Author: Max Mitchelson
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Bat Boy: Not Quite a Homerun – PC Review
Sonzai Game’s Bat Boy is a well-made, yet uninventive, 2D action platformer in the vein of the Mega Man series. But with the competitive market of 8- and 16-bit retro-like experiences that have since exploded since the early 2010s, Bat Boy just doesn’t stand out enough for a recommendation beyond passionate fans of Mega Man…
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Mr. Sun’s Hatbox: Great Stealth Without a Hook – Switch Review
Mr. Sun’s Hatbox is a recent addition to the thriving rogue-lite genre, offering an entertaining and chaotic stealth experience in a charmingly simple art style. Despite its frenetic accomplishments, the game’s awkward progression system and excessive slapstick randomness can make it challenging to stay engaged. As the player, you assume the role of a delivery…
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Beacon Pines: Autumn Mysteries – PC Review
Leaves are changing, temperatures droping, and the days are getting shorter. Fall is a time of change, a time of decay. This makes it the perfect backdrop for coming-of-age mysteries. A lineage of games from Oxenfree to Life is Strange are etched into Beacon Pines‘ autumn-tinged identity. There are secrets in this idyllic small town.…
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Gloomwood: Thief is Dead – PC Early Access Preview
It is dark in the hole you find yourself, a darkness so black you could be floating. The blackness is tinged with rusty iron reds and waterlogged muddy blues and greys. Prisoners’ screams echo around you. “Get to the lighthouse”, a voice tells you, and the door opens. You’re free for now; welcome to the…
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Railbound: Ticket to Puzzle – PC Review
I have been on a train-game kick these last couple of months, but it is not a city builder this time. Instead, it is a logic-based puzzler in the vein of pipe routing games, well, without the pipes. Despite the ‘difficult’ tag on steam, I found Railbound to be a relaxing casual experience full of…
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Digital Nightmares: This is Not About Porky’s Revenge
Will Dan or Max gain some ground this week, or will Jasmine sweep another week? This time Dan, Jasmine (in spirit), and Max try to persuade Erik to play a reverse mystery game, a woodblock-styled comedy-horror game, or enter the backrooms for a spell. Prepare for unnecessary tangents, game recommendations, and which game Erik chooses…
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Rollerdrome: Making Extreme Sports More Extreme – PC Review
Following up this year’s excellent 2.5D skater OlliOlli World, Roll7 and publisher Private division are back at it again with the chaotic third-person shooter Rollerdrome. Heavily inspired by late 70s and early 80s sci-fi trashy dystopias, Rollerdrome is a fight to the death on rollerskates. It doesn’t reach the flow state heights of OlliOlli World…
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Digital Nightmares: Haisonmeguri
Last week, Erik enchanted us all with his bizarre-sounding suggestion of a horror game that integrates with your cell phone, this time, we are checking it out. We will be spoiling the whole game, so try it out before listening if you are at all interested in a playthrough. After our discussion of Haisonmeguri, Max…
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Sweet Transit: Optimization Heaven – PC Early Access Preview
Do you like trains? Well, you better because Sweet Transit, developed by Ernestas Norvaišas and published by Team 17, is about taking resources and passengers from one place to another by train. Unlike other city and factory builders, Sweet Transit provides a relaxed train building experience not based on dealing with resource scarcity but more…
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Ghost Towns, Cleaning Arcades, and Curses – Digital Nightmares
The game has come full circle, and Max is the victim again. Erik, Jasmine, and Dan entice us with three new nightmares. Explore an abandoned Japanese village, clean up an arcade after dark, or discover what’s troubling a sleepy town. Listen to the end to find out which adventure we’ll discuss next week on Digital…
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Digital Nightmares: Stigmatized Property
Through strained eyes, we make out spirits in a haunted Japanese apartment building. This week, Digital Nightmares discusses Stigmatized Property from the prolific lo-fi horror developer Chilla’s Art. At the end of the episode, we go over what else we’ve been playing and who is taking home the bonus point for this week. Recommended Nightmares:…
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Time On Frog Island: Obtuse yet Relaxing – PS4 Review
We are in a frog-themed renaissance in gaming, with so many frog-related experiences announced for 2022 and 2023. However, they are scattered across all genres, from RPGs to sports games. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Time On Frog Island, a guy just living his best life among frogs? Farming crops? A simple walk-and-talk…