Hey, do you want to play a free deck builder reminding you that there are never enough hours in a day to do everything you need to do? Then do yourself a favor and download Awkward Valley on Steam! It’s a “micro deck-building productivity simulator.” And it’s definitely not a cool marketing scheme to boost Rue Valley, a Disco Elysium-inspired CRPG that will soon light the world on fire! (I offered my impressions of the demo, too!)

Now, back to Awkward Valley. “Wake up. Be productive. Spiral into self-doubt. Try again tomorrow. Use unique micro deck-building mechanics to plan your day, and then watch how it unfolds. Your choices define whether your day becomes something worth remembering or an utter disaster, so be sure to not let the cards stack against you.”

I had time to dive into Awkward Valley myself! Trust me, it’s worth your time (heh) and then some. Basically, you click and drag activities into your schedule for that day. Your goal, which has no real-life parallels at all, is simply to arrange a 24-hour period that doesn’t end in abject existential misery! Along the way, you unlock more activities and modifiers! Look, since Rue Valley is going to hurt me by placing a mirror in front of all my social insecurities, you may as well suffer, too!

‘awkward valley’ is the perfect lead-in to ‘rue valley’

Plus, if my account of Awkward Valley doesn’t do it for you? It’s a hit over on Steam!

“Reasons to try this game:
1. An unconventional approach to time management – instead of dry planning, you get a story with an unpredictable ending.
2. Short sessions – one ‘day’ takes a few minutes, ideal for breaks.
3. Free and quality – a rare combination for such a well-developed indie project.”

Give it a chance! Then, go and wishlist Rue Valley! “Each day feels like an uphill battle against the shadows of your own mind. Along the way, you will also encounter a captivating ensemble of characters, each wrestling with their own emotional complexities and revealing hidden depths as you get to know them.” Which Valley game does that description belong to? You gotta find out for yourself!