MAIZE

Though a bit short, this title can easily become another point-and-click classic. In this particular genre, titles become classics  mostly by using humour as their main ingredient. Newer games in the genre that leave some sort of a mark in today's world and age are mostly those exploiting absurdist and  existential humor. And MAIZE has these in copius amounts. We have a teddy bear sidekick with a Russian accent that has no actual value throughout the game and follows you and makes generic and trite comments that we soon grow to love; we have fields of sentient corn and the backstory of a scientific experiment  gone wrong and  awkward first-person movements that make you doubt your identity; the ending annuls your 3-hour efforts to save the new species, and makes you laugh over what you played. Everything else is secondary to the story and the humour - the puzzles are extremely easy to complete and collecting objects is super easy since they're all highlighted.

Sentient corn, people!

PINOUT

With hundreds of different pinball simulations I've played so far I can say I finally found one that's unique as a computer game. Instead of recreating some original machine in its physicality and movements, PINOUT lets go of the simulation and becomes something more - a game that could last for tables on end. Combining the genres of endless runner and pinball simulation was an incredibly smart thing to do. You jump from one beautifully designed table to another until you've reached a checkpoint.

The retro is strong with this one- a Tron-like retro-futuristic envirnoments  accompanied by appropriate  retrowave/synthwave music is a treat for a retro gamer;  there is a ton of  classic powerups that reach new heights here (random, motion link, slow motion, time freeze etc ) , altered and distorted; all  bonus mini games are exquisite homages to 8-bit classics (a racing game,a blasteroid-type game, a horizontal  space shooter etc) with 8bit sounds and themes and no retrowave colouring, so that you're able to enjoy them the same way you did on pinball machines in the late 80s/early 90s.

If you've ever enjoyed any pinball game on any of your machines you've ever had, get PINOUT- you won't be disappointed.

ANOTHER WORLD/ OUT OF THIS WORLD

This was the first genuine cinematic experience in gaming I had. It was as if the game maker had done his first movie debut and not a game. A b-movie , but a strong one nevertheless. Its pacing was that of a movie, the soundtrack was that of a movie, the photography was given so much attention to actually fool you into believing you're watching one. No score or stats appearing on screen, no intrusive music or tunes that would come in the away of the general feeling of alienation and loneliness. Great rotoscoping results I only saw in "The Lord of the Rings" cartoon before that. Playing with expectations just like in real movies  with sudden changes or subtle hints at changes through introducing details /objects further hightened the experience. And just like the movie makers of yesteryear who knew not to overdo  it with special effects , he kept monsters and sprites  more in the realm of contours and hints than finished products, thus making it still fresh for players who'd be willing to play it in 2017.

 It was so "out of this world" and such a unique account of loneliness in the modern world that whenever I revisited it on any platform I would just confirm what I initially thought of the game- this title had to be autobiographical. The hero wakes up in the alien world he cannot make head nor tail of. One cannot ascertain the where and when of this world, and  the feeling of being lost permeates  the entire narrative. The friendly alien helping the hero only makes everything even more distant and desperate.Danger lurks everywhere. That simply had to be what the game maker thought of the world he grew up in and of the people around him.

Try this cake. It's delicious.

THE TALOS PRINCIPLE

The best game ever made in any of the countries that were once collectively known as Yugoslavia!

The game can easily be enjoyed without getting philosophical about androids and volition and laws of robotics and demiurges and the meaning of life and intelligence and communication and the Tower of Babel and be played for the appeal of its puzzles that get increasingly more difficult as the game progresses.The game looks wonderful, plays well and the accompanying music algorithms are spot on.Utmost care is given to all the sets , objects and artefacts. But neglecting the original intention of the creators to perceive of this title as of a philosophical game simply results in dumbing it down. This is one of the most powerful , if not the most powerful philosophical statement in gaming I have seen so far (alongside the unparalleled The Stanley Parable, of course). Making people think about their life and how free in their actions and thoughts they really are as they play the game is the greatest gift  a player can be given.

A game worth every penny.

LEADERBOARD GOLF

I've never been a fan of watching sports on TV or playing sports games. Didn't really like them in the 80s and 90s (except for a passing interest in  NHL97/98 and DRAZEN PETROVIC BASKET (for obvious reasons :) ), and not liking football naturally excluded me from enjoying the PES or FIFA series that reign supreme nowadays.

LEADERBOARD GOLF was the only sports game that has ever made a lasting impression on me, and the first game on the c64 that came really close to a perfect simulation of any sport. With beautiful animations, mappings and views of the courses and excellent controls of the game, it was both easy and fun to play. A simple look at a walkthrough video doesn't even come close to what an actual player felt while playing this title in the 80s. I felt as if my c64 was somehow upgraded whenever I'd play it. It was also the only sports game my sisters enjoyed playing!

Later on, I found the Amiga, the Amstrad and the Atari versions had an even more impressive graphics.Then came the other games in the LEADERBOARD  series that brought us more courses and even smoother graphics, but the original title remained one of the pillars of the c64 legacy.

Still waiting for a decent swimming  game/simulation...

BULLY: SCHOLARSHIP EDITION

The game is unique and skillfully made,I'll give them that. The story is cleverly built, the characters are well-outlined , though quite archetypal, and the narrative needs them to properly unfold. I understand trying new thing in games is a thing to aspire to, but I've never understood this kind of morally reprobate titles that some software houses simply excel at making. BULLY attracted a lot of attention for its concept and playability and its several re-released versions proved its grasp over players. But the question remains: who benefits from playing such a game? Whether you were bullied or a bully at school or a lone wolf who silently observed what was going on around them you feel pain upon playing  this game- very few people like reliving their high school days. If you're in high school and have already taken up a specific role at either side of this spectrum and you aspire to up the social ranks at school, this game can hardly be a training simulation for you. I guess it could  only be an interesting experience for girls who would like to try being a boy bullying and fighting other boys , making out with girls or boys, and doing what they want. Otherwise , no excuse can be made for fighting violence with violence.

I'll go and play some Mikie  on my good ole c64 right now for comparison.

QUANTUM MOVES

The first game I heard of that helped scientific research in a substantial way - this fact alone is enough to include it in the pantheon of unique games. Somebody in the scientific community realized the common man could help them build a quantum computer of tomorrow by playing a game more than several million of algorithm runs would. And when you realize that you contribute to the ever-lasting search for greater and faster computers by playing a game you simply feel proud to take part. And you're not alone in this endeavour -  some 150000 people played it over 8 million times.

You catch atoms in qubit's lattice moving the laser by moving the mouse sideways and determine the intensity of the laser firing atoms by moving it vertically. After  firing two atoms you merge them carefully without letting them "spill" over their final position too much. The "spilling" occurs whenever the energy is directed. This is just an awkward explanation of a man who spent his entire life around art and litterature, so I strongly recommend visiting this page to get to know the concept and the research behind the game and to play the game itself:
https://www.scienceathome.org/games/quantum-moves/game   

Knowing nothing about the concept behind the game  won't diminish the pleasure of playing it. It's a funny display of fine mouse manipulation skills that rewards the patient. You will find yourself drawn to the game and playing it for a few hours. The experience will demand another 2-3 tries at the game and that's it- you served your purpose.

I only wish there were more meaningful games like this.