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Is ShantyTown going to win Game of the Year at The Game Awards? No. But is it worthy of your time, and worthy of consideration of those numerous smaller indie awards out there? 100% it is! The beautiful designing aesthetics and relaxed vibes, coupled with a near limitless replayability, ShantyTown has definitely won over a fan of this genre of design game.
Elementallis is a game that pays homage and draws inspiration from an iconic series many gamers love – Zelda. They do this by successfully applying the gameplay mechanics that made us love this top-down, action adventure genre. Elementallis is a game about redemption; a story of taking a link of the past, accepting all that it has to offer, and using it to make a fantastic game to call their own. Apart from some questionable quality of life designs, Elementallis was truly a joy to play. An homage to the past that everyone should experience.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream offers an almost limitless toy box of creativity and player expression, held together by a distinct and wonderful sense of humour that still manages to delight me just as much as it did 12 years ago. With the exception of some restrictions and cut features that feel like they are yet to be added, this feels like the ambitious game that the series has been building towards since its inception.
Vampire Crawlers is a wonderful follow-up to a game I hold dear. It translates seamlessly from the bullet-heaven genre into the deck building genre. While there are a few frustrating levels and as of now a lack of endgame content to keep me going, there’s enough here to justify playing this for hours on end and keep you engaged. If you’re a fan of Slay the Spire or Balatro, Vampire Crawlers is absolutely a must grab, even if you have no prior experience with Vampire Survivors.
Developer DigixArt went bold and unique with Tides of Tomorrow and it has paid off. With characters you can get heavily invested in, a surprisingly deep story and a gorgeous world, there is a lot to like here.
Lord of Hatred brings with it so much content and changes its going to keep me busy for a very long time. Exploring the mechanics of new classes while slaying hell itself will never get old. With endless loot and endgame loops, Lord of Hatred will be loved by any fan of Diablo.
Despite my complete lack of understanding of football and how to manage a club, Nutmeg! A Nostalgic Deckbuilding Football Manager was not a bad game by any means. It definitely sucked me in at moments and honestly had me losing track of time at a few points. But I do get the sense that if you are not well-versed in the nuance of football, this game is not for you.
Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege is a fantastic homage to NES-style 2D platformers, bringing retro gameplay to today’s gamers. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right? Fans of Castlevania will immediately recognize enemies and their attack patterns, platforming, levels, and items.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss presents itself as a homage to one of the greatest horror authors of the 20th century. Even with some minor performance issues, the derelict locations you explore as Noah are some of the most beautifully crafted renditions of Lovecraft’s mythos that have ever been put to a screen.
Under Par Golf Architect brought me back to my childhood days of SimGolf in all the right ways. While they could do a bit more in terms of making the management side of the game having more of an impact, everything else hit like a perfect drive.
The small issues don’t detract from the fantastic 6 hours I had squidging around as an increasingly more neon gecko, solving sliding block puzzles and sunning myself in my boat. If you’re looking for a short, relaxing experience full of charm with puzzles just tricky enough that you’ll need to think, but not too hard, Gecko Gods is the perfect Sunday afternoon game to chill out with. Oh and yes, you can customise your gecko.
I find myself with a knot in my throat just writing about this game. OPUS Prism Peak feels at times a lot less like a game and more like a work of art. That is if you can handle the joy, the loss, the pain, or in other words, life. It is cathartic, it is real, it is beautiful, and it is sad. The jadedness of adulthood, the naivete of youth, joy of life, and the journey we take to get to our endings. But also that there is hope, there is a future, sometimes we just need to take a photo, pause, and reflect.
Replaced’s strong narrative, excellent world building and well realised audio and visual style make it a must play. Exploring the question of humanity via cinematic storytelling and visceral combat makes this 80s cyberpunk thriller worthy of your time. Say goodbye to the current game you’re playing, because it is getting Replaced!
Mouse: P. I. For Hire is a great send up to old cartoons and detective stories as well as being a pretty good old-school style fps. There's a lot to like here with its fun Gunplay, solid story and characters, funny animations and good soundtrack. Although it's difficulty may not be enough for hardcore fans of the genre and some things hurt it's replay value, it's a great package overall.
Gunboat God is slick, chaotic and fun, much like Yeti’s titular vessel. The tight controls, striking visuals, and fun tone make it worth your time alone, but that itch in becoming truly godly is incredibly to satisfying scratch. I cannot recommend Gunboat God enough.
Cleaning Up is not a game to sweep under the rug. If you’re looking for a satisfying clean up game to spark some joy, this mess-terpiece is one to try.
If you enjoyed PowerWash Simulator 2, then you will absolutely enjoy The Adventure Time DLC. It plays the same as the base game. Just more things to clean, with the added joy of the Adventure Time art style and characters.
People of Note has many gameplay elements that reminds me of games I’ve played before: the campy narrative style, the stylishly drawn characters, pun-filled world, turn based battle, and musical cutscenes. However, everything about People of Note feels new, refreshing, and fun; elements that have been remixed into its own style. You can tell how much love Iridium Studios put into their game. While it could use some fine tuning before it can be a masterpiece, this is a beat that you shouldn’t miss. I highly recommend it!
This is not a bad horror game for people looking to jump into the horror genre or looking for a new horror experience. There are a few jump scares but nothing too outrageous for those gamers who find horror games to be overwhelming. But big horror fans may feel a little underwhelmed.
Maya’s journey through the House of Wisdom is a thoughtful and heartfelt story of grief and how we carry it through life, and simultaneously an incredibly entertaining and engaging puzzle-platformer. Despite some technical issues and a few quality-of-life/design discrepancies, the game’s beautiful narrative, art direction, music, and gameplay all work in harmony to create a fulfilling experience. A beautiful celebration of Islamic culture and history, as well as those who are no longer with us, The House of Hikmah teaches us not to let ourselves get lost in the shadows of grief, but to persevere, to lean on others, and maybe even learn to appreciate that weight in our hearts.