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For someone that hasn’t played any sort of pool game in forever, Pure Pool Pro is a simple game to learn and play. It offers a variety of game types and modes, as well as difficulties and cosmetics customizations to unlock. Despite lack of a more apparent chance at failure for precisely-lined shots, and a game world the could feel a bit more complete, it is very deserving of the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Styx: Blades of Greed is simply put, a highly enjoyable game. The visuals are genuinely impressive, and despite a few graphical glitches here and there, the experience remains engaging and fun throughout. For players who have previously enjoyed games like Aragami 2, the Batman Arkham trilogy, Thief, or Assassin’s Creed, this game was made for you! I hereby give Styx: Blades of Greed the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy is a brilliant expansion that successfully blends the whimsy of the base game with the gravity of a historical epic. It’s not just about the fancy hats and the big houses; it’s about the burden of a name and the drama of a bloodline. While there are occasional pathing issues in the larger palace lots, and the “Council of Peers” can sometimes be a bit too punishing with their decrees, these are minor gripes in an otherwise fun expansion. Whether you want to rule with an iron fist or be the benevolent “Sim of the People,” this expansion provides the tools to build an empire that will be remembered long after the Grim Reaper comes for the current King. I give The Sims 4 Royalty & Legacy the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
I’d heard a lot of good things about Cash Cleaner Simulator before trying it for myself. And yet, I was still pleasantly surprised with just how much enjoyment I had with it. It’s one of those games you can just boot up whilst listening to a podcast or when you want something a little more chilled out. Despite my issues with the controls, and the occasional repetitive missions, I still had an absolute blast! Therefore, Cash Cleaner Simulator will be getting the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
My time playing ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is one I never want to forget. I can see this game being like it’s predecessors Killer 7 to have a cult following. Which honestly it deserves it and right now I want everyone to play this amazing game. This is a perfect example of don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Especially if the author of that book is Suda51. I give ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Dead Pets is an adventure through the struggles of adult life whilst keeping it fresh and entertaining. The devs have done a wonderful job of combining a number of game types to fit one expansive story. I’ve had a wonderful time playing this game and will continue to play until I reach the end of Gordy’s story. As a result, I have to give Dead Pets the Thumb Culture Gold Award. Check out the trailer below.
The combat system is where the game really shines, with its mesmerizing 2.5D sword fights. However, there is a stark contrast in difficulty between fighting regular bad guys and giant monsters. The boss fights certainly challenge you to lock in and give your A-game of dodging, blocking, and countering. But the massive imbalance in difficulty between effortless bandit beheadings and punishing boss fights can feel a bit jarring. Crimson Capes delivers an enjoyable experience for all devotees of the roguelite / roguelike / metroidvania genre. If Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, Dead Cells, and the like are among your most-played games, then Crimson Capes will surely scratch that itch to try out something new. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking in terms of story and theme. I hereby bestow upon Crimson Capes the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
Reanimal is an excellently crafted dark narrative horror, that just never stopped for me. The game’s lack of words creates such a surreal experience, all while keep you immersed in its world. Boss fights are engaging and fun, and levels stand out in their own unique was, besides looking similar at times. Our protagonists relay their emotions perfectly, with or without words. Compared to the Little Nightmares games, Reanimal offers the same brilliant experience and dials it up further. Creating a world you wish to know more about and explore, but when you’re in, you want out. Which I love. Monsters are eye-catchingly grotesque, and equally terrifying when doing a chase scene. This is not a game I would suggest to those, who aren’t good with dark themes. Such as suicide, animal abuse and other things. If you have played Tarsier Studios, other work, then you might already be familiar with some themes. With that said, I’m giving Reanimal, the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Overall, City Tales – Medieval Era is a great game for anyone who enjoys the city-building and management genre but wants a stress-free experience. It’s also an excellent start into the genre if you have not played similar games before and don’t want to be thrown into the cold water straight away. Even though the endgame does drag a little, and I’d honestly like a faster speed-up button, I’ve had a blast playing. I’m absolutely going to keep grinding for the last few achievements. All in all, I am giving City Tales – Medieval Era the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Kotama and Academy Citadel was a fun experience that you can tell it took years to put together. With a lot of passion behind each character, story, and twist that I came across. Sure there was some very voluptuous reasons to play the game. The gameplay more than makes up for it. There’s even the creative mechanics that you’ll learn how to preform and execute on the fly. So, if you pick up the game, don’t give up so soon. You’ve just start your way to being the next Carmel Star. I just hope they read this and understand to just have certain pop-ups when getting the same item again only once. I give Kotama and Academy Citadel the Thumb Culture Gold Award
UFOPHILIA is just meh, all the work you do to uncover an alien’s spawn point just feels needless. And when it comes to snapping a photo, you need to get stupidly close. Which sucks since they are able to spot you easily and lock doors. I’m a little disappointed in the actual designs as well, due to me thinking there might be some cool looking aliens. That was not the case. The tutorials did not give me much hope to begin with, as some of the tools would not even spawn. It also comes across too much like a ghost hunting game rather than aliens. I do like catching footage of the aliens on camera, but the fact that it does not count towards evidences is just plain silly. Since the feed goes to the laptop, the same way as audio. In the end, the game just comes across as cheap, from the tools to the actual aliens themselves. So, I am gonna give UFOPHILIA the Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
HumanitZ feels like a great addition to a considerably-sized field of both theme and game genre. It blends in just enough realism to keep you in check, but provides the ability to change just how difficult you want those checks to be. Despite some initial frustrations, I was able to press on and find a good mix of playing survival and scenarios. If you’re someone who enjoys playing solo or with friends in games like DayZ, Project Zomboid, a 7 Days to Die, I think you would enjoy this one too. I’d have to give HumanitZ the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Ultimately, the horror elements of Cakey’s Twisted Bakery are weaker than other indie games on the market but for such a low price point I still think it’s worth giving a go. All things considered, I have to give Cakey the Thumb Culture Silver Award. Definitely a game to pick up if you’re looking for a short, uncomplicated horror game.
I’m not sure Cairn is going to be for everyone, it’s more likely to be a Marmite thing. Thankfully, the demo is perfect for giving you a taste of the full product, so do check that out. For me, the frustrations mostly enhance the realism. I certainly didn’t feel that always during those moments, but with some time to cool down afterwards I can appreciate mountain climbing should be difficult. There are great assist options available too if things do become to much of an annoyance. My misplaced pride wouldn’t allow my to fall back on those though, especially knowing that I’d like to tackle the harder difficulty. As I said at the top of this review, there isn’t another game like Cairn. It’s a unique experience as it stands and it comfotably earns the Thumb Culture Gold Award. Do check out the demo and challenge yourself to summit Kami if you enjoy that preview.
The Visions of Four Heroes DLC, does brilliantly to provide even more epic battles. But the four stories themselves felt underwhelming and short. With my biggest disappointment being Dong Zhou’s campaign, and a little bit of Lu Bu’s one. I think a whole DLC dedicated to the Jin army would have been a lot better compared to what we had, in more ways than one. The new strategic battles are a great way for the player to immerse themselves, and to feel like a true strategist. Although I would have liked more impact in the final fights. Maybe shorter missions due to the enemy having a smaller force, or weather events. As nothing really changes, and it comes across as padding to make up for less content. I mean, Zhang Jiao’s campaign itself is only four main missions long. The new weapons are okay. Out of the two, I would say the rope-dart feels and plays much better. I really did not get on with the bow, it felt like it didn’t offer the attack/skill variety that other weapons did. For example, most skills are buffs for the basic arrow move, but they don’t feel powerful. Lastly I hoped for more actual use of the Guardians of Peace’s vision abilities. However, it never appears beyond the introduction of the base game. In the end, as I mentioned, I think having a DLC based on the army of Jin would felt a lot better compared to what we got. As Visions of Four Heroes didn’t do much with the campaigns. So I will be giving it the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Easily another creative game, from Edmund, that you can stick 100s of hours into Mewgenics, thanks to how replayable the game is. The breeding system will easily sink its claws into the min-maxers out there, and combat is wacky, chaotic and filled with character. Just like The Binding of Isaac, you are offered so much content to unravel and secrets to find. Mewgenics is an easy game to play, but hard to meowster. And if you know Edmund’s other titles, then you know what to expect. Gameplay is all done with the mouse, but Mewgenics offers full controller support, which I preferred. When it comes to breeding, I am two minds about it. I like how it works, but I end up always feeling like I am doing something wrong. No matter how, I set up my house, or what cats I used. But I guess there is some fun in the frustration it brings, since when you do achieve a kitten with brilliant stats it feels so rewarding. I think Mewgenics fully deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award. Mainly for providing a fun, and fresh idea. All while keeping his signature style, his fans (and myself) have come to enjoy.
I went into Perfect Tides: Station to Station not entirely sure what to expect, but I can honestly say this is a gem of a game. Mara is an entertaining main character that you can easily connect to even though you’re thrown into the middle of her story. Everything works in perfect tandem to create a truly fun experience. My favourite thing about this game is that your choices actually feel like they have some weight to them, unlike other choice-based games where things feel inconsequential. Perfect Tides: Stations to Station is an easy winner of the Thumb Culture Gold Award as it is an enjoyable little game, definitely worth the amount that it’s listed for. Check out the trailer below to get a better look at what’s in store for Mara.
I’ve enjoyed Nioh 3’s combat, but was not really a fan of the new styles. As I much prefer focusing on my specific play style. It is annoying that you are forced to switch between them when attempting to Burst Counter an enemy. Since there is a slight delay when trying to switch back. I felt the demon mode in Nioh 2 was a much better fit for the counter, and as an overall mechanic, compared to the two styles. As for the open world, it looks cool, but you can see that it was meant to be split into levels like usual. Which I think suits the game better. As running around feels empty now that it is larger. You don’t have anything to really uncover, as it is all laid out in front of you. Even the hidden collectables are visible on the map, once you level your exploration level at least one time in the area. For me, the new stuff they seem more like they just moved stuff around and called it “new” rather than actually do anything new. Take having two different weapons, it was locked until the second region. I would definitely return to it, my main issue is the needless changes like the two styles. So Nioh 3 does deserve the Thumb Culture Gold Award for attempting new things all, even if some don’t hit the mark.
I’d say the atmosphere for Rainbow Gate is fairly decent, but the animatronics lack the scare factor. IT improves when they emphasize them in darkness, but not really in gameplay, I find. The theme of being in a toy factory is pushed to the side too easily, as the whole building is just concrete everywhere you look. A weird part of this is the mine room segment. I really did not understand why this area was made. And why mines were scattered around. Notes you find, don’t offer that much in the ways of deeper lore. More so, just repeats itself. Some areas in general become rather tedious thanks to the animatronics camping around near a door you need to leave through. While other challenges like the revolving door section, which has you aiming to get to the centre, becomes infuriating. I dropped the game in the end parts of Rainbow Gate, as it just became boring and anger inducing. You are not able to truly hide underneath anything or in a closet. The only way is breaking line of sight. But in the Moon Bear segment, not even that will save you. I don’t think I had as much with fun this one as it is more of a saw-style, game than a casual mascot horror. The story isn’t really there either, beyond the initial letter at the start. So it is getting the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Escape from Ever After is not just an indie homage to Paper Mario, but a genuinely great game in its own right. From its charming visuals and range of likable characters, to its witty and often hilarious writing, there’s a lot to love here! Despite my attention waning in the later sections due to dragged out fights there’s no doubt the combat system is solid and enjoyable. If your a fan of RPGs, but want something a little less intense than titles such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or have fond memories of the older Paper Mario games, then this is an easy recommendation from me! With all that said, I’ll be giving Escape from Ever After the Thumb Culture Gold Award!