Inscryption (from the creator of Pony Island) is a surprising, amazing and very interesting card game where a lot of things happen and this review will contain light spoilers. Based on the fictional card game ‘Inscryption’ and the adventures of a card enthusiast messing around with it. Going through different styles of gameplay - but with consistent rules thorough - with light puzzle solving you’ll play a nice card game against a wide variety of opponents, each with their own special gimmicks and tricks. I had a great time with it!
Dawncaster is an amazing deckbuilding roguelike where you fight monsters and build your character using a ton of different cards, powers and strategies. It’s the kind of game that really sucked me in and I would still be playing it right now if I didn’t feel like I had to try other games constantly. I had a great time with it and the sheer amount of content to unlock and ideas to test out makes the purchase completely worth it. Being a premium title, there are no ads or annoying microtransactions as well, another great plus in my book!
Minit is a pretty cool adventure/puzzle game inspired by some of the classic Legend of Zelda titles with a very interesting twist; What if your character could only be alive for 60 seconds before automatically dying and respawning at your house? Playing with this core mechanic to create a really interesting puzzle game that does not overextend its welcome, you go around the map, collecting items, figuring mysteries around, fighting some foes and ultimately get rid of the curse that makes you die constantly. I really enjoyed it!
Get In The Car, Loser! Is an amazing lesbian road adventure RPG with great characters, music, story, lore and mechanics that I blazed through and enjoyed thoroughly, both with the story that made me want to know what was going to happen next and the battle mechanics that made every encounter interesting and satisfying to play. It’s free (with paid DLC that I immediately bought to support the game’s creator) so I recommend it without reservation.
Celeste is an amazing platformer that is both very difficult and also very forgiving, boasting an amazing assist mode that allows players to make the game easier for themselves if it is too tough. Set on a mountain comprised of a few different locales, you jump and air-dash around various mechanics, collecting strawberries and finding secrets that unlock much harder levels. I had a great time going through the campaign, and might try to clear up everything else that I missed. If you haven’t played Celeste, I recommend it wholeheartedly.
I didn’t have that great of a time with the original Yooka-Laylee; A somewhat uninspired Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor that failed to grab me. This sequel ditches 3D platforming for Donkey Kong-adjacent 2D adventures with a few really neat twists. I really had a good time with The Impossible Lair, even if the game has some weird quirks in spots. My time was so good that I beat the game and spent the effort to collect every little hidden thing. That might not sound like much, but I don’t beat all games I play, so I feel this is worth something!
Satisfactory is a first person simulation game where you land on a remote planet and must discover new technologies, build bases and fend off against the wildlife. I would easily describe this as “like factorio, but in 3D”, but it is a bit reductive. Satisfactory has a lot of charm, a really neat style and good ideas, but I feel like being in three dimensions hurts it in a few ways and that most parts of the game have elements that clearly overwhelmed me. It’s still really good! I’m not sure I’ll keep up with its development, but I’ll certainly recommend it!