My gripes aside, I can honestly say that Low-Budget Repairs is one of my favorite new renovation games, if not my downright favorite. It does many mechanics in the genre well while also adding a real, comically dingy and cheap feeling to everything, entertaining beyond the satisfying process by allowing you to be a garbage handyman and accompanying the experience with great dialogue and characters. While I think the game could be a bit more open and make more frequent use of its immersive mechanics, it was still an overall fun game and one I think fans of the genre will really enjoy.
Looking for Fael is a fantastic puzzle game with some clever challenges to overcome and an interesting, multi-dimensional mystery to unravel. While the game’s reliance on physical note-taking feels like a flaw inherently baked into the game, it is the only one I really found worth commenting on. Fans of the genre are sure to have a fun time unraveling the threads of this multiversal conundrum, conveniently located within an apartment complex.
Mistfall Hunter has the bones of something that could be great. However, the current, bare-bones state of the game is full of unnecessary restrictions that limit solo play, an awkward core loop, and predatory monetization tactics befitting of a mobile game. The game’s beautiful world and exciting setting simply were not enough to help me see past its flaws, and while I can see where some players would enjoy the game, I personally would call it “mid” at best.
For a simulation title, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs is exceptional, giving you a great simulation of a very niche idea in an even more niche setting. That being said, the game’s main mechanic could use more complexity, and the loop can get a bit repetitive and grindy, making the game best enjoyed in short bursts.
For a game made by a solo developer, HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon is impressive and outright inspiring. Small problems persist, but overall the game features incredible art, a strong narrative and setting, and turn-based RPG combat that is not only incredibly fun, but also has more exciting to use and uniquely designed abilities than you’d find in a lot of games in the genre.
Pass the Fear has some good moments tucked beneath some lackluster design choices, suffering from rapid and disorienting balance changes that bring the game from disappointingly slow and easy to obnoxiously bullet-sponge-focused. While you can certainly find some joy in this game, I find it hard to recommend it alongside some other, similar titles in the genre.
Midnight Moments provides you with simple, straightforward tools and assets to create impressive little cyberpunk dioramas. While the tools have some slight issues and the assets could be better, the title particularly shines in using simple shapes and geometric language to create impressive scenes with unimpressive, easy-to-use shapes.
Sir, We Have an Orc Problem feels right at home with the best flash games on Newgrounds or Armor Games, really weaponizing the dopamine you get from slow progression and grinding out upgrade trees. As a title you’d pay for, it is a little lacking in content and longevity, but just a little; if the game has your interest, I’d still give it a try, but I might recommend picking it up on sale if you do.
Corsair Cove is a great city-building game for those who like the actual act of building up their town, watching it grow and admiring the shape their labor takes, aided in no small part by its unique pirate theme and how it forces you to build atop and along towering cliffs. Mechanically, however, it can be a bit understimulating, being rather easy for veteran city builders to handle and gravely oversimplifying its ship combat and exploration mechanics.
Fogpiercer is a fun roguelike deck builder with a unique “battle train premise,” but its core gameplay loop quickly becomes repetitive. A little more content, especially explorations of the game’s narrative or characters, could have greatly helped with this problem; but even so, the game still manages to be a fairly fun title with a focus on positional strategy.
Dead Weight is carried by its great setting, fun characters, impressive art, and unique take on the roguelike campaign system. While its gameplay is fun, it does suffer from design choices that might end your run before it even begins, and less-than-perfect in-run and out-of-run progression holds the gameplay back significantly. However, for the game’s incredibly fair price, I would still recommend giving it a try for yourself, even if this review has left you skeptical.
Like a most deadly pandemic, Pathogenic has flown under the radar, but is soon to explode across the population and infect us all with a good time. This excellent twin-stick bullet-hell shooter boasts great mechanics and a strong theme to showcase them, one that left my skin crawling in all the best ways.
Ascend to ZERO is a fantastic roguelike, one that combines its unique time-trial mechanics with a quick, dirty, and clever adaptation of survivors-like combat and satisfyingly intense level scaling. The game looks and plays great, but some poor localization and the grindy nature of its difficulty curve might prevent some players from fully appreciating it.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced sets a gold standard for remakes, enhancing the original with both gameplay additions and recreated graphics to serve as a truly new experience for players to enjoy.
Schrödinger’s Call is the best visual novel I’ve experienced in years. Between its incredible visuals, sensational score, and heartbreaking story full of twists and tear-jerking turns, you are bound to leave this incredible narrative experience different from the one you were.
Crushed in Time is a fun puzzle game, with a fun story and great visuals. Many of the puzzles, built around the unique stretch-and-pull mechanic, are fun and cleverly designed, but that mechanic can start to feel gimmicky and lose its charm before too long. It’s unfortunate to say that the game just doesn’t quite live up to There is No Game, but it remains a fun puzzle game regardless.
Though some of the new mechanics might feel a little undercooked, it’s hard to argue with a new original Frostpunk campaign and all of the new stuff that comes with it. Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust feels like a mandatory part of your Frostpunk collection, and I dare say you’d be missing out if you chose to pass this DLC up.
Tabletop Tavern is a brilliant mix of RTS wargaming and the roguelike formula, as well as an incredible feat for a solo developer. However, it lacks the much-needed strategic depth and faction variety, and the current build starts to feel stale before long. With the developer working hard to update the game, you can rest assured it will evolve from its current state, though it still feels like an Early Access title in every way but the name.
Voidling Bound could use a few quality-of-life improvements, but is otherwise an excellent, fun-to-play, and incredibly unique entry into the creature collector genre. The game has a great setting, an appealing gameplay loop, and a nice message about conservation that manages not to feel preachy or in your face. I highly recommend this title for fans of the genre or those looking for a unique new shooter.
The Gothic 1 Remake is a beautiful graphical upgrade of one of the most incredible RPGs of all time, and I have no doubt that returning fans will love it. However, the game’s performance issues dampen the mood, and certain new bugs and a lack of quality-of-life improvements make it less than a perfect remake. These issues and the lack of modernizing polish may also make it harder for new players to get into the game, especially when paired with the obviously and purposefully dated, difficult gameplay.