Indies for the Weekend

Traumatarium

This one is a throwback to the old Gameboy days. The story is the age-old trope of a hero coming to save a land in distress. After you have purchased your supplies in town you can choose between two different locations that consist of 10 different areas. Every time you enter an area you have the option to either continue by leaving or exploring it. Rooms and enemies are randomly generated so your playthrough will be mostly different every time you startup each game. It has to be noted though that even though there are no animations because the game is being played through, only still pictures and text it still manages to be highly engaging. This is mostly due to the excellent creativity displayed in the numerous pictures in the game, as well as the amazing artistry displayed in them. This is an astounding achievement given that everything is in black and white. The game is still in development and more areas and features will be added to the game. I just hope that at some point they decide to bring the game into 2D-platform territory or even into 3D territory.
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Veins

Oh boy! Where do I start with this one? I couldn't be able to tell you what this one was about even if I had a gun to my head. BUT! The main reason for that is because this is an episodic game and this one turned out to be the second in the series. This is one of those games that just start, no menu screen or anything it just throws you in. You seem to be in someone's nightmare and you are trying to get out. You get occasional text prompts on the screen giving you hints on what you need to do to get forward. But why stuff is happening and why you are here is never clear. The developers have done a good job of conveying the PS1 aesthetic and conveying the otherworldly place you find yourself in. You're not told much but just looking at your surroundings and the overall atmosphere tells you that this is a place you are not supposed to be in. I also have the feeling that there is an overall message to be conveyed here, but sadly that is something that flew over my head. Give this one a try but don't do the same mistake as me and start in the middle. Instead, start from the first episode.
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Nightline

I really like these types of games, they tell us that it's not always about killing stuff, collecting loot and getting the highest score. Sometimes they can just be about taking it easy and relaxing and here you get that chance. Maybe it's not the first place people think about when relaxing somewhere but here it works perfectly. The game is set in a subway cart passing through three different locations which you choose on the menu screen. Together with the ambient soundtrack and the dreamy/futuristic backdrop, one can just sit back and enjoy the scenery in this one. If nothing else this can also be perfect just to have on as a screensaver or having on in the background while doing something else.
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