Hidden in My Paradise adds something extra to the hidden object genre. Being able to move the objects around the scene to help find the items, re-creating snapshots and the ability to create your own levels makes for extended play.
Dreamland Farm is a basic but pleasant farming simulation. At times, it can be a bit too slow, waiting for rocks or trees to appear, but overall it’s an enjoyable game to while away a few hours.
Seasonspree is an adorable, short adventure. The graphics are cheerful with vibrant colours that lift your mood. The changing seasons and the satisfaction gained from helping Sunny’s friends make it a joy to play.
I like so much about Garden Witch Life . The bees buzzing round the hives, the roses growing up the trellis fences, the exciting and different areas through the magical portal, the cooking mini-games and no dangerous mine monsters to battle with. However at present it feels more like an early access version, and whilst updates are welcome to resolve issues, I shouldn’t have to restart in order to benefit. It is for the numerous issues I encountered that I can’t recommend Garden Witch Life at this moment. I sincerely hope that the developers weed out the problems, as there is a great farming/life sim game waiting to be unearthed.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a short adventure, about flying around on a broomstick, delivering parcels. At times, I found controlling the broomstick a bit frustrating, and this did impact on my overall enjoyment. However, the scenery is great, with bright colours and a diverse landscape, and the ability to see all of this from the air enhances the experience.
Sokomage is a short, but pleasantly challenging sokoban-style puzzle game, especially when navigating the multiple screen per level. Frustrating at times, but overall satisfying.
The depth and breadth of The Garden Path are so extensive and coupled with real-time interaction that it’s hard to review after only a few days of play. My initial thoughts on this exquisite, hand-crafted game were positive. The artwork is stunning, the dialogue witty, and the mystery intriguing. But as time progressed, and I was slowed down by my excessive collecting, coupled with the lack of direction, my enthusiasm plummeted. However, I pushed through the barriers of frustration, had the Eureka moment, and started to understand where The Garden Path was going. This is not a game for the faint-hearted. If you like bright colours and clear guidance, look for a different game. But, just like in real life, the more time and effort you invest, the more reward you get, especially when it comes to gardening. The Garden Path is truly a remarkable game. Unlike anything I’ve encountered before, I’m left wanting to know more and play more. It was close to getting our highest rating, but the lack of clarity on some of the mechanics and the snail’s pace penalty for hoarding means:
If you enjoy finding objects, Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra is a great game to add to your collection. The cute puppies and glorious landscapes, together with no timer and all the worlds available at the start, make for an enjoyable experience. The added twist of solving a puzzle to unlock the final shy dog adds an extra challenge. If frustration sets in at finding those last few pups, conduct your collected puppies to play a pleasant tune instead!
Farm Land is a fast-paced farming sim with a focus on making money to expand. It’s repetitive: sow, water, harvest, expand; however, it’s strangely addictive. It’s a great game to play on the go, and its bright colours make it a cheerful experience.
There is no denying that Pine Hearts is a beautifully crafted narrative. There are plenty of tasks to keep any quest hunter happy, but don’t rely on the quest log to keep track. The characters are adorable, the graphics are fresh and colourful, and the music adds to the experience.
A round of ap-paws for Little Kitty, Big City. It’s the purr-fect offering of adventure, humour and collecting. There is the fun of exploring the big city and puzzling out how to get to different areas. The entertaining conversations with the various residents, coupled with the amusing actions of the adorable kitten. The plethora of quests and collectables will keep you busy for several hours.
I was delighted to find that Surmount was more than just a platforming adventure of climbing a single mountain. The side expeditions, storyline and humorous interactions with other climbers make it a joyful experience, even for those of us whose climbing skills are lacking. The coordination needed to control your little climber grabbing the rock face and flinging them in the right direction is harder than it looks and makes this a challenging adventure. The option of a local co-op is a great addition and makes Surmount a fun game to share. Unfortunately, my co-op player and I glitched a few too many times to give Surmount a Two Thumbs Up (our initial thoughts). But it made us smile and laugh, especially with low gravity, so it’s a:
There is no denying that Botany Manor transports you to a bygone era. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time digging around to find the growing conditions of the forgotten flora, ensuring my herbarium blossomed in completeness and unearthing Arabella Greene’s life.
Sharing a style similar to all the Kairosoft management simulation games, TV Studio Story is reassuringly familiar with bright colours and cute pixelated characters. However, I wish there had been more opportunity to see the adorable characters wander around, but the pop-up messages got in the way. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the same satisfaction in playing TV Studio Story as I have with similar games. The allocation of TV show stats was a bit too random for my liking, and although selecting the best genre, theme, and set combination was a fun challenge, it didn’t have the same appeal once I’d completed all the viewer requests.
Some games take you on an emotional roller-coaster. For us, PlateUp! was more of an emotional freefall. First impressions were great, it was challenging, but doable, and even failing had an element of fun to it. However the constant new options meant that practised recipes and restaurant layouts meant nothing, each attempt was totally new and this started to frustrate. However, the lack of explanation of how appliances, upgrades, speed-runs and franchises work took away the enjoyment. One of my co-oped friends would rate it as ‘I don’t like it’, bitterly disappointed to have wasted so much time. The other would rate it as ‘I like it’ but would not play it again. I know PlateUp! has a loyal following, but for us, it was undercooked
Dream Town Island is a dream come true. Watching the cute pixelated characters go about their daily lives, falling in love and starting a family is delightful. There is a great balance in progressing through the game, playing mini-games, unlocking facilities and building your dream town.
Although I enjoyed the different course locations and the concept of unicorns rather than karts or motorbikes, Wildshade: Unicorn Champions doesn’t bring anything new to the racing genre. If more could be made of the breeding option, allowing the characteristics of the horse or unicorn to have some bearing on performance, it would make Wildshade: Unicorn Champions a more exciting and memorable racing game. As it is, it seems off the pace and, for me, fell at the first hurdle.
Hamster on Rails definitely has some momentum behind it. The beautiful dioramas are a joy to look at. There is a good balance between challenging and straightforward levels, with many techniques to learn and apply. There is also the added bonus of customising your hamster explorer.
Mail Time is definitely one to write home about. The short adventure delivers you to the whimsical world of Grumblewood Grove, with its quirky houses and fascinating residents. The imagination in both the scenery and characters makes for a truly delightful experience.
The bright colours and lovely pixelated characters of Cafe Master Story fill the screen with familiarity. Designing the best trio of drinks to recommend to customers is one of the best mini-games I’ve played in a Kairosoft game. Cafe Master Story is not as complicated as some of the other Kairosoft games and with the on-screen help to get you started, it’s an ideal introduction to this type of management simulation game.