Indie Game Corner: English Country Tune & Anti-Chamber

Have you ever played a game that made your head hurt?  Not through over-stimulation of the eyes or ears like some games like to do.  Instead, try something that makes you think. HARD.  English Country Tune and Anti-Chamber are two indi puzzle games which turn standard conventions of gaming on their ear.  And often just give me headaches.

Anti-Chamber is a first person puzzle game in which navigate through a labyrinthine mess of rooms, hallways, and stairs that seem straight from a painting of M.C. Esher.  The game starts with a tutorial which shows you, rather than tells you, that conventional tropes you have learned from videos are worthless, or worse yet, counter-productive.  Anti-Chamber plays with your mind and forces you to explore the areas, use creative thinking, and explore the game's mechanics.If first-person gaming isn't quite your thing, or you would like a bit more abstract puzzler, check out English Country Tune.  You use a two dimensional square navigate about a three dimensional surface that you stick to no matter the angle.  Upside down, right side up, left or right doesn't matter, you travel just fine in any direction.  But these rules do not extend so perfectly to the objects you manipulate.  Each item has a goal and a special sort of property that challenges you to think about how to utilize your own movement abilities, as well as the limitations and characteristics of the objects.While both games can be infuriatingly hard at times, there is something euphoria about solving a brain-scratching puzzle all on your own.  These games don't hold your hands, and they rarely give hints at all.  Observation and experimenting are key to learning about the game, exploring it until you are able to master the game and best its thought-provoking challenges.