Much of what rocked the show floor at gamescom 2026 was AAA titles and the large number of free-to-play gacha games akin to Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves. Tucked away in the business center and offsite in hotel conference rooms, however, were developers who were keen to show off their weird and unique creations.
As a result, I had a glorious experience in which my eyes and fingers were graced with both Mr. Records, developed by Glee-Cheese Studio and published by Wired Productions, and My Arms Are Longer Now, developed by Toot Games and published by Jackbox Games.
The two were easily the most fun I had while I was at gamesom, and I believe among the only booths that I left with a smile plastered on my face.
Music and Whimsy With ‘Mr. Records’
Of the two, the first I experienced was Mr. Records at the Wired Productions booth. I already knew I was going to have a good time when I saw the team wearing bright yellow T-shirts with an image of a cartoon dog and an elderly man on the front.
Once I dove into the rhythm-based gameplay and shopkeeping mechanics, I fell in love. You play as the eponymous Mr. Records, an elderly man who owns a record shop and only sells music that he personally knows front to back. How does he do this? He engrosses himself in the world of the record, jumping over, dodging, kicking, fighting, and sliding his way to the end of the track.
Then, once he has a handle on the record, he deems it worthy to be sold in his store when it’s open during the day. Mr. Records gives cozier Moonlighter vibes while also boasting an insane soundtrack and what looks to be a touching story of an aging music fan and his life.
Be a Naughty Little Hand in ‘My Arms Are Longer Now’
Between the two, I didn’t get a hands-on experience with My Arms Are Longer Now, but only because of how much fun it is to watch. Toot Games was there to show off their latest title, and you could tell just how much love was put into the project.
Picture this: you’re an incredibly long arm (that is presumably attached to a body) that does everything in its power to make the lives of the people it interacts with just a little worse. You can snatch people’s jewelry, life savings, pets, and more all in the name of thievery and all they can do is stare at you in sadness.
There are expected to be a few levels that you can stretch and knot yourself through, each with an objective that makes things just a little more mischevious. Sometimes, I just want to be a little rascal, and My Arms Are Longer Now looks like it’s going to do just that.
