Adult Swim is a juggernaut of alternative entertainment. If it's weird or controversial and on television, you'll usually find it there. I'm a fan of a lot of shows that have come out on Adult Swim and I think some of them could see serious success as a video game.

So, here's 5 of my favorite shows on Adult Swim and what I would like to see them accomplish in game form.

The Venture Brothers

This show is a massive parody of Jonny Quest. It centers around Venture Industries -- a massive, multi-faceted corporation created by the late Dr. Jonas Venture Sr., who had a lust for adventure. He took his son, Rusty, on these adventures and traumatized him to such an extreme degree that he now lives in his father's shadow. Being the inheritance's of Venture Industries brings with it no end of villains wanting a piece of it -- which means endless trouble for Rusty, his sons Hank & Dean, and the bodyguards that try to keep them safe.

This series would probably do best as an action platformer -- something along the lines of Donkey Kong Country. You could play as Hank and Dean, running and jumping through locations featured in the show. The brothers aren't exactly the most capable fighters, so combat without items or power-ups would be nonexistent. You could even make it a total rip-off and have Brock appear as a vehicle like the Rhino, and give you bonuses for collecting all the letters to "Venture."

Squidbillies

Squidbillies is a show about hillbilly squids. That's really all that needs to be said about it. Take any stereotypical hillbilly or redneck thing you can think of, and this show cranks it up to ten. That could really work in its favor as a game. 

This in-your-face comedy would do really well as an arcade style beat-'em-up. Your four playable characters would be Early, Rusty, Granny and Lil. Early would be a longer ranged character, using his signature sawed-off shotgun. Rusty could be more of a quick brawler, using his adolescent agility and practice dodging Rusty's abuse to his advantage. Granny might be a slow, but heavy hitter -- inflicting massive damage with her walker. Lil could be a mid ranged control character, scratching enemies from afar with her nails and stunning them with a heave of her breasts.

Other characters would show up as bosses. Starting with Krystal, Early's one-time fling and Rusty's mother. Then maybe you could make your way through others such as The Sheriff, Deputy Denny, The Reverend, etc. 

Superjail

This is an easy one. Superjail is an over-the-top, gory comedy that takes place in a jail. Not just any jail though -- this one is Super, but not for any good reasons. It's super ridiculous, super out of this world, and super unpleasant for anyone who's done enough wrong to warrant being taken there.

I'd love to see this as a city building mobile game. Managing the chaotic jail and its deplorable inmates would be really fun -- like a much more entertaining version of Prison Architect. Keeping the inmates in line would provide a larger budget to improve the jail. Add some incentive to kill, maim or otherwise make the inmates' lives extravagantly awful...and I think you've got a game that's true to the show. 

Moral Orel

Moral Orel is show about a child named Moral who does everything he can to do right by God. The only problem is, God's word can be skewed in the eyes of an adolescent. Despite his good intentions, Moral usually ends up doing something wrong and being punished by his father. This is a tough one, but it's too good not to include on this list.

Since it's by far one of my favorite series Adult Swim has given us, I'd love to see this show reimagined as a game like Lisa. Take out any combat and make it a story-driven side scroller. Add the dark humor from the show with some player choices to determine the direction the game takes, and you've got something that could be pretty great. 

Metalocalypse

Perhaps one of the most popular Adult Swim shows, Metalocalypse is the brutal as hell story of 5 larger than life musicians. Imagine if the iconic status of figures like The Beatles, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin and anyone else you can think of were all concentrated in one band. That's how popular the show's band Dethklok is. They're so well-known that an Illuminati type organization has to constantly stop them from changing the course of human history. Let that one sink in. 

This one is also a bit simple. We already have a game that tried this called Brütal Legend. Take everything that game has going for it and simply insert the characters from Metalocalypse in to it. Boom -- you have an awesome game. 

What other Adult Swim shows do you think would make awesome (and hilarious) video games? Let me know down in the comments!

Final Fantasy XV is a game that has introduced a lot of new and different elements to the franchise. It stepped away from the turn-based combat that defined the series for so long to offer a more active and dynamic system. It moved toward a more open world setting, full of side quests and secondary activities. And it also brought new mechanics to the franchise, like fishing and cooking.

However, there is one element that was present in the previous Final Fantasy games that's been repurposed to serve a greater need: sleeping. It is now more important than ever before, an essential activity that players must perform often if they want to progress as efficiently as possible.

In a game like Final Fantasy XV, with so many new additions and changes that do not necessarily improve the game, forcing players to sleep is one of the best moves Square Enix could do. And here is why.

Inns and Taverns in Classic RPGs

Since the very first Final Fantasy, and the earliest RPGs, sleeping in taverns, inns and other buildings of similar nature was a great way of taking care of your team. It is one of the most classic and traditional mechanics in role-playing, one that has remained almost untouched in a vast majority of titles.

In traditional RPGs, you could find a place to rest in every town. By paying a fixed amount of in-game currency, the main characters could spend the night in a room and sleep. What usually happened was that you wake up with all party members' HP and magic points fully restored, as well as all negative status ailments removed.

This classic mechanic can be seen in most RPGs both new and old, and it is typically about the same from title to tile. There are some games that added new characteristics to resting over the years, like cutscenes in certain moments, but only a few trully innovated in this aspect -- like the indie game Lisa.

In Lisa, the party could rest in camps to recover health, SP and nullify all illnesses. However, when waking up, a multitude of negative or positive events could unfold. For example, you could discover that a member of the group has been kidnapped or that someone has left a gift to you. This clever mechanic made the player think carefully about the possible pros and cons of resting.

Final Fantasy XV does something that's equally innovative. 

Sleeping and Camping in Final Fantasy XV

Resting in Final Fantasy XV marks the end of an in-game cycle and it is indispensable to leveling up your stats and hobbies. These loops consist on gathering experience points by completing quests, killing enemies and using party members' skills during the day. Then you sleep during the night. By sleeping, all the experience is transferred to Noctis, Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus.

Resting is also the moment where you can take a look at all the pictures Prompto took during the day, and choose whether you want to keep them or not. 

This mechanic has more depth to it, since you have to decide where to sleep, depending on your needs. If you camp outside, Ignis can prepare his inestimable recipes that will boost character stats and will, in turn, level up Ignis' cooking skills so that he can make bigger and better meals for bigger and better stat boosts. 

However, you can also opt to sleep in hotels and inns. Here, Ignis won't be able to cook, but you will gain an experience boost that will help your characters level up faster. This experience multiplier can change depending on where you sleep, as well as the price of the room.

A Fresh and Rewarding Mechanic

Sleeping in Final Fantasy XV is completely unique, an innovative way of leveling up your characters and engaging players. This is the kind of idea that feels fresh and rewarding, and we should encourage more developers to take seemingly mundane actions and tasks and give them fresh life through novel mechanical interpretations.

So while many RPGs continue to use sleep as a way to retread the tropes of the genre and stick to tried and true development paths, games like Final Fantasy XV and Lisa are thinking outside the box, taking mechanics that players understand and turning them on their heads. In turn, it breathes fresh life into existing games and franchises, while also pushing other developers to create new experiences that subvert gamer expectation. 

What other RPG gameplay mechanisms could use an upgrade? And how do you think sleep affects the role-playing experience? Sound off in the comments below! 

Endless Legend

Standard price: $29.99
Genre: 4X turn-based strategy
Demo: No
Steam Store link

It's hard to say this one is a "hidden gem" considering how often it goes on sale, but when Civilization V is still the top 4X game on Steam, I can't help but bring this baby up in this list. It's fantastic.

Endless Legend is exactly the type of evolution I, as a regular 4X strategy player, would like to see in ground-based entries (as opposed to space titles like Sins of a Solar Empire) to the genre. Instead of taking pages from popular staple Civilization V, developer Amplitude Studios went in their own direction and created a basically triple-A quality 4X with more of a focus on unit management over city management.

The game's Hero system, which has players customize Hero units' skills and equipment to better lead their squads to battle or oversee their cities, is fresh, fun, and adds an additional layer of strategy,

The gameplay variety between factions (and your ability to customize your own faction) means you can play pretty much the way you want -- within reason.

If you like 4X games, there's pretty much no reason to not pick up Endless Legend. Except maybe the $29.99 price tag with additional paid content DLC. But you expect to put that sort of investment in a high quality strategy game.

Cook, Serve, Delicious!

Standard price: $9.99
Genre: Cooking sim
Demo: Yes
Steam Store link

I'd be willing to guess you probably haven't played a cooking simulation game before.

Okay, you might have. They're not the rarest genre these days, but they are certainly not common.

Cook, Serve, Delicious! is a particularly charming brand of cooking sim, with a heaping helping of muscle memory and stress with a side of nice-looking renders of food and a refreshingly appropriate (cheesy) music.

While the sequel is on the horizon, the original game has more than enough content to keep the virtual cook busy for now.

Climbing the restaurant ranks is quite the feat in the standard campaign mode -- don't let the "casual" tag on Steam fool you. You have to memorize dozens of recipes, rotate out menu items based on your recent menu choices and challenges, and excel at your craft when catering and when appearing on famous cooking shows.

Did I mention there's a ton of muscle memory involved here? Remembering each recipe isn't easy, and every customer wants something different.

The Battle Kitchen update released in 2014 brought new challenges, leaderboards, and a New Game+ mode for veteran chefs. It's a lot easier than actually running a restaurant, that's for sure.

Wings of Vi

Standard price: $14.99
Genre: Precision action platformer
Demo: Yes (On Steam Store page)
Steam Store link

You may as well move onto the next slide if you don't like ramming yourself into one set of obstacles dozens of times -- Wings of Vi probably isn't for you even on Easy Mode.

But hey, if you're cool with that you're in for one of the best precision platformers in a long time. Plus you get to play dress up, what's not to love?

Don't let the angel protagonist fool you: Wings of Vi is an absolutely brutal platformer both in terms of combat and the platforming itself, and it is not about to let you finish the game without pulling your own hair out or breaking a few keyboards/controllers in the process.

There's a lot of care put into the game's music and visuals, and it plays exactly the way you'd want -- except weapon swapping is sometimes a hindrance.  There are plenty of secrets to be found, specifically new weapons and cosmetic items for Vi. It's just a joy to play if precision platformers are your type of game.

If you make it through Wings of Vi, you get some serious bragging rights. But good luck with that, grasshopper.

SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition

Standard price: $7.99
Genre: ASCII turn-based RPG roguelite
Demo: Yes (On the Steam Store link)
Steam Store link

Stop, don't go! ASCII games need love too, even in this day and age. And SantuaryRPG: Black Edition may just be the one that fits perfectly in your Steam library.

SanctuaryRPG is a curious game. Despite sticking to some seriously classic RPG traditions and visuals, it's a peculiarly modern game with an addictive battle system that requires the player to pay close attention to enemy states and chain ability usage.

While it seems a serious, slow game, it couldn't be more the opposite. What we have here is a fairly silly procedurally-generated RPG with more charm and secrets than you can shake a stick at, not to mention combat is pretty quick once you've got it down. And let's not get into its great soundtrack.

This is one ASCII game that any PC RPG player can chow down on, even if they're unfamiliar with ASCII graphics. Definitely try the demo if you're even remotely curious.

Vagante

Early Access price: $14.99
Genre: Action RPG roguelite
Demo: Yes
Steam Store link

Wary of Early Access games? Me, too. But this is definitely not one to worry about. It's been in Early Access since late 2014, but developer Nuke Nine has packed to the brim with content and quality of life updates since the beginning.

Vagante is like Spelunky with far more RPG elements, action, and sheer ruthlessness in design. It's slower than Spelunky, more complicated than Spelunky, and may just be the better game for you if you'd like a more serious RPG tint to your dungeon and cave-diving.

This game is not even remotely for the casual gamer.

Of all the roguelites on this list, Vagante is the one that took me the longest to get the hang of and progress in, thanks to the random unidentified drops (thanks cursed equipment) and RPG stat/skill leveling. It's worth it, though: Just about everything in this game is stellar, and at the current rate of updates the full release version is shaping up to be amazing.

If you like roguelites and are comfortable with being even worse at the start than usual in these types of games, you have nothing to lose but hours of your life with Vagante. Especially once online multiplayer is released.

LISA

Standard price: $9.99
Genre: Side-scrolling turn-based RPG
Demo: No
Steam Store link

I know, RPG Maker games don't have the best reputation and LISA certainly was an RPG Maker game, as you can see in the trailer -- though developer Dingaling did port it out of the engine not too long after release.

What a boring way to start a description of what may be one of the strangest RPGs to see release, and what is certainly one of my favorite games of all time.

LISA puts you in the shoes of Brad Armstrong, and you're out to save the last girl in the world -- whether it's the right thing to do or not.

It's difficult to describe this game even as someone who has played it several times. It's dark and uncomfortable, a stark contrast to a certain other indie RPG (you know what it is). The music is catchy and weird, sometimes grating. The battle system is basic but has its merits.

The story and characters are where it's at in LISA, but the game is not for everyone. It's not for the sensitive or squeamish, but it is for the adventurous gamer with a twisted streak. And if you want a game that utterly confounds you and ultimately makes you feel like trash, this is the way to go.

Spoilers: You do want a game that utterly confounds you and ultimately makes you feel like trash, you just don't know it yet.

Risk of Rain

Standard price: $9.99
Genre: Action platformer roguelite
Demo: Yes
Steam Store link

I don't think I could put into words how great Risk of Rain is if you're the type who prefers games that are tough as nails.

I also don't think I could put into words how upset I am the PC version's netcode is so awful while the upcoming PS4 and Vita version is getting dedicated servers. My butthurt on that point is very real. But that isn't what this article is for.

Risk of Rain is still an amazing game on Steam if you don't have a PlayStation 4/Vita, even if you have to jump through portforwarding hoops to make online multiplayer work.

Things start out soft in a Risk of Rain run, but don't worry: there's plenty waiting to kill even the most seasoned player. Pushing through, your enemies become more wall than beast or machine -- and you, with luck, will become more weapon than man and escape the planet.

The controls are tight, the music is amazing, and the variations between characters and their synergies with particular items is a delight.

I can't think of a single bad thing about Risk of Rain outside of its janky multiplayer, and that is something I'm going to complain about until I'm on my deathbed trying to get in one more round with Acrid with Spite, Enigma, Glass, and Spirit activated.

Road Not Taken

Standard price: $14.99
Genre: Turn-based puzzle roguelite
Demo: No
Steam Store link

The trailer in the header may not make Road Not Taken seem like a stellar puzzle game, but there's so much potential gameplay here for puzzle fans it's hard not to recommend.

Road Not Taken has you wander into the cold, unforgiving wilderness to save lost children -- which, as you may expect, is not as simple as it seems.

Players must pick up items they come across and toss them to open doors or combine them to make new items. Saving children is done much in the same way, as you unceremoniously toss them at their parents.

As Road Not Taken is a roguelite, it has infinite replayability and there really is no getting tired of befriending or wooing townsfolk, especially since things often do not turn out the way you expect.

Truly a fantastic puzzler from Spry Fox and worth every penny.

Valdis Story: Abyssal City

Standard price: $14.99
Genre: Metroidvania action platformer
Demo: Yes
Steam Store link

Like Metroid? Castlevania? Devil May Cry? Why the hell haven't you played Valdis Story yet?

This little gem was a surprise Greenlight in 2013, and despite the late release of the third and fourth characters last year, it remains one of the best games of the genre on Steam at the time of writing.

Valdis Story: Abyssal City's plagued with absolutely awful things like:

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• Great music
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• Beautiful semi-3D visuals
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• Responsive and flexible combat
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• Secret areas and items
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• Cool bosses
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• Weapons, armor, and skill points to fit most playstyles
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...All right, so those things are actually pretty great and so is Valdis Story.

The controls definitely take some getting used to, and wall-jumping can be pretty awful at times. But if you can get over those points, you're in for one fun ride no matter the character you choose. A great buy for any action platformer or Metroidvania fan.

Desktop Dungeons

Standard price: $14.99
Genre: Turn-based roguelike
Demo: No, but you can try a prototype from 2010
Steam Store link

Do you like math? No? Me neither, but man I love me some Desktop Dungeons.

The game may seem like your typical roguelike at first glance, but it quickly becomes apparent it's not like its brutal brethren in one key way: it requires the player scope out a floor, check out enemy numbers and available resources. Once you've done so, you plan your strategy based on your level and enemy levels, your HP, MP,  and spells.

Desktop Dungeons is definitely one of the more planning-intensive roguelikes I've delved into over the years and I'm not ashamed to say I've whipped out a calculator on multiple occasions to plan my strategy.

If you like roguelikes and want something a little different, this may be one of the best options out there. The gameplay depth paired with unlockable races, classes, and other goodies makes it a well-rounded and excellent addition to any roguelike library.

It's basically raining indie games on Steam, all the time. You can't go a day without looking at the New Releases section of the Steam Store and seeing a list of indie games. They're everywhere! But if you've dipped your feet into the indie pool before, you know they can be a gamble without some research.

What's the best way to find indie games on Steam you'd like? Well, going to a game's Store page, checking out the similar titles at the bottom of the listing, and checking their reviews and discussion forums are technically the best way.

But man, that takes effort.

More often than not, I just buy my indie games based off recommendations from other similarly-minded individuals. Most of my friends also make their purchases based off word of mouth. You can make a bad purchase even when going off recommendations -- but that's what refunds are for. Sweet, sweet refunds.

There's a lot out there to wade through, and you mostly base your indie buys off word of mouth anyway. Don't lie, I know you do. Why not take a look at some of mu suggestions? You (probably) won't be disappointed. I think. Maybe.

Only one of these games is an early access title, and many have demos. What's there to lose? Aside from your future.

On December 14th, 2013, an RPG game called LISA the Painful managed to complete its Kickstarter campaign at $16,493 with 847 backers. 

The campaign aptly described the game as "a side-scrolling PC ONLY RPG set in a post apocalyptic wasteland where women are nowhere to be found. It's a world full of drugs, violence and the decay of human intelligence..."

Previously only known for his free exploration-based Lisa, (re-named Lisa: The First with the advent of The Painful and new DLC The Joyful), the only things players knew to expect from developer Austin "Dingaling" Jorgensen's Kickstarter game were an eccentric art style, intensely morbid humor, and some awesome music.

Fast forward a little under two years, and over 100,000 people own the indie RPG on Steam. With a hilarious and sometimes gripping story, intriguing story-driven mechanics that will make you pay an arm and a leg to keep your friends by your side (sometimes literally), and a follow-up DLC released in 2015, Austin Jorgensen has managed to develop something fascinating with LISA, and I set out to talk with him for a bit about how he crafted this unique blend of hilarity and shocking human tragedy.

John Adamczyk (JA): First off, thank you so much for taking your time to do this interview for GameSkinny.  

LISA is a game that manages to be a dark (very dark) comedy, a horror story, and, of course, a deeply emotional experience. When you set out to create LISA, were all of these aspects there from the start? How did you piece together so many clashing elements and end up with the fascinating world of Olathe?

Austin Jorgensen (AJ): They were not really there from the start, no. It all just kinda fell into place organically, I suppose. I think honestly a lot of the pacing and stuff is just a fluke.  

JA: Fluke or no, it does seem you had a philosophy for how you were going to tell the story of LISA. You recently posted about storytelling on your Tumblr, and I was amazed to see how well those principles lined up with the game itself. How did you decide on those four principles for what makes a good story?

AJ: Even though I didn't want to tie myself down to too many preconceived design elements, I did do my best to stick to the rules I laid out for myself in terms of story. Those principles are not something I made up. They are just basics you could learn in any story writing class really. I just think I sometimes focus more on story than programming stuff. So that's more of what I research. 

JA: That makes sense. So is it safe to say that story came before gameplay when you set out to make LISA? And if so, what made you want to tell this story in a game format?

AJ: Well, I have a big fascination with combining the two. I come from more of a story telling side,  but I still want to find ways to mix the two organically and powerfully. Lisa was a very small first step. But, I think games could be doing so much more as medium.  I want to keep exploring that.

I think games could be doing so much more as medium. I want to keep exploring that.

JA: The elements of choice and interaction in the medium can really be used to push storytelling in a direction we haven't seen too much of. In another interview you leveled a lot frustrations toward modern game design and how a lot of games try to make it seem like your choices are going to be a huge deal, when there's no real impact in the game.

Obviously, LISA does the exact opposite. 

Were these agonizing choices always at the core of LISA, or were you discovering the medium of storytelling in video games as you continued development?

AJ: Yeah, funny you mention it. I got Fallout 4 on a whim and I'm having a really "great" time with it. Especially related to the illusion of choice. To be fair though, it's harder to tell a story the more freedom the player has. So I get why we are still in this place of "a handful of choices that all lead to ending A or ending B". That's generalizing, but you get my point. I think it's going to take some really new ways of thinking to tell a great story while still giving the players freedom to alter it with their actions. 

JA: I'm in the same boat with Fallout 4, and I definitely agree that we need some new ideas in the medium to really kickstart it. When it comes to how you carried out the mechanics of LISA, you said it was a "very small first step." Obviously, making a game in RPG Maker comes with some crazy limitations. Did it ever feel like you were being held back by the system when you were trying to create this world? 

AJ: I was pretty limited, but I knew I would be using RPG Maker. I built the concepts around the engine. I tried to make something as fresh as I could come up with at the time with the loss of limbs, areas, and party members. So, yes I was held back,  but it's okay because my mind was in a different place back then. Now I want to push further with game design. 

JA: You've said that "Dingaling"-style games in the future are going to do a lot to explore loss both through mechanics and story. Are there any design ideas you're kicking around right now that you might be able to share? What might your "next step" look like?

AJ: Yeah, I think I want to work on more human feeling AI/NPC's. Exploring less about red pill or blue pill type choice. I don't want my next game to have built in bad guys or good guys. They only become bad guys after you piss them off or they piss you off. Same goes for allies. Now, of course I'll help guide your hips a bit as to who's bad and who's good,  but ultimately you decide based on how they make you feel. 

JA: That sounds great! A really sandboxy experience. Can we still expect your trademark black comedy to be waiting for us in whatever's on the horizon?

AJ: Oh of course. I don't think I could help it even if you didn't want it, haha.

JA: That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say. The one moment in your game that feels like it perfectly encapsulates the series is in LISA the Joyful. That moment where you're climbing up for what feels like forever, expecting nothing more than a giant middle finger for your troubles, and instead you finally get to the top and get this really touching letter from you, the developer, and you think maybe, this time, the climb was all worth it. 

Then you keep moving and there it is: a giant, pixelated middle finger. 

Thank you so much for that moment. From touching to rude to hilarious all in a few moments, that's what your games really seem to capture.

AJ: Yeah, I really like that kinda stuff. I think it has a warming effect. Like friends pranking each other, the middle finger brings us closer, rather then putting distance from the player and developer in a weird way.

JA: One last question for the road: who was your favorite side character in LISA? Main character?

AJ: Shocklord, He's a shameless parody of the Shockmaster. And boy do I love goofy wrestling stuff. Main Character? Sticky probably. I always loved his look. And he's not such a bad guy I swear!

JA: Arm-Shock will never die! Interesting choices, especially with so many memorable characters to choose from.

Thank you so much for letting me pick your brain for a while, Mr. Jorgensen. Your insights on storytelling and gaming make me really eager to see what you have in store for us in the future!

AJ: Thanks for the interview!

LISA: The Painful was the most memorable game I played in 2014 for a number of reasons, most of which related to how the game worms its way into the player's head.

If you gave it a go and loved it, I've got some good news for you: Dingaling has announced LISA: The Joyful is making its way to Steam this summer.

It's hard to imagine where the series will go in its final chapter after the rollercoaster of gameplay and emotions in The Painful, but you can bet it's going to be both heart-wrenching and awesome.

For the uninitiated, LISA is a unique point among the current indie game scene. It's difficult to really describe the mixture of visuals, themes, music, and absolute humanity that LISA: The Painful just oozes out of its wounds. No other game in recent memory so perfectly blends the game world and gameplay so masterfully, much less a turn-based RPG.

I implore you to give this gem a shot before LISA: The Joyful stealths its way to the Steam storefront this summer. You could not do much better for $9.99, and it's an experience you absolutely will remember months down the line. I guarantee it.

I'm sitting here wondering how to approach reviewing LISA - The Painful RPG. I've been sitting here for a while trying to figure it out because there's so much to touch on with this game, but very little I want to spill the beans about in a review.

It's a tough one to tackle, but there are a few things I can mention without feeling bad about potentially hindering someone else's experience. This game, after all, is all about the experience.

LISA is a sidescrolling turn-based RPG that puts you in the shoes a lone man of many stuck in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Olathe, which is woefully devoid of women. This man is Brad Armstrong, ex-Karate instructor, longtime drug addict, and finder of what may be the only baby girl left in the world.

After at least a decade of raising this girl and keeping her safe, Brad comes home to find her missing. He sets out to find the last female in a land filled with violence, drugs, mutants, and sex-starved men (along with men who have simply accepted things as they are).

Olathe is not kind, nor are its inhabitants.

Joy in Olathe

Brad's drug of choice, aptly named Joy, is worth noting early on in this review because it is a prime component of both the plot and the gameplay.

Brad's constant struggle with Joy addiction affects the player at almost all times. He goes through withdrawals, which puts a serious damper on his damage; he doles out nothing but critical hits when "Joyed"; and he sometimes stabilizes.. but it's up to the player whether to give him Joy or not.

It's tough to make the decision whether to drug Brad up or not. Throughout the game, you can see how painkillers (and later Joy) have negatively affected his life, but Brad is incapable of dealing with the old mental scars and turned him to drugs in the first place.

As someone who has struggled with substance abuse in the past, the handling of Joy within the LISA's story really struck home with me. The drug's effect on how Brad plays was a great touch for immersion, but his internal struggle was relatable. He wants to stop but is tormented by hallucinations, withdrawals, and buried memories. Brad cannot escape.

For an RPG, LISA was short -- but Brad is one of the most relatable characters to come from a game in recent memory. But how much can you trust an addict's perception of things, really? And can you really trust them to do the right thing?

Immersion in a 2D world

This is something that some readers might scoff at, but a well-crafted 2D game can be just as immersive as more realistic 3D titles, sometimes even more so. LISA is a prime example of just that.

Olathe isn't a world you want to be in. Brad isn't a person you want to be. But you progress in this world, which is even more fascinating than what's going on with Brad and his search for his adoptive daughter Buddy.

You push through the game and find all sorts of bizarre people, many of which are murderous lunatics. Others just want to live their lives in peace. All the while you are met with a variety of bizarre landscapes and a constantly changing soundtrack. The soundtrack is a constant high point in the game and itself is full of surprises.

Exploration is a constant source of wonder in LISA, even if the things you find are unpleasant. There's not only hidden loot to be found, but hidden characters and whole areas to wander into. You want to explore and see all there is to see and hear all there is to hear. You want to find out what's going on, and how you're going to stop it.

It's also worth noting that almost every character has its own unique sprite. While there are a few recolors here and there, most are unique and stand out from the others in Olathe in some way. Everyone is unique, for better or for worse.

Battle system

Tied with how entrancing Olathe is overall is the blast of a battle system, which can be either more or less difficult based on your decisions in-game.

There are 30+ characters to be found in LISA, and each of them has a unique move set perfectly fitting their character. What you get is a lot of variation when you lose (or swap out) a party member that keeps things fresh -- and don't worry: If you can't keep things fresh, the game probably will do it for you.

My first playthrough was significantly more difficult than my second one on Pain Mode simply because I made what I felt were the right decisions. My second playthrough was much easier despite the harder difficulty because I made different decisions and took the time to learn the characters. Neither playthrough was the same from a combat perspective.

Some characters use a system like the one seen in PSX classic Legend of Legaia, where you input a number of smaller moves to pull off a larger one. Some have special abilities (like getting drunk) instead of basic attacks. There's a ton of variation in what characters specialize in and how they pull it off, which is a much-welcome addition to the game.

Combat itself is a very much status effect based, and there are plenty of them to work (and get inflicted) with. I spent much of my time in large fights trying to keep status effects on enemies instead of pumping out immediate damage because of how much more damage they can potentially put out.

Many enemies know how to bring the pain, and some even pack lethal bites that permanently kill your party members. This, along with the other horrors of Olathe, are just one of the many things you will have to learn to live with.

Learning to be Brad

I had heard LISA - The Painful RPG was a great game from a friend, but I was not prepared for the experience. There's a lot to be seen in this game, and a good portion of it will stay with me for a long time.

The trippy visuals and music are one thing to remember, but the characters and how Brad deals with the situation are something I don't think I will be able to forget. The first time I finished the game, I wondered whether I really did do the right thing. The second time, well.. No comment.

LISA ultimately poses more questions than it answers, and it positions them right in your face and goes, "DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW?" I do want to know. I want to know very badly.

I'd like to say this is a game only the seriously damaged can enjoy, but that's not the case. Anyone can enjoy this game -- or more accurately, anyone can experience this game.

Much of LISA is not pleasant, and even for someone on the other side of the screen, some of its themes are tough to cope with. Exploring and seeing all Olathe has on display is pretty amazing, but experiencing Brad's journey is heavy on the heart. My only complaint is that it's not long enough, and I just can't stop myself from playing it again.

I think it's a shame a game like this has been mostly overlooked since its release a month and a half ago. It ties its story, gameplay, and overall themes together so well it's a surprise this little gem has flown under the radar. LISA - The Painful RPG is an experience to remember.

If you wanna give this baby a go, you can find it on Steam for $9.99. If you've got a taste for the bizarre, it is well worth it.