LadiesGamers.com's Reviews
Overall, Planetiles is a super fun tile placement game. I like the look and style of the game. It feels well-polished, and the sound design is great. All the action, placement, and movement feel really good, and the visuals grow on you after a while. I came to really appreciate the trippy space aesthetic much more than I thought I would after about 30 minutes in. It’s fun, challenging, and has a whole lot of replayability. There is a lot to love about Planetiles and very, very few things I didn’t like. I do wish that the tutorial was a little more informative, but it couldn’t ruin my enjoyment of the game overall. If you enjoy tile placement video games or board games, I would recommend Planetiles to you.
Overall, Alchemy: Origins is fine. It’s not new or unique, even with the upgrades to the original. It works mostly pretty well. However, it feels a little boring to play. I miss the joke combos, and I liked the tactile feel of clicking and dragging the items together on the screen. There just isn’t much that would make me want to purchase this one over playing some of the free-to-play versions available outside of Steam. However, it’s a cute game of blending items and getting new ones, and I don’t dislike the look, feel, and play style of Alchemy: Origins.
Freedom Planet 2. takes all its assets from the first game and builds on them in every way creating a sequel that is more polished. If you loved the first game or retro platformers, this is a must-buy. Even if you just want a solid good platformer, Freedom Planet 2 provides some solid entertainment to keep you busy for several gaming weekends, with plenty of incentive to return again. For me, the story was a bit too heavy in places, and the performance sometimes slowed. But despite these minor niggles it’s hard not to be sucked in by the charm of Freedom Planet 2.
The play of this game was smooth, and I didn’t have any issues with it. I liked the pictures; they were fun little dino-themed adventures. The music and sound effects were a little loud, but the menu allowed me to turn them down easily. I’ve played a lot of these types of games, and it was a great example of one of these hidden objects games. Cute, fun, and worth picking up if you like Dinosaurs and finding Waldo.
Gambit Shifter is not a game with lofty ambitions despite its regal cast of chess pieces. It’s a pleasant, low-stress, low-stakes puzzler that wants you to succeed and get you to think outside the board to figure out its riddles. Although its blue-steel aesthetic seems forgettably low-key, it actually allows you to put your thinky cap on and focus on the puzzle, without a lot of additional doodads to confuse its goal. No matter what, a glint of gold is your reward, and that makes it easier to push forward into the harder puzzles. The result is a sleek game that’s perfect for someone who wants something more spatial than the Piczle franchise and less punishing than Braid. At a budget price and a full slate of carefully designed puzzles, it’s a fine side game for someone who wants to shift — har — their brain into a different gear after a long day. Currently available on PC and via the Steam storefront, it’s a pleasant slice of quiet time, with no Bobby Fischer wannabes yelling in your ear about zwischenzugs or wing pawn decoy tactics. Try Gambit Shifter out. Then, maybe, try a casual game of chess at the park or the library
A Twisted Tale – Chapter 1 is a fun addition to the adventure genre. The developer has announced plans for six more chapters, each presumably set in a different realm with different characters. I eagerly await Vio’s next adventures.
Historical Fashion Dress Up is a short game that can offer some delightful moments for fans of fashion and history. The artwork is great, and the option to print out the dolls as paper dolls gives us some interesting possibilities, whether for entertaining the kids in our lives while educating them or perhaps for use in some craft projects.
Sunny Cafe is a sweet story of young love, touching on some deeper topics that mirror the way adolescents view life’s goals. It strives to include knowledge about making coffee in a very charming and graphically beautiful way. I would have liked this part to get more attention, combining the visual novel part with a management part for serving the customers the right coffee. But that may just be my personal preference. The visual novel tells the story in very descriptive and flowery wording but still has some translation errors, as well. Graphically Sunny Cafe looks nice and crisp, and it reads like a nice book.
Distant Bloom has a lot of elements that attract me to a video game. Exploration, crafting, managing seeds and turning a barren landscape into a lush environment. Giving your crewmates little gifts ups their friendship levels. All of this is set against an unusual scene of an alien planet and an alien crew. The Assistant and KEi.Ki are busy bees and it’s very satisfying to make the sick planet, plants and animals healthy again, just by sowing seeds. Collecting strange-looking seeds that produce interesting plants adds an extra incentive to Distant Bloom, as well as unraveling the mystery. I am really loving my time in the game, and I love the little humorous touches in the conversations between the crew mates and quirky things like adding a trademark sign to the Exomulti. Oh and…. did I tell you you can pet the animals?
Caves of Lore is an impressive RPG in so many ways. If you just judge it by the game alone, it’s a deep and engaging RPG that allows plenty of player choice regarding how to proceed through the experience. Sure, there are rough edges. Battles can feel excessive at times, and it can be tricky to figure out how to progress. However, it’s an experience that is just as enjoyable in small gaming bursts as it is on long, lazy weekends. Then we get to the price, which is an utter steal for the quality of the product on display here. On top of all this, Caves of Lore is an inspiration to anyone wanting to take on a big project and maybe a little scared to take the first step. Caves of Lore is evidence with a lot of patience and dedication you can get there no matter what your circumstances are in life. I absolutely recommend this, and even if you feel this is not the game for you, be sure to tell a friend about it or just consider gifting it to them on Steam.
Overall, Bounties of Babylon is a good game. While I enjoyed playing it for this review, dice games are not my go-to genre. However, I can see the game would be enjoyable for those who enjoy this type of game. For those players, I recommend you give Bounites of Babylon a roll of the die.
There are a lot of mechanics to discuss in Millennia, and there is too much to put into a review of the game. However, with plenty of depth on offer in Millennia it is sure to please any long-time fan of this genre, and it also doesn’t overwhelm you with options thrown at you all at once. I found Millennia to be a refreshing strategy game that is enjoyable to play, and I can see myself playing it for a good while to come.
Mike’s Garden is a modern, visually pleasing take on the classic Match-3 games. It offers a mix of new and old and tried elements to form a cozy, casual puzzle that will most definitely delight fans of the genre.
Lost and Found Agency Collector’s Edition has all the hallmarks of a good hidden object game: gameplay, artwork, soundtrack, no timer, and hints galore. However, it was not smooth sailing for me, and this is why I can’t recommend it. On the other hand, it has plenty of satisfied players out there.
I did not enjoy Pocket Fishing. It’s been some time since a game made me genuinely as miserable as this. Awful controls combined with bugs and glitches made this a game I can not recommend in its current state. Possibly, with some significant tweaking and optimization for the Nintendo Switch, this game may become a straightforward fishing game to enjoy in small bursts. But that’s not the game I played here.
Match Village is available for a nice price. It doesn’t offer a visually wowing experience, but it looks colourful and clean. Though placing the tiles is a strategic challenge, there is no deep puzzle gameplay mechanics to consider. Surprisingly, I found the gameplay very relaxing and rewarding. Just place the tiles in the best way you can and see how far you can progress. The sounds of plopping down a tile and getting new tiles as the structures combine are very satisfying. For this little game, made by a solo developer, the name Match Village is well chosen. Get to matching, and populate your islands in the process.
Passing By: A Tailwind Journey retains its cohesive style and substance, and it runs beautifully on the Switch. Its quirks and issues will undoubtedly be no problem for some fans looking for a well-priced, lighter survival game that’s heavy on gathering cute collectables. However, I personally have trouble finding it as cozy as its sale copy suggests, with meters that are harsher than more action-forward survival/collection games like Core Keeper and puzzles that, while not difficult, are a pain to overcome with both the current control scheme and those meters at your heels. As the first game from a new indie developer, I do give the game its proper dues for its polish and its eagerness. I think Studio Windsocke have a bright future ahead, and, as I say, there may be those who click with the game, especially if you can overcome or alter the control scheme. Unfortunately, this game is not for me. It may be for you, so please remember that all reviews are subjective and that this is still a game with a lot of heart inside of it. That’s why I’m giving it a neutral score, and the developers my very best wishes. Available now on Nintendo Switch and PC/Steam.
With Hidden Cats in Berlin, we have yet another winner in the hidden cats genre. I am always excited to play this game series and urgently await the next title. Hidden Cats in Berlin is a great addition to an already great series, and if you need extra incentive, it’s also 20% off until the end of March.
Rebel Transmute is a good action adventure, but it’s not for everyone, including myself. The difficulty of this game is pretty harsh in the first half of this game, with fiddly platforming and touch-as-nails boss fights requiring quick reactions and patience to succeed. It’s a barrier of stress that won’t work for everyone. If you can make it through, there is plenty to like. Customizing your build with various augmentations provides flexibility to the gameplay, and once you have a huge map to explore, you will have multiple secrets to uncover. So, if you find most adventure games too easy, then consider this your next gaming project.
Jewel Legends: Tree of Life is a casual, cozy Match-3 game. With its colorful graphics, pleasant soundtrack, and smooth gameplay, it can quickly suck you in for a few minutes. Getting stuck is almost impossible, so there is no stress. As an added bonus, it’s a game you can play while doing something else.