Steam] Three PC games that allow you to enjoy the feeling of going out while staying out!

How are you doing, Akiba Research Institute readers? This is Nero Hyakkabe, a writer who buys too many games. While major titles such as "Resident Evil RE: 3" and "FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE" have been released one after another, I am still addicted to "Atsumare Animal Crossing". The island's favorite resident is Binta, and I was so happy to be able to go to Binta's birthday party on April 11. ......

Nowadays, many interesting games are being released, but people are refraining from unnecessary trips out of the house, so it is difficult to go out for fun. It is precisely at times like these that I feel that "games," which allow us to virtually travel through various worlds from the comfort of our homes, are a particularly good choice for entertainment.

So, in this issue, I would like to introduce some Steam games that will make you feel as if you are on an outing, even if you refrain from going out.

Occupy White Walls "

Manufacturer: StikiPixels
Release date: November 14, 2018
Price: Free (as of April 14, 2020)

Do you like museums?　 If you are not that interested in paintings and art, it may not be a place you go to often, but it is an indispensable facility in our lives where anyone can experience art and culture in a casual setting, where imagination is nurtured and the mind is enriched. This title, "Occupy White Walls," is a simulator game with the unusual concept of allowing players to freely create such a museum.

To begin with, there are very few game elements in this title.

There are no so-called simulation game elements such as making money by adjusting admission fees or creating eye-catching content to attract visitors, but rather, all you have to do is "create your own museum.

The basic action of the game is to build the so-called "box" part of the museum by installing walls and floors, and then purchase paintings of your choice with in-game currency and display them on the walls.

This is a bit confusing, so let me explain again. The paintings in this work are not original works of art created for the game, but are actual works of art created by artists in the real world.

Of course, there are many paintings in the world. Many of them you will see for the first time in the game, but some of them are famous paintings that you have seen in art textbooks, and when you buy them and display them in your own museum, you will feel "Oh ......, they look kind of real, don't they, my museum? ......" and it makes me feel a little excited.

Paintings on display can be viewed in detail by approaching them and pressing a key. Although it is in English, various information such as the name of the work, the name of the artist, and the actual size of the work is displayed, so you can feel as if you are viewing the paintings in a real museum.

If you like building islands and laying out your own house in "Atsumare Animal Crossing," you will be hooked on this title.

Occupy White Walls" is an online game that allows players to visit their own museums in real time, and vice versa. I am sorry to sound like I am comparing this game to "Atsumori," but I felt that the online interaction with other players is similar to the island traffic in "Atsumori.

I was happy to have people visit my museum, but I also enjoyed visiting other players' museums. Some of them are huge and magnificent, others are gorgeous buildings with huge gardens and artworks displayed in various places.

Furthermore, paintings in other players' museums can be purchased with in-game currency and put on display in your own museum, so you will never be able to stop visiting museums in order to see a painting that strikes your fancy.

What's more, as of April 16, 2020, the game is free. What a gratifying and terrifying game ......, where time melts away endlessly for free.

Even if you are not interested in art museums and paintings, we hope you will be fooled and play this game. This game may be the start of many people's interest in art and make them want to visit a real museum.

Click here for the Steam site

Planet Coaster "

Manufacturer name: Frontier Developments
Release date: November 18, 2016
Price: 4,580 yen (as of April 14, 2020)

One of the most popular places to go on an outing is an amusement park. Both children and adults get excited when they go to amusement parks because of the extraordinary atmosphere. Once upon a time, when my friend who rode the ride with me started spinning the handlebars around and around at such a furious pace that I felt as if I were avenging my parents, I screamed out at a volume that ranked among the top five in the park that day. It wasn't even a scream machine.
Now, "Planet Coaster" is a simulation game that allows you to create an amusement park overflowing with such fun and screams at will.

This title is a royal road amusement park management simulation game with a feel reminiscent of the classic "Theme Park" and "Roller Coaster Tycoon". The basic objective is to build attractions, increase the number of customers, and increase revenue. In the process, the player must respond to customer requests such as "the waiting time is too long" or "I need a drink," by building stores and improving the facilities.
The game is very orthodox for a simulation game, and there are no novelties worth mentioning, but the overall game is carefully and stably made, and the game is easy to play, which is the main attraction of this title.

The game offers a variety of modes. In the "Career Mode," players play through predetermined stages to clear their goals. Sandbox Mode" allows players to enjoy building amusement parks freely without funding limitations or mission goals. Challenge Mode is for advanced players who want to build an amusement park from scratch on an empty lot with limited starting funds.
It is recommended to start with the "Career Mode" and gradually get the hang of what you can do in this game. You can become accustomed to the game's controls and play style as you clear increasingly challenging goals, such as "attract 800 visitors" and "build 4 rides.

The main feature of an amusement park simulation game is, of course, the construction of attractions. There are a wide variety of attractions, including the coaster that gives the game its title, as well as the Pirate Ship, Free Fall, and the Coffee Cup, which I am not very fond of.

Construction does not require complicated operations, and can be created by simply placing the attraction, determining the entrance and exit, connecting the attraction to the passageway, and opening the attraction.

However, care must be taken with the waiting line connecting the entrance to the attraction and the aisle. If the line is too short, it will not be long enough for many visitors, so it is important to keep a certain length while serpentining the line and placing ornamental plants near the waiting line to alleviate customer stress. I feel that this part of the game, "worrying about customer satisfaction," is the real thrill of a management simulation game.

For a break after a hard day's work, I recommend the "Sandbox Mode," which allows you to create amusement parks at your leisure.

I recommend the "Sandbox Mode," which allows you to create amusement parks at your leisure!　A big amusement park full of roller coasters," or "A scary (to me) amusement park where the only thing that exists is a coffee cup," you can enjoy creating whatever your imagination desires. For those who like it, this mode may become the main one.

So, I tried my hand at building a roller coaster taller than a mountain. Well, it is tempting, isn't it?

This coaster over the mountain that I built has a maximum vertical G-force of 13.99G, making it a ride that probably cannot be ridden by a human body. People who have ridden this iron devil will no longer be able to even utter a scream. Considering that the maximum acceleration of Fujikyu Highland's popular coaster "Do Dodompa" is 3.75G, you can probably get some idea of how crazy the coaster is that can only be created in a game.

The game also features a passenger viewpoint camera, which makes you feel as if you are really riding the coaster on the screen. Combined with the beautiful graphics, this is quite a realistic experience!　Why don't you create your own roller coaster in your own home time, actually ride it, and experience the thrill of an amusement park?

Click here for the Steam site

Harbor Craftsman ParanormalHK "

Maker：GHOST PIE Studio
Release date: January 6, 2020
Price: 1,320 yen (as of April 14, 2020)

Kowloon Fortress. Known in Japan as "Kowloon Castle," it is a huge slum that once existed in Hong Kong. At one time, as many as 50,000 people lived in a small area and it was called the most densely populated place on earth. The fort's bizarre appearance is unforgettable, and the underground nature of the area, which was beyond the reach of the law, has attracted many people, and the fort has often appeared in movies and video games.

ParanormalHK" is one such game set in Kowloon Castle.

The player is a camera crew member of a TV show. They have come to Kowloon Castle with a female newscaster, Cassie, to film the "Spirit Realm Escape Game," a gruesome game in which players must solve puzzles that have been set up in advance by the crew in order to escape from the castle. This is the introduction to the game, which is flagged up like a horror movie. Since ancient times, there has been an equation in horror films: "test of courage x location = worst possible outcome. ......

In the end, I don't know if you can call it ......, but Cassie, the anchor, falls prey to a psychic phenomenon and is transformed into a horrifying sight to behold. No, really, it's a very scary sight. ......What could have happened to her to make her look like this?

Yes, so this is where the game comes in.

This is a 3D adventure game from a first-person perspective. The main game style of the game is to run and sometimes hide from Cathy, who is chasing after the player to capture her, while moving deeper and deeper into the Kowloon Castle. There are no means of attack, and the only way to get past Cathy is to run and run, and hide in lockers.

Furthermore, there are many elements to solve riddles and search for items along the way, so it is not easy to move on, and you will have to explore the Kowloon Castle in fear. As promised in horror games, you will be especially scared when you turn a corner. I was so scared that I had to move the mouse around the corner every time I went around a turn to check the safety of the other side of the corner while adjusting the camera to the right position.

In addition to running and escaping, this work also has stealth action elements. The tension of sneaking forward while crouching and hiding in the shadows, paying attention to the sound of footsteps, and avoiding detection is so intense that you can't help but hold your breath as you play.

The tension of sneaking through the game while crouching down and hiding in the shadows, being careful not to make footsteps, and avoiding detection is so intense that you can't help but catch your breath while playing. In this sense, while this is an adventure game, it is also a game with a high level of difficulty that can be learned by dying, a so-called "death game.

Now that we have introduced the basic playing style and feel of this work, we must not forget. This article is a "game feature where you can enjoy an outing.

The game is set in "Kowloon Castle," which is a major feature of this title, and the graphics have been created down to the smallest detail, such as the stains on the walls, the dirt on the small objects placed on the floor, and the way the paperboard is torn. Although you have never actually been there, you can enjoy the atmosphere of the huge slum "Kowloon Castle" with realism. Unfortunately, you can't stop and enjoy the atmosphere of Kowloon Castle because you are either running away or frightened during the game. Well, you could, but then you'd be beaten. ......

In a word, you can enjoy playing this game like a "horror attraction set in Kowloon Castle. We hope you will enjoy this game as if you were at an amusement park.

Click here for the Steam site

Enjoy a virtual outing with a game during your home time!

We have introduced three games on Steam that will make you feel like you are on an outing. These days, we are not able to visit actual museums or amusement parks due to our voluntary restraint in going out when it is not necessary. Let's enjoy playing games at home to release our desire to go out, while believing that one day we will be able to casually enjoy outings again!

Author：Nero Hyakkabe: Freelance writer who buys too many games. Currently, I have more than 300 games in my stack. I am also a novelist. Author of "Goaken Unrated Edition" (Kodansha) and "My Mother's Lie" (in "Malicious Kwaidan") (Takeshobo).