Potata is not a long game. An experienced gamer will clock through this casual adventure in under four hours easily. But it’s a fun adventure and there are multiple endings to discover. However, the game felt over just a little too soon for me and it just sort of ends without any major event. While I enjoyed the ride I would not say no to more content like extra difficulty modes or more challenges. There are some alternative dialogue options to discover when you chat to characters but there’s not a lot of reason to revisit. An easy casual game to recommend for a Sunday afternoon session sitting in the garage with the door open and a cold drink (I don’t have a garden so this was my only option.) This is a lovely stress free game to enjoy on the TV or on the go. Good graphics, music and solid controls. It’s all very safe but just feels it could do with a bit more content.
Fly Punch Boom is an interesting game. At it’s core it feels like a fun anime inspired fighting game to play with a friend provided you can both get the mechanics down. I enjoyed the wackiness of the graphics and general design of the game. However, my reactions were just not quick enough for the AI so I ended up failing to get to grips with it despite my best efforts. Not a game for me but I can see this being a fun time for a niche audience.
Cannibal Cuisine has all the right ingredients to be a fun cooking game to play alone or with co-op buddies. But it just hasn’t come together well and feels more like a burned meal than something created with care and attention. Floaty controls, silly difficulty spikes, targets and utterly horrendous random elements in the game will make you want to close the kitchen and never return. It’s just not fun. With patching I think there is still hope for this game and it could still be something worth dipping into. Currently I suggest getting your co-op fix elsewhere.
I was pleasantly surprised by Neversong. It’s another Kickstarter success story where the developer has made full use of their abilities and talent to create a wonderfully creepy but memorable adventure. The music, the graphics, the gameplay its all just so well polished despite the adventure being short. The game is due to release on Nintendo Switch in the future (as well as other consoles). This adventure moved me and did horror in just the right way. But don’t don’t let that put you off. Neversong is a game not to be missed.
Concept Destruction is a crash and fun title at a nice price to boot. It’s a decent little coffee game which you’re able to share with a friend. With some extra tweaking of the controls and gameplay I could see this game easily competing with some of the big guns like Rocket League. Maybe that will come later. For now I had a lot of fun smashing cars into each other. Let the cardboard fly I say.
Lonely Mountain: Downhill is a lovely little ride that reminds you of the beauty of the great outdoors, something that’s needed so much right now. The game does a good job of appealing to the casual and challenge-hungry gamer. While it would have been nice to have more challenge options or alternative ways to unlock things. I really enjoyed picking up this game just to have a casual ride down a mountain. It took me to a happy place, and I hope if you decide to pick it up it will do the same for you too.
StarCrossed is a fun colorful little arcade game. There’s something quite different here if you like the quick pick up and play arcade style game. It’s a little rough round the edges with awful voice acting and short story mode. Its biggest strength is in co-op but I had plenty of fun alone as well, trying to rack up the occasional high score in arcade mode. The developers have done a great job releasing a product on a small budget. My hope for them is this game leads to many more unique gameplay designs in the future. Good job.
I ended up liking Emma more than I expected. Once I overcame some initial challenges I began to appreciate its design and message. With no difficulty option in the main story it’s hard to recommend this to everyone. This game does require some pretty precise platforming and attention which may frustrate some. But if you can get through it the message at the heart of this game is quite sweet.
Streets of Rage 4 is an incredible game. Where I am now, compared to where I was when I played the series originally, is very different. However, this will easily become another nostalgic memory in years to come from playing with my wife, alone, and with a very good friend who lives just too far away for my liking. I think you’ll most likely already guessed my rating for this title –
Slayin 2 is a very good conversion from mobile to Switch. The graphics are excellent and I appreciated the extra effort the developers put into expanding the game. If you loved the game on mobile I would highly recommend upgrading to this version. This game feels designed for the arcade crowd looking for a good challenge and are willing to replay levels over and over again. Unfortunately, this design doesn’t suit everyone, particularly in co op. I thought this would be a fun game to prop on a coffee table, throw a joy con at my co op partner and we could have some good casual gaming. However, the difficulty spikes and grindy game play put my partner off. A darn shame. Nevertheless I personally enjoyed the experience alone, even if I did struggle to get into the flow of the game play now and then.
I really scanned to find some redeeming qualities in Stone. But every time I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt the game pushed back. No challenge, bland graphics, audio issues, and incredibly short on content. While I admire the developer for chasing their passion project, I feel Stone needs a lot more polish in just about everything to make it a worthwhile purchase. It did remind me how awesome Night of the Living Dead is though, and that’s good.
You know when I first saw the picture for Fury Unleashed I kinda expected this to be yet another junk food gaming rogue-lite. Some thing that I’m totally on board with. But after playing it several times and having weird nightmares about Aztec skeletons, this has easily jumped to one of my favourites in the genre. I loved the surprise heart to the story, as someone that often questions their own written work and creativity I found something to connect to; though I’ll probably never reach the heights of fame in my creative work. It’s good that video games like Fury Unleashed can remind you that moments of uncertainly are normal. And right now in this moment you are enough. Also Fury Unleashed is just brilliant.
MOB is unique, the type of game I’m pleased to have the pleasure of experiencing. It’s different and I was drawn in by all the weirdness. The platforming had me frustrated and angry at various points though especially in the last half of the game. But I insisted on pushing through to see the conclusion for curiosity. Had the gameplay been polished off I would see this as an easy recommendation. However, in its current state I would just be a little cautious.
Random Heroes is a fun retro looking game at a cheap price. I consider this a good coffee game. By that I mean it’s a game you can shut your brain off and play through a few levels at your own pace. Ideal for a quick coffee break, a wait at the bus stop, or if you just don’t fancy an in depth game. Unfortunately, it’s simplicity is also its downfall. Just a bit more depth to the game’s mechanics and some overall polish would make this stand out much more. It’s a cheap title which I had fun with. I was left wishing for just a bit more though.
There is something kinda special about a game whose goal is to help two lost souls meet. I saw Tani and Nani like my mind wandering away from my body. Sometimes my mind wanders off and I make myself incredibly sad and it can take a great amount of effort to find your way back. The route is not easy. You have to think. Maybe fail, many times. But you can make it and come back to your body. Then a metaphorical heart hovers over your head reminding you of the importance of loving yourself. Oh yeah, also, this game is pretty good too.
The game is due to release on Switch later this year. I think some tweaks like comfortable text and a cheaper price point may make this more appealing to the most dedicated visual novel fans. If you want to try a taste of the game you can download a part of it for free on the IOS store and see if its for you. For me, I was left feeling disappointed.
Overall, Thunder Paw is a safe coffee game. It just doesn’t really take any particular risks to make it stand out. Suitable for a quick gaming session and priced accordingly. Everything Thunder Paw does is just fine. The developers have a great art style, soundtrack and general idea here. But it just needs something extra to make it stand out from the enormous crowd.
Duck Souls ended up being a delightful surprise for me. I was smiling the whole way through the game and was a little sad the game ended so soon. I was even drawn to replay the game on hard mode. Something I rarely do with platformers of this calibre. The balance seemed just right. A fun cheap platformer that is well worth the price of entry.
Bad North is a fantastic pick up and play strategy game (a genre I’m usually terrible with). With difficulties to suit most gamers. Simple controls and tons of replay value. This is a game I’ve returned to again and again. I can’t guarantee playing this game will prepare you for an actual Viking invasion. But I can assure you there is plenty to love whether you want a quick gaming session or a long night in defending from invaders. Once your done with that you may also want to play a bit of Bad North.
Galaxy Warfighter is a simple, to the point shmup. If you’re new to the genre this is a cheap way to test the water. More advanced shmup fans may find this just a little too simple. The later quarter of a game also starts to become quite the grind. By that I mean I had to repeat levels over and over until I had sufficient upgrades to progress. But if you want another coffee game, something to dive into for a few games now and then, Galaxy Warfighter will scratch that itch. Despite levels and bosses becoming repetitive I couldn’t help but be compelled to press on with this game until I fully conquered it. At least to give my pilot Hex the happy ending he deserved.