★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.
Oh that’s a shame to hear about ARISEN being abandoned, saw it on kickstarter when the campaign was going and added to my wishlist back then, since the art style is so pretty. :o
it is such a shame! its still very good unfinished but well, its unfinished. so sadly not worth if you want a game with good story. and the bugs were annoying ;u;
one can always hope that it gest picked up again i guess!