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Which games are keeping you company this weekend?



Videogames are great at helping us escape reality but sometimes they choose to throw us inside some even more distressing realities that might be oppressive, sinister, or just incredibly bleak. And we love them for it! What was the best time you ever had with a less-than-cheerful game? Did it make you think? Did its themes hit too close to home? Was its suffocating setting a breath of fresh air in a sea of light-hearted or superficial games? Speak up!


Surely you've got some gaming planned for this weekend, too. Go on, share your Weekend Playlist with us. It can include single-player games, multiplayer games, console exclusives, anything - we are not judging. In fact, we are sharing too!

Looking for some additional inspiration? The GOG.com releases of the week might help:


- <span class="bold">Headlander</span> puts you in control of a floating head, looking to overthrow our mechanical overlords by gaining access to the space station's most secure areas. There's a strong 70s campy sci-fi vibe going on here, similar to <span class="bold">Deadly Tower of Monsters</span>.

- <span class="bold">INSIDE</span> is a strong candidate for Most Bleak & Thought-Provoking Masterpiece of the year. It definitely got people talking, including the folk from CraveOnline who attempted to offer their own -SPOILERY- explanation on <span class="bold">what it all means</span>.

- <span class="bold">LIMBO</span>, the somber, beautiful, but occasionally horrifying puzzle/platformer that put Playdead on everyone's radar, is infamous for its ambiguous ending. A while back, Kotaku gathered some of the most plausible (yet mostly morbid) theories about what actually happened in <span class="bold">this article</span>, that's obviously full of SPOILERS.

- <span class="bold">Cossacks 3</span> is a grand strategy that challenges you with managing both your vast armies and the economy behind building and sustaining them. If the guy from the main art seems vaguely familiar, perhaps it's because he looks a bit like your good pal <span class="bold">Olgierd von Everec</span>.

- <span class="bold">Offworld Trading Company</span> is a great way to test your economy skills in a foreign environment that constantly tries to throw you off-balance. PC Gamer had some <span class="bold">nice words of praise</span> to spare for it.

- <span class="bold">Batman</span> hardly needs introductions. Protector of Gotham by night, unwilling member of the city's aristocracy by day, he is constantly faced with tough choices, as Telltale's adventure game aptly demonstrates.



So, GOGlanders, what are you playing this weekend?
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Exceed20XX: On a side note, is Vampire TMB easy to jump into with no background in the source material etc.? The current price is a bit tempting.
There is absolutely no problem with that. Same knowledge here and after an 2-3 hour I was deep in world, quests and game mechanics. The game atmosphere is just amazing. But remember to choose clan different than Malkavian or Nosferatu (these ones change gameplay seriously and are better for replay).

Do not hesitate. AFAIK the current GOG offer is the best price ever. Also the GOG version is the only one containing crucial patches.
Post edited November 25, 2016 by ciemnogrodzianin
Hoping for some time w/ Starbound or Journeyman Project 3 this weekend. We'll see how that actually pans out. Maybe I'll give Hand of Fate a try. I should probably load up the Telltale Batman series on my faster computer to see if it runs better there. It obviously needs more graphics power than I have elsewhere. :(

Not sure about the best bleak game - Banished? System Shock? I tend to avoid the more bleak themes in games.
Looks like another round of "Untangle the Christmas Lights." Also on tap, "Decorate the Tree"
I feel depressed so going to play some PA or TA and let dogs of war loose.
Mostly Tyranny, still on my first run through of that (I play slow). Also a bit of American Truck Simulator thrown in for variety.
Post edited November 25, 2016 by sirdilznik
Well ... I'll play a little more of Megami Tensei (via the SNES remake Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei); it's not the sort of game I can spend an entire afternoon on or anything [he says, before spending an entire afternoon playing it], but I want to beat it for historic reasons, so slow and steady. In terms of bosses beaten I must be about half-way through, although of course later areas are longer and more complicated then earlier ones.

Then ... oh, I'll probably finish a case in Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations? I actually really want to catch up on my reading, so I probably won't be gaming a huge amount.

Best bleak game? Silent Hill 2 maybe? Or there's always Demon Souls; the Prison of Hope especially, but the entire game is pretty chearless.
Post edited November 26, 2016 by BadDecissions
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Gleacer: But Guild of Dungeoneering is something I play, if I do something else und only have some Time between my Housework.
Oh I bet - I thought it looked pretty entertaining in short spurts actually.

I was just ribbing you a bit. In english, "dung" is a word for animal poop. I actually DID know you meant "Guild of Dungeoneering" but when you typed "Guild of Dung" I couldn't help making a joke about it being a "shitty" game (dung = animal poop = "crappy" game ;) ).
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Gleacer: But Guild of Dungeoneering is something I play, if I do something else und only have some Time between my Housework.
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Ixamyakxim: Oh I bet - I thought it looked pretty entertaining in short spurts actually.

I was just ribbing you a bit. In english, "dung" is a word for animal poop. I actually DID know you meant "Guild of Dungeoneering" but when you typed "Guild of Dung" I couldn't help making a joke about it being a "shitty" game (dung = animal poop = "crappy" game ;) ).
yeah I get it, the Time I second read your Post im German there iss a simluar Word "Dünger" and "Dung", but nice Joke.

If it comes to a bleak game, GuD have something to offer too, You got a Graveyard for your fallen Heroes.
Looks like I'll be playing a bit of Battlefield 1 this weekend. Bought it from the current Origin sale. Pretty good stuff. Runs beautifully on Ultra on my new PC. :) I will also be tinkering some more with Transport Fever.
Post edited November 25, 2016 by mistermumbles
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Exceed20XX: On a side note, is Vampire TMB easy to jump into with no background in the source material etc.? The current price is a bit tempting.
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ciemnogrodzianin: There is absolutely no problem with that. Same knowledge here and after an 2-3 hour I was deep in world, quests and game mechanics. The game atmosphere is just amazing. But remember to choose clan different than Malkavian or Nosferatu (these ones change gameplay seriously and are better for replay).

Do not hesitate. AFAIK the current GOG offer is the best price ever. Also the GOG version is the only one containing crucial patches.
I have this game on my wishlist, but I have been hesitating with respect to purchasing it because the gamecard has no pictures of the status screen, which I consider an important factor when deciding to buy a game that claims to be an RPG.
Off World trading company :D
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dtgreene: I have this game on my wishlist, but I have been hesitating with respect to purchasing it because the gamecard has no pictures of the status screen, which I consider an important factor when deciding to buy a game that claims to be an RPG.
What do you mean by "status screen"? Perhaps I'd be able to provide you something like that :)
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dtgreene: I have this game on my wishlist, but I have been hesitating with respect to purchasing it because the gamecard has no pictures of the status screen, which I consider an important factor when deciding to buy a game that claims to be an RPG.
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ciemnogrodzianin: What do you mean by "status screen"? Perhaps I'd be able to provide you something like that :)
The screen that shows your stats and skills, of course.
Best bleak game? Easy- Max Payne, which also happens to be my favourite game of all time. It's about as bleak as things get. And the same studio's Alan Wake would probably be a close second in that category. Well, maybe third- there's also Disciples 2 to consider. I love that game to death, and it's dark as death too.
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dtgreene: The screen that shows your stats and skills, of course.
You're welcome.
It's game made by Troika, so, no fear, it's smart enough.
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