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Indie studios are consistently creating some fantastic games, and Star Overdrive is one such example. Caracal Games Studio is a small, Italian team of around a dozen people and, with the publishing help of Dear Villagers, have delivered a brilliant adventure. This was a really fun title to play, with some beautifully unique environments to explore. Whilst the combat is fairly basic and the puzzles not too taxing, Star Overdrive is, overall, a game definitely worth playing. That’s why I’m giving Star Overdrive the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Cornerpond keeps things simple. Simple premise, simple gameplay, simple style, and honestly, that’s its whole charm. It isn’t trying to be anything more, and I appreciate and respect that. If you enjoy the vibe of the little idle pond at the corner of your screen, that is all that really matters. What’s more, its incredibly low price point of around 3 bucks makes it, in my opinion, an absolute steal. It will absolutely join my ever-growing collection of idle games that are running on my PC at every waking hour. At some point, I may have to go out and buy a fourth screen to house all of them… Anyways. Today, Cornerpond gets a nice and simple Thumb Culture Gold Award!
So, should you be picking up Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S? Definitely, whilst you might not want to pick it up at full price and wait for a sale. I can guarantee that wherever you pick it up from, you will have a lot of fun with this one. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S gets the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
All in all, what do we think? The game sure has a lot of content, but the pacing can be a bit slow if you are impatient like me. The gameplay itself is fun and doesn’t feel too repetitive or grindy, at least not for me, even though you basically do the same thing every day. Some of the customers can be a little stupid, but let’s be real: that only makes it more realistic. Now, this is not to say that the game has no flaws. There are some controversies around this game related to its art, which has (allegedly) got a very strong AI feel to it. A lot of people seem to be bothered by this, especially since the use of AI would need to be disclosed on the Steam page. However, this has not really been confirmed and is still a bit up in the air. Another big issue is the fact that there is no key remapping, so unless you change your keyboard language, the game is near impossible to play on certain keyboards. This is also quite an accessibility flaw, as some people prefer to remap keys for comfort or convenience. For me, this game doesn’t stick out all too much among the countless other simulation games that dropped in the past year, but it’s definitely up there with the better ones. It delivers what it promises, has a fun gameplay loop and gives you a good chunk of content. That being said, today I am giving Supermarket Simulator the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
The only reason I gave Fruitbus a Thumb Culture Gold Award last time was because of how aggravating it was having to rebuy a shovel over and over again. I’m a console girl at heart so maybe that was why I enjoyed Fruitbus even more this time around? It was so much fun getting back into my little bus and meeting all the NPCs again. Because of the improvements the dev has made, it seems only right that this time Fruitbus receives the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
All in all, Tiny Aquarium: Social Fishkeeping is a great, calm game to unwind or relax with. Its cute art style and charming sound design create a wonderfully serene atmosphere that just fits the vibe perfectly. I loved trying to discover as many fish as I possibly could, and I really spent a good amount of time trying to get a lot of the unique fish. Needless to say, I will absolutely keep playing this game to try and complete my FishDex (and for the seasonal events, of course). If you are looking for a nice little game to chill, or you just like watching little fishies swim around all day, this may just be the game for you! But if you’re still unsure if the game is for you, there is a Demo you can play on Steam, and even better your progress from it carries over to the full game! Imagine my reaction when I saw all of my poor fishies that had been neglected for months waiting for me… I give Tiny Aquarium: Social Fishkeeping the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
FBC: Firebreak brings the action back into the Control universe with a different perspective. Still, all the crazy amount of paranormal things you’d expect, though, and sometimes more. Is it worth your time to check out? I’d definitely say yes if you love the lore and setting from Control and enjoy some co-op nonsense. Just be aware that it’s fairly straight into the fire and may be rough to get going. I recommend bringing along some friends. It could do for some minor improvements such as more accurate matchmaking and a robust player stats area. However, Remedy Entertainment has already put out a patch addressing some of the major gameplay issues brought forth by the community. FBC: Firebreak is definitely worthy of the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game is a decent game that just doesn’t have quite enough content to keep me going back for more. Whilst the multiplayer is undoubtedly the most enjoyable aspect, the single-player mode’s lack of activities does let it down. If you’re as starved for extreme sports games as I am, then this will satiate your appetite somewhat. Best to grab some friends for this one, though. Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game get the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Getting to explore Ruffy’s entire world through so many wacky and yet charming eyes was honestly an amazing treat. Getting to explore different methods or finding out what works with swapping one another is both fun and aggravating. There are times I wish that my swap ability either lasted longer or we had a bit more freedom on swapping anything into anything. Although I feel the developers had that first thought and realize that it’s not a great idea to do. If you’re a big collectathon/platformer enjoyer or want to play another game that Banjo-Kazooie/Paper Mario inspired, then play Ruffy. Just know that the fights aren’t the grizzly and your biggest enemy is just yourself… but only “bear”ly . I give Ruffy and the Riverside the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
As a casual, short, and rewarding experience, I highly recommend A Building Full Of Cats 2. Actually, the whole Full of Cats series, if hidden-objects games and/or cats are your jam. You can’t go wrong for the price, and you’ll be supporting an important cause, as a portion of money from each game goes towards rescuing, fostering, and adopting cats. A Building Full Of Cats 2 gets a Thumb Culture Gold Award. Go wishlist of purchase on Steam now, there’s an introductory 10% discount until June 30th.
Quantum Witch is an intriguing, deeply personal adventure that uses humour, empathy, and the celebration of choice to tell a story of emancipation. Some elements work better than others, and the imbalance between exposition-heavy and abrupt scenes can be jarring. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable and jovial experience that will hopefully give courage to players who are wrestling with the same uncertainties Ren (and Jay) experienced. To quote a powerful Lord of the Rings queen: “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” So, it earns the Thumb Culture Silver Award. Just keep it away from the faer, they’ll eat anything!
The game really hit me right in the feels. It perfectly captures that original Tamagotchi vibe, but with a fun new twist, new features and just so many things to do every day! (Though it especially reminded me of my old Tamagotchi when I got up to feed the cat, then returned less than 5 minutes later to see that my Nanomon had died of old age. Ouch). To say that I like the game is an understatement; it has so much to offer while still being so very simple in its concept. Any issues I have with the game are really just minor nitpicks in the grand scheme of things. I tried to explain things as best as I could in the Gameplay section, but honestly, it could be 10 times as long if I started going into more detail for all the minor things and charms that the game has. The Guidebook is such a cute touch, which really makes you feel like you are documenting your journey through the Nanoscape. You can just tell how much thought and care went into this game. I have been playing this game for over 40 hours and have barely scratched the surface of all the different Nanomon I could discover. So many words said, yet so easily summarised. Today, I am giving Nanomon Virtual Pet a thoroughly well-deserved Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
For the story side of things, the game is amazing. I was excited to learn more about the tragedy that happened to Queen Aleksandra in the first games. And more so on finding out how the world of Random was created. Gameplay-wise it’s solid, but it does also feel less random with not a lot changing between runs. But that doesn’t take away from the great combat and fun abilities you’re able to combo together. I would say the last boss was a little bit of a letdown. However, I love the Duke & Duchess boss as I felt it suited the theme of Randomness world perfectly. And not just from a story standpoint, but in combat as well. If you loved the first game, then I’d highly suggest Lost in Random: The Eternal Die just for the bits of lore alone. Playing new games, there’s always a chance that it’s not the one. Luckily enough, the game rolled a six with me. And that’s why Lost in Random: The Eternal Die gets the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
So what did I think of Locomoto, It was great. Even if you take out the train element, the game has so much charm that it could live in the wild just like that. Add the train element and how much you can do with it, and it just heightens the experience. With plenty to do and see, you will be talking about this for a long time to come, whether it’s on Switch or Switch 2. Locomoto gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Overall, Architect Life: A House Design Simulator has a good foundation. If they listen to their audience and implement some small changes, I honestly think this will be a fantastic game. It is with this in mind, I will be rewarding Architect Life: A House Design Simulator with the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
There’s something curiously promising about The Book of Aaru. The concept is fantastic—a cursed feline in a techno, mythic Egyptian underworld with destructible tombs and time, manipulating combat. It should work. But for now, it’s buried under a tombstone of glitches, clunky design, and uninspired combat. The charm of the setting and music can only carry it so far. Roguelites thrive on tight gameplay loops, juicy upgrades, and a reason to keep returning. Sadly, The Book of Aaru fumbles on almost every count. Hopefully, future patches can resuscitate this title and grant it the nine lives it deserves. Until then, it’s a fascinating but broken relic. The Book of Aaru gets the Thumb Culture Bronze Award
Set in a whimsical world full of flippable levels, sentient craft supplies and chirpy companions, PaperKlay wears its inspirations proudly. With music composed by Banjo-Kazooie’s Grant Kirkhope and a distinctly Paper Mario-meets-crochet-dollhouse art style, it’s a game that will tug at the nostalgia strings for anyone who grew up with platformers or enjoys games bursting with charm. PaperKlay is not a perfect platformer, and it’s not trying to be. It’s charming, heartfelt and full of personality. The lack of a tutorial and the soft-focus story might throw some players off, but the humour, visual creativity and brilliant soundtrack more than make up for it. What truly sets PaperKlay apart is its dedication to a distinctive visual identity. In a sea of photorealistic AAA titles, it is refreshing, even brilliant, to play something that looks like it was made by a particularly artistic goblin on a crafting binge. There’s something special about games that feel like someone truly enjoyed making them, and this feels like one of those. It’s silly, warm and just the right amount of strange. If you’re after something relaxing, with soul and silliness, PaperKlay is well worth unfolding. PaperKlay gets the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Even though the game’s story wasn’t super long, I still had a really great time playing it. The graphic style is adorable, the gameplay is fun, and the characters are charming and cute. I genuinely enjoyed helping them out and just exploring the island in general. While I do think the story could have been a tiny bit longer, it is still a solid game that delivers exactly what it promises. It absolutely made my evening and I had a blast playing it. I am very happy to present Kity Builder with the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Zombie Cure Lab is a relatively enjoyable title, but with some issues. Going from having nothing to do one minute to being inundated with alerts and text pop-ups the next makes gameplay feel disjointed. That said, there are some well-thought-out, deep mechanics that fans of the genre will relish. Although the PlayStation 5 version is playable, this is perhaps best suited for PC gamers. Taking all of that into account, Zombie Cure Lab gets the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
If you’re returning to Yakuza 0 after the previous console versions, I’m not sure whether there’s enough here to hold your interest. Most of the new additions are welcome, but having the QTE events mapped to the Nintendo B, A buttons might be enough for you to walk away. That said, for newcomers, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a logical place to start. The disadvantage is that progressing further in the series will feel like a step into the Stone Age, even if you play the ‘Kiwami’ remasters. As a man who has weathered every entry in this series, I would still recommend Yakuza: Like A Dragon over this. It’s a turn-based RPG with different fighting mechanics, but it feels modern, has heaps of charisma, and a far better localisation. That said, when taken alone, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a slice of genius. A must-play, even if its hair is going a bit grey, and it audibly groans when getting up off the sofa. An oldie, but still a winner of the Thumb Culture Gold Award.