a bit, then got caught up in other stuff and never came back. Well, now I've gone back and finished it up. Owlboy is pretty fantastic. It looks like it'll be releasing (or maybe has already released...I have no clue, too lazy to check) on pretty much everything else now - PS4, Switch, etc. There's a reason it's being ported everywhere - it's very, very good. If you're interested in a game that calls itself a platformer, but plays more like a 2D adventure game, with more flying than platforming and a little bit of Metroidvania thrown in for good measure, then you'll probably enjoy Owlboy. If that stuff doesn't interest you, then maybe get this when it goes on sale - you might be pleasantly surprised.

Review added: 08/12/2019