The Indie Informer

These two games really have no business being together. However, fate intervened in my schedule to ensure that I would play the gritty modernized point-and-click The Drifter, followed immediately by the sweet-as-pie Danchi Days. To say going from one experience to another gave me emotional whiplash is, perhaps, even an understatement. However, both titles manifest a kind of genuineness — though on very opposite ends of the spectrum — that granted them a fun kind of connection. It might seem like fans of one might not go for the other, but I hope you take a moment to consider both.

The Drifter

Two things become apparent very quickly in The Drifter’s demo. One, this is a world covered in heartache, unafraid to shine a light on the grime. Two, death is nearby. From the funeral, which lured me back to my hometown, to the violent end of a fellow freight-jumper, to uncovering the first chapter’s gruesome mystery, the afterlife stalks our protagonist. And it catches up.

It’s not the first game in which dying is simply a part of the experience. My first demise comes after icy water lunges into my chest, freezing my pulse. My inexplicable second chance allows me to correct the mistakes of my initial failure. Though before I can reach safety, I stumble upon a truth so sinister, I may later wish death had simply taken me. What is entirely unique to this game is its modern approach to the point-and-click genre. Utilizing my controller’s right stick and shoulder buttons allows me to quickly cycle between my inventory and any points of interest in the room. This significantly cuts down the friction present in most traditional games of this ilk. If you want to check this out for yourself, the demo is up on Steam right now.

Danchi Days

Cut to one of the cutest games you’ve ever played! While this game might seem to be wildly dissimilar from the one above, its sincerity struck me just as hard as The Drifters. I begin my time with Danchi Days lost in happy childhood memories. The fields come to life in a beautiful pixelated style that would be happily at home on the handhelds of my younger days. So, it’s easy to get swept up in discovering the world — and the game’s mechanics — with my lively grandmother.

But we can’t stay children, and the present’s realities shine a little less brightly than my memories. My grandmother — once so spirited — is dulled by dementia’s touch. The only thing that stirs her is the mention of a long-abandoned community festival she once led. That’s when the idea strikes: I will resurrect the Danchi Summer Festival! Surely, that will bring back grandma’s old spark. The plot thickens as I climb the local water tower to ask for the blessing of the Danchi God, who promptly and unexpectedly answers. The spirit that only I can see teams up with me to make the best festival ever.