Dementium: The Ward – Nintendo DS [$29.99]

The Nintendo DS, to this point, is best known for light, fluffy fare, games like Brain Age and WarioWare: Touched that can be played and enjoyed in a matter of minutes. Developer Renegade Kid and publisher Gamecock are looking to shift that reputation (or, at least, fly in the face of it) with this year’s Halloween release of Dementium: The Ward. Not since the DS iteration of Resident Evil has a DS game so thoroughly sought to creep us out, but Dementium, through its effective use of music and surprisingly immersive atmosphere, does just that. Renegade Kid works effectively within the parameters defined by the DS to present a control scheme worth using and a story worth telling. Dementium is the perfect gift for the surly high schooler who complains that the DS you got him for his birthday only plays baby games.