Yvonne van Geloven's Reviews
It’s been six years since the first game surprised us. Home Bear Studio has been hard at work making the sequel NAIRI: Rising Tide another wonderful entry. So much attention to detail, giving instructions and hints in beautiful drawings. Lovely hand-drawn scenes and relatable characters. Wonderfully intricate puzzles and a storyline that could easily carry the story by itself. I love this game so much that I decided to buy the first one on Switch at a very attractive price as well. If you love puzzles combined with a great story, go for NAIRI: Rising Tide!
Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation was the first Shin chan adventure game that I just had to try out after loving the successor. And the game doesn’t disappoint. The story is an interesting one, the visuals and narrator make for an immersive adventure although the flow of the game is broken up by constantly switching screens and a static camera. The game is kid-friendly but also works for adults who don’t expect big storylines and thrilling experiences. Go with the flow and be entertained by little cheeky boy Shinnosuke. Another lovely Summer Vacation game!
Truly, I hadn’t expected to like Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town as much as I do. I was never a big fan of the little boy when my daughter wanted to watch the anime many years ago, so I was a bit sceptical. But I have really warmed up to him, even though he is still a strange little boy. The game is full of details, little adventures and bigger mysteries. Some of the interactions made me smile, and I was never left frustrated or in a rush. I took my time uncovering it all, and it was a grand journey. This is a serious contender for my Game of the Year 2024! Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is not for gamers who want to be bowled over by fast-paced action or striving for bigger and better goals. Instead, this is a game to curl up with on the couch and see Shin chan’s world with a kind of childlike wonder. If you want to know more about this game, don’t miss our interview with Akira Nagashima, the producer of the game.
Since the first release in Early Access Coral Island has made quite a journey. I’m aware that I’m playing the game at its prime time when all bugs have been ironed out, and additions have been made. It makes for a well-balanced and exciting adventure with a lot of exploration, a wonderful world under the ocean and more. The developers took a good look at all kinds of sim games and learned what works best for every game component. would like to give Coral Island our highest rating for a beautiful and well-thought-out farming and crafting sim. As a big fan of the Nintendo Switch, I hope the game will make the leap to that handheld as well!
Not knowing what to expect and then finding a gem is the best feeling for me. Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid is the perfect game to bring back memories of the lazy summer days of my youth when the vacation seemed to stretch endlessly with little adventures and good friends. Exploration is what makes this game great for me; there is so much to discover. The visuals, voice acting and sounds make this a very immersive adventure. And with the DLC already available, I can extend my adventure even more!
Polyoshapes is a good addition to the puzzle genre. Its combination of strategic gameplay, beautiful aesthetics, and soothing soundtrack makes it a good game for anyone looking for a relaxing yet challenging puzzle experience. And the price is great for many hours of puzzle entertainment.
Magret & FaceDeBouc combines storytelling with absurd and humour to create a unique point-and-click adventure. While its crude humour may not be for everyone, those who enjoy a mix of mystery and dark comedy will find it an entertaining addition to their library. Just be sure to keep it away from the kids!
While writing my review, I kept going back and forth in my verdict on the game. I’m having a grand time playing Endless Ocean Luminous. Writing about it made me want to play it, which is always a good sign. The Story Mode, however, is a big letdown. It does an awful job as a tutorial, and it feels grindy to unlock the chapters. The treasures you can find and things you can do with your coins seem a bit meagre. I wonder if people will feel enough incentive to return once the novelty wears off. The game will have to prove itself with the upcoming Dive Festivals, as the Shared Dives are the star of the show. Looking at the price point, I feel it’s too high to warrant an I Like it a Lot. I’m enjoying Endless Ocean Luminous, but it needs some more oomph.
I’m having a blast playing this game while I know nothing about other Touhou Projects, or Gensokyo for that matter. For fans of the games who love a bit of time management simulation, Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya is a must-play. It’s not just about cooking dishes quickly and sufficiently; the simulation aspect is fleshed out nicely as well. Chatting with characters during the day and serving them the best dishes at night ensures their friendship level rises. Which in turn leads to hearing their unique stories and their help in getting recipes, ingredients and so on. Add a great soundtrack and good graphics to all that, and you’ll understand why I love this game.
If you like Sokoban-inspired puzzles, then Sokobalien is a great buy. For the price asked, you can have the game on your handheld device and take it with you. A great pick-up and play puzzler!
Cirrus Business has the framework to be a cute, wholesome game, with growing plants, restoring the energy for the biomes and lovely graphics. I feel the balance of Cirrus Business Economy, as the game calls it, isn’t right. But, if you are more nimble-fingered than I am, you might have no trouble beating the Slobsters and gathering all the Windsprinkles you need.
Sunny Cafe is a sweet story of young love, touching on some deeper topics that mirror the way adolescents view life’s goals. It strives to include knowledge about making coffee in a very charming and graphically beautiful way. I would have liked this part to get more attention, combining the visual novel part with a management part for serving the customers the right coffee. But that may just be my personal preference. The visual novel tells the story in very descriptive and flowery wording but still has some translation errors, as well. Graphically Sunny Cafe looks nice and crisp, and it reads like a nice book.
Distant Bloom has a lot of elements that attract me to a video game. Exploration, crafting, managing seeds and turning a barren landscape into a lush environment. Giving your crewmates little gifts ups their friendship levels. All of this is set against an unusual scene of an alien planet and an alien crew. The Assistant and KEi.Ki are busy bees and it’s very satisfying to make the sick planet, plants and animals healthy again, just by sowing seeds. Collecting strange-looking seeds that produce interesting plants adds an extra incentive to Distant Bloom, as well as unraveling the mystery. I am really loving my time in the game, and I love the little humorous touches in the conversations between the crew mates and quirky things like adding a trademark sign to the Exomulti. Oh and…. did I tell you you can pet the animals?
Match Village is available for a nice price. It doesn’t offer a visually wowing experience, but it looks colourful and clean. Though placing the tiles is a strategic challenge, there is no deep puzzle gameplay mechanics to consider. Surprisingly, I found the gameplay very relaxing and rewarding. Just place the tiles in the best way you can and see how far you can progress. The sounds of plopping down a tile and getting new tiles as the structures combine are very satisfying. For this little game, made by a solo developer, the name Match Village is well chosen. Get to matching, and populate your islands in the process.
Playing SummerHouse, I am reminded that a game doesn’t have to be grand or intricate, nor does it need a deep storyline. In SummerHouse it’s just you with a set of pre-made elements with which you build a house. Or a castle. Or a hotel…or even Bagend. Your imagination is key when you get to work, building the little neighbourhood just like you envision it. No stress, no goals and no time, just your own creativity helped along by a collection of building blocks.
There are two conditions for someone to enjoy Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons. First, you have to like nonogram puzzles. Second, it helps if you are a fan of Story of Seasons. If these conditions apply to you, as they do for me, you can’t get a better nonogram puzzle experience than in Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons.
The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feasts & Friends has such potential and tells an interesting tale. Although I haven’t read the entire series, I do have the first book and have looked forward to seeing the world of Lilygrove for myself. The visuals are enchanting, the background music is great, and the characters you cook for are the stars of the show.
From the start, it’s clear that Immortal Life is far from your average farming simulator. With its roots deeply embedded in Chinese culture and fantasy folklore, the game offers a fresh take on the farming/crafting RPG simulation genre. All the elements work well together, and you are totally free to do what you want in the game and progress at your own pace. I won’t say I’ve finished the game; I think I barely scratched the surface of this huge game. It looks amazing and controls well, even well enough to play it on the SteamDeck. The graphics are wonderful and a joy to look at, even when you’re not pursuing the next quest. The characters of your brothers and sisters in the sect are well-fleshed out and distinct. I would almost give it our highest praise but for the very small text, a frozen screen now and then and the way of moving in the dungeons. But I can safely recommend this game, many, many hours of fun for a moderate price.
Alephant is a puzzle game that can really be qualified as a Thinky game: no instructions, it’s up to you to figure out why some moves work and others don’t. The game is brilliantly made and has a no-frills approach to puzzling. But even with the minimalistic approach, it looks very good. If you’re a fan of hard puzzles that require a lot of thought and trial and error, and you feel the Eureka moment is worth it, Alephant is the game for you! If, like me, you are more of the casual puzzle type, this might not be the one for you.
Playing Another Code: Recollection, I found a deep and engaging adventure. The story, focusing on Ashley’s mysterious journey, is the heart of the game. While the puzzles offer an enjoyable challenge, they’re accessible enough for all players, helped by the handy Dual ANOTHER System and the newly implemented hint system. The game excels in the storyline, making me eager to uncover the mysteries. The game looks very good with its 3D environment, though the camera is a bit slow. The updated visuals and voice acting add to the immersive experience, making it a compelling game to play, especially if you value story over complex puzzles and don’t mind a lot of reading. Want to give it a try first? There is a demo available in the eShop!