Activities

Feb 07 2026

JapaniKatti

★23: January 2026

A R I S E N

10/24 (42%), 9.0 hours

ARISEN honestly felt like one of those games that could’ve been something really special. It’s a narrative-driven card game set in a dark fantasy world, where you use emotions as cards to shape the story, and that concept alone immediately hooked me. The writing was genuinely interesting, and the character designs were fantastic. The world had personality, atmosphere, and a tone that made me want to keep going just to see where it all would lead.

The card system was also surprisingly fun. Using emotions to shape your choices and reactions made it all feel more personal and thematic, and it fit the narrative focus really well. I spent several hours fully invested, engrossed into the story and getting attached to the characters and the world.

Unfortunately that’s where things fell apart. About 9 hours in, I ran into a bug that completely broke my save file and made it impossible to continue. And since the game is abandoned and no longer being worked on, there is no fix, no workaround, nothing. That was pretty heartbreaking, especially because I wanted to see where the story would have lead me.

Because of that, I can’t really recommend buying ARISEN outright. It’s not worth full price knowing it’ll never be finished and might break on you mid-playthrough. That said, if you’re aware of the risks and grab it on a deep sale, there is something here worth experiencing. Just be prepared for it to end abruptly and leave you wishing for what could’ve been.

D O G W A L K

no achievements, 0.3 hours

This was such a sweet little experience. In DOGWALK you play as a big fluffy dog being walked by a small kid through a snowy forest, and honestly, it feels very accurate to how that dynamic actually goes. The whole thing is super wholesome and cozy, with a hand-crafted winter environment that’s really pleasant to wander through.

It’s very short and simple, but the art style paired with the calm music makes it a genuinely relaxing play session. You’re not here for challenge or depth; just vibes, snow, and gentle exploration. The fact that it’s free and open source makes it even more amazing.

I’d absolutely love to see a full-length game built in this style, because the foundation here is really lovely. Definitely worth playing if you want something cozy and chill, and I can easily see kids enjoying this a lot too.

M E O W P A T H 2

2/23 (9%), 0.5 hours

💜 This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. The core idea is fun, but there’s no tutorial at all, so when new block types appear, you’re left guessing, and I got stuck pretty quickly because I just didn’t understand how certain mechanics worked.

It also feels like the game inflates its playtime by having a massive number of levels, which made it start to feel tedious. On top of that, the AI-generated cat backgrounds were a big turn-off for me, and I really wish there was an option to turn them off in favor of a simple background. Cute idea, but overall, the execution just didn’t work for me.

D O N ' T L E T M E F A D E

1/1 (100%), 0.1 hours

💗 This game was gifted to Indie Therapy for review.

This was a very short but surprisingly touching experience. I haven’t personally dealt with Alzheimer’s in real life, but the atmosphere, writing, and especially the music made the theme feel painfully real in a way I didn’t expect from such a tiny game. It has this quiet, heavy mood that sticks with you even after it ends.

It only took me about 6 minutes to play through, but those minutes were meaningful. The soundtrack in particular really elevated the experience and did a lot of emotional heavy lifting. For a free game made during a 48-hour game jam, it’s impressive how much feeling it manages to convey in such a short time. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the mood for something reflective and emotional.

M O N S T R O U S L O V E

14/14 (100%), 1.1 hours

This is one of those adult games that’s more about vibes and romance than going all-in on shock value. The premise is simple: three short interactive stories about women exploring their sexuality with monsters, and while it’s definitely naughty, it leans way more toward soft, romantic fantasy than anything truly wild. Honestly, for a game about monster romance, it felt a bit too vanilla. Also, I couldn’t help but laugh at how immediately okay the characters are with getting intimate with random monsters they just met.

That said, the presentation is really nice. The artwork is solid, with well-detailed scenes and a lot of care put into both the monster designs and the characters themselves. The backgrounds are pretty, the music is easy to listen to, and everything fits together nicely. Gameplay-wise, though, it’s not very engaging as the arousal meter mechanic during the more risqué moments feels slow and repetitive.

Overall, it’s a charming little experience that’s easy to remember, even if it felt to me that it didn’t fully commit to its monster theme. Definitely not for everyone, but if you’re into adult, romantic monster stories and don’t mind light gameplay, it’s worth checking out.

E Y E S T H A T H Y P N O T I S E

22/22 (100%), 2.4 hours

💗 This game was gifted to Indie Therapy for review.

This is one of those cozy little puzzle games that’s clearly inspired by Cats Organized Neatly, but thankfully it doesn’t feel like a lazy copy. It has its own personality, mostly thanks to the adorable creatures and those big, goofy hypnotic eyes staring straight into your soul. The puzzles are simple and easy to grasp, making it perfect for when you just want to relax and not think too hard.

What really stood out to me was the attention to detail. The art is super charming, the sound design is soft and satisfying, and the overall vibe is calm and pleasant. It’s short, sweet, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you like tidy-grid puzzle games with cute visuals and a chill atmosphere, this one’s a nice little game for that.

R . E . P . O .

no achievements, 24.2 hours

This is the kind of game that starts with “okay, just one quick run” and somehow turns into hours of screaming, laughing, and blaming your friends for everything that goes wrong. The premise is simple: grab valuable stuff and get out. But the monsters make even the easiest task spiral into absolute chaos. One wrong move and suddenly all your friends are dead, you are panicking, and a baby is throwing your loot into a pit.

What really makes this game shine is how naturally funny it is. The physics, the timing, and all the little disasters don’t feel forced at all, it’s just pure comedy gold. You don’t even need to be good at the game to have fun; honestly, being bad makes it better. Every failed run turns into a story you’ll be laughing about later. The proximity chat adds so much to the experience too. Some of the funniest moments I’ve had in co-op games came from yelling half-coherent words to my friends while running for my life.

It’s not overly scary, but it definitely has its moments where you jump, panic, and immediately regret your life choices. This is an absolute must-have for any friend group. You’ll spend half the time screaming and the other half tripping over furniture, flinging priceless items, and accusing your friends of sabotage. Pure chaos, pure fun.

D O W N I N B E R M U D A

25/25 (100%), 3.1 hours

I played the game for Play or Pay 1st Cycle of 2026 and it was picked for me by Aquatorrent. The game was gifted to me by Vot4ol from PoP Secret Santa.

This was a really chill and quirky little adventure that I ended up enjoying more than I expected. You play as a pilot stuck in a weird time bubble in the Bermuda Triangle, hopping between colorful islands, solving puzzles, and poking at everything until it makes sense. It’s on the shorter side, but that honestly works in its favor, it never overstays its welcome.

The puzzles are interesting without being frustrating, and the mix of light hidden-object elements with classic puzzle solving felt pretty cozy. There were a few moments where I wandered around thinking “okay… now what?” but every time it turned out I’d just missed something obvious. Collectibles can be a bit brutal without hints (absolute needle-in-a-haystack energy), but there are solid guides if you care about 100%.

Overall, it’s a great pick for casual players who want something relaxing, colorful, and not too demanding. Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely a fun and pleasant little experience.

T W O W O R L D S

no achievements, 34.9 hours

Two Worlds is one of those old RPGs that sounds way more exciting than it actually is. The open world is huge and you can go anywhere right from the start, but a lot of that space feels empty and pointless, with many areas having nothing worth doing. After a while, exploring just stopped being interesting.

The visuals are mixed too. The water looks surprisingly nice for its age, but most environments are bland and overly similar, and cities very horizontal and are packed with NPCs that all look and sound the same. Most of them are completely useless, and having so many in one place caused noticeable stuttering for me.

Gameplay didn’t really save it either. The inventory limit is frustrating, combat feels clunky, and while unlimited merchant gold is convenient and combining armor together for better was interesting, it wasn't enough to make the game fun. Overall, it just wasn’t that enjoyable for me, and it definitely shows its age in ways that make it hard to recommend.

T H E P L U C K Y S Q U I R E

13/24 (54%), 8.8 hours

I played the game for Play or Pay 1st Cycle of 2026 and it was picked for me by Aquatorrent.

The Plucky Squire is just pure charm from start to finish. Jumping between the 2D storybook world and the 3D space outside the pages feels incredibly creative, and honestly it’s the closest I’ve seen a game come to that A Link Between Worlds kind of magic. Everything about it feels breezy, artsy, and lovingly crafted.

I played on story mode and it was perfect for me. Mostly relaxed, with just enough challenge to stay engaging. I did try a higher difficulty at first, but after getting stuck on the first boss I decided to drop the completionist mindset and just enjoy the ride, which was absolutely the right call. I also ran into zero bugs, which made the whole experience feel smooth and polished.

It’s a feel-good, whimsical adventure that clearly knows what it wants to be: a kids’ game for adults and an adults’ game for kids. If you want something creative, cozy, and genuinely delightful, this one’s an easy recommendation.

H E R T E A R S W E R E M Y L I G H T

7/7 (100%), 0.6 hours

This game was gifted to me by Lironezzz from PoP Secret Santa.

Her Tears Were My Light was a really lovely little experience. I’d already played Bad End Theater from NomnomNami and loved it, so I went in with pretty high expectations. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint me. Their art style is just as charming here, and it immediately pulled me in.

It’s a short and sweet yuri visual novel with genuinely good writing. You can get through everything in under an hour, but the characters still manage to feel surprisingly deep for such a short game. The romance is soft, cute, and heartfelt, and the music and visuals fit the mood perfectly. I also really liked how saving the game is woven into the story itself. It’s not a brand-new idea, but it’s handled in a way that feels thoughtful and meaningful here.

If you’re even a little curious when you see this game on the store, I’d say it’s absolutely worth checking out, you’ll probably enjoy it more than you expect.

January 2026 -  17 New games, 11 Completed
1 day ago 2 comments

Feb 06 2026

Jekofob

As promised, both you great people and myself, I am back with an update, so I can hopefully soon get back to normal posting in here :)

Games added in August 2025

Games added: 16 (15 lessthan last month)
Games won: 0 (1 less as the month before)

Yeah not my best month, in any way… so did not really play much… yet…

I hope to play more TBS soon… also very excited about Is this seat taken… any other recommendations would be appriciated :)

3 days ago 1 comment
samwise84

Update 153: January 2026

How has the first month of the year already gone? It was long and short at the same time. Spent most of it in a rehab clinic after my recent hospital stay. But hey good news. I am finally allowed to return to work. Yay.

Half-Life 2

Forest Home

7.5/10
16.6 hours
25 of 29 achievements

Forest Home is a charming puzzle game with a cozy, inviting aesthetic and surprisingly deep mechanics. Its cute art and tranquil forest setting make each level feel like a stroll through a whimsical woodland, but don’t let that fool you—some puzzles are sneakily tough, especially if you’re aiming for 100 % completion. The challenge ramps up in thoughtful, satisfying ways that reward patience and clever thinking more than reflexes. It’s a game that’s easy to enjoy in short bursts, yet rich enough to pull you back in when you’re chasing that next perfect solution. A delightful mix of zen and grit.

Half-Life 2

A Normal Lost Phone

7/10
1.9 hours
13 of 13 achievements

A Normal Lost Phone is a beautifully sincere narrative experience that turns phone exploration into a deeply human journey. By reading messages, photos, and apps from a lost device, you slowly uncover the life of its owner and the challenges they face. What starts as curiosity becomes genuine empathy, particularly as the story touches on the real struggles of LGBTQ+ youth. The game handles identity, isolation, and self-discovery with sensitivity and nuance rarely seen in interactive media. It’s not about puzzles or combat, but about connection

Half-Life 2

inbento

7/10
3.9 hours
15 of 15 achievements

inbento is an adorably charming puzzle game that blends delightful visuals with surprisingly thoughtful challenges. Its lunchtime-themed levels are cute and whimsical, pulling you in with bright colors and playful character design. But don’t let the adorable bento boxes fool you — while many puzzles start out easy and satisfying, later stages introduce genuinely tough brain-teasers that demand patience, careful planning, and occasional head-scratching. The difficulty curve isn’t uniform — some levels are breezy, others are fiendishly clever — which keeps the experience fresh and engaging. inbento is a lovely mix of cozy aesthetics and satisfying puzzle complexity.

Half-Life 2

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

7/10
5.2 hours
16 of 21 achievements

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a gentle, nostalgic adventure that captures the spirit of the Moomin universe with warmth and whimsy. Guided by a mellow, melodic soundtrack, players explore lush landscapes, solve light puzzles, and interact with familiar faces, all grounded in a calming, storybook atmosphere. The game’s charm comes from its relaxed pace and heartfelt moments, making it feel like a cozy stroll through a beloved childhood memory. It isn’t about high-stakes action, but about savoring the journey, the music, and the soft, reflective world it invites you into.

Half-Life 2

Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story

6.5/10
2.0 hours
10 of 10 achievements

Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story builds on the familiar phone-based narrative of its predecessor while telling a story that feels both different and deeply personal. Exploring Laura’s messages, photos, and apps slowly reveals a life shaped by control, fear, and self-doubt. Trigger warning: the game deals with themes of emotional and abusive relationships. While the structure mirrors A Normal Lost Phone, the focus here is heavier and more uncomfortable in an intentional way. It handles its subject matter with care, never sensationalizing it, and encourages empathy and reflection. It’s a quiet, unsettling narrative experience that stays with you long after you put the phone down.

Half-Life 2

The Cub

6/10
4.3 hours
12 of 19 achievements

The Cub is a beautifully crafted platformer that even someone who usually struggles with the genre can enjoy. The world is atmospheric and melancholic, yet undeniably cute, with hand-drawn visuals and a strong sense of storytelling through its environments. While there are moments where the platforming gets tricky (and yes, I absolutely messed up more than once), the game’s charm makes those frustrating bits easier to forgive. It never feels punishing, just gently challenging. Combined with its soothing soundtrack and emotional undertones, The Cub becomes a platformer you don’t have to be good at to appreciate — you just have to be willing to keep going.

Half-Life 2

SimCity 4 Deluxe

6/10
14.3 hours
no achievements

SimCity 4 is a deeply nostalgic city builder that still shines when it comes to depth and freedom. Designing cities from the ground up, managing traffic, zoning, and budgets can be incredibly satisfying, especially if you grew up with the game. However, from a modern standpoint, the lack of structured missions or clear goals can make the experience feel a bit dull or aimless at times. It’s very much a sandbox, and while that’s a strength, it also means motivation has to come entirely from the player. Still, for fans of classic city builders and slow, thoughtful planning, SimCity 4 remains a comforting and rewarding trip down memory lane.

Half-Life 2

Letters - a written adventure

8/10
5.3 hours
24 of 24 achievements

Letters – a written adventure is a really cute and heartfelt story game that stands out thanks to its unique word-picking mechanic. Choosing words to shape sentences and thoughts makes the gameplay feel fresh and personal, almost like you’re co-writing the story as it unfolds. The puzzles are gentle and accessible, never overly hard, which keeps the focus on the narrative and emotional beats rather than frustration. The art style and presentation add to the cozy atmosphere, making it easy to get absorbed in the characters’ lives. It’s a short but charming experience, perfect if you’re in the mood for something calm, creative, and quietly touching.

Also finished a bunch of DLC's:
  • WooLoop - Animals Pack

  • Coloring Pixels - Advent 7 Pack

  • American Truck Simulator - Arkansas

    12.9 hours playtime

    4 of 4 achievements

  • Jigsaw Puzzle Pack - Pixel Puzzles Ultimate: Variety Pack 8XS



Overall Backlog Progress: +0,05% change to last times unfinished/never played games (58,14% unfinished games)

21.66% (403/1861)
18.81% (350/1861)
3.28% (61/1861)
54.86% (1021/1861)
1.40% (26/1861)




Overall SG Wins Progress:+0,05% change to last times unfinished/never played games (46,47% unfinished games)

28.55% (239/837)
24.61% (206/837)
1.79% (15/837)
44.68% (374/837)
0.36% (3/837)
Here are the games I'm currently working on. Reviews will follow once I'm done with the games:
I've won 11 games and got gifted one (thanks Salla) and added 3 of my own and bought two more. I've beaten 8 games this month, so +9 for the month of January. Yearly count is at + 8. I did beat SimCity 4, so my count on beaten old games is at +1 for the year. so 1/12 done so far.


SG wins: Added myself: Gifts:
Games I want to play within the next few weeks:

PoP: thanks to itsly & TempeteJoachim for challenging me
3 days ago 0 comments

Feb 04 2026

RobbyRatpoison

RobbyRatpoison's January BLAEO Review


Almost got 100% in Like a Dragon Gaiden, but there’s a very difficult optional fight that I couldn’t manage to beat. I was missing one achievement in The Stanley Parable and to get it I needed to leave the game open for an entire Tuesday, so dumb. A little while back I did some speedruns of the ChromaGun 2 demo and this month I decided to finally try the first game. It’s good but the puzzles mostly seemed easy having played the ChromaGun 2 demo, the levels are pretty small, and some puzzles felt kinda janky. I went back and played a little bit of the original Binding of Isaac and got the “Complete the full game” achievement. Finally I played a bunch of little hidden object games and got 100% of the achievements in all of them, excluding any achievements that are only available by buying their DLCs. Side note, I’ve been waiting over 6 years to get accepted into the Steam group. I’ve only recently started making these posts because just using the site for tracking my completion status seems to be insufficient. I’ve been working on my backlog and updating my completion status here since I joined the website back in November of 2018: https://www.steamgifts.com/go/comment/6Sx5e8c

5 days ago* 5 comments

Feb 03 2026

devonrv

Been going through my itch.io backlog some more, and as usual, it’s taking me a while to find another game I can recommend without any caveats. Frog Hop has a decent amount of content, but level design is kinda mediocre and sometimes aimless (which makes trying to find the collectibles extra annoying). Plus, the zoomed-in nature of the screen can result in some blind jumps/cheap hits, and the bosses–particularly the final boss–have attacks that you just have to memorize their foreshadow animations to be able to dodge them. Also, it’s $5, which might seem cheap if you’re used to the standard $20-$30 for indie games, but for this game, that price is a stretch at best.

Then there’s Gun Princess 2, which is a free metroidvania with more engaging level design and enemy patterns, but it also suffers from its final boss having cheap hits. Plus, it has this annoying mechanic where you have to wait for your main gun to reload ammo slowly, and this is on top of your other guns having finite ammo that only refills at save points. You also have to backtrack aaaaalll the way back to the ruins if you want to buy some of the items that you’d never have enough money to afford when you first get there, and I beat the game with less than half of the money you’d need to buy the “earn more money” item. Wasn’t a fan of its forward momentum, either.

Super Robot Ninja Girl is another free game, this one being a short platformer which does away with that slowly-refilling-ammo mechanic and forward momentum, but the game is entirely carried by the enemies’ SHMUP-style bullet patterns since the level design itself is quite flat (even moreso than Frog Hop). Plus, its final boss might just be the cheapest out of this bunch; I was only able to win by tanking hits with a full set of health after dying to it previously. I’m also not too keen on its lives system, but then again, the game is short enough that you don’t have to worry too much about getting game over (I only died twice).

Lastly, Xydonia Alpha 3 was ALMOST a solid recommendation, being a highly polished Shoot-em-up with decent level design, okay bosses, and lots of spectacle. Thing is, when you beat the first level, you get three different choices for which to play as the second level–and it’s already annoying enough having to replay the first stage three times to see everything, but the more you play, the more you start to notice certain things:

  • The boss of the middle second level (Stage 1B) has its weak point on top of it, which doesn’t give you much room or time to hit it with your rightward-shooting guns. Sure, the green gun has an upgrade that lets it shoot vertically, but you lose all your upgrades when you die, which will certainly happen when this boss’s missiles blindside you by suddenly shooting out fast, 8-way projectiles when they’re destroyed. Also, these bosses take way too long to defeat if you’re downed to your default guns.
  • The boss of the bottom second level (Stage 1C) has a move where it suddenly emits blue smoke from its mouth which is also harmful even though it just looks like a visual effect (in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s just a blue recolor of the harmless explosion graphics).
  • The third and final level is always the same no matter which second level you pick, and it’s also the one with the repetitive snake boss that does the same thing it already did twice during the regular stage. That said, at least with this one, you can just pause+quit so you don’t have to replay THIS level again.
  • The game never tells you this, but the characters in the character selection have weaker weapons the further right you go. If you play as the rightmost character, it’s bad enough that the levels themselves also become kinda tedious. Meanwhile, if the leftmost character is fully upgraded, he can sometimes defeat certain bosses before they’ve cycled their pattern once.
  • The meteors in the first stage don’t stand out too well considering one of them comes at you from the left at a decent speed (and that tiny red arrow warning about it also isn’t very eye-catching, either).

But the biggest one of all: the full game never came out even though it had a fully-funded Kickstarter campaign, last updated 2020. I don’t see much harm coming from playing this free alpha build; just keep in mind that this is likely all that will ever exist (perhaps even all that was intended to exist).

5 days ago 0 comments
86maylin

2026 January update

Currently Bashing My Head Against

Most Looking Forward To

Alphabetron

2.2 hours of playtime, 21 of 21 achievements
Personal rating: 6/10, Date of finish: January/08
Click for review

This is a word search game. Takes me back to when I was little, my mom bought me one of these books where you reveal word lines with these invisible ink pen, and the book was cat themes which is neat. I had fond memories. :3 The BGM is pretty alright, although there's only 3 so I still ended up muting and playing my own music. Towards the end I got a little bit bored tho with the bigger boards, I think I prefer smaller boards. Still a pretty alright game tho.

Spilled!

1 hours of playtime, 11 of 11 achievements
Personal rating: 7/10, Date of finish: January/11
Click for review

This game is both exactly what I expected, but also not. I expected it to be a ship cleaning game, it delivered that and I enjoyed it a lot. What I did not expect is for it to be this short, only a single hour of content. On one hand, if it had been longer it might overstay its welcome given the core mechanic is not strong enough and also doesn't change much, on the other hand I just kinda want more. xD The only thing I didn't like about the game is the "end boss", you fight the big ship by spraying water on it to make it sink...which just makes me go: Omg this seems like an environmental disaster. I mean, technically I know sink ships could become habitat for sea creatures, and with the special sucking equipment in the game, oil spills aren't that much of an issue, but still...it doesn't seem to fit the game's focus, cuz afaik most oil spills happen with boat accidents? Idk, I just don't agree with it is all. :P

Mizi NO!

1 hours of playtime, 20 of 20 achievements
Personal rating: 6.5/10, Date of finish: January/11
Click for review

It's a free puzzle game about a cat smashing pots and cups and what not. It is charming and I love the hints you can do(align pieces so no rotation needed, show silhouette and show the full picture temporarily), tho I played it primarily without hints. There's 15 free levels, rest are DLC which I probably won't buy, cuz I think I'm out of the jigsaw puzzle phase atm. Used to enjoy them a ton back in collage, now not as much plus they put a lot of strain on my wrists due to many mouse clicks. I would recommend this game tho if you like jigsaw puzzles! :3

A Building Full of Cats

36 minutes of playtime, 23 of 23 achievements
Personal rating: 8.5/10, Date of finish: January/12
Click for review

Very cute, wholesome, short and sweet. Only thing I didn't like was some of the interactible cats are hidden in 1 of the x cups, or 1 of the x containers in a specific pile and I'd have to click all of them to be sure. I like it better if it's something clever like clicking on the computer button shows a cat on the screen, which there's quite a lot of which I like, just wish all of them are like that. :3
Time played 161 hours 51 minutes ↓
Achievements gotten 114
Games 100% completed 4

It’s a purple month! Lots of game with purple in their thumbnail, so it’s a variety shade of purples, quite pretty. :3 I started Lies of P cuz of Alienware task actually, but then I kept playing cuz it’s a lot of fun! It’s my first ever souls-like game, so lots to learn. :P I am enjoying the “hit a wall and keep hitting it until you pass it” learning curve, and I must say I think I’m quite good, cuz I generally don’t get stuck on a boss for too long ever since I learned to actually block. The first boss did a great job and forcing that. xD

5 days ago* 7 comments
vigaristti

Log #22

Half-Life 2

Death and Taxes

11.7 hours
57 of 60 achievements
Half-Life 2

PEAK

30.4 hours
38 of 54 achievements
5 days ago 2 comments
Dog

#25 JAN 2026

Cassette Beasts

19.3 hours playtime, 87 of 123 achievements


Coromon

30.8 hours playtime, 44 of 80 achievements


A Plague Tale: Requiem

16.9 hours playtime, 24 of 35 achievements


Super Woden: Rally Edge

14.0 hours playtime, 26 of 26 achievements


6 days ago 5 comments

Feb 02 2026

Charles Nonsens

Report #56: January 2026

I didn’t beat a game this month. I beat two!

Beaten This Month 🥳

  • Myst III: Exile
    Classic Myst: beautiful worlds, dated puzzles (some better than others)
  • 1000xRESIST
    Pretty good sci-fi drama masquerading as a mediocre action game

Also Played 👍

  • The Council

Added to Steam Backlog 🙈

Nothing! Well done.

6 days ago 4 comments
OC/DC

She’s all legs

7.3 hours
None

I was first made aware of Pseudoregalia through a "souls-like games you might not have heard of" youtube video, which might give you an idea of the type of game this is, but you'd only be half right, and that's because combat is a minor aspect at best. I encountered two bosses, and enemies could almost always just be avoided

Where it does get the souls-like influence from is the environmental aesthetic, and overall vibe. It's your classic derelict castle, with odd creatures roaming the halls, and much to explore, but it also does the souls thing of not explaining anything, leaving it all to interpretation. I have a soft spot for this style, and i like that Pseudoregalia leans into the light comedy of this sort of storytelling. The N64/PS1 graphics also help with this dream-like vibe

Mechanically, it's a 3D metroidvania, but in the purest sense. The main thrust of the game is almost entirely focused on gaining new movement abilities, and then mastering those abilities to reach new areas. Pseudoregalia nails this loop down to a science - pretty much every ability is useful on its own first and foremost, and the fact that they gate your progress almost seems incidental. Brilliant design, in my opinion, and feels good to play with too

Another lovely game played. A bit sad that it doesn't have achievements, but on the other hand, it was kind of freeing, to just play the game as it is, and not worry about anything external


6 days ago 2 comments