Overall, the game’s design couldn’t be better. I can see myself introducing Puzzle Galaxy to my daughter someday as one of her first ever video games. It’s good for short, relaxing sessions. Considering the base game is free, its DLCs seem reasonably priced, at about 4 to 5 US dollars (each contains between 22 to 54 new puzzles). But I’d like to see a wider variety of themes. The ones available now are space, steampunk, ocean life, cats and dogs, horses, princesses, and city or country landscapes. It’d be nice to have more categories, such as food, home interiors, dinosaurs, or construction vehicles. Meanwhile, I like that there’s a mix of digital paintings and actual photographs.
Mutropolis features great comedy writing, with a simple but satisfying story. Its puzzles are logical but some of the hardest I’ve played in this genre. If you’re a point-and-click adventure fan, I wholeheartedly recommend it despite niggles about animation speed and a bug where the main character disappears from view. For the writing alone, I’m giving this a solid “I Like It A Lot” rating.
Strange Horticulture is a beautiful investigative game. I was drawn in by immersive writing, simple but rewarding gameplay, and a fine level of polish in visual and sound effects. I loved the quiet, mysterious atmosphere and well-designed puzzles. But looking back, what I liked most were tiny details—sounds, especially. Crinkled pages turning, shop bell ringing, drops of water falling. It’s an experience you want to soak in. That makes Strange Horticulture more than just a puzzle game. If not for inconvenient maneuvering around the interface, I would readily give the Switch version a “Two Thumbs Up”. I imagine the PC version to be a much better, if not perfect, experience.
Lemon Cake is cute and addictive. The basic loop is enjoyable, and there’s a diverse spread of goodies from chocolate croissants and caramel flan to cakes and crumbles. But it’s a slow grind and doesn’t introduce new mechanics along the way. So it won’t engage everyone to the very end, but it’s still keeping my interest. Even when I think I’m spending too much time on this game, I keep returning for more baked goodness. Recommended for fans of time-management games like Diner Dash and Overcooked.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Make the Burger is beautiful, likeable, and will kick your frontal lobe’s butt. Alas! If only I had time to feast my eyes on these sweet burgers, but the game’s fast pace is too intense for that. There’s a good challenge to be found here, but it lacks staying power.
Tomorrow for Mar was a pleasant way to pass half an hour. I’d be up for trying another game from developer Heiden. If you like point-and-click games AND tales of magic schools AND supporting small creators, check it out!
While Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising doesn’t have the stamp of undeniable greatness, it does have truly amazing visuals. The writing/translation, music, and most of combat is rather good too. Town-building feels meaningful as it rewards you with significant growth in combat abilities. Despite a slow, unimpressive start and getting lost in dungeons, Rising builds into an enjoyable action RPG. It’s an easy game, suitable for casual or younger players. It’s also very linear and repetitive, but some players may find such simplicity relaxing. If Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes can boast similar strengths, I’d be curious to play the longer game when it releases in 2023. Hundred Heroes isn’t planned or confirmed for the Switch yet, but if we’re lucky, I will plead for a larger font than what Rising uses. (On the Switch Lite, text can be painfully small.) Oh, and fewer fetch quests, please! Now 14 hours into the game, I’m guessing the end is only a few hours away. Instead of rushing, I’ve decided to play in short sessions at leisurely pace. That might be the best way to enjoy Rising.
To see the game’s ending, you must catch enough bugs to complete all constellations. I haven’t gotten there yet, despite the fact that Paradise Marsh can be finished in about 2 to 4 hours. But this is a game about exploration, where the journey matters more than the destination. If players enjoy an hour or three of wandering this marshy heaven, I think the game has done its job well enough. Though I should mention that the novelty of exploration wore off after about 2 hours, and I didn’t feel like hunting down every last bug. Others may enjoy the game longer than I did. As I said, it’s a matter of taste and mood. And this, too, is quite subjective but I would rate the game higher if I had less of a problem with motion sickness and found gameplay rewarding enough to see Paradise Marsh to its end. Overall, it’s a lovely game and worth trying. Check it out if you’re looking for a game about exploring the outdoors or catching critters.
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.
Catie in Meowmeowland has many merits: beautiful art and animation, cute characters, and cool bizarre-ness. It’s lighthearted and slapstick funny, even if occasionally crude or downright mean. (I felt sorry for the giraffe candlestick I had to set on fire.) There’s not much of a story, though the overall plot is clear and it wraps up very well. I completed the game in 3.5 hours. Most levels didn’t take long to solve. But too many solutions felt obscure, and I didn’t enjoy resorting to a trial-and-error approach so often. I kept looking for reasons to give the game a positive rating, yet I hesitate to recommend it unless you are (1) patient and persistent in solving puzzles, (2) open to a cute, colorful art style and (3) not expecting a story or puzzle design on par with well-known point-and-clicks.
Parental note: There’s a teeny bit of violence (blood but no gore), and I recall one use of profanity (in a nickname) but nothing to sweat about for teens and, possibly, older children. Overall, Intruder in Antiquonia is a pleasant game that works, but it could have offered so much more in the story/dialogue department. For that reason, it’s hard to recommend Antiquonia over other games in the point-and-click adventure genre.