It’s time to play that game in which you stare at a tiny picture with a mosaic of pixelated screenshots and try to make out what game they are from. Yes, it is the Name That Game… um… game.
Last time I’ve done this was in 2010, and it was kinda fun. I especially liked the two nostalgia rounds because finding screenshots for all the old games was a trip down the memory lane. This time I figured I restrict myself to recent or semi-recent games.
Number of these were reviewed here, some were not. Some are indies, some are major studio releases. Most are pretty good, or at very least interesting. Let’s see if you can guess them all:
Name That Game, post answers in comments.
As usual, the rules are really simple. Each screenshot above is numbered. If you think you know what game it is, post the name, along with the number it in the comments. You can do multiple games per post if you wish. First one to guess a game receives internet points. Whoever gets most internet points wins.
Internet points are inherently worthless and can’t be redeemed for anything, traded or used constructively. But they are, like, points that are on the internet. You know you want them! No one can resist internet points!
Here is something of note: a lot of these screenshots for games released in the past year or so, look remarkably similar to some of the screenshots I posted in the nostalgia threads. While the big releases keep getting bigger and more shiny and polished, the indie scene has been consistently bringing us games that look, feel and play like the stuff that got many of us into gaming back in the 90’s. Personally, I frequently find these smaller, less opulent games more interesting than yet another annual military FPS release. Because a lot of these games are made on the cheap, they can afford to be different, risky and quirky. And that’s a great thing.
The indies are slowly revitalizing the gaming scene by bringing us variety. Projects such as Kickstarter and Greenlight are helping to bring these small and inexpensive games out of obscurity and distribute them to the masses. Whenever an indie game catches on, and starts racking up the big bucks the big studios take notice, and we can probably expect to over time see these ideas percolate to big-budget releases.
I will be posting correct answers below, along with the names of the people who guessed them.
Results
The object of the game is to have your name appear here more often than any other name. Or something like that:
- Don’t Starve guessed by Pariahpism
- DOTA2 guessed by Chris Wellons
- FTL guessed by Pariahpism
- Gunpoint guessed by Prison Architect
- Prison Architect guessed by Chris Wellons
- Shadowrun Returns guessed by moragos
- Hotline Miami guessed by Pariahpism
- Tomb Raider guessed by Pariahpism
- Bioshock Infinite guessed by Prison Architect
- Doshonored guessed by Pariahpism
- — guessed by —
- Reus guessed by セレネ
- X-COM guessed by Pariahpism
- Kerbal Space Program guessed by Pariahpism
- Legend of Grimrock guessed by Pariahpism
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution guessed by Pariahpism
- Terraria guessed by Pariahpism
- Spec Ops: The Line guessed by Chris Wellons
- LA Noire guessed by Pariahpism
- Bastion guessed by Pariahpism
- Dear Esther guessed by Chris Wellons
Honestly, I’m not even sure I still have audience for this. In the past quite a few people commented on these, but lately I think my reader base has been shrinking. This might be due to the fact that my posting frequency has dropped quite a bit over the years, or that I tend to go for long, thought out articles rather than short, easily digestible top ten lists. Anyways, here is something small, short and encouraging reader participation that most people can join in an participate.
Praising or trashing the games depicted in the screenshots in highly encouraged.
12 = Reus, but I haven’t played it (just saw the trailer on Steam).
1 – Don’t Starve
2 – LoL?
3 – FTL
4 – Gunpoint
5 – Prison Architect
6 – Shadowrun Returns
7 – Hotline Miami
8 – Tomb Raider
9 – Bioshock Infinite
10 – Dishonored?
11 – ???
12 – ???
13 – XCOM Enemy Unknown
14 – Kerbal Space Program
15 – Legend of Grimrock
16 – Deus Ex: Human Revolution
17 – Terraria
18 – SpecOps The Line
19 – LA Noir
20 – Bastion
21 – Nighttime Beach Simulator 2013?
1. Don’t Starve
2. Dota 2 (?)
3. FTL
4. ?
5. Prison Architect
6. ?
7. Hotline Miami
8. Tomb Raider (?)
9. Bioshock 3
10. ?
11. ?
12. Reus
13. X-COM
14. KSP
15. Legend of Grimrock
16. ?
17. Terraria
18. Spec Ops: The Line
19. LA Noire
20. Bastion
21. Dear Esther
LOL, I made this way to easy, haven’t I? :P
completing what @chris wrote: #6 looks like Shadowrun Returns.
Did I get internet points?
@ moragos:
10 – maybe Dear Eshter
Luke, been reading your blog for about 2 years now, but never commented. Just wanted to let you know I’m a part of your audience :)
Also is 10 Dishonored?
@ moragos:
Yes, despite Chris hugging all the internet points, you do get +1 for #6. #10 is not Dear Esther though. I thought it was really obvious screenshot. I’m surprised no one guessed it. If you zoom in on it, it should be pretty easy to ID. :)
#4: gunpoint. I’m surprised that wasn’t done before.
4. Gunpoint
15. Legend of Grimrock
Retroactively awarded points to @ セレネ and @ Pariahpism who were stuck in mod queue. Now it seems that Pariahpism stole all the internet points.
It seems that only #11 is missing at this point.
@ Joey:
Thanks for reading. Also, correct. :)
@ Mads Johansen:
Yep. :)
@ Josh Gunderson:
Correct on both.
Image 11 appears barren on guesses. I believe it is a Warhammer 40k variant; although I have never played it as a video game but rather as a table top war game.
Thank you for your blog; it is one of the few on the ‘must read’ list in my rss reader.
@ non-player character:
Thanks. And yes, it is a 40k related game. Let’s see if someone can guess it. PROTIP: I reviewed it.
11. Space Marine.
;)
1. Don’t Starve
2. DOTA 2
3. FTL
4. Gunpoint (best game I played this year!)
5. Prison Architect
6. Shadowrun Returns
7. Hotline Miami
8. Tomb Raider; I didn’t know it had fantasy elements
9. Bioshock Inf; haven’t played, still avoiding spoilers
10. Dishonored; You picked an iconic screenshot!
11. Space Marine
12. Reus
13. XCOM: Enemy Unknown
14. Kerbal SP
15. Legend of Grimrock
16. Deus Ex: HR
17. Terraria
18. Spec Ops: Guilt Line
19. LA Noire
20. Bastion
21. Dear Esther
I haven’t played a third of these, but had no trouble recognizing them. Guess I spend more time perusing promotional material than I should.
This was harder the last time you administered the challenge, because you picked more obscure elements. I still remember the upside down Mako.
11 – Warhammer 40K: Space Marine?
I’m going to use my internet points to buy a wallet to hold all my internet money.
Yow. Given that I’ve put together so many of these myself, you’d think that I’d know more. You and I obviously play very different games. I only got Don’t Starve, LA Noire, and FTL (none of which I’ve played) and Dishonored and Bastion (which I loved)
I got FTL, Prison Architect, Tomb Raider, Dishonored, Xcom (twice, thought xcom was 6… then saw 13 as well.) and La Noire.
Pretty poor performance, missed a bunch that i played and enjoyed this year.
Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite are tied for game of the year for me.