Sydne Sewald

“CloverPit is yet another game that pulls at the gambling itch and morphs it into a literal death game where you must win big or die trying. Quoted as a “demonic lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette,” you are locked away in a cell, forced to rely on a slot machine for life. Pay off your ever-rising debt or fall into the never-ending depths.”

“Night Swarm is a Vampire Survivor clone that keeps the fangs in tack. Embody a man who is fighting for his right to sit on his throne as his fellow vampires try to kill him. The story is fed to you bit by bit as you complete runs in this roguelike, seeming to imitate the feeling of Hades. Roam the castle you live in to find several mechanics to use and upgrade, and then drop into a run of monster-infested torment.”

“A lot of people might overlook Sushi Ben due to it being a short, indie visual novel, but those people are overlooking the comedy, the heart, and the wholesomeness that this game brings to the table. This game is not just about helping a sushi bar not be taken over by land sharks; it’s about helping a community that has been taken advantage of find its spark again. Sushi is the common factor that can bring people together and grow a sense of belonging. Sushi Ben has earned a 4 out of 5 stars; sadly, the bugs do bring down the score.”

“I think that the premise was good. A cat-themed cafe is cute. I just think the game didn’t have the right amount of direction to make it stand out. Yes, the finished drinks are adorable, and I think it shows the charm the developers were going for, but that is about it. Once you unlock everything the game has to offer, it’s just grinding to earn all of the achievements, and that takes an unnecessarily long amount of time. That, paired with the amount of quality of life issues I found, this just is not something that I can responsibly say is worth the money. Cats & Cups has earned a 2 out of 5 stars from me. I feel like the game needs more substance, and that would have bumped it up substantially.”

“I enjoyed this game a lot. It gives the player a lot of freedom when designing the islands; there are so many items to buy from the shop, and getting currency is easy. My time spent in the game was filled with designing and seeing how many achievements I could get by just playing. I managed to get a good amount of the overall achievements, and once I got about halfway through the game, I pulled up the Steam page to see which ones I could aim for. One of my favorites was to complete a level without a house on the island. I aimed for 100% in this game, but I’ve run into two issues. One, there is a bundle that I need to buy all the items for that is not in the shop. And two, there are a bunch of hidden achievements that I don’t even know where to start.”

“At first, I struggled with balance, and I was either leaning too far into building up my lands or too far into building up my army. It took some trial and error with the development until I found something that worked for me. I enjoyed the Journey mode best because I loved the city-building aspect more. I think anyone who enjoys city-building games would enjoy Kingdom's Deck.”

“Just like the name suggests, the flow of customers never ends, so it’s nothing but burgers and fries flying off the counter. In the mood for some of that stress that comes with this genre? Try the Time Challenge mode! Here, customers will not only rate the food, but also the amount of time it takes to get that food to them. This shift also gives you a nice 300% bonus, so if you want a little boost to unlock that next planet, try this one.”

“This game is perfect for relaxing. The ability to interact with most of the things in the rooms allows for a high level of customization in each level. The puzzle aspect is easy and encourages trying to get a higher score - with all of the Steam achievements being easily achievable. I highly recommend Urban Jungle to anyone who enjoys decorating games and simple puzzle games!”

“My first couple of hours were rough. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but once I figured out how to get more flames and could be out for longer, I started to love the game. This game is a perfect relaxation game. There is zero combat or enemies to worry about, and it is focused on gathering things to build up a little town with cute little villagers.”

“If anyone is looking for a new indie puzzle game, Broken Lens should be a must buy. This adorable find-the-difference game is perfect to play in the evening, as the music makes for the perfect atmosphere to roam the screen and search for all the changes.”

“Overall, just having someone to talk to and enjoy the game together will make it a lot more enjoyable. It’s easier to laugh at dying to a low-level enemy when a friend is there to finish it off, compared to dying alone and having to do the walk of shame back to your tombstone to collect the loot.”

“If you are someone who misses the feeling of old-school, minimalistic RPG Dungeon Crawlers, fear not, the art of these games has not been entirely lost.”

“This is a game with a galaxy’s worth of potential. Anyone is going to be able to find a mech that meshes with their gameplay style. Combining the addictive tile-based shooting/slashing mechanics with a roguelike loop makes this a game with endless replayability.”

“You should 100% give Hell of an Office a try if you want a hard-as-Hell challenge to really sink your teeth into. Spend hours figuring out the perfect run and climb the leaderboards to become the best.”

“This is the perfect combination of cute aesthetics and rage-inducing challenge. The adorable color pallet and playable fox characters caught me off guard. After struggling with certain levels, I was convinced that I had just lost my skills until I felt the need to look up the genre and, lo and behold, the words “Precision Platformer” graced my eyes.”

“This management game will have you going on one wild adventure after another, but don’t forget your father. No matter how many sewer trips you take, the donuts you bring back days later, or shifts you barely make, you have one true goal. Punch Club 2: Fast Forward is such a lovable game.”

“This game is perfect for October. The dark atmosphere of the setting is woven together with the unsettling sound design making it a game you need to wishlist or any upcoming spooky game marathon around Halloween.”

“I could not think of a more perfect entry-level Metroidvania to have someone dip their toe into the genre. These games can be intimidating due to the incredibly large maps and neededbacktracking. Even though this map is large, the item and location tokens help to massively reduce confusion.”