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Essays 06 July 2021, 18:15

author: Daniel Stronski

Manual Samuel. The best short video games for a single evening

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  1. Release date: October 11, 2016
  2. Genre: adventure, parody
  3. Average user ratings at Gamepressure.com: no rating
  4. Average time needed to complete according to howlongtobeat.com: 2 hours
  5. Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne, Switch

Not everyone on the editorial board shares this choice, but many of us found this short adventure with absurd humor simply captivating. Manual Samuel is a sort of "full version" of the dorky flash game QWOP , in which we controlled the runner, but the thighs and calves were controlled with separate keys. Here, we play as Samuel, who is dead, but according to a pact made with Death itself, can return if he can consciously control every aspect of his existence for 24 hours, such as breathing or moving his limbs. Of course, ultimately this task falls on us - the players.

What does that mean? One button for inhaling, another for exhaling. Button up from taking a step with your left foot and then your right foot, just at the right pace. And starting with peeing in the toilet in the tutorial, we end up piloting a big mech. A must play for fans of Psychonauts and DeathSpank humor!

  1. More about Manual Samuel

Portal

  1. Release date: 10 October 2007
  2. Genre: Arcade, puzzle
  3. Average user ratings at Gamepressure.com: 8.4/10
  4. Average time needed to complete according to howlongtobeat.com: 3 hours
  5. Platforms: PC, X360, Android

The iconic Valve game has been around for over a decade, and it still entertains and surprises with original solutions. We play as a "lab rat" for a mysterious artificial intelligence called GLaDOS. Our task is to use the portal gun to create a kind of transition between two points, in order to complete each subsequent level. You have to use the laws of physics, for example - the momentum gained by falling into one portal will allow you to fall out through the other portal at high speed.

To this day, Portal remains one of the most inventive games on the market. It's worth playing even despite the much more expansive sequel, especially since it will only take a few hours out of our lives. Every player should learn firsthand what it means that "the pie is a lie." And even if you started with Portal 2, we encourage you to get to know the beginnings of this adventure, and if you've never dealt with the series, you absolutely must make up for it.

  1. More about Portal
Little Nightmares

Little Nightmares

Firewatch

Firewatch

Inside

Inside

SUPERHOT

SUPERHOT

Limbo

Limbo

Journey

Journey

A Way Out

A Way Out

What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Gone Home

Gone Home

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