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NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager delivers a version of football that feels miles away from the modern game and most games built around it. In a space packed with monetisation and corporate fluff, this keeps things clean. No microtransactions or no weekly promos draining the fun. Just a genuinely fresh spin on the beautiful game, mixing deckbuilding with football management in a way that feels both clever and focused. Every moment carries weight, whether you’re banking on that tiny chance of a red card, fluffing a last-minute penalty, or pulling off a massive signing. It’s not flawless. The randomness will test your patience at times, no doubt. But here’s the thing, it never feels cheap. It feels honest. And that goes a long way. Sumo Digital have nailed something special here. As a reviewer usually exclusive to PS5, this being my first PC review says a lot, and I doubt anything will top it. Personally, I hope the game gets a console release, as so far this is my personal game of the year. Because of that, NUTMEG! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager earns the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. Less is more, and there’s absolutely no need to go to VAR on this one.
At first, Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor really hits that sweet spot. Sodor feels comforting, the sights and sounds are exactly what you want. There is a simple joy in pretending you are a very useful engine with everything under control. Even as things start to fade, I still found myself enjoying parts of it. There is a charm here that keeps you going, even when it feels a bit rough around the edges. It just about does enough to stay on track, and I was glad to take the journey. That said, the cracks do start to show. The gameplay never really evolves and the world feels a little underdeveloped. It’s stuck between being a proper simulation and a simpler experience. It is enjoyable in small doses, but it never quite pushes itself as far as it could have. It’s a nostalgic ride that doesn’t quite go the distance before stopping short, but I’m still glad I climbed aboard. And so I am giving Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
The Coin Game is not a deep game, but it is a fun game. The game seeks to emulate the classic arcade experience and build a world around it, and I can strongly say that it succeeds. It builds on its core gameplay loop with a wide variety of activities, environments, and game modes. It uses neat tricks and solid design principles to bypass its graphical weaknesses and create delightfully atmospheric locations. And above all else, it completely captures the feeling of blowing your weekly allowance on games of chance and saltwater taffy. The Coin Game didn’t challenge me, or move me to tears (except when I missed the final block on Stack’Em). What it did was make me smile. It made made me feel like a kid again. And for that I can confidently give The Coin Game a Thumb Culture Gold Award. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some Dunko cards to grind.
Milestone took a risk, and I respect it. The combination of arcade racing, combat and anime storytelling is bold. When everything lines up, it feels brilliant. However, it is not flawless. The campaign drags, the writing feels hammy, and the chaos can sometimes outweigh the skill. Best case scenario, Screamer becomes your go-to “one more race” game. Something you dip into regularly, chasing better times, messing around in custom events, or battling your friends in split-screen. Worst case, it burns bright, burns fast, and ends up as that game you were obsessed with for a while before moving on to something else. Even so, in a time when so many games are chasing the live service carrot, it is refreshing to see something this loud and different. I will always take a game with personality over another safe, forgettable one. For this, Screamer earns the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Marathon feels like a solid game that was built more for PvP than PvPvE. Despite trying to promote a semblance of teamwork with the proximity chat, you’re just more likely to get killed than get help killing that difficult bot. It also has a deep storyline and lore that I would love to explore, but am having a hard time following along between bouts of dying. If you’re into highly competitive FPS games and are looking for something to scratch that extraction itch, this may be for you. Marathon is deserving of the Thumb Culture Silver Thumb!
As with pretty much all the other Pokopia reviews out there, I am loving this game. There is so much to do and spend time doing, crafting items for all the Pokémon as per their requests or even just decorating your own home. You will not be bored playing through Pokopia. So don’t delay, if you haven’t picked up Pokopia yet, then what are you waiting for? It feels like the complete game. Pokopia recieves the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
New Super Lucky’s Tale feels like the culmination of Playful Studios journey with the adventure. From its original release as Super Lucky’s Tale (back when the logo still had an apostrophe) in 2017 to now, New Super Lucky’s Tale has never looked better or played as well. There are technical shortcomings that still hold New Super Lucky’s Tale back in the past. But they are issues that shouldn’t persist in a game of this scope running on hardware as powerful as the PlayStation 5. As a fan of the genre, this game categorically delivers on the core platforming action and fun. It successfully obscures the unfolding cataclysm of humanity in the process, reminding us of the simple pleasure to be found in picking up coins as a cartoon animal in a cape. And for that New Super Lucky’s Tale gets the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Although short, Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War leaves its mark on a classic franchise with its fun chaotic levels. Gun-play is fun, and getting to play as the bugs was a nice touch, although a rather simple experience. I did feel as if there weren’t a lot of swarms and I wish there was. But the game is great regardless, with you really feeling like a hero. And the fact that the whole game itself is meant to be just another form of in-world propaganda is just brilliant. I highly suggest picking up Starship Trooper: Ultimate Bug War. It really deserves the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
If you want a hidden-object experience where story and detection go hand in hand, with playtime that’s beefy, and leaves you smiling from ear to ear, Lost and Found Co. needs to be at the top of your list! Bright and endearing with enough whimsy to shake a sparkly tanuki at, it’s a must for any hidden object fan and will prove impossible to put down. Therefore, Mei’s shrine receives the offering of a much-coveted Thumb Culture Platinum Award! It’ll look perfect by the bubble pool!
Project Songbird tells a beautiful story in two forms. One of depression, and another of from the perspective of the artist and their work. Game-play is kept at a nice pace and filled with dialogue or music. Making the game never quiet unless needed for effect. There is combat, which is very much optional in Project Songbird, but it aims to tell its compelling story first. The game may start slow but as I played through Dakota’s story it was interesting to get a glimpse of how critics can have a negative impact on the artist themselves. To the point I almost felt bad writing my thoughts on the game! Projects Songbird’s ending delivers a meta video that brilliantly shows off with some of the games themes. It was definitely impactful to playthrough the story in one sitting, and be left with some insight. I would highly recommend this as one to dedicate time to play through all at once. Gameplay is simple and enjoyable, with some minor tedious moments. So I shall be giving Project Songbird the Thumb Culture Gold Award
It almost feels unfair to be too critical of the gameplay, as this is a product of its time. There were plenty of interesting, unique games for the sixth console generation. Although, it had plenty of generic stinkers as well! Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered doesn’t fit into either of these categories. It may not be the most enjoyable game in the series, but it still holds up relatively well to this day. Sure, combat can be a drag. But the captivating performances and narrative were more than enough to make me want to carry on to the end. If you’re a long-time fan wanting to rediscover an old favourite, or someone who only discovered the franchise thanks to Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered, then Defiance Remastered isn’t too bad for the price. Here’s hoping this series, just like Raziel, gets resurrected! Therefore, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered receives the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
Crabmeat offers a short and enjoyable fishing experience. Using the boats various cranes, and navigation allows the player to easily become immersed as they play. I loved sorting the crabs out, and seeing them bonk each other as they ragged dolled. The overall atmosphere was nice, with the eeriness of what is going on. However, the story itself, or mystery I would say, was rather lacklustre. Another minor issue is with Crabmeat’s movement. I understand it is advertised as a point & click game, but the movement really suffers for this. It would be best to ditch it, or at least offer the player the choice to toggle it off. It may not be the strongest mystery game, but I would say picking it up for the fishing aspect is decent enough. Especially if Crabmeat is on sale. So I will be awarding it the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Homura Hime is a great game to play, yet I have a few notes that I hope get fixed either before the review goes up or after. The game ran smoothly during the cutscenes and when going through the different levels. Yet, I feel like there should be a bit more work on the hub itself. Not because of the design, but because my frames hit the ground. I honestly think it was because of the jellyfish swimming around so close to the hub itself. It didn’t matter if it was on my PC or Steam Deck, but it chugged hard only in the hub. Other than that issue, this game would have our platinum. However the hub was my only negative issue with the game due to the huge frame drop. Even with all that, you should still get this game because of Crimson Dusk creativity, amazing attention to detail and forgiving gameplay. I give Homura Hime the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
For a game which mainly advertises being in a hot air balloon, fighting against a monster hot air balloon. I was not expecting to be on the ground most of the time. The player does a lot of mindless quests that apart from a couple do nothing for the plot. With some being a dude asking you to just get moonshine back, while another was just turning off some valves. I wish I could say that the quest with the sea monster was cool, but it’s too brief. Dialogue is never serious and ruins the whole atmosphere of Inky Blinky Bob. Don’t get me wrong a killer hot air balloon, is not exactly the most serious. But I expected the NPCs to say how he is effecting them. Bob himself seems absent too, due to only attacking the player when they are airborne. And even then, you won’t see him flying through the sky as a warning. He just appears, locks you in place until he is defeated. In the end I did not beat the game due to a soft lock of not receiving a radio from Ralph to tell me what to do next. All the Tesla towers were activated, but the giant dome never shutdown. Inky Blinky Bob is okay, but just misses the mark. I’d suggest maybe playing Choo-Choo Charles instead. So I’ll be giving it the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
The first few hours of Fatal Frame 2 will most likely ruin it for most players. Since the aggravated ghosts really do take the mick, and the game spams ghosts a lot. Thanks to this they seemed to have dropped the suspense, and horror side of things as well. But after you reach I would say midway through chapter four, Fatal Frame 2 becomes rather trivial. Mainly due to the game spawning a lot more prayer beads for the player. I’ve enjoyed the new camera mechanics and additional side content, however. It does become boring and stale with just mindlessly running around fighting the same few ghosts. There aren’t as many puzzles as I thought there would be. Damage never seems exact as well, when ever I would take a photo with various film types, and basically have the wraith in my face, the damage output just never stayed consistent. One shot would do a lot, another barely anything, and that is before aggro. This was my main problem during the first four chapters of the game which is rather bad since there 9 in total. You realize just how bad it is when it comes to the first encounter with the boss fight, with the lady on the bridge for the first time. Some of the new mechanics they did bring are excellent. Like being able to have Mayu run at the same pace, dodging, and moving while holding the camera. I just think the game will heavily divide players for sure. Fatal Frame 2 Remake, is a lovely looking game, but obnoxiously difficult on normal for the beginning. I would hate to see what nightmare mode is like. So personally from me, after beating it, and reaching the midway point of the game. I did end up enjoying Fatal Frame 2, So it is getting the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Christoffer Bodegård has made an excellent game in Esoteric Ebb, especially for a fantasy RPG and D&D fan like me. Even if you don’t know about D&D, it’s easy to get into. With a rich world to explore and an intriguing story, there is plenty to do, plus numerous interesting side quests. The satirical humour and colourful characters throughout provide a very fun fantasy world. With many hours of gameplay, the stunning graphics and attention to detail will keep you engaged, partnered with a solid soundtrack. Amazingly, this is Christoffer Bodegård’s debut game, and I’m beyond excited to see what they develop next. I’m thrilled to give Esoteric Ebb the Thumb Culture Platinum Thumbs Up! I previously reviewed Knights in Tight Spaces, a similar isometric fantasy RPG, so feel free to check that out too.
I very much initially underestimated how much new content Rise from Ruin would deliver. I was pleasantly surprised to see this expansion pack be more than just a few new cosmetics, creatures, weapons, magic spells, and such. Triumph Studios has really cooked something new here that radically changes the rules of magic and the rules of combat, thus challenging players to rethink every move at least twice. This expansion pack definitely keeps you on your toes and brings an abundance of new adventures to an established fantasy strategy game. The new addons add a layer of difficulty in a good way without breaking with the core experience. It is highly entertaining and fun, if you’re up to the challenge! I hereby award Age of Wonders 4: Rise From Ruin the ThumbCulture Gold Award!
Overall, Tiny Garden is a lovely little puzzle game that is filled with whimsy and nostalgia. The puzzles are engaging without being tedious, the art style is cute, and the vibes are definitely there. I do, however, have to deduct quite a few points for the clunky controls and the practically non-existent audio. Even with that, the core gameplay loop is still satisfying, though I would recommend picking the game up on PC instead, if that is an option for you. With that being said, I am giving the Nintendo Switch version of Tiny Garden the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
Lil Gator Game is a cute little experience that would fit well into the library of any cozy gamer. The story is super easy to follow and doesn’t get weighed down by trying to do too much. That being said, it didn’t blow me out of the water either. It’s a short game that you either blast through in one sitting or play in short bursts because there simply isn’t a lot to keep you captivated. Is it a bad game? Definitely not. As I say, this is definitely a contender for a decent addition to a cozy library. However when I finally sat down and just played through the story it only took me around 5 hours to do everything. Is that enough for the £20 price point? I don’t think so when there’s so little replayability. Ultimately I have to give Lil Gator Game the Thumb Culture Silver Award. It’s cute, it’s easy but it isn’t much more than that.
Packing Life is an okay game, but isn’t trying to do anything special. If you are looking for a time killer, then grab this when you are ultra bored. But maybe not if you actually work in a warehouse, might drive you insane. The simple tunes and easing pacing with relaxing mode, is enjoyable and easy to unwind with. So I’m going to give Packing Life, the Thumb Culture Silver Award.