LudoNarraCon is the festival for all things narrative gaming. If you like your games with a chunky block of text, this digital event and sale are tailored for you. It’s rolling in for its sixth year from May 9 to 13, with a lineup hotter than a Mac struggling to run Baldur’s Gate 3 just because you fancied romancing that sultry vampire spawn.
LudoNarraCon features 50+ story-rich games, 16 panels, and fireside chats. The best part? It comes with a Steam sale offering multiple narrative-heavy games for 20%, 30%, and even 50% off. Trimming this list to five must-buy games was a task I willingly put myself up to – but instantly regretted. Among the tempting offerings in the LudoNarraCon sale are like the existential crisis CRPG Disco Elysium and the monstrously charming dating sim, Monster Prom. If those two titles don’t already have you itching to check it out, here are five more that will.
Table of contents
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
In case it wasn’t obvious, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a game about witches in space. There’s tarot deck building to get creative, there are meaningful conversations to cry, and there are choices to shape the ending of the game. And the entire universe, I guess.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll tell you The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a must-play. Right now, it’s a must-play that’s 30% off thanks to the LudoNarraCon sale.
If you’re playing this game for the first time, there’s one thing you absolutely must know: no pepperoni on the pizza. Thank me later.
Chants of Sennaar
That green hooting owl—yeah, you know the one, Duolingo—might have spoiled the fun of learning languages, but I’ve got just the game to breathe some life back into this dying art: Chants of Sennaar.
The pitch for Chants of Sennaar is all about diving into the complexities of communication. It delves into how overcoming these hurdles can bridge the gap between people who’ve never connected, never crossed paths, or are downright averse to each other. Picture Amy Adams’s Arrival, but instead of aliens, it’s inspired by the Tower of Babel saga.
You can get Chants of Sennaar, a 2023 indie gem that might have gone under your radar, 25% off during the LudoNarraCon sale.
Slay the Princess
If growing up has taught me something, it is that jumpscares aren’t scary; the crushing weight of your own choices is. Black Tabby Games knew this when they designed Slay the Princess.
No-name hero stands in the middle of the woods when a narrator shoves him into a cabin. “Slay the Princess in the basement,” he says. “If you don’t, it’ll be the end of the world.”
Feel free to ask the hows, whys, and “are-you-sures” to the narrator yourself, but the ultimate truth can only come from whatever lurks in the depths of the basement.
What unfolds is a time-loop horror visual novel that entwines your decisions with exceptional writing and eerie visuals, descending into a maze of violent, multifarious paths. During the LudoNarraCon, you can get this game 20% off.
Inscryption
A roguelike card game infused with escape room mechanics, but make it horror.
It’s hard to talk about Inscryption without spoiling the magic, but if any of that tickles your fancy, just take the plunge and experience it unspoiled.
In Inscryption, David Mullins goes beyond mere card play. What might seem like a simplistic mechanic at first glance soon evolves into a masterclass in game design. Few games have astonished me to this extent with so little fanfare.
It’s an experience you can’t miss particularly if you relish narratives peppered with unexpected plot twists. Inscryption is now 50% off thanks to the LudoNarraCon sale.
Return to Monkey Island
Back in 1991, as the World Wide Web made its grand entrance, there was a California studio quietly dropping a game called Monkey Island 2—a mischief-packed gem. Or so my uncle told me. Mind you, my folks hadn’t even crossed paths, let alone thought about making me, when the first Monkey Island came out.
It would take three decades for someone to actually muster up the courage to release a sequel, Return of Monkey Island.
They could’ve churned out another Monkey Island, but Terrible Toybox didn’t settle for nostalgia; the crafted Return to Monkey Island, aiming to be timeless.
Want more information about games dropping this year? Check out our article breaking down the 2024 Nintendo Indie World Showcase.
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