Yoku’s Island Express: A Pinball-Metroidvania Adventure

Yoku’s Island Express is an interesting combination of pinball and Metroidvania, and it’s one of those weird ideas that works way better than I ever would have expected.  You play as a dung beetle named Yoku, who was just recently hired as the new postmaster of Mokumana Island. The game features a very pleasant art…

I and Me: Demo Review

I and Me is an obscure puzzle game for which I could find very little information.  You control two cats who move in unison with each other, and the goal is to figure out how to get both of them into these…boxes?  Picture frames?  Playing demos has exposed me to games of a wide range…

A Short Hike: A Relaxing Adventure on Hawk Peak Island

As the stresses of life continue to pile up, I’ve been finding myself more and more drawn to relaxing games that are more about a casual experience than strenuous gameplay.  One such game that I recently got on sale was A Short Hike, where you play as a bird named Claire who’s vacationing on Hawk…

Arietta of Spirits: Demo Review

Arietta of Spirits follows the story of Arietta and her family as they visit the island where her grandmother once lived before her recent passing.  The demo covers a short jaunt into the woods to gather apples for dessert, which includes a boss fight against a giant bee.  According to the game’s official description, Arietta…

Pokken Tournament DX: Demo Review

I don’t think I’ve played a Pokemon game since the Nintendo 64 and GameBoy Color era.  That finally changed when I tried the demo for Pokken Tournament DX, a Tekken-inspired Pokemon fighting game originally released on the Wii U and later re-released on the Switch.

Coming to Terms with Death in The Almost Gone

The Almost Gone is a puzzle game that follows the spirit of a girl as she attempts to piece together what happened to her.  The game features a muted color palette and subdued soundtrack that fits well with the uneasy atmosphere.  At the start, your character wakes up in her house, but something is decidedly…

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker: Demo Review

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a relaxing puzzle game that was released on the Wii U, 3DS, and Switch.  The titular Captain Toad can explore various floating environments that you can view from various angles, with the goal of collecting three gems and a star, alongside one other optional task, like finding the golden mushroom…

New Super Lucky’s Tale: A Charming Platformer with an Old-School Feel

I’m always on the lookout for some quality platformers that remind me of the good, old days.  Whether you’d prefer side-scrollers or something of the more open variety, you’re in luck either way with New Super Lucky’s Tale.  This adorable platformer stars a young fox named Lucky who must collect pages for the Book of…

Age of Calamity: Demo Review

Having invested many hours into the original Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U, I thought it would be interesting to try the demo for the next entry in The Legend of Zelda spin-off of Dynasty Warriors, Age of Calamity on the Switch.  Unlike the original, which had a story that stood apart from the rest…

The Duck’s 2022 GOTY: Kirby and the Forgotten Land

I’ll be completely honest here, I’m not sure I even played any other games that were actually released in 2022…but even if I had, there’s still a very good chance that Kirby and the Forgotten Land would still be my top pick for game of the year!  Prior to the release of this beauty, I…