December 2021 Video Game Releases: Parent-Child Bonds and Voice-Controlled Puzzles

December 2021 saw five notable video game releases, including two exploring parent-child relationships: 'The Kids We Were' by GAGEX, where a child travels 33 years back to 1980s Japan to change family events, and 'Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo' by Pendulo Studios and Microids, a linear horror interactive story about a psychotherapist treating a man with vertigo after a suspicious accident. 'One Hand Clapping' by Bad Dream Games and HandyGames (part of Embracer Group) is a platform puzzle game controlled entirely by voice, requiring a microphone and headphones. 'Solar Ash' by Heart Machine and Annapurna Interactive, inspired by 'Shadow of the Colossus', features fast-paced movement through cosmic ruins but suffers from repetitive gameplay. 'Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator' by Strange Scaffold is a dystopian simulation of organ trading with intentionally clunky interfaces, critiquing capitalist game design. All games were released on PC and various consoles, with some coming to Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms.