A Sampling From Itch.io

At this point, most of us are familiar with online storefronts like Steam or Humble Bundle. I’m willing to bet that far fewer are familiar with Itch.io. Any developer can sell their product on Itch.io and choose what portion of their profits they wish to pay to the site, even zero if they like. They also have very few rules and allow pretty much anything to be sold on the site. It’s a great platform for those smaller developers who don’t have the clout or money to be featured on a “curated” service like Steam. As such, you can find lots of lovingly-crafted projects that try something new, even if it doesn’t quite work.

I’ve had a backlog of games on Itch.io I’ve been meaning to check out for quite some time. Since I finally got around to it, I wanted to share some of the games/experiences I enjoyed. All of them can be downloaded for free, but I recommend throwing the developer a few bucks if you enjoy them--creativity and devotion should be rewarded, not taken advantage of. There’s also countless other projects you can explore on Itch.io if you like, a fun trek through the more experimental side of game development.

Takume

Takume is a short little experience that most resembles an old-school adventure game, albeit much simpler in scope and execution. You play as Takume, a mysterious girl seeking her twin sister, Raroia. You spot her immediately upon starting and spend your brief time chasing her down. The narrative is interesting but sparse and could be taken literally, but it’s easy to also interpret the events in a more metaphorical way as well; as with most creative media, it’s up to the individual. The puzzles, if you can even call them that, are straightforward and more about the acts you perform than actually challenging you as a player. They are given importance via their relation to your journey, a neat little reflection that reminded me of one particular section in Planescape: Torment.

I think Takume is far too short, taking maybe 5 minutes to complete, but I was still surprised by the overall package. It has a great pixel art look with some nice attention to detail, especially in the design of the characters. The music is nicely haunting and the few uses of sound effects are meaningful. I can’t help but wish there was something more here, but I still recommend taking the journey, no matter how brief it may be.

LINK: https://craftinglegends.itch.io/takume

Sacramento

In Sacramento, you are deposited into a small area and can explore your surroundings, most resembling something like Proteus. It uses a gorgeous watercolor aesthetic that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen used in a game. While its beauty is evident from screenshots, seeing it in motion is absolutely a must. Trees sway in the wind. Fireflies dart back and forth. The sun slowly sets, painting the world in a light red hue. These objects are all clearly flat 2D images but that just feels like part of the charm, like a painting being brought briefly to life. The experience is supported by a pleasant (yet repetitive) music track and occasional sound effects, such as the humming of a girl or the rush of falling water.

Sadly, Sacramento is over far too soon. There’s a decent amount of exploration to do, which is fun, but it doesn’t take long to exhaust the world of all its wonders. I won’t deny the serene pleasure I had while it lasted though. Standing on the hill and watching the watercolor sunset was a simple joy but one I’ll likely remember for quite some time.

LINK: https://dziff.itch.io/sacramento

Little Party

Little Party is about, as you may have guessed, a little party. Your daughter Suzanne throws an art party in your house, inviting her friends to come over and create something new by the end of the evening. You, as Suzanne’s mom, wander about the house much as a parent likely would, trying to be friendly while staying out of the way as much as possible. You can talk to everyone as much or as little as you like, receiving small snippets of believable dialogue with just the right amount of awkwardness. Time jumps forward naturally as you go about your own business, with distant music often being the guide that leads you through the house to the next scene.

Visually, there aren’t many games like Little Party. It uses a striking mix of 3D environments and 2D sprites that looks slightly odd in motion but has an undeniable charm that perfectly suits the overall aesthetic. The vibrant color palette is also delightful, bringing the world to life despite many objects using only one color. Similarly, the low-key indie music that fills the night adds a lot to the overall feel. This is most clear in the ending, a gentle yet powerful mix of music and visuals that left me smiling wistfully—it’s the perfect end to the ethereal experience.

LINK: https://turnfollow.itch.io/littleparty

North

North opens with a letter setting up the premise: you are a person who escaped life of persecution and traveled to an unsettling alien city that you barely understand. This city is filled with bizarre creatures performing tasks that serve some purpose you can never really fully grasp. Wandering around this city and trying to glean some amount of understanding is one of the highlights of the experience. Another is in the small little puzzles you must solve to “finish” the game. These puzzles have solutions just as peculiar as the city they inhabit, which can make it a bit hard to intuit what is actually necessary to progress. Your hints come in the form of letters you can read before mailing home; sadly, the game never really explains what these letters are or how to view them and they often come only after you’ve already failed a task.

I wouldn’t call North a great looking game, as many of the assets are plain and the geometry uses lots of simple right angles, but it still thoroughly succeeds at feeling like an alien place. This is mostly due to the eerie tone that permeates every inch of the world, complete with haunting synth-laden music and sound effects that lend the experience an unsettling mood. You can just feel that something is wrong, long before you learn the truth. This isn’t a perfect experience, but it’s one that will stick with me nonetheless thanks to its impactful atmosphere and themes.

LINK: https://outlands.itch.io/north

Sara is Missing

Sara is Missing starts with you unlocking a phone that is clearly not yours. Immediately, you realize something strange is going on and are tasked with figuring out what happened to its owner, Sara. Using a phone interface (which seems to be an iPhone?), you poke into Sara’s messages, pictures, and more to track down her last location. There are even a handful of audio files and videos with real people, in an attempt to add to the believability of the experience. New parts of the phone unlock as you learn new information. leading you along until the story plays out and you learn the truth about Sara and her final hours with her phone. The ending sadly jumps a bit off the rails, leaving you with far more questions than answers, but I can admit I enjoyed the experience as a whole.

This isn’t an entirely original idea, but Sara is Missing does it pretty well, especially if you play it on a phone (which I recommend, as the PC version appears to have no resolution options). The whole thing is a bit low-budget and cheesy, especially some of the “spooky” live-action videos and audio files. Nonetheless, I had a good time with it, mostly due to the well-executed phone interface and the fun I had poking through Sara’s secrets while piecing things together. Even the cheesiness was fun in a B-movie way, so ridiculous I found it somewhat charming. This concept has been executed better elsewhere--such as in Replica, a game that actually inspired this--but I still think it’s worth the 30 minutes or so it takes to finish.

LINK: https://saraismissing.itch.io/sim