19 December 2022

Black Widow: Recharged is an exceptional arcade-style twinstick shooter. Features slick vector graphics, super-smooth controls, three game modes and a series of challenges for extra replayability.

18 December 2022

The Turgenev Study is one of my favourite PUNKCAKE games so far. Like a bullet hell but without the bullets! Harvest, assimilate, blast, dodge - unique mechanics for a unique experience. Tons of different cells and upgrades and experiments for added replayability.

17 December 2022

Super Dungeon Maker is a superb level editor suitable for making Zelda-like adventure games. It's more powerful than you'd expect but incredibly intuitive & user friendly. Perfect for kids

16 December 2022

Legacy of the Moonspell is superb. Honestly, this one's worth it just for the new map alone, but it also comes with a stack of  cool new characters and weapons. If you already buried yourself for hours in Vampire Survivors and it's finally starting to get stale, this DLC will give it a breath of fresh air. 

15 December 2022

Wandering Duelist is an errand running-style game. Has a nice little romantic story, some lovely French polka, and a small but wonderfully detailed world. Could benefit from more variety in gameplay

14 December 2022

Read my review here.

Jitsu Squad's an exceptionally fun beat 'em up that could be best described as "Golden Axe meets Kung Fu Panda." Co-op, great for kids and adults. Short but all thriller no filler, very polished.

13 December 2022

Read my review here.

EA: Warlords is a tower defence game that successfully incorporates deck building, RTS, and roguelike elements. It makes for some innovative, addictive gameplay. WIll be amazing with the full content.

12 December 2022

Read my review here.

“Schastye is an experimental game that probably won't appeal to most people. It involves using the game to read a short story (not even a VN), delivered in a sim where you physically type to reveal.

11 December 2022

Read my review here.

My Name is You sets a gloomy mood with its greyscale visuals. It's a very short visual novel but designed to be played through multiple times- each run gives you only a piece of the whole story

10 December 2022

Read my review here.

Monsters of Little Haven is a really nice little visual novel despite the dark themes. Short but wide, designed to be replayed to reveal the full story. Very nice monochrome visuals, quality narration.

09 December 2022

Read my review here.

Milk Inside a Bag of Milk is a strange but engaging visual novel that's as much art form as game. Explores themes of anxiety and reality. Very short. 

09 December 2022

Read my review here.

An enjoyable experience but extremely short at 10-15 minutes and more of an art piece than a game with very limited interactivity

08 December 2022

“Starlight X-2 is essentially Sudoku, but with stars and asteroids instead of numbers. Would loved to have seen new mechanics introduced. Best feature is the limitless number of puzzles included.

08 December 2022

Read my review here.

EA Review: Wizard Chess is a quirky turn-based tactical with plenty of variety and some interesting mechanics and roguelike elements. Still needs TLC at the moment but is looking very promising.

07 December 2022

A sweet little VN that portrays awkward teen romance well, while covering the theme of anxiety and also revealing a little about v tuber life. No player agency. Nice art to go with a nice story.

06 December 2022

Space Wreck is something of a spiritual successor to the original Fallout games but set in a dystopian space future. Love the unique aesthetics, freestyle approach to roleplaying, and organic quests.

05 December 2022

Cyberpunk isn't an RPG, it's cyberpunk-themed GTA - luckily, that's just as awesome. Has a solid story but sub-par delivery, detailed but dated graphics. Not without flaws but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

04 December 2022

Read my review here.

EA Review: Deepest Chamber still needs a little tweaking and could benefit from some QoL features but it's extremely promising with a great concept, interesting card mechanics & terrific graphics.

03 December 2022

If you enjoyed the combat in Video Game Fables you'll want this DLC. It provides you with a set of challenges and an XP limit (totally separate to your main game status). Come up with your best build and try your luck! Same great sense of humour as the main game.

02 December 2022

Solitaire fanatics will enjoy this one; Canfield is a lesser-known that never came bundled with Windows. As always with eSolutions, a minimalist but very user friendly collection with good variety.

30 November 2022

Read my review here.

Donut Dodo absolutely nails the 80s arcade experience. If you weren't alive, give this gem a go. It'll invoke the same feelings we enjoyed back in the day. Prepare to die, a lot! Amazing soundtrack!

29 November 2022

Read my review here.

Vampire Survivors is a hectic bullet hell / horde shooter that may not look like much at first glance but there's a heap going on under the hood. Tons of characters, maps, weapons. Awesome gameplay.

28 November 2022

A very nice modern JRPG with a range of innovative mechanics that have you actively watching ammo, using items, and crafting. Also has a great futuristic post-apoc story and top shelf pixel art!

27 November 2022

Abridge is a sokoban variant that has you control multiple pieces each with direction limitations. It allows for interesting, layered puzzles. Huge game with 90 levels. No frills but cleanly presented.

26 November 2022

Read my review here.

I'm new to the series and almost didn't review Frog Detective as I thought it would be for little kids. Maybe it is but I thoroughly enjoyed the sense of humour! Keen to check out 1 & 2 now.

25 November 2022

Lighten Up is a nice little puzzle game that's based around the "missing square" paradox but with added on/off modes and a range of shapes. 51 puzzles so only 30-60 mins gameplay. Nice way to relax.

24 November 2022

Read my review here.

Shadow of the Guild is a decent 2d sidescroller that could be great but it needs a lot more love. Has some nice artwork but its best feature is its creative and unusual missions. Needs more polish.

23 November 2022

Candle Prick's an interesting sokoban game in that it doesn't feel like sokoban because you're pricking as well as pushing and really interacting with the environment in unusual ways. Refreshing

22 November 2022

Pokaban's a poker-themed sokoban game with gorgeous retro style. Range of mechanics is limited but levels are well-designed and challenging. Plenty of game with 60+ levels and a built-in level editor.

21 November 2022

“A substantial collection of quality FreeCell variants. My top picks are Bastille, Prison, and Milligan. Minamlistic but nice UI and very user friendly. Hours of entertainment.

20 November 2022

Read my review here.

Impaler's a fast-paced, action-packed arena shooter with a lot of strange features (3d game with 3d sprites, spikes, overheating weapons) that somehow work. It's a lot of fun, just wish it was longer!

19 November 2022

Read my review here.

Lonesome Village is a puzzle/adventure game featuring cute cartoon graphics, friendly puzzles, and an assortment of activities (fishing, farming) for a break between levels. Smaller kids will love it.

18 November 2022

Dashpong is bloody terrific. It's exactly what it looks like: A fresh take on Pong with slick modern arcade graphics, a bunch of maps to play on and an impressive array of creative game modes. Awesome.

17 November 2022

Read my review here.

Necroboy is a fun puzzle game with cute low poly graphics, a nice little story, and a terrific sense of humour. Puzzles are easy (although they do get more complex). A perfect title for young gamers!

16 November 2022

We Who Are About To Die is a fantastic little battler. It's like a twinstick arena fighter except with a complex combat system. Lots of weapons, lots of arenas and battle variety, lots of fun.

15 November 2022

Sokosignal's a challenging sokoban puzzler with unique "magnetic" mechanics. Huge game with 83 levels broken into 6 "worlds" with increasingly complex mechanics. Graphics are minimalist but look nice.

14 November 2022

Read my review here.

Oakenfold's an excellent roguelike tactical featuring turn-based and wave-spawning mechanics. Loads of enemy and mission variety, every run is different. Also features weekly challenges and scoring.

13 November 2022

Step by Step Hero's an interesting entry in the roguelite genre that's more about exploration than combat. It's relaxing, will keep you entertained for a couple of hours, and is kid-friendly.

11 November 2022

Read my review here.

Lucy Dreaming is an exceptional modern point and click with clever writing, a good sense of humour, logical & layered puzzles, quality detailed pixel art, an interesting story, & huge range of scenes.

10 November 2022

Read my review here.

Wandering Village is a superb city builder that stands out from the crowd with its gorgeous paper-style art, survival components, and focus on mutual sustainability as well as expansion.

09 November 2022

Enjoy Klondike solitaire (the "normal" one that comes with Windows) and want more? Here's a hefty collection with loads of variety. Minimalist UI, smooth play, works well on tablets.

08 November 2022

Push the Box is a no-frills, minimalist sokoban game. The puzzles are great and there are tons of them but a tad more variety might be nice.

04 November 2022

Aquillanto is a 2d platformer that definitely needs some more polish but the underlying game is actually very solid. Range of enemies with interesting mechanics, strong focus on traps, tons of secrets.

01 November 2022

Who knew there were so many Spider Solitaire variants? This is a great bundle for those who have mastered the version on Windows and are looking for more (they're much harder!). Looks nice too.

30 October 2022

I really love Infection as a game, I really feel it's the equal of Chess, Checkers/Draughts, and the like. This is a faithful digital rendition with some nice music, 1 or 2 player mode, and fun maps.

29 October 2022

Joker Poker is a well-presented and user friendly offline Caribbean-style video poker experience. Relaxing way to spend some downtime, great to kill some time in transit.

27 October 2022

Deuces Wild is an interesting Carribean-style poker variant I'd never played before. Friendly UI, very easy to just pick up and play (hard to beat though!). No frills but well-executed.

20 October 2022

Hexxagon's a simple but interesting variant on Ataxx using, you guessed it, hexagons instead of squares. It doesn't sound like much but has a significant impact on gameplay. Great for 1 or 2 players!

19 October 2022

Another brilliant PUNKCAKE game. Interesting combination of time- and turn-based enemies with different movement patterns, good range of fruits (and levels), and the meta-system for unlocking keeps in interesting so you can go back to try levels again later when you're a bit better at the game.

17 October 2022

Rogue's Choice is a very different experience to Wizard's Choice. It's a much more modern, cliche dungeon crawl experience. Which isn't bad, just different. Still has a great story but lighter-hearted.

15 October 2022

Read my review here.

Trifox is a refreshing addition to the 3d platformer genre. Features twinstick combat, lots of cool abilities, range of interesting enemies, puzzles and secrets, awesome boss fights. Fun for all ages!

14 October 2022

Jacks or Better does what it says on the box. It's no frills but a nice friendly UI and let's you play Caribbean-style poker. Might have benefitted from AI company or being bundled but no complaints.

13 October 2022

Mazezam is a Sokoban variant where you need to get to the exit but also includes unusual row and linked block mechanics. Also limited number of retries to reach the end. Minimalist, challenging, fun.

10 October 2022

Snow Problem's UI and presentation could use a bit more love but the game itself is excellent. Best way I can describe it is "Lemmings but snow." Fast-paced and puzzles are dynamic, it's a lot of fun.

07 October 2022

Read my review here.

Triple Take's an excellent modern precision platformer with very clean retro graphics, an interesting story, and surprisingly friendly gameplay. Super smooth controls, 50 levels, great variety.

06 October 2022

Read my review here.

The Plague Doctor of Wippra; a short point and click that takes itself seriously. Impressive detail given the retro art style, nice problem-solving, emotional story set in an authentic-feeling world.

05 October 2022

Forty Thieves is what it sounds like - a collection of solitaire card games. Includes 20 variants on the classic, most much harder than the classic. Well-presented UI, smooth controls. Challenging!

04 October 2022

Paper Nebula is a nifty little scrolling shooter. Plays arcade-style but features roguelike elements based on cumulative kills which unlock new weapons. On the easy side, great for younger players.

03 October 2022

Read my review here.

EA Review: Still has a few kinks to work out but this is a very satisfying stealth-based fps with exceptional level design. Solo play is available but it's designed for squads so bring some friends.

02 October 2022

Don't let the minimalism fool you, Color Jumper is a real gem. Aside from the core colour matching mechanic, Color Jumper is a fantastic precision platformer with excellent variety and level design.

01 October 2022

Read my review here.

Unders_core is a roguelike deckbuilder that has you building combat & exploration decks simultaneously. It's well thought out, easy to play but tough to master, replayable and rewards experimentation.

30 September 2022

Shutter 2's one of the best horror games I've played. Has its shortfalls, sure, but it's very original in its execution. Instead of jump scares it features an interesting setting, story, and puzzles.

29 September 2022

Death Drives a Bus is a clever sequence-based puzzle game with a quirky theme, a good sense of humour, and some delightful 1-bit art. Features 50 massive levels of increasing complexity.

28 September 2022

Dominate's simple and a lot of fun. It's based on Ataxx, a classic board game on par with checkers, chess, etc. This variant has 8 tiles instead of 7 and a range of layouts for variety. Solo or 2 play.

27 September 2022

Read my review here.

Nine Noir Lives is a very decent point and click. Great graphics, decent story & puzzles but a little inconsistent in its execution. Don't go in expecting noir. A fun light-hearted detective adventure.

25 September 2022

Read my review here.

Grid Force is an interesting tactical/RPG/shooter hybrid. It's surprisingly fast-paced and intense combining squad combat with a range of cool super abilities, a neat levelling system and a fun story.

24 September 2022

Read my review here.

Terra Invicta is an impressive 4X with huge scope, AAA quality graphics, and an engaging underpinning story. The gameplay is mostly passive, which is unusual but means the focus is on decision making.

21 September 2022

Read my review here.

Overloop's a puzzle platformer with super cute mini pixels, super detailed backgrounds, a good selection of puzzles based on their unique cloning mechanic, a nice story and a great sense of humour.21 September 2022

20 September 2022

Dreamlands has the bones of a fun platformer - clearly themed, good level design, interesting timer and lever mechanics. But it's very small (30-60mins) and lacks polish. Very easy - kids will enjoy.

19 September 2022

Read my review here.

Jack Move is a Final Fantasy-inspired cyberpunk JRPG with a solid vigilante story, fun hacking-themed combat, great artwork and UI. Short and sweet, no grind, it's a solid modern JRPG experience.

16 September 2022

Read my review here.

An impressive, detailed text-based roleplaying game set in a gritty and unique world. Has a great dialogue system, maps and illustrations that update as you explore, resource management & good story.

15 September 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

Tails of Iron is a top quality RPG / platformer hybrid. Artistic detail is exquisite and I love the theme. Can be a little slow but the combat's challenging and requires strategy and timing to beat.

14 September 2022

Read my review here.

Camped Out! is a hectic couch co-op that forces you to work as a team in a way I've never experienced in another game. Love the bear and the rodents, I've had a great time playing it with my kids!

13 September 2022

Don't let the cute pixel art fool you; Deneb ain't easy! The mouse-exclusive interface is its own challenge although the controls are super smooth. No frustrations here, just genuinely tough obstacles

8 September 2022

Read my review here.

Kraino Origins is a brilliant platformer - short-ish (~15 levels) but absolutely packed full of awesome. Gorgeous detailed pixel art, secrets, tons of variety of traps & monsters, awesome boss fights.

7 September 2022

Read my review here.

Island Berry is an enjoyable and relaxing survival/crafting game with rpg elements; particularly exploration but even a touch of combat. I'm really loving the hybrid nature of it. Very well-presented.

5 September 2022

Shotgun King, a fun solo take on chess. Blast your enemies with a shotgun! Simple enough but PUNKCAKE have added a stack of randomised perks of challenges that unlock each level. Replayable & awesome.

2 September 2022

Read my review here.

Backpack Hero is a very cool roguelike with unique inventory-based combat and levelling systems. It's a lot of fun experimenting with different builds and there's a stack of game modes to play with.

1 September 2022

Read my review here.

Curse Crackers is a delightful retro platformer with all the modcons. Gorgeous pixel art and scenery, nice level design, tons of secrets and achievements to unlock. Decent story, really well-made game

31 August 2022

Read my review here.

Manic Archers is an absolutely frenetic multiplayer twinstick brawler. Good range of maps and play modes for replayability. It looks and sounds great and is super intense if a little too fast for me.

29 August 2022

Idlers aren't my go-to genre but I did enjoy Stickman. Did get a little repetitive and I think the progression could have been a tad faster but it was a fun and relaxing way to brain off for a while.

28 August 2022

OneBit's an addictive roguelike dungeon crawler. Combat can feel repetitive but the constant dopamine hits as you find new weapons and unlock new skills keep you going. Even has cool boss monsters!

26 August 2022

Jade Order's a nice little puzzle game with a nice aesthetics, some great pixel art, and an enjoyable retro soundtrack. Fairly easy as puzzle games go. A touch repetitive but relaxing and enjoyable.

25 August 2022

Does what it says on the box. Gameplay's intuitive, zombies get harder each level. Nice map design & aesthetics. Would love more weapons. Very short; only an hour or so depending on how often you die.

23 August 2022

MOONPONG is a superb modern (and solo) iteration of classic pong gameplay. Bendy circles, gravity, ice and cloud balls, a range of upgrades, enemies that shoot back, and even bosses. Very challenging and very fun. As always with PUNKCAKE games, the pixel graphics and retro soundtrack are perfect!

22 August 2022

Read my the review here.

Rollerdrome is AWESOME. It's a sweet skater/shooter hybrid with bullet-time and it's impossible not to look and feel cool while playing. Sweet cel-shader art & synthpop sound, just a great experience.

19 August 2022

Terrific little platformer. Short (9 levels) but challenging. Writing can be juvenile at times but the controls are smooth and the pixel art and action is glorious. Great range of enemies and bosses.

17 August 2022

Dragon Mine is a hybrid puzzle / precision / speedrun platformer. Levels only take ~1 min to beat - but probably several retries! Challenging right from the first level! Very polished, great fun

16 August 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

Sweet Transit is very detailed - complex, even, so plenty for rail fans to play with but not very friendly for casual gamers. You get to build the community as well as the rail network, very cool.

15 August 2022

Video Game Fables is a delightful JRPG. It's a parody but also a great game in its own right. Has a great sense of humour, no filler or grind & innovative levelling and combat systems. A real delight.

12 August 2022

Sokochess is an impressive piece of work. It's almost a reverse sokoban game - rather than pushing pieces around, they attack you in true chess style. Bloody hard but my favourite Daisy game so far!

10 August 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

A very engaging ARPG with puzzles & innovative twinstick combat. The writing's aimed at a slightly younger audience but the story is engaging and the choice & consequence is surprisingly good.

08 August 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

Scathe is a fast-paced arena-style FPS. Heavily inspired by Doom but v. different gameplay - still hectic but more about dodging bullet patterns. Gorgeous shader graphics, nice and gory, great shooter.

07 August 2022

City Limits is a minimalist puzzle game that sees you building combos to rack up a high score. Has leaderboard but ultimately you're challenging yourself. Relaxing. Fun but could use more variety.

06 August 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

GigaBash is awesome, one of the coolest and most fun brawlers I've ever played. It looks great, has a terrific sense of humour, a 2-3 hour campaign, plenty of variety, and great multiplayer modes.

03 August 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

Ren's Demons, a JRPG unlike any you've ever played before. Full of experimental mechanics which are integral to both the gameplay and the story. Narrative-heavy and intriguing. Strange but enjoyable

02 August 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

EA Review: Love the art direction, love the core day/night cycle and horde mechanics. Survival mode is fun but awaiting the campaign before final judgement but seems very promising overall.

25 July 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

Clanfolk's an unusual survival game that focuses on survival over generations. Automation features makes it feel a little like an idler. Nice detailed tech tree. Casual & relaxing, hours of fun.

20 July 2022

Surprisingly gentle learning curve but gets pretty hectic from level 7 and reaches classic Skull difficulty by the final level. Gameplay's best described as Tapper meets Duck Hunt. Gorgeous 1 bit pixel art and smooth controls. Very short - nice for a casual game whenever you have a spare minute.​

19 July 2022

Deer Journey's a walking sim - a genre I'm not normally a huge fan of - but I did enjoy this one. Controls were sometimes clunky but it was honestly a beautiful visual story, short but very sweet

18 July 2022

Madshot's a brawler-style shooter whose vibrant cartoony graphics really come into their own during play. It's fast-paced, unforgiving, great range of enemies and upgrades and some awesome boss fights.

15 July 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

Legends of Kingdom Rush is a challenging turn-based tactical game with a roguelike focus which makes for a very different experience. Also includes party building which is awesome for replayability.

13 July 2022

Super Sportmatchen's a modern take on classic Konami's Track & Field. Full of glorious pixel art and has a quirky sense of humour. Love the twist on traditional sports like the capybara throw.

11 July 2022

Circadian Dice is a ripper dice battler - simple to play but contains layers upon layers of complexity that builds as you play through. Well thought out, plenty of variety, challenging, addictive.

09 July 2022

Exodemic's a terrific and unique roguelike top-down shooter. Really love the tactical three-button approach. The random upgrade and world generation spells tons of variety and infinite replayability.

06 July 2022

5 Stages of Pink is a VN game with a difference; it features point and click elements and an interactive investigation journal, which I liked. Writing (Young Adult) and artwork clean and good quality.

04 July 2022

Ecstatic is a brilliant tactical top-down shooter that quickly turns into a bullet hell. Unique controls - controlling both movement and targeting with the mouse - is an interesting challenge. The random nature of the upgrade drops force you to adopt different play styles every run, making it infinitely replayable.  Great music, awesome pixel art. Bloody tough!

03 July 2022

Below the Ocean is a fun and original puzzle platformer genre that really makes the most of its underwater theme, making for some really innovative gameplay. Great pixel art and sound too. Very short.

30 June 2022

Cannibal Crossing is a tough-as-nails hybrid roguelite shooter-survival-horde defence game. Boss fights are awesome. There's heaps to do and discover but thankfully you can do it at your own pace.

29 June 2022

Mini Maker's like a full art and craft workshop game but with odd scenarios and collectable pieces that keep it interesting for the long term. Great family fun. Embrace imperfection and have a laugh!

28 June 2022

Metroplex Zero is a very solid card game involving resource and party management, deck building and collection. Scenario-based combat. Actually requires strategy and synergy to win, it's great.

22 June 2022

Unichrome's a sickly sweet platformer with a sense of humour and a Happy Tree Friends vibe. Simple gameplay, fast-paced action, on the easy side but not without its challenges - fun for all ages.

21 June 2022

Wizard's Choice is a substantial (300k words!) text-based rpg that really invokes those gritty roleplaying sessions from the 90s. The decisions are tough and the story rich, engaging and well-written.

18 June 2022

Born Punk is a first rate modern pnc. It's well written, humorous and engaging, the pixel art's detailed and gorgeous, the music and voice acting are also high quality. Huge variety in puzzle types.

15 June 2022

Gamedec's an amazing experience. It's a deep, multi-layered story delivered through top notch visuals and sound. Loaded with choice & consequence and failure is just part of the journey. Replayable!

13 June 2022

Encased is a really great modern CRPG with an intriguing story, loads of meaningful choice & consequence, interesting characters, and a memorable setting. Combat's lacklustre but good crafting system.

06 June 2022

A reluctant recommendation: The art, music, and gameplay are all terrific. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of content - plenty of interesting characters but only 2 looping levels. Want mooore!

02 June 2022

Vesper is first and foremost a work of art. The art & cinematography are absolutely stunning and it's a pleasure to explore the world and uncover it's secrets. Puzzle platformer, family friendly.

29  May 2022

Read my First Impressions here.

Golfie's a charming minigolf game that maximises replayability by adding roguelike and deckbuilding elements. There are stacks of maps and shuffling cards means every hole plays differently. Well done.

27  May 2022

Ad Wars is like four games in one (bullet hell, platformer, shooter, JRPG) - not combined elements but whole games merged and tied together with cartoony graphics and a story. A tad easy but very fun.

25 May 2022

Sonority's a game where the puzzles are sequence-based but music-themed. Difficulty's pretty friendly but does get more complicated as the game progresses. Nice low-poly graphics and lovely story.

19 May 2022

HEAL is a game full of all the logic puzzles you would expect from a point and click but without the adventure. There's still emotion and meaning though, conveyed atmospherically. It's a nice story.

18 May 2022

Read the full review here.

Haiku is a bloody brilliant metroidvania, top shelf. It's a nice big world to explore, full of secrets, traps, lore, and a huge variety of enemies. Slightly on the easy side but not without challenge.

16 May 2022

Into the Pit is a fast-paced, fluid, Doom-inspired FPS with glorious pixel graphics that screenshots don't do justice. Very fun but some odd design choices; starts feeling repetitive after 3-4 hours.

12 May 2022

Rush for the Ages has nailed the "a fast game's a good game" ideology. As with any PUNKCAKE game, it's easy to learn, difficult to master, and even harder to put down. It's all about card synergy but you're playing with a shared pool of cards, slow-revealing objectives, and multiple layers of interaction. Addictive!​

11 May 2022​

TwoFaceGames have an established knack for coming up with innovative ways to use the RPG Maker system.  Port Traventor's their biggest game yet, and it's a unique hybrid concept that's first and foremost an idling kingdom manager that also incorporates JRPG-style quests and combat.  It can get a little grindy but in a way that will seem normal to most JRPG fans.  There's no downtime - always something to do and some new upgrade to strive for.  Creative.