Twilight Monk is undoubtedly a solid game, especially considering it is the first major project from Aquatic Moon Games following their debut with IKEDA. Its artistic direction, diverse enemy roster, fluid animations, and a straightforward yet self-aware narrative stand out as clear strengths. The level design and map structure are meticulously crafted, showcasing how the studio has adeptly internalized the lessons of the great classics, achieving a well-balanced interplay between portals, save points, and the strategic placement of items and secrets. This all reflects a meticulous attention to world-building. Conversely, the gameplay feels somewhat unrefined, with promising concepts that are not fully realized and certain naïve design choices that can easily undermine an otherwise fundamentally simple game system. Although the combat mechanics are notably weaker—particularly when measured against the benchmark set by recent standout titles—this does not entirely diminish the overall experience, which remains enjoyable. Twilight Monk certainly serves as a good entry point for newcomers to the genre and offers a pleasant pastime for enthusiasts, provided they are willing to accept a modest difficulty level and some roughness in its execution.
There are video games that take you by surprise—titles that quietly tiptoe onto the scene without fanfare or flourish, yet, the moment they reveal themselves, they resonate with an unexpectedly powerful voice. Such words perfectly capture our experience with SEDAP!: a game that slipped in under the radar but swiftly unveiled its full potential—save for a handful of minor, never truly intrusive imperfections—by captivating, engaging, and gifting players an evening teeming with energy, chaos, and delight. It is a cooperative adventure best shared with your trusted partner-in-crime, amidst unruly ingredients, mouthwatering dishes, and a rich culinary culture waiting to be discovered. From the exquisite art direction to the finely tuned sound design,from the tight, fast-paced gameplay to a soundtrack that seamlessly blends into the game’s vibrant rhythm, SEDAP! stands as an essential addition to any fan of the genre. It’s an experience we wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loved Overcooked and PlateUp! and is eager to rediscover that same cooperative spirit, now reimagined through a heartfelt and flavorful tribute to the vibrant culinary traditions of Southeast Asia.
Mark of the Deep is an action game with a lot of potential that sometimes gets lost in its own mechanics. It is certainly a good game, challenging even if sometimes unbalanced towards an artificial difficulty. Some design choices will certainly make those who don’t like trial and error turn up their noses. The mechanics, however simple and intuitive, struggle to entertain until the end, but the sense of discovery and satisfaction in overcoming a challenge is good. A game with many positive points and some negative ones, such as the choice of map, which do not allow it to reach the rating I would like to give it. However Mark of the Deep can captivate with its minimal but functional aesthetic and sometimes rough but satisfying gameplay.
While Waiting is definitely a good game, crazy and terribly normal, fun and serious at the same time. The developers have certainly put heart, knowledge and passion into the creation of this product. Often, as in life, you can have similar experiences, but each face them with their own vision. While Waiting encourages the player to think outside the box and the levels can be played pleasantly one after the other. Unfortunately, when the game becomes purely playful, problems begin. The somewhat rough mechanics unfortunately compromise the brilliance and fun of some scenes. Net of this While Waiting has ideas and a development that is brilliant and romantic in its own way.
Magenta Horizon is certainly a surprising game that impresses both on the aesthetic and gaming side. The work done by the only developer denotes love and competence in the genre. The game itself keeps what it promises until the end: a challenge for the player. Although the action phase is the one that came out best, the rest is not the same. The dispersive levels, the positioning of the checkpoints and the repetition of the “battle – platform – key” dynamic are weak points. Usually the more technical maneuvers a game requires, the more precise the controls must be. Unfortunately, Magenta Horizon still has some grime that can make the experience frustrating. For a single developer, Maddison Baek did a great job. Despite some weaknesses Magenta Horizon is a good product.
Funko Fusion is not a bad product, but not the good title it wanted to be. As much as there is potential and good ideas, all of them are poorly managed or half-baked. Funko Fusion is unfortunately a missed opportunity, especially given the potential that the brand has. The repetitiveness of the battles, the puzzles and some naivety of the gameplay do not encourage the player to backtrack. A real shame because there are tons of characters, cameos and secret themed levels.
The attention of Bloodless to details is surprising, not only aesthetically, but also in terms of story, map design and level design. Unfortunately the gaming part shows its side a bit. Both sometimes due to the imprecision in the commands, and in certain combinations of enemies that become unfair towards the player. Net of all this, the feeling of pleasure in deflecting a blow or overcoming a boss fight is truly enormous and repays the efforts made. Thanks also to a well-measured and never frustrating use of checkpoints. The story is not trivial and the player must pay attention and observe carefully if he wants to discover the secrets scattered throughout the game and complete the secondary quests. The characters are well characterized and interesting, the dialogues are good and the artistic direction makes the game a nice look.
Selfloss is an adventure with a strong exploratory and contemplative mood. To think that it was created by Goodwin Games, made up of just three people is truly remarkable. The game gives its best in proposing puzzles and secondary objectives, even if they are not immediate to solve. In fact, finding the key to the problem is never a given and the creatures that populate the game world will be fundamental. Fulfilling their requests literally means progressing in the game and reaching the goal. While the narrative is a strong point of the game, some moments are a bit weak. Selfloss unfortunately fails in the implementation of its mechanics, especially in the action phases. For the rest, Selfloss is a game made with love and care and which is not afraid to tackle “uncomfortable” issues. Anyone wanting to enjoy an adventure (about 8 hours) that focuses on exploration and story will be well rewarded.
Aarik and The Ruined Kingdom is certainly a good puzzle game with an attractive look that aims to embrace the philosophy of a “relaxing” game suitable for everyone. The fairy tale technique works well in this context and the narrative side is never neglected, indeed it is embellished with some particular events. Despite some technical flaws, Aarik and The Ruined Kingdom keeps what it promises, a relaxing story that stimulates the player’s lateral thinking and encourages him to go on. Too bad the longevity is really too short.
Abathor is definitely a little gaming gem. A declaration of love from David and Javier Garay towards the arcade classics of the late 80s. The attention to detail makes the game impressive from a visual and sound point of view, embellishing the atmosphere of the title. Unfortunately Abathor has retained anachronistic elements and some naivety that can also be partly corrected. Although the difficulty and the perception of it is also subjective, some mechanics objectively only add artificial difficulty. All in all, Abathor is a good product that deserves to be played, which is mostly aimed at a specific niche. I invite you to at least try it even if you are not “old school” players because its aesthetics and old style gameplay might fascinate you.
SCHiM is a small gem, original, intelligent, and engaging, with evident care from the developers. The game stands out for its graphics and music, although replayability and variety may be limited. Despite these minor flaws, SCHiM offers a relaxing and captivating adventure, with moments requiring timing and precision worthy of a challenging platformer.
The Land Beneath Us presents itself with an almost chess-like tone where the strategic element is predominant and increases considerably as the experience progresses. The game is not free from flaws. You can replay the old areas by increasing the difficulty, but the replayability is not very high. The Boss fights are well characterized and well done, with very original and never frustrating patterns. It’s a shame that the mid-bosses are a bit repetitive even in the creatures. The balance, especially in the fourth area, can create serious problems for the player. Despite these solvable little things, The Land Beneath Us doesn’t have any huge critical issues, even if it comes down hard on the player, it is almost never “dishonest” towards them. If you like challenges, you will find something for you.
Ready Steady Ship is undeniably a fun experience, designed for local cooperative play but not online. Developed by Martynas Cibulis, the sole creator of the game, it caters to a wide range of players, promising enjoyment and challenges. Despite some noticeable flaws, its creativity and entertainment value remain intact when played in pairs. The game has been meticulously crafted, although some parts have not been executed successfully. The variety of implemented ideas and their originality are to be appreciated. By the way, I highly recommend playing in local mode with a friend.
Lotus Lantern is certainly a neat product, with some flaws but really fun. Furthermore, it is the second top-down action roguelite that comes from Chinese developers together with Realm of Ink. The feedback from the hits (both given and taken) is good and fluid, although with so much stuff on the screen you risk having little clarity and sometimes not seeing the opponent’s bullets. Lotus Lantern is still too calibrated in favor of the character. Also considering that the story ends after a few complete runs. In closing, Lotus Lantern still has a long way to go, even if the path taken is the right one.
Death of a Wish is a game where simplicity has its own sense of being. Despite its apparent simplicity, it hides a depth of interesting mechanics both in the combat system and in the general gameplay. It is certainly a game that expects the player to learn its mechanics quickly. The visual style, although fascinating and original, sometimes works against the player and the combat system, creating confusion during some battles and when viewing the character menu. If you love an original style and a good challenge, Death of a Wish is definitely made for you.
Alterium Shift certainly has some excellent ideas and you can see that the developers love and know the world of JRPGs well. Perhaps they are tied too much to that world and inevitably bring into their game the defects and dynamics of games created almost 30 years ago. However, this is not a final judgment because the game is still in early access and the story ends exactly at the best moment. We have to take into account whether the mechanics and ideas will hold up throughout all the title and whether the rough edges will be fixed.
Penny’s Big Breakaway is a 3D platformer that harks back to the old days, creating a positive nostalgia effect, especially for its music and graphical choices. Its core and ideas work, proving to be original and well-thought-out. Even the aspects that aren’t original are well executed and have their own charm. It has some flaws, especially on a technical level, but still guarantees hours of fun
BlazBlue Entropy Effect presents itself to the player with style and a strong personality despite being a spin-off. The Characters are extremely refined and charismatic. The game shows its best in gameplay. Frantic, fast, satisfying and extremely varied. Despite this, a certain brevity of the main narrative arc and the few stages could discourage more “casual” players from replaying. An excellent title that gives hope for the future of this year.
Headbangers is definitely a fun, well-edited and completely crazy title. The minigames are very accessible but become frenetic as the rounds go by and the light-hearted mood puts you in a good mood even when you lose. The cross platform solution is excellent, so as to be able to involve a greater number of players. Regarding this, I noticed that unfortunately it didn’t often happen to me to be among 30 real people, because when the time ran out in the pre-match hub, the game adds bots to complete the session.
Cocoon is a pearl in the world of puzzle adventures. It has no macroscopic defects that compromise its structure. Its level and game design are constructed with precision like a sophisticated machine. The defects that we can find arise from the very genre to which the title belongs. If you love this genre, however, it is a title not to be missed, which evolves the previous experiences of Limbo and Inside and takes them to a higher level. A wonderful surprise of this year.