Following Freeware: January 2011 releases

Don’t Look

Sharon is an eight year old girl who fears the dark. When her rose night lights fail, something from under the bed snatches her favourite doll, Becky. With her toy companion kidnapped, will Sharon dare to venture under the bed and into the realm of her imagination? Can a little girl face up to her deepest fears?

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This game was made by Tamanegi for the MAGS December 2010 competition at AGS, where developers have only a month to build a game based around a specific theme. In this case the theme was “Discovery”, and Don’t Look covers its topic well. There is a mild horror tone as Sharon descends into the world under her bed, but this is based around the fears of children rather than gory scenes. The graphics are moderately low resolution, but effectively drawn and animated, with shadows on Sharon’s nightdress shifting as she walks. Interaction is handled via a verb coin called up with a right-click, which includes the small number of inventory items you find. The game is fairly short and its puzzles are relatively simple, though the final puzzle is cleverly thought out and implemented. The only real disappointment is that that game is entirely lacking in sound, but Tamanegi has considered the possibility of adding this in a refined “special edition” now the competition is over.

Don’t Look can be downloaded from the AGS website.

Lady Gaga Saw Game

Lady Gaga’s reputation for odd behaviour and apparel has attracted the attention of a psycho fan, the villainous Pigsaw. Kidnapping the singer from her dressing room after a concert, he has placed her in an old motel with only one exit. Scattered throughout the rooms of the hotel, Pigsaw has recruited the aid of some of the craziest villains from cartoons and comic books. As the queen of pop, can you outwit this nefarious crew and escape this complex trap?

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