Tag: Roguelite

12 Days of Epic Games 2024 Round Up

My 12 Days of Epic Games series is complete!

In this second season of my 12 Days series we took a look at 12 different games that I have received for free during Epic Games giveaways, trying them out for an hour or two, or a chapter or two, whichever came first. I then decided whether to continue them online as content, continue them offline for myself or to drop them, content that they are no longer part of my backlog.

Now that the challenge is over, I thought it would be nice to do a wrap up post. I recorded the videos in advance so in the time between recording and the series finishing, I managed to secretly play through a few of the games to completion.

Day 1 – Recipe for Disaster (2022)

Recipe for Disaster is a management sim that captures the fast-paced, drama-filled environment of a professional kitchen and dining room. Build your dream restaurant, create recipes, design menus and manage your staff, all while contending with demanding customers and disastrous situations!

While I thought that Recipe for Disaster was doing something interesting with its menu creator, it turned out to be a very forgettable experience for me. Despite being one of the longer videos, I did move on from it completely once the video was done. I am always on the look out for the management games that scratch the itch that I have, but unfortunately this wasn’t the one for me.

Ranking – That’s enough for me.
Current Status – Dropped.

Day 2 – Frostpunk (2018)

Frostpunk is the first society survival game. As the ruler of the last city on Earth, it is your duty to manage both its citizens and infrastructure. What decisions will you make to ensure your society’s survival? What will you do when pushed to breaking point? Who will you become in the process?

Oh man.. Frostpunk. Les than one week after I finished recording, I had completed the entire scenario. By then, it felt like a shame not to show how it ended so I managed to find a way to add it in to the video.

This was my favourite game in the entire 12 days and I think that is for good reason. The tension kept me on my toes throughout, every decision made me question whether I had made the correct choice. The desperation was palpable and the stress had me sweating, despite the bitter cold my colony were trying so hard to survive.

An extremely memorable experience and I am really glad I have it on video for memories sake even if it isn’t a full Let’s Play.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Completed the scenario and moved on. May try other scenarios in the future if I ever run out of new games to play and get the itch.

Day 3 – Transistor (2014)

Discover the world of Transistor, a sci-fi-themed action RPG from the creators of Bastion.

I am a little sad that Transistor didn’t hit for me the way it seems to have for a lot of others. I found the combat difficult to navigate and the story even more so.

I respect a game that doesn’t drown you in exposition. Naturally, when a story is set in its own world like this it will take time to learn about, but I have discovered that I like at least a little more handholding than Transistor offers. Having said all of that, since playing I have enjoyed what I heard about the story while listening to podcasts and will look forward to seeing the full game vicariously as a Let’s Play with this new context.

Ranking – That’s enough for me/watch someone else.
Current Status – Have listened to a podcast, looking for a Let’s Play to watch.

Day 4 – The Spectrum Retreat (2018)

Check-in to The Spectrum Retreat for a stay you won’t forget. Manipulate your way to the truth in this captivating narrative-driven puzzler.

I really liked The Spectrum Retreat as a first person puzzler. I went on to finish the game and I think it was the perfect length, never overstaying it’s welcome while regularly revealing more of the story as you go (it evolved after the video ended and I like where it went). The puzzle difficulty never got too much, adding in fun new mechanics each chapter to keep it fresh.

A pleasant surprise and an easy recommendation.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Completed.

Day 5 – The First Tree (2017)

A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Uncover artifacts from the son’s life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree.

It is never a good feeling to not gel with a game, especially an indie and especially during recording. But there were a lot of reasons The First Tree fell flat for me. Rather than get into a critique of the game, I will report that I did finish it, and that unfortunately did not fix my issues.

Ranking – Continue playing offline/That’s enough for me.
Current Status – Completed.

Day 6 – Death Coming (2017)

‘Death Coming’ is a non-linear puzzle game where you must harvest human souls ‘Final Destination’ style. However, pesky mortals are not your only problem, as the Agents of Light will do everything they can to stop you.

I liked Death Coming for what it was, but after some time away I didn’t find myself desperate to play anymore. I booted it up one more time just to be sure, and as I got back into the swing of it, I enjoyed seeing what the remaining chapters had to offer. More than anything, I feel like the developers must have had a blast pooling together their ideas, and I am glad to have played through this game.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Completed.

Day 7 – 20 Minutes till Dawn (2023)

20 Minutes Till Dawn is a survival roguelite where endless hordes of creatures lurk from the dark. Craft an array of overpowering builds and eradicate waves of Lovecraftian nightmares. Will you be able to survive the night?

20 Minutes till Dawn made me feel very similar to Vampire Survivors. I enjoyed trying it out but there is no magnetism for me to get back in there to try to master it. I was going to replace Vampire Survivors with 20 Minutes till Dawn on my PC, but I realized it is fine enough to keep them both installed as they take up next to no space. I think one day the genre will either click with me, or I will drop it completely, but for now, I keep trying.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Still installed.

Day 8 – Loop Hero (2021)

The Lich has thrown the world into a timeless loop and plunged its inhabitants into never ending chaos. Wield an expanding deck of mystical cards to place enemies, buildings, and terrain along each unique expedition loop for the brave hero.

Considering how much I enjoyed this one, it is shocking how little I remember about how it played. I shelved it immediately as I knew that I could sink a lot of hours into it, but in the few weeks that have passed, I can barely remember the gameplay loop.

That doesn’t put me off continuing though, I know that it will all come back to me when the time comes and I look forward to seeing how it escalates.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Still installed.

Day 9 – Breathedge (2021)

Survive in outer space! Together with your immortal chicken, discover the truth behind your sudden spaceship crash. Craft tools, pilot vehicles, and even control space stations to survive and explore the wreckage.

Breathedge is a game I enjoyed as I was playing it, but am hesitant to say that I will definitely play the full thing through. Going out on little expeditions and gradually upgrading my equipment is fun, but I do wonder how long that fun will last.

I am so thoroughly confused as to how I am remembering this as a chill game that I could perhaps listen to a podcast to, yet we were in such a precarious situation in the most dangerous setting there is. I will find out whether the podcast idea works out when I pick it back up soon enough.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Still installed.

Day 10 – Beyond Blue (2020)

Beyond Blue is a single-player narrative adventure that takes you deep into our planet’s beating blue heart. Explore the awesome wonder and unbounded mystery that exists within the world’s ocean.

Beyond Blue is the game that I always wanted. It isn’t a huge game, but the focus on the ocean and what lives within, having an ongoing story while giving you the freedom to take your time, educating you while entertaining you, all create a Noob tailored combo that I would love to see more of. I, predictably, ended up spending a lot of time in photo mode, the results of which will be shared on the blog soon enough.

While I am most interested in the life below, I was grateful that the game took the time to acknowledge the people that work in the field. I had no idea the sacrifices they make, but their passion is clear and it is a good thing we have people like them in the world, striving to not only understand, but do so in an ethical way.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Completed.

Day 11 – Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018)

Story-driven open-world RPG that immerses you in an epic adventure in the Holy Roman Empire. Avenge your parents’ death as you battle invading forces, go on game-changing quests, and make influential choices. Explore castles, forests, villages and other realistic settings in medieval Bohemia!

Kingdom Come: Deliverance was more difficult than I expected, but also so much more engaging. I love a dramatic story like this and I am curious to see the twists and turns that may be presented as the narrative unfolds.

I am still intimidated by the gameplay. Research has told me that you can get quite strong to make the game easier, however that is my biggest worry about continuing online. Either way, I had loads of fun and would love to see how the story continues one day, despite the game not making it to my 2025 backlog list.

Ranking – Continue playing online/Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Not on my immediate backlog but would like to play fully in the future.

Day 12 – Wilmot’s Warehouse (2019)

Wilmot’s Warehouse is a puzzle game about keeping a warehouse running in tip-top shape. Just remember where you put everything, because when the service hatch opens, you’ll need to find the things people want quickly, in order to earn the coveted Performance Stars.

Wilmot’s Warehouse is even more niche than I expected. I didn’t know 100% what to expect going in, but it is literally exactly as the description says. It is the kind of game that is satisfying when it goes well, and makes my brain itch in all of the wrong ways when it doesn’t.

I have played more since the video and appear to be exactly half way through. I am enjoying it but almost feel as though I have had my fill. I will continue as I have a feeling it is going to become absolute chaos, but I have to admit, the game running slightly long for what it is for me.

Ranking – Continue playing offline.
Current Status – Half way through. I don’t know how I am going to do the rest 😂

Playing new games always feels nice. Even if I don’t like the game, removing it from my backlog list is satisfying in itself. Playing so many in a short space of time doesn’t really reflect a natural way of consuming games, but I think I will always enjoy it.

We had some very different results when compared to Season 1. It has been great to play through some of the ‘continue offline’ games during my holiday, and I am going to strive to finish them all up throughout the year, as well as Tunic which is the only game that remains from the Game Pass season.

Continuing online

  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance (very unlikely though)

Continuing offline

  • Frostpunk
  • The Spectrum Retreat
  • The First Tree
  • Death Coming
  • 20 Minutes till Dawn
  • Loop Hero
  • Breathedge
  • Beyond Blue
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance
  • Wilmot’s Warehouse

Thats enough for me

  • Recipe for Disaster
  • Transistor

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Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop – Demo Impressions

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Fast is panic. Oops, let me repair that for you. Repeat.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop

Developer: Beard Envy

Release Date: November 2024

Come on down to Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, for all your roguelite spaceship repair simulation needs!

WARNING: Untested genre not suitable for people with tentacles for arms or an aversion to dying horrifically. Side effects include improved reading comprehension under pressure and a furry fetish.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is a roguelite puzzle game that is built around minigames. We have been soulbound tasked to run the local Rocket Shop, and not only do passers by need their ships fixing to the highest standard for you know, safety, we have rent to pay and the better job we do, the more sweet sweet space cash we earn.

This is a game about problem solving, following instructions and being strategic where it matters. In focused mode you can take your time, meticulously getting to know the machines you are repairing and the components within. In frantic mode, the more jobs that you get done within a certain timeframe, the more money you earn. Personally, I enjoyed the idea of frantic mode, feeling reminiscent of games like Among Us, Tin Can, Keep Talking and No One Explodes and Papers, Please. However, for me, focused mode was the way to go, feeling more akin to House Flipper or a building flat pack furniture situation, allowing me to take my time, dig deep into the detailed and amusing instruction manual, and still somehow manage to do something wrong.

Not only does the gameplay have a high concentration yet flow state inducing element to it, the entire design is great. Everything is simple enough and clear to read, while also being very distinct and colourful. Everything you click on is responsive and makes visual changes that communicate to the player clearly. The design of the different aliens arriving at the shop and the vehicles in tow are creative and fun, the dialogue is funny, the random events that occur always made me smirk and I continued to be surprised at the new things occurring each run.

The game has run based progression that is erased when you die/lose, as well as a classic meta progression system that ticks over with you onto your next run. Dialogue and scenareos are slightly altered each run, adding more elements and allowing forward momentum as you get more familiar with the loop. It is the type of game where familiarity is going to help you improve equally as much as the upgrades.

The attention to detail is fantastic, the game play is silky smooth and my time with the demo was an absolute joy. I am going to be keeping an eye on this one for sure.

Demo Length – 2+ Hours
At a glance
+ High concentration yet flow state gameplay.
+ Funny.
+ Polished.
+ Two key options for gameplay offer different experiences.
+ Keeps on giving.
+ The roguelite aspects feel seamless.

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Blue Prince – Demo Impressions

Schrödinger’s Mansion.

Blue Prince

Developer: Dogubomb

Release Date: To be announced

Welcome to Mt. Holly, where every dawn unveils a new mystery. Navigate through shifting corridors and ever-changing chambers in this genre-defying strategy puzzle adventure. But will your unpredictable path lead you to the rumored Room 46?

Blue Prince is a first person, exploration puzzle game where you will be using RNG and resource management to make your way through an ever changing mansion. Almost all of what you find is temporary, but some lessons will stay with you as you reset each day, making another attempt at traversing this bemusing abode.

The gameplay is very decision focused. The house you are exploring is made up of Schrödinger’s rooms – every room simultaneously existing and not until you open the door. What I mean by that is, every door that you open will grant you a choice. Three different types of rooms are presented to you and you can pick which one you want to walk into, adding it into the bluprint map that you carry around with you. Layout, benefits and resources within all need to be carefully considered as you attempt to make your way towards the north of the house. 

I am going to make a potentially strange comparison so bare with me here, but I can’t help but feel a lot of very similar feelings that I get when I play The Binding of Isaac. Blue Prince doesn’t have combat and is an entirely different tone, but RNG and resource management are two stand out mechanics of Isaac, ensuring every run is entirely different and causing difficult decisions. Where Isaac has it’s keys, bombs, coins and health, Blue Prince has keys, gems, coins and steps. You are going to want them all but whether you get them is another question. Movement itself being a currency adds another complication, as your keys aren’t worth anything if you pass out as you open the door.

Continuing with the Isaac theme, you are not going to be able to do everything in one go. The items that you draw in TBoI inform how you play your run – for better or worse. A similar thing happens here, except it isn’t only the items that you have found, it is also the rooms that go with them. For example, you may find a room with dig spots but never make it to a shovel. This coulddd be considered annoying and even cruel, but if you are anything like me, it will trigger the synergy hunting and experimentation part of your brain. No run is wasted when you have a goal to try something new, and even if you don’t succeed, you are likely to run into something else.

The last thing that I want to bring up about my first impressions are how I enjoyed the whole concept of the puzzle solving, from the micro to the macro. Every type of room that you draw may or may not contain something relevent to the overarching mystery. This makes it extremely tempting to use new rooms immediatly, even when there is a chance that they will mess up your route or lead to a dead end. In doing this I managed to find some neat things that I will need to write down on paper for the full game. There are also individual puzzle rooms, containing bite sized puzzles that serve their purpose well. They take less than a minute to solve, you get your reward and then are back to the rest of the problems at hand.

I was impressed that by the end of the demo I had found so many loose ends that I had not found the answer to, and sad that I couldn’t continue on. I have never played a puzzle game like this, it is very unorthodox but it is exactly my flavour of dopamine and I really hope the rest of the game lives up to the first couple of hours.

Demo Length – 1-2 hours
At a glance
+ Overarching macro puzzles.
+ Smaller puzzles within.
+ Tough decisions.
+ Short runs.
+ Time to think.
+ So unique.
+/- Doesn’t hold your hand.
+/- Resource scarcity.
+/- RNG – was fun for the demo but has chance to get frustrating.

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Indie Showcase – Steam Next Fest February 2023

It is Steam Next Fest time! That’s right, it is once again time to celebrate the indie games being created day in day out, all around the world! I love to take this opportunity to play as many demos as possible, trying out as many as I can in my never ending quest to see what passionate developers are creating.

If you are looking for coverage of all genres I’m afraid you won’t find it here. Racing games, rhythm games, deck builders, challenging games, shooters and horror (with a couple of exceptions) are absolutely not my genres. Personally, I am not terribly interested in combat or anything too fast paced. I very occasionally dabble in management games, survival games and simulators but they aren’t my biggest focus. The types of games I am looking for include interesting narratives and ways to tell said narratives. I like exploring interesting spaces and moving in interesting ways. Level design, world building, art direction, story and atmosphere all matter a great deal to me. Whether that is a cozy time gathering materials to craft objects, or a thrilling time investigating a grisly murder. An epic adventure across lands unheard, or an intimate story one can only experience by playing for themself. I game for feelings and I game for escapism. I game for different perspectives and I game for art. Finally, as we all do, I game for fun.

Now that you have an idea of my tastes, shall we begin the search for my Noob Picks of the Steam Next Fest February 2023!? Let’s go!

Wishlisting a game on steam helps the creators by aiding in discoverability as well as keeping you informed, so if you see something that you like then don’t be shy about hitting the Wishlist button.

And that is a wrap on the Steam Next Fest February 2023! You can find my 10 favourite demos below and if you are interested in seeing more, I have created some YouTube Shorts.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened

Developer: Frogwares

Release Date: Q1 2023

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened was added to my wishlist the second that it was announced. Last year I streamed both Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment and Sherlock Holmes: The Devils Daughter, and while they weren’t perfect games, we had a lot of fun with them. I have yet to play Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, but when I saw a demo for The Awakened I was tentatively excited. This game is a reimagining of the 2008 game of the same name. I have no experience of that version so I can only talk in the context of the previous titles that I know.
The game plays similarly to Crimes and Punishment and The Devils Daughter, but also feels noticeably different. Firstly, this takes place in a Lovecraftian world, so naturally it is going to have a different atmosphere. But beyond that, based on the demo, I am thrilled by the changes they have made. There are too many to list but it feels tighter. The mechanics simultaneously feel easier, make more sense and yet feel more tricky. The demo did drop us in the middle of the game so I can’t speak for the story, except for how much I loved what I played. It had the drama that I have grown to expect from both the cinematics and the character alike.

+ Made in Ukraine.
+ I really like what I have seen from this version of the character.
+ The environments look great.
+ The Lovecraft influence lends very well to the timeframe and setting of Sherlock Holmes.
+ Fun detective gameplay.
+ Drama.
+ The end of the demo. If you know, you know.
+ An optional environment scan to highlight clues you may have missed.
+ New added mechanics like pinning clues to your HUD, which in turn effects the clues you may find.
+/- The new systems have a chance of making the game more difficult.
– Facial animations and hair textures aren’t quite as good as everything else is visually.

Highly recommend this one, here is the Steam page.

Lakeburg Legacies

Developer: Ishtar Games

Release Date: Q2 2023

Lakeburg Legacies is the city building management game that I had no idea that I wanted, but now that I have tried it, boy do I know it. The unique mechanic in this game is that you are recruiting individuals with specific skills, interests and desires to live in your village. You then play matchmaker, finding an individual that is compatible to be their partner while also hopefully having the skills you need to fill in your job market. As time passes and you build more resources, the city grows, as do the number of residents and their families. You are free to choose where they work where the more skilled they are, the more they produce.

If you enjoy management games and/or city builders but often find yourself overwhelmed, this could be the game that you are looking for. I didn’t find it too difficult but I did find it very satisfying. Not to mention the attention to detail is great. The sheer number of ways that a character can look means all of my villagers are individual, and their outfit changes depending on the job that they have. This individuality makes the happiness meter feel like more than just a number like it often feels in other games of its kind, and instead something that feels a lot easier and more interesting for me to engage with.

+ Really fun management loop.
+ Attention to detail.
+ Nice to look at and easy on the eye.
+ Huge variety in portraits.
+ Lots of choices to make without too much micromanaging.
+/- Not too difficult (again, whether this is a good thing or not depends on what you are looking for).

If this interests you, you can find out more here on Steam.

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain

Developer: Chibig, Nukefist

Release Date: 2023

My initial impression of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain was if Death Stranding and A Short Hike had a child. I don’t think I was that far off, but I would perhaps replace Death Stranding with Lake. In the Demo, we play as Mika, who must climb to the peak of a mountain to prove she can be the witch that she desires to be. As misfortune has it, all she has to her name is a broken broom. Thankfully, there is a job opening at a local delivery service in which her ability to fly makes her the perfect candidate. We proceed to deliver packages in the village, swooping and diving, on a mission to buy a suitable broom for the journey. Combining fun, unique movement mechanics with a delivery game feels like the next step for a sub-genre that appears to be growing, particularly in the indie scene.

+ The cutscenes are adorably animated.
+ The world is full of critters, bringing it to life.
+ Movement is fun.
+ A sense of freedom.
+/- Seems to have a progression loop of – do jobs to get better equiptment, which allows you to do more difficult jobs, to get more equiptment.

Check out the Steam page for more information.

Mineko’s Night Market

Developer: Meowza Games

Release Date: Coming Soon

When you think of crafting in video games, I think it is quite natural to think of gathering resources to create weapons, tools, better resources, armour, alchemy and sometimes furniture. It’s not very often that you would think of hand crafts, like paper crafts and flower crafts. That’s where Mineko’s Night Market comes in. Set on a Japanese Island, it didn’t take long to get a sense of a cute and hilarious culture that I would like to spend more time in. The demo was very short with no sense of how the ‘Night Market’ side of the game will actually play out, but it charmed me so much based on exploring and chatting to the townsfolk that I am already sold on the game. All I want to do is help this village become again what it once was. In addition, the 2D/3D design blend together to craft something as beautiful as you would hope that a game about crafting would deliver.

+ The art style means that every frame looks like it could be a still painting in a very distinctive style.
+ The character design is fun, they all have character.
+ Made me laugh more than once.
+ The location feels culturally wonderful.
+ Feels seamless and well made.
+ Cats.
– My only complaint is that I didn’t realise that I could run till the end of the demo, if there was a prompt I missed it and one area is quite big, making the walk speed feel very slow.

Wishlist it on Steam here.

Boxes: Lost Fragments

Developer: Big Loop Studios

Release Date: Coming Soon

In Boxes: Lost Fragments, we are solving puzzles to open intricate boxes, locked by mechanisms that are even more complex than the puzzles themselves. Although I admittedly haven’t played The Room – aesthetically, it feels very similar. I feel fans of one could certainly find enjoyment in the other. Each box that you open is contained within its own level, but the process of opening it is a journey in itself. The fun and elaborate designs make opening a lock exciting as you don’t know what wild mechanical process it is about to set in motion. The gameplay is smooth, it looks great and while what is happening on the screen can look complicated, the beauty of the demo was in its simplicity.

+ The way the boxes change as a result of your actions is satisfying.
+ Lovely graphics.
+ Smooth as heck.
+/- I found the puzzles quite easy (I have no idea whether to expect them to get more difficult or not and whether that is a good thing or not depends on the individual).

You can take a look for yourself on Steam here.

The End of the Sun

Developer: The End of the Sun Team

Release Date: Q4 2023

In The End of the Sun we travel to the past, guided by fire to aid in peoples fates. This is a walking simulator in which we identify what is going wrong and figure out ways to fix it, following the journey of a couple throughout their life. The game is gorgeous, and the Slavic mythology and design really bring the atmosphere to life. I want more, to learn more about both the lifestyle of these folks and the folklore surrounding them.

+ Gorgeous scenery.
+ A fun, unique idea for a walking sim.
+ The atmosphere.
+ The way that you can feel the culture and time period in the environment.
+ The mythology.
+ The game directs the player without explicitly telling you what to do.
+ Guardian Angel Simulator?

Check it out here.

The Star Named EOS

Developer: Silver Lining Studio

Release Date: Coming Soon

From the creators of Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery is this relaxing point and click puzzle game. Or at least, the demo was relaxing. During my 30 minutes with the game I solved an escape room style puzzle in a beautiful art style along side some very chilled out music. Throughout this time, we get to know a little about our character and his relationship with his mother. The section played gave off the energy of love, creativity, and mindfulness. I assumed that this is how the rest of the game will be too, until the end. As I reached the abrupt finish, I am left wondering whether this is after all going to be a chill, peaceful experience, or is it going to break my heart instead?

+ Art style is nice to look at.
+ Fun puzzles.
+ I like the positive messaging so far.
+ Chill vibes.
+ Taking photos can reveal more story and flavour.
+/- Unsure whether it is going to stay chill.
+/- The demo wasn’t about the finding a good angle or correct lighting side of photography.
+/- Can be played entirely with the mouse. All movement is click and drag.
– There is some vaguely hint-y text as you explore, but I personally would have preferred a dedicated hint system.

For more information check out the Steam page here.

Planet of Lana

Developer: Wishfully

Release Date: Q2 2023

Planet of Lana is a side-scrolling, puzzle adventure game that takes you on a journey through a sci-fi narrative. Many games of this type are going to be compared to Inside as it is a classic and a staple of the genre. I am pleased to say that this game really feels like its own fresh take while still having a somewhat familiar style. The colours are vibrant, giving the world life in a surprisingly soft way. While we are only told the story through the world and haven’t yet seen much of it, I am sold on the idea that this is a world worth protecting. As appealing as the environments are, there are dangers both big and small, bringing a nerve-wracking contrast to the peace and beauty. Finally, a key detail that separates this game from others like it is that we have a friend. Not only do we control Lana, she then controls an adorable little chinchilla-monkey critter. Having two controllable characters in puzzles creates moving parts that you can’t really create in a single character scenario. The game may take your breath away with the vistas, or cause you to hold it in intense stealth moments. Either way, it is sure to be quite a ride.

+ Stunning backdrop.
+ The little friend adds to the narrative and the gameplay.
+ The contrast of the enemies is effective.
+ The eco-system makes the world feel alien but alive.
+ Something new for Inside fans.
+/- I get the impression that there is going to be quite a bit of stealth.
+/- Some of the enemies in the demo were based on fast moving spiders, it will probably work well for most people but this is just a personal bummer as I don’t hate spiders and am starting to fatigue of how they are treat in media (and as an extension in society) as a whole.

Try it out for yourself here.

A Tower Full of Cats

Developer: Devcats

Release Date: 2023

A Tower Full of Cats – a continuation of A Building Full of Cats and A Castle Full of Cats – is a hidden object game where you have to find, wait for it, cats! Depending on your personality type, you may meditatively scour the environment, precisely clicking everytime you find a little fury delight. Alternatively, you may furiously click everything you see (or don’t see) in a slightly different kind of meditation. Either way, this game provides a little humour and observation training in an easy to use, well presented package. I would love a game like this on mobile to play on the go using touchscreen. The best part? The game is developed entirely by 5 rescue cats.

+ Cats being cats.
+ The doodles are very charming.
+ Search your way through different themes.
+ The music is great and themed to each location.
+ The way colour is used.
+ Therapeutic.
+ Adopt don’t shop.
+/- There is not a whole lot to it, it’s like an interactive Where’s Wally.
– I imagine I will get frustrated if I have used my hint and have a single cat left to find.

Wishlist here on Steam.

Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire

Developer: Digitality Games

Release Date: 27th February 2023

While Voltaire isn’t a game that I will personally continue, I have to give it a shout-out. It is quirky and whimsical while being cute – but not in an overbearing way. It would be easy to think this game was like Cult of the Lamb based on the fact this has base building aspects in the rogue-lite genre, not to mention the art style. But when you start playing you realise that it isn’t really like that at all. Rather than dungeon crawling – slaying any enemies in your path through procedurally generated areas – the enemies will come to you. Expect tower defence as you are protecting your home and land. Hunger is your biggest currency and you have to divide your attention between growing plants to satiate that, and deciding which plots to give up to protect the plants, ensuring that you still have a yield by the time the sun rises. There is a learning curve that is a bit beyond me, but if you enjoy tower defence then you should certainly check it out. The awesome opening cutscene set up the charm that follows and I really hope that this game finds it’s audience.

+ Great animated opening cutscene.
+ Charming concept and execution.
+ Lots of decisions to be made.
+ Randomised perks were exciting.
+/- Tower defence/base building rogue-lite.
+/- Complexity.

More info here on Steam.

This is the second festival that I have covered under the Indie Showcase name, the first being October 2022 where I created a magazine. If you would like to check out any of my previous coverage please take a look at the links below!

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A Noob’s Review – Moonlighter

Moonlighter is a game in which you hunt for treasures by night, and sell them by day. Both of these jobs create two different modes which construct the daily flow of the game. The dungeons you pillage are randomized in a rogue-like fashion. The further you get into a dungeon, the more valuable loot you will find. Kill the main boss to complete the dungeon and unlock the next one, with a new biome and new loot. Throughout the journey you will be fighting creatures, finding notes and organizing your bag in order to maximize your haul. What is the catch here you may be wondering? Well.. If you die you lose the majority of the loot that you have collected that night. It becomes a game of deciding whether you dare go into the next room. There may be enemies that could kill you, but there also may be a healing pool or something worth everything you have already collected combined. Do you want to risk it all? Or are you satisfied to come back another day.

The second half of this game is managing your shop. Almost everything that you find is sellable. Your job is to figure out the optimal price to sell these items. Price them too low and you are missing out on valuable cash, but price them too high and they will not sell or customer demand for said item will plummet. The game kindly provides you with a book that updates automatically to allow you to focus on pricing up the new goods while quickly selling old ones. Another catch? A lot of what you find are also materials that you will need to upgrade your equipment, so you have to make some decisions – managing money vs benefit when it comes to what you sell. My advice? Prioritize upgrading every time. It makes a huge difference as you can spend longer in the dungeons, allowing you to bring even more valuable loot home. And thus, the loop continues.

+ A Good Podcast Game

My favourite thing about this game is that it is a great podcast game. By which I mean, once you are used to the mechanics and know what you are doing, you can easily put on your favourite podcast and listen away.

– The Combat

I am so hit and miss with combat that anyone would be forgiven for taking my opinion with a grain of salt. However, I found the combat to feel really clunky. Hitboxes were strange, it didn’t feel super responsive and I never really got the hang of it. The first thing that I did was rebound the controls (excellent feature I am always happy to see) to feel more familiar which helped some, but the further I got it never felt better. The only thing that helped me make progress was upgrading my equipment. Of course, that is to be expected, but I never felt like I was improving as a player. I was still feeling as frustrated by the end as I was at the beginning. By the fourth dungeon I ended up turning down the difficulty because I just wasn’t having fun with it. Granted, I am used to playing The Binding of Isaac where you can attack in a different direction than you are facing. You can’t do that here and I felt it a lot. It resulted in lots of running into enemies while trying to face them, taking damage in the process.

+/- The Progression

This being a pro or a con really depends on how much you enjoy the core loop. I did enjoy the loop, but I was excited to see how it was going to progress as I unlocked new areas and facilities in the town. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t enjoy the direction it took. The best way that I can describe it is – more of the same but with a few added annoyances. The dungeons and your gear upgrades all follow the same patterns with a couple of changes here and there. That was fine. It was the shop progression that I had a bit of an issue with. As an example, the larger your shop grows, new mechanics are introduced. One of them is a bird flying into your shop. You have to chase it around and catch it by pressing X. It startles the customers and everyone freezes until you catch it. The first time this happened was fine, but it happened around the same time every single day, with the bird flying in the same predictable pattern. It wasn’t a challenge or a delight. It was just a thing that happened to give you something to do and it didn’t add anything. In fact the opposite, it developed to be quite annoying. I do enjoy how the variety of customers grows as your shop does, but I hoped for more in the shop itself. 

+ The Ease of Use Features

Simple mechanics such as moving everything to and from chests, easily being able to pick up individual items or stacks, sorting via price, getting rid of items mid dungeon, automatically updating my price book, being able to see my price book easily mid looting, and having a wish list option that highlights crafting materials you need as you find them, were all very gratefully received by me. Often when I thought ‘I wish I could do this’ my thought was cut short because the game had already given me a way to do it.

– Valuing items becomes finicky

To create more challenge and variety, your book doesn’t store item price data if the item is in high demand when it is sold. That means that you can charge more than normal for profit, but the number doesn’t get saved. I wish there was a separate section for recording this data. In addition, it doesn’t save the price for certain customers. This can result in an attempt to figure out the best price of a particular item thwarted because some rich or interested dude bought it. This then gets frustrating becasue you not only have to remember the item and price range that you were working with, but find it again and try another day where it is just as likely to happen again. By the third dungeon I would say around 95% of my prices were not getting recorded and it was really frustrating because figuring out the price boundaries was my favourite part of the game. I loved testing the boundaries, slowly testing the maximum I could get without being too cheeky. This aspect was completely taken away due to the progression of the mechanics and instead turned into annoying robbers and just trying to sell everything as fast as I could. It improved slightly in the fourth dungeon but by then I felt defeated. It had me questioning whether my game was bugged, a question I still don’t know the answer to.

– Some Minor Technical Issues

Every time I pressed X – from entering a dungeon to reading a note – the game would switch my weapons. Which would mean I would run up to punch an enemy only to slowly shoot an arrow in their face because I didn’t realise it had switched. This isn’t game ruining at all, but it was an annoyance that added onto previous ones. I also had some chugging and framerate drops occasionally which felt a little strange in a 2D top down game like this.

+ The Familiars

You can happen upon eggs in the dungeons that after a few days hatch into little friends that aid you during your dungeoneering. I loved this addition. They were cute and had some legitimately interesting perks.

– The Notes

There are notes you can find throughout the dungeons and every time I found one I felt excited. They are there to give the player some hints and add some flavour. I just wish they were a bit more interesting. It didn’t take long at all for them to start repeating and I found them to be quite generic. Occasionally it would be a hint for something that I figured out 2 dungeons ago, and it just ended up feeling very disappointing.

Ultimately, the first couple of hours of was my favourite part of the time that I spent with this game. Where I thought it was going based on those first hours and where it actually went turned out to be a little different, which was unfortunate for me. My favourite part of the game was gradually made worse by strange mechanics rather than staying the same or improving, to the point that I pretty much gave up on it. I started my first few hours wanting to craft every weapon to the highest level, but by the end I was just trying to finish the game. It could be that it is just not for me, but what I really think happened is the niggles that I mentioned above wore me down. The later the game, the more niggly mechanics were added which added to the wear down. I think it is a fantastic, fun core concept for a game that was brought down by a few small things. That all being said, if you go in with the expectations set by everything written above then it is a nice game to keep your hands busy while you listen to podcasts.

+ A Good Podcast Game

– The Combat

+/- The Progression

+ The ease of use features

– Valuing items becomes finicky

– Some minor technical issues

+ The Familiars

– The Notes

If you would like to see my first few hours with the game then you can here!

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Introducing ‘Indie Showcase: Magazine Edition’

Remember the Steam Next Fest that took place one month ago that I said I would make some content for? It’s here! I played so many great demos and I am very excited to finally share them.

One night I had an idea – which then became a personal goal – to create a magazine. It seemed like a fun challenge to get to practice writing, graphic design and art all at once, and that turned out to be true.

Although the festival has been and gone, the games last forever. Some still have demos going and some have even released, so it is always worth taking a look.

You can view on desktop directly or download a PDF below to view at your own leisure. This is something that is a little different for me so if you have enjoyed, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Download PDF here – Single Page Version
Download PDF Here – Double Page Version

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Let’s Play – Curious Expedition 2 – Early Access

My first experience with Curious Expedition 2 was during the Steam Game Festival: Spring Edition. Thanks to the developers Maschinen-Mensch, I now have the opportunity to play the full Early Access game!

Curious Expedition 2 is a roguelike expedition simulator, an adventure game with board game like elements, and a bit of a story generator. Developed by a small team, this game is shaping up to be great, and it is already tonnes of fun!

I have never played the first Curious Expedition but from what I can see, they have taken everything everyone loved about the first game and developed it further, and I am looking forward to jumping in further and seeing where my journey takes me.

Early access is available to everyone on Steam now!

Full playlist available on Youtube!