A collection aside
GUARD DUTY
DEVELOPER SICK CHICKEN STUDIOS • PRICE $14.50 https://www.sickchicken.com/
“As the story unfolds, things go wrong. In fact, I thought the game was going to kill me.”
In 2047, the world is sliced in two. How can it be saved? Is it even possible to stick a planet back together? Guard Duty opens a few centuries before this dramatic event. You play (mostly) as Tondbert, the Roger Wilco of city guardsmen. His voice actor is hilarious, especially when Tondbert’s face is swollen with bee stings. After finding his clothes, Tondbert is tasked with saving the princess, who has been mysteriously abducted. It’s clear he thinks she’s awesome. It was also (indirectly) his fault she was kidnapped.
The game’s pixel art is reminiscent of a late Sierra-era King’s Quest, with cartoony cutscenes and garish colours. It’s particularly evocative when hues wash out to whites and greens in dangerous areas. You’ll meet a host of likely townsfolk, including the hag who wants a kiss and a weepy monarch. Interestingly, some characters are never involved with problem solving and function to flesh out a detailed world. I’d usually expect every piece, or person, in an adventure game to be used, yet it’s nice to simply experience extra content.
Initial puzzles involve finding objects and imagining solutions. If you’re stuck, talking to characters is an enjoyable way to collect backstory as well as the clues that will arise from conversation. You can collect
