UPDATE

I'm officially retiring this thread, as I don't spend nearly as much time on Steamgifts as I used to. Thank you to all who contributed! If anyone else is willing to take charge and start up a new version of this thread, feel free!


I'm assuming many of us have a good amount of unplayed games in our Steam library. Asking people to commit to completing them is a tall order, but just trying them out?

Welcome to...

The Game Tasting

How it works: Play an unplayed game from your backlog for 10 minutes -- just 10! A quick taste. Then, come back here and answer three simple questions about your tasting:

  • What game did you play?
  • What did you think about it?
  • Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

What I'll do: Because I want to hear about various games and get people to play things, I'll incentivize this thread by adding a new giveaway for every five tastings that get completed. All giveaways will be level 2. I've already given one to get the ball rolling, and it's perfectly fine for one person to submit multiple tastings.

What you need to do:

  • Submit your tasting as a TOP-LEVEL COMMENT and not as a sub-comment on someone else's. (I'll only be counting tastings that show up in my notifications. Feel free to comment on others' tastings though!)
  • Please bold the title of your game so that others can scan the thread easily.

Current Giveaways

None! Event Complete!

Completed Giveaways

Tastings Game GA Code Ending
0 Tastings RAGE WGPfg Friday, August 28
5 Tastings Ceville oRzhx Saturday, August 29
10 Tastings Pongo kg1vL Saturday, August 29
15 Tastings White Noise 2 q68VQ Saturday, August 29
20 Tastings State of Mind 8ktWm Sunday, August 30
25 Tastings Homebrew - Patent Unknown EnQqe Sunday, August 30
30 Tastings Luxor 3 08tj9 Wednesday, September 2
35 Tastings Stasis tpnP1 Wednesday, September 2
40 Tastings Shooting Stars! 8gxbE Thursday, September 3
45 Tastings God's Trigger NTr56 Saturday, September 5
50 Tastings Next Hero XxRTj Sunday, September 6
55 Tastings Out of Reach 1BRRZ Sunday, September 12
60 Tastings Haimrik Vvhkq Sunday, September 12
Special Cakeday GA! Forager svfT0 Sunday, September 12
65 Tastings Medieval Kingdom Wars H38Lz Wednesday, September 16
70 Tastings Stronghold HD aoAsu Saturday, October 10
75 Tastings Beat Cop bP1Oj Saturday, October 10
80 Tastings Decay: The Mare gdjTg Thursday, October 15
85 Tastings Phantom Trigger dxyMD Friday, October 30
90 Tastings RiME vIABX Tuesday, November 3
95 Tastings Still Life p3ALF Sunday, November 15
100 Tastings Darkwood ZBvl0 Sunday, November 22
105 Tastings Airport Madness: Time Machine XSM2l Tuesday, December 8
110 Tastings BioShock Infinite NyLYA Tuesday, December 8
115 Tastings Distrust: Polar Survival Xxuhl Tuesday, December 8
120 Tastings Gunmetal Arcadia Zero MfYPw Sunday, December 13
3 years ago*

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What game did you play?
𝐒𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝟑
What did you think about it?
its a nice game with descent graphics and physics but its a bit glitchy. I bought it on sale(2019) so no regrets apart from few glitches its a nice game.
Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
I already did. I am gonna Finish this game.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
A: Figment
What did you think about it?
A: Figment is a delightful isometric puzzler that skillfully uses storybook imagery to tackle weighty themes associated with trauma and depression.
Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
A: Sure

3 years ago*
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I loved Figment's setting and use of music but ended up burning out on the gameplay itself a couple of hours in, unfortunately. I do think the game's aesthetics are absolutely splendid though, and I think it would be great for younger audiences.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
60 Parsecs!

What did you think about it?
Nice and simple sci-fi themed game. The gameplay revolves about decision planning and resource management.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
Yes, i'm goint to finish this game. It appears to be a short game, and after i finished, i should play it exploring the different possibilities.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
Chronicle of Innsmouth

What did you think about it?
Im not a big fan of point and click games, but im enjoying this one until now. Voice acting is really good.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
Yes.

3 years ago
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  • What game did you play?

Spirits

  • What did you think about it?

Was wondering if it was another cheap Ori-looks-alike platformer. Finally I feel relieved because it is nothing like this, but a neat Lemmings puzzle game clone. ^^' Phew...

  • Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

I guess so, now it's ok.

3 years ago*
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Linech

A simple (and grossly overpriced) puzzle game, where you must connect point A to point B in a dot grid (that changes shape/size on each level) with a very specific number of lines. Whatever number you're given, it must be exactly that many...no more or less.

It starts easily enough, but begins to get a little challenging around level 12 or 13 (after the introduction of triangles that replace some of the dots and which require you to connect via only one side instead of from any direction). I completed the first 15 levels, and that last level took me several tries. It appears that there are 36 levels in all, with some kind of mystery (marked "???") level or something after completing those 36.

The game is relatively fun, and I'll likely complete it because I don't like to leave things undone, especially when they're not particularly grindy and have definite solutions (although I'm betting some of the last levels will be real head-scratchers). There's no way that I would pay $19 US for this...but as a $1-$2 game that I knew that I'd have 2-3 hours of fun with and be able to 100%, sure thing.

So, if you can win it on SG or pick it up really cheaply on discount, it's worth the time to play.

3 years ago
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Koala Kids

forgotten little platformer activated ages ago. find it lurking a wishlist and decided to taste it: very simple and very good. perfect for a chilling, relaxing hour or two.
surely gonna play it more

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
Titan Souls
What did you think about it?
It actually great. I only play FPS and turn based strategy lately and want something new so this fit the bill. In the game you can only got 1 arrow, and after using it you have to call it back. And when you can it back you have to stand still so it very easy to die when doing this. One thing that the game doesn't explained is that not only you can damage the enemies when shooting at them, you can also damage them when call the arrow back.
The first enemy you fight is a boss, and it hard. After 3 death i manage to kill it, I got overconfident, go to the second fight and got killed in less then 1 second.
Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
Yes.

3 years ago
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What Game Did You Play?
The Surge
I got it for free recently, and figured I'd give it a try

What Did You Think About It?
I liked the introduction, where you're in a wheelchair. I kinda wish they'd make a whole game like that.
Once I got meched up, eh. So far, it seems like a typical shooter.

Do You Plan On Continuing Past 10 Minutes?
The controls are different than what I'm used to, so that alone has me wanting to play a bit more. But right now I'm on a Prison Architect binge, and shooters aren't really my thing, so while I have every intent to play some more, I might not get around to it for, I don't know, a few years?

3 years ago
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So far, it seems like a typical shooter.

It doesn't even have any ranged weapon. :D

3 years ago
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Huh. Didn’t even notice.

3 years ago
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What Game Did You Play?
Darkwood

What Did You Think About It?
This seems like a genuinely creepy game. I did the prologue which sets the scene. You are a single person stuck in a mysterious woodland filled with horrific creatures with very little idea on how to escape.

Do You Plan On Continuing Past 10 Minutes?
Definitely, I want to see where the game goes and there aren't a lot of other isometric survival horror games to play.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?

  • Evenicle 2 - Clinical Trial Edition (yes, a demo, but a big one that was in my list already, does that count?)

What did you think about it?

  • Many QoL improvements over its predecessor, although I don't know whether I prefer the new combat system or the older one. Game is NSFW, but it seems a lot tamer than the original. The lore is a lot more developed and the writing is honestly impressing me. This looks like a great game that happens to have adult content, gameplay is honestly quite fun so far.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

  • I ended up with almost 2 hours of it in one go XD. Yeah, I intended to finish this and buy the full game when it is available, I'm honestly impressed (even though I know disturbing scenes will happen soon, these I will skip).
3 years ago*
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What game did you play?

Meadow.

What did you think about it?

Today I tried Meadow, a multiplayer version of Shelter, but instead of focusing on survival, it focuses on interactivity and exploration. In my 10-15 minutes I found some NPCs but sadly the european server was not very populated at that time. I liked the concept, expressing stuff through abstract icons that convey ideas and/or emotions.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

While I was a bit lost there, I found it interesting. I would play it again if I can get my gf to get it too. Maybe I'd play it only for the exploration part.

3 years ago*
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What game did you play?
Satellite Rush

What did you think about it?
Its decent. Not as good as some epic roguelikes like The Binding of Isaac or Enter the Gungeon though. The mechanic of getting weapons if youre doing great at the game is interesting.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
Yes.

3 years ago*
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I'm not going to join the event/GAs right now, but.. just wanted to say that I really love this idea, looking forward to more of this in the future! 😁

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

What did you think about it?
Looks beautiful and I enjoyed the open world to explore. My first experience with a flight sim. The tutorials are nice and explain stuff in a good way. Enjoyed my few minutes with it so far

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
YES. Gives me a reason to use my logitec joystick again.

3 years ago
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Debtor

Simple little platformer, but the level design was quite good. It required thinking, but nothing seemed unfair. It's only 30 levels, so even after they got pretty difficult, I still finished the game in an hour. So, it could be longer. But, it's totally worth playing if you can get it for cheap or win it in a raffle. Another 100% to add to the list (I think I'm at 231 games 100%ed at this point).

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries

What did you think about it?
It was nice, but didn't like how they changed the mechanics when you need to fight... And the characters seems too much like... dlc characters. It is okay anyways.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
I actually played it for more than 10 minutes xD. And yeah, I will finish it probably this week.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
CIV VI

What did you think about it?
Great but my poor hardware can't play it properly (old mac mini).

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
144 hours played till now... plan to play for other 200-300h.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?

GRIP: Combat Racing

What did you think about it?

Among the new games I tried today, GRIP was fun. It's a racing game with the usual combat elements through powerups which give abilities or weapons. You can drive over the ceiling (hence the name, the cars provide real humongous grip). Graphics were fine, handling with gamepad too. My only grip-e is that there aren't really that many powerups, but maybe it's just that I tried the very early stages of the game.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

Yes yes, I like racing games and this one felt fun. Not perfect (Death Rally Classic, you are) but fun enough.

3 years ago
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I liked GRIP but there was something about it that rubbed me the wrong way that I can't quite put my finger on. Not sure what it was, because all of the pieces are there: good sense of speed, interesting levels, good powerups, etc. I just couldn't get into it like I wanted to. I ended up it putting it aside after only a couple of hours.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?

Ancestors: Legacy

What did you think about it?

Another of the new games I tested today was Ancestors: Legacy. Looks like a standard RTS, but squad-based. I was impressed by the gorgeous graphics and cinematics, music and sound departments were nice too. Gameplay-wise, looks pretty standard, but again, I only tasted the very first mission of the game, which is more of a tutorial. While the game doesn't have rave reviews (nor real bad ones either), it was good enough for me. I'm liking the squad-based gameplay and feels easier, more streamlined than big-scale RTS games which I'm not anymore made for.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

Definitely, if it finds a place in my huge backlog. Sooner or later...

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
Reigns: Conflict of Nations

What did you think about it?
Very underrated game in my opinion. I like to play that type of strategy games, so I decided to try this. Now I played it around 30 hours on Steam.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
Yes.

3 years ago
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I finished The Walking Dead Michonne, so I went for another tasting:

What game did you play?
Torchlight II

What did you think about it?
It looks pretty awesome. I am not a big fan of this type of games, but I enjoy them. I already had a lot of fun with Grim Dawn, and now this seems to be a really good one too (and I like to be fighting alongside a pet :D).

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
Yeah, I will keep playing it... It will probably take some time to beat it, but I will go for it.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?

KIDS

What did you think about it?

I was going to just test it (I test all my incoming games) but knowing that it was specially short, and checking on HowLongToBeat.com that it was only 20 minutes, I decided to finish it. Indeed, 20 minutes. It's a strange, hard to describe game. Completely linear with minor, tiny puzzle elements dead easy which serve to go from one scene to another. It has no story and felt very surreal. I don't say it was a bad experience, but if I had got the game outside a bundle, I would have refunded it.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

I finished the game, and I don't really see myself replaying it. Something in it left me with some morbid curiosity so I don't reject the idea totally, but it'll have to be a weird situation to want to replay this game. Pros? It's very short and easy, so if you're into finding meaning into surreal stuff, maybe this game is for you.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?

Day Of The Tentacle Remastered

What did you think about it?

It's my favourite point-n-click graphic adventure ever. I've played it about a dozen times, and I got it in a bundle I am finally trying, along with Full Throttle Remastered (also played several times) and Grim Fandango Remastered (strangely, never played). What can I say? DOTT has it all, and the Remastered version is well done. 10/10.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?

Yes, very soon I hope, I've not played it in several years and never on Steam.

3 years ago
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What game did you play?
Aegis Defender

What did you think about it?
Both characters are have good gameplay mechanics and are both fun to play and balanced. Music and sounds are okay. And the core mechanics of tower defense are pretty good.

Do you plan on continuing it past 10 minutes (either now or in the future)?
Playing co op games but alone is blank and I don't have any friends who own it. So, If some of my friends would be interested in this game, I would it play with them.

3 years ago
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Closed 3 years ago by ruteqube.