Dave the Diver is a casual, side-scrolling adventure/simulation game where you scuba dive during the day and manage a sushi restaurant at night. The soundtrack is quite relaxing, and the pixel art is vibrant, making you feel like you’re in a virtual vacation. The demo spans three days, during which you catch fish for the…
Tag: demo
Crypt Custodian: Demo Review
Crypt Custodian is a charming 3D Metroidvania about a cat named Pluto who perishes and becomes a janitor in the afterlife. You see, Pluto was a good cat and should have made it into the palace, but he got booted outside because, after your death, you made the mistake of breaking things with your broom…
Promenade: Demo Review
Starring a boy named Nemo and his pet poulp (octopus), Promenade is a 2D collectathon that is inspired by 3D platformers. The demo contains four stages, a simple tutorial level, a beach level, a rather challenging slingshot level, and a boss fight against an angry, bomb-chucking monkey. The game is very cute and colorful, and…
Alisa: Demo Review
Making modern games in a retro style has become rather common practice lately. A major trend I’ve noticed lately are PS1-style horror games. Perhaps those grainy graphics just lend well to a spooky atmosphere in the same fashion as creepy VHS-style videos. Wanting to try one of these games for myself, I was pleased to…
The Gravity Trickster: Demo Review
The Gravity Trickster is a puzzle-platformer where you play as a robot and navigate floating stages to collect keys and reach the exit. The full game is 150 levels, while the demo spans 10 of those. Various hazards include slippery ice, dark levels with low visibility, and electrical panels that appear when you approach. You…
I’m Glad to See Demos Making a Comeback
With games getting ever more expensive and often in new and “exciting” ways, having the chance to try before you buy is extremely valuable. I needn’t list off the merits to you, as there’s really only one that matters: getting to see if the game is actually for you or not. Some games sound great…
Tetragon: Demo Review
Tetragon is a 2D puzzle game that follows the story of a father looking for his missing son. The demo covers a good handful of these puzzles, all of which take place within a square-shaped space. While your character cannot jump, he can climb and utilize two tools for changing his environment. First off, you…
Oddworld: Soulstorm: Demo Review
I first heard of Oddworld when I saw an advertisement for Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee on the back of a poster for Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge. (Betcha didn’t know there was a Banjo-Kazooie game for the GBA!) The series remained in the back of my mind for the ensuing 20 years until I found the demo for…
Fall of Porcupine: Demo Review
Fall of Porcupine follows the story of a new doctor named Finley at the underfunded St. Ursula’s Hospital in the small town of Porcupine, inhabited only by anthropomorphic animals. The demo took me about 1.5 hours to complete, and in that time, I mainly focused on treating three patients, hanging out with fellow coworkers Karl…
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows: Demo Review
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is a surreal puzzle-platformer whose concept would have been more interesting if I hadn’t already seen it before. You switch between two characters, a girl named Emma and a teddy bear named Fenton, who are looking for the missing Thomas Kane, the son of a famous magician. Viewing her from…
VIRTUAL BASTION 