The Swapper

I wanted to love this game. Unfortunately, the manufacturer didn't include support for a lot of very common graphics GPU's, including mine. After 2 hours of searching support forums, I found dozens of other people who can't see anything other than patches of light on their screens, but no solutions. I would suggest checking on compatibility before downloading this game.

The Swapper is a puzzle platformer about an astronaut who explores a seemingly abandoned space station in orbit around Chori V. Soon, you'll find the game's prime mechanic, "the Swapper," a weapon that allows you to create clones of yourself and swap between these bodies. As you solve puzzles around the station with the Swapper, you'll soon realise there's something very wrong here and that you may not be as alone as you initially thought. This game is pretty damn good for a number of reasons. First, the aesthetics look truly alien and the soundtrack does its part too. Together with a most compelling and mysterious story, The Swapper keeps you engaged and encourages you to solve puzzle after puzzle after puzzle to find out what's going on aboard the Theseus space station. The game clocks in at around 10 hours but it most definitely requires a second playthrough to figure out the exact chronology of events. Trust me, I'm still dwelling on it myself. I recommend buying it from the Facepalm Games website since it comes with a Steam key, a DRM-free copy, and the soundtrack for the game.

Puzzle games are a difficult genre: they are usually associated with brain teasers, to just spend some time with. It's hard to find something innovative, but luckily, once in a while we can find treasures like this game, that shake things with new brilliant ideas. This game is a subtle balancing of many factors: simple yet intriguing mechanics (you can clone yourself many times, and interact with the environment), interesting challenges, cool graphics, and a progressing storyline that keeps you interested, giving you further motivations to progress into the game. The sum of all these factors works, and the result is just spectacular. Only hint before playing: remember there is a "slow motion" feature, activated by keeping pressed the right mouse button: it's not mentioned in the game intro, but it is really a great plus that lets you think about the game, and not just become busy with fast clicking . Summing up, this game provides a really enjoyable experience, showing how brilliant new ideas, together with passion for games, can carve gems even without stellar budgets. Get it and enjoy it.

This game has a gorgeous art design and emotional soundtrack (which I had to buy on Bandcamp soon after finishing the game). I'm still trying to find something as dark and beautiful as this game. And I'm still not over it's metaphorical plot lines. I'm still trying to comprehend the choices a player is conditioned to make - and all the analogies to our behavior and coping mechanisms. How many unpleasant questions did it make you ask yourselves? Sometimes interactive mediums truly are a form of art.