Gamer's Palace

Deck of Ashes is a card game as it should be: It has a lot of variety and deep mechanics. The beautiful game world is also great. Four different characters with their own story and a reasonable roguelike system complete the package.

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Atomicrops could be a superb farming game - it somehow misses that as the farming isn't that important after all. Graphics and sound are absolutely great, however, and without permadeath, I would really spend a lot of time with Atomicrops. I'm having a lot of fun, but its missing the tiny little more to be great.

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Island Saver is a great game for kids and for parents looking for a good program for their children to play and learn at the same time. Island Saver does a good job in teaching about money, taxes and currencies and is, at the same time, a funny and worthwile experience.

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Dread Nautical could be a good game if it had ... more. Basically, more of everything. The tasks are exciting, like rescuing people or collect resources, but somehow, I still don't find much delight in it. That's mainly because I'm doing the same over and over again. It's missing variety and deepness, which is sad, because I see greatness in there which just doesn't find its bloom.

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Storm Boy is a game that I find really hard to recommend. It's really short, for sure. You'll complete it in around 30 minutes. It could still be a nice adventure for families as it's an atmospheric and visually good experience. The minigames, however, don't work very well and it's somehow also missing the deepness of Colin Thiele's story. Storm Boy: The Game can be a solid addition to the 2019 film, but not much more.

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SnowRunner is an exciting game - despite it being so slow. It's a game for hardcore players with patience and endurance. Even the last mile can mean a stop to your journey. The game gives you a lot of freedom - three open worlds are yours to explore with many quest to fulfill. It's up to you which you tackle first, but you need to decide which upgrades or new vehicles are necessary to get first. SnowRunner has beautiful environments with a great atmosphere - there are some technical hiccups like small fonts and complex menus but it's overall an enjoyable experience for everyone who likes this kind of simulation.

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I was surprised by A Knight's Quest: I didn't expect the game to be so big. The world is a bit static at the beginning but later on it convinced me with big areas, enough to do and a good design. The protagonist learns step by step and you unlock more to do as you go. There are some technical flaws, bugs and not every quest delivers a clear indication about what to do. The storytelling is also very simple - however, I enjoyed Rusty's journey.

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Sometimes Always Monsters gives you a lot of freedom. I love that freedom. However, it doesn't fit the story at all. Basically, you're an author on a book tour but this setting isn't even used properly. Any kind of guidance through the story is missing which isn't too bad, but there shouldn't be a "fixed" story in the first place. In the end, I was just trying to get all achievements possible. After all those years, I expected more of the game.

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Operencia: The Stolen Sun shows how a really compelling game can be created with rather simple methods. It's doesn't really exceed in any area, but Zen Studios makes the best out of every element it uses. Combat is demanding, exploring is fine and the puzzles are varied and logical. The world is beautiful and also the Switch port deserves praise.

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I like In Other Waters and wish I could give it a higher score. It's a nice experience. Its a special and experimental experience - however, it's an experience that is flawed in too many ways and the title torpedos itself again and again. Also, I can't always follow the story. This could have been my game of the year but bugs in the Switch version and confusing elements don't let it be.

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The idea behind Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is pretty good, but it can't unfold its potential: On the one hand it's telling you that your choices matter, on the other hand it's just a linear game without any real consequences. It seems that even it's techniques are from the olden days, especially on the scripting part and the uninspired NPC who are still doing what they were doing before the world collapsed. Nonetheless, the design of the characters is great and the soundtrack is amazing, but none of these two things will help Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories to become a blockbuster.

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Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a fresh experience when you look at its narration, gameplay and story. It's visually beautiful and combines two stories in a very creative manner. It also depicts the creative process very well. But every story needs a good editor - there are some annoying mistakes in the German translation and some mechanics don't work as intended. Also, the game doesn't seem to be too optimized for the powerful Stadia platform. Google's acquired a good game as a timed exclusive, however, time for polishing was obviously missing.

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Many other games can learn a lot from A Plague Tale: Innocence. It features a superb story with realistic characters and nice coming-of-age parts as well as a world with a superb atmosphere. While there are some mechanic hiccups here and there, gameplay is a well-done mix of the elements and remains fresh. There's also a top-notch visual and technical quality that I would like to see in more games.

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I had fun with Symmetry even with the controls making me furious. Somehow ... Symmetry plays like a part of something bigger, like a demo of a game that could turn out great. Somewhere, there has to be a big DLC that brings the actual content ... or not? It's nice for one playthrough, but I don't see a real reason to play Symmetry ever again.

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Iron Danger prides itself in its combat and time manipulation system. It does so well deserved. The game's second highlight is the wonderful world. Levels are small, but varied and just beautiful. It's a pity there aren't more interaction possibilities outside of combat and that the narrating remains rather dull. Friends of tactical gameplay (and great worlds) shall take a look at Iron Danger!

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Persona 5 Royal does nearly everything right: It's a huge RPG with an interesting setting and a superb story that catches you from the first minute. It has an unbelievable amount of complex system that work perfectly together. Translations are a first in the Persona series and will make the series gain a bigger audience - which is well deserved. You can spend hundreds of hours with the thieves and it doesn't get boring!

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Do you know how it is to read a really, really good book and you're sad when it ends? When you flip the last page and would like to have the same experience all over again? This is how Half Past Fate works. It's a videogame that feels like a really good novel. For me, it's a nearly perfect experience that I won't ever forget.

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I love being alone in The Longing. I love that it's a game that decelerates. I love that it's a game that makes me care for myself, for example wanting me to just a read a book for a few hours. Everyone looking for a quiet and caring game should have a look at The Longing.

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Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem nearly turned out as the game I expected. I love my freedom in developing and mastering my own character. Boss fights are epic and the world generally good. There are bugs, however, that shouldn't be in the game. Difficulty ranges from far too easy to too hard in comparison - the boss fights are good but you're not prepared after many too easy passages. I had a lot of fun with Wolcen and think it's a good game. When the developers hold their word, it could turn out great in the future.

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Max Gentlemen Sexy Business! is different than I thought. It's more time management than dating or "making love". The dates don't really have a meaning but they tell you interesting stories. You shouldn't look for historic accuracy, however. Max Gentlemen Sexy Business! has an interesting setting with an easy gameplay - it's much easier than other tycoon games. It's a recommendation when you look for a dating sim AND a tycoon game - both aspects are good, if not great.

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