The Scoop: Questionaut is another quirky little flash game from Amanita Design, the same company that brought us the brilliant Samorost, as well as its more-brilliant sequel. The catch is that Questionaut was a contract creation for the BBC, and was created as an interactive learning tool for kids.

The game is basically a combination of point & click puzzles, and grade-school level quizzes on subjects ranging from Math to Science to English. As free game enthusiasts and (presumably) Samorost fans, the quizzes will most likely serve as brief intermissions between the dream-like puzzle scenarios. The real juice to be squeezed out of Questionaut is in discovering each new scene, uncovering its quirks, and (ultimately), solving its puzzle.

Questionaut isn’t as good as either Samorost title, but this isn’t really the game’s fault, since it was created with a purpose other than pure gameplay in mind. It’s still a must-play. Anything that features Amanita Design’s gorgeous backgrounds simply has to be experienced, regardless of the gameplay context..
Links:
JayIsGames Review
Indiegames.com Entry
Gamers With Jobs Write-Up
Rock, Paper, Shotgun Write-Up

The Scoop: Samorost 2 is Amanita Design’s sublime IGF winning point & click sequel. Like Samorost 1 gamers will puzzle their way through several bizarre (but beautiful) alien scenes; this time in an effort to retrieve our fearless protagonist’s kidnapped dog.

Samorost 2 is one of those rare sequels that just amplifies everything that made the original so great, with nothing left behind. The adventure is a little longer and the puzzles more complex (without ever being too frustrating). The scenes are more dynamic and imaginative.

The atmosphere is even more effective, this time around. Through brilliant soundwork and visual design, the game manages to make the passive, 2D backgrounds seem foreboding and dangerous, in one particular section. I actually felt worried about our little gnome in some sections, despite the fact that he never speaks, and we don’t control him directly.

Samorost is one of those experiences I wish would never end. It’s a world I want to spend more time in.
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Links:
JayIsGames Write-Up
Samorost Fan Club
Walkthrough
Just Adventure Review

The Scoop: Samorost is a beautiful and surreal little point & click adventure title created by Amanita Design. Gamers must lead a gnome past several atmospheric scenes, in order to stop an abandoned ship (shaped like a piece of driftwood) from crashing into his home.

Visually, I’ve never seen anything quite like Samorost. Besides the titles Amanita would go on to create, that is. Everything man-made is rusty and dirty and old, while everything springing up from nature is vibrant and alive. The game’s background images are composites of real photographs and created fictional elements, and are extremely effective. Especially when combined with the game’s heavy use of ambient sound.

The point and click puzzles themselves are nothing extraordinary, but that’s ok. If Samorost’s solutions were too obtuse, it would detract from the whimsical atmosphere the game exudes. I think the balance is perfect – you’ll still need to use your brain (and a healthy dose of trial & error) to advance, but the game never feels like much more than a dreamy walk through strange, unexpected scenery.
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Links:
Wikipedia Entry
Developer Interview
JayIsGames Write-Up