Ah, February: The shortest month. We may have a couple fewer days to play games this month, but given that there aren't a ton of new things coming out, it's still a good time to catch up on stuff we missed over the last few months.
Like last month, I thought it might be fun to see what you all are playing. I'm still playing a few of the games I was playing last month (still have to beat The Room Two and Freedom Cry), but here's the new stuff I'm playing:
Threes! (iPhone) Well, this has got to be the sexiest game about numbers I've played. A new one for iPhone, it's a simple tile-sliding game that's monstrously addictive and has an incredible aesthetic charm. The soundtrack is just killer, too, sort of like if Jon Brion scored a video game. Top-notch. Chris has a video of it running in a few minutes, keep an eye out for that.
Outlast (PS4) I played some of this last year on PC but then basically, uh… it was all a bit intense? And I wound up sidetracked with other things to play. Now that it's on PS4, I'm playing it under consideration to add to the PS4 Bests list, and man… this is a pretty good game, eh? I know the story kinda falls apart as it goes, but so far I'm really into it. My main takeaway: All first-person games would benefit hugely from giving the player a whole body a la Mirror's Edge. Makes me interested to see how Thief (which I'll be reviewing in a couple weeks) will pull a similar feat off.
Tomb Raider (PS4) - I've already written a lot about this version of the game, but I was surprised to find myself playing past the point of mere Definitive Edition Analysis and into a full second playthrough. Still love that bow, man.
Don't Starve (PS4) - Okay, okay. Last month I wasn't sold on this game, but now I am - I've played more of it, and I get what everyone was talking about. I still think I prefer Minecraft's brand of one-life survival/crafting, but Don't Starve is the honest goods. Very cool game.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Vita) - Yesterday I was complaining that I don't quite know how to pronounce this game's name, since it has at least two too many n's in it. Turns out, the game says the name out loud when you start it. I hadn't stopped playing since I started though, so I'd forgotten this—which is surely a point in the game's favor. It's a neat game, and has grabbed me much more immediately than Virtue's Last Reward did two years ago. It's also been a reminder of how much I like the Vita.
OlliOlli (Vita) - Hot damn, this game is fun. My left thumb is getting blisters from whipping the Vita thumbstick around to do tricks, but I'm really getting into a groove on it. I bet this'd do great on touchscreen devices, and hope it comes to iOS/Android so that more people can play it. Such a great soundtrack, too.
Bravely Default (3DS) - What else can we say about this one? It lives up to the hype. I'm 20 hours in and have been just loving it, for all its classic JRPG trappings and for all the ways that it subverts them. I think I'm moving slower than our reviewer Jason Schreier did, since I'm still only in what feels like Act 2, but I'm really taking my time, grinding a lot, and getting my four little bros super powerful. Edea is totally my favorite video game character of 2014 so far:
Art Style: Box Life (3DS) - This game isn't actually a 3DS game, it's a DSiWare game that my boss Stephen has essentially forced me to play. I'm glad he did, because it's excellent. After passionately arguing for the game to be on the DS Bests List, he convinced me to go download it and play it. This is the kind of small, weird thing that Nintendo does so well but rarely gets enough credit for.
The Banner Saga (PC) - Somewhere in here I've found time to keep playing The Banner Saga, which is just so beautiful looking that I can forgive the fact that the story hasn't really grabbed me. I'm getting the hang of the combat but haven't gotten all that far in the game. I'm curious how many people are actually playing it, since I can't get a sense of reader interest in it. Maybe people love it, maybe not. Anyone out there playing?
Jazzpunk (PC) - I've actually been playing this as an IGF judge, but I'm glad to see that the final version is out. Check out Steve's video, and really, just get the game - it's a trip and you should check it out.
That's about it for me. Plenty of big games coming up that I'll be talking about here on Kotaku - Thief, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, Infamous: Second Son, Titanfall, FFXIV on PS4, and on and on. But for now, that's what I've been up to.
What are you playing this month?
Top image via Videogamewriters