Gold-Plated Games

Nikopol’s reputation for being frustrating and incomprehensible precedes it for good reason, and it’s bad enough that there’s no chance I’ll ever see its end.

I can tolerate a rough or even bad game for awhile but I have little patience for parodies that are not on point, and these two lost the point long, long ago.

I would like to have seen far more done with the sharp art style and unusual interface, but it’s all in service of a game that’s too short and plain to do its themes justice.

I wish I could recommend this one for its so-bad-it’s-good elements, but there are too many just-plain-bad elements heaped on top of them.

Lacking the scope or detail or steady pacing of more established games, The Shivah still feels very much like a first effort and one that’s best skipped.

Even after two hours I could get no deeper into the game than being constantly rebuffed by empty rooms, locked doors, and silent people.