Gaming
2023
Important note: Although I only post positive reviews, that doesn't mean every game automatically gets one. My biggest layer of quality control is that I only review games I think I'm likely to enjoy. Even then, only around 75% of games reviewed have received my recommendation. Long story short? Just making it to this list is a mark of quality.
Yeetus
24 December 2023
Yeetus is a cool twin-stick shooter where you throw the floor at the enemy. It can get pretty crazy. Game's only very short- could benefit from more variety- but a fantastic casual game. Very fun
Vagrus
23 December 2023
A dark, gripping story, accompanied by gorgeous artwork and beautiful writing. The characters are fleshed out and the management aspect very well designed. Vagrus is a work of art, I'm impressed.
George the Gentleman Frog
21 December 2023
Pug Fugly is an absolute master at nailing the retro gaming experience and he's done it again. Love the graphics, love the sound, the gameplay's frantic- challenging, 90s style! It's a crime for this game to be free. I would have jammed so many 20c pieces into this if it'd released as an arcade machine. 7 levels, each with their own new enemies, secret candy, and grading. And you know I'll be going back for those high scores.
Vampire Survivors DLC:
Emergency Meeting
Emergency Meeting
20 December 2023
This DLC is all kinds of cool. I never spent much time playing Among Us but I love the concept and it's one of my kids' favourite games. Emergency Meeting is a fantastic cross of the two games so any Among Us fans are going to love it. More importantly, it's an awesome DLC in its own right. The new Polus map (the Polus Outpost map from Among us) is decently sized and one of the more interesting maps in the game, with its own map, relic, and coffin to collect. And of course there's music from Among Us to really set the mood. What's really cool though is the 9 new characters and 15 new themed weapons. The Emergency Meeting (ultimate upgrade of Report) is particularly cool ("who is the impostor!") and having little mini crewmates and skinned hats and things flying everywhere is super fun.
Logic Escape
19 December 2023
Logic Escape could use a bit more polish but nails the real-life "escape room" experience in a genuine way. Interesting rooms, multi-layered puzzles, solid variety, A real challenge, I'm impressed.
Beach Invasion 1945: Pacific
16 December 2023
Beach Invasion is an awesome FPS/TD hybrid. In FPS, mow down waves of enemy troops as they attempt to take your beachhead. After each wave, repair or unlock new weapons. Weather adds new challenges!
Star Salvager
15 December 2023
Star Salvager is a refreshing & innovative take on the genre. Trying to build tetris combos to collect health & ammo from falling blocks while dodging bullets and asteroids is tricky! Addictive & fun.
Chromosome Evil 2
13 December 2023
Chromosome Evil 2 is both an exceptional tactical game & survival/resource management blend. Good story too. Art nails the horror vibe & provides an intense experience for veteran tactical gamers.
Crystal Comet
12 December 2023
Man, this game really needs a key art upgrade! Most of the in-game graphics are actually awesome, the music's great, and it's a fun chaotic co-op shooter with good variety & replayability
Horace Hagfish
11 December 2023
Horace Hagfish is a blast from the past. Totally nailed the retro 90s shareware EGA vibe in terms of both gameplay and graphics. Puzzles are nice & original too. Simple in concept but challenging!
Roguenarok
10 December 2023
Roguenarok is an excellent survivors-like that aims for a shorter, more focused, more interactive experience. Battle Arena mode is great! Love the dino viking vibe, great graphics, really fun to play.
Crossroad OS
09 December 2023
Crossroad OS is exceptional. Loaded with experimental puzzles, layered gameplay, and Daisy's signature huge range of mechanics. Love the eerie Win95 vibe. Really hard to put down, totally hooked.
Destroyer: U-Boat Hunter
08 December 2023
Destroyer is a challenging sim that sees you playing as a Destroyer and also controlling an escort fleet fighting off U-Boats. It's delightfully complex, although full of user-friendly features.
Stacks:Jungle
07 December 2023
Stacks:Jungle starts as a relatively generic survival game (craft tools, gather food, build a hut and boat) except with cards. However, it really opens up when you start exploring new islands. Fun!
Ultimate Solitaire Collection
06 December 2023
Ultimate Solitaire Collection is eSolution's best work yet. Huge huge huge variety of solitaire games, difficulty options, lovely UI, unlockable aesthetics and even campaign and daily challenge modes!
ZomWick
05 December 2023
“ZomWick's like a Tapper game but with only 1 bad guy, although the floor has boosts and you can install temporary turrets. Needs more variety. It's interesting but easy & slow moving. Kid friendly.
Astlibra Revision
04 December 2023
Astlibra's an interesting JRPG with sidescrolling action gameplay and a stack of interesting and experimental mechanics. Writing could be better but story's solid and combat is excellent. Hidden gem.
Animal Planner
02 December 2023
For a cutesy sliding tile animal puzzle game, Animal Planner actually features an impressive array of layered mechanics. Really love the egg & timebomb combo! 80 very well designed levels, its great.
Poems & Codes
30 November 2023
I found the puzzle aspect of Poems & Codes to be somewhat lacking but still relaxing. The poems, however, were a real delight to explore. The game also supports Project Gutenberg, a worthy cause!
Barton Lynch Pro Surfing
28 November 2023
Sports fans, do not miss Barton Lynch Pro Surfing. It is loaded with customisation options, exotic locations, glorious graphics, and stacks of tricks. It's the Tony Hawk of surfing games!
The Last Faith
27 November 2023
The Last Faith is a gorgeous gothic-themed metroidvania with a suitably gritty story, plenty of enemies, weapons and abilities and secrets to find, precise controls and some exceptional boss battles.
Art of Rally + Australia DLC
25 November 2023
Art of Rally's easily one of the best rally games out there. Big campaign, plenty of cars & tracks to unlock, and other game modes. Love the art style. Easy to learn, difficult to master.
Paintball 3
18 November 2023
Paintball 3 features simple gameplay compounded with a huge variety of challenge combos (time limits, broken balls, colour limits, combo limits) and other mini games. Kid friendly and multiplayer!
Star Survivor
16 November 2023
Star Survivor's an excellent scifi horde survival game. I love the in-game modular ship building and upgrade systems and the different objectives as you progress through the campaign. Very replayable!
Rogue Glitch Ultra
15 November 2023
Rogue Glitch Ultra is an awesome shooter/platform hybrid with tons of variety - loads of enemies, bosses, upgrades, levels, characters.. super replayable. Graphics are slick & movement is precise!”
The Invincible
14 November 2023
The Invincible features on point voice acting, terrific atompunk aesthetics, beautiful and dangerous alien landscapes, and a fantastic deep philosophical narrative. It's not a game, it's an experience
Ocelot Sunrise
12 November 2023
Ocelot Sunrise is a slick, modern take on the survivors-like genre. It looks & sounds great, animations and movements are really smooth, excellent upgrade/challenge curve. Polished, fun & addictive!
Zombie Admin
11 November 2023
Zombie Admin's a top-down shooter with surprisingly little focus on shooting and a great sense of humour. Easy to start but gets tense in the later levels. Small but very replayable & Features co-op!
Symmodance
10 November 2023
While Symmodance is graphically and mechanically fairly simplistic, it has a fantastic difficulty/reward curve with tons of unlocks (including weapons, upgrades, enemies, bosses, world). Addictive!
Horde Hunters
09 November 2023
Horde Hunters is quickly becoming my new favourite "survivors-like." Very different though. It's twinstick & very interactive, big focus on RPG elements, missions and interactive maps and environments
Beyond Sunset
08 November 2023
Beyond Sunset is bloody brilliant. Love the 80s cyberpunk aesthetics, love the synthwave soundtrack, love the fast-paced street samurai combat, love the level design, love everything about it.
Roboom
08 November 2023
EA Review: Roboom's like a horde survival version of Atari's Combat (1977) but with modern sleek but minimalist graphics. Fun, fast-paced & engaging. Looking forward to more variety with updates.
The Last Commander
07 November 2023
Nomad Survival is a shameless Vampire Survivors clone; very similar in both gameplay and aesthetics. Lacks some balance & polish but has tons of customisation options built in, worth the look!
The Last Commander
06 November 2023
While NNP looks like a generic rpgmaker game at first glance, it's anything but. It's a JRPG with tons of experimental mechanics and a story that you write as you go. Starts slow but gets pretty wild
Starship Troopers: Extermination
03 November 2023
EA: Some odd gameplay decisions but the overall experience is awesome. Love the objective-based missions and the combat's absolutely intense! Recreates the feeling from the movies well. I'm hooked!
The Last Commander
02 November 2023
This is a hesitant recommendation. I had fun experimenting with The Last Commander; I love the art style and concept. However, the clunky UI and lack of tutorial or tips makes it difficult to access.
At Winter's End
01 November 2023
At Winter's End is a short but absolutely charming little story about friendship, growing up, the environment... without ever coming across as preachy. A perfect little adventure for young gamers.
Thyria: Step into Dreams
31 October 2023
Thyria's a solid turn-based combat game with interesting nightmare themes, and an unusual art style which I really enjoy. Also features an unusual isometric exploration/combat phase. Solid RPG.
Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier
30 October 2023
Fun new 2d platformer that I enjoyed but your kids will love. The movement based mechanics are great (I'm a sucker for a jetpack) and I love the time challenges and boss fights. Super polished!
USC: Counterforce
28 October 2023
USC: Counterforce is not a friendly entry-level game. However, it IS a great tactical game for hardcore tactical gamers, with tons of game modes, weapons, enemies, customisation. Lots under the hood.
Elzzup
25 October 2023
Elzzup's an interesting jigsaw-based puzzle game with a surprising variety of mechanics across its 60 levels. There's no way to fail (and no time or other challenges) so it's more of a patience game.
The Foretold Exordium
24 October 2023
The gameplay's simple and solid, if a touch repetitive. Relics are interesting but system deters swapping. Would love to see more variety. Love the Egyptian cult theme and the artwork's gorgeous!
Dungeons of Mysteria
17 October 2023
Dungeons of Mysteria is a cleverly made dungeon crawler that utilises proc gen levels across a range of dungeons (and with good monster variety) for tons of replayability. It's surprisingly addictive.
Railgrade
13 October 2023
Railgrade is a superb management sim with a huge mission-based story campaign. Features upgrades, challenges, time pressure, puzzles, gorgeous environments and levels, tons of variety. Excellent
Maki's Adventure
11 October 2023
Maki's Adventure is.. everything. Primarily a 2d platformer where you switch between demon and shark, it has a 3d hub world and a stack of minigames. Unlike most hybrids, it does all these things well.
Windy Meadow
10 October 2023
Windy Meadow's a comparitively short (~3 hours) visual novel featuring lovely pixel art backgrounds, top quality writing, interesting characters, and no fluff. Any fan of Roadwarden should enjoy
Bilkin's Folly
7 October 2023
An excellent isometric point and click adventure with tons of exploration, puzzles, and treasure hunting. Looks and sounds great, excellent variety, lots of quirky characters and a fun story.
Headlong Hunt
04 October 2023
Headlong Hunt's a quality puzzle game that requires logic to solve. The mechanics are simple but encourage creativity in applying them. Whopping 100 levels (some optional), well-designed!
Death Unphased
03 October 2023
Death Unphased is a superb precisison/puzzle platformer. It's all about cleverly abusing the mechanics on each level (also has "secret" mechanics!). It's tough but I really enjoyed it.
Rheum
01 October 2023
Rheum's a superb top-scrolling shooter which quickly turns into a bullet hell. Super challenging; has secrets if you can survive long enough to find them. Love the visceral theme, great little game
Guardians of Gaia: Guardians 8
30 September 2023
Guardians 8 is the prologue to Guardians of Gaia, an introduction to the characters and combat system. It's in-depth but must be learned through trial & error. Fun - main game seems promising.
Luftrausers
29 September 2023
Luftrausers is a fun 3d high score shoot'em'up with stacks of build options. My fave feature is that the challenges are tied to your weapon/engine/body choices. Addictive but can get a touch grindy.
Slime Alchemist
28 September 2023
Slime Alchemist is a fun turn-based tactical with cards featuring exploration between battles. Needs more polish & variety but still in Early Access - I expect it to be fantastic at full release.
Knight Without Sword
27 September 2023
Knight Without Sword is NOT an RPG. It's a puzzle game. Could benefit from more polish and QoL features but the imitation mechanics are interesting and the puzzle challenging (for kids and adults).
Adventurer Farmer
26 September 2023
Adventurer Farmer could benefit from more polish but the concept's fun. Swinging around on your whip's the only movement allowed; it's hard to control at times, can be wild. Fun for kids.
Attack of the Karens
25 September 2023
Attack of the Karens is a quality scrolling shooter with a great sense of humour, decent action, lots of upgrades and memorable boss fights. Randomised levels & bosses provides tons of replayability
Dune: Spice Wars
24 September 2023
While I'm not in love with the art direction and I'm bitter & twisted about the lack of story or lore, the gameplay is solid. Exceptional mix of combat, intrigue, and deep Landsraad/CHOAM mechanics.
Billy BumBum
17 September 2023
Despite its silly theme, Billy BumBum is a solid puzzle game. The concept's simple; move a block from A to B, navigating gaps & traps while also trying to control your facing. It's challenging and fun.
Highrise City
12 September 2023
Highrise City is a good quality modern city builder with some economic juggling required but more emphasis placed on large scale expansion. Looks great, tons of attention to detail.
Byte Lynx
11 September 2023
Byte Lynx is a game unlike any I've played before. Took a while to get my head around the unique gameplay but I really liked it. I recommend easy mode to start then up difficulty for a real challenge.
Lueur and the Dim Settlers
8 September 2023
Lueur is a really cool game. "Survival builder" is an accurate description, and the genre mix makes for some really fun and innovative gameplay. Also features interesting stories that give purpose
Tiny Witch
6 September 2023
Tiny Witch is a fast-paced potion shop game that focuses on the crafting and customer service. The customers get cranky and attack you if you're too slow, so you have to think fast and be efficient.
Edge of War
3 September 2023
Early Access review: Edge of War is an ambitious CRPG featuring lovely locations, great battlefield design, and organic quests. Has a long way to go yet (2 years in EA planned) but super promising.
Woody Chopper
1 September 2023
Woody Chopper's a fun casual game that'd be perfect on tablet/steakdeck/phone. Core gameplay is addictive lacks variety - adding a high score comp & more timed mechanics would make this game amazing.
Pilfer: Story of Light
30 August 2023
Pilfer is a sweet 3d platformer that'd be perfect for kids. The worlds are huge and full of traps and monsters but nothing too nasty and it all looks great. Cute characters and story. Love the bosses.
Paquerette Down the Bunburrows
29 August 2023
Don't let the cuteness scare you off; this is a solid puzzle game. I guess it's probably sokoban-based but it doesn't feel like it. Very creative and original, nice range of mechanics, well-designed.
Local News with Cliff Rockslide
24 August 2023
Local News with Cliff Rockslide is a visual novel with plenty of interactivity as you play the cameraman investigating some manure-related hijinks in a quirky small town. Good for younger players
BloodDome 99
23 August 2023
BloodDome 99's a great minimalist arcade shooter; similar to BloodDome classic but with more enemy variety and some seriously cool weapons (go for synergy!). Addictive gameplay, go for the high score!
Above Snakes
21 August 2023
Above Snakes is a kid-friendly survival game; no real danger or pressure so resource gathering and crafting is a relaxing experience. A bit linear but fun. Really love the world-building mechanic.
BloodDome Classic
20 August 2023
BloodDome Classic's an excellent arcade shooter with randomised upgrades and a difficulty curve that starts gentle but gets frantic. Would have been a classic if released in 90s and holds up well.”
Sushi for Robots
17 August 2023
A lovable puzzle game that focuses on colour matching, symbolic tiles, and coordinated movement. Love the turn limitation as an extra challenge. Lacks aesthetic variety but plenty of puzzle mechanics!”
Orbit Zero
15 August 2023
Orbit Zero's an interesting hybrid - part management sim, part idler, part shooter. There's always something to do and your focus changes as your empire grows so it stays fresh for a long time.
Planet Barren Objective
14 August 2023
Planet Barren Objective has a steep learning curve (could benefit from improved UI or tute) but it's worth it. It's a real gem, much bigger than it looks at first glance, and gets better as you play.
Great Houses of Calderia
13 August 2023
Great Houses is a grand strategy sim you definitely need to check out. Features both intra-kingdom and foreign affairs management and stretches across generations for a full experience
Fishjong 2
12 August 2023
Fishjong 2 is a very relaxing solitaire mahjong experience. Not much challenge, just tile matching although lock/key tiles are present. Lovely music, set art, and ocean-theme patterns feature
Project Planet
11 August 2023
Project Planet's an exceptional dvd/boardgame-type experience, featuring 5 vs 1 cooperative gameplay. My family have been playing this one together in the evenings and having a great time with it.
Tide of Thieves
08 August 2023
Tide of Thieves is heavily inspired by Overboard! (1997). Very similar gameplay & weapons. Lacks multiplayer but features updated graphics & QoL features, secret areas, & campaign. Nostalgic & fun.
SokoSolitaire
02 August 2023
SokoSolitaire is one of Daisy's most challenging titles, with a heavier focus on core Sokoban mechanics and movement than usual (but still tons of unusual mechanics). Super tight level design.
Thronefall
02 August 2023
There's no idling in Thronefall! After building/upgrading, you control the character during combat and can fight directly or lead troops into battle. Plenty of variety & decision making. Addictive!
The Life of a Magical Circle
02 August 2023
While the presentation may be lacking, Life of a Magical Circle is actually fun to play. It's challenging as a scrolling evade/collect game but there's a much wider game here if you experiment.
Mega City Police
31 July 2023
Mega City Police is fast-paced and a lot of fun to play. Best mechanic is the ammo and weapon drops which encourage weapon cycling and more variety in play. Love the themed level aesthetics.
Midnight Protocol
26 July 2023
One of the best hacking sims I've played. Challenging hacking puzzles, full of atmosphere and loaded with extra features and details, a comprehensive experience. And a story to pull you through it!
Stasis: Bone Totem
23 July 2023
Bone Totem's another great Bischoff horror point and click; great visuals and voice acting as always, compelling character and stories, logical but challenging puzzles. Enjoyed the underwater setting.
Fruitalistic!
22 July 2023
Fruitalistic's a surprisingly fun fruit-themed Angry BIrds clone. By comparison maps are much larger and challenging to 100%, sometimes multiple catapults, decent ammo variety. Nice little casual game.
Stack Stones
21 July 2023
Stack Stones is a heck of a lot of fun. Really cool & unique concept - stacking the stones is challenging enough but while dodging floods & earthquakes & being shot at is gnarly. Cool powerups too!
Roto Force
19 July 2023
Roto Force is a brilliant arcade shooter. Aside from the fresh rotating level design, it's bursting with creativity - uses the environment surprisingly well & tons of weapon, enemy, and boss variety.
Testament
15 July 2023
Testament's an ambitious dark fantasy ARPG with great graphics, engaging arena-style combat & puzzles for variety. Story's a little cliche and doesn't break any new ground but a fun experience overall
Alterium Shift
12 July 2023
Alterium Shift doesn't break any new ground but it's well-made with branching dialogue & interesting characters. Light-hearted and has a good sense of humour, great to introduce young players to JRPGs
Huntdown
8 July 2023
Huntdown's a very nice modern-retro arcade run-and-gun with a gnarly 80s gang theme. Smooth controls and very polished overall. Mechanics and enemies somewhat limited/repetitive but great boss fights
Square Word: Summer Edition
5 July 2023
Square Word is a nifty little find-a-word game; I've enjoyed solving a puzzle or two each day. A little short but there's also a daily puzzle. Art's lovely and UI is very clean. Easy to pick up & play
A Long Journey to an Uncertain End
29 June 2023
A Long Journey to an Uncertain End is a visual novel with RPG & management elements. I love the addition of time pressure and while light-hearted and fun, the game explores interesting themes.
Razerwire Nanowars
27 June 2023
Exceptional arcade-style shooter. Nanowire mechanic's refreshing and innovative and the focus on powerups lends a touch of strategy. Also contains roguelike upgrades. Super replayable and addictive!
Revenge of Noxi
26 June 2023
Revenge of Noxi's a faithful retro Mega Drive beat'em'up in the style of Ninja Gaiden or Altered Beast but weird. Short (~8 levels, 5 bosses, 30-60 mins gameplay) but enjoyable, would have liked more!
Heavenly Bodies
25 June 2023
Heavenly Bodies is the co-op challenge you didn't know you needed! Puzzles are challenging and solving them is rewarding, and a great team-building experience. Fun to play with the kids.
Oblivion Override
24 June 2023
Oblivion Override's one of the better 3d action platformers out there. The graphics and effects mesh nicely, and the ability to level skip after beating bosses prevent repetitive boredom. V. Polished.
Reaper of Immortals
23 June 2023
Reaper of Immortals is a decent action platformer with switchable characters. While it lacks polish, its core gameplay and concept is solid and there's plenty of lore to dig into.
Mars First Logistics
22 June 2023
Mars First Logistics is a superb physics game with lego-style vehicle building, lots of challenges, and some great terrain that's really fun to just zip around and try your creations on. Love it!
Kingsblood
19June 2023
Kingsblood does what it says on the box - story & character progression, endless quests, auto combat, crafting. I might have preferred more combat interactivity but it's fun as a curiosity.
Myriads: Renaissance
16June 2023
Myriads features citybuilding &4X elements but is ultimately a turn-based strategy game. The bigger you become the more powerful but also harder to defend and enemy attacks are constant. It's tough!
Breakwaters
15 June 2023
EA Review: Breakwaters is a promising survival sim that focuses on water mechanics and includes the unusual presence of huge titans. Intriguing and should be impressive with full content in place.
Trinity FUsion
07 June 2023
EA Review: Trinity Fusion is a very decent 3d roguelike action platformer. Nice 3d graphics, awesome cutscene, proc-gen levels for replayability and even a story to pull you through.
Tiny Thor
06 June 2023
High quality platformer, challenging & fun, great for kids & adults. Very polished pixel art & level design, plenty of hidden collectibles to grab, and the unlockable challenge levels are fantastic.
Driftwood
03 June 2023
Super chill downhill longboarding game. Can compete for fastest times or highest scores or just chill and enjoy the music and scenery. Could use more unlockables but fun as-is. Very kid friendly.
Innkeeper's Basement
02 June 2023
EA Review: Still needs a bit more balancing and polish (but it's still got 6 months of EA development to go yet) but it's an interesting and promising concept for a card-based dungeon crawler.
Chronicles of 2 Heroes
01 June 2023
Chronicles of 2 Heroes is a fun platformer that will appeal to most Metroidvania fans. Features some challenging traps and boss fights. Could use a touch more polish but a very fun experience overall
Return
31 May 2023
Return's a short (3hr) but fun hack and slash that features a stack of enemy variety, some really cool boss fights, visual story-telling, and some of the most amazing pixel art I've ever seen.
Run: The World In-Between
30 May 2023
RUN is a challenging precision platformer with some gnarly visceral aesthetics and procedurally generated levels that ramp up, adding new mechanics and traps as you progress. Prepare to die, a lot!
Bat Boy
29 May 2023
Bat Boy is a fantastic retro platformer. Love the pixel art, and the levels are well-thought out with some tricky traps, cool boss fights, and a stack of special moves to beat them with. Very fun
End of Lines
28 May 2023
End of Lines is a top tier interactive graphic novel. Features surprising amount of agency with choice & consequence more akin to an RPG, exquisite hand-painted art, and deeply engaging story. Love it.
The Last Human is a Biker
26 May 2023
EA Review: Sick shooter with dynamic gameplay; aiming shots while controlling your bike as enemies both scroll into play and drop from above. Gets intense, can't wait for the full release!
Rift Rangers
25 May 2023
Rift Rangers is a Survivors-like with an unusual focus on turrets and mines, leading to slower but more interactive gameplay. UI, cutscenes, special effects and sound effects are all super flashy!
Skeleton Punchers
22 May 2023
Skeleton Punchers is a fun brawler that plays like a side-scrolling version of a "bullet heaven" that follows the rule of cool. Bigger than it looks - tons of upgrades, characters, levels. Addictive!
Firmament
18 May 2023
Firmament is a fine new addition to the Myst franchise. Huge world ripe for exploration, gorgeous scenery, diverse and complex puzzles, no hand holding.
Super Virus Defender
17 May 2023
Super Virus Defence is a superb shooter that's suitable for all ages. It's huge, with 100 replayable levels, tons of upgrades and special abilities, minigame play modes, great graphics, a real winner.
Remnants of the Rift
16 May 2023
Remnants of the RIft is an interesting turn/time-based tactical hybrid with roguelike elements and a quirky style that i found refreshing. Weapon cycling can get hectic at times, worth the look.
V-Hunter Puzzler DX
15 May 2023
V-Hunter is a short but sweet fantasy-themed puzzle game. Features 60 bite-size levels with a constant stream of new enemies and mechanics so it's never boring and there are even boss fights.
Ixion
09 May 2023
Ixion is an exceptional, AAA-quality survival city builder that does a great job of simulating the colony ship experience. Features a lengthy campaign with gripping story and exploration elements.
Death or Treat
07 May 2023
Death or Treat is an exceptionally fun halloween-themed beat'em'up with roguelike elements. Super polished, a real visual treat. Smooth controls, plenty of weapons and enemies for variety. Top notch.
Flightpath
06 May 2023
“Flightpath is a very kid-friendly scrolling shooter. It looks and sounds good with plenty of splashy effects but its best feature is its upgrade system featuring tons of weapons and possible layouts.
Curse of the Sea Rats
1 May 2023
Curse of the Sea Rats is a very fun metroidvania aimed at (and easy enough for) a younger crowd. Excellent graphics & sound and great sense of humour. Some exploration, lots of boss fights.
The Sargosian Abyss
30 April 2023
Sargosian Abyss is a tough "arcade-style" TBT. 10 levels but plenty of potential character and party builds to experiment with & proc-gen levels for loads of replayability. Challenging retro fun.
Dungeon Drafters
28 April 2023
Dungeon Drafters is an impressive turn-based tactical / deck-builder / roguelike hybrid with a massive array of enemies, cards & dungeons. Requires some careful thought and strategising to survive!
River Tails: Stronger Together
27 April 2023
River Tails is a fantastic dedicated co-op game about a cute cat and a fish that need to work together. Nice graphics and smooth controls. Perfect for those family gaming sessions.
Gematombe
26 April 2023
A very modern and flashy paddle & block game that features characters & abilities and even fancy cutscenes. Kid-friendly. Solo mode fun but VS mode is best.
OTXO
24 April 2023
OTXO is a fast-paced twinstick gorefest with a distinct art style, a bangin' mechanical soundtrack, and bullet time! Quick kills are encouraged so get in there and go kick some enemies to death.
Hidden Through Time
21 April 2023
Hidden Through Time's a nifty "Where's Wally"-inspired eye spy game that makes the most of its digitisation with animations and interactivity. Great graphics, plenty of maps, and a map editor!
Beyond the Long Night
20 April 2023
Beyond the Long Night is a challenging but rewarding roguelike with an unusual side-on perspective. Start with a new superpower every run and there are tons of upgrades and enemies for variety.
Exogate Initiative
19 April 2023
Exogate is an interesting citybuilder hybrid that features DK-style building crossed with a management sim as you look after your away teams. Best feature is trickle-fed story through exploration.
Recollection
18 April 2023
Recollection is an excellent "mindfulness" game - full of relaxing minigames that force you to slow down and pay attention to details. And when you finish there's a "fragile mode" to add challenge!
Dino Mercs
17 April 2023
EA Review: Still needs a bit more balancing and polish at the moment but the devs have set a year aside for that. Interesting card battler based on unusual mechanics. Takes getting used to but fun.
Axon TD: Uprising
16 April 2023
EA: Axon TD is very well polished, even in EA. Features plenty of towers, traps, enemies, and map manipulation for tons of variety. Full release will have a huge campaign. Survival mode is the best!
Steel Empire
15 April 2023
Steel Empire's an exception 90s arcade game brought back to life on Steam. It's aged super well; the graphics still look amazing and it plays super smooth. Attacked from both sides! Great boss fights.
Vampire Survivors DLC:
Tides of the Foscari
Tides of the Foscari
14 April 2023
Tides of the Foscari is another worthy addition to the Vampire Survivors franchise. This one comes with another large and interesting fantasy-themed map that features a maze, amongst other interests. There's also three new characters, some new (and flashy!) magic-based weapons, and a cool new mechanic in the Academy Badge. If you (like me) still can't get enough of Vampire Survivors, this one's an easy purchase!
Furious Farm
13 April 2023
​Furious Farm's another excellent short title by PUNKCAKE. As always, fast, chaotic gameplay and terrific pixel art and music. Upgrades aren't random so I found the different playable characters somewhat same-ish after a level or two. This one's a little easier and less replayable than most of their other titles but still a great casual game.
Hunt the Night
12 April 2023
Hunt the Night looks and sounds beautiful. It's top-down but plays more like a metroidvania than a shooter (not a bad thing) and has tons of weapons and upgrades. A little slow but challenging and fun
Dogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story
9 April 2023
Dogfight is a cartoony side-scrolling shooter that doesn't take itself too seriously. Short - only 9 levels but lots of unlockable weapons for replayability. Features co-op, perfect for family play
Gusanito Joe
7 April 2023
​Inject some nostalgia directly into your veins with these gorgeous limited palette screens, arcade tunes, and the coolest little green dude out there. If you've had your arse kicked by Skull's games before, this one's entry level by comparison - great opportunity to introduce your kids to retro!​​
Soulvester vs Lil' Beezey
6 April 2023
Soulvester is an exceptionally fun scrolling shooter. Fast-paced action, great sense of humour, tons of polish. Lots to love, just be aware it is very short!
Astra Protocol 2
4 April 2023
An exceptionally thorough 80s-style ship simulator. Control is managed through several screens and text commands. Interesting gameplay, heavily layered. Very steep learning curve, read the manual!
Final Profit
3 April 2023
An exceptional retro-styled but modern metroidvania with a gnarly post-apocalyptic cyberpunk theme. Classic metroidvania gameplay with some innovative abilities and multiple levels. Highly polished.
GunSuit Guardians
1 April 2023
EA Review: GunSuit Guardians is an exceptional Surivors-like. Features special abilities, manual shooting, tons of cool suits and weapons. The full version (all content) will be incredible.
HAAK
31 March 2023
An exceptional retro-styled but modern metroidvania with a gnarly post-apocalyptic cyberpunk theme. Classic metroidvania gameplay with some innovative abilities and multiple levels. Highly polished.
Super Greedy Cat
30 March 2023
Super Greedy Cat is a short (~20 level) but superb 2d platformer. Levels vary between dungeons, islands, desert, all the usual. Love the art, super cute. Each level has time, coin & secret. Fun!
Zapling Bygone
30 March 2023
Zapling Bygone is a little easier and shorter than most Metroidvanias, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Zapling's all about the exploration; weird world full of secrets. Love the main character.
Ultimate Chicken Horse
29 March 2023
Ultimate Chicken Horse is the ultimate party game. Tons of levels to choose from, and setting up the traps is every bit as much fun as trying to survive them! Super active online community, great MP.
Netherguild
28 March 2023
EA Review: A solid turn-based tactical. I'm impressed with the unusual voxel artstyle. Combat gets challenging as you get deeper. Plenty of weapon and skill variety, a solid addition to the genre.
Read my First Impressions here!
Linked Worlds
24 March 2023
Linked Worlds is a fairly generic JRPG, but if you're into that genre it's worth the look. Story's fairly cliche and it's a little grindy but features an unusual combat mechanic and skill tree.
Germinal
22 March 2023
Germinal may not look like it, but it's definitely a precision platformer so prepare to die a stack of times! But if you're up for the challenge it's very polished and fun. Great for casual gamers too.
Dark Chess
20 March 2023
Dark Chess is the chess variant I didn't know I needed - Fog of war! Awesome in its own right but totally reinvigorates the PVP scene. Comes with campaign, collectibles, all the bells and whistles.
DROP - System Breach
18 March 2023
DROP - System Breach really nails that pseudo-hacking experience seen in Johnny Mnemonic, the Matrix, Shadowrun, and the like. Minimalist but slick and informative UI and sound, even has a story!
Crush the Industry
16 March 2023
Crush the Industry is a fantastic roguelike deckbuilder. Sweet pixel art, great sense of humour, intuitive gameplay, challenging, and roguelike elements for replayability. What more could you want?
Chedoku
15 March 2023
Chedoku is exactly what it sounds like - Sudoku, but played with Chess pieces. It's a simple concept but it's been executed to perfection. Includes countless levels, each of which can be scaled up through 20 difficulty modes and there's also a daily puzzle. Countless hours of entertainment. Free to play via https://chedoku.com/
The Last Spell
13 March 2023
The Last Spell is awesome. Features a multi-layered roguelike approach which I love - makes for plenty of variety in each run & nice difficulty curve. Love the pixel art, love the game. Addictive
Masterplan Tycoon
12 March 2023
Masterplan Tycoon's more of a puzzle game than a tycoon. Interesting concept. Graphics are minimalist but nice and clean. Not much challenge but it's a nice way to chill for a few hours.
Pretend Cars Racing
08 March 2023
Couldn't even tell you what's so special about Pretend Cars but I love it. One of my favourite ever micromachine-type racing games. Nice car & track variety, smooth controls, tons of extra features
Wonderland Quest
07 March 2023
Looks like a PNC but plays like a puzzle game. Very easy (although occasionally requires pixel hunting) and linear so probably better for kids. Nice art, interesting scenes and story
Talus
06 March 2023
A fun but very short boss rush-style bullet hell (only 5 levels). Bullet patterns are great but current (pre-release) speeds are too slow. Should be more replayable when difficulty modes are available.
Mech Engineer
04 March 2023
Mech Engineer is an intricate mech-themed simulator in the style of the old 90s Microprose games. Features tons of customisation, tech trees, and engaging scanner-based combat. Complex but fun.
Sokochess White
03 March 2023
Sokochess White is a challenging chess-based puzzle game. Simple to pick up, smooth learning curve, clean UI and all the modcons. Impressive array of mechanics and well-designed levels. A favourite!
Beecarbonize
02 March 2023
​Beecarbonize is a superb strategic card game that's built on the premise of resource management and several competing technology trees. There's no clear path to solution because everything's interlinked. Challenging and addictive, should not be free (but is)!
Mythargia
01 March 2023
Mythargia's a gnarly interactive story that sees you exploring scenes of grisly murders as you try to piece the story together. Engaging story & the pixel art's gorgeously grim. Short but memorable!
Waronoi
27 February 2023
Waronoi is an interesting experimental RTS game. Not the realistic experience I expected but fun in a different way. Gets better in the later levels! Multiplayer and skirmish modes are the best.
Terrene
25 February 2023
Terrene's a fun hybrid that sees you engaging in ship-based combat, flying around & mining to cash up for upgrades, then boosting down to explore the planet to fight monsters & hunt bosses. Awesome.
Weirdlands
23 February 2023
Weirdlands is an excellent Pokemon-inspired JRPG with some gorgeous and unique chunky pixel aesthetics, some cool demons, and an engaging story. Still in EA but very solid so far.
Little Land War SRPG
21 February 2023
Little Land War is a solid tactical experience with excellent character and unit progression, challenging maps, and some nice art work. Needs a UI & localisation upgrade but core gameplay is solid.
Joon Shining
18 February 2023
Joon Shining might have a golf theme but it's more of a puzzle platformer. Lovely art & matching soundtrack, 8 huge worlds (tons of levels!) and dynamic controls and obstacles make for a fun game.
Dreams in the Witch House
17 February 2023
A Space for the Unbound is a top tier adventure game. Features strong writing, a story that will genuinely move you, and immersive interactive elements. Impressive pixel art & very well polished.
Loot Express Delivery Service
11 February 2023
Loot Express is a fun and challenging game that sees you command a squad as you take on missions to dangerous planets to retrieve loot. Balancing risk vs reward can be tough. Cool turrets and tools
Second Front
09 February 2023
Second Front's more of a digital boardgame than anything else. Easy to pick up but very technical and gritty. Graphics are functional but gameplay's solid. Huge with three campaigns and a level editor”
Trenches
04 February 2023
While I love the idea of a horror survival set in WW1 trenches, I'm not in love with the execution. BUT my young fella was terrified and enjoyed finding the notes and photos. Horror fans check it out
A Space for the Unbound
03 February 2023
A Space for the Unbound is a top tier adventure game. Features strong writing, a story that will genuinely move you, and immersive interactive elements. Impressive pixel art & very well polished.
Shoulders of Giants
01 February 2023
Shoulders of Giants is a cute FPS made for younger players than myself (but that didn't stop me from enjoying it!). I really enjoyed the dynamic shifting mechanic, it made for some really cool fights
Roller Drama
31 January 2023
An interesting mix of sport, management sim, and visual novel, set in the dramatic world of roller derby. Writing and gameplay is clunky in places but overall it's innovative and has a good heart.
Tray Racers!
30 January 2023
Tray Racers is a fun multiplayer racing game with short proc-gen levels that feature a bunch of cool environments and power-ups. It's free to play so grab a bunch of mates and get into it!
Dungeon Alchemist
18 January 2023
A simple but powerful mapping tool for pen and paper RPGs. Content is narrow at the moment but more being added & real power is in the workshop function. Good for range of terrain & urban settings.
Garden In!
17 January 2023
Garden In! is best played like a Tamagotchi. Plant your plants, make sure everything's healthy and watered, then check back every couple hours to maintain. Could benefit from more variety and filler.
Locke(d)
6 January 2023
If you're looking to have an existential crisis, this is your game. Very short at only one screen, ~10 minutes of gameplay and no choices. An interesting dialogue on determinism, AI, and humanism.
Kiss the Demiurge
6 January 2023
Kiss the Demiurge is a solid VN about magic & teen romance. Solid audio, nice original visuals 7clean writing. No choice & consequence but a nice read for a YA audience.