Interactive Melodies 005

Out of Hands (Steamdeck)
I’m not a deckbuilder fan (the last one I enjoyed was Inscryption), but Out of Hands hooked me with its (literally) handcrafted visual style. No disappointment here. Ignore early reviews about a bruised male ego— the full release goes deeper and stranger. Also ignore the neoluddite platitudes about AI: it’s integrated thoughtfully alongside some striking claymation. The surreal, nightmarish plot made me want to dig further into the protagonist’s psyche, and the loop is addictive: hunting for new, weird cards and pivoting your strategy never feels like a chore. Highly recommended.

Turbo Kids (Steamdeck)
As a Quebecer, I consider Roadkill Superstar’s corn-syrup-and-red-dye rampages a proud export. I don’t usually love Metroidvanias, but I had to try this—and came away pleasantly surprised. Some areas feel artificially stretched, and the BMX mechanic bolts awkwardly onto exploration, yet the hilarious lore and Easter eggs make combing every nook worthwhile. Where it really snaps into focus is the boss fights: too few, but each one fully exploits the game’s systems and delivers a nerve-racking challenge.

Artic Eggs (Steamdeck)
A plausible line of flight from late-capitalist enshittification: frying eggs for the last bastion of humanity, across mutations and cyber-delirium. The loops are challenging; the inhabitants’ dialogues and the camera’s unhinged virtuosity make staying to the end worth it—if only to confront one pressing question: can you fry eggs on Mount Everest?

Death Stranding 2 (PS5)
Kojima’s work is uniquely paradoxical: he marshals mocapped actors, artists, and directors (George Miller; The Golden Glove’s Fatih Akin) to convey genuine feeling, then detonates it with an apparent incomprehension of basic human emotions—creating a wonderful, baffling friction. We begin with a heart-wrenching setup that unfolds through Higgs’s sardonic cruelty, brilliantly embodied by Troy Baker. The narrative expands at a glacial pace through deliveries—especially in the snow-choked Australian Alps—across Mexico and Australia, practically demanding self-imposed encyclopedic analepses just to keep up. DS2 pivots away from survival/stealth toward a sandbox of tools, up to and including DIY kaiju battles. It’s often absurdly fun and seemingly at odds with the plot—until the finale swerves into a parodic excess only Kojima could clear. A hard recommendation… and still a recommendation, if you savor Kojima’s maximalist design.

Easy Delivery Co. (Steamdeck)
If dozens of hours hauling cargo in DS2’s Alps left you wanting more, this is the comedown. A chill, low-key delivery loop with just enough eeriness to keep the roads interesting. Skip the energy drinks.

Night Loops (Steamdeck)
Top-down isometric adventure with a superb soundtrack, stark black-and-white style, and a smart twist on time-loop structure. The pocket universe brims with apocalyptic mysteries and isn’t afraid to address sensitive subjects head-on.

Silent Hill f (PS5)
As a fan of Silent Hill and J-horror, I was more enthusiastic here than for the SH2 remake. If Silent Hill is Japan’s reading of Americana horror, it tracks that a Chinese studio would refract Japanese horror through feminism and tradition vs. modernity. Geopolitical tiptoeing aside, it’s an interesting series entry that maybe should’ve been its own IP—very little remains beyond a few winks to the mainline games (much like how SH4 barely feels like Silent Hill). Once you accept that, and the hit-or-miss combat, f is a highly competent horror game with exceptional ambiance, lore, and trypophobia. Creature and level design are superb, and the score—partly by the always-brilliant Akira Yamaoka—ties it together. A strong horror experience, especially if you appreciate ’70s–’80s Japanese cinema.