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Alan Hazelden’s Thinky Third Thursday – October 2024

Alan Hazelden, 17 October 2024
We’re delighted to bring you the latest edition of Alan Hazelden’s Thinky Third Thursday newsletter. Alan is the founder of studio and publisher Draknek & Friends and designer of renowned puzzle games like A Monster’s Expedition, Cosmic Express, and A Good Snowman is Hard to Build.

Welcome to the one-year anniversary of Thinky Third Thursday!🎂

Looking back over the past twelve months, it's been great seeing so many fantastic new thinky puzzle games both announced and released - almost too many to keep up with, but we try! But most importantly, thank you for your support over the past year: all your excellent recommendations, insightful discussions, and for sharing the newsletter within your communities. We couldn't do it without you.

Highlights from Steam Next Fest

The House of Tesla, by Blue Brain Games If you enjoyed The House of Da Vinci, or for that matter any game in which you're locked in a room and have to tinker your way out, then you'll probably enjoy The House of Tesla's demo. It's packed with physical, tactile puzzles of sliding panels, connecting wires, and electrical circuits. What makes The House of Tesla really special however is how gorgeous it is, from the tiniest detail viewed up close to the eerie rain-streaked landscape beyond the window.

Puzzle Depot, by Laughing Manatee Games Push crates, roll barrels, and fight mutated insects in this delightful post-apocalyptic adventure. This is a real labour of love - it's been in development for about a decade! The lack of undo is slightly awkward (especially so when there's a prominently displayed move counter onscreen at all times) but the demo won me over with its polish and solid puzzles.

The Lilliput Workshop, by Cotton Game Assemble a train track and hit "play" to watch it trundle around a little wooden world of soft colours and cozy music. The demo, though limited, offers a promise of complexity in the types of tracks you can place and the automated contraptions that can be created from them. One of the most interesting things about this demo though is the tantalisingly locked "free play" mode where you'll be able to create and share your own levels and I suspect we'll see some creative hidden gems come out of this.

Squid Grid, by Michael Pohling, Osama Yahya and Head Scratch Games Delve underwater and learn the nuances of sealife behaviour. Don't be fooled by the cartoony graphics, there's plenty to chew on here - the demo contains 50 levels and the full game promises more than 200, and based on the pace of mechanics introduced in the demo that seems like a great sign.

The Rise of the Golden Idol, by Color Gray Games and Playstack The Rise of the Golden Idol returns with an updated demo, ahead of its release next month on Nov 12th. If you've already played through the first demo you can skip right to the new content and explore the strange blue house behind door number 7 - it's once again murderous mischief, and I enjoyed scouring a new crime scene vignette for clues.

Thinky releases from the past month

Free games:
Paid games:
New demos (first time playable):
Updated demos for Steam Next Fest:

That's it!

Did you play any great demos from Steam Next Fest? Please get in touch with your recommendations!

This article is also available via Alan Hazelden’s Thinky Third Thursday newsletter.

Disclaimer: Thinky Games is part of the Carina Initiatives and may have professional relationships with individuals and businesses related to the subject of this article. Please see our Editorial Policy for details.

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