Risto Karinkanta Avatar Image

Risto Karinkanta


88 games reviewed
74.5 average score
80 median score
58.0% of games recommended
May 18, 2020

Autonauts is a charming automation and base-building game that blends Minecraft’s creative spirit with Factorio’s production complexity. Players program simple robot workers using visual commands to build increasingly complex production chains—from farming and forestry to crafting entire towns. Despite its child-friendly visuals and educational potential, the game presents a surprisingly steep learning curve, with unintuitive programming tools and limitations like the lack of conditional logic (e.g., no "if" statements). While Autonauts is a unique, ambitious title that teaches programming logic in a fun, hands-on way, it still feels like a rough gem—captivating but in need of polish to fully realize its potential.

Review in Finnish | Read full review

Through the Darkest of Times is a turn-based historical strategy game set in Nazi-era Berlin, where players lead a small resistance group opposing Hitler’s regime from 1933 to the end of World War II. Blending light resource management with narrative choices, players assign group members to missions like spreading leaflets, gathering supporters, or planning sabotage—each with risks and outcomes influenced by character traits and preparation. Though visually modest, the game is emotionally impactful and educational, making it a strong candidate for classroom use. Its difficulty ramps up over time, with later chapters requiring precise planning and a deep understanding of mechanics. While accessible for casual playthroughs, fully succeeding demands strategic finesse, often rewarding a second run. Ultimately, it's a thoughtful, tense, and morally complex game about resisting tyranny on a human scale.

Review in Finnish | Read full review

May 8, 2020

Before We Leave is a peaceful city-building and resource management game that follows in the footsteps of titles like Anno 1800, but without war or enemies. Players rebuild civilization by expanding from one continent to entire planets and eventually the solar system, managing logistics, trade, and citizen happiness. The game features procedurally generated worlds, hex-based building, and strategic layout bonuses, encouraging efficient and aesthetically pleasing city planning. While relaxed and user-friendly, some UI limitations and late-game micromanagement can slightly hinder flow. Developed by the small team at Balancing Monkey Games, it’s a charming and ambitious indie title offering thoughtful expansion-focused gameplay in a conflict-free setting.

Review in Finnish | Read full review

May 5, 2020

Cloudpunk is a non-violent, cyberpunk-themed open-world delivery game where you play as Rania, a new courier in the dystopian, neon-lit city of Nivalis. While the gameplay splits between flying a hovercar through vertical cityscapes and walking around block-sized areas, the real star is the atmospheric voxel-based world inspired by Blade Runner and Snow Crash. The driving mechanics are fluid and fun, though the on-foot sections suffer from clunky controls and outdated camera angles. The narrative unfolds gradually through engaging dialogue with characters like your AI dog Camus, revealing mysteries tied to the city and a potential rogue AI named CORA. Despite some pacing issues and minor annoyances, Cloudpunk offers a uniquely immersive and moody cyberpunk experience perfect for exploration-focused players.

Review in Finnish | Read full review

May 1, 2020

The Complex is a high-production-value FMV (Full Motion Video) game that offers an interactive movie experience centered around a bioterrorism outbreak in London. Players guide scientist Amy Tennant through a tense narrative by making key decisions that affect relationships and lead to one of nine endings. The game's professional acting and polished visuals elevate it above many earlier FMV titles, though its B-movie plot with occasional logical leaps and clichéd characters (notably an irritating ex-boyfriend) hold it back. While replayability exists, the shallow narrative and limited gameplay innovations make it more of a curiosity than a must-play. For FMV fans, it's decent; for others, the €13 price tag may feel steep.

Review in Finnish | Read full review

Apr 27, 2020

The Flower Collectors is a narrative-driven murder mystery set in 1977 Barcelona, just days before Spain’s first democratic elections after Franco’s dictatorship. The story follows Jorge, a wheelchair-bound ex-cop, who witnesses a murder and investigates it with the help of young journalist Melinda. Inspired by Hitchcock’s Rear Window, the game explores political transformation, guilt, and changing societal norms, as the two protagonists from opposing ideological backgrounds form a bond. Though technically simple and short in gameplay, its historical depth, emotional storytelling, and anthropomorphic art style create a compelling reflection on justice, memory, and reconciliation in post-fascist Spain.

Review in Finnish | Read full review

Apr 25, 2020

Stela is a visually striking, atmospheric 2.5D platformer that closely follows in the footsteps of Playdead’s Limbo and Inside. Developed by SkyBox Labs, the game presents a wordless, cinematic journey through haunting landscapes filled with light puzzles and subtle threats. Players control a nameless woman on a mysterious pilgrimage, encountering environments like snow-covered death fields and burning forests. While its controls are serviceable rather than precise, the emphasis is clearly on mood, symbolism, and aesthetics over tight gameplay mechanics. Despite its heavy borrowing from Playdead’s formula, Stela stands as a beautiful and meditative experience in its own right.

Review in Finnish | Read full review

Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt (with The Seaside Empire DLC) is a charming, casual city-building and resource management game that evokes memories of The Settlers. With colorful graphics, smooth gameplay, and a relaxed pace, it provides enjoyable optimization challenges and seasonal planning, though its mobile roots are evident in its prestige-point system. While the game excels in accessibility and polish, its shallow production chains and lack of complexity limit long-term appeal. With numerous scenarios but modest depth, it’s a pleasant, if ultimately middling, experience—perfect for fans of light strategy looking for Settlers nostalgia.

Review in Finnish | Read full review