Plague: London 1665

The Bubonic Plague sure was no joke, but it inspired some of the coolest steampunk visuals ever conceived. Plague: London 1665 tasks the player with the unenviable task of becoming a plague doctor during the world's deadliest outbreak. Ethical dilemmas and tough choices abound in this deceptively cutesy 2D RPG.

Featuring a minimalistic 2D style and a surprisingly emotional dialogue, Plague: London 1665 will have you making decisions that will determine the fate of everyone in the game. No matter how seemingly inconsequential, everything you do in this game has repercussions – some deadlier than others.

With the option to revisit previous decisions, this is one of those games you'll find yourself playing over and over again – as long as you can stomach some of its gut-wrenching moral dilemmas.

Graveyard Shift

In Plague: London 1665, you play as a body collector with mouths to feed back home. It's a nasty business, but someone has to do it. Immediately, the game reminded me of Graveyard Keeper – the Stardew Valley for people who love Halloween. Like that game, you'll have to turn death into a business in Plague: London.

While you're out looking for bodies to bury, you'll also have to manage your resources and keep your family fed. More than anything, Plague: London showcases how utterly depressing life must have been during the plague. The good news is, you're never alone.

Establishing a Network

Everyone in London suffers the same pains as your character, which means that nearly everyone in town is a potential trading partner. Other survivors may usually ask you for resources in exchange for services or upgrades. In Plague: London, death is not the end – it's merely the door to a commercial transaction.

As the game progresses, you'll be facing numerous ethical dilemmas and moral conundrums. This makes the game feel more like a Telltale adventure. One minute you're playing Stardew Valley, and then the game becomes The Walking Dead – except the dead definitely aren't walking in this game.

The fact that the decisions change so much about the game is something that will keep you hooked on this morbid simulator. I'm sure you'll find yourself replaying the story or making savestates just to see how a different decision changes the course of the whole game. In that regard, I'd say the game reminded me of Papers, Please.

A Retro Masterpiece

Indie developers love their 2D visuals, and Plague: London 1665 is no exception. The game features a very minimalistic graphics style. If you're used to the detailed pixel art of Graveyard Keeper, I'm sorry to say you won't find that here.

As disappointing as the visuals may be, the presentation is serviceable for a game like this. The menus are easy to understand and the UI never gets in the way. Plague: London would rather immerse the player into its depressing world than bore them with endless tutorials.

Pros

• Addictive gameplay loop
• Engaging story with branching paths and decisions
• Clear UI that's very easy to understand

Cons

• The visuals are a bit lackluster
• Some tasks can get repetitive the more you play