@rnickolas: You know I appreciate it, I have five more coming up!

I had to try Mallicious since it was srnickolas' fave, and it definitely has vibes for miles. It's a relaxing, fun play with good atmosphere and a nice sense of humor. Using Microsoft Music Producer to help make was the soundtrack brilliant. I was wondering how they nailed the '90s midi aesthetic so well. That program really just has the right sounds. Every retro game developer should be sampling that thing.

Agreed!

've recently played 'Snarl' by Beyond Booleans (creator of Abscission and Carnival). It's a short, free game set in the same universe as his other games.
It was a really well constructed and enjoyable horror short and I can't recommend it enough!

Here's a link if anyone wants to give it a go!

It's one of the games I'm playing for the next set of five! I'm about half-way through.

If I put some work in I could get it out today, keep the momentum for Boxblue's suggestion going and point out a couple of other late 2025 games. I dove back in time a couple of months already, for The Comedy of an Eternal Life (because I really wanted to include it).

I'm really glad to see people enthousiastic about this part of the community!

Great thread!

I've recently played 'Snarl' by Beyond Booleans (creator of Abscission and Carnival). It's a short, free game set in the same universe as his other games.
It was a really well constructed and enjoyable horror short and I can't recommend it enough!

Here's a link if anyone wants to give it a go!

(ps. I get no commission from any games I recommend!   )

Hey thanks for sharing the link, just finished Snarl it was great 

Snarl by beyondbooleans
   
The aforementioned Snarl! It starts off as a pixelated version of a prestige drama: two detectives reflecting on a recent case in a diner. The first scene is an escalation - what happens next is a horrifying glimpse behind the veil of reality. The graphics and sound design complement the tone of the writing.  Standard, simple but well-designed AG puzzles. It takes about half an hour. Effective, at times unexpectedly moving.

Oomy by Bloof
   
An exploration game in an animal-based fantasy world, with some light puzzle work and variations of guided meditation. It's about wandering and joyful relaxation. Go for a stroll, do some vibes questing, meet a bunch of friendly creatures, practice mindfulness. Game looks and sounds wonderful. The world is responsive and the animations are cute and well-made.

Eulogy for Nonno by Gugames.eu
   
You came to deliver flowers, you end up delivering a eulogy! Classic AGS dialog and inventory puzzles, the sound and graphics are on point. This is just a finely tuned, 20 to 30 minute comedy adventure about an Italian family that lands a punchline with a smile as it ends.

Double-0-Oops! by moumix
   
A spy comedy that'll take you about twenty minutes. It's fairly minimal in the sounds and graphics department, but it's crisp, easy to navigate and the music at the end is a banger.

Intern's First Day by Steven Don[attachment=undefined]
   
Another game from the same competition: about ten minutes of very enjoyable cartoon science and inventory puzzles. The sounds and graphics are pretty fun, the puzzles are pretty good!

I intend to stick to five games at a time, but since I'm using games from one competition and the game above is quite short, I feel I can smuggle this one in:
Bifurcation by M. Ezra Zhang


A minimalist, folklore fairy tale with some moon logic - which seems appropriate for the mood and setting of the game. The music is enjoyable, though it could've used a bit more variation (or a longer loop). It has a good sense of style and delivers on the atmosphere.

Thanks Bob!!!

Really good recommendations here. 

Celestial Coffee Quest, Snarl and Eulogy for Nonno were all really enjoyable and worth playing. Intern's First Day was also good, though not quite on the same level as the other three. All three developers have commercial games that are also worth playing too.

Since the three recent freeware games I enjoyed the most have already been recommended I don't think I have any more to add. There were a couple more that I enjoyed that are more on the raunchy side, but I don't think we're allowed to talk about games with explicit sexual content here so I will refrain from mentioning them.

Hey Bob I am playing through Oomy and it is a cozy experience as you said, reminds me of Yume Nikki, but I must ask is it finishable? I think I almost done everything locked doors, teleportation pods, hypnosys sessions etc... only thing is this eye with the orb missing in the teleportation room

edit: also saw the gay reptillian asexual wedding party lol

edit2: actually its ok I finished it Bob, lol didn't see that ladder. Nice little wacky game. The cutscenes have beautiful art

I admire your effort; I was surprised by the amount of scenes in the game! Definitely took me a lot longer than all of the other titles combined!

Regarding explicit content - trust your instincts on that one. You can make a thread on forum feedback if you want to determine the boundaries.

I admire your effort; I was surprised by the amount of scenes in the game! Definitely took me a lot longer than all of the other titles combined!

Regarding explicit content - trust your instincts on that one. You can make a thread on forum feedback if you want to determine the boundaries.

Nothing really explicit, a mild well-intentioned warm critic on stereotypes, bigotry, corporate life and religion. Very subtle like the likes you find in Undertale, it was a cute relaxing game. Snarl on the other hand has explicit content, I believe it can be grotesque and unsettling to some (sweet game by the way)

I admire your effort; I was surprised by the amount of scenes in the game! Definitely took me a lot longer than all of the other titles combined!

Regarding explicit content - trust your instincts on that one. You can make a thread on forum feedback if you want to determine the boundaries.

Thanks, I'll make a post there. My assumption would be that games on the level of Leisure Suit Larry would be fine to discuss and recommend as long as there's no screenshots posted, right?

Finished the last batch too. Every game stroke different chords. Perhaps Eulogy for Nonno and Intern's First Day were the most similar because they played around the idea of escaping a cleverly created comedic situation. The first with a really creative story that could play also as a theatrical play. The latter surprised me with its clever use of puzzles leading to a imaginative conclusion. Both Double-0-Oops! and Bifurcation were rough around the edges and had a mildly annoying small font for my Myopic eyes but both had redeeming qualities showing talented creators. The first being hilariously ridiculous (it deserves to be played only for the dialogue between the hero and the cab driver) while Bifurcation had a striking poetic feel and story. I already mentioned Oomy in a previous post and its relaxing explorative gameplay but my favorite was Snarl. It told a short Cosmic Horror story efficiently with a tight plot, gorgeous moody graphics and well integrated puzzles also creating Lore that other installments could take advantage. Looking forward for your new list Bob!