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F2P Friday: STRANGE AINTIQUITIES
Welcome to this week's installment of F2P Friday, where we highlight our favorite Free-2-Play games. New video games hit the market daily from indie developers, and sometimes, hidden gems fall through the cracks. This is where we dig for you and feature a new F2P game we know you will enjoy every week.
This edition, we puzzle out solutions and charms to help the people of Undermere solve their problems in Strange Antiquities .
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Congratulations on your new role as Apprentice Thaumaturge at Strange Antiquities. You show promise – a sharp mind and a strong stomach – exactly what this work demands. Undermere might seem unassuming at first – a serene little town on the edge of a grand lake. But it also sits at the edge of our world and the world beyond – and it falls on us to preserve reality's frayed edge.
Explore the quaint and gloomy town of Undermere, where strange goings-on and dark mysteries abound. When your master suddenly and mysteriously must leave town, you'll become the temporary custodian of a store dealing in occult antiquities. Find and identify arcane artifacts, use your collection to aid the townsfolk with their unusual problems, and remember to pet the cat.
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Let's get to the basics of Strange Antiquities by developer Bad Viking. This team, a duo of brothers from the UK, is also the creative team behind another amazing occult puzzle game, Strange Horticulture. Both games are set in the same town, Undermere, where strange events haunt the grim Victorian residents. You can play this demo without playing Strange Horticulture first; the games are connected but not sequential.
Strange Antiquities is a meticulous investigative puzzle game that punishes rash decision-making. There is no time limit for producing the correct charm, so don't be tempted to push an item that doesn't meet all the criteria. If you feel like you are missing pieces to the puzzle while reading through the texts or investigating objects around the store, try looking at the map. Sometimes, narrative clues will be included in conversations or letters that indicate where on the map to search; again, look with caution. I found that playing with a mouse made selecting, sorting, and investigating items easier than with the trackpad on my laptop.
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So why should you play Strange Antiquities ? This game is the perfect blend of occult curiosity and cozy whimsy. It is set in a town full of interesting characters who all rely on you for arcane solutions and guidance. There is a karma system and a branching narrative choice system that isn't fully available in this preview, but does add interest to the gameplay.
Currently, only the demo is available, which contains the first two days of running the shop. That is enough time to introduce you to some of the troubled townsfolk and fall in love with Jupiter (the cat), but not enough time to solve any of the mysteries. Watch the trailer below for a better look at the art and download the demo for Strange Antiquities for free from Steam today.
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