Pilgrims (2019)
Amanita Design had been teasing its next full-scale adventure game, Creaks, for quite some time. While waiting for that, the studio surprised everyone with a smaller release, Pilgrims, in October 2019. As a long-time Amanita fan, I was genuinely pleased, especially since their previous release, Chuchel, had not really amused me. Pilgrims is a point-and-click adventure built around a card-game-inspired concept. It is illustrated and animated in a traditional style, yet with modern, high production values. Questionable and even slightly disturbing ideas become funny here, because they are presented in such a charming and innocent way.
Samorost 3 (2016)
Samorost 3, feverishly awaited by Amanita fans – myself included – finally came out a few days ago. Its intoxicating game world, populated by strangely endearing characters, shines in terms of audiovisual design. In Samorost, the mysterious sides of the forest blend with the emptiness of space, and it feels as if you were waking up inside a dream. Magic mushrooms and opium, yet somehow completely innocent.