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So finally, Hypercharge: Unboxed is a fantastic game with high and lows. It really plays into your childhood memories to hit that sweet spot in terms of nostalgia. The gameplay is a little lacklustre at the moment, and is my only miss in terms of the game. However with only five developers, this can be easily forgiven. The passion and love gone into the project really overshadows the lows for this one. I do hope the developers implement more modes in future updates. Please Digital Cybercherries keep supporting the game and expanding the Hypercharge: Unboxed universe! With everything taken into consideration Hypercharge: Unboxed has earned a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Projected Dreams is a charming and original puzzle game that will tug on the ol’ heart strings. Just don’t blame me if it provokes the odd tear or three. I experienced a range of emotions during my playthrough, from the thrill of constructing a tower of junk that kinda looked like a rabbit, to frustration when things didn’t go my way. It’s challenging, thought-provoking, with an extra-large ladle of cute. All in all the game takes a brave punt on an original idea and shadow boxes it into an enchanting little puzzle experience. As a debut title from a small team, I give Projected Dreams the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a stylish and heartfelt homage to Japanese car culture and the art of drifting. With tight driving mechanics, an atmospheric world, and enough customisation to make any car fan happy, it provides an engaging single-player experience that’s both accessible and rewarding. While it falls short in a few areas, most notably the absence of multiplayer and occasional visual hiccups, the overall package is compelling. Especially for fans of games like Initial D, CarX Drift Racing, or Need for Speed Underground. If you’re looking to lose yourself in the smoky trails of a mountain pass with a custom-tuned ride and a lo-fi beat in the background, JDM: Japanese Drift Master might just be the ride you’ve been waiting for. JDM: Japanese Drift Master receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
I absolutely adored Best Served Cold, despite not normally enjoying visual novels. I find it hard to keep my attention focused on actually reading what the characters are saying, but this game really had me hooked. The characters are really well written, charming and (mostly) likeable. You can even meet some of them over the course of multiple cases! It is really nice to see their character development and watch them make friends with other patrons. The story is great and has some unexpected twists and turns that keep you on your toes. The game isn’t really difficult, but it doesn’t need to be to get you invested. If you enjoy this type of game, I definitely would not skip this one. Best Served Cold very much deserves the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
In conclusion, Islands & Trains is a cute little game that delivers exactly what it promises. It is very on-theme and gives you exactly what you would expect from a sandbox diorama builder. I would personally love a bit more variety in the items, and I did notice rather quickly that I am not quite creative enough to tackle dioramas – but that certainly doesn’t make it a bad game. Not at all, actually! It absolutely lives up to its word. If you are into calm building games or dioramas (and are a bit more creative than me) you will definitely have fun with this one. Despite my creative shortcomings, Islands & Trains has earned itself the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
The time I spent play DOOM: The Dark Ages will always be an amazing stress reliever. A game that just lets me release all my built up rage from the day to something that deserves it feels like holy work. Although, we all know that we can’t trust the Maykr because they’re just as bad as demons. But that’s mostly for others to learn the hard way by playing the other DOOM games. Here’s to Rip and Tear. And here’s to getting another DOOM game with working lore in another 5 years. I give DOOM: The Dark Ages the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Frog Legs is a brilliant, bizarre little horror-comedy romp proving you don’t need a big budget or a long run to make something memorable. With sharp humour, eerie transitions, and a narrative that hops through dimensions with gleeful abandon, this is indie horror at its most ribbeting. Sure, the motion blur might make you feel like you’re viewing the world through a cup of blended margaritas, and the lack of task tracking might leave you briefly bewildered, but those are minor frogs in an otherwise stellar pond. Elliott Dahle, take a bow. Frog Legs gets the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
As a survival crafting game, Oppidum doesn’t do all that much to separate itself from the pack. However, I couldn’t help but be charmed by this vibrant, magical world. There’s a rewarding progression system that made me want to carry on playing just a little longer. Boss encounters are also a highlight, and having to plan my strategies to defeat each one was a lot of fun. If you’re a fan of the genre, chances are you’ll find a lot to love here. Therefore, I’m giving Oppidum a Thumb Culture Gold Award!
To sum up, American Arcadia blends story with a aesthetic that gives it a distinct identity. The dual-character gameplay keeps things fresh, ensuring you stay hooked from start to finish. The game belongs on anybody’s playlist and so for its unique premise, polished execution, and sheer entertainment value. American Arcadia easily earns the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
As it is, City Bus Manager is fun while it lasts; the problem is that it doesn’t last too long. Although I appreciated the relative simplicity of the mechanics, I wish that didn’t result in a lack of gameplay. It’s far from a bad game, and I enjoyed playing, but it felt like I’d seen and done everything far too quickly. The use of real-world maps to plan bus routes all over the world, from New York City to the dingy little town I live in, is a great feature, though. For the relatively low price of £24.99, this may be one to pick up if the thought of this intrigues you, or at the very least wait for a sale. That’s why I’ll be giving City Bus Manager a Thumb Culture Silver Award!
My time with Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping was both amazing but short. I’m glad that Happy Broccoli Games have now made two Duck Detective games and I’m hopeful there will be more. I just wish there was more of this sequel just like there are slices of bread in a bag. Hopefully this review would convince people to get this game and start a cult following. Because a game like this should be treasured before it flies south for the winter! I give Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
So, after all that, should you be looking to get the game? Well, yes and no. It’s a tough one, as I absolutely loved the time I spent with this one. But if it wasn’t for receiving a review key, I probably wouldn’t have gone out and purchased it myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful that I got a chance to review this game. However, the fact still remains that unless you are an avid retro collector, you probably won’t have this on your radar. Farming Simulator 16-Bit Edition receives a Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Empyreal is a solid dungeon crawler with a complex and engaging core gameplay loop. It allows the player to build a character that suits their playstyle and a familiar, visible path for progression. Anyone that enjoys 3rd person ARPGs should really pick this one up. It would be a shame to award it anything less than the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
I said it at the beginning that RoadCraft was a banger. From the minute I started reviewing this one, I absolutely loved it. From the incredibly nostalgic experience that the trailer brings, to the fist bump when you get the flood wall finished. Every job you finish is a great achievement. Saber Interactive have delivered another amazing game that is an absolute joy to play. From start to finish, I loved my entire time with RoadCraft. RoadCraft receives a Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
So, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, should you buy it? Honestly, it is one of the most rounded games I’ve played in recent times. Giving you control of one of the most iconic characters in film. Allowing you to play through one of the most iconic sequences in cinema. Come on, what’s not to get excited about! Indiana Jones and the Great Circle receives the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Grandma, No! is another entry on my list of “turning off my brain” games, because of its nature. This game has no right or wrong way of playing, which makes it perfect. I was playing thinking hours had passed by, but really it took less than two hours to complete the game. Thanks to the outfits we unlock from completing certain events and their effects, there is another element of re-playability. I genuinely want to go back to use them. Especially ‘Apocalypse Grandma’, who shoots lasers! Who knew Grandma was so full of chaos? I give Grandma, No! the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
To sum up, Raccoon Logic didn’t reinvent the wheel but added some shiny new spokes and rims when it comes to the game. The vibrant environment, exploration, and side content make it easy to lose many blissful hours in its world. This is why I give Revenge of the Savage Planet the Thumb Culture Gold Award
Although I appreciated the mixture of action and simulation gameplay mechanics, I wasn’t completely blown away by The Precinct. The story was engaging enough (despite subpar voice acting) that it made me want to know what happened next. And the gameplay, whilst mechanically solid, became rather repetitive towards the end. Still, this is an enjoyable title that feels like a throwback to the PS1 era with a modern aesthetic. That’s by no means a bad thing, and I wish more games would take inspiration from previous generations! For these reasons, The Precinct gets a Thumb Culture Gold Award!
As a game proudly rooted in Indian culture, Detective Dotson gets credit for embracing its heritage rather than hiding it. It gets it mostly right. Though a few minor missteps on the journey leave the game feeling a little rough around the edges. If you are a fan of LucasArts games like Monkey Island or Sam and Max, you will probably enjoy solving the puzzles and tracking down clues. However, unlike those games, the route to the end is logical and less esoteric. It’s true, nothing here will make you jump out of your seat or fall off your chair. That being said there is a sense of something potentially much bigger in the future. And I look forward to playing more of Dotson’s adventures and seeing where the story takes him next. So, for his hard work and effort in the field of crime fighting, I give Detective Dotson the Thumb Culture Silver Award
In summary, I mostly enjoyed Spellcaster University. The random nature of the cards dealt meant that each “run” felt fresh enough to keep me playing. That said, there is only so much to do before you end up idling the game until enough money or magic has been saved in order to buy new cards. The events do alleviate the tedium when they appear, and despite the relative simplicity of the game, it was still fun to start a new university and see if I could improve upon my previous one. So, that’s why the console version of Spellcaster University is getting a Thumb Culture Silver Award!