The Gamerheads Podcast 's Reviews
Perfect Tides: Station to Station is a coming-of-age story filled with moments of real happiness, and just as many moments of self-doubt. There are times where Mara, the protagonist, is fully depressed, and the game doesn’t shy away from exploring that. It digs into relationships and intimacy, along with everything that comes with them: heartbreak, hurt feelings, and broken friendships. And choosing dialogue options during those moments truly put me right in the thick of it with Mara. I also love that Mara is a writer, and that part of the experience involves writing papers. It pushes me to explore, learn, and gain experience so I can write better, which is a clever mechanic that fits the story perfectly. The art is phenomenal too, adding even more weight to the emotional rollercoaster the game delivers. But at the end of the day, it’s the writing that makes Perfect Tides: Station to Station stand out. Mara is flawed, but she’s also incredibly relatable, and it’s hard not to get pulled in and root for her through the entire journey.
Fans of Bases Loaded will absolutely want to get their hands on Jaleco Sports: Bases Loaded. With two games included, it stays true to the original format of both releases, and the addition of the rewind feature is a nice touch. For baseball fans who never played Bases Loaded and are more accustomed to modern sports games, this collection may feel like it is missing some expected features, particularly stat tracking and season play. That said, if you are looking for a stroll down memory lane or want to experience a historic baseball game, Jaleco Sports: Bases Loaded is well worth your time.
Even with how difficult Flick Shot Rogues is, I had a really fun time with the game. After each run, I wanted to jump right back into the foray, hoping that the next attempt would be more fruitful or that I’d learn something from my previous run. The playing field can become crowded very quickly, which adds to the challenge, and the boss battles are pretty brutal. That said, pulling off a win feels great. I just wish the progression system was a bit more meaningful and rewarding. If you are looking for a challenging roguelike that does something different from the Hades formula, this one is worth checking out.
Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader really is a tale of two games. When the game first launched, it was rough to play. Framerate issues, freezing, and crashing all plagued the initial release on the Switch 2. Since its release, however, there has been a patch that has resolved many of these issues. My review score is based on the patched experience. If you already own the game on the Switch 2, it is worth giving it another go, as many of the issues have been addressed. If you are thinking about picking it up for the first time, the game is in a much better state now than it was at launch. I just wish the game had been given an extra two to three weeks to fix these issues before its initial release.
I really wanted to like Dark Quest 4, but it felt far too punishing for me to recommend to fans of tactical games or board games like HeroQuest. The progression feels grindy, and that grind sets in far too early to get much enjoyment out of the experience. Even the difficulty sliders, which should help ease that frustration, feel broken. Any adjustment I made was immediately offset by the game increasing how much damage enemies deal. Hopefully, if there is a Dark Quest 5, it can learn from these issues and come back as the game I really wanted this one to be.
Demonschool has been on my list of most anticipated games since I first saw it at PAX East a few years ago. The game didn’t disappoint. The battle mechanic is definitely the strongest aspect of the game, with this strategy-like implementation that feels like playing chess. But one doesn’t have to be an expert in strategy games to enjoy Demonschool, as the rewind ability allows me to think through my moves before committing to them. Pair this mechanic with a fun story and an interesting progression system, and it’s the making of a stellar game.
Slots & Daggers is a really good time. The runs are quick, and after each one, I catch myself thinking, “If I just had that one item, I could have done better.” Progression feels a little uneven since new items only unlock after clearing a level, but the chips I earn let me buy mods that help balance things out. While there’s some flexibility in run builds, it doesn’t quite reach the depth of Balatro and its jokers. All that said, it's the perfect game to unwind after a long day at work.
Hell Clock is a fantastic roguelike, featuring beautiful art, engaging gameplay, a rewarding leveling system, and an intriguing story. If you’re looking for a roguelike that feels like a love letter to Diablo, this is one you shouldn’t miss.
I had a great time with Mamorukun ReCurse! It introduces ideas I haven’t seen in other arcade shooters, particularly the lack of auto-scrolling and the addition of branching pathways. The boss fights are all uniquely designed, though some are definitely more fun than others, especially when certain attacks feel impossible to dodge, leading to a few cheap deaths. Overall though, if you’re a fan of bullet hell arcade games, Mamorukun ReCurse! is an excellent addition to your collection.
Overall, Golden Gloves VR earns a strong A- from me. It’s immersive, physically challenging, and well-built. The mix of realism and accessibility makes it a great experience for anyone, whether you’re a boxing fan or just looking for an intense workout that’s actually fun. With a little more crowd energy and ambiance, it could easily punch its way to an A.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is the definitive edition of a classic. I would even go so far as to call it the gold standard for strategy RPGs. The story is riveting, the voice acting superb, the artwork stunning, and the job system lets me create virtually any type of character I want. Some battles are tough, but with the new difficulty settings they are challenging without becoming overwhelming. For anyone curious about trying a tactical RPG, there is no better place to start. And for veterans, the addition of voice acting adds so much depth that it makes the story feel fresh, new, and absolutely worth experiencing again.
Simplistic in nature, Splatterbot is super easy to pick up. It is primarily a party-style game meant to be played in a small group, but you can play solo if that is something that intrigues you more. While some of the maps were a little more chaotic and caused a bit more randomness, I quite enjoyed the challenge. If you are a fan of party-style games, consider adding Splatterbot to your list for your next party or group get together.
I enjoyed my time with Death on the Nile. Both Poirot and Royce’s stories were engaging, though I would have preferred to see them as two separate games rather than alternating each chapter. Interacting with suspects and having the game fully voiced was an unexpected surprise. Some of the puzzles felt a bit overdone, and there were moments where I grew frustrated trying to figure out the next clue to move the story forward. That said, the mind-map feature and drawing conclusions made me feel like a true detective, and it was a fun and unique way to gamify the deduction process.
The Rogue Prince of Persia is a welcome addition to the rogue-like family, mixing amazing fluid animations and satisfying combat. It provides an enjoyable progression without the feeling of having to start over every time I would die. I am excited to continue playing this game and finding all the secrets and ability combinations that come with each run.
As a puzzle game, Is This Seat Taken? isn’t terribly difficult, but that’s not the point. It’s a cozy puzzle game with a wholesome story, and that’s exactly what I needed. In a fast-paced, stressful world, it’s nice to have something more laid-back, which brought a smile to my face.
Wilmot Works It Out is a simple cozy game with exciting elements sprinkled in throughout the gameplay. While some of the puzzles took me a little longer than others because of similar colors or patterns, it was the perfect amount of difficulty to get my brain thinking. I absolutely enjoyed being able to help Wilmot make his home more comfortable, even if the subscription overlords had him hooked in a constant loop of new puzzle boxes. If you love cozy games like me, add Wilmot Works It Out to your list as it’s the perfect mix of puzzle solving and decorating in an adorable little bundle.
1000 Deaths is an interesting concept with elements speedrunners will appreciate and a solid foundation in some of its level design. Unfortunately, the camera, movement, and clashing aesthetics often caused motion sickness for me, taking away from the overall experience. While I appreciate the story-driven choices, I never connected with the characters—they felt flat and uninteresting. If you’re looking for a story-driven platformer, Donkey Kong Bananza delivers a much better experience. If arcade-style speedrunning is your thing, this might be worth checking out—but with options like Neon White available, it’s hard to recommend this one over more polished alternatives.
The Wandering Village is the perfect game to add to your city sim collection, with its random biomes and sizable research tree, it offers its own twist to the genre. The added story was well told and never felt forced on my villagers or me. If you like city builders, then this is a must play.
Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster with And Roger. This game made me feel everything the protagonist felt—fear, frustration, sadness, even moments of joy. It only takes about an hour to finish, but like any great piece of art, I found myself processing and reflecting on it well after I completed the game.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings ™ Game offers a means to jump into Tolkien’s world of Middle-Earth to live a life as a humble hobbit in Bywater. I loved embodying the simplistic life of a hobbit just trying to fit in, and forming bonds with the locals by ways of making them meals. While I fully believe that this game would benefit greatly from some quality of life changes as well as additional crafting and NPC engagement amidst a broader story, I have had a lot of fun as a hobbit and I can see the potential for it to be a fabulous game that will bring me back to continue my new adventure!