So Many Games
HomepageSo Many Games's Reviews
This probably sounds supremely, plainly obvious given the way in which I write about them, but I love video games. More than that, the best ones I’ve ever played go beyond love; they leave me with an itch, as if an electric current is running beneath my skin and reminding me of what I like about being alive. And baby, Sektori sure did leave me with an itch.
Directive 8020 is a solid sci-fi horror entry that nails atmosphere and paranoia, even if it never really escapes the Supermassive formula it’s built on. The branching choices and Turning Points system add replay value, though they can get a bit messy in practice, and the stealth sections are effective but fairly predictable once you understand the patterns. It’s not a reinvention, but it does a good job of that familiar “something is wrong on this ship and nobody is behaving normally” tension the genre lives for.
Mixtape’s series of musical vignettes is a breath of fresh air and yet another example of how indie games can do it better. There’s so much variety in the activities you actually perform, but in the end it all boils down to a story about three kids who don’t have the easiest lives, find each other, and now have to face an uncertain future. It’s a hell of a throwback, with the soundtrack to end all soundtracks, and it literally brought me to tears through its fantastic writing and, like Stacy, knowing which song to play at just the right moment.
In spite of a few gripes with the combat, Drop Duchy: Complete Edition maintains a strong and engaging gameplay loop that benefits this style of mid-paced rogue-like. If you are a fan of placement puzzles, this takes the experience to the next level – even if it does overreach at times.
Decline’s Drops might not win over many platform brawler naysayers, but damn, it is not for lack of trying. Its platforming stage design, combat encounters, and character verbset are only outmatched by the heaviest of hitters in this space, like Kirby, and even then not by as much as you’d probably expect. Couple that with world-class visuals and a soundtrack to match, and you have all the makings of a modern platformer classic that I’m truly thankful I got to sink my teeth into for review purposes, as it likely would have gone under my radar otherwise. Don’t let it go under yours.
For players willing to embrace its slower tempo, Adorable Adventures provides a memorable experience that feels both warm and engaging. It’s a reminder that not every journey needs urgency or spectacle to be meaningful. Sometimes, all it takes is a quiet path, a curious mind, and the willingness to follow wherever your senses lead.
TetherGeist is a remarkably inventive precision platformer, full of brilliant ideas and bursting with kinetic energy. Its main mechanic is a delight to use, and things are kept fresh throughout the runtime with creative new ways to swoop, swing and swerve your way from left to right. It’s unfortunate that the storytelling and writing fail to fulfil the story’s full potential, but that doesn’t stop this being one of the very best indie platformers I’ve ever played. I recommend you tether yourself to this game as soon as you can, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.
I am completely smitten with the world of Wax Heads. It has so much to offer, and it feels like a game that was made for me and my particular tastes. The game delivers on all fronts, especially as an innately human experience, much like music itself. And like a good record, this game elevates your day by spending time with it, getting in touch with its intricacies, and allowing itself to open up to you.
MotorSlice is an exceptional platformer and titan battler with a cinematic style and a chill atmosphere in which you fight construction equipment with a chainsaw. The combat and parkour challenges rise in difficulty in a way that is ingenious, gradual, and inviting. The protagonist is bizarrely objectified. The setting is imposing and hostile. The game was immensely fun over the roughly 14 hours I played.
While long in boldness and creativity, Kiln is short in variety at its initial launch. The meditative pottery crafting and unbounded decorative possibilities could have been released as its own “Potter Simulator” but are coupled with equal parts bouncy and smashing battles. Kiln is a fantastic introduction for newer or younger gamers into the world of competitive multiplayer gaming while boasting map design that encourages queuing matches late into the night.
Forbidden Solitaire takes everything we love about mid-90s CD-ROM full-motion video games and incorporates a well-thought-out and sometimes deep twist to solitaire. With its strong writing, perfectly formed visuals, creepy atmosphere and some interesting fourth-wall-breaking moments, even with its shortcomings, this makes for one of the year’s most original and memorable titles and will forever change the way you play solitaire!
It’s impossible to have a bad time playing Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth. Gorgeous artwork coupled with high-quality writing makes it genuinely feel like a storybook made interactive, without leaning too far in and making it incomprehensible to Moomin neophytes. It’s not breaking new ground as a video game by any means, but for anyone craving a low-stakes and thoughtful puzzle adventure, you can’t do much better than this.
I hoped MOUSE: P.I. For Hire would be a good game, but I wasn’t prepared for what the game actually delivers. From a heavy, depth-filled narrative to sharp, butter-smooth gameplay mechanics, this hit on all the right points. Yes, it’s a little too long, and I did get lost in a few instances, but this is forgivable when you consider everything the game gets right. There’s much more to discover that I haven’t touched upon, and I really hope you will jump in to find those out, because this is one you don’t want to miss out on.
This surreal, reality-twisting, mind-bending marvel of a game is a joyous experience. Its core gameplay is a fun mashup of several genres, but it shines most in its hilarious writing and witty deployment of metafiction, playfully pushing at the boundaries of fiction and reality. It’s pure magic!
Replaced is set to a visual standard heads and shoulders above anything else like it and maintains that standard consistently. While combat and platforming are satisfying, there will undoubtedly arise moments where both frustrate more than they please. For folks who have been anticipating Replaced’s launch, it will have been well worth the wait to follow as its protagonist discovers their own humanity in a city that lacks it.
I’ve always wondered what it must be like to have siblings. Growing up as an only child, I never had to deal with the messiness that comes from sharing a household with another kid. Dosa Divas beautifully shows us just how messy things can get. Sure, it’s all a bit blown up, what with the sisters having owned their own restaurant where they cooked with spirit mechs, but still, this is a game about family relationships at heart, and Outerloop Games prove once again that no one in the gaming world does it like they do.
OPUS: Prism Peak is an inventive, heartwarming narrative experience that exists in an incredibly believable, creative and original world. Eugene’s plight will resonate with many, and when you combine all this with a robust and fun camera mechanic, a deep and well-written script, loveable characters and some of the best visuals you could ask for, you have a game that not only slots proudly into the OPUS series but also shines bright in a sky packed with stars.
Gecko Gods is a visually stunning and mystically ambient exploration adventure. The movement mechanics are nothing short of brilliant and satisfying, and the puzzles range from simplistic to masterful, with a few too many on the simplistic side. The collectibles and optional secrets are mostly superficial and unfulfilling, but you get to eat bugs and squeak on command, which are both imperative and cherished public services.
Fans of Aragami and other stealth-action games will find plenty to enjoy in Ereban: Shadow Legacy – an engaging story is wrapped up neatly in stealth mechanics that can be very engaging, but sadly the issue with responsivity in the controls, gameplay that quickly becomes stale and a morality system that needs to justify itself in a world where it feels unnecessary drags the experience down; the game itself is fun, but would definitely benefit from some major tweaks and changes.
Ultimately, I like this game a lot. It’s a good horror survival game; the narrative is compelling enough, and the themes it explores are deep and as personal to the player as to the creator. Sadly, the emotional payoff in the third act feels a little forced and slightly obvious, and the monsters could be scarier. Otherwise, for fans of mind-bending and emotion-focused horror, this is a solid title.