(I Play Short Games Multiple Times) Moida Mansion
Now what has Lucas Pope brought us now? The man put out Papers Please, Return of the Obra Dinn, and then this year has put out two games, one is a Playdate exclusive, the other is free to check out in itch.io. Maybe just playing simple, unique games is just what we need now.
A browser title too, with KBM support as well. Moida Mansion's simple objective is to rescue your friends, hide from the monster, and escape afterward. That's not really simple, however. As it requires the player to make observations, try out looking into the environment with limited controls, and while there are tips, it's still intuitively challenging.
Right, where do I start with this? A club mascot turtle scurried itself accidentally into a mansion before getting you all trapped. Not just any Mansion, THE MOIDA MANSION. SPOOOOKY! So now you're being chased by a monster, and find a way to get out.
Which involves searching through various objects in the room, ranging from a cabinet, toilet, wardrobe, bed, the basement, laboratory, etc. It took me multiple tries, as I kept finding nothing, getting caught, and also being warned on the game screen that I can't keep searching on the same area as the monster is still lurking about while I make noises.
I could find a number of things, hidden keys, switches on the walls, but yeah, those don't matter if I don't find my friends. Easily be done observing the screen, and finding those noise indicators. While, ah, also frantically avoiding the damn monster. Hovering my mouse to one after the other.
If you've played Obra Dinn, this is like brushing investigation skills, but on a hot rush. The environment slightly changes, still mostly the same. While it could harken to the arcade games of the past. Handhelds that children used to play to distract them. It also reminds us, from a fundamental standpoint, what video games are supposed to be like.
The instructions are even laid out, they don't help out with the mid and final section of the game, tho. No, instead, a trailer released by Itch.io pretty much does. But I'd suggest for the full fun of the experience that you try it out still unaware. The real fun is still figuring out all of this by yourself. I miss the times when games respect the player to use their brains.
More than just honing in puzzle solving skills, trying to find the unique design in the simplest of things. This is why indie games have been thriving lately, and not cookie cutter triple A video games. Ok, trying too hard to make this a big deal, which I shouldn't.
Because this is a very short game. Just like this post is. But I still had to try it out, and if I had money, I'd probably get the Playdate as well for the other one. Despite it not selling super well, especially in a crippling economy right now. Also, if this challenges platform monopoly, by all means.
Steam is great, but after the recent revelation of not owning our games, changes to the definition of license ownership, I think it's high time these new places really start thriving more often.
