Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #77

Hey Blerdy Tribe! It’s Thrifty Thursday!!

In a world where it’s all about the almighty dollar, sometimes it’s a little tough to make our pennies stretch enough to accommodate our hobbies. But, there are plenty of ways to balance your budget while still enjoying the things you love, you just have to be a little thrifty about it. So, I created Thrifty Gaming in order to spotlight some lesser known indie titles that are both entertaining an affordable.

If you’re a new follower or someone who has been following since my Nice Job Breaking It Hero days and have been gone for awhile, here’s a refresher… Thrifty Gaming, is a weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels that are under $10.00. These can be mobile games, PC games, and a few times I have found some nice indie console titles too. The list used to focus on just otome games and romance visual novels, but after requests from a few readers I have since expanded to other gaming genres. I don’t include sales or limited time offers, each title has to be consistently priced at $10.00 or less without any promotions to be included in this line up.

Note, these are not reviews, rather recommendations so your mileage may vary with some of these titles. This week’s post will include a brief synopsis and links to each game so you can add them to your gaming library! You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy your hobbies, so save a little bread and check this week’s thrifty gaming picks!

Florence (2020) – Mountains

Cost: $5.99 (Win & Mac) | $3.99 (Switch/Steam) | $2.99 (Mobile)

Windows and Mac | Steam | Nintendo Switch | Android | iOS

At 25, Florence Yeoh feels a little stuck. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world.

Experience every beat of Florence and Krish’s relationship through a series of bespoke gameplay vignettes – from flirting to fighting, from helping each other grow to growing apart. Drawing inspiration from ‘slice of life’ graphic novels and webcomics, Florence is intimate, raw and personal.

-Synopsis

Florence is a short interactive game developed Australian studio Mountains and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game takes roughly a half hour to complete and relies solely on music and visuals to tell it’s heartfely story of first love. Follow Florence a young woman navigating the highs and lows of her relationship with Krish, a cellist. Take an intimate look at their romance through the lens of a series of interconnected vignettes.

The Crown of Leaves (2018) – Lingrimm

Cost: $4.99

Steam

Roui, a resilient city dandy, a half-educated jeweler and the author of scientific magic articles, dealt with a colossal failure and had to return to his homeland: Latori. Science isn’t a thing here, and local shoddy mystical beliefs are really irritating and dejecting to Roui. He dreams to return to his old life… But how can it be possible if you have no money? One day, a prosperous local baron commissioned him for a bracelet, a gift for his lovely bride. Roui, in need of the extra coin, graciously accepted the order… But not long afterward he faced a new problem – the Mad Rook, a legendary and mysterious spirit, began to meddle in the lives of the locals, including Roui’s. This spirit, an entity that plays tricks on mortals once a year, is possessed with strange magic and a dark sense of humor.

Despite all the strangeness of the story, everyone can find something parallel to their everyday life and see themselves in one of the characters. This story will capture you and won’t let you go until the very end. Turn your mind inside out through a twisted way!

-Synopsis

The Crown of Leaves is a hybrid of non-kinetic visual novel and point-n-click adventure, that will tell you a story about mysticism, riddles, constellations, anthro, beasts and ghosts! Three chapters are planned for release, but as of this writing, only the first chapter has been released. Explore the world of Shang-La, meet its unusual inhabitants–forge friendships or make enemies. Collect and craft items to use on your journey and search for clues towards an ongoing mystery. Craft your own adventure and decide whether you’re the hero or the villain of your unique story.

Sanator: Scarlet Scarf (2019) – Ignis Sanat

Cost: $9.99

Steam

Scarlet Scarf is a visual novel inspired by the legend of Plague Maiden. Dive into the dark mysteries of a dying city with the fate of Sanator Richard Murdock in your hands.

-Synopsis

Sanator: Scarlet Scarf is a narrative game developed by Ignis Sanat. Step into the shoes of Richard Murdock, the youngest member in a brotherhood of Sanators tasked with protecting the world from the various illnesses and plagues. Navigate the town of Reustadt using every means at your disposal to rid the town of the Plague. Your choices will determine the fates of not just yourself but everyone in Reustadt. Delve into this immersive tale and unlock each of the game’s four unique endings.

That’s it for this week’s thrifty buys, but, don’t worry I’ll have more titles for in next week’s post, so be on the look out for that next Thursday! But, if all that extra money you saved is burning a hole in your pocket and you just can’t wait for next week’s list, definitely check out some of my previous Thrifty Gaming posts, there are tons of games for gamers who like me are ballin’ on a budget!

Thank you for reading and Supporting Blerdy Otome! If you like what you see be sure to drop a like or a comment to let me know your thoughts on this week’s Thrifty Picks!!