Inbetween all the running and screaming, Justin and Cole are just looking for someone to hug in the dark. Maybe a little food would help, too.

Previous Little Nightmares experience

• Watched a trailer or two that didn't stand out.
• Read something about the creature design being a focus during development that caught my attention.

Initial Expectations, Hopes, Dreams, Fears

• I hope it's not boring or too slow.
• Can it be scary from this side scrolling perspective?
• Will the story be engaging at all?
• Do I want to play another linear puzzle platformer?
• I'm going to see some borderline disturbing moments.

What actually happened

I can't remember what made me try Little Nightmares as I though I had had my fill of abstract puzzle platforming games. I remember writing it off and then a week or so after release it just kind of stuck in my brain. I couldn't shake it. Maybe it was a screenshot or the feeling that got tied to it, but I kept finding myself looking at it on the store. I guess I just had to know, and I'm glad I now know that I really like Little Nightmares.

The last thing I expected from Little Nightmares was to be entertained. That may sound weird, but even on the high side of my expectations I thought I'd just be creeped out or some moment from the game would be so disturbing that it was seared into my memory forever. Instead I actually genuinely enjoyed playing the game and exploring its atmosphere. There's a lot of texture to the world and characters, especially for a game without any narrative/dialog to be read/heard.

Little Nightmares pulled me in immediately with clever moments that revealed its simple control scheme without taking me out of the moment with button prompts or pauses. I was able to figure things out as I explored it at my own pace. The swaying of the level as the boat you are on rocks back and forth gives everything a small but constant momentum even when you are meant to stand still. I found myself always wanting to press forward even when I was scared to death as to what was around the corner.

A couple hours in and all of the payoffs have been satisfying. Survival is earned without making the deaths and failures feel cheap. Every standout moment builds off of the previous one so that the swings between dread and elation feel organic and memorable. It makes me never want Little Nightmares to end.

Will I keep playing?

From what I've read, I've only got a couple hours left of Little Nightmares. The only reason I wouldn't finish it is so that I'd feel like I always had more to play. However, I really want to see what other enemies the game is going to throw in my way. I also have to get this girl off the boat, whatever it takes.

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There were a lot of reasons to doubt Nintendo in 2015. I've never been more worried about a major Mario release than I was for Super Mario Maker. Despite being indoctrinated since before Issue #1 of Nintendo Power, I still hadn't learned to trust the plumber and I didn't want Mario Maker to be half-assed. It's hilarious now, because there's never been more of a Nintendo'd Nintendo release than Super Mario Maker.

Every little detail oozes that Nintendo charm, polish and playability. It shouldn't be this easy to make a Mario level. It shouldn't be this easy to make all kinda of Mario levels. Sure, the online tools suffer a bit from the negative side of Nintendo being Nintendo, but that didn't stop level sharing from taking over the internet this year.

Even if making Marios isn't your thing, just keeping up with the latest and greatest levels is like getting a new classic Mario game every week. Thanks for being more than we deserved, Super Mario Maker.

Stay tuned for more Games of 2015 this month as we build towards The 2015 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

BUD is endearing from the second you hit the start button. The world of Grow Home is a strange but beautiful combination nature and technology. I got lost for a minute just looking around to try to figure out how everything went together. The moment I started climbing up the bean stalk though, all of my focus shifted to not falling.

Climbing feels great and has just the right balance of awkwardness and control to keep you aware of the game's difficulty without it feeling overbearing. When BUD gets moving, Grow Home is a wonderful experience. When BUD falls, you feel terrible and want to immediately get back on the beanstalk. It's a truly unique game and I kind of wish I could bring BUD with me to explore other games. Thanks for getting back up, Grow Home.

Stay tuned for more Games of 2015 this month as we build towards The 2015 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

We've all be coddled by the maturation of various game genres which makes the nostalgic design choices in games like Castle in the Darkness so damn interesting. Older games made a lot of their design choices based on technological limitations. When those limits are gone it is fair to question why some old school tropes are brought back while others are improved upon.

I got lost in Castle in the Darkness in more ways that one. Take away my map and suddenly I'm not quite as adventurous as I thought I was. The branching paths are subtle at first, as I didn't necessarily realize that I was diverging from my original objective until I was confronted by impassable objects or brutally difficult enemies. Castle in the Darkness teaches you the risks of exploring beyond your means. This also means for better and for worse that you will spend a lot of time back tracking as you figure out the correct path to use to make progress. However, getting lost is important for you to know what to come back for once you have the skills you need. Normally, if I had a map I could see exactly where I should stop before turning around, but I found myself exploring a bit further just to find landmarks to make note of for when I was ready to return.

As I was lost, it gave me a lot of time to appreciate how Castle in the Darkness's world comes together. I barely had the energy to worry about where I was going and if I was lost because the moment to moment platforming and combat required my focus and attention. The last thing I wanted to do was figure out the next step in my adventure but not have enough health to survive it or make it to that next save point. Usually, I want to rush through adventures like these as fast as possible so I can get to the next cool moment, but every step in Castle in the Darkness encourages you to play on the screen you are on instead of worrying about screens that may as well be miles away. Thanks, Castle in the Darkness for making me appreciate purposeful pixels again.

Stay tuned for more Games of 2015 this month as we build towards The 2015 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.

Lust doesn't cut it, but whatever the best word for that raw, dirty, and instantaneous form of love is the only one that can describe how I felt the first time I saw a screenshot of Axiom Verge. The connection I have to it is primal and impales the core of why I play games. Axiom Verge just feels good in my bones. It's all in the details, and having a glitch gun chunk up those pretty pixels as well as those chip sounds made me stop to catch my breath more than once.

That's enough nostalgia porn. Axiom Verge doesn't get by on its familiarity alone as that only appeals to sociopaths like myself. This game is smart, it knows its roots, and it isn't afraid to rip em out and turn 'em upside down. I don't guess when it comes to 2D character action-adventure platformers (Metroidvanias, I'll say it), but Axiom Verge was unpredictable in the best ways possible. I would try to go where I wasn't supposed to in an attempt to break the game, and Axiom Verge would laugh at me to let me know that's exactly what I was supposed to be doing. Every power-up and every new weapon contains a surprising twist that is essentially to finishing objectives and discovering hidden areas. A drone gun? Of course, there's a drone gun. Why hasn't there been a drone gun in a game like this before?

It may not be easy to play or even to look at for some players, but Axiom Verge is unapologetic in its design and unforgettable in its execution. Thanks, Thomas Happ. You're crazy for doing this alone, and I'm thankful Axiom Verge had its way with me.

Stay tuned for more Games of 2015 this month as we build towards The 2015 Grimmys - Horrible Night's Games of the Year Awards.