Playlist 5/14: Southern Gothic, police states, and gun-happy frogs

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KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO, ACT 3 (PC, MAC, LINUX)

BY CARDBOARD COMPUTER

The newest episode of the Southern Gothic-via-Beckett adventure opus Kentucky Route Zero emerged as mysteriously as a new scene in the game might. Its meandering, haunted qualities take their time in every sense (it’s been a year since Act 2), but if you approach it with a contemplative mind and perhaps a nice glass of scotch, you’ll find your time justly rewarded.

Perfect for: Fans of geometrically impossible highways, contemporary theater, Flannery O’Connor

Playtime: Around an hour.

REPUBLIQUE: EPISODE 2 (iOS)

BY CAMOUFLAJ

If you slept on the slinking, smart first episode of Republique, it’s time to get caught up. In this oppressive world, you hack cameras and doors in order to guide your young charge Hope to safety. The game evokes many of the best qualities of the games from the first PlayStation, but its themes and fixations are troublingly contemporary.

Perfect for: Stealthy iOS players, political dissidents, readers of Orwell

Playtime: About an hour-and-a-half.

KERO BLASTER (PC, iOS)

BY STUDIO PIXEL

The wait between Pixel’s classic Cave Story and his new Kero Blaster has been long—like, My Bloody Valentine’s third album long. But like the best comebacks, Pixel has refined his style and put out a piece of work that’s as perfectly judged and brimming with creativity as you could ask for. And you play as a precious little green frog … who’s bristling with weapons.

Perfect for: Frog lovers, fans of no-frills shoot-em-ups, devotees of cuteness

Playtime: Two hours, but replayable.