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OLYMPIA RISING (
BY PALEOZOIC
For those who like God of War, but prefer their games made of pixels, there’s Olympia Rising. A game primarily about jumping, you play a sprightly young warrior named Lola who decides that the best way to get out of Hades is to climb straight out. As classical in its own way as the myths that inspired it, Olympia Rising is a quick but meaty slice of a larger project. Worth getting excited about.
Perfect for: Fans of the first level of Kid Icarus, people who take the stairs instead of the elevator
Playtime: Shorter than it takes to get from Troy to Ithica
TRIHAYBFRYH (BROWSER, PC, MAC)
BY CONNOR SHERLOCK
You’re free to do whatever you please in The Rapture Is Here And You Will Be Forcibly Removed From Your Home before an unknown celestial entity swallows up everything. How will you spend your last moments? Seeking out beacons to hear snippets of Lovecraftian horror? Exploring the lonely, rural New England landscape? Waiting in constant anxiety until the next thunder crack? Whatever it is, try not to go insane. There’s no way to escape the encroaching doom, whatever it is.
Perfect for: H. P. Lovecraft fiends, lovers of unpronounceable acronyms, developing casadastraphobia
Playtime: 20 precious minutes
COMPULSIVE (ANDROID OR iOS)
BY TMSOFT
Is “matching colors” the new “jumping” in videogames? A lot of games task you with it, but only a few get it right. Slot Compulsive into the latter category, wrapping an immediate concept in a sleek and beautiful interface, and rewarding all that chromatic pairing with delightful sonic rewards. Its design is generous, both in aesthetic elegance and in play: no wait for recharges, nothing to finagle. Just one quick game at a time, followed, as the title suggests, by another and another.
Perfect for: Lovers of pastel colors, Candy Crushers, people who can deal with compulsions healthily
Playtime: 60 seconds a match