Happy Friday! Surprisingly, there isn’t a lot of consistency in genres for the games this week. The small amount of similarities is that there are a couple of rhythm games, some action roguelikes, and the titles from the Epic Games Store are not interesting to me. Probably the most exciting game is a text-based RPG where you get to play as a wrestler!
Note: As is per usual, all of the images below are from the game’s respective Steam Sales Page.
Apple Rabble Dazzle (Rhythm Game?)
The reason I want to share this game is because I really like the pixel artwork. You seem to be a group of characters that are in a tree and one of your elderly characters is making an apple move and you need to move in time with the apple to be able to harvest it. At least that’s what I think it’s trying to show in the trailer. In addition to the colorful artwork, it also has charming music as well. I think some people will like it.
The Asterion (Action Roguelike)
Although the graphics look a bit janky I think this game shows a bit of promise. It’s a stylized roguelike action-adventure game that involves Greek legends like the one with the minotaur.
Birbox (Physics-based Puzzle Platformer)
Occasionally people I know make mention of carrier pigeons and the like. This game reminds me of that. It’s a puzzle platformer where you play as a bird and have to deliver packages to certain places as requested by your customers. All the while you can throw the package at different animals or obstacles, and pick up your package again and carry it on your way. Sometimes you do this repeatedly as you move across the screen using different tools and the like. The game is kind of absurd looking, but I think it is funny! I definitely wanted to highlight it once I saw the trailer! I enjoyed the music for it as well.
The Cubiw Dungeon (Action Roguelike)
This is another action roguelike title for the week. For some reason the music in the trailer seems really chill and calm even though there is a lot of shooting and action going on, so that’s a little weird. I like the art style of the little cubes and the smiley faces! I thought it might be fun for some of my audience.
Dear my『 』 (Visual Novel)
Despite the trailer for this game being in Korean and the fact that the sales page is a bit hard to understand, I still want to mention this visual novel. There’s a couple reasons for this. I like the art style and because it’s the first game from a small development team. The sales page says it has an emotional story through the use of heartfelt letters. The game’s backgrounds are AI generated.
The Diner at the End of the Galaxy: Free Appetiser (Cooking Management)
The first thing that stands out about this title is the art style. It has some really nice pixel art that I enjoyed while watching the trailer. It is the prologue version of an upcoming game. It seems to be a restaurant management sim, but in this one you have customers from different galaxies that you are trying to serve. It looks really good!
Eclipse Breaker: Boss Rush (Action Roguelike)
This is a cool looking game that is the boss rush version of a larger game that’s coming out later. It has a neat real time battle system that also has turned based aspects to it, like you can move around and block attacks when enemies are attacking but you have to wait for your stamina bar to fill before you can attack. It looks a bit like a PlayStation One game, and it seems like quite a few people enjoy it based on the trailer!
Firestone – Online Idle RPG
I don’t normally discuss idle RPGs on the blog. The only reason I have it here is because it is one of two free games from the Epic Games Store this week.
Googunners! (On-rails shooter)
I like this game because it has a funny sense of humor. You seem to be an alien on a space station that generates balls that are used for ammo for your cannons. Periodically you man your guns and shoot down the asteroids that are about to destroy your station. As you make progress in doing that you are able to upgrade your weapons. The descriptions of the different upgrades are pretty funny and I appreciated that the trailer showed a deal of gameplay progression. 88% of 18 reviews are positive!
Grunt – The Wrestling Game (Text RPG)
Even with no graphics, this may be one of the more impressive games for the week. It’s a text-based RPG where you are a wrestler. One thing that I was impressed by was that there’s things like momentum in the matches and the game seems almost like a single player D&D title, but you are wrestling instead! As if you roll dice before each action and characters can sometimes have initiative that improves their chances of completing an action successfully. Even the referee of the match can impact how things go! I was rather pleased with what I saw. Oh, and there isn’t any music, but that is to be expected from a text-based game.
Incorporeal (Action Adventure)
As one of the first games that has a very positive rating for the week, Incorporeal is a dungeon crawler where you play as a person’s spirit while your body is nearby. The game seems to incorporate a dash mechanic which is used to attack enemies or break through objects. I did like the lighting effects quite a bit and by the end of the trailer I was rather intrigued by it! 98% of 72 reviews are positive!
LazerGrrl (PvP RTS)
The description for this game has me very curious. It says that it is fast-paced PvP strategy. But here’s the kicker: it also describes itself as Bomberman meets RTS. I don’t know what else to say besides that. I do like the art style though and the trailer is quite intriguing. 100% of 19 reviews are positive!
Nightingale (Survival Crafting)
A survival crafting game taking place in a Gaslamp fantasy world. The second free game from Epic Games Store this week.
Overgrown (Co-op Puzzle Exploration)
This is a 2 player co-op exploration game with puzzle elements where one person plays as a raccoon and another is a robot. You explore a city that’s overtaken by nature and you work together to make it through the different environments and continue on your journey. While the artwork may not be the most amazing thing I’ve seen, the concept around it is appealing and something I definitely want to share this week.
Pulsagon (Rhythm Game)
A very minimalistic but also interesting-looking rhythm based game. In this one you are a shape in the middle of the screen and as other shapes come towards you, you match what hits you or something like that. For example, you turn into a square or a rectangle based on what is coming at you. The music in the trailer is pretty good, and the game features a level editor and a number of officially made levels that have non copyrighted music.
Shards of the Banished (Third-person Action RPG)
Upon first looking at the trailer for this, I couldn’t help but think that the developer of this game wants it to be like Elden Ring or Demon’s Souls. You’re an exiled heir who needs to face different enemies, defeat them, and be able to claim what is rightfully yours after a usurper and a cursed queen have taken power. It takes place in a dark fantasy medieval world. For some reason the trailer for the game looks a lot better than the still shots on the sales page. 93% of 15 reviews are positive!
Cheap Retro Gaming 
Leave a comment