Lyssa Greywood's Reviews
Out and About is a warm, carefully researched foraging game that respects both its subject and its players. It’s not just about collecting plants; it’s about learning, connecting, and becoming part of a community. The developers have built a space where small acts matter. There are still things to polish, from plant clarity to clothing variety, but the heart of the game is already in the right place. Even with its rough edges, it delivers something thoughtful and soothing, and it’s easy to imagine it becoming even better with time.
The game’s information suggests a grand narrative about humanity’s survival and AI integration. But that sense of scale quickly collapses as you start playing. There’s no payoff for the foreshadowing, and Akane’s personal stakes never feel urgent. Conversations also tend to rely on awkward tropes—especially when it comes to how female characters are written. Akane is strong, sarcastic, and clever… but even she isn’t spared from the occasional objectifying dialogue choice. Other women suffer the same fate, too often reduced to outdated archetypes that feel out of place in a world otherwise trying to present serious themes... The world has a lot of personality, and I wanted to get swept up in it. But I couldn’t ignore how often the game forced me to endure lines that felt uncomfortable at best and sexist at worst. That dissonance pulls the story apart.
As much as I wanted to love this game, there’s no denying it could have done more with its charming setup. For starters, the game only gives you a few small side missions tied to the parcels. What if every delivery came with a task, like helping the florist arrange a bouquet or prepping a treat for yourself at the café? That could’ve turned this from a 40-minute filler to a cosy two- or three-hour delight.
Crafting is unintuitive; you can’t build while serving guests, and the costs to buy recipes and materials are steep and long-winded. Even basic tasks like cleaning tables break under bugs. Objects float and then suddenly move towards where they should be, guests sit down with their body caught in the back of a chair, and your character can walk through multiple objects like Vanellope von Schweetz in glitch mode. It’s hard to keep pacing when mechanics fail you repeatedly.
There’s no traditional storyline in Another Farm Roguelike: Rebirth, and that’s by design. You don’t have neighbours to chat with, and you’re not building a life, just a farm. The premise is simple: build, harvest, and expand to meet rent. And while there’s no story in the traditional sense, there’s a rhythm to it that ends up telling its own kind of tale. Each playthrough creates a miniature arc. You begin with almost nothing, struggle to find a foothold, and either succeed gloriously or flame out trying. Your farm evolves rapidly, and the joy comes from seeing what you can make of your short time, especially once you start understanding how everything fits together. It’s survival through soil.
Instead of a high-stakes quest, Tales of the Shire is a slow, community-driven experience. You meet hobbits, complete small quests (yes, sometimes they're fetchy), and build relationships. It feels true to Tolkien’s vision of the Shire: a world outside the world, untouched by the urgency of war and darkness. It’s not about what you accomplish but how you settle in. And for me, that’s exactly what I wanted. ...Tales of the Shire does have a few technical hiccups. On my Switch, I didn’t run into crashes or major performance issues (aside from the lack of music), which others did report on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch. But I did see texture loading delays. Furniture and hobbit outfits sometimes started off much simpler and snapped into detail a few seconds later, especially in cutscenes or busy shops. It’s not game-breaking, but it is noticeable. I’m hopeful this will be patched, because everything else ran beautifully. Movement was smooth, loading times were short, and I didn’t experience any framerate drops. Compared to the complaints in other Tales of the Shire reviews, my experience was much more stable.
Hotel Galactic is a game with heaps of heart and a few kinks still to smooth out. Its gorgeous storybook visuals and lovingly hand-crafted animations give it an appeal that’s hard to ignore. The concept is clever, and when it clicks, it really clicks—you’ll find yourself juggling guest requests, expanding your hotel, and tinkering with tiny contraptions in a kind of joyful flow. But it’s not without its frustrations. The bugs, having to reload, and some muddiness in the tutorial can throw you off your groove, especially in the early hours. It’s a game that needs a bit of patience and willingness to poke around until things make sense.
Animal Shelter 2 doesn’t try to give you a complex story arc. Instead, it gently builds a narrative around your choices, and the animals you rescue. The more time you spend in your shelter, the more you feel the weight of what you’re doing—not just juggling food bowls and litter trays, but connecting the right animal with the right human. I appreciated that the adoption system included personality matching; it mirrored real-world challenges... Be aware that there are lots of visual bugs right now. While the environments (especially your shelter nestled in a peaceful town) carry a lot of charm, the animations leave something to be desired. Leashes cut through the animal models, balls float in the air, and pretty much every object (animals included) clips through certain walls/surfaces if you're not careful.
In Gaucho and the Grassland, you don’t grind for coins or sell crops for cash. There is no economy in the traditional sense. Instead, the world runs on gathering, trading, helping, and earning goodwill. You raise animals, collect resources with your faithful dog and horse, and complete quests to unlock more of the land. It’s refreshing to play a farming game that doesn’t shove numbers and gold at you. This is about harmony and connection, not profit.
As with most productivity-focused games, Your Personal Chill Apartment doesn’t offer a narrative, but there’s no lore, either. It’s just a room in a modern setting—a quiet corner room with a window view (if you add a window) and a soft soundtrack. You’re not playing a character with a goal or journey. Instead, the game provides a blank canvas where your real-world achievements fuel your in-game room decorating... For players looking for simple ambience, that might be enough. But for me... it felt like something was missing.
PEAK wastes no time in pushing players to their limits, especially in the starting area. I kept running out of stamina before I’d even made it up the first incline, and it felt frustrating rather than fun at first. Survival games are meant to be tough, sure—but when the first section is this punishing, it leaves little room for learning the ropes. It’ll take you a few climbs to start feeling like you’re making any progress, but once you do, it’s a great feeling.
Without saying a word, the game builds a gentle story about family, imagination, and grief. It leans into memory and lets you interpret the emotion behind each scene. You’re not given all the answers, and you don’t need them. It’s enough to feel the weight of what’s been left unsaid, and the love that still lingers in every shadow you cast.
Visually, Snacko doesn’t know what it wants to be. The world is 3D, the characters and animals are 2D pixel sprites, and during dialogue, NPCs switch to more detailed illustrations. It felt jarring every time. The mix of art styles clashed instead of blending together. The characters’ pixel models are also weirdly darker than they appear when they’re talking. Mikan is white, but she looks grey in sprite form.
Nice Day for Fishing could’ve been a quick gag game. It could have been made for fans of Viva La Dirt League to laugh at. But it’s far more than that. This is a full experience—thoughtful, weirdly wholesome, and genuinely fun to sink time into. It reminded me so much of the first time I played Runescape. I used to bike to the library with my older brother to play on the computers there… That warm, nostalgic feeling came rushing back as I explored. The fishing battles, the spells, the treasure hunting—all of it made me feel like a kid again.
There’s a solid foundation here, one that clearly draws from the developer’s past work in American Fugitive, but also pushes into new territory. It’s an ambitious mix of sandbox action and police procedure, and while it often stumbles (especially with its NPC AI and car handling), it also manages to hold your attention with its vibrant world and constant activity.
Rise of Gun is a bit rough around the edges, especially in the first half-hour. The lack of a directional tutorial, vague quest instructions, and unclear shop layout might put off players expecting something more polished. But for those who stick with it, there’s a surprisingly warm and relaxing management sim underneath the rubble. It’s not flashy, and it’s not fast, but it has heart, and a whole lot of potential.
This is a game that understands the quiet joy of creating a space that feels like home. It speaks to the experience of those who have ever had their passions dismissed as “just a hobby” and finds beauty in the act of carving out a place for yourself, even when others don’t understand why. The plant placement mechanics are satisfying, the aesthetic is charming, and the game exudes a warmth that makes it easy to sink into.
Potion Shop Simulator has the core ingredients of a fantastic shopkeeping sim—engaging potion-making, satisfying sales mechanics, and a beautiful world. However, it stumbles outside the shop, with frustrating quests, clunky navigation, and a mismatched cast of characters.
At its core, Cinnabunny is a story about family, resilience, and community. You play as Big Bounce, a bun who has left their home due to a devastating drought. While your family can survive for now, they won’t be able to stay there forever. As you’re hopping around your home, you can see how the drought has affected it. The trees are bare, the river is small, there are no crops… And so, your mission is clear: build a new home in Sugar Creek Burrows and earn enough to invite your family. It’s a heartwarming premise, giving weight to the cosy, slice-of-life gameplay.
While many survival games punish mistakes, Aloft focuses on rewarding creativity and exploration. The absence of hunger mechanics and punishing death penalties makes it a relaxing experience. Dying while flying or battling a corrupted island simply respawns you at home. This forgiving approach encourages players to take risks and embrace the journey without the constant fear of setbacks.