All in all, Buddy and Friends on Halloween is a wholesome experience for youngsters and adults alike. I don’t have any complaints about the game, except it’s short since there are only six puzzles. However, you can have a relaxing time puzzling for less than the price of a cup of coffee. The music, jigsaws and the final images combined set the scene for a spooktacular time.
Cities: Skylines II has much to life up to, and you. know what? This is a fantastic start to a fabulous game. I’m excited for the future of city building. The game will take off once the modders get to work and Colossal Order pushes out the usual updates. If you buy Cities: Skylines II, you can expect unfamiliarity, familiarity, surprises and the occasional frustration. But once you settle into it, plenty of new gameplay mechanics will keep you on your toes. I love it, and I can see that Colossal Order love their game, too. I predict Cities: Skylines II will be even more successful than it’s predecessor.
For new players and those players who enjoyed the first game, you will have as much fun, if not more, with Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic. It feels like the developers have put their heart and soul into Hidden Through Time 2, and it’s a lot more challenging than the first game. For me, out of the two games, I think this one is the best.
I’ve had a blast with My Little Universe; it is a cosy worldbuilding collect-a-thon. It urges the player to explore further and discover what is on the next hex. My Little Universe is a wholesome, relaxing game for those who want the thrill of exploring and collecting infinite resources. Suitable for all ages in the family, it also has a very addictive gameplay loop and watching Orangey go to work and swing his tools is brilliant; I wish I had his energy!
Ultimately, Bilkins’ Folly might be the game for you if you’re into adventure with puzzles, pirates, and dogs. There is certainly plenty of buried treasure to be found and dug up in Bilkins’ Folly. After all, it is the main puzzle mechanic for the entire game. However, for me, Drayton is Bilkins’ Folly furry star, and yes, you can pet him as many times as you want.
Silent Hope is a fun dungeon crawler. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the fights in the Abyss and trying out the different heroes. I would have liked the crafting to be more hands-on for the player than just menu-based crafting. I don’t think Silent Hope is a game for all players; you will have to enjoy fighting baddies, as that is basically what it’s all about. The fighting in the Abyss is fast and engrossing, especially trying out the heroes’ abilities, which I enjoyed.
Wildmender is an engaging and thoughtful simulation about freeing the Gods and breathing new life into a barren desert environment. What begins as a game about the dry, barren land and as you delve into the mystery behind the fallen civilisation, it soon becomes a story about harmonious relationships. The story engages you and urges you to play on to discover its secrets. If survival simulation games are your go-to genre, then Wildmender is waiting for you to solve its mystery.
Land Above Sea Below is a great addition to the strategy/puzzle genre. The game has more than enough of a different gameplay style to make it stand out from similar games in the same genre. It is a very beautiful and relaxing game, yet it requires forward-thinking to optimize your score and outcome.
Farming, bug catching, fishing, crafting and animal care have all been implemented well in Fae Farm. There is certainly plenty to keep you busy. The game looks beautiful, and it’s pretty chill. However, I’d look elsewhere if you’re into the romance side of simulation games and looking for relationships with NPCs. The NPCs don’t offer much and feel wooden, which is a pity. The price point of Fae Farm is high, in the same league as you’d pay for the more well known IPs. A lot of you may be wondering if it’s worth it, and Yvonne and I discussed this specifically. Well, Fae Farm does promise two big updates from December 2023 to June 2024. And even at the start, it’s already a huge game. And I must say, it plays effortlessly, no bugs or anything marring the gameplay, and it’s a feast to look at. So I’d be inclined to say that for me, it’s worth the price. Fae Farm is definitely worth a look if you’re a cosy game and farm sim fan. Just make sure you have ample time, as the gameplay and especially the crafting can be very addictive
Sea of Stars constantly finds ways to keep the story and characters interesting and surprise you with creative and fun plot twists. With over thirty hours of enjoyable gameplay, Sea of Stars might be just what you are looking for if you are a fan of RPGs. It’s definitely a Two thumbs up score from me for this gem of a game!
Overall, Ralph and the Blue Ball is delightful, short and sweet. If you are looking for a challenge, I’d look elsewhere, as you won’t find it here. For under a few pounds/dollars in the eShop, Ralph and the Blue Ball will give you a few moments of enjoyment.
Pathea Games’ first steps into the simulation genre with Let’s School have turned out pretty well. It’s a deep and approachable school management game that’s enjoyable to play and includes plenty of content to keep you customising and playing while building up your school’s reputation.
As I’ve already mentioned, Noob – the Factionless took ages to grow on me. Even now, as I write this and think back to the gameplay, while I enjoyed some aspects of the gameplay, other aspects, such as the combat and conversation between the characters, felt like a slog through deep mud. Maybe that’s because I never liked MMOs as a way to play games. Overall the game does a decent job of paying homage to the JRPG classics of old. I would expect that you will like the game if you are a fan of the Noob web series, which I’ve never heard of. I like it, but there are better and more engrossing RPGs on the eShop that outshine this one.
City Limits has similarities to Islanders, only on a much smaller scale. It’s a game to chill out with. It is not particularly long or complex, so playing it in short bursts with a cup of coffee makes it an ideal time killer.
Crime O’Clock is a well-put-together game that held my attention right until the last clue was found and the case solved. I liked having Eve’s help, and I loved the humour. Additionally, being a detective is incredibly satisfying when you solve a case, and all clues and the ticks fall into place to reveal the culprit. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a detective, and for players who like using their deduction skills, Crime O’Clock has crimes aplenty to solve.
Little Friends: Puppy Island is a delightfully cute game to play. It wouldn’t be a game I would rush out to buy it as it doesn’t offer any challenge, and I’m so much older than the demographic the game is aimed at. However, I can still see its appeal for players who like looking after virtual puppies, and the game is suitable for all ages.
Silicon City does offer a challenge in building a city, but the framerate issues can be off-putting. Once the framerate issues are ironed out and a more intuitive UI implemented, I would not hesitate to give Silicon City an “I like it a lot” score, but until then, it will have to be an I like it score.
Overall I like Nova Lands a lot, it has fun and engaging gameplay mechanics, and the gameplay loop is addictive. It’s the kind of game you want to return to after playing for a while. I enjoyed exploring and setting up the production line on the islands and building my home; also, watching the bots run around doing their work is surprisingly relaxing.
Trails of Trainspot is an enjoyable puzzle game for all ages. The storyline is fun and engaging, and the puzzles are challenging without frustrating the player while completing them. For fans of puzzle games, I’d recommend helping to place the tracks and giving Trails of Trainspot a go.
Avia Corporation is a minimalistic strategy game in more than one sense of the word. It’s minimalistic, from the graphics right down to the tutorial. Having played many similar games in the economic strategy genre, I wanted to like Avia Corporation. Unfortunately, that was hindered by a poor tutorial that doesn’t explain the game properly and a gameplay loop that feels uninteresting and dull.