Thimbleweed Park

In many ways, this point-and-click adventure both does and doesn't feel like a fresh experience. The game is most enjoyable when it doesn't make winking reference to games that came out in the 1980s and frees itself from the proverbial fourth wall. But the deeper you get in, the more the DNA of its creators shines through: small moments that don't deserve or even merit funny writing (like looking at a toilet lid) unexpectedly provoke a chuckle, and puzzles that seemed aggravating before suddenly prove deceptively simple. That has always been the appeal of this genre, and thankfully that spirit perseveres here.

That said, the only other deterrent to being fully onboard here is the markedly fluctuating voice acting. The game lets you play as five characters (thankfully, each of them carries a to-do list so you don't have to struggle to remember what you should be doing), and at least one of them is so cringingly bad you may want to give all their items to another character to carry out their tasks so you don't have to hear their voice. Other than that, the game is paced very well and is enjoyable in small bursts. You won't run across any puzzles that will stop you completely dead in your tracks for a few weeks at a time, but you will definitely feel challenged more than a few times as you make your way to the end. It's worth hanging with, if only because it's obvious that the people who helped popularize this genre still have more to say, more to do, and more they can dazzle us with.