Commuter gamer

Whether it’s collecting cherry blossoms after a cold winter wind, venturing into a unique wilderness in search of birthday cake or stamping documents in a Cold War-era, Eastern bloc country, your next commute to the immigration office will never be the same again.

A stroll among paper craft beauty

"Tengami" (¥500, Nyamyam) Platforms: iOS, Wii U, PC Video trailer

"Tengami" is a rare title in the App Store: it’s part game, part art from and there are few applications that can rival its own sense of aesthetic appeal. The many pages of a traditional pop-up book (though with far greater, intricate design) are the setting as you play a solemn Japanese warrior, traveling the serene landscapes, seeking the last sakura (cherry) blossoms that were cast across the forests and mountains by a cold winter wind.

It’s hard not to wax poetic about the gameplay. "Tengami" is a visually lyrical experience, reminiscent of Japan’s bygone romantic eras of Bushido and haiku. The level of craftsmanship in digitally and faithfully recreating the paper-folding, pop-up mechanic in "Tengami" is spotless, right down to the crinkle of pages as they pack and unfold together. While simple in mechanics, this game is meant more as a relaxing experience, and if your leanings are towards things artistically Japanese, it is one of those few titles that are worth purchasing based on beauty alone.

Where the weird things are

"Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake"

(¥500, SleepNinja Games) Platforms: iOS, Android, PC Video trailer

"Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake" (or "MAMBC" for short) is a beautiful tale of one boy’s journey across the most peculiar island of Gogapoe as he ventures off into the wilderness to find his birthday cake—stolen by the quite possibly nefarious Boogins. Along the way, he befriends a host of unusual companions to aid in the recovery of said cake, each with their own abilities and raison d'être.

Played out as a hero’s journey with a dash of "Where The Wild Things Are," this game delights with its adorable visuals and quirky humor, while the puzzles of each stage require well thought out coordination with the band of up to four monster misfits. Each stage offers multiple objectives, but not all of them can be completed in one pass, offering sizable replayability and continual discovery of secrets.

Ideal for all ages, "MAMBC" can both satisfy young children with its visual and fun appeal as well as reward strategic thinking for those adults looking for a distracting challenge.

Never a dull moment in border control

"Papers, Please"

(¥800, 3909 LLC) Platforms: iOS, PC Video trailer

"Papers, Please," an indie game newly ported to iOS from PC, offers a bleak look into the world of a fictional Eastern bloc nation and its demanding checkpoint controls during the mid-1980s. While the Cold War-era Russia similarities are obvious, this is an entirely fictional affair as you are placed firmly in the hard, leather boots of an immigration official—stamping passports, cross-checking work documents and seizing contraband-wearing smugglers. Starting out simply with a “denied” or “approved” stamp, greater responsibilities are given as the days pass: from fingerprinting to full body- scans. Failure to perform each task correctly adds demerits that lead to deductions in your meager pay — or firing altogether.

It may be a dull sounding premise, but Papers, Please is an award-winning title that offers some rather riveting gameplay and a level of dark comedy. Perhaps it will help you find just a little bit of empathy for those immigration workers the next time you need to renew your visa. “Glory to Arstotzka!”

© Japan Today