As games continue to find new audiences on other hardware, publishers are increasingly giving players fresh ways to experience everything from inventive indies to more established genre fare. In this roundup, we take a look at three recent ports that each bring something quite different to the table, from the addictive slot-machine roguelite of CloverPit to the Norse-inspired hordes of Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel and the chess-inspired puzzle experimentation of Mate’Morphosis.
CloverPit review (PS5)
CloverPit wastes very little time explaining why we are here: trapped in a grim little cell with a slot machine, an ATM and an increasingly unreasonable debt hanging over our heads, we have no choice but to keep spinning and hope the numbers fall in our favor. Every deadline raises the stakes, turning what initially looks like a simple gambling-inspired premise into a surprisingly effective survival loop. There is a mysterious voice on the other end of the telephone and enough sinister imagery to suggest something darker going on, although the narrative remains deliberately vague and never quite gives us enough context about our predicament. That ambiguity works for the oppressive atmosphere, but those hoping for a more substantial story may find themselves wanting more.
The slot machine is really just the starting point for what makes CloverPit tick. The real strategy comes from spending tickets on charms that can alter symbol values, increase luck, provide additional spins or create increasingly ridiculous combinations of effects. With more than 150 possibilities and a limited number of slots to work with, building a useful synergy becomes the main attraction, particularly when a seemingly worthless item suddenly becomes the key to making a run explode into life. The phone adds another layer of risk and reward, while the various progression systems gradually open up more possibilities. The downside is that luck can still have the final say, and some runs can feel doomed before we have had much opportunity to develop a strategy. The road towards those truly spectacular, game-breaking combinations can therefore be more frustrating than rewarding at times.
That tension is complemented nicely by CloverPit’s presentation. The cramped room has the grubby, low-fi appearance of a lost PlayStation-era horror game, with deliberately rough textures and models contrasting against the bright colours and exaggerated feedback of the slot machine. It gives the whole experience an unpleasantly claustrophobic personality without requiring elaborate environments, while the clatter of the machine, jingling rewards and increasingly frantic audio feedback make a successful spin feel appropriately satisfying. The controls themselves are uncomplicated because the game is built almost entirely around interacting with the machine, shop and surrounding objects, allowing us to concentrate on the decisions rather than wrestling with the interface.
The greatest strength of CloverPit is also the reason it may eventually lose its grip: once we understand how its systems interact, the desire to have just one more run is remarkably strong, but the experience does not always deliver its most exciting combinations frequently enough. There is a lot to unlock and plenty of room to experiment, yet the limited variety of modes and the reliance on RNG can make the longer-term experience feel repetitive once we have mastered its basic tricks. Still, Panik Arcade has built an unusually compelling little roguelite around a slot machine, and the combination of oppressive presentation, satisfying feedback and increasingly elaborate synergies gives CloverPit enough personality to stand on its own. It may not always let us break the game as quickly as we would like, but when everything finally falls into place, it is difficult not to reach for that machine one more time.
Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel review (Switch 2)
Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel throws us into a suitably grim version of Norse mythology, where condemned warriors are given a chance to prove themselves by surviving increasingly vicious hordes and eventually taking down a Jotunn. It is a premise that sounds more dramatic than the story actually is, because the narrative largely stays out of the way and exists mainly to give our slaughtering spree some context. That is not necessarily a problem for a survivors-like, especially when the setting does such a good job of carrying the atmosphere, with frozen realms, fiery landscapes, imposing monsters and familiar gods giving the formula more personality than it might otherwise have. Those looking for a substantial story or memorable character development will find little here, though, as the real motivation is seeing how much more powerful we can make our chosen warrior.
The familiar auto-attacking structure is handled well, with movement, positioning and the occasional active ability becoming increasingly important as the screen fills with enemies. The real appeal lies in building combinations from class abilities, weapons, passive bonuses and the blessings of the Norse gods, turning initially modest heroes into spectacular engines of destruction when the right pieces fall into place. Missions scattered throughout each run also encourage us to keep moving rather than simply circling the arena, while boss encounters provide a welcome change of pace. The permanent progression gives failed runs a purpose and the range of characters, difficulties and build possibilities provides plenty to experiment with, although the reliance on random ability selections can sometimes make a promising build feel unnecessarily dependent on luck. Some of the terminology surrounding different damage types is also more complicated than it needs to be, and the open arenas lack the kind of environmental variety that might have helped the formula stay fresh for longer.
On Switch 2, this is nevertheless a particularly natural fit for the hardware. The controls translate cleanly to handheld play, and the relatively contained runs make it easy to pick up for a short session before inevitably deciding to squeeze in one more attempt. Visually, Jotunnslayer is considerably more lavish than many games operating in this genre, with detailed character and enemy models, impressive particle effects and suitably imposing Jotunn that give the battles a satisfying sense of scale. More importantly, the action generally remains readable even when the screen is overflowing with enemies and attacks. Performance is not entirely flawless, with heavy effects occasionally causing slowdowns, particularly in couch co-op, while the visual chaos can make keeping track of characters more difficult when playing together. A few crashes on our Switch 2 are a more serious concern, however, as losing a lengthy run to an unexpected shutdown can undermine precisely the progression loop that makes the game so addictive.
Ultimately, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel does not need to reinvent the survivors-like formula to make a strong impression. Instead, it combines a satisfying progression system with a striking Norse setting and enough character, god-power and build combinations to make repeated runs genuinely enjoyable. There is a definite point where the familiar arenas, recurring objectives and grind begin to expose the limitations of the formula, and the randomness can occasionally work against the carefully constructed builds that make the combat so rewarding. Even so, the moment when everything clicks and our warrior starts obliterating entire waves in a storm of lightning, fire and other divine mayhem remains tremendously satisfying. The Switch 2 is a good home for that experience, particularly in handheld mode, and while Jotunnslayer may not be the most innovative entry in an increasingly crowded genre, it is a polished and atmospheric one that gives us plenty of reasons to return to Hel.
Mate’Morphosis review (PS5)
Mate’Morphosis takes the familiar foundations of chess and turns them into something considerably more compact and unpredictable. Rather than commanding an entire army, we control a single piece whose identity changes every time we capture something, meaning the move set we have available can change completely from one turn to the next. It is a clever premise that makes the game approachable even if our chess knowledge is limited, since the real challenge is working out a route several moves ahead rather than playing traditional chess. There is no real narrative to speak of, but that hardly matters here; the board itself provides the context, and the satisfaction comes from figuring out how to reach the opposing king.
The core mechanic is simple to understand but surprisingly good at creating those little moments where everything suddenly falls into place. Capturing a knight might give us exactly the movement we need, while taking another piece at the wrong time can leave us stranded, and later stages complicate matters with energy management, special board spaces and hazards that can permanently alter the route. The gradual escalation works well for the most part, and the short levels and quick restarts make experimentation particularly welcome. The problem is that some of the later complexity isn’t explained quite as clearly as it could be, while the lack of a hint or level-skip option can turn an enjoyable brainteaser into a frustrating roadblock when we simply cannot see the intended solution.
On PS5, the controls are suitably straightforward for a game that is primarily concerned with careful thought rather than dexterity. Movement indicators help us understand what our current piece can do, and there is little unnecessary interface clutter getting between us and the puzzle. The retro pixel-art presentation also proves effective rather than merely nostalgic, with clearly identifiable pieces and a clean board design that keeps the important information readable. There are even alternative piece appearances to help with differentiation. The audio follows the same minimalist philosophy and is more functional than spectacular, fitting the contemplative nature of the puzzles without becoming a major attraction in its own right.
Mate’Morphosis ultimately succeeds because its central idea is strong enough to carry a very modest package. We enjoy the way each capture forces us to reconsider our options, and the best puzzles make us feel clever without demanding traditional chess expertise. At the same time, the experience doesn’t quite maintain that spark indefinitely, with the increasing reliance on energy and additional mechanics sometimes making the later stages feel more laborious than the initially elegant concept deserves. Still, at its budget price and with a set of compact challenges that encourage us to keep trying different solutions, Mate’Morphosis is an inventive little puzzle game that gives the venerable rules of chess a worthwhile new twist.