I have a lot of mixed feelings here. As I said before, I like the vibe. Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator has a lot of great things going for it, like the music, the look, the movement, most of the sound design, and the freedom the game gives you. But there are a lot of downsides keeping me from making up my mind. The items are cute, but if you try to do too much at once, your game freezes. I adore the aesthetic, but I really hated the inventory system. After a lengthy debate with myself, I think I like Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator. But I just can’t make myself recommend it to anyone. It feels finished, but the polish that games like this need to be fun is missing. I don’t think I can make a 100% sure statement on whether or not you should pick this up. If you really love the idea of gardening in a sim and you don’t mind the weird noises and the terrible sorting and menuing, then I could see wanting to spend $25 USD on this title.
Overall, I’m super happy with my time with Quilts and Cats of Calico. I haven’t finished the game just yet, but I can tell I’m pretty close to the end. I love the puzzles; I love making my own cats and taking on NPCs in quilting challenges. I’m super happy that I got to see the final product; it did not disappoint.
Plantabi: Little Garden is super fun, cozy, cute, and gives you a lot of freedom. I like the plants, I like the Cookie Clicker aspects of it, and the music is fabulous. If the tutorial were a little bit more robust, I would absolutely adore this plant-centric title.
I don’t think I can properly evaluate whether or not Professor Goodboi’s Ballistics as I bounced right off of it (pun intended), and I can’t give you a great reason for why. It’s cute, it’s polished, it doesn’t crash or do anything weird. The puzzles are different and challenging, but I’m still not convinced. With such a low price, though, you should try it for yourself if you dig these kinds of games.
Aqua Pals is a cute little sim with some heart but a whole lot of problems. I like where it is going, but it feels like it is not quite there yet. That being said, I hope to see some updates from this title soon.
Dead end Exit 8 is a beautiful, polished attempt at a find-the-difference horror game. It’s atmospheric and creepy and combines two of my favourite genres of modern horror games: find-the-difference and liminal, repeating space horrors. That being said, it’s far too short; it needs a lot more levels and more difficulty in some of those levels. There’s nothing wrong with the starting level being easy to ease you into it, but when it’s the only level of the game, that’s a big disappointment. Overall, I am really looking forward to more from this amazing indie.
Haikuna has the feeling of a first-time game that hasn’t been playtested by anyone yet. It has a lot of interesting things to say with fun sound design, interesting poems, and a whole lot of heart. But it just doesn’t feel quite like it’s done. Between the unnecessary flashing lights and the weird directions, I have a feeling that if Haikuna has had playtesting, it’s not from people who play video games. Regardless, there is a lot of potential for a unique little educational indie game if it gets a little more work.
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is silly, weird, fun, and completely unexpected. I was floored when I dove into it. I was a little unsure of the direction the developers chose to take it at first, but it quickly grew on me. The music, the sound design, the upgrades… Everything about Turnip Boy Robs a Bank is fun. I am stoked that I got to play this action Roguelite early, and I cannot recommend it enough for those who like this type of game.
There is almost nothing to complain about with this game. Square Logic has a lot of polish, good music, fluid action, and a fun premise. The colors are (mostly) pleasing, and the look of it is gorgeous. It feels unique and original, and I really like puzzle games like this. You really can’t beat it for $2.99; I can’t wait to finish up all the puzzles for myself. That being said, the Dark Mode was a massive disappointment. I don’t think I would have noticed as much if this game hadn’t been as polished as it is, but Dark Mode just seems like an afterthought. Overall, though, Square Logic is incredibly fun, wonderfully put together, and just a great game. Not to mention a great deal for the number of puzzles you get. If you love block puzzles like Tetris or Woodoku, I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest Square Logic to you as well.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Shape of Clouds. It could have done more, but it was an extremely peaceful, original, and fun little puzzle game. I like the feeling of watching all the pixels start to line up and trying to guess what they might look like when they come together. The kids and I really had a good time in spite of the music and the sound design and the little bugs here and there. Overall, Shape of Clouds is some amazing freeware that’s great for the whole family.
Mimi the Cat – Meow Together is not the best Sokoban cat game I’ve played for LadiesGamers. I was kind of disappointed with this one; I feel like it wasn’t playtested at all. Or perhaps all the problems were on my end. Either way, I’m not sure I can formulate an opinion on it.
House Flipper 2 is another solid addition to the line of up of weird, fun simulation titles. If you enjoy things like the original House Flipper, Powerwash Simulator, and such, you’ll love this one. House Flipper 2 was polished, had great sound and good animations, and all the quests were fun. My biggest complaint is that the game was too short, and I’m really looking forward to any DLC that will be released to add more items to decorate with.
Suika Game is a cheap, fun, addictive little game with some of the most adorable faces ever before seen on fruit. It’s soothing to play, fun for the whole family, and a wonderful addition to any Nintendo Switch library. If you are looking for a goofy, last-minute gift or something to do with a Switch gift card, Suika Game is the best US $3 you can spend.
Overall, Watermelon Challenge is a fun, Suika-type game for Steam. For only $3, it’s a wonderful addition to any library and makes for a fun gift for long-distance friends as well.
DREAMERS: A Nostalgic Adventure seems like a super fun game with a lot of heart, a cute and cozy story and many puzzles. Unfortunately I didn’t get to play much of this title because of the issues I was having. I would suggest that if you want to play the game you chose one of the other consoles.
Based on many other reviews of Snakebird Complete, I think it might just be me. But just because Snakebird didn’t pull me in doesn’t mean that I can’t recognize how polished, aesthetic, and without bugs it was. If you like goofy puzzle games, Snakebird might just be the perfect little snake-like for you.
I haven’t quite finished Ugly, but I am definitely going to. So far, it’s been without bugs, fun, interesting, unique, and has a wonderful story. The environment is so rich with details that it tells its own story; the mechanics are interesting and different. I love the music, the movement, and everything about Ugly, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
At Winter’s End is okay. I didn’t fall in love with it, and the dice rolling aspect didn’t add anything to the game. However, it is super cute, beautifully rendered, and worth a playthrough if you like visual novels.
I really like these games, and Hidden Cats of Spooky Town especially. The art is lovely, the game is relaxing, the music is nice. It’s overall a pretty clean experience. I only had one small issue while playing: some of the Hidden Kittens on moving objects have kind of small hitboxes, making them hard to click on as they ride away in a balloon or car or whatever. I think that just a tiny bit more wiggle room in those particular hitboxes would make a massive difference in how good this game feels to play. To be honest, that was the only issue I had with Hidden Cats of Spooky Town. I love this little game, and I look forward to whatever beautiful artwork comes next from these very talented artists.
Sweet Dreams Alex is a polished, relaxing, fun puzzle game with a lot of heart. Everything from the color scheme to the levels is well planned, and I am deeply surprised with how much content there is in this game. There are different kinds of levels, difficulty modes, and plenty to do. I really couldn’t come up with a single complaint about this amazing puzzle game.