Overview: Short free-to-play platformer.
20250523:
A person on my Steam friends list completed this game so I decided to play it myself.
Setup: Controller
Steam Game Time: 1.1 hours
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Free
+ Atmospheric
+ Mysterious, intriguing story
Summary:
While not amazing, it was an enjoyable free experience.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
MANDAGON (PC) (2016)
Relevant Links:
MANDAGON (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
MANDAGON (steamdb.info)
MANDAGON (Steam Store Page)
Friday, May 23, 2025
Saturday, May 17, 2025
We Were Here (PC) (2017)
Overview: A fre to play, escape room. Your partner is separated from you. But with a walkie talkie available to communicate with them, communicate to escape.
20250517:
Sathwik and I play the first few rooms of the game.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse. In-game communication. Note that in-game communication is a must, because it works walkie-talkie style.
Gameplay Log:
We were previously on Discord while playing Path of Exile 2. As the game connected us in-game, we disconnected that.
I think there was a sort of tension as I'm initially trying to contact him and not knowing if he knew how to work the walkie talkie. Or in fact if I knew how to work the walkie talkie. Perhaps he hadn't even found the walkie talkie. I was tempted to send a message over Discord. Which in hindsight was interesting, because we were able to hear each other in the lobby prior to starting the game.
The first puzzle ended up reminding me of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. And possibly subsequent puzzles as well but less straightforward as Keep Talking
In the room where the room starts flooding, I remember feeling perhaps like they did in Star Wars: Episode IV trapped in the garbage compactor and Luke calls frantically to C-3PO to turn it off.
We spent some time in the next room in which I had to navigate a series of rooms, perhaps I could have written it down. And he had some information that likely would help. However, it was getting late for Sathwik as he was in Central Time (so hitting 2 AM CT), so we called it a night before solving what he saw were three books of one color and two books of another color.
Steam Game Time: 40 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Atmospheric and tension, there were moments where the music alone kind of spooked me out. And at one point I thought I saw something pass in the hallways that gave me a mini-jumpscare
+ Puzzles require teamwork and thought (should only play with someone who you think would be equally capable of escaping an escape room)
Neutral:
~ Simpler graphics (the focus on gameplay makes this not so important). It can be considered a pro in the sense that it lowers the bar on what systems are capable of running the game (e.g., can run the game on a Surface Pro)
Summary:
As far as I can recall, this would be the first video game that I've played in the escape room genre, specifically in the full spirit of an escape room. I've only ever done one escape room in real life. While this game fills a niche, I'd much rather play Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, which I would give a higher rating than this game. I would, regardless, be likely to complete this game and other games in the series.
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
We Were Here (PC) (2017)
Relevant Links:
We Were Here (series) (Wikipedia.org)
We Were Here (steamdb.info)
We Were Here (Steam Store Page)
20250517:
Sathwik and I play the first few rooms of the game.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse. In-game communication. Note that in-game communication is a must, because it works walkie-talkie style.
Gameplay Log:
We were previously on Discord while playing Path of Exile 2. As the game connected us in-game, we disconnected that.
I think there was a sort of tension as I'm initially trying to contact him and not knowing if he knew how to work the walkie talkie. Or in fact if I knew how to work the walkie talkie. Perhaps he hadn't even found the walkie talkie. I was tempted to send a message over Discord. Which in hindsight was interesting, because we were able to hear each other in the lobby prior to starting the game.
The first puzzle ended up reminding me of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. And possibly subsequent puzzles as well but less straightforward as Keep Talking
In the room where the room starts flooding, I remember feeling perhaps like they did in Star Wars: Episode IV trapped in the garbage compactor and Luke calls frantically to C-3PO to turn it off.
We spent some time in the next room in which I had to navigate a series of rooms, perhaps I could have written it down. And he had some information that likely would help. However, it was getting late for Sathwik as he was in Central Time (so hitting 2 AM CT), so we called it a night before solving what he saw were three books of one color and two books of another color.
Steam Game Time: 40 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Atmospheric and tension, there were moments where the music alone kind of spooked me out. And at one point I thought I saw something pass in the hallways that gave me a mini-jumpscare
+ Puzzles require teamwork and thought (should only play with someone who you think would be equally capable of escaping an escape room)
Neutral:
~ Simpler graphics (the focus on gameplay makes this not so important). It can be considered a pro in the sense that it lowers the bar on what systems are capable of running the game (e.g., can run the game on a Surface Pro)
Summary:
As far as I can recall, this would be the first video game that I've played in the escape room genre, specifically in the full spirit of an escape room. I've only ever done one escape room in real life. While this game fills a niche, I'd much rather play Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, which I would give a higher rating than this game. I would, regardless, be likely to complete this game and other games in the series.
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
We Were Here (PC) (2017)
Relevant Links:
We Were Here (series) (Wikipedia.org)
We Were Here (steamdb.info)
We Were Here (Steam Store Page)
Friday, May 9, 2025
Human Fall Flat (PC) (2016)
Overview: Physics-based puzzle game.
20250509:
Today I played some of this game with my friend Sathwik.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Gameplay Log:
Complete "Mansion"
Complete "Train"
Complete "Carry"
Complete "Mountain"
Complete "Demolition"
Steam Game Time: 83 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ instructional videos
+ funny
+ multiple solutions available / promotes creativity
Neutral:
~ most puzzles can be solved with a single player, but can be solved differently or handy to have two players tackling
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Summary:
Human Fall Flat is certainly not the best co-op I've played. I also find it lacking in the puzzle department. However, it is at times charming with it's physics-based mechanics.
Human Fall Flat (PC) (2016)
Relevant Links:
None at this time Human Fall Flat (Wikipedia.org)
Human Fall Flat (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Human Fall Flat (steamdb.info)
Human Fall Flat (Steam Store Page)
20250509:
Today I played some of this game with my friend Sathwik.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Gameplay Log:
Complete "Mansion"
Complete "Train"
Complete "Carry"
Complete "Mountain"
Complete "Demolition"
Steam Game Time: 83 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ instructional videos
+ funny
+ multiple solutions available / promotes creativity
Neutral:
~ most puzzles can be solved with a single player, but can be solved differently or handy to have two players tackling
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Summary:
Human Fall Flat is certainly not the best co-op I've played. I also find it lacking in the puzzle department. However, it is at times charming with it's physics-based mechanics.
Human Fall Flat (PC) (2016)
Relevant Links:
None at this time Human Fall Flat (Wikipedia.org)
Human Fall Flat (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Human Fall Flat (steamdb.info)
Human Fall Flat (Steam Store Page)
Friday, May 2, 2025
Counter-Strike 2 (PC) (2012)
Overview: Play as either terrorists or counter-terrorists in this competitive first-person shooter.
20250502 Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 2.2 hours (cumulative game time)
Last Played: Unknown
20250502:
Today I played some of this game with my friends. At first it was just two of us and then later we played as three. We had tried a match versus players, then played versus bots for a while. We did one round of games being on the same team, but later we rotated one person on terrorists and two on counter-terrorists. We then returned to trying a match versus players.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Steam Game Time: 4.8 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.6 hours (session game time)
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Visual clarity
+ Nice purchase interface
Neutral:
~ Casual play doesn't seem to incorporate player skill to find match, and I want to have my friends be on my team, but doesn't seem possible
~ I'd like to be able to adjust difficult of bots in practice mode [apparently you can with the console]
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
Counter-Strike 2 (PC) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Counter-Strike 2 (Wikipedia.org)
Counter-Strike 2 (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Counter-Strike 2 (steamdb.info)
Counter-Strike 2 (Steam Store Page)
20250502 Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 2.2 hours (cumulative game time)
Last Played: Unknown
20250502:
Today I played some of this game with my friends. At first it was just two of us and then later we played as three. We had tried a match versus players, then played versus bots for a while. We did one round of games being on the same team, but later we rotated one person on terrorists and two on counter-terrorists. We then returned to trying a match versus players.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Steam Game Time: 4.8 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.6 hours (session game time)
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Visual clarity
+ Nice purchase interface
Neutral:
~ Casual play doesn't seem to incorporate player skill to find match, and I want to have my friends be on my team, but doesn't seem possible
~ I'd like to be able to adjust difficult of bots in practice mode [apparently you can with the console]
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
Counter-Strike 2 (PC) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Counter-Strike 2 (Wikipedia.org)
Counter-Strike 2 (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Counter-Strike 2 (steamdb.info)
Counter-Strike 2 (Steam Store Page)
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Marvel Rivals (PC) (2024)
Overview: Free to play, team-based PVP shooter with Marvel characters.
20250419:
Today, my friend and I tried this game out for the first time.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Gameplay Log:
We each played individually through the tutorial
We played a couple of matches versus AI.
We each played inidivudally through some Hero tutorials which lets you choose from a subset of the roster and go in depth on using their abilities or team-ups.
We played two matches versus players.
Off the top of my head, I tried playing with the following characters: Spider-Man, Magneto, Hawkeye, Cloak & Dagger, Emma Frost, Storm, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, and Invisible Woman.
Among the characters I tried, I most enjoyed Hawkeye, Emma Frost, and Invisible Woman. Wolverine is also a strong contender to being in my top three, but he does this jump which I didn't quite understand how to aim. One thing I didn't try was the Practice mode which probably would have been a more relaxed setting for experimenting with movesets. Oh, actually Magneto was kind of decent for me as well, but I suppose I disliked his lower firing rate. As for Invisible Woman, her shield and ultimate benefit from greater coordination and/or understanding from other players. This contrasts with the support ability of Claok & Dagger.
Looking at a tier list, I have not played many of the characters ranked S+ on a "Below Diamond Tier List": Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch, Peni Parker, Luna Snow, and Psylocke. I've only played Emma Frost and Cloak & Dagger.
ww
Steam Game Time: 2.9 hours
20250421:
Today I played intending on practicing Emma Frost. But it can be tough to always lock the character in, because other players sometimes enter the character select first. Then I got sidetracked by the missions and started doing them. Currently I have three missions remaining related to each of the classes: deal damage, take damage, and heal.
Steam Game Time: 5.1 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.2 hours (session game time)
2025042#: Steam Game Time: 6.5 hours (cumulative game time) / 1.4 hours (session game time)
20250424: Steam Game Time: 7.2 hours (cumulative game time) / 0.7 hours (session game time)
20250425: Steam Game Time: 8.9 hours (cumulative game time) / 1.7 hours (session game time)
20250428: Steam Game Time: 10.2 hours (cumulative game time) / 1.3 hours (session game time)
20250429: Steam Game Time: 19.8 hours (cumulative game time) / 0 hours (session game time); launched the game but left it on at the launcher and never actually played
note to self transition to occasional snapshots
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Play as Marvel character
Neutral:
~ I believe running is default movement but characters don't feel fast when running. Some character seem to have better movement (action associated to "Shift") than others [20250503: slower movement is actually good because easier to hit / heal; in this sense more realistic gameplay should have it that characters carry momentum and cannot immediately change direction]
~ This type of game has so much going on for a player like me
~ A lot of cool MTX... Doesn't seem easy to generate free currency to make purchases. But certain missions do unlock some freebies...
Rating: 4.0/5 (20250503)
Summary:
None at this time
Marvel Rivals (PC) (2024)
Relevant Links:
Marvel Rivals (Wikipedia.org)
Marvel Rivals (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Marvel Rivals (steamdb.info)
Marvel Rivals (Steam Store Page)
20250419:
Today, my friend and I tried this game out for the first time.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Gameplay Log:
We each played individually through the tutorial
We played a couple of matches versus AI.
We each played inidivudally through some Hero tutorials which lets you choose from a subset of the roster and go in depth on using their abilities or team-ups.
We played two matches versus players.
Off the top of my head, I tried playing with the following characters: Spider-Man, Magneto, Hawkeye, Cloak & Dagger, Emma Frost, Storm, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, and Invisible Woman.
Among the characters I tried, I most enjoyed Hawkeye, Emma Frost, and Invisible Woman. Wolverine is also a strong contender to being in my top three, but he does this jump which I didn't quite understand how to aim. One thing I didn't try was the Practice mode which probably would have been a more relaxed setting for experimenting with movesets. Oh, actually Magneto was kind of decent for me as well, but I suppose I disliked his lower firing rate. As for Invisible Woman, her shield and ultimate benefit from greater coordination and/or understanding from other players. This contrasts with the support ability of Claok & Dagger.
Looking at a tier list, I have not played many of the characters ranked S+ on a "Below Diamond Tier List": Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch, Peni Parker, Luna Snow, and Psylocke. I've only played Emma Frost and Cloak & Dagger.
ww
Steam Game Time: 2.9 hours
20250421:
Today I played intending on practicing Emma Frost. But it can be tough to always lock the character in, because other players sometimes enter the character select first. Then I got sidetracked by the missions and started doing them. Currently I have three missions remaining related to each of the classes: deal damage, take damage, and heal.
Steam Game Time: 5.1 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.2 hours (session game time)
2025042#: Steam Game Time: 6.5 hours (cumulative game time) / 1.4 hours (session game time)
20250424: Steam Game Time: 7.2 hours (cumulative game time) / 0.7 hours (session game time)
20250425: Steam Game Time: 8.9 hours (cumulative game time) / 1.7 hours (session game time)
20250428: Steam Game Time: 10.2 hours (cumulative game time) / 1.3 hours (session game time)
20250429: Steam Game Time: 19.8 hours (cumulative game time) / 0 hours (session game time); launched the game but left it on at the launcher and never actually played
note to self transition to occasional snapshots
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Play as Marvel character
Neutral:
~ I believe running is default movement but characters don't feel fast when running. Some character seem to have better movement (action associated to "Shift") than others [20250503: slower movement is actually good because easier to hit / heal; in this sense more realistic gameplay should have it that characters carry momentum and cannot immediately change direction]
~ This type of game has so much going on for a player like me
~ A lot of cool MTX... Doesn't seem easy to generate free currency to make purchases. But certain missions do unlock some freebies...
Rating: 4.0/5 (20250503)
Summary:
None at this time
Marvel Rivals (PC) (2024)
Relevant Links:
Marvel Rivals (Wikipedia.org)
Marvel Rivals (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Marvel Rivals (steamdb.info)
Marvel Rivals (Steam Store Page)
Bridge Constructor Portal (PC) (2017)
Overview: Cross between Bridge Constructor and Portal
20250423:
While I controlled placement, I tried to have my son call out simple solutions.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Steam Game Time: 68 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ The Portal theme adds a lot to the Bridge Constructor series
Neutral:
~ The game, at least at the moment, lacks the other build condition found in other Bridge Constructor games (least money spent). This score is still tracked, but there's no hint as to what is optimal
Cons:
- Some controls were convenient (building roads) while others were finicky (moving joints)
- I don't like the time it takes for the convoy to ride across. It'd be nice if there was a fast forward option
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
Bridge Constructor Portal (PC) (2017)
Relevant Links:
Bridge Constructor Portal (Wikipedia.org)
Bridge Constructor Portal (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Bridge Constructor Portal (steamdb.info)
Bridge Constructor Portal (Steam Store Page)
20250423:
While I controlled placement, I tried to have my son call out simple solutions.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Steam Game Time: 68 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ The Portal theme adds a lot to the Bridge Constructor series
Neutral:
~ The game, at least at the moment, lacks the other build condition found in other Bridge Constructor games (least money spent). This score is still tracked, but there's no hint as to what is optimal
Cons:
- Some controls were convenient (building roads) while others were finicky (moving joints)
- I don't like the time it takes for the convoy to ride across. It'd be nice if there was a fast forward option
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
Bridge Constructor Portal (PC) (2017)
Relevant Links:
Bridge Constructor Portal (Wikipedia.org)
Bridge Constructor Portal (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Bridge Constructor Portal (steamdb.info)
Bridge Constructor Portal (Steam Store Page)
Thursday, April 17, 2025
The Talos Principle (PC) (2014)
Overview: Puzzle adventure game.
20250417:
Taking a break Path of Exile 2, I decide to play this game which I've long heard about being a great puzzle game.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Gameplay Log:
Finished 1 & 2.
Steam Game Time: 43 minutes
20250418:
Today I did the Area #3 in the afternoon and Area #4 in the evening. I seem not to enjoy this game continuously. Perhaps I am not in the mood for this genre or perhaps not in the mood for gaming as I'm under the weather.
Gameplay Log:
Finished 3 with 1 of 2 stars
Finished 4 with 1 of 1 star
Steam Game Time: 115 minutes (cumulative game time) / 72 minutes (session game time)
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Story
+ Reasonable difficulty curve for puzzles
+ Pleasing environment
Neutral:
~ At the moment I can only handle the game in chunks. Might be my mood or just change in taste of games
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
The Talos Principle (PC) (2014)
Relevant Links:
The Talos Principle (Wikipedia.org)
The Talos Principle (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
The Talos Principle (steamdb.info)
The Talos Principle (Steam Store Page)
20250417:
Taking a break Path of Exile 2, I decide to play this game which I've long heard about being a great puzzle game.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Gameplay Log:
Finished 1 & 2.
Steam Game Time: 43 minutes
20250418:
Today I did the Area #3 in the afternoon and Area #4 in the evening. I seem not to enjoy this game continuously. Perhaps I am not in the mood for this genre or perhaps not in the mood for gaming as I'm under the weather.
Gameplay Log:
Finished 3 with 1 of 2 stars
Finished 4 with 1 of 1 star
Steam Game Time: 115 minutes (cumulative game time) / 72 minutes (session game time)
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Story
+ Reasonable difficulty curve for puzzles
+ Pleasing environment
Neutral:
~ At the moment I can only handle the game in chunks. Might be my mood or just change in taste of games
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
The Talos Principle (PC) (2014)
Relevant Links:
The Talos Principle (Wikipedia.org)
The Talos Principle (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
The Talos Principle (steamdb.info)
The Talos Principle (Steam Store Page)
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
High Spirits (PC) (Demo)
20250417:
Taking a short break from Path of Exile 2, I took a look through the demos in my library and decided to try this one.
Setup:
Keyboard and mouse
Steam Game Time: 36 minutes
First Impressions:
The pacing of the demo was slow. It took a while before getting to the first battle, which was overly simple. Eventually the game added the potion mechanic, but it felt underwhelming. In short, the fighting mechanic lacked impact and fun.
I was also not interested in the game's story. The protagonist falls under the archetype of nice guy underachiever. It is a common enough archetype, but somehow the delivery just didn't sustain my interest. As for the sentient staff, I found its dialogue annoying.
Overall, I didn't experience a reason to play this game.
Demo Rating: 1.0 out of 5
High Spirits (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
High Spirits (Steam Store Page)
Taking a short break from Path of Exile 2, I took a look through the demos in my library and decided to try this one.
Setup:
Keyboard and mouse
Steam Game Time: 36 minutes
First Impressions:
The pacing of the demo was slow. It took a while before getting to the first battle, which was overly simple. Eventually the game added the potion mechanic, but it felt underwhelming. In short, the fighting mechanic lacked impact and fun.
I was also not interested in the game's story. The protagonist falls under the archetype of nice guy underachiever. It is a common enough archetype, but somehow the delivery just didn't sustain my interest. As for the sentient staff, I found its dialogue annoying.
Overall, I didn't experience a reason to play this game.
Demo Rating: 1.0 out of 5
High Spirits (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
High Spirits (Steam Store Page)
Saturday, March 8, 2025
THE CORRIDOR (PC) (2020)
Overview: Push a button. Again... and again... and again...
20250308:
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Steam Game Time: 68 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Funny
+ Creative
Cons:
- Would be nice to have chapters to jump to for achievement hunting as opposed to playing the entire game over
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
THE CORRIDOR (PC) (2020)
Relevant Links:
THE CORRIDOR (Wikipedia.org)
THE CORRIDOR (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
THE CORRIDOR (steamdb.info)
THE CORRIDOR (Steam Store Page)
20250308:
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Steam Game Time: 68 minutes
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Funny
+ Creative
Cons:
- Would be nice to have chapters to jump to for achievement hunting as opposed to playing the entire game over
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Summary:
None at this time
THE CORRIDOR (PC) (2020)
Relevant Links:
THE CORRIDOR (Wikipedia.org)
THE CORRIDOR (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
THE CORRIDOR (steamdb.info)
THE CORRIDOR (Steam Store Page)
Friday, March 7, 2025
Fieldrunners (PC) (2012)
Overview: Tower defense. Prevent enemies from reaching the exit. More and more come with each wave.
20250307:
I've played this game on my phone a long time ago (Fieldrunners HD). Playing today, I felt the game was not as fun as I remembered.
Setup: Mouse
Steam Game Time: 54 minutes
20250308:
I thought I was done, but today I had the itch to revisit the game. I was able to defeat level 100 on medium difficulty with just 1 life remaining. I later tried playing a round of hard difficulty. I imagine the waves are more challenging and leave less wiggle room for error. It turns out Tesla Towers are powerful, but it's a matter of saving money for them.
Steam Game Time: 4.2 hours (cumulative game time) / 3.3 hours (session game time)
Thoughts:
In the classic mode there are no towers that deal any area damage.* I suppose this is fine, but it feels hard to optimize. Speaking of which, the electric towers are expensive but seem useless. The hardest rounds for me in classic mode are the helicopter rounds.**
Rating: 3.4 out of 5
*Looking at the tower specs in the Help section, the Missle Tower has "spash damage"
**One guide suggested getting a Tesla Tower up by wave 20 for the helicopters. Looking at the tower specs in the Help section, the Tesla Tower has at least 5 times the damage of a Missile Tower (against a single target). A fully upgraded Tesla Tower would cost $170 while a fully upgraded Missile Tower would cost $50.
Summary:
None at this time
Fieldrunners (PC) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Fieldrunners (Wikipedia.org)
Fieldrunners (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Fieldrunners (steamdb.info)
Fieldrunners (Steam Store Page)
20250307:
I've played this game on my phone a long time ago (Fieldrunners HD). Playing today, I felt the game was not as fun as I remembered.
Setup: Mouse
Steam Game Time: 54 minutes
20250308:
I thought I was done, but today I had the itch to revisit the game. I was able to defeat level 100 on medium difficulty with just 1 life remaining. I later tried playing a round of hard difficulty. I imagine the waves are more challenging and leave less wiggle room for error. It turns out Tesla Towers are powerful, but it's a matter of saving money for them.
Steam Game Time: 4.2 hours (cumulative game time) / 3.3 hours (session game time)
Thoughts:
In the classic mode there are no towers that deal any area damage.* I suppose this is fine, but it feels hard to optimize. Speaking of which, the electric towers are expensive but seem useless. The hardest rounds for me in classic mode are the helicopter rounds.**
Rating: 3.4 out of 5
*Looking at the tower specs in the Help section, the Missle Tower has "spash damage"
**One guide suggested getting a Tesla Tower up by wave 20 for the helicopters. Looking at the tower specs in the Help section, the Tesla Tower has at least 5 times the damage of a Missile Tower (against a single target). A fully upgraded Tesla Tower would cost $170 while a fully upgraded Missile Tower would cost $50.
Summary:
None at this time
Fieldrunners (PC) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Fieldrunners (Wikipedia.org)
Fieldrunners (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Fieldrunners (steamdb.info)
Fieldrunners (Steam Store Page)
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Into the Restless Ruins (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Roguelike deckbuilder. Cards in the deck are used to build the dungeon.
20250304:
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Steam Game Time: 40 minutes
First Impressions:
This game was interesting for the short time that I had tried it, but it didn't have what it takes to hook me into playing multiple times. Overall, I thought it felt plain.
Demo Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Into the Restless Ruins (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Into the Restless Ruins (Steam Store Page)
20250304:
Setup: Keyboard and mouse
Steam Game Time: 40 minutes
First Impressions:
This game was interesting for the short time that I had tried it, but it didn't have what it takes to hook me into playing multiple times. Overall, I thought it felt plain.
Demo Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Into the Restless Ruins (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Into the Restless Ruins (Steam Store Page)
Monday, March 3, 2025
Shape of Dreams (PC) (Demo)
Overview: "action roguelite with MOBA-style gameplay"
20250304:
Setup: Keyboard and mouse. MOBA-style controls.
Steam Game Time: 3.7 hours
First Impressions:
I was hooked.
Demo Rating: 5.4 out of 5
Shape of Dreams (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Shape of Dreams (Steam Store Page)
20250304:
Setup: Keyboard and mouse. MOBA-style controls.
Steam Game Time: 3.7 hours
First Impressions:
I was hooked.
Demo Rating: 5.4 out of 5
Shape of Dreams (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Shape of Dreams (Steam Store Page)
MINDWAVE (PC) (Demo)
Overview: WarioWare-like: play quick short mini-games in succession
20250303:
Steam Game Time: 24 minutes
First Impressions:
This game is like WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (GBA) on drugs. It was real fun, but a bit too crazy for me at this time.
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
MINDWAVE (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
MINDWAVE (Steam Store Page)
20250303:
Steam Game Time: 24 minutes
First Impressions:
This game is like WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (GBA) on drugs. It was real fun, but a bit too crazy for me at this time.
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
MINDWAVE (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
MINDWAVE (Steam Store Page)
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Action roguelite.
20250303:
The trailer showed a die rolling and that was interesting enough to appeal to me.
Setup: Controller.
Steam Game Time: 53 minutes
First Impressions:
The game opened with an interesting story. Getting into the game itself, I was surprised to learn it was an action roguelite, similar in nature to Hades. The protagonist, Queen Aleksandra and her companion Fortune are "lost in Random." Fortune is a die, and thrown as an area of effect attack. After being thrown, Fortune's outcome can trigger various upgrades that have been picked up. Overall, having thoroughly enjoyed Hades, I could see myself enjoying this game as well. With that being said, Hades had a kind of charm in the characters which I feel might be lacking here. I'm not sure if it was due to the familiarity of the Greek characters or perhaps something to do with the well-written dialogue. To be fair, I enjoy the narration here as well, it's just I think Hades set the bar real high.
As an aside, I felt Fortune's damage was really high, especially for a ranged attack. In addition, while the player can control the aim, there is some sort of autotargetting that occurs. As such, I tried to use Fortune as much as possible, especially against the first boss. Note that Fortune is somewhat balanced in that the player must retrieve it in order to use it again.
Demo Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (Steam Store Page)
20250303:
The trailer showed a die rolling and that was interesting enough to appeal to me.
Setup: Controller.
Steam Game Time: 53 minutes
First Impressions:
The game opened with an interesting story. Getting into the game itself, I was surprised to learn it was an action roguelite, similar in nature to Hades. The protagonist, Queen Aleksandra and her companion Fortune are "lost in Random." Fortune is a die, and thrown as an area of effect attack. After being thrown, Fortune's outcome can trigger various upgrades that have been picked up. Overall, having thoroughly enjoyed Hades, I could see myself enjoying this game as well. With that being said, Hades had a kind of charm in the characters which I feel might be lacking here. I'm not sure if it was due to the familiarity of the Greek characters or perhaps something to do with the well-written dialogue. To be fair, I enjoy the narration here as well, it's just I think Hades set the bar real high.
As an aside, I felt Fortune's damage was really high, especially for a ranged attack. In addition, while the player can control the aim, there is some sort of autotargetting that occurs. As such, I tried to use Fortune as much as possible, especially against the first boss. Note that Fortune is somewhat balanced in that the player must retrieve it in order to use it again.
Demo Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (Steam Store Page)
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark (PC) (Demo)
Overview: 2D Metroidvania where players control demon sisters Kirika and Masha.
20250303:
Setup: Controller
Steam Game Time: 29 minutes
First Impressions:
Love the switching between the two characters.
Had to cut the time short to experience more demos while I can. But I would have loved to have gotten to where the demo officially finishes.
Demo Rating: 5.2 out of 5
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark (Steam Store Page)
20250303:
Setup: Controller
Steam Game Time: 29 minutes
First Impressions:
Love the switching between the two characters.
Had to cut the time short to experience more demos while I can. But I would have loved to have gotten to where the demo officially finishes.
Demo Rating: 5.2 out of 5
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark (Steam Store Page)
Wordatro! (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Roguelite word game.
20250303:
The game's name looked like Balatro, which I've never played, but was interesting in seeing what a clone would have to offer.
Setup: Sometimes keyboard, sometimes mouse
Steam Game Time: 83 minutes
First Impressions:
Awesome! Love it! I haven't played Balatro, but if this game is a clone of that game, then I would love to try Balatro. In contrast, the other day I played a demo of a game called TypInc. which said it was inspired by Balatro. However, I think it was a poor adaptation of having points, multipliers, and upgrades, especially when compared to this game.
Demo Rating: 5.4 out of 5
Wordatro! (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Wordatro! (Steam Store Page)
20250303:
The game's name looked like Balatro, which I've never played, but was interesting in seeing what a clone would have to offer.
Setup: Sometimes keyboard, sometimes mouse
Steam Game Time: 83 minutes
First Impressions:
Awesome! Love it! I haven't played Balatro, but if this game is a clone of that game, then I would love to try Balatro. In contrast, the other day I played a demo of a game called TypInc. which said it was inspired by Balatro. However, I think it was a poor adaptation of having points, multipliers, and upgrades, especially when compared to this game.
Demo Rating: 5.4 out of 5
Wordatro! (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Wordatro! (Steam Store Page)
Sunday, March 2, 2025
Ruffy and the Riverside (PC) (Demo)
Overview: 3D platformer where one of the core mechancis is copy and pasting textures from one object to another.
20250302:
Setup: Controller.
Steam Game Time: 30 minutes
First Impressions:
Loading up the game, I found the game looked visually appealing with a colorful palette. Soon after the intro, I learned that one of the overarching game designs is similar to Super Mario 64 (enter a level and collect stars). However, besides some levels locked behind doors, it seems a good chunk of gameplay is scattered throughout the world for a more open world approach to collecting stars.
While collecting stars and platforming is shared by the two games, Ruffy adds a core gameplay mechanic: the ability to swap out a target with a source (it's called swap but it's more like copy and paste). In most cases, this means swapping the texture of one object with that of another object. In the tutorial, the player is taught to transform the waterful into climbable leaves by using this ability.
Initially disorienting is that Ruffy (and all the characters) are 2D-looking characters in a 3D-looking world (i.e., the characters don't have a thickness. Demo Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Ruffy and the Riverside (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Ruffy and the Riverside (Steam Store Page)
20250302:
Setup: Controller.
Steam Game Time: 30 minutes
First Impressions:
Loading up the game, I found the game looked visually appealing with a colorful palette. Soon after the intro, I learned that one of the overarching game designs is similar to Super Mario 64 (enter a level and collect stars). However, besides some levels locked behind doors, it seems a good chunk of gameplay is scattered throughout the world for a more open world approach to collecting stars.
While collecting stars and platforming is shared by the two games, Ruffy adds a core gameplay mechanic: the ability to swap out a target with a source (it's called swap but it's more like copy and paste). In most cases, this means swapping the texture of one object with that of another object. In the tutorial, the player is taught to transform the waterful into climbable leaves by using this ability.
Initially disorienting is that Ruffy (and all the characters) are 2D-looking characters in a 3D-looking world (i.e., the characters don't have a thickness. Demo Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Ruffy and the Riverside (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Ruffy and the Riverside (Steam Store Page)
Beats&Boss (PC) (Demo)
Overview: "BossRush style rhythm game."
20250302:
Steam Game Time: 7 minutes
First Impressions:
This game has potential. The beat-based gameplay reminds me of Crypt of the Necrodancer. However, instead of being 2D, the game reduces gameplay to 1D (left and right). What I disliked, however, was how difficult the boss was. It was unbelievably difficult compared to the little enemies that preceded it. I think there should have been a better difficulty curve that leads up to the boss.
I would also note that one gets a sense of the rhythm when playing Crypt of the Necrodancer, but this game feels a lot more chaotic. Maybe the speed of the game (beats per minute) is too high.
Demo Rating: 2.6 out of 5
Beats&Boss (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Beats&Boss (Steam Store Page)
20250302:
Steam Game Time: 7 minutes
First Impressions:
This game has potential. The beat-based gameplay reminds me of Crypt of the Necrodancer. However, instead of being 2D, the game reduces gameplay to 1D (left and right). What I disliked, however, was how difficult the boss was. It was unbelievably difficult compared to the little enemies that preceded it. I think there should have been a better difficulty curve that leads up to the boss.
I would also note that one gets a sense of the rhythm when playing Crypt of the Necrodancer, but this game feels a lot more chaotic. Maybe the speed of the game (beats per minute) is too high.
Demo Rating: 2.6 out of 5
Beats&Boss (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Beats&Boss (Steam Store Page)
Maze Mice (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Action roguelike where time only moves when you move.
20250302:
Gameplay Log:
First session
Filbert
Luna. Prism is good. And life avoidance is good. Got to 10 min where a bunch spawn. Could not defeat them though.
Roscoe. Reroll is not that great. Waste of a support slot. At least at this stage in the game.
Second session
(Fourth mouse). Upgraded Prism to 10 is actually super strong. Got further to clearing the 10 minute mark craziness. But made some mistakes. Oh, actually upgraded Vacuum is also strong.
Ben played a round using Luna. He used a controller and ran into the cats several times. It was less intuitive for him.
Setup:
Steam Game Time: 74 minutes + 34 minutes
First Impressions:
I saw this title somewhere on the internet, but didn't read what it was about. The time-only-moves-when-you-move aspect is interesting. Layered together with the popular XP + choose upgrades formula, this game had me hooked and only my strong will to try other games had me stop playing after the third run with the third character.
Demo Rating: 5.4 out of 5
Maze Mice (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Maze Mice (Steam Store Page)
20250302:
Gameplay Log:
First session
Filbert
Luna. Prism is good. And life avoidance is good. Got to 10 min where a bunch spawn. Could not defeat them though.
Roscoe. Reroll is not that great. Waste of a support slot. At least at this stage in the game.
Second session
(Fourth mouse). Upgraded Prism to 10 is actually super strong. Got further to clearing the 10 minute mark craziness. But made some mistakes. Oh, actually upgraded Vacuum is also strong.
Ben played a round using Luna. He used a controller and ran into the cats several times. It was less intuitive for him.
Setup:
Steam Game Time: 74 minutes + 34 minutes
First Impressions:
I saw this title somewhere on the internet, but didn't read what it was about. The time-only-moves-when-you-move aspect is interesting. Layered together with the popular XP + choose upgrades formula, this game had me hooked and only my strong will to try other games had me stop playing after the third run with the third character.
Demo Rating: 5.4 out of 5
Maze Mice (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Maze Mice (Steam Store Page)
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game (PC) (Demo)
Overview: A "cozy detective game." Find hints (words) and solve the case (fill-in blanks).
20250302:
This game looked like a simple puzzle game, which I thought would be a nice change of pace from all the action games I've been playing.
Setup: Mouse
Steam Game Time: 31 minutes
First Impressions:
While simple, the art was well done and I had a fun time finding the clues and filling in the blanks.
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game (Steam Store Page)
20250302:
This game looked like a simple puzzle game, which I thought would be a nice change of pace from all the action games I've been playing.
Setup: Mouse
Steam Game Time: 31 minutes
First Impressions:
While simple, the art was well done and I had a fun time finding the clues and filling in the blanks.
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game (Steam Store Page)
Shotgun Cop Man (PC) (Demo)
Overview: A shooter platformer where you use your weapons to jump.
20250302:
I saw the trailer for this game and while the cut scene rendition of the character looks scary (in a nightmarish way), the gameplay looked awesome. After I reached about 1-8, I let Ben try the tutorial levels. His hand is too small to span the left trigger, which is located on the lower area on the F310 and the right trigger, but during the tutorial, the shotgun jump is the more important button, which is left trigger.
Setup: Controller
Steam Game Time: 23 minutes
First Impressions:
Overall, I loved the mechanic of using your weapons to jump. I'm going to give the game a rating of 5.0 based entirely on the main game experience. But I can say I wouldn't ever buy the game because the character scares me.
Demo Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Shotgun Cop Man (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Shotgun Cop Man (Steam Store Page)
20250302:
I saw the trailer for this game and while the cut scene rendition of the character looks scary (in a nightmarish way), the gameplay looked awesome. After I reached about 1-8, I let Ben try the tutorial levels. His hand is too small to span the left trigger, which is located on the lower area on the F310 and the right trigger, but during the tutorial, the shotgun jump is the more important button, which is left trigger.
Setup: Controller
Steam Game Time: 23 minutes
First Impressions:
Overall, I loved the mechanic of using your weapons to jump. I'm going to give the game a rating of 5.0 based entirely on the main game experience. But I can say I wouldn't ever buy the game because the character scares me.
Demo Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Shotgun Cop Man (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Shotgun Cop Man (Steam Store Page)
Pitch Patter (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Simple rhythm game where the background video is AI generated.
20250302:
Setup: Controller, and sometimes mouse.
Steam Game Time:
First Impressions:
The rhythm aspect is not fun, but the demo track and video were funny.
Demo Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Pitch Patter (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Pitch Patter (Steam Store Page)
Setup: Controller, and sometimes mouse.
Steam Game Time:
First Impressions:
The rhythm aspect is not fun, but the demo track and video were funny.
Demo Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Pitch Patter (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Pitch Patter (Steam Store Page)
Saturday, March 1, 2025
Run TavernQuest (PC) (Demo)
Overview: A choose your own adventure that puts the player in a slightly different point of view. Typically you're the person making the choices for yourself, now you're the game making the choices to present to the player.
20250301:
Steam Game Time: 37 minutes
First Impressions:
Fun, but perhaps... not my expectation when playing the game. I was really hoping for a MUD-like experience.
Demo Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Run TavernQuest (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Run TavernQuest (Steam Store Page)
20250301:
Steam Game Time: 37 minutes
First Impressions:
Fun, but perhaps... not my expectation when playing the game. I was really hoping for a MUD-like experience.
Demo Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Run TavernQuest (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Run TavernQuest (Steam Store Page)
HASTE: Broken Worlds (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Run fast. Land perfectly. Continue running fast.
20250301:
I saw a preview of this game and it looked fun. I definitely had to try it.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Steam Game Time: 23 minutes
First Impressions:
Unfortunately, while the game looked fun, and the first few minutes were amazing, I am not keen on this style of game. It's just too chaotic and fast-paced for me. In a way, it channels a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog vibes. And while I don't remember much of Sonic Adventure, I would venture to guess that the pacing would have felt similar except that with Sonic Adventure you're allowed to stop and smell the roses whereas here you're constantly racing against the map. Additionally, I recall Sonic Adventure not having too many choices in regards to path, whereas directionally this game feels more open. This game does have currency to pick up which would suggest a possible best path, but I think it would take a lot of practice and experience to take the best path.
As an aside, after playing, I had a bit of a headache. Sometimes games like this with a lot of movement in third-person or first-person view will cause this. And the headache would be worst after having caffeine. I think I last had caffeine over 6 hours ago.
Overall, I'd say this game is definitely not for me.
Demo Rating: 1.8 out of 5
HASTE: Broken Worlds (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
HASTE: Broken Worlds (Steam Store Page)
20250301:
I saw a preview of this game and it looked fun. I definitely had to try it.
Setup: Keyboard and mouse.
Steam Game Time: 23 minutes
First Impressions:
Unfortunately, while the game looked fun, and the first few minutes were amazing, I am not keen on this style of game. It's just too chaotic and fast-paced for me. In a way, it channels a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog vibes. And while I don't remember much of Sonic Adventure, I would venture to guess that the pacing would have felt similar except that with Sonic Adventure you're allowed to stop and smell the roses whereas here you're constantly racing against the map. Additionally, I recall Sonic Adventure not having too many choices in regards to path, whereas directionally this game feels more open. This game does have currency to pick up which would suggest a possible best path, but I think it would take a lot of practice and experience to take the best path.
As an aside, after playing, I had a bit of a headache. Sometimes games like this with a lot of movement in third-person or first-person view will cause this. And the headache would be worst after having caffeine. I think I last had caffeine over 6 hours ago.
Overall, I'd say this game is definitely not for me.
Demo Rating: 1.8 out of 5
HASTE: Broken Worlds (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
HASTE: Broken Worlds (Steam Store Page)
Aethermancer (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Turn-based battles.
20250301:
Steam Game Time: 61 minutes
First Impressions:
Initially the game had Pokemon vibes (choosing a starter monster and capturing monsters). And while there likely is some inspiration taken from the Pokemon series, the game looks and feels a lot more like traditional party-based, turn-based RPGs (e.g., earlier Final Fantasy titles). However, unlike Pokemon and traditional party-based RPGs, monsters whose HP are taken to 0 are permanently lost.
While I liked the artwork and battle mechancis, I felt disoriented while exploring the overworld. I felt the overworld could have been a lot more straightforward - at least at the start of the game with elements such as surprise attacks and jumping between cliffs be made as puzzle elements later in the game. As an analogy, the Pokemon series made use of HM skills "cut," "surf," etc. as puzzle elements, and such elements come later in the game.
Overall, I personally would have loved the exact same game but with a simplified 2D overworld more similar to Pokemon. With that being said, using the map in the top right helped and the core game mechanics are enjoyable enough to overlook. As such, I'll give it a 4.0 out of 5.
Demo Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Aethermancer (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Aethermancer (Steam Store Page)
20250301:
Steam Game Time: 61 minutes
First Impressions:
Initially the game had Pokemon vibes (choosing a starter monster and capturing monsters). And while there likely is some inspiration taken from the Pokemon series, the game looks and feels a lot more like traditional party-based, turn-based RPGs (e.g., earlier Final Fantasy titles). However, unlike Pokemon and traditional party-based RPGs, monsters whose HP are taken to 0 are permanently lost.
While I liked the artwork and battle mechancis, I felt disoriented while exploring the overworld. I felt the overworld could have been a lot more straightforward - at least at the start of the game with elements such as surprise attacks and jumping between cliffs be made as puzzle elements later in the game. As an analogy, the Pokemon series made use of HM skills "cut," "surf," etc. as puzzle elements, and such elements come later in the game.
Overall, I personally would have loved the exact same game but with a simplified 2D overworld more similar to Pokemon. With that being said, using the map in the top right helped and the core game mechanics are enjoyable enough to overlook. As such, I'll give it a 4.0 out of 5.
Demo Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Aethermancer (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Aethermancer (Steam Store Page)
Asgard's Fall - Viking Survivors (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Survivors-like roguelite.
20250301:
Gameplay Log:
First play session.
Warrior.
Huntress. Tried to regen off fire attacks. Didn't work as well as I hoped. Died to mini-boss.
Second play session.
Warrior.
Huntress. Beat the first level. Built around a move that leeches life. Took forever to take down the mini-boss but killed the final boss of the level rather quickly.
Explored staging screen (with runes and power-ups)
Setup: Steam Deck during first play session. Controller on PC during second play session.
Steam Game Time: 105 minutes
First Impressions:
I haven't played too many Survivor-likes. With that being said, I like this game's variation of the genre. In comparison to Vampire Survivor, Viking Survivors reduces the number of skills from 6 to 5. However, with this reduction, the supports form a web of nodes that interact with each other and can be rerolled. Finally, among the more notable differences, the game incorporates a dash which adds a lot to the feeling of agency the player has during battle.
Demo Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Asgard's Fall - Viking Survivors (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Asgard's Fall - Viking Survivors (Steam Store Page)
20250301:
Gameplay Log:
First play session.
Warrior.
Huntress. Tried to regen off fire attacks. Didn't work as well as I hoped. Died to mini-boss.
Second play session.
Warrior.
Huntress. Beat the first level. Built around a move that leeches life. Took forever to take down the mini-boss but killed the final boss of the level rather quickly.
Explored staging screen (with runes and power-ups)
Setup: Steam Deck during first play session. Controller on PC during second play session.
Steam Game Time: 105 minutes
First Impressions:
I haven't played too many Survivor-likes. With that being said, I like this game's variation of the genre. In comparison to Vampire Survivor, Viking Survivors reduces the number of skills from 6 to 5. However, with this reduction, the supports form a web of nodes that interact with each other and can be rerolled. Finally, among the more notable differences, the game incorporates a dash which adds a lot to the feeling of agency the player has during battle.
Demo Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Asgard's Fall - Viking Survivors (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Asgard's Fall - Viking Survivors (Steam Store Page)
FUMEHEAD (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Turn-based RPG.
20250301:
I had no idea what this game was about when I started it.
Setup: Keyboard and Mouse
Steam Game Time: 73 minutes
First Impressions:
The story of the game was fantastic. This was the focus at the start of the game with excellent dialogue to setup the game.
I like the balance between the two characters, Jack and Ami.
The game initially reminded me of deckbuilding rogue-like games, but this game is not a rogue-like or a deckbuilder. It does use a card-based system as part of the battle system, but that's really the extent of the commonality to the popular deckbuilder rogue-like genre.
Overall, I enjoyed it so much that I wishlisted the game as a form of support.
Demo Rating: 5.2 out of 5
FUMEHEAD (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
FUMEHEAD (Steam Store Page)
20250301:
I had no idea what this game was about when I started it.
Setup: Keyboard and Mouse
Steam Game Time: 73 minutes
First Impressions:
The story of the game was fantastic. This was the focus at the start of the game with excellent dialogue to setup the game.
I like the balance between the two characters, Jack and Ami.
The game initially reminded me of deckbuilding rogue-like games, but this game is not a rogue-like or a deckbuilder. It does use a card-based system as part of the battle system, but that's really the extent of the commonality to the popular deckbuilder rogue-like genre.
Overall, I enjoyed it so much that I wishlisted the game as a form of support.
Demo Rating: 5.2 out of 5
FUMEHEAD (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
FUMEHEAD (Steam Store Page)
Hyperslice (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Dash or push enemies
20250301:
Setup: Controller
Steam Game Time: 8 minutes (session) + 4 minutes (grab screenshot)
First Impressions:
The base mechanic of pushing and slicing is neat but also I perceived too much of a learning curve to be willing to try and master it. The game appears to benefit from players who can navigate 2D space efficiently. As a more casual player, I feel like the game lacked a hook. It did grab me with the feeling of the excitement of doing well or that there exists a challenge to overcome. It was simply hard. I feel like some kind of "autoaim" would have been beneficial here - something that would have lowered the bar just a bit.
With that being said, I'm rather sleepy (and was nodding off a few times while opening up the game to grab a screenshot) so the above assessment might not be fair.
Demo Rating: 1.8 out of 5
Hyperslice (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Hyperslice (Steam Store Page)
20250301:
Setup: Controller
Steam Game Time: 8 minutes (session) + 4 minutes (grab screenshot)
First Impressions:
The base mechanic of pushing and slicing is neat but also I perceived too much of a learning curve to be willing to try and master it. The game appears to benefit from players who can navigate 2D space efficiently. As a more casual player, I feel like the game lacked a hook. It did grab me with the feeling of the excitement of doing well or that there exists a challenge to overcome. It was simply hard. I feel like some kind of "autoaim" would have been beneficial here - something that would have lowered the bar just a bit.
With that being said, I'm rather sleepy (and was nodding off a few times while opening up the game to grab a screenshot) so the above assessment might not be fair.
Demo Rating: 1.8 out of 5
Hyperslice (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Hyperslice (Steam Store Page)
Conquest Dark (PC) (Demo)
Overview: A blend of ARPG and survivor roguelite gameplay.
20250301:
I read about this demo and as a mix between ARPG and survivor genre, it piqued my interest.
Setup: Mouse and keyboard
Steam Game Time: 0.4 hours
First Impressions:
With plenty of Path of Exile 2 and Vampire Survivor under my belt recent, I didn't see what this game had to offer, so I stopped after playing a level. There seems to be a lot of depth to the possible builds, but I actually like the simplicity of Vampire Survivor in terms of the upgrade options. In different words, it seems like this game straddles a weird mix of simplicity (autobattler) and complexity (upgrades). This mixture doesn't suit me at the moment.
Demo Rating: 2.0 out of 5
Conquest Dark (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Conquest Dark (Steam Store Page)
20250301:
I read about this demo and as a mix between ARPG and survivor genre, it piqued my interest.
Setup: Mouse and keyboard
Steam Game Time: 0.4 hours
First Impressions:
With plenty of Path of Exile 2 and Vampire Survivor under my belt recent, I didn't see what this game had to offer, so I stopped after playing a level. There seems to be a lot of depth to the possible builds, but I actually like the simplicity of Vampire Survivor in terms of the upgrade options. In different words, it seems like this game straddles a weird mix of simplicity (autobattler) and complexity (upgrades). This mixture doesn't suit me at the moment.
Demo Rating: 2.0 out of 5
Conquest Dark (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Conquest Dark (Steam Store Page)
Friday, February 28, 2025
Talk to Me Human (PC) (Demo)
Overview: A game about persuasion; engage in conversations
20250228:
Setup: Played with microphone
Steam Game Time: 44 minutes
First Impressions:
Creative use of technology to drive gameplay.
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Talk to Me Human (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Talk to Me Human (Steam Store Page)
20250228:
Setup: Played with microphone
Steam Game Time: 44 minutes
First Impressions:
Creative use of technology to drive gameplay.
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Talk to Me Human (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Talk to Me Human (Steam Store Page)
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Inkborn (PC) (Demo)
Overview: A roguelike decbuilder.
20250228:
I didn't want Ben playing games today, but I felt okay booting this game up and having him make a couple small decisions.
Steam Game Time: 21 minutes
First Impressions:
So far seems decent. Game plays similar to existing deckbuilders like Slay the Spire. Perhaps just a different theme and artwork. Well, not to downplay that aspect, the paper folding theme and artwork are aesthetically pleasing. I'd have to play a little more to get a better feel, but given the choice, I'd probably just play Slay the Spire.
Demo Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Inkborn (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Inkborn (Steam Store Page)
20250228:
I didn't want Ben playing games today, but I felt okay booting this game up and having him make a couple small decisions.
Steam Game Time: 21 minutes
First Impressions:
So far seems decent. Game plays similar to existing deckbuilders like Slay the Spire. Perhaps just a different theme and artwork. Well, not to downplay that aspect, the paper folding theme and artwork are aesthetically pleasing. I'd have to play a little more to get a better feel, but given the choice, I'd probably just play Slay the Spire.
Demo Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Inkborn (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Inkborn (Steam Store Page)
TypInc. (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Typing game.
20250227:
Steam Game Time: 53 minutes
First Impressions:
Simple game but super punishing on an error: when the player makes a mistake, the score multiplier resets to 1. In games where score is constantly accumulated, the multiplier resetting isn't a big deal. But here it somehow affects the total score and just overall feels bad. As such, the game currently encourages careful slow gameplay with zero errors for the most efficient progression. However, this feels anti-fun. In the developer's request for feedback, many users have mentioned this topic is some form. The developer seems receptive to addressing the issue.
Repeating music track is good, but I'm not sure how I feel about the beeps.
The reward for finishing quickly feels broken and, well, unrewarding.
Game doesn't have a save feature to come back and resume progress. It's 30 days or nothing. Someone mentioned this on Steam Discussions as feedback and the developer plans to develop a save feature or similar to address it.
At a high level, I have an issue with the pacing. I find typing games are usually action-based and should have a rather consistent flow. The game as it stands is slow paced and constantly being interrupted by choosing slowly showing the payout and picking a perk. Speaking of the perks, they are such passive perks that I don't really have a sense of which ones are beneficial. And to some extent they don't really matter. I just made sure I got to $50, then thereafter the pay plus interest pays for my letter upgrades which I just assume is boosting the scores.
While the game has some potential, this demo sits at a below average experience when it comes to typing games.
Demo Rating: 2.8 out of 5
TypInc. (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
TypInc. (Steam Store Page)
20250227:
Steam Game Time: 53 minutes
First Impressions:
Simple game but super punishing on an error: when the player makes a mistake, the score multiplier resets to 1. In games where score is constantly accumulated, the multiplier resetting isn't a big deal. But here it somehow affects the total score and just overall feels bad. As such, the game currently encourages careful slow gameplay with zero errors for the most efficient progression. However, this feels anti-fun. In the developer's request for feedback, many users have mentioned this topic is some form. The developer seems receptive to addressing the issue.
Repeating music track is good, but I'm not sure how I feel about the beeps.
The reward for finishing quickly feels broken and, well, unrewarding.
Game doesn't have a save feature to come back and resume progress. It's 30 days or nothing. Someone mentioned this on Steam Discussions as feedback and the developer plans to develop a save feature or similar to address it.
At a high level, I have an issue with the pacing. I find typing games are usually action-based and should have a rather consistent flow. The game as it stands is slow paced and constantly being interrupted by choosing slowly showing the payout and picking a perk. Speaking of the perks, they are such passive perks that I don't really have a sense of which ones are beneficial. And to some extent they don't really matter. I just made sure I got to $50, then thereafter the pay plus interest pays for my letter upgrades which I just assume is boosting the scores.
While the game has some potential, this demo sits at a below average experience when it comes to typing games.
Demo Rating: 2.8 out of 5
TypInc. (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
TypInc. (Steam Store Page)
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Backpack Battles (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Inventory management auto battler.
20250227:
Steam Game Time: 2.5 hours
First Impressions:
Time flew buy as I played this game. Rearranging and micromanaging was addicting.
Demo Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Backpack Battles (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Backpack Battles (Steam Store Page)
20250227:
Steam Game Time: 2.5 hours
First Impressions:
Time flew buy as I played this game. Rearranging and micromanaging was addicting.
Demo Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Backpack Battles (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Backpack Battles (Steam Store Page)
Circular Fever (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Rhythm game
20250226:
One level with four difficulties, the second of which was broken.
Setup:
Non-intuitive key binds. Eventually found them to be DFJK. I would have thoguht QWER or ZXCV. Possibly mirrored to the other side.
Steam Game Time:
First Impressions:
I wouldn't have minded one great level, but the notes coming down had little to no relationship with the music. This was the case at all difficulties (i.e., often in rhythm games, sometimes some notes in the track only get played by the player on higher difficulties). On top of this, the game was displaying the feedback messages right in the middle of the game field. Super distracting! Overall, I didn't see what the game was contributing to the genre.
The game is self-described as "A Classic 4-Key Rhythm Game." The genre might be classic, but this game will likely not be. It's more like "A bad demo imitating classic 4-key rhythm games."
Demo Rating: 0.2 out of 5
Circular Fever (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Circular Fever (Steam Store Page)
20250226:
One level with four difficulties, the second of which was broken.
Setup:
Non-intuitive key binds. Eventually found them to be DFJK. I would have thoguht QWER or ZXCV. Possibly mirrored to the other side.
Steam Game Time:
First Impressions:
I wouldn't have minded one great level, but the notes coming down had little to no relationship with the music. This was the case at all difficulties (i.e., often in rhythm games, sometimes some notes in the track only get played by the player on higher difficulties). On top of this, the game was displaying the feedback messages right in the middle of the game field. Super distracting! Overall, I didn't see what the game was contributing to the genre.
The game is self-described as "A Classic 4-Key Rhythm Game." The genre might be classic, but this game will likely not be. It's more like "A bad demo imitating classic 4-key rhythm games."
Demo Rating: 0.2 out of 5
Circular Fever (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Circular Fever (Steam Store Page)
Is This Seat Taken? (PC) (Demo)
Overview: Everybody has placement preferences (e.g., seat on a bus or in the movie theater) and it's up to the player to find a solution that satisfies everyone (for a perfect score)
20250225:
Charming little puzzle game.
Steam Game Time: 30 minutes
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Is This Seat Taken? (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Is This Seat Taken? (Steam Store Page)
20250225:
Charming little puzzle game.
Steam Game Time: 30 minutes
Demo Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Is This Seat Taken? (PC) (Demo)
Relevant Links:
Is This Seat Taken? (Steam Store Page)
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Vampire Survivors (2022)
20250129:
Taking turns with Ben.
Epic Game Time: 35m
20250214 Snapshot:
Ben and I have also played this game in the car.
Epic Game Time: 1h 56m (cumulative game time)
Last Played: ????????
20250214: I played some of this game today. Like the last time I played, I enjoy playing the second stage with the tactic of AOE protection. Today's run included crosses which are strong early game but lack consistency in the late game. In any case, I realized the game fills out on six skills and six supports. This realization was made easier from my experience with Swarm, a temporary League of Legends game mode. I knew the mode was based on the genre, but today I realized it follows the Vampire Survivor formula much closer. Progressing through Swarm was much faster though, especially where getting skills and supports were concerned. Maxing out also happened more quickly.
Epic Game Time: 60m (session game time) / 2h 56m (cumulative game time)
20250220 Snapshot:
The other day I was trying to find the item that upgrades the Cross and after many attempts I gave up and looked up the answer. It turns out the item that's needed doesn't drop in the level I was farming (Library).
Epic Game Time: 10h 46m (cumulative game time)
Last Played: 20250220
20250426 Snapshot:
Epic Game Time: 11h 44m (cumulative game time)
Last Played: ????????
20250426:
Today I played co-op with Ben. We played twice and then he played single player once by himself. During our second run, I looked up the support required to upgrade the King Bible skill.
Epic Game Time: 13h 34m (cumulative game time)
20250429:
Overall, I find the game is one I enjoy coming back to, but not one that I enjoy playing all the time. For that reason, I would give it a 4.6.
Rating: 4.6/5
Taking turns with Ben.
Epic Game Time: 35m
20250214 Snapshot:
Ben and I have also played this game in the car.
Epic Game Time: 1h 56m (cumulative game time)
Last Played: ????????
20250214: I played some of this game today. Like the last time I played, I enjoy playing the second stage with the tactic of AOE protection. Today's run included crosses which are strong early game but lack consistency in the late game. In any case, I realized the game fills out on six skills and six supports. This realization was made easier from my experience with Swarm, a temporary League of Legends game mode. I knew the mode was based on the genre, but today I realized it follows the Vampire Survivor formula much closer. Progressing through Swarm was much faster though, especially where getting skills and supports were concerned. Maxing out also happened more quickly.
Epic Game Time: 60m (session game time) / 2h 56m (cumulative game time)
20250220 Snapshot:
The other day I was trying to find the item that upgrades the Cross and after many attempts I gave up and looked up the answer. It turns out the item that's needed doesn't drop in the level I was farming (Library).
Epic Game Time: 10h 46m (cumulative game time)
Last Played: 20250220
20250426 Snapshot:
Epic Game Time: 11h 44m (cumulative game time)
Last Played: ????????
20250426:
Today I played co-op with Ben. We played twice and then he played single player once by himself. During our second run, I looked up the support required to upgrade the King Bible skill.
Epic Game Time: 13h 34m (cumulative game time)
20250429:
Overall, I find the game is one I enjoy coming back to, but not one that I enjoy playing all the time. For that reason, I would give it a 4.6.
Rating: 4.6/5