LadiesGamers.com's Reviews
If you are looking to manage a store, if you want a storyline or deep gameplay, you shouldn’t go for Fashion Dreamer. Instead, this is a lighthearted game, bringing fun and distraction. It’s easy to pick up for short gameplay sessions, and it’s extra fun when you can share it with people you “know” across the globe. I use the term “know” loosely, though; let’s say people you’ve met on social media or in other games. Even though I recognize that Fashion Dreamer could use more beef to the bone, I’m still having a great time playing it. Let’s hope the promised updates for December 2023 and January 2024 bring us more elements. When that happens, my verdict might just go up a notch.
When I started playing Cuisineer for this review, it took a while for the game to grow on me. I was going to score it lower, but after spending more time with the game, I have revised my score. Looking after the restaurant is fantastic, addictive, and enjoyable. The fighting in the dungeons is frantic, but I like that I can choose when to go dungeon crawling.
If you are a fan of Animal Crossing, I would say there is a big chance you will like the gameplay loop of Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure. I do like how it is unnecessary to play Earthlock, even though Ikonei Island is a side story to that game. I enjoyed the title as a standalone experience. Additionally, Ikonei Island supports co-op play of up to 4 players, with only one player needed to own the game. Give Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure a try here using the demo. The game has a fun gameplay loop with a relaxed atmosphere and can even be played on the Steam Deck!
Unloop is tremendous value for money. For less than the price of a coffee, you have a fairly relaxing puzzle game that will keep you busy for well over ten hours. I enjoyed my time with this title when my brain was in the right state. But, when I wanted to just shut my brain off after a hard day of work, it was sometimes a bit much for me to focus on. When my brain was too fried, I still enjoyed just listening to the cosmic soundtrack. As a puzzle game, it feels unique and should provide many hours of brain teasers to enjoy in long or short bursts.
Galaxy Pass Station is an excellent little game with plenty of content and almost no learning curve to keep you entertained for a while. It reminds me pleasantly of another bureaucracy sim game, Papers, Please, without the heavy historical context. Overall, I can see myself spending a long time in Galaxy Pass Station.
It will come as no surprise that I love Logic Town. It runs smoothly, the puzzles are great, and the variety keeps it fresh. Being busy with restoring the town, venue after venue, adds a nice touch and a goal to strive for. If you like your logic puzzles, I believe you can’t get any better than this!
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is another solid entry in the long-running SRPG series. Fans of the series most likely have already bought this game and will hopefully be satisfied. If you’re new though this is a really good entry to start off your venture into the series. The game does a good job introducing each of its mechanics and features whilst you grind away at creating the ultimate party. As with other entries of the series, this is a game that can potentially keep you busy for hundreds of hours. And if you have the time to spare, you’ll find plenty to like here. I had the most fun just doing a few battles after a long, busy day at work. The story is hit-and-miss. But it has deep and engaging gameplay, with a nearly bottomless pit of customization for your party. It will keep you glued to the most colourful netherworld in gaming.
At Winter’s End is okay. I didn’t fall in love with it, and the dice rolling aspect didn’t add anything to the game. However, it is super cute, beautifully rendered, and worth a playthrough if you like visual novels.
Spirit of the Island looks lovely and detailed and has a lot of content. There is so much to craft; there is so much there to make your homestead exactly the way you want it. Explore new islands, slay monsters and find new ingredients for your crafting. Get those tourists in to visit your attractions, like the museum, and buy your items. I did get the feeling that the developers wanted to put so much content and different gameplay elements in there and sacrificed things in the process. The user interface and all the restrictions in storage can hinder the flow of gameplay. The lack of speed in walking and the need for sleep are a bit annoying. Not storing the tutorials all in one place is a missed chance. Overall, though, I do feel the developers have put a lot of ideas and work into Spirit of the Island. There is certainly a management part in the game that kept me playing and will keep me returning for more.
I really like these games, and Hidden Cats of Spooky Town especially. The art is lovely, the game is relaxing, the music is nice. It’s overall a pretty clean experience. I only had one small issue while playing: some of the Hidden Kittens on moving objects have kind of small hitboxes, making them hard to click on as they ride away in a balloon or car or whatever. I think that just a tiny bit more wiggle room in those particular hitboxes would make a massive difference in how good this game feels to play. To be honest, that was the only issue I had with Hidden Cats of Spooky Town. I love this little game, and I look forward to whatever beautiful artwork comes next from these very talented artists.
Storm’s Harvest is a fun arcade game that is worthy of its own cabinet. For a very reasonable price, you can play an additive arcade title which is suited to short gaming sessions. It is great alone, but it is also worth swapping rounds with a friend or loved one if you want to share the arcade joy. My biggest praise for this title is it feels like a unique original concept that does its own thing. Many arcade titles released to modern systems tend to take inspiration from something else, but Storm’s Harvest feels fresh and new despite its retro look. Whether playing for Halloween or any time of the year, Storm’s Harvest is well worth inserting a credit to play without giving you nightmares. It’s definitely a retro treat.
Hamster on Rails definitely has some momentum behind it. The beautiful dioramas are a joy to look at. There is a good balance between challenging and straightforward levels, with many techniques to learn and apply. There is also the added bonus of customising your hamster explorer.
All in all, Buddy and Friends on Halloween is a wholesome experience for youngsters and adults alike. I don’t have any complaints about the game, except it’s short since there are only six puzzles. However, you can have a relaxing time puzzling for less than the price of a cup of coffee. The music, jigsaws and the final images combined set the scene for a spooktacular time.
Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade is a great game for young and old. Those of you who are very deft in your reaction skills might think me silly, but for me, it presented a very nice challenge. The K-pop song list added hugely to the fun, and the colourful and cute world was much to my liking. If you don’t like Hello Kitty and the sugar sweetness, this might not be the game for you, but for me? Playing Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade left me happy and sometimes frustrated, but all the while tapping my feet to the rhythm!
Varenje – Don’t Touch the Berries is a good point-and-click adventure with very interesting scenes to puzzle through. The solutions to move things along and reach the next chapter aren’t always logical. But judging by the slide shows in between the chapters, logic wasn’t what the developers were going for. These scenes felt jarring for me, as the things I saw and the texts didn’t fit the world I had just perused intensively. This makes it a game I wouldn’t let younger children play alone. Just in case you are curious: Varenje is a whole-fruit preserve popular across Eastern Europe. Hence the reference to the raspberries. According to the info about the game, Grandmother’s raspberry jam is a remedy for all ills, and it’s certainly the solution to right everything in the end. If only it was…
Overall, the title is not long, but if you crave some Metroidvania platforming, Faerie Afterlight is a title I can truly recommend. Especially if you enjoy titles with gorgeous art styles like Child of Light or gameplay like Ori and the Blind Forest. Even better, there is a demo available if you want to try it before you buy.
Sweet Dreams Alex is a polished, relaxing, fun puzzle game with a lot of heart. Everything from the color scheme to the levels is well planned, and I am deeply surprised with how much content there is in this game. There are different kinds of levels, difficulty modes, and plenty to do. I really couldn’t come up with a single complaint about this amazing puzzle game.
In conclusion, Adore is a game that guarantees a fun experience regardless of your level. It’s easy and intuitive enough for you to learn its mechanics and then tricky enough to be a challenge without boring you. With the weather turning cold, I know I’ll spend many more hours in the world of Adore.
Bish Bash Bots is a super happy and fun tower defence game that I highly recommend if you can play with friends. For a game night game, this is excellent value for money and will keep you busy for many gaming sessions. The game has plenty to unlock and an appealing incentive to replay levels and pass every small objective. Single-player is okay, but the real fun of this experience will be enjoying it as a team as you potentially shout orders at each other and conjure up a master plan on the fly to defeat the robots. Bish Bash Bots is the happiest robot uprising I’ve come across, and it’s a pretty darn good game, too.
A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection is a good collection of two original games from a long past retro era. It’s presented in its original retro form, warts and all, with minimal features which may not work for everyone. For the price of entry, though, this is a very good gaming deal. For me, I found the best way to enjoy this game is just to dig in, make mistakes and learn from them the old-fashioned way. A bot-like life, I guess. I even got the notepad out to make notes along the way. If you love your retro, this is well worth picking up. If you’re looking for something totally different and can put up with its often frustrating trial-and-error gameplay, this should make for some satisfying gaming sessions.