Category: Games

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. Continue reading “Port roundup: CloverPit, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel & Mate’Morphosis”

Turnip Mountain is the kind of game that sounds a bit like a joke before you actually play it. We take control of a determined little turnip with two enormous arms, with the straightforward goal of climbing back up a mountain, and that is essentially where the narrative begins and ends. There is no elaborate story trying to distract us from the central idea, and that simplicity can feel a little bare if we are looking for a substantial adventure with characters or lore. Yet it works precisely because the game knows what it wants to be. Before long, the absurdity of the premise becomes secondary to the much more interesting question of whether we can make that next jump, find a shortcut or finally master a movement that previously sent our vegetable tumbling down the mountain. Continue reading “Turnip Mountain review (PS5)”

Mistfall Hunter is an unusual beast, even in a gaming landscape where mixing genres has become almost routine. Developed by Bellring Games and published by Skystone Games, this PlayStation 5 release combines Soulslike combat with the risk-and-reward structure of an extraction game, throwing us into the mist-shrouded remains of a world where the gods have fallen and the Gyldenmist has corrupted almost everything in its path. As a Gyldhunter, our job is to venture into this hostile environment, collect valuable resources and equipment, fight both monsters and other players, and somehow make it back alive. It is a familiar dark-fantasy setup, complete with mysterious deities, ruined lands and an enigmatic figure guiding us towards our destiny, but the story never quite manages to rise above those familiar ingredients. The premise is effective enough to establish the mood, yet the narrative feels more like a framework for the gameplay loop than something we become genuinely invested in. Continue reading “Mistfall Hunter review (PS5)”

The world of Detective Grimoire has always been built around the idea that a good mystery does not need to rely on constant tension or grim realism to keep us interested. With The Mermaid Mask, SFB Games once again proves that a murder investigation can be both charming and genuinely intriguing, delivering a point-and-click adventure that combines eccentric characters, clever detective work and a wonderfully strange underwater setting. The latest case sees Grimoire and Sally investigating the death of Magnus Mortuga, the captain of a mysterious submarine where every passenger appears to be hiding something. A locked-room murder, a suspicious ancient cauldron and rumors of supernatural forces create the perfect foundation for another unusual investigation. Continue reading “The Mermaid Mask review (Switch)”

Culdcept BEGINS is the kind of game that immediately reminds us that some ideas never really age. Nearly three decades after the original Culdcept introduced its unusual mixture of board game strategy and card battling, this new entry returns with an accessible starting point while keeping the series’ distinctive identity intact. Rather than simply being another collectible card game, Culdcept BEGINS creates a fantasy battlefield where every dice roll, territory decision and card played can influence the outcome of a match. The story follows Kamur, a young Cepter training at the Royal Cept Academy who becomes involved in conflicts threatening the continent of Bavrashka. While the narrative leans heavily on familiar fantasy themes such as ancient powers, elemental kingdoms and a mysterious legacy, it provides enough context to make every board match feel like part of a larger adventure rather than just a disconnected challenge. Continue reading “Culdcept BEGINS review (Switch)”