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There’s a sweetness to the storytelling, even as it brushes against darker edges. Conversations with your aunt before she vanishes are tender and grounding, and her absence leaves a noticeable quiet in the game’s tone early on. The world itself does much of the storytelling — a broken teapot here, a patched-up bed there — all little reminders of a home once full of life.
Rue Valley plays out like a mix of detective work and emotional archaeology. You explore, experiment, and test how small changes can ripple through each loop. You can’t wander too far from the motel — 47 minutes isn’t long — but you can visit the bar to the north, Max’s gas station to the south, and the roadblock. Each place hides clues or moments that shift how events play out next time. ...Every so often, the tension melts into quiet, human moments. Playing the piano in the bar for Anitta is a favourite of mine — a rare breather from the chaos. Talking to Robin at the reception often triggered “aha!” moments about what was really going on. It’s a game that mixes madness and calm, and somehow makes both feel equally satisfying.
What’s especially interesting about the story is that it isn’t told in a traditional way. Most games rely on dialogue or text to move the plot forward, but Unpetrified: Echoes of Nature speaks through motions and atmosphere. The story unfolds through your actions, the world’s reactions, and the subtle animations that bring everything to life. There are a few written tutorials and bits of information to help you in the beginning, but most of what you understand comes from the overall atmosphere, graphics, and visual animations rather than writing.
A Pizza Delivery is about memory — not the kind we want to escape from, but the kind that won’t let us go. You play as B, a pizza delivery rider whose only goal is to deliver her final order. It sounds simple, but the further you travel, the stranger things become. You soon realise you’ve entered a world that’s not quite real, where areas loop endlessly and people linger between remembering and forgetting. ...It might sound harsh to call A Pizza Delivery half finished, but that’s the truth. The game’s structure, pacing, and puzzle design all feel like they needed more testing. It’s also riddled with smaller bugs: shifting tree textures, visible seams in walls, and the red pizza box sometimes disappearing if you talk to the final character before completing her puzzle.
The story in Biped 2 isn’t exactly the main attraction. It serves more as a gentle backdrop than a driving narrative – a reason for your mechanical duo to explore new areas and tackle a variety of clever mini-puzzles. It gives the journey just enough context to make each challenge feel meaningful, without ever getting in the way of the gameplay. It’s simple, sweet, and exactly what it needs to be, just enough story to give purpose to all the fun chaos that follows.
Simon the Sorcerer Origins is one of those games that sneaks up on you. I went in not knowing much about it, and never having played the originals, but found myself genuinely enjoying the world, the humour, and the art style. The story is quirky in all the right ways, the writing hits that perfect mix of snark and sincerity, and the visuals give it a personality all its own.
After signing a deal with the Devil, the protagonist of Devil Jam is cast into the underworld to perform his gig over and over again. For eternity. Whilst this was the story I was presented and expected to follow on from this, I did find the story offering to be somewhat lacklustre. Whilst not an essential part of survivor-like rogue-likes, when presented with the premise of a story, I would have enjoyed seeing it expanded.
There’s something comforting about sitting in front of a blank canvas… and something daunting, too. But that’s how Dream Garden begins: with an open space and somewhat endless possibilities. At first, it feels a little intimidating, like staring at the first page of a new notebook and not knowing where to start. But that’s also where the magic is. The game doesn’t just let you build a garden; it lets you create art without needing to know how to draw.
...if you push through that rocky opening, The Lonesome Guild becomes a heartfelt story about connection and healing. Each of the six characters you recruit brings something different to the game; not just in battle, but emotionally. Mr. Fox, for instance, became my favorite because of his grounded personality. He’s sarcastic and honest in a way that feels human, and his response to events (when compared with Davinci’s constant need to keep things light and happy) is refreshing. The story shifts focus from the red mist and Ghost’s identity to what it means to find belonging in a world that’s forgotten how to connect.
...one of the most emotionally charged games I’ve played in a while. It isn’t fun in the traditional sense—it’s meaningful. It asks you to sit with discomfort, to make impossible decisions, and to confront what survival looks like when the world falls apart. Dewi’s story isn’t just about her; it’s about anyone who’s ever had to make hard choices in a system stacked against them.
This isn’t just a comedy game. It’s a story about finding meaning after loss, about how we carry grief without letting it define us. The writing has moments of silence and softness that stick with you and make you want to replay the episodes again and again. This might be strange to say, but this game is something truly beautiful.
Beyond sandbox mode, there isn’t much here that feels new. Unbox the Room follows a familiar formula that’s been used by many isometric organising games over the past year. It’s a genre that could use a break, and while this game adds its own touch of charm, it doesn’t stray far from what’s been done before.
Kokoro Kitchen is a visual and auditory treat. Everything from the colour palette to the background music feels designed to relax you. The developers have created an atmosphere that’s gentle and familiar, like the warm glow of a favourite café on a rainy day.
Spindle surprised me. Beneath its gloomy opening and talk of lost souls lies a story about connection, empathy, and the strange comfort of knowing your place in the world. It’s a little clunky in places—the controls are weird, and the combat could use a touch more energy, but none of that overshadows what it gets right.
Sushi Ben is a game that thrives on its story, humour and style. The characters are larger than life, the writing is hilarious, and the manga-inspired visuals give it an unforgettable look. Add in full voice acting, and the world feels full of energy. Now, the gameplay isn’t perfect, and at times, you can feel its VR roots holding it back. A few mechanics are touchy and don’t quite shine as brightly as they might in VR. Even so, the variety of activities, the ability to replay quests, and the sheer charm of the town keep things moving forward.
What makes the story work is the balance between over-the-top humour and heartfelt character writing. Ringo’s energy sets the tone, but she’s never just comic relief. She grows, she struggles, and she learns what it means to fight with honour. The Peace mechanic underlines this beautifully—you can choose not to finish off weakened enemies, instead flashing a peace sign and earning their respect. It’s a mechanic that fits the story’s ethos and gives weight to Ringo’s journey.
Running Strange Antiquities feels like a mix of puzzle-solving, catalogue work, and moral choice. Each day is a self-contained session that takes about twenty to thirty minutes, which makes it perfect for short bursts of play. You spend your time identifying artefacts, cross-referencing your tomes, and deciding which object might help (or hinder) the townsfolk. ... Strange Antiquities is a masterclass in atmosphere. The game captures that balance of dark and cosy that makes Undermere such a compelling place to return to day after day. The rain at the window, the candlelight across your shelves, and Juniper’s quiet presence all weave together into something that feels both homely and haunted.
Just like any good discount store, Discounty has a points reward system. Daily and weekly challenges encourage you to stay engaged, and you can use your points to unlock new items for your shop. It feels authentic (many real stores do this) while also providing that cozy “one more day” loop. There’s a whole, if compact, town to explore, full of little mysteries to solve and local businesses you might partner with – or compete against. Add in some small-town drama, colourful characters, and some unexpected events, t makes for a lively world that’s just as engaging as running your shop.
The gameplay is a series of logic puzzles. Each level drops you into a new setting—cinemas, buses, boats, train cars—and challenges you to arrange characters according to their preferences. It starts out easy: someone wants a window seat, or a music-lover shouldn’t sit next to someone trying to nap. Over time, the combinations get trickier, forcing you to juggle multiple constraints. The best levels, in my opinion, were the diner and the train. These included little extras like moving food around or sorting luggage, which made the experience feel fresher.
Dinotica splits your time between two distinct environments: your home base and the outer world of Dinotica. Your home base acts as a hub for crafting, resource management, and preparing for adventures, while Dinotica is where the actual exploration happens. A land filled with dinosaurs, enemies, mysteries and loot. There’s a good balance between building and maintaining your base and venturing into the unknown. ...the downside is that the system is a little too basic. Crafting often comes down to just gathering the right number of raw materials – need fibre? Collect x amount and you’re set. While functional, it feels like the game could have benefited from an extra layer of resource management or complexity. Like requiring players to spin fibre into rope or string before using it for some recipes. It’s enjoyable for what it is, but players who love deep crafting systems may find it a bit barebones.