Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Servant of the Lake! It’s outside my usual comfort zone for games, but I felt confident and capable with the puzzles, and I enjoyed the ride it took me on. It’s not the most amazing, awe-inspiring work of art in the world, but it knows what it’s about and it commits to the bit. It’s a genuinely excellent addition to the game library of anyone who enjoys visual novels, point-and-click games, or puzzle games.
Big Walk is a game about walking and talking with your friends through a gorgeous visual and sonic environment modeled on the Australian bush. Escape-room-style puzzles offer just the right amount of challenge. It’s a game that encourages trust, bonding, and communication. Walking the island, our momentum picks up as the vistas, free public transportation, and smartly designed puzzles inspire us to focus on enjoying our time together. The game principally cultivates affinity, and it shines bright in the epiphanies sown throughout the friendscape, shared warmly and excitedly between players.
I want to keep this review short and sweet, just like the game. This isn’t the deepest game of all time. There’s nothing groundbreaking here. But it ran smoothly even on my potato laptop, and I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time, which doesn’t happen much. If you like platformers and a good, silly time, you’ll love this one for sure. The only thing holding me back from a perfect score is that it does play oh so very safely within the boundaries of the genre, so it’s hard to call it a “must play.” That said, this is a very, very fun game, and you are guaranteed a fun time!
Despite the handful of technical issues and my grievances with the camera angles, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. It’s a brilliantly fresh idea that is executed fully with nothing held back. The visuals are cohesive and interesting and beautifully done, and the music is incredibly delightful. As long as you enter with an open mind, you will not be disappointed in this game!
Trading Card Simulator is fun, it is well-made, and I enjoyed it. In order to deserve a higher rating, it needs a wow factor, which it sadly lacks; I don’t think it brings anything novel to the genre. But it’s a highly competent and fun entry in the catalog. If you like job simulators, tongue-in-cheek meta humor, and doing mental math, you’ll enjoy this one. Some games are just a bop. Trading Card Inspector is a bop. Enjoy!
Momento isn’t changing the entire landscape of the genre or anything, but it’s an incredibly well-made and well-rounded game. If you enjoy cozy games broadly, or room decorating, dioramas, light puzzles, environmental storytelling, and tracing branching paths, then you will enjoy this game. I am docking it half a point for the disappointing audio—it might be just a ‘me’ thing (read my bio to see why), but I was really stumped on that. But I’ll just throw on a little cozy gaming podcast episode (No Small Games? Geeks and Grounds? How about some Slow Burn Podcast?) and enjoy the ride? The stories are lovely, and the puzzles are pleasantly delightful.
Overall, the game was a delightful romp. I think it’s a standout title, and it brings something special and particularly timely to the conversation. In this review, I avoided mentioning anything related to the final act. That said, I would have given this a 3.5/5 (meaning serviceable to the genre and even well done, but not groundbreaking) right until the final 20 minutes of the game, which tipped me firmly into a full 4/5 stars. What happened at the end of The RPG that caused me to remake my score? Well…games are meant to be played and loved, so go find out for yourself.