Bus Bound is difficult to review because so many of its features will be shortcomings for some players and selling points to others. Those craving a realistic bus or transport management sim will find the title lacking desirable features. However, players who just want to hop behind the wheel of a bus and get rewarded for exploring a city with simple mechanics will find hours of enjoyment in stillalive Studios’ latest game. Despite the issue I’ve honed in on in this review, Bus Bound remains a game I will revisit long after the review period. It offers a relaxing driving experience with the ability to curate routes and session length to your liking. It also sets solid foundations for any future updates.

The gameplay lacks depth, the systems need clearer guidance, and the overall package feels too early, even for an early access release. The timing feels off, too; a winter launch could have helped this land with more impact, but releasing it in spring makes it harder for players to connect with its vibe. [Early Access Score = 60]

Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is a visually charming and faithful adaptation of the Moomins that captures the heart and tone of its source material, even if its gameplay struggles to keep up. While the repetitive task structure and frustrating navigation can wear you down over time, the game’s beautiful presentation, strong atmosphere, and authentic character portrayals make it a cosy, if occasionally uneven, experience.

It’s a game I’d recommend with caveats: Adjust the settings, be patient, and expect to die more than you think you should. If you can meet it halfway, there’s something worthwhile here.

Sintopia is interesting, creative, and sometimes very funny. It just needs some tweaking to let its best ideas breathe.

At the end of it all, this is one of those games I know I’ll come back to. Not because I have to, but because I want to. And honestly? That says a lot.

For a couple of bucks, this won’t disappoint. It has hours of gameplay and some really well-thought-out mechanics. It’s not a total brain worm, but it’s a fun haunted jaunt nonetheless. Skull Horde might not make it to our list of greatest indie titles of all time, but very few do.

Overall, it’s a great game for casual puzzle players who want something fun but not too challenging.

Aside from some goofy cutscenes, chill music, and an at base satisfying loop, Restore Your Island left me frustrated, especially for the price tag. Even with more content promised on the horizon, I can’t recommend this game, especially on launch. If you’re looking for a cozy, satisfying cleaning sim, there are plenty of options with more bang for your buck.

High Above is, at release, a strong game, but it also feels like a game that could grow into something even better. Thankfully, the developer actively listens to his community and posted a roadmap for future updates alongside the game’s release, so I’m excited to see what High Above evolves into. If you’re looking for a game to play in the long hours of the night, this is one I’m happy to suggest to you.

All together, KuloNiku: Bowl Up! blends cosy gameplay, storytelling, and creative mechanics into a package that’s easy to recommend. It’s a flavorful take on the genre that brings just enough new ingredients to the table to stand out, one that’s well worth digging into.

There’s a meaningful, well-written story here, supported by thoughtful design choices. But repetitive minigames and a lack of guidance hold it back. Fishbowl doesn’t try to be broadly appealing, and that’s both its strength and its limitation.

If this kind of deliberate deckbuilder, one where you constantly have to adapt rather than simply optimize, speaks to you, Bloodletter is worth playing even now. Otherwise, you may want to look elsewhere. [Early Access Score = 75]

This game explores grief, love, and the struggle to move forward when part of you remains stuck in the past. It doesn’t always give clear answers, and sometimes that’s frustrating. But it stays with you, and that’s what Life is Strange has always done best. My Life is Strange: Reunion review will sit at a well-deserved [85].

It’s great for nostalgia. It just doesn’t quite have the depth to keep you long-term. Still, as a cross-generational game, especially one with a physical edition rather than just a virtual release, it does something special: Parents who grew up with Neopets can share that with their kids, and that matters. That’s where this game shines the most.

Retro Relics isn’t a game that shouts for your attention. It gently invites you in, hands you a metal detector, and lets you decide what kind of adventure you want to have. Whether you follow your grandfather’s clues right away, focus on making money, or simply wander in search of interesting relics, the experience is calm, reflective, and surprisingly engaging.

StarRupture is fun, and I’m likely to keep playing it once it gets a few QoL fixes and becomes a bit more well-rounded. The ore systems are addictive, the world is huge, and the core ideas are strong. But it was far from ready to be released in its current state, even in Early Access. [Early Access Provisional Score = 60]

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed my time with Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Cafe, and I would recommend it, especially to players who love cosy games with lots of room for creativity. The standout feature here is absolutely the huge range of customisation options, both in the items you make and in decorating your cafe. Being able to design your own pixel art, experiment with styles, and really make the space feel personal gives the game a unique charm and keeps the experience fresh.

Ancient Farm left me feeling disappointed, mainly because I expected much more from its concept. The game presents a solid foundation and an interesting historical setting. Farming in ancient Egypt feels fresh and full of potential. Unfortunately, the gameplay rarely expands beyond basic farming and crafting. The lack of depth makes the experience feel repetitive over time. Players hoping for progression, interaction, or evolving systems may walk away unsatisfied.

Mio: Memories in Orbit surprised me in the best possible way. As someone who doesn’t usually play platformers or Metroidvania games, I went in unsure of what to really expect. What I found was a beautifully crafted experience that pulled me in through its atmosphere, movement, and quiet storytelling.

Tailside is unassuming, and that’s part of why it works. It doesn’t reinvent the café sim, but it doesn’t need to. What it does instead is give players autonomy. You play at your pace, you can adjust systems to suit your comfort, and you learn by doing, without fear of missing something crucial. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

Cairn is thoughtful, challenging, and quietly powerful. It understands that sometimes the most meaningful journeys are the ones we take alone.

Nova Antarctica has ideas worth exploring. Its visual identity is striking, its environmental storytelling has real emotional weight, and some moments linger as you play. But the game is let down by overworked mechanics, an exhausting UI, unclear tutorials, and a difficulty curve that feels punishing rather than purposeful.

Starsand Island isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t need to be to be worth your time. It offers a gentle, romanticised take on the farming sim genre that feels welcoming without being stale. The affection system avoids forcing romance, the exploration feels rewarding, and the Moonlit Forest is one of the least stressful combat zones I’ve ever played in a game. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

I was hoping for something fun and new with Crimson Capes. I am relatively fresh off SilkSong, which probably doesn’t help, but I didn’t go into it expecting something of that calibre. What I found was a game that could have had a rich world with interesting quest lines, innovative combat, and novel enemies, but really failed to deliver on every count. The world was empty, the enemies were a predictable grind, and the combat was uninspired. It’s just another 2D Souls-like that fails to bring anything new to the table.

Under the Island surprised me, but not necessarily in the way I thought it might. I went into the game expecting a certain experience based on the limited gameplay I had seen (which is on me). But ended up struggling a lot more than anticipated. The game is good, the story is fun, and the overall gameplay is smooth. However, the difficulty of the puzzles and the general lack of direction had me feeling frustrated.

Dare I say it, I think Lost and Found Co. may just be my very favourite hidden object game! And believe me, that’s high praise coming from me, because I’ve played a lot of them! The deciding factor has to be the fantastic animations, it makes the world feel so alive.

I really wanted to like The Abbess Garden, I don’t usually volunteer or request to review games unless I think I’ll enjoy them, so I went into this one fairly optimistic. Unfortunately, it just didn’t click for me. I found the overall experience fairly boring, and both the gameplay and visuals felt overly simplistic at times. While the idea behind the game has potential, I struggled to stay engaged with what it was offering. After a while, I found it harder and harder to keep playing. The slower pacing, dialogue-heavy sections, and basic gameplay loop made it difficult for the game to hold my attention.