A Memoir Blueis a relaxingindieadventure game developed by Cloisters Interactive about professional swimmer Miriam and her past. Players “float” through her memories as she relives her troubled childhood andexplores the evolving relationshipbetween Miriam and her mother.
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The gameplay is fairly simple, with minimal but unique ways the players interact with the background, such as wiping away the fog on windows. The game relies heavily on the players noticing details of the story through the setting. The soundtrack adds to the underwater feeling of the game through atmospheric songs. This is an ideal indie title for players that like a relaxing gaming experience, butA Memoir Blue is short, often running less than an hour, leaving players wanting more.
10Gris
Grisis a platform-adventure game about a girl going through loss. As players advance through the levels, they alsotravel through the stages of grief. The evolving powers of Gris’s dress and voice show the evolution of her ability to deal with sadness.
The surreal atmosphere of the game parallels that ofA Memoir Blue, along with the theme of motherly loss. Both soundtracks are relaxing and something worth listening to over and over.
9ABZÛ
Abzûis an adventure game where players dive through different underwater levels. Gamers can swim through vibrant landscapes, befriend aquatic creatures, and find what lurks inthe depths of the ocean.
With a swimming setting,Abzûallows players to float through the world and explore at their own pace. The shining element of this game is its vivid, bright setting and how it tells a story through observation of how the environment evolves.
8Florence
Florenceis an interactive story about Florence Yeoh who is stuck in an endlessly cycling routine. Her life is full of only work, social media, and sleeping until she meets Krish, a cello player. After this, her world begins to change.
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Easy gameplay, such as simple puzzles and painting, allows players to focus on the love story between Florence and Krish. The sketchbook-style art and beautiful orchestral music draw players through the game. While short, being under an hour long,Florenceis a great example of how little games can tella grand romantic story.
7Old Man’s Journey
Old Man’s Journeyis a puzzle adventure game. In it, players move and shape the landscape to allow the old man to cross the land. The player learns about life, loss, and hope as he travels. Little moves by the player determine the path the old man takes.
Similar toA Memoir Blue, the themes of this game speak to the imperfection of life and how to handle that. Being able to drag the landscape addsan interesting element to this puzzle game.
6Unpacking
Unpackingis a zen puzzle game where players unpack possessions into new homes.Players learn about the main characterthrough the items in their room, such as placing a dreidel or a bra. The game’s puzzles lie in placing items in the correct rooms using only the storage available. After completing the game, players can turn off puzzle mode and play the game again without location restrictions.
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Unpackingis a home decorating sim as well as having storytelling elements, providing a relaxing experience for the player to unravel in their own time. Relationships are discovered as new items appear when the character moves homes.
5What Remains Of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finchis an adventure game. The game is told from the point-of-view of the last living member of the Finch family, Edith. The family has a supposed curse that kills members of the family in strange ways, leaving only one alive in each generation.Edith walks through her family homeand recalls memories from all the items she looks at.
Despite different developers,What Remains of Edith Finchwas released by the same publisher asA Memoir Blue,Annapurna Interactive. The game is very surreal and relaxing. The dialog Edith adds when looking at items around the house emphasizes the emotional impact of the environment.
4When The Past Was Around
When the Past was Aroundis an adventurepoint-and-click puzzle gameabout love, loss, and everything in between. From music notes to little locks, the player controls Eda as she is going through memories of her relationship with Owl. Owl, who is dead, leads her through these and through the process of letting go.
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The point-and-click nature of the game is very reminiscent ofA Memoir Bluebut more interactive. The themes of loss and moving on pull at the heartstrings of players. The music is tranquil and fits perfectly with the pastel setting.
3A Mortician’s Tale
A Mortician’s Taleis a management game where players control a mortician at a funeral home. The main character, Charlie, embalms bodies as well as runs the connected funeral home. The game is short and the point-and-click controls are simple. The story is told through details the player can observe, such as reading emails and listening to the dialog of characters attending funerals.
This game gives playersa positive experience regarding death, making it less scary or gruesome. With gentle purple colors and a not-too-realistic art style, the tasks of running a funeral home becomes enjoyable. The game is short and relaxing, and players can decide how much of the story they want to interact with.
2InnerSpace
InnerSpaceis an adventure video game where players fly through the sky and dive into the ocean. This game’s bright and vibrant colors make soaring through the air stunning no matter the location. No horizons allow for enticing exploration in the air.
The game is cute and simple, perfect for gamers that want a chill experience to enjoy. The animations and color palette only emphasize this.
1A Short Hike
A Short Hikeis an open-world adventure game. Players explore campgrounds as they try to reach the summit of the nearby hill. The bird hikes, slides, climbs, and soars through the landscape of Hawk Peak Provincial Park, meeting new characters along the way andfacing different challenges to complete.
The game is heartwarming and adorable, showing the bird’s passion to have fun and entice their older sibling to play with them. While the main goal is to reach the top of the mountain for cellphone reception, there are plenty of side missions players can get lost doing.
