Paper Trail is a top-down puzzle adventure about leaving home, set in a foldable, paper world.
Paper Trail is an artful, puzzle game. I recommend turning the lights out, having no other distractions and getting absorbed in the atmosphere provided by the stunning colour palettes and understated but beautiful soundtrack.
Played entirely with the mouse, Paper Trail feels silky smooth to control. Every location that you enter is a piece of paper that can be folded from any of its edges. What is on the back of the paper is different to what is on the front, providing new paths for Paige to bypass the obstacles in her way should they be folded correctly.
The game gives you the ability to view what is on the back of the page, and doing so felt like a glimpse into another world. While the function of this is for puzzle solving purposes, I liked to imagine that what we see on the flip side is a view of the same location in times long gone. Seeing where our character stands now through the page, encouraged by the melancholic music evoked feelings of a history lost to time, a sad but inevitable thing that thoroughly captures my imagination.
The closest game that I have played to Paper Trail is Gorogoa, a puzzle game taking place on panels. While they play differently and each have their own unique mechanics, if you like one there is a big chance you will like the other too for the ingenuity, commitment to the idea of their craft and a roundabout exploration of a fantasy world a little different to our own.
Demo Length – 40 mins
At a glance + Art direction. + Soundtrack. + Colour palettes. + Checking the back of the papers. + Played entirely with mouse. + Unique idea implemented perfectly. +/- Not too difficult (so far). I managed to get through the puzzles through experimentation rather than figuring it out with logic.
Été is a relaxing painting game where you freely explore a city in the summer, collecting ideas in your album, creating artworks on canvas, and decorating your studio by selling your art to your neighbours.
The tagline for this post was going to be ‘Colour me impressed’, but some how that is not enough to do my feelings towards Été justice. This game is outstanding.
Été is an art game for both artists and none artists alike. If you love the idea of creating art but the idea of picking up a paintbrush fills you with dread, this game solves that in impressive ways.
Gameplay is split into two main parts. The first part is exploring the city, meeting the folks that inhabit it and seeking out opportunities as you go. The second part is creating your own art.
You are a watercolour artist that has just moved into the area. Everywhere you go starts off as, well, a blank canvas. But this isn’t your canvas, you have an easel for that. This is instead, your inspiration that will expand the more time you spend exploring it. As you take in your environment, colour enters the world, building a catalogue of references that you can use in your own art.
Not only is this effect striking on the eyes, the entire art direction of this game is a visual metaphor about inspiration, perspective and seeing the world in a different way. It encourages you to not only absorb the scene around you, but every little mundane object within, as it could be the subject of your next masterpiece.
In the second part of the gameplay, it is your turn to create some art. Using colours that you have unlocked and the objects from the world around you, it is time to add them to your canvas and create some magic. You can move them, scale them, re-order them, re-colour them and for live subjects, choose exactly which frame of their animation you would like to use. Commisions will give you a brief to fulfil, or you can make whatever your heart desires to fill the walls of your own apartment.
Through these modes of gameplay you are free to use your time as you see fit with no pressure other than the end of the day, and all that does is refreshes your energy, readying you for more collection and creating. The world is your oyster and the possibilities are endless.
The first time I saw the trailer I was reminded of The Unfinished Swan but after playing, they are barely comparable at all. Using colour to reveal the environment is the only similarity. Été is way more akin to Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist, but of course with its own look, feel and mechanics. I was completely blown away by this demo, this is a must play for me and I urge anyone to give it a go.
Demo Length – The demo lasts for 7 in-game days. I played for over 2 hours which was 5 in-game days. Progress will not transfer to the full game.
At a glance + The game is completely stunning. + You do not need to be good at art (particularly drawing or painting) to express yourself or get a lot out of this game. + Freedom to focus on commisions or take as much time as you like exploring, discovering new things, collecting subjects and decorating your apartment. + Optional collectathon. + The purpose of exploration may make you see the world differently. + Exploration is rewarded by expanding your creative options. + I didn’t encounter a single bug. + Never once felt limited by my options on the canvas (in fact kept being blown away). + It is fun to see your art fill the world as you hand in commisions.
Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café is a cozy and relaxing decoration and rhythm game where you manage a café and befriend cute animals.
The demo for Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café is short but sweet. I like cute things, but I have a blurry, undefined line where too much cute has the opposite effect and pushes me away. Where it begins and ends is a mystery, but I just wanted to be clear that cute on its own generally doesn’t do it for me. Nom Nom stays on exactly the right side of the line while somehow making me feel the need to squeal with delight with everything I do.
I don’t know exactly how the core gameplay loop is going to go just from playing the demo, but meeting characters, creating designs for products such as cookies, drinks and t-shirts, and decorating your café are certainly a large part of it. Something else that I know for certain is that I want to meet every one of the characters that were teased so that I can marvel at their impossibly adorable character design.
This game is actually providing a service that I have wanted for a long time. Every so often I get the urge to decorate food. Cakes, cookies, either works. The only thing is, it never turns out great and I end up ‘decorating’ the entire kitchen in the process. I don’t know how I do it, but it happens often enough that I know better than to divulge in these urges, lest I be cleaning chocolate from the walls and my hair. Then, I end up with a tonne of sweet treats that I WILL eat in two days because splitting them between two days is the best my self control can do.
I know I am not the only one out there like this, and I am honestly excited at the prospect of this game taking those urges away by making some digital delights instead. These, as well as taking place in an aesthetically pleasing, well polished, user friendly environment that is clearly made by someone very passionate and talented at what they do, is why I wanted to highlight this game!
Demo Length – It depends how much time you want to spend designing cookies. The demo only contains one design slot. I played for 30 mins.
At a glance + Difficulty options for the rhythm game so you can customise your experience. + Soo many options for decorating the cookies, I wanted to make so many different types. + Love the pixel drawing, it is simple enough while also being precise. + Character designs are ADORABLE. + Furniture is stylish and customisable. + Full game features listed at the end of the demo sound fun. + Everything works so smoothly + It’s just so cute. +/- Since this demo felt like a teaser, I am unsure on what the gameplay loop of the full game is going to be.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is a single player survivor-like auto-shooter. Wield the full arsenal of Deep Rock Galactic, take on hordes of lethal aliens, mine riches, and unlock powerful upgrades. It’s one dwarf against all of Planet Hoxxes!
In case you don’t know, the idea of the ‘survivor-like’ genre is like a giant game of tag. Everyone is ‘it’, they are all monsters and if they touch you, you aren’t going to live for much longer. In order to survive, you have weapons that automatically trigger on a cool down basis. Every enemy you kill drops XP which you can then collect to upgrade your weapons and your character, never allowing you to be too far away from the chaos as you retrace the trail of death in your wake, absorbing all of the gains along the way.
Stemming from the game-changing innovation that is Vampire Survivors, these games are particularly popular on the go as runs tend to be relatively short and meta progression can make even a dud run worthwhile. They don’t tend to require memorising buttons, making them very easy and satisfying to pick up as a palate cleanser between other games.
What makes Deep Rock Galactic: Survivors stand out among an ever-growing genre isn’t necesserily just the IP. The digging mechanic opens up a breadth of possibilities that takes engagement up to a whole new level. Not only are you playing this game of extreme dodgeball, having the ability to mine resources forces you to choose how you want to spend your time, how much risk you are willing take to become more powerful, gives you something to juggle in the opening minutes of the level and opens up manoeuvrability options that can save your life, or get you killed.
I had 3 runs, the third of which got me my first clear. It was intense, the adrenaline was high and I got out by the skin of my teeth. The difficulty rising throughout the levels feels consistant, every run giving you more information and a chance to be better equipped than the last.
While I haven’t played enough of either Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor or Vampire Survivors to make definitive statements, this game has huge potential to have the holding power that Vampire Survivors didn’t quite have for me. I highly recommend giving this one a try if you are even slightly curious. The game doesn’t hold your hand but the learning curve truly is a pleasure.
Demo Length – As long as you want, there is quite a bit of content. There is a disclaimer that it probably wont transfer to the full game. I played for 1hr 30mins.
At a glance + Outstanding Survivor-like. + Visually easy to read. + Mining adds an entirely new strategic layer. + Enemy variety. + Lot’s of content. + Runs feel well paced. + Satisfying progression. + The components of Deep Rock Galactic blend exceptionally well into this genre. +/- Progress is probably not going to transfer over to the full game.
Jusant(n.): a French nautical term for a receding tide
Enjoy meditative vibes in Jusant, an action-puzzle climbing game. Scale an immeasurably tall tower and ascend to new heights alongside your watery companion. Master your climbing tools, find your way up through diverse biomes, and piece together the tower’s past
Jusant opens with an understated screen. It reads ‘Jusant(n.): a French nautical term for a receding tide’. This is followed by a wordless cutscene, setting the scene of a sprawling wasteland, a mass grave littered with the remains of sea vessels as far as the eye can see. Not a word was spoken, and it didn’t need to be.
Our protagonist appears over the horizon, seemingly not of our world, carrying what can only be presumed to be precious cargo. They approach a towering cliff, a grand spectacle so tall that it fades into the clouds above, and thus begins Jusant.
There is no shortage of wildlife, contrasting the eerie stillness of the abandoned cliff village with the bustle of nature, bringing the environment to life. But a question remains, where are the people? and that is just one question of many that I have from playing this stunning demo.
Was the receding tide expected in this clearly nautical nation, did it used to be stable, where did it go and who are we? These are things that I hope that we will find out along the way. All that we know about the world are the items surrounding us left behind by the former inhabitents, and the letters that we find along the way offering a window into a past life.
It may be clear that the world enraptured me so much that the gameplay felt secondary to me. So far it is simple and forgiving, and while that might not be up everyone’s alley, I personally find it complements the pensive tone by giving us the ability to keep pressing forward on our journey for answers.
I dont know whether the full game will deliver on the Journey or Brothers: Tale of Two Sons-esque feelings that I am getting, whether the difficulty will ramp up or whether all of my questions will be answered. But one thing that is for sure is that I am really looking forward to finding out.
Demo Length – 1 hour.
At a glance + Fascinating world. + Unique setting. + Stunning vistas. + Gets the imagination going. + The creatures in this world. + I was feeling emotions without being told to feel emotions. +/- It isn’t difficult. +/- I looked for secrets but I didn’t really find any. May be a dissapointing thing but it is good to know early how thoroughly you have to look into every nook and cranny. – A little buggy.
Once you get tangled with the mob, you will forever be a part of the mob. At least they pay a decent salary and all you have to do is clean up after their dirty work, but you know what you’re doing. So clean crime scenes, outsmart the police, and get ready for the next mission.
I am unsure whether I should be ashamed to admit that out of the 35 demos I currently have to try, Crime Scene Cleaner is the one that I absolutely had to try first. But crimes, fixing crime scenes, virtual cleaning, secret handouts… there is no shame there, that is a winning recipe if I ever saw one. The real shame lies when I skip my own chores to conscientiously scrub the splattered viscera of the former owners from every surface of their enviable mansion. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.
This demo exceeded my expectations in just about every way. As a PowerWash Simulator appreciator and someone that is eagerly awaiting House Flipper 2, my curiosity was piqued but I could not have imagined that this would – in my opinion – live up to both of those titles. Sure, you don’t have the design options that you have in House Flipper and you don’t have the unlimited water that you have in PowerWash Sim, but this game brings other mechanics to the table.
In Crime Scene Cleaner we are playing as a character with a personality and a life. His one liners are consistantly fun, almost feeling like an homage to a horror protagonist. School janitor by day, alternative janitor by night, we are trying to earn money to be able to pay for the treatment of our seriously ill daughter. Not only do we need to clean up the horrendous crime scenes but we have to manage our suspicion levels as we decide how much of the crime scene we can get away with quietly taking for ourselves.
I never realised I wanted a gory cozy game but so far, that is exactly what this game feels like for me and I eagerly await the full experience.
Demo Length – 2 hours. Certainly won’t take that long for everyone but I wanted the place to be spotless and kept finding secrets upon secrets rather than the dining chair that I was looking for.
At a glance + Level design + Satisfaction + Felt like a great tutorial + Potential for depth to the game beyond only cleaning + A charming amount of jank + Secrets + Humour + The character we are playing as has a personality +/- This is not going to appeal to everyone – I had a couple of UI/visual bugs, I have reported them to the devs!
There have been some changes around here so I thought I would write a little summary.
In my effort to simplify my website, I have added many pages. Originally, the idea was to add filter functions to pages so that you can easily find the posts that interest you within the correct section. Unfortunataly that is not allowed on the plan that I am on so I did the next best thing, which was make some new categories and organised them myself!
So what’s new?
Navigation
The biggest change is the updated menu across the top of the site (or using the little menu box on mobile). Categories now make a lot more sense and have subsections to allow you to find exactly what you are looking for.
Impressions
Impressions is an entire new section dedicated to demos and first looks at games. Now, anytime that a game enters my radar I have a place to shout about it straight away.
Features
Features is a place for a lot of the content that I was already making that aren’t reviews or impressions.
Indie Gaming
Anything across the site that contains any indie content will be gathered here, as well as easy access to past game festival coverage.
Other Content
This is for all of the posts that I make relating to my non-written content like Twitch and YouTube.
Blog Archive
Blog Archive contains every post in one place, plus sub-sections of retired series so that I don’t completely erase them from existance
Home Page
I have simplified the home page so that content is the first thing you see. The plan is to add in temporary segments whenever there is a special occasion like the Steam Next Fest.
Game Service section has gone
Because the new categories collectively cover everything I make, I re-distributed all of my Game Service posts into the relevent places.
Search Bar
I have added the search bar as the best compromise to the filter issue I mentioned earlier. Search for a game title, genre, service etc and you should be able to find any coverage that I have done easily.
Game Pass is a service that I consume a little differently to others. Where PS Plus Extra is like my every day diet, Game Pass is my treat day – or treat months really. I don’t always have it, but when I do I binge the heck out of it.
I only got a PC within the last 3 years and never had an Xbox, so I never even really knew what Game Pass was until 2020. When I did get my PC, Game Pass were doing codes for a week of free access for first timers. I never jumped in because I wanted to make it count but I couldn’t find the right time. I thought I would save it for a rainy day or a broken leg. Then, they introduced their 3 Months for £1 deal.
To this day I cannot get over how good of a deal that was. Not only that, but there was an extra free month if you signed up to monthly payments (which you could unsubscribe to at any time). And if that wasn’t crazy enough, they did it again! Through all of these deals, Christmas gifts and a month I gifted to myself to make my 12 Days of Game Pass series, I have probably had a year total of access. Since my subscription status is on and off, everytime I do have access I try to make the most of it, as evidenced below.
Played since I first got Game Pass
Games Tried: 69 Games Completed: 34 Games Abandoned: 23
I think this list shows why I only like to have Game Pass in bursts. That is a LOT of gaming. There is an argument that if I had it more often then I wouldn’t feel the need to binge as hard, but 1. I have to pick and choose my subscriptions for income reasons and 2. Along with the joy of having access to these games comes the low key anxiety I get of wanting to finish everything before it leaves. Twice per month a selection of games leave the service and while it is always the same days (the 1st and the 16th), two weeks notice isn’t enough if I am recording/streaming, or if it is a long game. Also, if a game enters the leaving soon list then I know I have to drop everything and play it or miss out, which often dictates what I end up playing.
Regarding the table above, when compared to my PS Plus Extra list, there are a lot more dropped and paused games, particularly that I have made content for. I think it is important to note that this is not a negative. This is simply due to playing the games on the same device that I am making my content. It isn’t because the quality of games is low, it is completely down to convenience. Having access to so many games on my PC (the place I make my content) gives me so much opportunity to experiment without any barriers. I took advantage of that, getting to experience lots of different games and not having to feel bad about dropping them if they weren’t for me. I did 12 Days of Game Pass as I mentioned before, and I have done Game Pass Indie Showcase months too. These are series’ designed to experience a wide variety without having to commit. This explains the drastic difference between the tables I have made.
Secondly, most of the paused games that aren’t for content are multiplayer which is something that I have rarely ever tried on my PlayStation. Again, the convenience is a large factor here, but also more people I know tend to have Game Pass. Partly due to the fact that you could say ‘Don’t have Game Pass? No problem, its £1 for 3 months, get in here and play.’ That era is now over but it did the job of selling everyone on the value of the service.
Finally, the variety is a subject that I would like to bring up here too. Look at all of those different games. So many that I certainly wouldn’t have tried if the opportunity wasn’t there, lots that I wanted to try and got my wish. I was going to pick out some highlights but there are so many that I don’t even know where to start. Some of these games got me through some particularly rocky times and I am eternally grateful for that.
One feature that Game Pass certainly has over Ps Plus Extra is the ability to add games to your ‘Play Later’ list. I still keep this up to date even when I am not subscribed so that I know what I have to look forward to the the time comes. (Once again, these lists are accurate at the time of writing but the games available are ever changing so I will certainly miss some)
Still to play – Online
As Dusk Falls
Broken Age
Deaths Door
Dordogne
Pentiment
Tunic
These are the games that I will would definitely like to make content for. Total Games: 6 Games started: 3 (As Dusk Falls, Deaths Door and Tunic)
Still to play – Offline
Airborne Kingdom
The Big Con
Chained Echoes
Cooking Simulator
Coral Island
Medieval Dynasty
Norco
Opus Magnum
Peggle Nights
Persona 3 Portable
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 5 Royal
Phoenix Point
Railway Empire 2
Ravenlok
Sea of Stars
SimCity
Slime Rancher 2
Solasta: Crown of the Magister
Starfield
The Wandering Village
Zoo Tycoon
These are the games that I will try/play for myself without making content (probably). Total Games: 22 Games started: 3 (Cooking Simulator, Coral Island, Medieval Dynasty)
Still to play – Online or Offline?
Amazing Cultivation Simulator
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales
Bramble: The Mountain King
Fe
Homestead Arcana
Hypnospace Outlaw
McPixel 3
Monster Sanctuary
Planet of Lana
Quantum Break
Sea of Solitude
Somerville
Unravel 2
Venba
These are games that I haven’t quite decided whether I should make content for or not. Total Games: 14
I am quite passionate about low budget gaming. I don’t feel good about it as games mean so much to me, I want to support the continued development. However, that is a privilege that some people just don’t have. Game Pass has allowed me to play 69 games that I simply would not have been able to if the service didn’t exist. The value for money has been second to none (unless you include Epic Games, then it might be second to one). The big caveat is that it is only this valuable if you actually have time to play the games. That is why, for me, hopping in and out is the best way to go.
If you have enjoyed this read take a look at my similar post about PS Plus Extra!
GG App is where I do my tracking. Feel free to follow along here.
As a long time PS Plus subscriber, the announcement of PS Plus Extra back in 2022 was quite exciting to me. I already had a backlog of more than enough games from the monthly titles, but as someone who has never been able to use Game Pass from my couch, the idea of a new catalogue did make me feel very enthusiastic.
I try not to read too much into console wars internet chatter, but based on whatever the algorithms feed me, I don’t see a whole lot of love for PS Plus Extra. Underwhelm was the general vibe I was sensing at launch and despite numerous fantastic months of additions, I still don’t see a lot of hype. I find this to be a shame because for me, the service just keeps on giving.
The ability to be able to try out so many games without having to commit to them has been so fantastic. Not enjoying it? No biggie, time to move on to the next one. And trying games I never thought I would always brings me joy. Even if I don’t get along with whatever I am playing, it gives me the opportunity to examine why. Not only that but a lot of the games that had their launch on the service have been games that I particularly wanted to play. Stray and Tchia spring to mind immediatly, so I am especially grateful to have been able to play them much earlier than I would have otherwise.
Below, I have gathered together a full list of the games I have played since PS Plus Extra launched. I am doing the same with Game Pass to see if I find any interesting trends, differences, and mostly to have a visual reminder of how lucky we are to get to try out so many different games.
What I have played since PS Plus Extra launched
Games Tried: 25 Games Completed: 17 Games Abandoned: 6
The first thing that I notice in the chart above is that I haven’t done a lot of experimental content with PS Plus (hence no paused or dropped online games). On one hand that is funny as one of my very first deep dives into content creation were covering the PS Plus games. Whether I liked them or not, we discovered as I went. However, as time has passed and I now have a PC, my PlayStation has swerved into more of a personal machine. My capture card became unreliable so if there is a game that I specifically want to stream I do so with Remote Play, otherwise, it is a little bit of a pain so I tend not to.
Secondly, I notice the variety in games played. While there are a lot of indies, there are plenty of AAA’s in there too. I even dropped 2 of them, where as if I had bought them outright I probably would have forced myself to continue (not that I was ever going to buy Demon’s Souls, I was just curious how I would do 😅). Then even among the indies, some of the titles are instantly recognisable while some you may never have heard of. I really do feel privileged to get to play them as my gaming budget is so limited, I wouldn’t be able to try even half of what I have if they weren’t on the service.
The best part is how many games I still have the opportunity to try. Being the list nerd that I am, of course I am keeping track of what looks interesting to me, and there are a few! (Accurate at the time of writing, games leave the service each month so I won’t get to play them all but new games will be added consistantly too)
Still to play – Offline
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Carto
Civilization VI
Cloudpunk
Cursed to Golf
Dead Cells
Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories
Empire of Sin
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Forager
Ghost of Tsushima
I am Dead
Immortals Fenyx Rising
Kingdom Heards HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX
Kingdom: New Lands
The Last Guardian
Life is Strange 2
Rain World
Returnal
Rune Factory 4
Scarlet Nexus
Sea of Stars
Skyrim
Slime Rancher
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
Two Point Hospital
These are the games that I will try/play for myself without making content (probably). Total Games: 29 Games started: 5 (Dead Cells, Returnal, Rune Factory 4, Sea of Stars, Skyrim)
Still to play – Online or Offline?
11-11 Memories Retold
A Hat in Time
Chicken Police – Paint it RED!
JETT: The Far Shore + Given Time
Journey to the Savage Planet: Employee of the Month
Last Stop
Spirit of the North
The Talos Principle
Undertale
These are games that I haven’t quite decided whether I should make content for or not. Total Games: 9
To sum up, PS Plus extremely valuable to me. While I adore the service, I do have a creeping worry about how subscription services might affect game sales. Particularly the indies, and particularly with the recent price hike, eating further into peoples budget. But as a consumer, it allows me to play so much more than I otherwise would have been able. For now, I am going to continue working my way through my list, enjoying and appreciating every second of it.
If you have enjoyed this post keep an eye out as I am working on a similar post about Game Pass soon!
GG App is where I do my tracking. Feel free to follow along here.
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