Game of the Month #35 (December 2017) - Minesweeper

War is hell.

In Minesweeper, stylized "MineSwEepEr," you take on the role of Markus Einschwepper, commander of the Type 333 Kulmbach class minesweeping vessel, Uberherrn. Set in an alternate present of prevalent distrust where each nation has populated their seas and skies with floating mines to guard their borders, M. Einschwepper goes rogue with his crew to brave the inhospitable international waters to find any friendly port in this geopolitical storm. Part point-and-click adventure, part visual novel, MineSwEepEr addresses the turbid themes of home, trust, and distrust. It asks, what is more dangerous? The hidden mines beneath the opaque waves? Or the people who placed them there? With puzzles relying as much on luck as logic, every mission begs existential questions about responsibility to self, crew, and country. For who, after all, is accountable for each explosive misclick? Markus... or the player themself?

Day 1

I've arrived at my destination early this morning. Conditions are what would be expected of a battlefield. Sarge has tasked me with sweeping the area for mines. The end game is to make it safe for the convoy to traverse to the frontline and provide supplies for the boys up there. Surveying the area I meet up with someone from the platoon. He's young....probably the first time he has ever seen something like this up close and personal. Funny thing is, he's always smiling. The lad has one of those last names where you could try a hundred times to pronounce correctly and you would still get it wrong. I decided to nickname him Fred. You see, he reminds me a lot of my old dog Fred, when I was a boy. Fred would follow me around all the time. Darn thing was always happy, tail wagging at all times. I hated that dog. Fred and I survey the area until dusk, when we head back to the tents and begin making notes about what our approach will be in four days time from now. Seems like a simple enough job, and we have plenty of time before the convoy arrives in a months time.

That screenshot brings back memories. I used to play that game as a kid for hours on end... Took me a while to get good though.

Welp, it's been fun, but after hours of tearing out my hair, I'm gonna have to retire minesweeper. I've literally never been any good at it. I guess my platoons are just doomed to die on the battlefield. :(

Yeah, but sometimes I'll see a place I marked with a flag, and get the sudden urge to roll the dice and see if it really is a mine... and there's where the trouble begins. I can't see to just tell myself no.

Day 6

I'm not quite sure how to explain this, and I doubt anyone would believe it anyways. I think I died yesterday. Frank and I were out in the field early in the morning, and everything was going so well until I guess it wasn't anymore. I remember an explosion going off, and the last thing I recall seeing was Frank's face, and he just looked really sad. Until this point I didn't think he could show any other kind of emotion other than that stupid smile, and now that moment will be forever etched in my memory. You might be wondering how I am writing this entry if I died then? Well, the thing is, after the explosion I recall just floating through a space of nothingness, until I regained counciness, and the first thing I see is Frank's dumb face, still smiling back at me, not a care in the world. I was back at the field, and everything was back to normal. I didn't know how. A lot of thoughts were rushing through my mind at this time, and I decided to head back for the day to process just what happened, if that was even possible.....as of this time, I've come up with nothing. All I know is, I still have a duty to clear the field of mines so the convoy can make it through.

Day ???

I've lost all concept of time. I came to this area to do a simple sweep of the area for any mines, and call it a day. Turns out it wasn't so simple after all. It seems to be my mission in life to clear this area of mines. Every time I fail, there's the usual explosion, and I fade to black, followed by regaining consciousness just moments before, staring at this god-foresaken field, with Fred just looking at me, still smiling. The main problem that I am faced with is that every time I die and go back in time, the placement of the mines always shift, which is really putting my skills to the test, and at this point, I have an extreme lack of faith in my skills. When I try to tell others about what I am going through, the words just don't come out of my mouth. Not because I don't know how to describe it, but it's like something is preventing me from doing so. Not like anyone would believe me anyways. It's just me, this field, and Fred. This is truly hell on earth

Day ???

I've lost all concept of time. I came to this area to do a simple sweep of the area for any mines, and call it a day. Turns out it wasn't so simple after all. It seems to be my mission in life to clear this area of mines. Every time I fail, there's the usual explosion, and I fade to black, followed by regaining consciousness just moments before, staring at this god-foresaken field, with Fred just looking at me, still smiling. The main problem that I am faced with is that every time I die and go back in time, the placement of the mines always shift, which is really putting my skills to the test, and at this point, I have an extreme lack of faith in my skills. When I try to tell others about what I am going through, the words just don't come out of my mouth. Not because I don't know how to describe it, but it's like something is preventing me from doing so. Not like anyone would believe me anyways. It's just me, this field, and Fred. This is truly hell on earth

You fought for your dream, and it was beautiful.

Day ???

It's over. This seemingly eternal hell that I had found myself in is finally over. Yesterday, I was going through the motions of sweeping the field for any mines, and one by one I would slowly discover them with the most archaic of methods, however it ended up working in the end. Utilizing flags, I would mark spots where I believe there would be mines, and when I planted the very last flag in the field, a scene occurred that one would typically only find in a movie, and something that I certainly never had experienced before, and never will again. When that last flag went into the earth, the clouds broke, and the sun was just there, shining on the field, Fred, and myself, and it never felt better. I looked at Fred, smiling, and as the sun shined upon that dumb face of his, he just put on sunglasses and faded away. I couldn't believe my eyes, and as I rushed over to where he was, I began to experience a fear that he was gone, which is odd, as I always disliked him and his dumb face, however I guess the old adage is true, in that you just don't know what you have until it's gone.

When I arrived back at base, I told the Sarge that the area is clear of mines, and how Fred went missing and that we should organize a search party. Sarge simply commended me on my job well done, and asked me who this Fred fellow was. I reiterated about how Fred had accompanied me, as I swept the field for mines, and Sarge looked dumbfounded, and said that it was a one man job, and that I was the only one there. I walked back to my tent bewildered, and upon going to lay down and gather my thoughts, I noticed a note on my cot. I opened it up and it read "Good job kid" signed by Fred. I guess I had a guardian angel or whatever you want to call it, looking out for me on this job. I'm going to miss Fred and his dumb face.

Here's to you Fred. Here's to you

Minesweeper review

Pros:

+ Gameplay merges with storytelling
+ Excellent writing
+ Great main character
+ No microtransactions
+ Solid framerate

Cons:

- Too many mines
- No VR support
- No co-op
- Poor player progression

8.8 out of 10