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Gameplay is bog-standard, and if you don’t mind walking with minor interactions then you will be good. Story-wise, I think Nightmare Shift could have been a little better. Mainly with dropping better hints as to what might be going on or building up on some events. I would have replayed the last couple of chapters but for some reason the chapter select reset. Which is a shame as the game is a really easy platinum. So in the end Nightmare Shift is okay, but nothing stood out and the horror was eh. It’s the Thumb Culture Silver Award. One more thing to mention is that the start of the game does have a lot of flashing images so be wary.
I’m pretty sure at this point I should just name my Steam Deck the Roguelite Deck. Yet Another Zombie Survivors will likely join the ranks of others that have taken up permanent residence there. It features depth, design and gameplay just unique enough to make it stand apart from its peers. I’m looking forward to continuing to unlock and progress through the various modes over time. I don’t think I could give its 1.0 release anything less than the Thumb Culture Platinum Reward!
Zombutcher really is a little diamond that I didn’t expect to find. Yes it has its quirks and some minor issues but it really feels like a one of a kind game. I have had a wonderful time testing this game out and will be continuing to play it. I’ve got to give Zombutcher the Thumb Culture Gold Award. It’s a shop sim like I’ve never experienced before.
Cultic is one of the best modern retro shooters available on PS5 right now in my opinion. It’s stylish, brutal, atmospheric, and endlessly fun. If you enjoy fast shooters with horror vibes and clever level design, this is a must‑play. The joy I felt shooting through the levels and thinking of new ways to play was incredible. The amount of tools you are given at your disposal to wreck havoc on the cult members felt truly executed to perfection. Full pun intended. With all this in mind I am happy to be awarding Cultic the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. Don’t hold back and get this game for yourself. You’ll thank me later!
I mentioned that this game reminds me of Papers, Please and if you enjoyed that game, then pick this up. It has really great game mechanics and the changing of the rules keep you on your toes. At first my attention felt split for just understanding the new items and looking at the time. But, once you get a rhythm to bounce on, you can blaze through shifts like butter. It’s fun, creative and some of the surprises you’re exposed to are rather enjoyable. I give Security 51 the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
As far as games go for killing time Toy Shop Tidy up isn’t too bad. The game runs smooth, and the only glitch I had was more of a fun one, where I launched through the ceiling and noticed some flying books. Besides not being able to oddly find one plush – if it clipped through the floor, who knows – I finished the game. So it really depends if the restocking and organizing toys is your kinda thing, but overall not bad. Here’s the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
The Caribou Trail is a powerful, atmospheric WWI narrative experience with minimal gameplay but exceptional emotional depth. Its slow pace and repetitive tasks are intentional, serving the story rather than traditional game design. This may not be for everyone, but I sure enjoyed my time with it! If you value immersion and character drama over action, it’s a memorable and meaningful journey. With this in mind, I’ll be awarding The Caribou Trail a Thumb Culture Gold Award! Hopefully we see more from these developers going forward!
I enjoyed the new levels that The Prisoner had to offer, but was a little gutted with the overall length and main threat. It seems like just a little more time with flamethrower soldier would have felt a little better instead of one chase scene. But I am looking forward to seeing both of our new characters prevail on the dark journey ahead. So if you loved the base game you will love the DLC, however maybe holding off for a complete story might be best. Well, if you hate cliffhangers like me anyways. Reanimal: The Prisoner gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award from me. It would have been higher, but the end segment felt a bit cut short.
Overall Agefield High: Rock The School comes off as just bad from the missions, combat, all the way to the open-world itself, which is rather empty. My time with it was riddled with crash after crash, and it just made it harder to get through. The story seems as if they took the best parts of any high school movies and gave it a mission with no actual build up. This comes from the lack of development with the characters themselves, with most seeming like they’ve known Sam for years. Another thing that disappointed me was just how little you are actually in the school, as most of what happens is out of school. Classes, excpet for Music are all the same which feels cheap and could have offered some different mini-games. The idea for the game is genuinely interesting, more so since I wouldn’t mind another game like Rockstar’s Bully. But in the end Agefield High: Rock The School, just isn’t it, so it’s getting the Thumb Culture Bronze Award from me. Maybe if it was held back a few grade for development, it might be better.
At the end of the day, Angels Fall First can be really kind of whatever you want it to be. Whether that’s a solo game, a server of your own, or just a jump in and fight. Whichever you end up choosing, it allows for robust customizability to tweak things however you want. Although it does have various ways to play and ample customization, it felt very overwhelming as a new player. It is built for a very particular kind of player. There is a dedicated tutorial where you are able to play around with the various scenarios, but it doesn’t really cover loadouts and customization and how those mechanics work. The UI is a bit overwhelming as well. With these items in mind, I’d give the game the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Dystopicon is a really fun little simulator game. It’s story telling is whacky but interesting. It never feels like you’re sat waiting for the time to pass. The management elements of the game are really well done. I’ve given in the Thumb Culture Silver Award simply because the lack of the pointer really did ruin the experience for me. I’m sure this will be something that is fixed in future updates but for the time being I’ll have to leave it at that.
Whatever the world has in store for us, Doloc Town can be ranked up there with the cosy farming sim greats to provide a little bit of happiness. While initially very overwhelming and keeping your inventory organised is rather finicky, the gameplay is exceedingly rewarding. Building up both your farm and Doloc itself keeps you coming back just one more harvesting session. What it lacks in tight combat mechanics and inventory management, it makes up for in spades with charm, ingenuity, and character. A post-apocalyptic pick-me-up that warms the cockles and inspires you to build a legacy from something raw, no matter how small the result or how rustic the tools. I give it the Thumb Culture Gold Award to display proudly on the skull above Zenis’s Tavern. To the future, friends. Cheers!
Overall, I enjoyed my time with The Planet Crafter much more than I thought I would. Despite the opening hours being a bit slow and repetitive, once things get going, then this is a game worth investing some time into. Base building is intuitive and works well using a controller. The lack of danger may not be for everyone, but I found this a perfect title to jump into after a stressful day at work. Therefore, The Planet Crafter receives the ThumbCulture Gold Award!
Love it, simply love it. Whilst Esports Manager 2026 is not perfect, it achieves what it has set out to do perfectly. I think that there are some elements that can be added (call me) to enhance the gameplay, but in general, love it. Very excited to see what enhancements Neurona Games have in store in the future. I have given Esports Manager 2026 a Thumb Culture Gold Award
Corsair Cove doesn’t try to compete with massive pirate adventures packed with cinematic storytelling or endless action, and I actually think it’s better because of that. Instead, it focuses on creating a relaxing settlement-building game that’s easy to pick up and surprisingly difficult to put down. The combination of exploration, resource management and gradual progression creates a gameplay loop that’s consistently satisfying. If you’re someone who enjoys watching a small settlement slowly grow into something much bigger, you’ll probably find yourself sinking plenty of hours into it. The camera can be a little awkward to begin with, and there are moments where the gameplay naturally slows while you gather resources, but neither issue takes away from what is an enjoyable experience overall. Corsair Cove feels like it knows exactly what it wants to be. It isn’t trying to reinvent settlement builders, but by mixing elements of games like The Settlers with light exploration and a pirate theme, it delivers something that’s relaxing, rewarding and very easy to recommend. If you’re after a game you can unwind with after a long day, this is definitely one worth adding to your collection. I give Corsair Cove the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
It starts strong with great gun-play, and exploring the ship, but I do feel like the Stalkers take too much away from the game. Senara: The Sacrament quickly loses the horror atmosphere once the second threat begins to appear, mainly because of the damage output. They also love to camp around nearby making navigating corridors a little bit challenging. Overall though the game runs great, with only a couple of visual bugs when it tried to load things in. I did enjoy exploring overall, and that Senara: The Sacrament, makes it really clear when you will need to make a choice key. I found saving is a must since endings like the helicopter one, does seem a little unforgiving, but I won’t spoil it. Well, I am giving it the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
After trying to give The Relic a fair shot I just could not continue. The bosses are unbalanced, and combat is just too janky to really enjoy it. Statues effect are very punishing with some of the first few bosses you will encounter. I’m not sure why the game decided to riddle the world with notes, and make them right next to each other at that. With me even counting 11 notes exactly one after another, that just led to a boss fight. An empty, lifeless world with side-quest that end up feeling like just filler. But honestly from the 8 hours I spent with The Relic, the whole time has felt like useless padding. A very large amount of my frustration comes from just how bad the hit boxes are. Tie that with the severe dropping in frame rate over nothing going on in the world. And even worse when you actually fight one enemy let alone a group or boss. Everything is just a chore, and I just couldn’t push through. I really don’t have any praise for The Relic: First Guardian. It’s definitely the Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
I initially thought I was going to be overwhelmed by the mechanics in Fogpiercer. Thankfully they were easy to pick up and understand after a few short runs. The deckbuilding and strategy aspects make this roguelite stand out from others, on top of crisp graphics and audio. It’s definitely one I’m going to keep playing and I recommend you check it out as well. Well deserving of the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Honestly, Viking Frontiers is an unfinished game that should never have made its way to consoles. I have a soft spot for other games of its ilk, such as Bellwright and Sengoku Dynasty. But this is one I absolutely cannot recommend this. There are countless games in the survival genre worthy of your time, but Viking Frontiers is not one of them. As much as it pains me to say this, Viking Simulator, unfortunately, is getting the ThumbCulture Broken Award.
The game offers some fun puzzle with more of a spooky vibe, rather than an overall horror. As most of the jump scares come from failing tasks. Escape From Umbra is extremely easy when it comes to avoiding minions or even umbra herself. And if you managed to use the lanterns every time you passed one, then you don’t have to worry about loosing progress. I’d give the game a solid Thumb Culture Silver Award. If you want a nice little game to stimulate your brain then Escape From Umbra isn’t a bad shout.