Minimap's Reviews
Ale Abbey is a charming and unique tycoon game that balances brewing depth with lighthearted world-building. Its pacing stumbles at times, with lulls that can drag, but the fun pixel art, intuitive UI, and rewarding brewing system make it worth your time. It may not be the "Dark Souls of Tycoon Games," but it doesn’t need to be — it’s a cozy, creative management sim with just enough bite to keep you coming back for one more brew.
Unfortunately, I did encounter a good amount of bugs and glitches in my playthrough. That being said, most of these issues were quickly resolved by restarting at the most recent checkpoint. The developers are aware of issues.Considering the demo portion was much improved in the final version of the game in such a short time, I do believe they will work out the kinks pretty quickly. Be aware that the console versions are a little behind the Steam version in production, so they are more likely to have more problems at this time. Steam is where I played for this review.
While the story really stuck with me and I mostly enjoyed the gameplay, I did feel like there was something missing to really pull the game together as a whole. Having more tasks to complete or maybe having a bit more challenge to the puzzles would’ve helped. There were also a few small bugs I ran into, mostly with getting stuck in between things. Sometimes I created a lot more of a mess than I wanted to while traversing. It was easy to accidentally knock the objects over that you needed to keep upright, which could be a bit of an annoyance at times.
I’m incredibly impressed by how much Katanaut has to offer, especially for a solo developer project. It’s an easy tagline to call it Dead Cells meets Dead Space, but it’s so much more than that. Katanaut is a fantastic action-roguelike that elegantly uses cosmic horror to intensify combat and amplify the emotions felt while playing. I hope it gets attention amidst a crowded September. It absolutely deserves it.
Roadwarden is an illustrated text-based RPG that blends narrative choice, exploration, and role-playing mechanics. You play as a lone roadwarden traveling dangerous frontiers, tasked with connecting settlements, forging relationships, and uncovering mysteries in a harsh, lived-in fantasy world. The game’s unique interface divides the screen into three sections: on the left, illustrations paint the story as it unfolds; in the middle, text and choices guide your narrative path; and on the right, stats like Time and Vitality constantly remind you of the toll your journey takes and the urgency of your decisions.
Even with some of its pacing issues, I enjoyed most of my time with Tiny Bookshop. If you’re a book lover like me, I do think it’s worth checking out. With some small tweaks and a bit more variety in the book selection, I think this could improve quite a bit.
I really enjoyed my time with Off. The narrative design is excellent, with intriguing characters, a unique world, a great sense of humor, and dramatic twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. As a fan of Undertale, it’s amazing to see how much DNA it shares with Off, especially knowing Off’s original release happened six years prior. It certainly shows its age, especially with random encounters and dated RPG combat and systems, but interesting boss fights do just enough to keep the moments between story beats entertaining. It’s a unique RPG that I think all fans of the genre will find something in it to appreciate, and if you’re a fan of Toby Fox’s work, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out such a vital piece of his inspiration.
Train Valley World may not be a masterpiece, but it’s a solid and enjoyable game with moments of brilliance. It’s a title that asks a lot of its players but also gives back in rewarding ways, especially for those who love intricate puzzles and logistical problem-solving. If you’ve got the patience to stick with it, you might just find yourself hooked—one more train, one more track, one more level.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Is This Seat Taken? I think it’s the perfect little puzzle game and it’s very unique in style for the type of game it is. Sometimes similar scenarios reappeared with small differences and I would’ve personally preferred something different each time. Anyone who’s looking to relax but also work their brain a little bit will be in for a treat with this game. It’s a great price, too!
Herdling is a beautiful atmospheric adventure that I would highly recommend, especially to anyone who’s a fan of games similar to Journey. Despite having a few slow moments, I think this game is stunning and an experience I’ll remember for a while. It only took me 4 hours to finish, so it’s the perfect bite-sized game to add to your list!
Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson is far from perfect. The story is clichéd and one-note, and the combat lacks the necessary balance and depth to remain enjoyable, which is massively disappointing considering the core premise carries so much potential. That said, I still recommend giving [Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson] a try. The way it leverages music in its RPG and deckbuilder mechanics is so clever, and the environments are literally singing with charm. Ritual Studio’s inexperience may have been what holds this back from being a must-play title, but their dedication to creating a world bursting at the seams with the positive energy of music shines through, making Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
At first, I struggled with balance, and I was either leaning too far into building up my lands or too far into building up my army. It took some trial and error with the development until I found something that worked for me. I enjoyed the Journey mode best because I loved the city-building aspect more. I think anyone who enjoys city-building games would enjoy Kingdom's Deck.
Dragon is Dead surprised me. It took the mechanics of Diablo and masterfully applied them to the action roguelike formula. The beautiful pixel art, excellent enemy designs, and the fun, frenetic combat make playing Dragon is Dead a blast. And the loot and buildcrafting kept me hooked, consistently drawing me in for one more run. I’m concerned about what the launch state might be, especially since bugs should have been ironed out during the Early Access period. I wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to wait a bit to give PM Studios time to smooth things out. However, I’ve seen how they’ve responded to feedback during that time, and I trust that they will refine Dragon is Dead into a polished experience that I will continue to come back to for a long time.
There’s room for improvement, but it’s still enjoyable enough.
Even if the game did get a bit repetitive, it didn’t feel like it overstayed its welcome. The campaign was around 12 hours for me. After the campaign, you can continue to patrol the streets as you wish. All of this being said, this is a very impressive game from such a small team. I think a few tweaks could really turn this into a great game.
While there's still room to elevate the puzzle design and I'm eager to see even more ambitious ideas in future entries, the game's strengths clearly shine through. Remember though, this score is just a snapshot — the complete review paints the full picture of why this title is worth your attention. And it really is.
AWAKEN - Astral Blade is a stylish, combat-focused sci-fi adventure that hits more than it misses. With gorgeous visuals, engaging mechanics, and a haunting world to explore, it’s a solid pick for fans of the Metroidvania genre. While it falls short in enemy variety, narrative delivery, and platforming precision, its strengths in atmosphere and gameplay make it a journey worth taking - especially if you’ve got a soft spot for platforming, hack & slash, and 2D sci-fi Metroidvanias.
Just like the name suggests, the flow of customers never ends, so it’s nothing but burgers and fries flying off the counter. In the mood for some of that stress that comes with this genre? Try the Time Challenge mode! Here, customers will not only rate the food, but also the amount of time it takes to get that food to them. This shift also gives you a nice 300% bonus, so if you want a little boost to unlock that next planet, try this one.
While the story and characters are serviceable, they never quite break out of the expected mold. Predictability and a lack of emotional depth might leave narrative-driven players wanting more. That said, Dokimon: Quest doesn’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel, it just needs to offer a good time, and in that regard, it mostly delivers. It’s a solid little adventure with rough edges, but still worth checking out for fans of the genre who are in it for the nostalgia and exploration more than anything else.