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If you love that pastel paradise, magical girl aesthetic, you absolutely must grab Calico. I had a hard time putting this one down even after I had completed everything, and I’m honestly tempted to start a new game just to experience the magic all over again. Seriously, if you’re still reading this, just go buy Calico and get that serotonin injection you deserve. Your brain will thank you!
Mir UmarHassan’s heartbreaking words are so eloquently expressed in The Indifferent Wonder Of An Edible Place, and I applaud Studio Oleomingus for their outstanding achievement in ludonarrative harmony. While this experience may be lost on those seeking a typical video game and only looking skin deep into its subject matter, The Indifferent Wonder Of An Edible Place urges players to do their research on the tragic events that inspired the game, begging them not to turn a blind eye to these tragedies. This game may not excite just anyone, but its message is for everyone; The Indifferent Wonder Of An Edible Place’s only cost is 15 minutes of your time.
If you’re looking for a little holiday-themed fun this time of year, I definitely recommend Ho-Ho-Home Invasion. It’s short, it’s sweet, and you’ll be ready to step up should Tim Allen ever meet the fate of his predecessor.
Picklock’s journey ends after thirteen levels, which is unfortunate because I enjoyed my time with him. He might not have…stolen…my heart, but he did keep me busy for a few fun hours. If you enjoy strategy or heist games, or amorality, then Picklock is certainly worth your time.
I quite enjoyed my peaceful afternoon with The First Friend, seeing life through someone else’s eyes and discovering meaning in both the traumatic and the mundane. The First Friend acts as a lovely palate cleanser in-between longer titles, a wonderful reset button to recharge the spirit. With gorgeous visuals and a calming soundtrack, The First Friend is a beautiful walking simulator that makes wandering around aimlessly an enjoyable experience. If you can relate to the powerful bond between a child and their first pet, be sure to check out The First Friend today.
I have never equally loved and hated a game as much as Cyberpunk 2077. When it works, it’s definitely a fun game of sorts, but when it breaks, which it does too often in every sense of the word, it immediately saps any sort of fun from the experience. Worst of all, it wastes tens of hours of your time due to bugs and game-breaking errors. As it stands right now, I wouldn’t recommend playing it for anyone on the base PS4. I did, and I regret absolutely everything.
For an hour’s worth of emotional, important gameplay at the price of a cup of coffee, What Comes After is a must-play for anyone who needs to be reminded that life is worth living. That they’re not a burden on their loved ones. That others are praying for their health and happiness. That other souls depend on them. That they have redeeming qualities. That it’s okay to not be okay. To just breathe. If you are not currently suicidal, please consider picking up What Comes After to hear these powerfully reaffirming messages — the words we’ve needed to hear after a harrowing year.
Honestly, Grindstone is a game I’m ecstatic I finally got to try. If I hadn’t known it was originally for mobile, I wouldn’t have believed it. This is a high-quality adventure, and a reason I keep following the work of Capybara Games. It’s full of content, amazing art, and challenge galore. Yet it never gets so hard that I decided to stop playing for very long. Honestly, this is the best puzzle game I’ve played in a decade. It’s tremendous fun, and the only real downside is that sometimes the difficulty will spike unexpectedly. If you have a Nintendo Switch and are looking for a game to grind away the hours, this is a wonderful choice.
Airborne Kingdom is a sight to behold, and one that is worthy of any city-builder fan’s attention. There’s a chill novelty to it that will subtly come over you as your floating metropolis glides across the screen, getting bigger and more unwieldy as the hours pass. With a few quality of life improvements, Airborne Kingdom could soar to far greater heights; for now, it’s the stress-reducer that fans of the genre should be paying attention to. So keep your eyes on the skies, and when Airborne Kingdom comes into view, be sure to grab it for your Epic Games Store library.
When The Past Was Around is the lovely bookend to 2020 for me; when coupled with January’s Coffee Talk, I’m reminded that there are plenty of cozy games that provide extreme comfort no matter what their genre. While I do wish I had experienced this game on PC or even the Switch due to the small text on TV, I’m thrilled that I got to experience it at all. As a wise man once said: “It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, and it is better to play When The Past Was Around on console than to have never played it at all.” Heed those words and be sure to pick up When The Past Was Around on the platform of your choice as soon as possible.
Shiren The Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate isn’t a bad game, but the fact that there exist other Mystery Dungeon, more enjoyable (in my opinion, anyway), games made by the same developer certainly works against it. If you enjoy brutally difficult dungeon-crawlers that offer a selection of extremely lengthy dungeons that pull no punches, then, by all means, this game is for you. However, for those wanting something more varied, I might suggest some of Spike Chunsoft’s other Mystery Dungeon titles.
Once again, I am reminding you that Cats Organized Neatly is an adorable little Tetris-like puzzler available on Steam for $2.99. It’s cute. It’s cheap. It’s charming. Honestly, if you’ve made it this far you should probably just go pick it up. Do it for the cats. Do it for the indie devs. Do it for your soul.
Despite how long I’ve been ranting here, there’s plenty more I could say about Hades. But honestly, I feel it’s best you discover for yourself why I’m so enamored of Supergiant’s latest adventure. Though the game isn’t quite perfect, it truly earned the accolades it’s been receiving. And honestly, if they decide to implement some additional content later on, most of my complaints would be rendered moot. This is honestly my favorite game yet by Supergiant Games, and easily one of my favorite indies of 2020. If you love rogue and need something new to enjoy, be sure to put this one on your wishlist.
At the end of the day, Barbearian isn’t too hard to figure out. It’s a slightly above-average, bite-size hack-and-slash game with a charm that feels incredibly Flash-esque. It’s not on my list of top contenders or anything, but it’s not something that I’d steer people clear of, either. If you’re looking for something fun, fast, mindless, and relatively inexpensive, there are definitely way worse things that you could play than Barbearian.
I left Röki on my backlog for far too long; don’t make the same mistake I did — play Röki sooner rather than later. A story of loss, love, trauma, and sacrifice told through the beautiful folklore of Scandinavian cultures and the lens of a heroic little girl, Röki will feel like an entirely new experience and is a welcome addition to the point and click genre. Don’t let the forest take another victim — grab Röki and save your family before it’s too late!
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia isn’t your typical grand strategy game. If you love doing things like managing villages and testing your economic prowess, then maybe this isn’t for you. But, for everyone else, Brigandine is definitely worth your time. The entirety of each campaign provides an engaging struggle which puts your tactical combat prowess to the test, and its multiple factions provide detailed stories, each of which is sure to keep you hooked. Despite my gripes here and there, Brigandine really doesn’t need much in the ways of re-working. However, it’s apparently getting that anyway, thanks to its quickly approaching update centered around providing players with the ability to customize their campaigns as well as more in-depth player UIs. So, here’s to an already great game getting even better! Huzzah!
So, what do you reckon, parder? Will you help El Hijo find his mother and free the children from the bad guys? He may be small, but he’s mighty, and with your help, he can be reunited with his family and ride off into the sunset. If a stealth puzzle game that goes from sweet to sinister super fast sounds like something you’d saddle up for, be sure to check out El Hijo: A Wild West Tale on Steam or Stadia today. Adios, amigos!
I can’t help but be charmed by Tanuki Justice. It’s the second game I’ve played published by Storybird Studio, and it’s another great retro throwback. Yes, it’s challenging and sometimes unforgiving, but it’s also a hell of a lot of fun. The few modern conventions here do ultimately make it a more well-rounded package, as well as elements like being able to select stages in any order once you’ve beaten them or try it with another player. And while I do feel it’s a bit pricey, it’s still pretty easy to recommend at less than $20. If you’re a fan of retro-looking for something new, this is a great holiday treat.
If you want to kick back and relax to a chill retrowave game where the journey is more important than the destination, you simply must pick up Tanuki Sunset. Longboarding has never looked so good, and with so many photo-finish opportunities, I’m pretty positive you’ll agree. So skate fast, eat trash, and enjoy this radical ride on this eye-candy trail of synthwave symphonies.
Is Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 more of the same? Yes, and no matter how much I sing its praises, there’ll be those grumbling away at what’s admittedly little more than a reskin. Yet while points might be docked off for a lack of originality, I’m compelled to ask: why fix what ain’t broke? Timeless and engaging in its approachable genius, the puzzle game of the generation remains unmatched in its pliable depth.