Death’s Hangover

Death’s Hangover

Help Death take back the souls stolen by Bastard Dracula in this Breakout-style game by Retro Army Limited. It features plenty of different levels, useful power-ups, and some big bosses. The game is easy to pick up and play, but finding all the souls can be challenging. The eighteen different endings, two-player mode, and level editor boost the replay value, though, and overall, the game is a decent choice for fans of the genre.

Gameplay: The game is challenging and entertaining.

Graphics: The pixel art visuals of Death’s Hangover look great.

Sound: The audio features decent sound effects and music

Forward to the Sky

Forward to the Sky

Help a sword-wielding princess take on the skeletal enemies and traps of the sky tower in this third-person title by Animu Game. The visuals and audio are decent, but the game is just way too short and simple. It can be completed in less than two hours and most of it will be spent solving some basic puzzles along with the occasional bit of combat. With a bit more polish and a few more levels Forward to the Sky could have been great, but as it is there are much better options available.

Gameplay: The controls could definitely have been tighter and the overall experience is very short.

Graphics: Bright and colorful, but not much in terms of variety.

Sound: Passable background music and voice acting

Mutropolis

Mutropolis

Join Henry Dijon in an archaeological adventure to save his kidnapped professor from the clutches of an ancient Egyptian god. Mutropolis is set in the year 5000 where Earth has become a wild and inhospitable place, so Henry will need his wits about him to succeed in his quest. Fortunately, Henry has a team of very capable colleagues assisting him on his rescue mission. Mutropolis requires some patience and out-of-the-box thinking, but it is a very impressive debut that deserves to be played by fans of the genre.

Gameplay: Some of the puzzles are tricky but very rewarding to solve.

Graphics: The hand-drawn visuals are beautiful and charming.

Sounds: Great voice acting and a nice chill soundtrack

Donut County

Donut County

Donut County gives players control of a hole in the ground and then asks them to swallow up everything in sight. The hole starts small but grows larger as it swallows up more of the scenery. For the most part, players simply move the hole around and watch things disappear down its depths, which is relaxing, but very easy. Some of the later levels introduce a few puzzle elements, but there’s nothing here that is going to tax anyone. That’s fine for players looking for a chill game to unwind with but also feels a bit like a missed opportunity as so much more could have been done with the concept.

Gameplay: Very easy to play and very relaxing, but don’t expect any sort of challenge.

Graphics: Simple, but quite charming.

Sound: The soundtrack is great and fits the style of the game

Cat Goes Fishing

Cat Goes Fishing

Cat Goes Fishing is a simple fishing game featuring a bunch of fish with different behaviors. As players catch and sell fish they earn enough cash and experience to upgrade their gear and go after even bigger species. The game can be very grindy at times and catching some of the fish on “Realism” mode might make you want to pull your hair out, but overall it’s a decent game. It’s not the best looking or sounding fishing game on the market, but it is easy to pick up and play. Beware, though, as it is also easy to get hooked and spent hours trying to catch some of the more elusive fish.

Gameplay: Simple, but quite addictive.

Graphics: Nothing to write home about, but the 2D sprites are not without charm.

Sound: Decent enough, but eventually the music does become repetitive

Sakura Beach 2

Sakura Beach 2

Sakura Beach 2 is a continuation of the first game starring the same characters and pretty much recycling all the art and music. The addition of a new character could have made things a little more interesting, but unfortunately, the story still falls flat in every aspect. Even though the Sakura series isn’t exactly known for deep storylines or compelling characters Sakura Beach 2 is a low point.

Gameplay: A rather mundane story with meaningless choices.

Graphics: Not bad, but most of it is recycled from the first game.

Sound: The same repetitive songs as the first game

Radiant One

Radiant One

Radiant One is a short, casual title about a man who has to deal with the fallout of his lucid dreams becoming nightmares. It was originally a mobile title, so the gameplay is extremely basic, but the interesting story and detailed visuals help to draw players in. It can still be completed in one sitting, though, so while fun this is not a title for players in search of a challenge or a lengthy story.

Gameplay: Interesting, but very simple and short.

Graphics: Detailed and well animated.

Sound: Both the soundtrack and sound effects are very good

Zenge

Zenge

Zenge is a simple, straightforward puzzle game combining tangrams and sliding blocks. The minimalist art style is easy on the eyes, and while the game is short, it keeps introducing new mechanics to keep the gameplay interesting. It is also as affordable as its mobile counterpart, so there’s no reason to miss out if you want to play it on your PC instead of your phone.

Gameplay: Playing the game is simple, straightforward, and quite relaxing.

Graphics: Visually, it is minimalist, but the story artwork is neat.

Sound: The audio consists of soothing piano tunes

Carto

Carto

Carto is a unique puzzle adventure with charming visuals and very creative challenges. The protagonist has cartography powers that allow her to manipulate her surroundings using different map pieces and this forms the basis for most of the puzzles. Apart from a few puzzles that can be a little obscure, this is a relaxing adventure that will keep most players entertained for the seven or so hours it lasts.

Gameplay: Moving around map pieces to change your surroundings allows for some creative puzzles.

Graphics: The hand-drawn visuals and charming animations make for a lovely looking game.

Sound: No voice acting, but the soundtrack is great

Jiangshi x Daoshi

Jiangshi x Daoshi

Jiangshi x Daoshi is a very unique kinetic novel featuring some of the most animated and over the top scenes we’ve seen in the genre. The quirky style of the game and Chinese folklore elements can be a little overwhelming at first, but it’s hard not to get sucked in by the characters and story. The first two episodes are completely free, so there’s no reason to miss out on the game and the third episode is worth the price of admission as well if you are hooked.

Gameplay: A kinetic novel, so there are no choices, but the story is very unique.

Graphics: The over the top animated style of the game is something to behold.

Sound: Decent voice acting as well as a very varied soundtrack