Curation - 2022
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 (at the time of writing) have received my recommendation. Long story short? Just making it to this list is a mark of quality.
Black Widow: Recharged
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.
The Turgenev Study
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.
Super Dungeon Maker
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
Vampire Survivors DLC:
Legacy of the Moonspell
Legacy of the Moonspell
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.
Wandering Duelist
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
Jitsu Squad
14 December 2022
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.
Warlords: Under Siege
13 December 2022
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.
Schastye
12 December 2022
“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.
My Name is You
11 December 2022
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
Monsters of Little Haven
10 December 2022
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.
Milk Inside a Bag of Milk
09 December 2022
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.
Lighthouse Keeper
09 December 2022
An enjoyable experience but extremely short at 10-15 minutes and more of an art piece than a game with very limited interactivity
Starlight X-2
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.
Wizard Chess
08 December 2022
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.
V Tuber Connect
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.
Space Wreck
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.
Cyberpunk 2077
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.
Deepest Chamber: Resurrection
04 December 2022
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.
Video Game Fables DLC: Nightmare Arena
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.
Canfield Solitaire Collection
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.
Donut Dodo
30 November 2022
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!
Vampire Survivors
29 November 2022
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.
For a Vast Future
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!
Abridge
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.
Frog Detective 3
26 November 2022
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.
Lighten Up
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.
Shadow of the Guild
24 November 2022
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.
Candle Prick
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
Pokaban
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.
FreeCell Solitaire Collection
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.
Impaler
20 November 2022
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!
Lonesome Village
19 November 2022
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.
Dashpong
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.
Necroboy: Path to Evilship
17 November 2022
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!
We Who Are About To Die
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.
Sokosignal
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.
Oakenfold
14 November 2022
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.
Step by Step Hero
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.
Lucy Dreaming
11 November 2022
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.
The Wandering Village
10 November 2022
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.
Klondike Solitaire Collection
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.
Push the Box
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.
Aquillanto
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.
Spider Solitaire Collection
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.
Infection
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.
Joker Poker Video Poker
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.
Deuces Wild Video Poker
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.
Hexxagon
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!
Pigments
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.
DnD Adventure: Rogue's Choice
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.
Trifox
15 October 2022
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!
Jacks or Better Video Poker
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.
Mazezam
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.
Snow Problem
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.
Triple Take
07 October 2022
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.
The Plague Doctor of Wippra
06 October 2022
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.
Forty Thieves Solitaire Collection
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!
Paper Nebula
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.
Marauders
03 October 2022
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.
Color Jumper
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.
Unders_Core
01 October 2022
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.
Shutter 2
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.
Death Drives a Bus
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.
Dominate
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.
Grid Force: Mask of the Goddess
27 September 2022
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.
Grid Force: Mask of the Goddess
25 September 2022
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.
Terra Invicta
24 September 2022
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.
Overloop
21 September 2022
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
Dreamlands: Cotton Candy Hunt
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.
Jack Move
19 September 2022
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.
Roadwarden
16 September 2022
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.
Tails of Iron
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.
Camped Out!
14 September 2022
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!
Deneb: Across the Stars
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
Kraino Origins
8 September 2022
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.
Island Berry
7 September 2022
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.
Shotgun King
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.
Backpack Hero
2 September 2022
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.
Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils
1 September 2022
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
Manic Archers
31 August 2022
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.
Beat Stickman: Beyond
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.
OneBit Adventure
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!
Jade Order
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.
Zombies and Keys
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.
MoonPong
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!
Rollerdrome
22 August 2022
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.
Gun Devil
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.
Dragon Mine
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
Sweet Transit
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.
Video Game Fables
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.
Sokochess
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!
Batora: Lost Haven
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.
Scathe
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.
City Limits
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.
Gigabash
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.
Ren's Demons
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
Age of Darkness: Final Stand
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.
Clanfolk
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.
Bomb Bomb Boom
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.
Deer Journey
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
Madshot
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.
Legends of Kingdom Rush
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.
Super Sportmatchen
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.
Circadian Dice
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.
Exodemic
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.
5 Stages of Pink
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.
Ecstatic
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!
Below the Ocean
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.
Cannibal Crossing
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.
Mini Maker
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!
Metroplex Zero
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.
Unichrome
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.
Wizard's Choice
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.
Born Punk
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.
Gamedec
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!
Encased
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.
Echolocaution
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!
Vesper: Zero Light Edition
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.
Golfie
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.
Ad Wars
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.
Sonority
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.
HEAL
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.
Haiku
18 May 2022
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.
Into The Pit
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.
Rush for the Ages
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!
Port Traventor
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.
Rock'n'Roll Will Never Die
10 May 2022
RnRWND is a fun, light-hearted point and click that will appeal to anyone that enjoys their 90s rock nostalgia. Nice hires pixels. Good sense of humour - well-delivered satire and loaded with puns.
Distraint 2
04 May 2022
If you enjoyed the original Distraint, you'll love this. Same moody atmospheric point and click, great quality art, more puzzles. Caution: It's not stand-alone; you need to play the original first.
Age of Grit
03 May 2022
A damn fine RPG that really nails the wild west steampunk setting. It's full of interesting locations and characters, is exceptionally well written, and there's even trade and turn-based ship combat.
Kaiju Wars
01 May 2022
Read my First Impressions here.
An innovative turn-based tactical that brilliantly recreates the b-grade Godzilla movie experience. Full of attitude and humour. Plenty to see and do with 15hr campaign and mission editor. Brilliant.
Lawn Buster for Hire
28 April 2022
Lawn Buster for Hire's a short and sweet "puzzle" game that's conceptually very cool. All you need to do is move around the map, clearing all the grass. What makes it cool is the layers of difficulty involved; each level you gain extra rewards for leaving the flowers intact, for not re-treading, and for being quick about it. It's not always possible to do all of those things so you need to make choices and sacrifices. Only 10 minutes of gameplay but it's challenging and there's 5 endings so you'll get 30-60 minutes out of it. Would love to see a longer "deluxe" version.
Psycho Bathroom
27 April 2022
Wasn't sure what I was getting myself in for with this one but it's great! It's a platformer that's all boss fights and quirky toilet humour. My only complaint? Needs to be longer! Should not be free.
Distraint: Deluxe Edition
26 April 2022
Distraint's a sort of minimalist point and click; it's linear and there are only a few puzzles but its dark, emotional story is very nicely delivered through some gorgeous (if creepy) hand-drawn art.
Trapped
22 April 2022
Trapped is a nicely-made retro dungeon crawler that brings back fond memories of an old gameboy game that I loved - Wizardry, maybe? In any case, Trapped sees you trying to work your way through a maze while facing some very challenging enemies that require strong resource management and some strategy to defeat. Nostalgic and enjoyable.
Time Keeper
21 April 2022
Time Keeper is a decent puzzle platformer. Could use a little more polish but the music, voice acting and graphics are mostly quite good and it's got a nice story. Would suit a younger audience.
Castle Warfare
20 April 2022
Castle Warfare's an interesting concept, sort of a turn-based version of something like Warcraft. The gameplay is fundamentally kingdom/resource management through a JRPG-style interface and the combat's scenario-based. Features both offensive and defensive levels. There's 2-3 hours worth of game here; it's fun for what it is although it could benefit from some QoL upgrades and I'd love to see the dev take the concept further.
Move Dodge and Kill
19 April 2022
MDaK is a bloody brilliant arcade-style twinstick shooter. It's frantic but energy management adds a tactical element. Roguelite elements and level generator = infinite replayability. Tough as nails!
The Scorchfarer
15 April 2022
Scorchfarer is one of the higher quality VNs out there with hand-drawn and detailed artwork and a well-written story. This ep is very much an introduction; it really gets interesting toward the end.
Nuclear Blaze (Hold My Beer)
14 April 2022
Nuclear Blaze is a nifty reimagining of the 2d platform shooter where you fight the environment rather than monsters (mostly). Hold my beer update really enhances the difficulty and longevity. Fun!
B.I.O.T.A.
13 April 2022
Read my First Impressions here.
BIOTA is a top shelf retro platform shooter. Gorgeous pixels, sound's great, and it's packed with extras. 6-8 hours of action-packed fun not including the arcade mode (it's awesome too)! A must-have!
Perfect Tides
12 April 2022
Perfect Tides is an exceptional entry in the PnC genre. It's well-written, the pixel art is incredibly detailed, Mara's story is told authentically, and the island really comes to life. Impressive
Nix Umbra
11 April 2022
Nix Umbra is a unique experience. You'll die, often, but you'll learn a little more each time and maybe live slightly longer the next. "Terror" aesthetics are spot-on. Sound is the key to survival.
Dr Brown
07 April 2022
Yet another short, rage-inducing game from Skull Commando Labs. Absolutely brilliant. Love the 1-bit pixel graphics, love the bosses, love the brutality. Lock fire and profit!
Janitor Bleeds
07 April 2022
Janitor Bleeds has a lot going for it; the graphics are a bit dated but the arcade setting is fresh and the integrated "videogame come to life" is a nice feature. Younger generations would enjoy this.
Patrick's Parabox
04 April 2022
Patrick's Parabox might be minimalist in the graphics department but as puzzle games go, it's a real gem. The paradox mechanism makes for a unique experience. And it's huge, 350+ handcrafted levels!
The Dreadful Space
04 April 2022
Dreadful Space is a minimalist vertical scrolling shooter that captures the arcade feel well. It's very short and could use some more polish but what's there is fun. Challenging - one hit often kills.
Skeleton Scramble Deluxe
01 April 2022
Read my Beginner's Guide here.
Skeleton Scramble is a fast-paced small-scale RTS that sees you zerg rushing your enemy while managing resources and defending against their zerg rushes. Great variety in gameplay. It's hectic fun!
Sokobos
01 April 2022
Sokobos is a reimagining of the Sokoban puzzle genre with colour coding, lockable tiles, and other new mechanics. Like any Daisy game, it's huge (60 levels!), highly polished and tough as nails.
Demon's Tilt
31 March 2022
Demon's Tilt is a superb pinball experience that sees you dodging bullets and fighting bosses. Only features one table but it's multi-tiered and you can unlock "bonus game" tables (pinball bowling!).
FixFox
31 March 2022
Fixfox is a fun little no pressure game about exploring, trading, making friends and fixing things. It's got some cutesy retro graphics and a good sense of humour. Great for younger gamers.
Forward: Escape the Fold
29 March 2022
Forward is an excellent card-based dungeon crawler with tons of characters and abilities to unlock. Roguelike elements keep the game fresh every time you fire it up again for "just one more run!"
Minimal Crypt
29 March 2022
Minimal Crypt's graphics are minimalist but v. clean. The puzzles are complex, with multiple layers of logic required to solve. 60+ levels, good variety of mechanics, and a friendly level editor!
Limb Hunter
28 March 2022
Limb Hunter is an addictive little 2d run-and-gun. Upgrading yourself limb-by-limb's always a bit of fun and the levels are well-made for exploration. Very short but what's there is great.
Telepath Tactics
23 March 2022
Read my First Impressions here.
TTL is a turn-based tactics game heavily inspired by Fire Emblem. Features interactive environments, hand-crafted maps, a range of mission types and a campaign builder for infinite replayability!
Dungeons of Dreadrock
23 March 2022
Absolute loving Dungeons of Dreadrock. Graphics are great, controls are smooth, puzzles are inventive. Every level seems to introduce new mechanics, it’s never boring. And huge – 100 levels!
The Dark Prophecy
21 March 2022
The Dark Prophecy is a very short (~1 hour) point and click adventure. The writing and puzzles desperately need some polish but it still manages to be charming and the pixels are really lovely.
Telepath Tactics Liberated
19 March 2022
Read my First Impressions here.
TTL is a turn-based tactics game heavily inspired by Fire Emblem. Features interactive environments, hand-crafted maps, a range of mission types and a campaign builder for infinite replayability!
Beat Invaders
18 March 2022
Beat Invaders is an awesome blend of 2d shooter meets space invaders with a roguelike upgrade system thrown in. Fast-paced, great music, and very pretty, super-bloomy graphics. Very replayable.
Guntech 2
15 March 2022
A 2d space shooter with mission-based levels, highly interactive environments, loads of enemies variety, and some awesome bosses. Not as customisable as I'd like but very fun. Awesome 1-4 multiplayer.
The Splitting: Chapter 3
14 March 2022
The Splitting is a 2d isometric adventure game that carries itself like a point and click with similar inventory- and dialogue-based gameplay. This is the third chapter and the best yet. As befitting the theme, it features mirror mechanics, in which every room has a flipped version - and any actions in one world affect the other, making for some engaging puzzles.
Submerged: Hidden Depths
11 March 2022
The devs coined the term "relaxploration" for Submerged and I honestly can't think of a better way to describe it. Love the waterworld setting; the scenery is incredible. No pressure, just exploration.
Breaking Newton
8 March 2022
Breaking Newton is like a solo player version of G Switch but with traps. It starts challenging and gradually becomes more and more sadistic. It's all about fast reflexes and precision. Well-made!
Doomsday Hunters
7 March 2022
Doomsday Hunters is a roguelike twinstick shooter with a bizarre Van Helsing-esque theme. Use alien tech to kill demons and robots. Gorgeous stylised pixel art, tons of variety, highly replayable.
Battle for Esturia
4 March 2022
Top quality retro RPG with turn-based tactical combat. Overarching story's generic but Esturia is really about the journey and it's surprisingly packed with choice & consequence. Diamond in the rough.
Pants Quest
3 March 2022
A super short "slice of life" point and click. Only about an hour of gameplay but what's there is well-made. Features high quality pixel art and a good sense of humour. Would love to see more.
Shroomchitect
03 March 2022
Not your regular PUNKCAKE game! If you're looking for a "feels like," I got some Tamagotchi vibes from it. Keeping your little shroomies happy, fed, and busy, is the closest thing to a challenge in Shroomchitect. It's super chill. There are no bosses or goals, so you're left to kick around building cute little social spaces for them like little cottage tables suspended in the rooftops of your mushroom, surrounded by sparkling lanterns and overlooking your gardens.
Wratch's Den
2 March 2022
While obviously inspired by Dungeon Keeper, it's actually a time-based tactical game. And it's loads of fun. 4 difficulty settings and an endless loop survival mode give this game great mileage.
Ghost on the Shore
2 March 2022
What begins as a walking simulator where you explore the ruins of a small island community develops into a genuinely emotional journey as you uncover the island's dark secrets. Incredible voice acting
Undungeon
26 February 2022
Undungeon is a gorgeous top-down shooter with an innovative hybrid levelling system. The combat's intense and the story is rich. Gets repetitive but the world and outlandish characters are to die for.
No Place Like Home
25 February 2022
No Place Like Home is a simulator that sees you exploring a huge wasteland of a world, cleaning & rebuilding, crafting, farming. It's charming, relaxing, and has a good sense of humour.
The Sundew
22 February 2022
The Sundew is a decent modern point and click; it has the potential to be amazing but needs a little more TLC. The pixels are stunning, story's intriguing, writing's decent but puzzles need some work.
Bean and Nothingness
21 February 2022
B&N is a very creative synergy-based puzzle game that features dynamic levels and a huge range of mechanics. Also, it's massive - 180 levels! Friendly intro but lots of tricky puzzles to explore.
Solar Echoes: The Star Legation
15 February 2022
A lengthy and light-hearted jaunt into a sci fi RPG universe. While the story's largely cliche, it's filled with moral dilemmas and deep exploration into conflicting cultures, keeping it interesting.
Beastie Land
14 February 2022
Beastie Land is a terrific platformer with great retro art and feel. Comparitively short with 24 levels, it somehow still has tons of variety. The ghost chase at the end of each level is awesome.
Kingdom of the Dead
11 February 2022
Kingdom of the Dead is one of the best FPS games I've played recently - maybe ever! Plays like a cross between Nightmare Creatures and oldschool Doom. And I love sinister ink & pen aesthetic!
Wigmund
9 February 2022
Read my interview with the Scholastics here.
EA review: Wigmund is a gorgeous ARPG with some spectacular sound and visuals. Combat's real-time but unlike most ARPGS it requires that you dodge, parry, and alternate attack - much more interesting.
Dark Sheep
8 February 2022
Logic-based sequence puzzles with new mechanics introduced every few levels, adding to the complexity. Daisy Games just *gets* puzzles and Dark Sheep's a brilliant example. Great retro art and sound.
Deflector: Specimen Zero
5 February 2022
It's only a prologue so very short but the music's bangin', and the gameplay's fast-paced and intense. The baddies are only the start - the terrain plays a big part in this one. It's great!
Warshmallows
4 February 2022
Warshmallows is a fun and colourful brawler in the vein of SSB. Gameplay is fast and super intense with triple jumping, jetpacks and super powers, timed levels, and bullets going bloody everywhere.
Festival Tycoon
2 February 2022
Read my First Impressions here.
Festival Tycoon brings back memories of Theme Park but with the addition of band and sponsor contract negotiations. Has plan & live phases, each with their own trials. Interesting and challenging.
Broodstar
31 January 2022
Broodstar's a fantastic top-scrolling retro schmup. I love the aesthetic and the boss fights are awesome. Featuring seeding, variant levels, and tons of enemies and mods, it's infinitely replayable.
Brutal Orchestra
28 January 2022
Brutal Orchestra is a bloody work of art (pun intended). It is, though. A roguelike but features JRPG-style combat with some awesome & unique mechanics. Great artwork, great story, it's a real treat.
Mage Tower
28 January 2022
Mage Tower's gameplay is unique and is loaded with potential.. but some odd design choices hold it back. It's an odd one. It's repetitive but doesn't feel grindy. Interesting but lacks polish.
Pogo Girl
27 January 2022
Gameplay and aesthetic very similar to Sonic 2 except instead of spindashing you have a pogostick. Enjoy the chill play-your-own-way vibe but go for the achievements because the unlocks are worth it.
Jeebo and Jerbo vs. Life
25 January 2022
The graphics are hit and miss - the pixel art's nice but other aspects look..budget. The gameplay's similar - the combat's a little grindy and repetitive but the platformer aspect is really well done.
Kor
25 January 2022
Kor's like Pokemon red/blue except you're the Pokemon. Combat is combo-based, which is a neat twist. World movement utilises teleportation so exploring is like solving a puzzle. An innovative JRPG.
Kapia
24 January 2022
Kapia's a fantastic modern point and click. The graphics suggest a younger audience but the story and puzzles are great for all ages. Well-written and distinctive, the world really comes to life!
Operation Steel
18 January 2022
A hectic sidescrolling schmup that occasionally borders on bullet hell. Branching levels keeps this very replayable. Loads of variety, cool bosses, smooth gameplay. It's addictive!
Hyper-5
7 January 2022
Hyper-5's a great little sidescroller. Only 5 levels but they're decent length and the challenge-based upgrade system and variety make it very replayable. Good use of 3 dimensions, great art. Very fun.
Ambassador: Fractured Timelines
6 January 2022
Ambassador is a different take on the twinstick shooter genre. Features creative use of bullet time and some innovative weapon, enemy, and level designs to create a unique experience. Fresh and fun!
Flynn: Son of Crimson
2 January 2022
Brilliant platformer. A little on the easy side and could use more 'secrets' but loaded with character, interesting mechanics, absolutely gorgeous pixel art, and some very memorable boss fights.
Curation archives may be accessed here: 2021