The Lake House was a pretty big letdown overall. It simply did not succeed at anything it set out to do. It was not a thrilling or scary journey through a labyrinth. It wasn't a thrilling expansion of the world of the Remedy Connected Universe. Nor was it an effective teaser for Control 2. Instead, it was a largely boring side chapter that you can easily skim over.

I had a really good time playing Wilmot Works It Out. As someone who likes doing puzzles, I admired this new take on puzzle solving. I also liked the little touches that made the game feel even more significant, like chatting with Sam the post deliverer, as well as unlocking new rooms and decorating them. It's easy to get addicted to a game like this. I would love to see more of Wilmot Works It Out, maybe with future DLC or seasonal additions such as Christmas? This is definitely a game to get if you want to play something easy-going and chilled out, yet with opportunities to challenge yourself.

To be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was going to get with Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town. However, at the conclusion of my playthrough and this review, I can truthfully say that I had a wonderful time playing this game. All the boxes were ticked: story, characters, setting, gameplay, play time, beautiful scenery, soundtrack, and sound effects. There are a few minor gripes, such as the day and night cycle affecting how much time you have each day to get stuff done, but to be honest, this just added to the challenge of the game and made me plan my in-game day, rather than be a huge pain to deal with. When all is said and done, this was a very well put-together game. I look forward to seeing more adventures with Shin chan and co!

Diplomacy is Not an Option delivers on the ambitious promise of a streamlined RTS city builder that forgoes on the minutia of the more grindy aspects of the city building aspect, while retaining the surface gameplay of planning your city's layout, and letting you focus more heavily on the strategy side, which you'll have to to keep up with the actually really challenging waves of attacks you'll have to defend against. It also remains silly and entertaining despite being so hard and punishing when making mistakes.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is a decent expansion to enhance the existing Diablo IV's systems. It is lacking elements of excellence, but it mostly gets the job done. If you were a fan of the base game, there's definitely stuff that's going to make this game more appealing to play in the long run.

Parcel Corps is an intriguing concept of a game and has all the fundamentals it needs to be good fun. While I enjoyed the elements of gameplay, narrative and art style separately, I personally felt as though they didn't come together as planned. Gameplay was interrupted by the story, and the joy of barspins out of wallrides is soon lost to repetitive missions and accidentally opening your mobile before confidently launching yourself into the side of a lorry. That being said, are in the mood for some simple and fun gameplay, Parcel Corps may be the perfect package.

The first difficult decision players must make is whether or not to purchase Until Dawn Remaster. I'd argue that those that never experienced the original should certainly pick up this game. This is a remaster that successfully breathes new life into the 2015 original. Apart from some shaky frames, Until Dawn Remaster excels in just about everything it set out to do, and I believe justifies its existence. I'd also argue that those that have already experienced this adventure will be able to find new enjoyment here, albeit at a lower price point.

The Outlast Trials is by far the best co-op horror experience on console right now. The intensity and the well-crafted design of each trial make you want to dive back in every single time you manage to escape alive. And being able to get jumpscared and disturbed with up to three friends just makes it much better. A must-play for any survival horror enthusiast!

It's been a while since a game captured me like this, not only engaging me, but making me want more. I'm sad that New Game + doesn't do any more than skip tutorials, because despite how substantial the game was, I wanted more. The characters. The intriguing and irreverent lore. The feeling of accomplishment when you nail a run. It certainly has some rough spots here and there, but they are vastly outnumbered by the game's virtues. It's humorous, it's fun to play, it actually made me enjoy a Metroid-vania! I think it's definitely worth a look.

Despite its currently buggy state, Funko Fusion is a fun filled pop culture love letter, with a multitude of references to the movies that feature and some more surprise cameos along the way. Gameplay is simple yet effective, making it a perfect way to switch off for a couple of hours while scratching the collectathon itch. That being said, due to bugs causing me to have to reload levels and some navigational issues, I feel as though I have barely seen the best of what Funko Fusion has to offer. There are more secrets to find and areas to explore, and hopefully with some updates it will be a much smoother experience.

Frostpunk 2 introduces expanded social dynamics, larger city management, and deeper decision-making with factions and laws. It shifts from basic survival to improving quality of life, offering potential for world-building and colonization. The game maintains emotional depth, with difficult laws provoking strong reactions. While streamlined mechanics reduce some of the original's immersion and complexity, Frostpunk 2 is definitely worth trying out for its new experience and larger population scale.

If you like PowerWash Simulator, you’re going to love this DLC and if you love Alice in Wonderland, you’re going to love this DLC. If you find that you are empty on content right now, this DLC would not be a bad purchase for the price since it includes five full-fledged maps for you to complete. PowerWash Simulator is no stranger to giving out extra content both free and paid for if you’d like to continue to support FuturLab. If you’d like to explore more reviews on the other DLCs we have covered, visit our Warhammer DLC Review and Back to the Future DLC Review.

Not For Broadcast: The Timeloop is a very strong standalone journey through modern sci-fi pop culture tropes. Fans of the main game will certainly enjoy the deeper dive into the absurd humor and creativity of the game. However, it has an even weaker focus on gameplay, which may rub some players the long way. Not everyone wants to watch a movie when they're trying to play a game.

Caravan SandWitch is a pretty good game. It does have a few flaws and technical hitches here and there, but nothing that ruined the experience for me. The story, characters and setting are more-or-less solid, sucking me into a whole new futuristic world and their lives. I myself felt as if I had lived in Cigalo! The gameplay is good too, especially the driving around, exploring, and fetch quests. I liked that they chose not to include any enemy encounters in any form. The only threats are the TARAASK storm and Witch, which only adds to the intrigue and makes the game more gripping. If you like narrative-driven open-world games with no combat, give Caravan SandWitch a go.

Although I found enjoyment in The Casting of Frank Stone, the title's main problem is that it jumps from two different stories both trying to set something up. Both the stories are building towards something greater, but sadly, the payoff comes very late and hinders the overall vision. It's still worth checking out, but with expectations in check.

Terminus: Zombie Survivors is a fun yet challenging rogue-like that balances zombie combat with survival. It's fun to consider your next actions and make sure you have enough to eat and drink. The game is tough to learn and you don't have much information to work off. Gameplay is also slower compared to other roguelikes. But if you have the patience to learn and sit through a few games, there's a hidden gem to uncover that's a lot of fun.

Not For Broadcast is a great experience of a game. While some may be bored by the lack of action and the fact that you're mostly watching TV, the engaging story and characters are more than enough to boost the game into being a true hidden gem in the large sea of indie games.

Hellbreach: Vegas refines its PvE experience to be more exciting and thrilling the first time around. Slot machine randomness and better weapons makes each experience different. But there isn't enough variety to keep you entertained for long, even with friends. Customisation adds nothing significant and is the only goal you can work towards. Unless you play for short bursts, you might stop playing entirely.

I had a great time with Cocoon. The world was interesting, showcasing beautiful art design with their environmental storytelling. The journey was engaging throughout, focusing on exploration and orb centric puzzles. Figuring out these conundrums was enjoyable, ramping up the difficulty to be very challenging but satisfying to complete. The game's story culminated in seeing off monstrous foes in simple but entertaining combat. A really good experience all round.

Feed the Deep's compelling gameplay loop lured me into the deep end numerous times, causing me to sink hours into the repetitive cave diving. Controls are responsive and fluid, becoming lumbersome in the right places to effectively create tension and build on the claustrophobic feeling. Game design is compact and the mechanics are user friendly while also forcing you to think strategically. Despite the pleasant aesthetic and mysterious atmosphere, the smaller hostile creatures felt slightly underwhelming, albeit this is heavily countered by the many eyes and tentacles of 'The Deep'.

Roots of Pacha is probably one of the best farming life simulation games I've played in a while. I didn't honestly think I'd get this invested in this game, but it's hard to resist. There's so much to not only do, but discover. It's quite relaxing spending each day working with the clan on new ideas, plus other side activities such as exploring, fishing, gathering, and growing and harvesting crops. So far, I've put a lot of happy hours into Roots of Pacha, and I know for a fact I've barely scratched the surface of everything this game has to offer. I can't wait to see what else I'll experience in this game.

Yars Rising is a game of missed potential. An interesting idea and a unique spin on remakes ultimately undermined by poor execution. Everything on offer here is done much better in many other games. And the few highlights the game features have nothing to do with actually playing it. Look up the character designs online and listen to the soundtrack on YouTube, and you'll have experienced the best Yars Rising has to offer.

When I first started Farewell North, I had in my mind a score of 7-8. Now, after finishing the game, I can confidently give it a solid 9 out of 10. It's just such a beautiful game on so many levels; its storytelling, gameplay, graphics, and soundtrack. To be honest, I'm having a hard time finding anything bad to say about it. This is a game not to be overlooked, as you'll be pleasantly surprised by what it has to offer, and what you'll take away from it.

Minds Beneath Us sets a new bar for the world of choice-driven narratives. Whether it is the story, the art, or even the gameplay, Bearbone Studio excels in their creation of a game that is both compelling and fun; Seperating itself from its competition. It's unique yet familiar and while it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I implore those who are searching for a taste of a good story or even for a player who wishes to experience a more cinematic style of gameplay to try this game out. Minds Beneath Us may be an eye opener to both narrative fans and gamers alike.

White Day dares to be actually terrifying, something that many modern horror games fail to accomplish. And even if the story ultimately fails to be as interesting as it initially appears to be, the simplicity of White Day's gameplay elements and mechanics make you remember times when horror games used to haunt you with nightmares.

Sam & Max The Devil's Playhouse is an almost perfect last adventure for the comedic duo that combines a thrilling narrative with hilarious and smart dialogue. The puzzles feel more accessible, the new cast are entertaining, and the psychic abilities are fun to play with. Though there's definitely some absence in different forms of gameplay, it doesn't take away too much for The Devil's Playhouse to become boring. Overall, my journey through this trilogy is something I'll never forget and will cherish the memories I made with Sam & Max. Now that Skunkape Games are done with the remasters, I think its time for the duo to make a comeback.

Overall, I found myself enjoying the concept of Magical Delicacy more than the actual gameplay. I had fun, but it was a little frustrating to run into the aforementioned issues. In my opinion, the cooking aspect was more restrictive than anticipated. I adored the artistry of it all, but the mechanics were much more strategic - pushing the coziness to the back burner. I would highly recommend to those that can thoroughly enjoy a management game.

I was a little worried I wouldn't enjoy Discovery as much as Myths & Magic, but I was wrong. I adored it. Each of the three different levels were engaging, enjoyable and creative, feeling distinguishable from each other while still being the same gameplay. It was honestly great to enjoy more Hidden Through Time levels. I want even more now! I hope they do make more of these games, and I'd love to see what else they come up with regarding themes.