QUARTER BREAKDOWN
JULY
The Month of the Weird, the Gloom and the Vroom-Vroom
TANDEM: A TALE OF SHADOWS
July I suddenly joined Play Or Pay Event as I've been absent from it for over 6 months now. With that, I have been given quite an interesting list of games to play. From which Tandem is from. It's an interesting puzzle game that really has some interesting charm in it.
That being said, it was an easy and fast game to complete with some challenging puzzles, but not too difficult.
“To cast a shadow is to create a place where light cannot reach, and in that darkness lies the power to reshape the world..” - Haruki Murakami
Sum-Up
In-depth analysis further down.
| 🟩 Pros | 🟥 Cons |
|---|---|
| • Creative light and shadow puzzle mechanics. • Visually stunning, dark Victorian aesthetic. • Challenging puzzles with satisfying solutions. | • Repetitive objectives. • Flat voice acting and weak story. • Occasional visual bugs, especially in cinematics. |
| 🟨 Bugs & Issues | 🔧 Specs | ⚙️ Settings & FPS |
|---|---|---|
| Encountered minor stuttering during cinematics and a few visual glitches. These didn’t ruin the experience but did break immersion occasionally. | • CPU: i7-12700K • RAM: 32GB DDR4 • GPU: 3080 10GB • SSD: NVMe SSD • RES: 1440p | Settings: High FPS: 60-75 |
| 🌌 Content & Replay Value | The game can be completed in around 8-9 hours. It’s a focused experience, but the repetition limits its replay value. |
| 💵 Is it worth buying? | Yes, if you enjoy puzzle-platformers with creative mechanics. Consider waiting for a sale if the story is a priority for you. |
| 🎮 Steam Deck Compatibility | Runs well on the Steam Deck with no significant performance drops or control issues. |
🧾 Verdict: Decent |
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is a creative puzzle-platformer with visually captivating design and solid mechanics. However, its repetitive structure and weak story hold it back from greatness. It’s still worth playing if you’re a fan of the genre. |
In-depth
⚔️ Gameplay & Exploration:
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows offers a unique dual-perspective puzzle experience. Emma’s top-down world and Fenton’s 2D side-scrolling environment are intertwined, with light and shadow being the key to progressing. The mechanics are well-implemented, but the puzzles can become repetitive as the objectives remain largely the same across levels. The game’s world design is imaginative, with each region bringing something visually new and interesting.
🏆 Completion:
Not a difficult game to complete, but it does have several achievements that can be missed each level, but with a guide, you can easily find and get to the ones you missed.
Hours to fully complete the game: 8
Achievements: 24/24
Playthroughs: 1
Difficulty: 3/10
Steam Hunter Points: ✪ 4,063
🏞 Visuals & Presentation:
Visually, the game excels with its dark Victorian atmosphere. The environments are rich with detail, and the animations are generally smooth, though some minor bugs detract from the overall experience. Cutscenes have stutter both on Steam Deck and PC. The art style fits the eerie, fairy-tale vibe perfectly, enhancing the game’s mood.
🔊 Sound & Voice-Acting:
The sound design is atmospheric, with subtle music and well-crafted sound effects that deepen the immersion. Unfortunately, the voice acting falls flat. Emma’s lines lack emotion and feel stilted, making it hard to connect with the story.
📖 Story & Writing:
The narrative is one of the game’s weaker aspects. While the premise is intriguing, the delivery is lacking. The story doesn’t build much tension, and the voice acting does little to elevate it. The plot feels like an afterthought, serving more as a backdrop for the puzzles.
🧵 Length & Difficulty:
The game offers 5-8 hours of content, with some challenging puzzles toward the end. The difficulty is balanced, offering a satisfying progression curve. However, once you’ve seen the core mechanics, the novelty wears off quickly, reducing the replayability.
⭕️ Verdict:
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows delivers a unique puzzle experience with inventive mechanics and a strong atmosphere. However, its repetitive gameplay, lackluster story, and stutter bugs prevent it from reaching its full potential. It’s a good pick for fans of puzzle-platformers, but might be better enjoyed during a sale.
THE HEX
The second game I managed to pick right after was this strange be-it-all kinda game that really took me by surprise with it's story. To be honest, I found it hard to believe not enough people talk about this game.
Yes, artistically it doesn't look much, but all the other aspects are stellar!
"This place... it’s a graveyard of ideas, where abandoned concepts rot away in the dark." - The Hex
Sum-Up
In-depth analysis further down.
| 🟩 Pros | 🟥 Cons |
|---|---|
|
• Genre-blending mechanics that keep gameplay fresh. • Dark, engaging narrative with deep meta-commentary. • Intriguing and well-written characters. • Atmosphere that ranges from eerie to intense. |
• Some mechanics can feel unpolished. • Lack of voice acting, which could enhance character depth. • Visuals, while fitting, aren’t consistently standout. |
| 🟨 Bugs & Issues | 🔧 Specs | ⚙️ Settings & FPS |
|---|---|---|
| The only bugs I encountered were the ones intended to crash your game and get an achievement out of it. |
• CPU: i7-12700K • RAM: 32GB DDR4 • GPU: RTX 3080 10GB • Storage: SSD • Resolution: 1440p |
Settings: High FPS: 60+ Stable |
| 🌌 Content & Replay Value | The game’s unique narrative and genre-blending make a single playthrough memorable. Limited replay value, but discovering all secrets and story nuances could push you for a second run. |
| 💵 Is it worth buying? | Yes, especially if you enjoy narrative-driven games with experimental gameplay. Worth full price for fans of Daniel Mullins’ work. |
| 🎮 Steam Deck Compatibility | Runs smoothly with consistent performance. The pixelated and hand-drawn visuals suit the Deck’s screen size well. |
🧾 Verdict: Excellent |
The Hex is a genre-blending, narrative-driven indie gem that offers a mind-bending story and creative gameplay. It excels in delivering a unique experience despite some visual roughness and the absence of voice acting. A must-play for fans of experimental indie titles and meta-commentary in games. |
In-depth
⚔️ Gameplay & Exploration:
The Hex stands out by offering a different genre for each of its six main characters. From platforming to turn-based RPGs, each gameplay style is a reflection of the character’s backstory, tying narrative and mechanics closely together. The constant shift in playstyles can be jarring but also keeps the experience fresh and unpredictable. Exploring the tavern itself, where you learn about the dark pasts of these characters, ties all the genres into a cohesive, intriguing story. The gameplay can be rough around the edges, but that’s part of the game’s charm as it plays with expectations.
🏆 Completion:
The Hex isn’t a particularly difficult game to complete, but it does have some missable achievements tied to specific events and secrets in each section. Some will close your game and others will require you to replay chapters if you've missed them. However, with a guide, you can easily track down the ones you might miss on your first playthrough.
Hours to fully complete the game: 17.5
Achievements: 28/28
Playthroughs: 1
Difficulty: 4/10
Steam Hunter Points: ✪ 5,156
🏞 Visuals & Presentation:
While The Hex is mostly pixelated and hand-drawn, the visual style effectively sets the tone. It’s gritty, atmospheric, and fits the game’s dark themes. The visuals shift with each genre change, providing variety. While they may not be stunning in every moment, they serve the story well and enhance the overall eerie vibe.
🔊 Sound & Atmosphere:
The sound design is excellent at setting the mood—whether it’s light-hearted and quirky during platforming or unsettling during the more intense moments. However, the lack of voice acting is a noticeable drawback given how rich and complex the characters are. You do get by the end of the game a little bit of voice acting done by Daniel himself, but that's about it. Despite this, the ambient sounds and background music do a good job of immersing you in the world.
📖 Story & Writing:
The narrative is where The Hex truly shines. The game’s story is a clever critique of game design and the industry, told through the tragic lives of six flawed characters. Each character’s backstory is gradually revealed, exposing dark, twisted elements that add depth to the game’s meta-commentary. The writing is sharp, humorous, and deeply unsettling at times, which makes it hard to forget long after you’ve completed the game.
🧵 Length & Difficulty:
The game takes about 17.5 hours to complete, depending on how much you explore and engage with each character’s story. Difficulty varies with each genre segment, but it’s generally accessible while still offering some challenging moments. The hardest part is often adapting to each new gameplay style quickly.
⭕️ Verdict:
The Hex is an exceptional narrative-driven game with innovative genre-blending mechanics and rich storytelling. It’s not without flaws—some gameplay sections feel rough, and the lack of voice acting limits the emotional impact. However, the unique concept, compelling characters, and engaging story make it a must-play for those who love indie games that push the boundaries of conventional design. If you’re a fan of Pony Island or enjoy games with meta-commentary and experimental styles, this is one to pick up—preferably during a sale if you’re unsure.
FORZA HORIZON 4
After hearing that another racing game is getting delisted, that being Forza, I decided to hop on it and start my journey on completing it. It's a long game, but I set my priority straight and focus on what's first important, weekly tasks that were required. I have to say, that the first time I picked it up, the game felt extremely overwhelming in the amount of content.
For some, this is great, but when you don't understand anything and feel pressured by time, this becomes a burden. Luckily I figured out my phasing and eventually got to the bottom of it and figured out what I must do.
Games Completed this Month
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Tandem: a tale of shadows
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The Hex
