Forbidden Solitaire

Overall a very fun solitaire puzzle game! Really enjoyable, although a little short! It wasn't difficult on the initial run through, but there is also a New Game+ mode as well that I am excited to take a run through.

Few retro-inspired games actually nail the aesthetics from the era they borrow from, but Forbidden Solitaire is exceptional in it's design and is believably 90s. While the game itself is not very long and can be finished in less than 4 hours (I completed the main story at time of review), the price for admission is worth it for this deeply creative take on 90s CGI horror. Granted, I grew up in this era of PC gaming, so it'll likely affect me differently than others, but this was a lovely jaunt into the past with modern accessibility and simple gameplay, and I'll happily explore more games from this developer.

For the fan of Solitaire games, this game offers an entertaining challenge, combining an aditive zigzagging patience with a RPG emulating 90's FMV games and graphics, alongside thrilling combat matches enhanced with jokers and level-specific cards. Although the underlying plot isn't very captivating and feels a bit unoriginal ([spoiler]A thriftstore cd turns out to be carrying a curse from a cult, because a top manager at a sinking company didn't heed an employee's warning, and in the end the player has to battle an entity that might trap him [b]FoReVeR[/b] inside the game[/spoiler]) and some media doesn't seem accurate to the era (like the videos, although good efforts are made with the 3-D CGI), the original rooms of the Forbidden Dungeon and its eye-gouging (wink wink) denizens provide a eerie atmosphere that the dungeon dweller can enjoy.

so so fun. it looks amazing, the assets are kitschy, spooky, colorful, and clearly rendered with love. i enjoy the versatility of creative work that went into this, especially the 90s news segments with real actors and staged protests. even the UI and sound effects are so satisfying and cohesive. the attention to detail transforms Forbidden Solitaire from card game to experience. the solitaire gameplay itself is fun and simple, definitely on the easier side, i only lost a handful of times. i did appreciate that there are multiple ways to win each level, and new card functions are abundant as the game progresses. the only thing that fell short for me was that this game was not as scary as i was hoping. especially after reading the detailed content warning (nice), i was anticipating the scares to go much further, akin to the flagship media of the analog horror genre, but Forbidden Solitaire stays in the cartoonishly spooky camp. even though i was expecting a bit more fear factor, that being said, the game accomplishes its goal incredibly effectively of 90s cartoonish spookiness. it feels like an episode of Goosebumps you're not supposed to be watching and then when you sneak to the tv at midnight to watch it, it gives you nightmares for years. amazing. i love solitaire. i love forbidden solitaire.

The game is hilarious and one of my favorite indie games. My first playthrough took about 9 hours but I am fairly slow at games. I think most people complete it in 4 if I heard correctly. If you like the movie Army of Darkness or Evil Dead series then you can appreciate the style of humor/horror. Honestly I don't want to even talk too much about the story as I wouldn't want to spoil any of it. I don't want to even give any hints in fact I may have said too much already by even having a review. Comparing it to other games I know would be giving away too much as well... But you should definitely play this. There is way more going on than you could figure out from the store page pictures/trailer. There is a NG+ and I will be doing that soon. This game works extremely well with Steam Deck or the controller with the thumb/mouse pointer pads.

A great game from the makers of Home Safety Hotline. It's a solitaire game but with a twist, power-ups, special joker cards, etc. The game has a mid-90's CGI feel to it, which I found enjoyable (the animations reminded me of Bullfrog software). I had no issues playing solely on the Steam deck, controls were fine. The NG+ option was great. I was able to get the last two achievements without having to redo everything. I hope they add DLC for more content. Recommended for any fans of solitaire and don't mind a grainy "low-res" look.

Great story, cool visuals and the struggles of game development. At the end of the day, it's ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ solitaire.