And the rewards keep on rolling! Today we'll look at the very special category that defines the very idea behind this blog of mine. Quick Fun Injections. Those are tiny games in all their glory. Tiny in the literal sense - a game you can finish over a single, relaxed evening with a cup of tea by your side. The very definition of fun in a small package. I've seen plenty of arguments about the value of games like this. Many folks seem to be on edge shilling a tenner or more for a game that will be over before the day's end, and I can understand that notion.
On the other hand, if a game made me smile, think, or elicit any kind of solid reaction, I would never consider playing through it a waste of resources - or time. There's a pretty good argument, repeated often, that it's hardly more expensive than going to a movie. And the experience can be both longer and way more enjoyable! And so I am not considering the monetary aspect when judging games like that. It's all about the sheer enjoyment and the value of the fun they bring to the table.
And so, without further ado, let us check the four nominees and see which one managed to win me over the most, staying in my mind until this very moment.
If I had to find one word to describe this little gem of a game it would be Wacky. It's a short romp, but the word romp also describes it oh so well. You're a tiny salesman in the comedic land of Great Britain! And a town by the name of Barnsworth really needs the goods your company is selling - apparently so claim your boss. The little township is even more silly than the premise and your own persona, full of peculiar characters with their little troubles. As you try to secure a meeting with the elusive mayor, you'll go around the town doing little tasks and off-jobs, each sillier than the next.
The power of this game lies of course in its comedy. Voice Acting is stellar, each weirdo having a lot of character thanks to silly accents, tones, and words they speak. The tasks hardly ever repeat, every scene being its own thing, a slapdash collection of goofy activities to enjoy. Your main tool of trade? The Slappening. Your not-so-mighty mitten can deliver a hearty slap to almost everything you see, and even just enjoying the interactions with the scenery is a bundle of joy. With great music, awesome animations, and a dash of Pythonesque tomfoolery, this little gem will keep you entertained from start to finish.
Something is a-fowl! Lunch has been stolen, but there might be a bigger mystery afoot and it is up to your not-so-sharp beak to root'em out. This short and cozy mystery game enthralls from the start with witty dialogues, great voice acting, and charming dramatic personae. With an onslaught of duck-related punnery and pretty solid clues and mystery mechanics, it might be just a singular case that requires you to go with the game's intended flow, and yet... It is more than enough to be engaging. There are some cool mechanics here, like scanning your suspects with your beady eyes, looking for details that are off or can betray a little more about them. Connecting the facts is a solid bit of fun and the plot, for what it's worth, actually had enough twists and turns to defy my expectations and deliver an outcome different than anticipated.
Which in my book counts as a win for any detective game. Oh, and there's a dedicated quacking button, which of course was well abused during my playtime. In a way I could recommend this title as an introduction to much more demanding brain scrambles, like THE CASE OF THE GOLDEN IDOL or OBRA DINN - it shares some of its DNA with those titles, yet displays those features in a simpler, more accessible manner. It is after all meant to be a lighter title, a less demanding adventure through a murky pond of lies and deception!
Coming out of the left corner, completely different mood. Nothing cutesy and wholesome about this one! But it is an intense, superbly told, and immersive thriller. Get in the shoes of a new agent for the FDI - Federal Department of Intelligence. Your job is to be the titular operator, a desk-jockey with access to a powerful suite of invigilation, data-collection, and data-matching apps that the government doesn't want you to know about. Using those miracles of modern technology you'll be aiding field agents in their work and cases - helping them find evidence, look for clues, and connect the dots. It's incredibly clever, with a constant flow of new things to play with. The puzzles and challenges put in front of you are never too obvious and always spark my 'aha!' moments of triumph when solving them.
But of course, there's more to it - there's one connective case that keeps growing larger and stranger. There's a hacker on the loose with a motive that might impact your life, depending if you'll believe their story... or not. And you know better than most that anyone can be under surveillance - you included. THE OPERATOR was a riveting play, keeping me on pins and needles during its playtime, with great voice acting, a neat story, and extreme levels of immersion. I just hope we can see more games like this with expanded length - because the puzzles and the mechanics governing them were superbly crafted.
Now this one was a riot. It is a simple game at its core with a clearly defined goal. You're Terry. A goober person. In a city full of squiggly goobers and whacky doofuses. In a city where there's no crime, simply because nobody knows how to define a crime anyway. So go wild, smack people, trash cars, and be a naughty little fella! But your ultimate goal is to get a car and drive to space. Yup. Fortunately for you, the city contains a massive superstructure that is, well. A road. To space. What a peculiar coincidence! However to be able to ride it you need to juice up your ride with some proper turbo, and so you embark on silly quests, fun exploration in a micro open world, and lots of collectathon activities to get your engine running - quite literally.
It's a cheerful game. Colorful, energetic... It has zest! The music is excellent, and the sound effects are goofy and fit like a glove. There's a simple joy in just wandering around, jumping from building to building, and exploring new interactions. Interacting with a narrow but adorably wacky cast of characters never failed to bring a smile to my face.
THE VERDICT
But alas, there can be only one. It was a tough choice, but after careful consideration, I have to give the title and the Game of the Year Award - Quick Fun Injection trophy to THE OPERATOR. All of the listed games were a delight to play, a fun quick romp over an evening, they all bring something unique to the table. Had a great chortle while rompin' around Barnsworth in THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE HERE. Enjoyed tracking the mysteries and rolling my eyes at the constant deluge of duck-related puns in the DUCK DETECTIVE. And had a blast with the wacky antics of Terry in his outrageous goober world and colorful tiny town in TINY TERRY'S TURBO TRIP.
But THE OPERATOR stays with me.
I can recall the whole story in my mind, which says a lot. After all, I played this game months ago, never replayed it, and yet, the whole drama is in my mind, like a movie fondly remembered. It speaks volumes about the quality of the experience. The writing, the acting, but most of all - the immersion. Few games managed to hook me up like this, so completely and with almost every sense. I had to see it through in a single sitting, there was no possibility of interrupting the flow, the unveiling mystery, the challenges of the puzzles in the case.
For me, this is an epitome of a perfect little game. If you have a couple of hours to burn and want a great experience to play before you, check out THE OPERATOR - I trust you'll have fun, if you let it envelop you in its dark world of governmental surveillance.
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