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LAKEVIEW CABIN (BROWSER)

BY ROOPE TAMMINEN

In 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered The American Scholar to a fraternity in Massachusetts. In 2013, Roope Tamminen uploaded Lakeview Cabin to Newgrounds. And while one is a monumental literary speech that established America’s cultural heritage, and the other is a goofy point-and-click adventure, they will both teach you not to mess with nature.

Perfect for: transcendental trial and error, legends of the fall, impressing in a young man the dangers of bear traps

Playtime: a relaxing evening in flannel pajamas

DEVICE 6 (iOS)

BY SIMOGO

Simogo likes to allow players the freedom of exploration; they want us to find our own way. With Device 6 they give us true interactive fiction, a world of dancing text and literal, literary puzzles. At first we’re only reading a story. Then we’re playing one. Finally we’re inside it, maybe, wondering if we’ve been there all along.

Perfect for: text adventurers, losing yourself in a book, aspiring 21st century Agatha Christies

Playtime: a few hours

CANDY BOX 2 (BROWSER)

BY ANIWEY

You farmed your bumper crop of lollipops till your sweet-tooth rotted, which is a long time considering Candy Box is drawn in ASCII. What more could Candy Box 2 possibly offer? Well, it has twice the languages. Twice the em dashes. Twice the Xinopherydons. Twice the pleasant country cottages. Twice the save slots. And, oh yeah: two billion times the sweet, sweet candy.

Perfect for: confection perfectionists, emerging cake artists, lollipop liaisons

Playtime: See you next summer!