I’ve gotten the same enjoyment from Curious Expedition 2 as I did from its predecessor: the fun of exploring uncharted lands, the thrill of danger, the satisfaction of shrewd planning. I’ve spent over 20 hours with CE2 and haven’t tired of it. If you like survival, resource management, or elaborate board games, you might enjoy this unique strategy game. The colonial elements might turn some players off but not trouble others. Curious Expedition 2 makes many improvements, like offering an easier game to first-time players. If you can’t endure roguelikes, you can switch off that element by changing the difficulty settings, even mid-game. The lovely new art style and generous offering of new content also make CE2 worth picking up for old fans. My only big complaint is that each run is longer than it needs to be. A word about the Nintendo Switch port: I love playing this handheld. I just have two minor grouses about the UI. Scrolling through inventory takes a bit longer in CE2 than in CE1. And while trading, tool-tips often block half the screen. But overall, it’s an excellent port.
Space Scavenger is a neat little game, made by two guys in Sweden (Jacob Selg and Jonas Holgersson). I’m delighted by this simple but fun space shooter, even if victory lies beyond reach of my current skills. It’s nice to pick up for 30 minutes a day and see what motley ship configuration will emerge each run. Last but not least, Space Scavenger has a great soundtrack! Putting the soundtrack, ship-building, and short but tough levels together: if you play in short bursts, it’s unexpectedly relaxing for a roguelike shoot-em-up.
Short and simple, Fire Tonight is good for casual players and kids starting out on their gaming journey. I hope to see more from this developer, particularly more cartoon-style art.
What’s the optimal number of players? I suspect any number of players works well (except for playing solo), which makes Papa’s Quiz a versatile game in this respect. Playing alone is pretty lacklustre. In these Covid times, it’s harder to meet friends in person for a gaming session. We’ve been playing party games online, so I’m happy to have found us a new title. Unfortunately, I don’t find Papa’s Quiz as engaging as some of the better titles from Jackbox Games. For comparison, Trivia Murder Party is funnier, more varied, and more interesting; though, on the downside, its trivia questions are more obscure. Still, Papa’s Quiz is a pleasant, relaxing way to spend time with friends—for a game or two. Do consider this title if you’re looking for a casual party game. It’s a decent one to play with non-gamers, as it’s uncomplicated, has simple controls, and is good for a 15- to 20-minute session.
Among roguelike deck builders, Griftlands is an ambitious one. But it actually pulls off those ambitions. The gameplay is unique, combining a two-deck system with a relationship system. Visuals, sound, and controls get one thumbs-up, while the writing gets two thumbs. Even run-of-the-mill conversations have a spark of wit, or at least a dash of snark. More importantly, it’s fun to play (though there’s lots of terminology to digest at first) and enough reason to replay on a higher difficulty if you love a good challenge. At $19.99, this is seriously a steal.
A short, snappy visual novel in which you commit major mischief, Overboard! makes being the bad girl fun. It taps into the human instinct for self-preservation and perhaps a latent desire to see what badness we can get away with. Good writing, fun gameplay, and a light thinking challenge. The game’s replayability makes it worth the price of admission.
If you’re up for a numbers-based puzzle game, I highly recommend Mystic Pillars. Adding a hint system would make it perfect, but it’s still a good game without one. Not only is the gameplay solid, but the visuals and sound show that Holy Cow Productions went the extra mile to present a polished game.
I just hope that later updates will introduce more content, such as new enemy abilities. Or at least improve the user interface. The thing Spire did well with UI was to provide, through tooltips, all the information you might need to make a good decision. In Slime, informative tooltips weren’t always there to remind me of what certain terms meant—or, they were partially blocked by something else on-screen. Card and button selection could also be better highlighted on certain screens. If I could ask for just one “small” improvement, though, it would be a larger font size. I haven’t played long enough to settle on a definitive verdict, but for now, I can say this: Slushy the Great is still a long way from greatness, but the potential and groundwork is there. I’m keen to see how it develops over time with further updates.
I expect promising things in the future from Provodnik Games based on Dull Grey‘s writing and interesting gameplay premise. But I also hope to see better translation and editing as this can make or break impressions, especially for a visual novel of this brevity. There were jarring moments when the quality of translation dropped significantly. I appreciate that there are many possible endings, but the most interesting ones ended up more confusing than satisfying. For these reasons, I hovered between rating the game “I Like It” and “Not Sure.” Overall, though, the game holds together well enough.
I found the plot meaningful, and it drove the game forward despite being doled out in tiny pieces and told in so few words. If you think of regular RPGs as epic novels, I’d say A Dark Room is a short story, one of those 100-words-only “short shorts.” It’s about humanity, sort of. It’s about discovery and survival. The Switch is a great way to play this game, with either Joy-Cons or touchscreen as options. I much preferred the touchscreen for speed. I enjoyed lying in bed with A Dark Room as much as with any title with fancy graphics. If you’re looking for an indie title that’s different, give this a go. Light the fire.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the game particularly explores themes of ageing and dementia in any clear or substantial way. At least, not other than creating a quiet, lonely atmosphere punctuated by moments of fear. The music mostly rests in gentle, bittersweet melancholia, but occasionally drops a tingling sense of danger. It’s got a lovely main soundtrack, and the visual style is muted but pleasant to the eye. So at least Heal has the mood, if not the words. While disappointed that there wasn’t much in the way of a story, I think Heal holds up well enough as a puzzle game. The art, music and Switch touchscreen controls get a thumbs up.
So I hovered between giving the “Not Sure” and “I Like It” rating. I like MMS2 just enough to want to try other Kairosoft games, to see if they’ve done better with the simulation formula elsewhere. I like it just enough to think, “I bet I could do a better job on a second playthrough!” But no, I don’t like it enough to sit through it again, even if Fast mode eliminated the eternity of screens and waiting and dragging shops around (though the touchscreen function performs wonderfully for this final task). Maybe the thing about Kairosoft games is that you’re expected to play one and move on to the next? In the end, bearing in mind MMS2’s roots as a mobile game for casual gamers, I guess it’s okay. Just okay.
Into a Dream is a decent effort for a solo developer’s small debut game. It’s a promising start in terms of dialogue writing, visuals, and music. Apart from a game-breaking bug, I would have given it a higher rating if I had experienced more agency as a player, in terms of really making an impact on Luke Williams. I wouldn’t recommend picking it up for the puzzles, only for the themes, though unfortunately, I don’t think the game made an impact on me theme-wise. But I appreciate that it chose to focus on a working father/husband, a demographic we don’t often hear talking about their inner struggles.
The amount of puzzles offered by Codebreaker Puzzle 1000! is impressive: one thousand puzzles per language set. Personally, the English puzzles were too easy for me, while the Japanese puzzles were difficult and not my idea of a good learning tool. But if you already like cipher or codebreaker crosswords, you might still enjoy this simple, straightforward version. As a game, I would have given a “Not Sure” rating, but since Codebreaker didn’t raise my hopes with great promises of fun or learning, I wasn’t let down (since I had low expectations). It is pretty barebones, so think of Codebreaker less as a game and more as a digitized book of crosswords.
If you haven’t been playing much interactive fiction, just remind yourself to switch mental gears and put on your metaphorical reading glasses. After I made that switch and carved out time to enjoy 80 Days slowly, I really enjoyed the little stories that make up Passepartout’s grand adventure. After six playthroughs, spending about two hours per playthrough, there are still many cities I’ve been thwarted from reaching and mysteries to fully uncover. Perhaps I’ll revisit old cities just to take in the scenery if I had rushed through them earlier. I’ve almost died, but I’ve yet to actually die. Who knows, perhaps I’ll stumble upon a plotline that lets me!
Despite the grim context, the game is suitable for older kids (perhaps aged 10 and above?) and doesn’t go into that brutality much. Playing Flower Collectors might generate interest in learning about Spanish history or about political systems. While the game doesn’t go into the history and politics much, it creates emotional interest in the characters affected by that setting. Would I recommend The Flower Collectors? Yes, if you’re looking for something very story-focused and don’t mind waiting for things to happen. Even if you mind waiting, it might be a good exercise in quiet observation and putting yourself in the shoes of a man like Jorge.
I meant to buy Thronebreaker for the Nintendo Switch, but a nice deal on Steam swayed me to the PC version. Comparing the mouse against controller, I found it just as easy to use a controller for this game. So, controls-wise, I expect the Switch port to be a comfortable experience as well. Finally, a parental note: The age rating is US Teen and UK 12+ because of the brutality portrayed in war (and generally pervasive in the Witcher games). But blood is hardly shown and only in faded colors; visually depicted gore is non-existent. There are a few images of corpses hanging from trees, but that’s as scary as it gets. The monsters were less grotesque-looking than in The Witcher 3, but a younger child may still find them scary. As someone who loved Witcher 3 and Gwent but detested the ugly monsters and gore, I was thrilled that Thronebreaker was heavily toned down in those areas.
I love how Kingdom: New Lands looks, sounds, and feels. But as a busy parent I wish progress wasn’t so slow. I wish the trial-and-error approach it requires wasn’t so punishing of mistakes. “Hand-holding” is often a negative term in gaming, but this is one game that could use a little hand-holding. Or a quicker pace. I’m doubtful of beating the game without a strategy guide or investing more time than it’s worth. This is what mars an otherwise unique and relaxing strategy game with great pixel animation and sound, plus a minimalist interface to be proud of. So while I can firmly say I like this game, I’ve decided to move on from it. Not out of boredom, as I do enjoy it, but because I want to see if New Lands‘ sequel (Kingdom: Two Crowns) offers a better experience.
Children of Morta may be tough and grindy, especially at the outset, but there’s enough to keep players engaged: randomized dungeon maps and goodies to pick up; no less than seven playable characters; an emotional tale that unfolds in beautiful cutscenes. It’s not a party game, so I would only recommend it to players who can commit to ongoing co-op sessions—especially as progression is slow and the game feels more rewarding only after beating the initial dungeons.
An adventure Indy Jones would be proud of. While Curious Expedition may not dress to impress, this game’s the real deal when it comes to a fun experience with replay value. Tough but entertaining, it will scratch the itch for folks who like decision-making dilemmas. Like with any roguelike, you’ll fail often and there’s lots to learn—but that’s exactly where the fun is. I would have been glad to pay more than $15 for it.