Blue Prince
Completely different from what I was expecting, but I'm now completely obsessed. I was expecting something similar to Escape From Mystwood Mansion, where you're constantly doing puzzles to progress between rooms, so was initially disapointed. But I kept with it and suddenly stuff that I assumed was just to make the background look interesting started to become relevant to puzzles and I was franticly searching for that one room that contains the thing I needed.
I feel like I'm still a ways away from completing it even though I've already finished the alleged goal (this is fun and good imo btw, not a complaint at all)
Sprocket
A tank building game that enters almost into 3D modelling territory. The dev's been reworking the whole thing recently for "geometric internals" basically allowing you to place the interior stuff of the tank as well designing the exterior. I'm kinda obsessed with trying to recreate tanks from history in it. It's built for WW1-WW2 eras, which is ideal for me cos that's my favourite tank period, but I know people make more modedesigns in it (but can't speak to how good it is for that).
As well as the building side of things, there's also scenarios where you can use your tanks to complete missions. In the experimental branch they're currently disabled as the dev's working on things, but it's fun seeihow your tanks perform in different areas. Speaking of, I've seen community-run competitions for building within specifications (like a couple required the tank to be within certain dimensions so it would fit on a landicraft or train if it was irl). I haven't entered any, but it's really fun seeing the different ways communities engage with a game like this.
Also I'm a bit tempted to make a separate page just for Sprocket tanks because I enjoy making them so much. <.<
Trainslation
I've been trying to find games about finding your way through a subway system for aages. In Trainslation you find yourself in a subway and you need to find your way to the station written on a note in a mysteriolanguage (it's a real language, so maybe not that mysterious :P ). There's also characters dotted around the stations and in the trains with interesting stories or info to tell.
Something about the sound and graphics gives a nice feeling of being in the place, just lots of little details like the vending machines giving off a slight electric hum.
<prev