The Count Lucanor | "DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!"

Platform: PC (via Steam)

Developer/Publisher: Baroque Decay Games

# of Players: 1

MSRP: $9.99

ESRB Rating: N/A (but it’s NOT for the kiddies!)

Score: A- (90%)

When a game’s press info mentions classics The Legend of Zelda and Silent Hill as inspirations, it’s either going to be really great or really lousy. Fortunately, Baroque Decay’s excellent The Count Lucanor is not only really great, it’s one of those smartly designed “retro” games that does pretty much everything right. The game is funny, a bit frightening (and best played in the darkness) and definitely disturbing on a few fronts. While it’s not a lengthy experience at all, the about 5 hours it takes to play (which is your average 8 or 16-bit game length, not counting RPG or strategy titles) means it won’t wear out its welcome when all is said and done. Five different endings mean there’s replay value to be had if you want to see every possible outcome, but you can mildly abuse the save system if you don’t want to start from the beginning each time. Continue reading →

Funny that I come back from the almost but not quite dead just in time for The Count Lucanor to want to kill my remaining free time.Why is that poor pixelated piggy getting whacked on the butt on the left? My curiosity is piqued and I’m suddenly feeling guilty about having a bacon craving a few hours back that went away a few seconds later.

Coming to Steam March 3, 2016 from indie developer Baroque Decay caught my attention a while back with its dark theme and pretty pixel art style which has since expanded to include some nice animated cut scenes that seem almost Ghibli-like:

But there’s a more grim tale at work under all that cuteness, of course. How grim? I do intend to find out and let you all know, ladies and gents. Hey, when a press release or game page notes comparisons to The Legend of Zelda and Silent Hill, that game NEEDS to be played. Back in a bit with some sort of update.