It's hard not to think of BioWare's Mass Effect series of console and PC RPGs when you first begin playing Planet Stronghold. A lot of the defining features of Mass Effect are present in Planet Stronghold, if in a simplified form: you can date many of the game's characters, you can select your main character's class and gender, and you can select your responses in dialog at many different points in the story. Planet Stronghold is obviously a much simpler game than Mass Effect, but it holds up surprisingly well to the comparison.
Vera Blanc is back on the case in Episode 2: Ghost in the Castle. Playing out in a similar style to its predecessor, Full Moon, number two sees Vera solving a new crime with her special mind-reading abilities.
Werewolves were originally conjured up to account for unexplainable killings, and the mythological beasts soon became known in folklore as a shape-shifting creature, with the ability to switch between human and wolf form. Of course, the idea of such a monster is ludicrous, but from Vera Blanc's point of view anything is possible - she herself can reach minds!
Remember those "choose your own adventure" books where you you could end up with a totally different story depending on what path you chose for the characters by flipping to different pages at key moments in the plot? Vera Blanc is an upcoming mystery thriller game from indie developer Tycoon Games that was developed in the same spirit, with graphics that are drawn in the style of a comic book.
A simulation/role-playing game from independent Italian studio Winter Wolves, Spirited Heart puts players in the shoes of a young woman living in a medieval fantasy city who works to earn a living while trying to win the heart of one of six bachelors. It's a simple and potentially appealing concept. Alas, its frustrating character growth system and unfair game design makes it difficult to give this romance sim much love.