Grow: Song of the Evertree is close to excellence with its gorgeous aesthetic and charming writing, but it struggles under the number of gameplay elements packed into it. There’s a lot here that might work together in theory, but the end result is less than the sum of its parts. When exploring Alaria and interacting with the characters, it’s easy to get swept up in this quirky and beautiful world. Unfortunately, the bits you enjoy will be intercut with stuff that might feel more like a chore. Grow is a game with too many irons in the fire, but its obvious heart and character still presents a lot to love.
Tunche combines familiar mechanics with a setting that is rarely represented in video games. This keeps the game’s visual design fresh, but the combat is more than familiar and not up to the standard set by other games in these genres. Tunche can’t scratch the side-scrolling beat-em-up action of River City Girls or the honed roguelike structure of Hades. Unforturantely, this means the game’s charming art and characters are at battle with lackluster gameplay.
Blightbound is emerging from a year in Steam Early Access, but it might be doing so too early. Lingering issues with visual elements overlapping each other, uneven party balance, repetitive loot with lacklustre stats, and a bare-bones levelling design suggest that this game could do with more fundamental development work before hitting the big stage. With its creative art and engaging voice talent, there is definite potential here for a fantastic dungeon crawler, but the elements have not come together yet.
I understand anyone who would be turned off by Factorio’s slow pace and grind; it’s a core feature here while grinding for most people is fundamentally unenjoyable and a mark against a game. All this said, if immersing yourself in this complex system sounds interesting to you I wholly recommend giving Factorio a chance. There’s a very narrow niche this game occupies but it hits its mark so well; if this kind of game is your jam then Factorio will be your rare gem.