Hadean Lands (2016)

Developer: Zarfhome Software
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Adventure, Indie
Rating: 4.6 of 5, 49 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 12 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

You type commands to unravel a web of alchemical rituals in a desolate, airless starship wreck, feeling the slow satisfaction of each puzzle solved.

text-basedpuzzleexplorationatmosphericmethodicallonelyintricate

What players say

Players praise the alchemy system and the game's respect for their time, with automatic repetition of solved puzzles and a helpful parser. Many call it difficult, rewarding clever thinking over guesswork. A few find the first hours confusing or report a save wipe.

Screenshots

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More by Zarfhome Software

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.