Exile III: Ruined World (Windows 3.1, Spiderweb Software, 1996)
You can play it in your browser here, or download official registered versions of the whole trilogy plus Blades of Exile for Windows free under Older Role-Playing Games from the official site here (you'll need to drag things onto the otvdm program to run them; you can run .hlp film by dragging them onto this in-browser tool.
The Exile series was remade and extended as the Avernum series, currently available partly on Steam and wholly on GOG. It is currently being re-remade (currently up to Avernum 4, whose original version the developer considers one of his greatest failures) and can be bought, alongside other games by the developer, on Steam and GOG.
Re-breaking the Tumblr Ice with a "25 Games To Know Me" post!
Reasons why each game is important to me are under the cut.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 -- I love Sonic in general. I think across the entire history of the franchise I can only really point to two games I dislike, or three if I'm feeling particularly uncharitable. But Sonic 2 was the first game I ever saw at a store and said "I want that one". As for how I feel about Sonic 2 itself, it's actually not my favorite Sonic game or even my favorite classic Sonic game--those distinctions go to Sonic Unleashed and Sonic CD--but without Sonic 2, I may never have given the blue hog a chance.
Spark The Electric Jester 3 -- The most recent game on this list certainly but it deserves to be there. It's so confident and unashamed of what it is. It *knows* it's a Sonic fan game underneath its yellow blorbo skin, but it never winks at the audience about it. You just get to do some really incredible, high speed 3D platforming and mix in some DMC-lite combos in there too. It's good, it's fun, it's sincere, it's beautiful. All the Spark games are.
Cave Story -- Before Cave Story I only had a vague idea of the concept of "single person makes game all by themself". I'd certainly played plenty before, from the Shareware era on DOS and Windows 95, but Cave Story made it feel approachable. Plus, on its own, it's just a great little game.
La Mulana -- Cave Story and La Mulana share the same space in my brain. It may be a little weird to say this, but I typically don't enjoy 2D Metroidvanias. The only ones I've beaten are Super Metroid and most recently Nine Sols. But something about La Mulana just tickles me. It feels like the entire map is one big Rubik's Cube I'm beating my head against, which is more satisfying to me than "I found the thing that lets me do the thing I couldn't do earlier."
DOOM (2016) -- I love the entire Doom franchise but DOOM 2016 is my favorite standalone experience. Otherwise I have played untold hours of classic Doom mods, my favorites being Reelism, Demonsteele, and Doom Infinite.
Sekiro -- A really great experience all around. I enjoy Dark Souls and appreciate its storytelling, but most everything in Dark Souls feels too distant for me to appreciate, whereas in Sekiro, the history both is recent and ongoing, and the Shinto and Buddhist mythology informs the story in real time. And It's just so fun to actually play. You never forget your first Lady Butterfly.
Dynamite Headdy -- Most everyone loves Treasure but to me no game is more Treasure than this one.
Moon: Remix RPG Adventure -- One of the earliest plays on the RPG genre. A typical RPG hero is going around slaying monsters to level up, but that person isn't you. Instead, you go around reuniting the souls of slain monsters to revive them, and learn a lot about the heartfelt and unique world they once inhabited. A really beautiful and important game.
Worms Armageddon -- Still the best 1999
Avernum: Escape From The Pit -- A remake of Spiderweb Software's first game in the "Exile" series. Avernum tells a great fantasy story about an underground cave society, where undesirables are exiled by the empire who scorns them. Instead of laying down and dying in the caves, its new residents name it Avernum and create their own society... and they don't intend to take their punishment laying down. A really fun and atmospheric CRPG with great, Vonnegut-esque writing and a lot of heart.
Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver -- I played this one pretty recently and was shocked at how forward thinking it was for 1999. I played the entire Legacy of Kain series back to back, but Soul Reaver stuck out to me as the best one. If you can't tell by some of the other games on this list, I adore games that feel lonely and isolating but still have a distinct goal and stakes. Soul Reaver is incredible and finally contextualized just why I saw Raziel all over Playstation magazines as a kid--it's because he's fucking cool!
Marathon Infinity -- play the entire marathon series right now stop reading this
Lemmings -- Huh. What's that doing here
Pikmin -- The first Pikmin is the best one in my opinion. I love the time limit, I love the simplicity of the scope compared to the rest of the series, it's a fun game to just pop in once in a while and just blitz through. I also just love microworld settings. And the creature design! And the puzzle design! Ohh Pikmin there's nothing like you.
Klonoa: The Door To Phantomile -- I have a lot of fond memories of this one, but specifically of playing the demo over and over on a Playstation Magazine demo disc with my sister. I wouldn't actually play the full game until much later, on an emulator. I did later rent Klonoa 2 and finish it before that though. Klonoa is good.
Rayman -- I love this game. I love how fucking mean it is while looking so bright and poppy and silly. I first played it when I was like 8 years old and it was a really humbling, eye-opening experience. But jokes aside it's just a really good game. But yeah, it's hard. If you've never played it before and don't want to tear your hair out, you should play Rayman Redemption, a fan remake of it that makes it a bit more approachable. If you ask me though, you should try the original first.
Ecco: The Tides of Time -- I also played this one when I was really young and it was also a humbling, eye-opening experience. I just liked dolphins, I wasn't expecting to have rented the hardest game in the entire fucking store. Having revisited the Ecco series many times since then, though, I think Tides of Time is the best one. It's just gorgeous and both versions of the soundtrack are amazing. I prefer the CD one though, except for Moray Abyss and Tubes of Medusa.
Splatterhouse -- Kids love horror and kids love forbidden things, so when I saw a Splatterhouse ROM on a romsite as a kid and was immediately told I wasn't allowed to download it, of course I fucking did when no one was looking. And my brain was altered forever
Earthbound -- I very briefly had a stepbrother who had a SNES and Earthbound and I wasn't able to play it myself (no open save slots) so I just watched, but I was fascinated by it. I would eventually play it myself later on good ol ZSNES. I have nice warm memories of watching the snow on the ZSNES menu while it snowed gently outside, in between bouts of playing Earthbound and Yoshi's Island.
Yakuza -- Okay the PS2 boxart is here as a stand in, I love the entire Yakuza series dearly. I did own Yakuza and Yakuza 2 when they were new, but lost them when our PS2 and all of its games got stolen.
Sonic Robo Blast 2 -- Another Sonic game? But this one's special. I've been playing SRB2 for over half of my life at this point. I've played countless mods for it and have watched it grow from a basic little Doom platformer into a great platform for expression. It's also just fun.
Bomberman 64 -- The 3D bomb-stacking and bouncing stuff in this game is so cool and is the exact kind of finicky, almost-accidental-seeming mechanical depth I love in video games. I can't believe they only made one of these.
Psychonauts -- Kind of a stand-in for Double Fine and LucasArts in general, but definitely the best game still out of both companies. I love 3D platformers and I love what this game does. There's still not much out there like it.
Rayman 2 -- Another Rayman game? Well yeah, I can't say I love 3D platformers and just not put the best 3D platformer ever made on this list. Not an exaggeration!
Final Fantasy XIV -- I get to play as a hot lion woman now. Have you seen her? Well, now you have
Get Geneforge 2 - Infestation: The Enhanced RPG Experience
Geneforge 2 - Infestation open-ended adventure game is playable on Linux via Proton with Windows PC and Mac. Thanks to the skilled team at Spiderweb Software for making this happen. Available on both Steam and GOG.
If you're into RPGs and looking for something new to dive into, check this out: Geneforge 2 - Infestation has just landed on PC and Mac, and it's playable on Linux. This isn't just any release; it's a complete overhaul of the cult favorite "Geneforge 2" from 2003.
All of our games run well under WINE emulation. We’ve done it in the past, and I’m afraid they don’t sell.
Although Spiderweb Software doesn't offer native ports, their games are compatible with WINE, which extends to Proton too. It's a bit of a letdown not to have a native build, but at least there's a workaround for Linux players.
The team at Spiderweb Software has gone all out here, expanding on the original into Geneforge 2 - Infestation. Along with added storylines, quests, and adventures, not to mention a slick, updated UI. But don't worry, they've kept all the elements that made fans like the original. It's all about striking that balance between the new and the nostalgic, and it looks like they've nailed it.
Geneforge 2 - Infestation Trailer
You get to play as Shapers, incredibly powerful wizards with the ability to create life. The twist? Your creations, once loyal, are now rebelling. Caught in the middle, you're faced with a huge decision: support the Shapers or join forces with the rebels. It's a complex setup that offers a ton of freedom in how you approach the situation.
The enthusiasm for the Geneforge 2 - Infestation release is a given. A hugely successful Kickstarter campaign raised over $76,500, thanks to more than 1,500 backers. This support has allowed the developers to pack in even more content. We're talking about over 50 hours of playtime, multiple endings, and loads of replay potential. Whether you're into direct combat or prefer a more strategic, diplomatic approach, there's a playstyle for everyone. And choices matter here; they shape the world and your experience.
Geneforge 2 - Infestation isn't just a simple touch-up; it's a full revamp with new areas, quests, characters, and dialogue. The team has reworked everything to bring it up to modern standards without losing the charm of the original.
Jeff Vogel, the founder of Spiderweb Software, sums it up well. He's a veteran in the industry, and "Geneforge 2" is one of their biggest successes. According to him, the depth and variety in player choices. Such as being able to go through the entire thing without fighting. While making it stand out even two decades later.
So, if you're on the hunt for a solid, old-school open-ended adventure game with a fantastic story and lots of freedom, Geneforge 2 - Infestation is definitely worth checking out. It's available right now Windows PC and Mac, but playable on Linux via Proton on Steam and GOG. Priced at $16.99 USD / £14.23 / 16,57€ with the 15% discount.
Wonder how Jeff Vogel's parsing the way it's only because every future creative with a Mac pirated them that Exile/Avernum are still discussed and "lizardmen use polearms, nekomimi are bow rogues" is part of the fantasy imaginarium now
Woohoo, I'm finally finished (??) with this fanart of my favourite nostalgic PC game series, #Avernum by Spiderweb Software This is definitely something very different than I've done in the past, but it was a lot of fun.
I love Spiderweb Software, but one thing with all of their games is that, no matter if they were released decades ago or a year ago, they look like they were made in the 90s. But once you get past that they are enjoyable and unique RPGs. I need to get back to Avernum or Geneforge myself one of these days. And they are remaking the first Geneforge game, so I am excited about that. I really need to turn my gaming ADD off long enough to beat one of these games
