My first glimpse at Woodo was during the Women-Led Games 2024 Summer Showcase. In my recap of the event, I waxed nostalgic about how it instantly transported me back to my childhood, my grandfather’s woodworking shop, and the amazing puzzles he would make us. The cozy 3D puzzle adventure features a matching mechanic based on a simple diorama style, and…
Developer Choice Provisions is best known for the BIT.TRIP series of games, and it is about to enter the classic realm of another beloved B-titled game: Breakout! Breakout Beyond is a neon-drenched take on the classic 1976 arcade game. Players must break through each puzzle by clearing each block until…
Every new Wholesome Direct results in my game wishlist overflowing with cute…
Tetris Forever is, in one sense, not really a collection of games…
I’m obsessed with Botany Manor and it hasn’t even launched yet. What I’ve seen of the first-person botanical puzzle game set in a historically accurate 19th-century Somerset manor is soothing yet also tickles my mind a little bit. It is the debut game of Balloon Studios and published by Whitethorn…
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With shooters, you would expect bullets to be constantly flying. But Children of the Sun turns this concept on its head: the player can only fire a single bullet per level. One! I really love this idea. The game is a visually-striking psychedelic revenge road trip with a blend of…
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It has always surprised me that there have been relatively few spinoffs from the Story of Seasons (formerly Harvest Moon) property. This is a beloved series that stretches right back to the SNES, and it has a lot going for it – charming characters, cute animals, and a wholesome joy…
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Whitethorn Games is one of my favourite publishers. Every winter (or summer for those down under), it holds a showcase of games launching in the next year. You can watch this year’s entire showcase here, and I really recommend it; but I’m going to focus on just one title: Botany…
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Terra Nil is a story of hope that we sorely need right now. Despite an almost endless stream of warnings over the last few decades, humanity continues to treat climate change’s real and growing threat with blase indifference. The Paris Accord in 2015 was meant to be a turning point,…
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At a very quick glance, Howl looks like an intriguing tactics game with a gorgeous, sombre art style. What it is more like is a turn-based Chu Chu Rocket… just not as charming, appealing, or worthwhile. The protagonist of Howl is a deaf prophet. Your goal is to help navigate…
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Dandori is a pretty simple word in the Japanese language. It simply means “plan,” “arrangement,” or “organisation.” A person that’s really effective at organising their time has good dandori. A person that is always late to meetings has poor dandori. For most Australians, dandori isn’t that important. If I could…
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Puzzle Bobble is an amazing puzzle game. I use that tense specifically because it’s one of those concepts where the developers got it absolutely plumb right from the get-go, all the way back in 1996. Yes, that was a long time ago. But I’m right. Fire up a copy of…
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I love real-world escape room experiences. You’ve got an hour or so to sort out an extended puzzle, find your way through a couple of different challenges and, ultimately (and usually with the assistance of a group of friends), make your way out in time. Escape rooms prove that a…
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Ruku’s Heart Balloon is right up there with the sweetest games I’ve ever played. The developers set out to make something treacle-sweet, to the point where prolonged exposure to it may well sicken you, and they succeeded. I just wasn’t able to play it for long before desperately needing to…
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