Let’s face it, a game called ‘Garden Simulator’ was never going to feature a complex plot or premise. That’s unless we’re talking about the kind of plots where plants grow. The text-based introduction explains that our silent protagonist is a stressed-out IT worker based in a bustling city. When the pressure becomes too much, they …
This fantasy hack ‘n slasher introduces us to Farren West, a gallant adventurer whose bravery and determination hold no bounds. It’s easy to imagine him holed up in a tavern, capturing an audience with tales of his conquests. He speaks with a gruff British accent, describing himself as a man of the world. That’s our …
Developer Cococucumber rounds off their ‘voxel trilogy’ with this Alice in Wonderland inspired sword-swinging adventure. You may be pushed hard to tell that it features voxel visuals at times, as a lot of the backdrop elements use regular, everyday, polygons. We’re not sure if this was to accelerate development or an artistic choice, but when …
Despite the deep space setting, this simulation is less about exploring the stars and more about survival. A core meltdown has occurred on a spacecraft, prompting a frantic dash to the nearest one-person escape pod. Less than a minute is given to grab vital spare parts, with the rest of the experience then taking place …
A certain red-headed witch in a certain seven season HBO series once said, “The night is dark and full of terrors.” It rings true for Hunt the Night, where darkness falling heralds the uprising of unholy creatures affected by the corruption of the night, damning humanity again and again. In the 9th Age of Man, …
Like a lot of men my age, I’m a huge Haruki Murakami fan. Yet, whenever someone asks me why I like his work, I struggle to come up with a reason. Nothing really happens in a lot of his stories. There’s often a well and a cat and people just wandering around not doing very …
This toothy take on The Binding of Isaac goes for a gross-out aesthetic, filled to the brim with bile, phlegm, and all manner of other bodily fluids. As the name suggests, dental hygiene is its central theme – you play as a bipedal gum able to fire teeth, via a twin-stick shooting set-up, and must rid …
Tetris is, to my mind, close to perfection. It’s also a game that can support an unfathomable amount of mutations. There’s the classic Game Boy Tetris, the annoying controls and T-Spin ticks of the arcade games, the frantic battles of Tetris 99, the blissfulness of the Tetris Effect, the mad energy of SEGA’s Puyo Puyo …
In this game about death, life’s regrets, and moving on the titular Kabaret happens to be a monster entertainment den, where the supernatural monsters go to hang out. They chill, unwind, and unburden themselves of their pain. And we’re talking heavy life stuff, anything from carrying the sadness or pride of war, to the horrible …
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. No, really, it isn’t. This latest release from ININ Games is a little-known 2D arcade game from 1996; one that few will have heard of and even fewer will have played, never gaining a home conversion. By 1996 the Mega Drive and SNES were showing their age, while …
Last summer Wired Productions released Arcade Paradise, a day-to-day laundromat sim where it was possible to slack off and play arcade games in the dank backroom. While reviews were generally positive – including an 8/10 from ourselves – running the laundromat hampered the enjoyment somewhat, soon becoming repetitive. Super Villain Games has seemingly taken note …
Like a certain former US president, The Queen of the dying planet Anyaroth has gone a bit crazy and started using virulent mind control against the people, including her own army. Here, we play as a soldier of said army, who has been freed from control and recruited by the Rebellion to help overthrow the …
This third-person sci-fi shooter has a ‘knowledge is power’ ethos, putting the fate of astronaut Kate Ward and her crewmates in our hands. Kate isn’t a battle-hardened grunt, an elusive bounty hunter, or a grizzled merc – she’s a scientist and an engineer, preferring to use brain over brawn. Rest assured that she won’t be …
Quick reactions are the key to success in this apocalypse-averting action game. After being framed for poisoning the titular valley’s water supply – turning both man and beast into green-eyed freaks – Jack Johnson must clear his name, find a cure, and discover who’s responsible. That’s a lot of weight for a slingshot-brandishing school kid …
We’re so used to fishing being classed a relaxing pastime – especially when it comes to video game incantations – that it’s easy to forget how merciless sea fishing can be. Harsh waves, cragged rocks, dense fog, and monstrous creatures from the deep. Team17’s DREDGE taps into the dangers and mysteries of the ocean, while …