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Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection is exactly the sort of release that reminds you why preserving old games matters. Yes, the graphics are ancient. Yes, some of the controls and gameplay mechanics feel dated. Yes, younger gamers who have grown up with modern shooters may wonder why anyone would willingly play a game with CRT effects on their monitor screen. But that’s not really what this collection is about. It’s about remembering! 35 years after Alien Breed first appeared, it’s quite something to be sitting here playing it again. The developers have done a good job of adding modern conveniences without completely messing with what made the originals special. Modern controls, save states, visual options, online multiplayer and new modes make the games much easier to enjoy today, while the original versions remain at the heart of the package. You start the game, hear those familiar sounds, see those chunky pixels and suddenly you’re 15 again, except now your knees hurt. Instead of worrying about whether your mum is going to tell you to turn the computer off, you’re worrying about paying your mortgage. Alien Breed might be 35 years old, but the little bugger still knows how to make you smile. For old-school gamers who remember the Amiga era, the Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection is a genuinely enjoyable trip down memory lane and a great reminder of just how much fun games could be before everything needed a 100GB installation. You don’t find yourself needing to source a new M.2 drive to play this! I give Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Keep Driving was a game I’d had my eye on since its PC release last year. Now, having played it, I really think it was worth the wait for us console players. The summer road trip atmosphere kept me engaged throughout multiple playthroughs, and I still haven’t seen everything the game has to offer. A great title to pick up and play when you have a spare half an hour, although it may grow a little tiresome for longer play sessions. A mix of RPG, Roguelike, and Visual Novel, Keep Driving is definitely a title I’d recommend for those of you looking for something original and driven by player choice. Therefore, Keep Driving receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Garfield – Escape from Monday is a decent entry-level platformer. It is easy to pick up on, easy to play through, and doesn’t get too challenging. For the newer gamer or younger crowd, it is suitable. However for those that play all variety of games at various difficulty levels, it can feel a bit underwhelming. It still has great visuals with a comic charm and fun to play. I’m giving the game the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Order of the Sinking Star has been a game I’ve really enjoyed getting lost in. I’ve spent around 20 plus hours with it, and I already want to play more. There’s something incredibly satisfying about solving each puzzle and moving onto the next one. The sheer amount of content also gives me plenty of reasons to keep coming back. I still have so much of the story and puzzles left to experience. That makes it difficult to put the game down, even after several hours. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Order of the Sinking Star so far. For me, it has earned the highest honour, a Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Do I like Dog in the Machine? No, I love it. I often choose independent games to review and there is no greater feeling than unearthing a true gem. In this case, I have unearthed a hoard of treasure that will enrich my gaming well into the future. Hats off to Studio Chahut for producing a fun but challenging game, and at the price of £16 it is a steal. If you are a fan of strategy and turn based games I would urge you to get a copy, it might not change your life, but you wont regret it. If you are not a fan, it might just convert you.
Awkward AI disclaimers aside, Cards Everywhere is just another tidy up game in a sea of tidy up games. It doesn’t do anything wrong but it doesn’t do anything differently either. Then you add in the awkward tip toe around AI and it just makes things fall flat. I’ve got to give Cards Everywhere the Thumb Culture Bronze Award. It’s a super low price point but you could pick any game in the tidy up library and still find the same game. Check out our other PC reviews here to find other games worth adding to your library!
Worming From Home is exactly what I wanted it to be when I saw its trailer. It’s a super enjoyable, albeit odd, experience from start to finish. My army of intern worms is still working away in the background whilst I’m here giving the game the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. It’s a game I would recommend to friends and anyone looking for something silly to play in one sitting.
Bunker Tidy Up is as simple and straightforward as you would expect. It scratches that organization itch without involving niche hurdles or objectives to overcome. Unfortunately that also leads to a fairly short-lived game that doesn’t bring much, if anything, to the table for replayability. However, it doesn’t come off as a “janky” game despite using some well-worn mechanics and simple assets. So I am still awarding the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
I may not have expected much from Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but it still found ways to pleasantly surprise me. It’s one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year. And much of that is because it’s just so much fun. The game knows what it is and leans into the samurai theme instead of trying to replicate a formula that may have worked for some other developer. When I do get the time, I’ll definitely be chasing every Steam achievement for this game. It’s for this reason that I give it the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Whilst I’m still not sure what the thought process was behind making TSW a yearly release, I can’t deny just how much enjoyment I get out of playing them. Train Sim World 7 is no different, providing three high-quality routes for returning fans to enjoy. Plus, the new Freight Hauler mode offers more sandbox fun than even the Free Roam mode. Add on the simplified control scheme that makes it accessible to more people than ever before, and you’re on track to be the best train simulation game ever. Therefore, Train Sim World 7 receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Is Bus Simulator 27 one of the best sim games I’ve played? No, there are far too many issues to put it high up on that list. But did I enjoy the time I spent with it? Mostly, yes! Despite its flaws, I can’t deny that I had a pretty chilled-out experience, with only a few issues that made me mumble swear words under my breath. Although it does need a bit more polish, this is still a decent title that both bus and simulator enthusiasts will probably enjoy. With all that said, I’ll be giving Bus Simulator 27 the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
Marvel’s Wolverine is actually a really great game, but I came across a lot of things that did kill my momentum because of these issues. I’m curious with the ending we got, are they going to work on Wolverine 2? Or will the worlds of this game and Spider-Man collide and we might get a hint in Spider-Man 3. Now, it is up to you if you want to pick it up because you like Insomniac Games’ work. I want to say that this is a good game with an amazing story to tell. I give Marvel’s Wolverine the Thumb Culture Gold Award
Ultimately Tiny Eden missed the mark for me. I know that simulators can be simplistic and not have a lot to them but they still feel like you’re achieving something and that wasn’t the case here. In short bursts this game was enjoyable but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back to unlock more plants. To give kudos to the devs they do seem to be on the ball with updating and fixing bugs as there have already been quite a few big updates fixing things. After playing Tiny Eden I’ve got to give it the Thumb Culture silver award. I don’t doubt there are plenty of people that will adore this game, but unfortunately it just didn’t hit for me.
TCG Card Shop Simulator delivers more than it promises. The gameplay is satisfying, and there’s a bunch of content to experience. If you want an engaging, relaxing game to lose hours, TCG Card Shop Simulator is the way to go. It may not do anything groundbreaking, and there are some performance-related issues. But TCG Card Shop Simulator is definitely a game I’ll keep coming back to. It’s for this reason that I give it the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
So Paw Patrol Dino World isn’t perfect. It’s a little rough around some edges. However, it is a lot of fun to play, especially for a Paw Patrol fan like me. My biggest gripe is the length of the game, being only 4 hours it does feel a little like you get shortchanged. If you enjoy the Paw Patrol world, then it should definitely be on your radar, especially if you are just introducing young children into the world of gaming. Paw Patrol Dino World receives a Thumb Culture Silver Award.
NHL 27 has provided me with a lot of fun, especially when you consider I was not really a hockey fan. It took me some time to figure out what the hell was going on and multiple ‘icing’ fouls before actually understanding what it meant. However, when I did eventually figure out how to play the game and realised the button configuration was similar to EA SPORTS FC, it became fun. As I’ve said multiple times throughout this review, I am not a seasoned veteran when it comes to the NHL franchise. Therefore, this review may lack a bit of detail when trying to compare it with it predeccessors. However, I do sometimes think a review from someone who is ‘not in the inside’ is just as valuable! With that being said, I will be awarding NHL 27 with the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
I had fun with Doggy Don’t Care, and I’m looking forward to what Rohan Nowall makes next. The game has a creative concept with Charlie the dog causing chaos everywhere he goes. The surprisingly creative levels and puzzles sucked me in and kept me playing. The visual design was very good and made up for the not-quite-as-strong audio. There is plenty more for me to see and revisit in later playthroughs. And I’m looking forward to 100%-ing the game with those 25 achievements, which is rare for me. I am pleased to give Doggy Don’t Care a Thumb Culture Silver Award! I hope you enjoyed the review, and if you’re feeling nostalgic for other sim games, check out the review for Retro Arcade Shop Simulator.
I really enjoyed Earth Must Die. Whilst not every joke landed, the game is so jam-packed with them that it got countless laughs out of me. With a star-studded cast, gorgeous visuals, and some clever puzzles, this is a Point and Click game that everyone should play! Therefore, Earth Must Die receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Well Dweller is honestly a beautiful game and I highly recommend playing it for its amazing story and not too stressful of a time when fighting. My only gripe with the game is with the shop and trying to bulk buy trinket spaces. Other than that, the game made me smile, laugh, angry and sad my entire experience. I doubt Kyle would read this, but thank you again for making another great game. In a time where a good chunk of us are alone and family is far from us, the game helps us remember that family is worth fighting for. And if your child likes plucking bird feathers out of pure psychotic joy…TO THE BRIG THEY GO!I also like harvesting food, plants and eggs to use to eat or make more. Plus, finding different vendors who sell skills, books and other great items while exploring made me want to search for more stuff. I give Well Dweller the Thumb Culture Platinum Award
Elden Ring was my game of the year back in 2023 and it’s been really nice to go back and experience the adventure all over again. Will I still predominantly play on the console? Absolutely but being able to experience the game on handheld so that I can loudly swear on train rides? That sounds like perfection. The obvious limitations of the Switch paired with the general issues I have with Elden Ring has knocked the game down to achieve the Thumb Culture Gold Award. It’s still one of my favourite games and it’s definitely worth adding to your game library!