Felvidek A Knight, a Monk, a Mystery

Pavol came back from war, lost his wife, and took to the wine cellars of the lord he serves. Then a fortress nearby goes up in flames, and the lord sends him to investigate, with the monk Matej along to keep him from drinking. That pairing carries the whole game: two men who bicker constantly, see the world completely differently, and slowly find common ground. The dialogue mixes lofty medieval speech with plain vulgarity, depending on who is talking, and the writing is sharp enough that people quote it. The story runs about 3 to 4 hours, and it uses every one of them.

Combat is turn-based, and it asks more of you than picking "attack" from a menu. You juggle feints, gear and healing items, and several people who played it call it the most engaging version of this kind of combat they have touched in a while. Preparation counts: buying equipment and consumables before a fight, and actually using them in it, is the difference between a clean win and a scramble. Hoarding supplies for a rainy day is a mistake, since the game is short and the rain comes often. One honest note: fights can start to repeat themselves near the end.