Our Marketplace Picks: August 2019

We're all looking forward to the days when robots take on new roles and become more integrated into our society. Now, imagine that futuristic scenario in a city that also embraces the beautiful aesthetics of traditional architecture. Oh, and defeating ninjas and majestic dragons! In Dragon City, I started my training in a dojo early on with Master Kondo. Soon, I would feel fully confident when throwing shurikens and later on swinging the Legendary Katana against my enemies. 

Immersed in a highly detailed environment with a vibrant color palette and custom soundtrack, I found myself getting killed by ninjas or drones lurking around the corners as I was distracted taking it all in. I made sure to take some well-deserved breaks by visiting the cozy city gardens and volunteering at the hospital. Recycling bottles has never been so fun, as here you get to feed them to an adorable robot, and I never felt alone having my loyal companion bot by my side at all times!

Sara Lempiäinen

Trying to emulate the concept of dreams has been a pursuit of artists of all eras, in order to create something that appears unfettered by the rationale of our mind. The Surrealists purposefully created nonsensical movies which critics struggled to interpret, Dadaists cut up newspaper headlines randomly into poems to a similar effect – and now, Trickster's Dreamland throws their hat into the ring. 

While some of the sections are based on more common dream scenarios, the most poignant sequence appears around the midway point in two parts. First, you are tasked with judging a mustache competition. You gaze upon three villagers, clad in different designs of facial hair, and pick one. The other two vanish from a trap door opening underneath them to an unknown fate. In the next sequence, there is a 'human competition'. You find yourself standing on the same area the villagers were; right across for you are two gigantic mustaches perched upon thrones who are there to judge who is 'human of the century'...

Oskar Thysell

I'm a player who enjoys exploring and dream of going on expeditions in wild locations, so this map really hit the spot for me. I found it thrilling to uncover passages and enter the tombs to find out what was hiding deep inside of them (the various challenges were a particular highlight!). It was nice that the mode of travelling kept changing, whether that was jumping across treetops, rowing a boat to avoid the vicious animals in the water, or riding minecart roller coasters. 

You get to puzzle the path together in certain areas, which makes the exploration feel extra satisfying. This map is full of the animals and insects you would wish to discover if you were to go exploring in a jungle, and as a huge insect admirer myself, I especially appreciate them. My favorite feature was the ability to photograph the animals and insects I encountered to create my own gallery back at their camp - a nice way to explore the entire map beyond the main quests, so I suggest trying to find and photograph all of them if you want to satisfy the completionist inside of you!

Sara Lempiäinen