Grotto

If concepts like divination, the limitations of language, the clash of cultures, religious beliefs and the afterlife spark your interest: please, go play this one!! The player, as an impartial soothsayer, will take part in how a strange society forced to change develops, as its members turn to you in search of direction. Not only what you say will have an impact on them, but also how you say it and how well you employ the limited words that the stars grant you to deliver your message as clearly as possible. Misunderstandings do happen and that's a crucial factor to consider here, never becoming frustrating, but encouraging you to really listen and get to know both the characters and the constellations so you'll be able to communicate effectively. However, every character is unique and holds their own beliefs, independently of your actions. It's always fun to watch the conclusions each of them reaches when trying to decipher you. The game's not too long - a full playthrough took me ~5h. Even though there's some replayability here, given the amount of choices you actually make, it seems a bit lengthy for that. When I saw how I was wrecking havoc with some of my choices, I was fearing that I'd feel obliged to replay it all again, but I ended up pretty satisfied with how the story unfolded, owning my flaws as the local startamer and all. I really felt like one more character inside Grotto. Grotto is one of a kind, it's been really interesting to play and I'm shocked that it went mostly unnoticed. The price tag is more than fair: 100% recommended!!

Pretty nice story, [spoiler] I especially liked the ending, or at least the ending I was able to get [/spoiler]. I liked the writing and the narrative puzzle elements. It was a bit frustrating when their interpretations were sometimes the polar opposite of what I wanted to tell them, but I eventually realized/remembered that that was the point.

banger