There are a lot of reasons to love games. They can build empathy for people going through things you’ve never experienced, you can relax and unwind with games that make you feel like the world’s greatest badass, or explore worlds that could never exist. This week’s recommended games fall into the last category. Sure you can play soccer but can you play magical time stopping soccer? Yes you can go to a European lake but can you unravel a mystery 200 years in the making? Of course you can make friends but can you scream into the howling void at the center of us all? What was that last one? Read on to find out more.

Rusty Lake Paradise

I’ll admit that I’m late to the Rusty Lake party. I only got into the series with its most recent incarnations but as it turns out I missed nearly 10  adventure games across mobile and PC. Consider this recommendation both a PSA and atonement for showing up so late to the series.

The Rusty Lake games are strange room escape/ adventure games that have more in common with Twin Peaks than Monkey Island but the real appeal of the series is its obscure shared world across the series.  Sure every game takes place in and around the series’ titular lake but it involves a family, some murders, and a series of supernatural circumstances spread out over several hundred years. This premise might sound heavy, but the game complements it with a stylish aesthetic that keeps things surreal without veering into outright horror territory.

It’s also worth mentioning that the games are short and affordable. My final time in Rusty Lake Paradise was roughly 3 hours and the game is on a launch discount that brings it under $4. There is also an in-game walkthrough if you’re allergic to point-and-click adventures so there’s no reason to skip Rusty Lake Paradise.

Happy World

Are you ready to go on a wholesome adventure where you help NPCs and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING else lurks in the shadows? Let me tell you about Happy World! Employing the finest positivity technology that 2018 computers can muster, Happy World is a wholesome and joyful experience where you can dance, make friends, fall into oblivion, and smile!

There are so many diverse friends you can encounter in this game despite its half hour runtime and so many fun secrets to explore. D O W N L O A D H A P P Y W O R L D N O W!

Ganbare! Super Strikers

Let me throw a word salad at you: tactical, turn-based, soccer strategy RPG. None of those words belong together but Ganbare! Super Strikers’ lone dev Rese saw something that should not be but made it anyway. Somehow what has come out of this impossibility is a surprisingly great game that takes the best elements of strategy RPGs and Soccer and tosses out the cruft. Matches are fun and tactical without devolving into the dense mass of players that soccer is known for. The game also maintains a lighthearted tone through its unique characters and their wacky abilities which turn the world’s most popular sport on its head.

It’s worth mentioning that the game is in early access right now, so don’t come in expecting a full retail experience, but Ganbare! Super Strikers is set to launch in Q2 so you won’t have to wait long for 1.0.