Tag: Reviews
-

Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand Review: Fun Reinvention
Company of Heroes is one of those games that has followed certain formula for years, not wanting to get out of a certain comfort zone and insisting on making territorial control just as important as battlefield tactics. Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand shakes things up by asking us not to conquer the battlefield, but…
-

Sunday Sims Spotlight #10: Crystal Creations
Considering how there’s a mountain of content for The Sims 4, it’s incredibly easy to overlook some or all Stuff Packs. Most shouldn’t be ignored by veterans, as they introduce a few nice outfits, some furniture, and maybe an object we’ll use once before moving on to the next family. Crystal Creations is another one…
-

Interview: How Hit Start Nailed Co-Op in Brave Escape
Making a game where two players have to move in perfect sync is tough. Hit Start Studios took that on with Brave Escape, a platformer that makes players rely on a core set of rope and boost moves. After a solid PC launch, the studio brought the game to consoles. Game Designer Steve Ciaramitaro explained…
-

Atomic Picnic Review – Memorable Bullet Heaven!
Atomic Picnic is an action roguelite that thrives on the joy of the movement mechanic. From the moment we stepped into its bright, anime-inspired world, we found ourselves bouncing, grappling, and flying across arenas with an energy that never really faded. Your main tools are the various Impulse Gears, and they’re much more than simple…
-

Lost & Found: Returning to One of Indie Gaming’s Best Mysteries
Some games leave an impression while you’re playing them. Others stay with you long after the credits roll. This Bed We Made belongs firmly in the second category. We finished it during a cold afternoon back in November 2023, and despite its relatively short runtime, we still find ourselves thinking about it often. Whenever someone…
-

Expeditions: Samurai Early Access: A Strong First Step Into Feudal Japan
History has inspired plenty of strategy games over the years, but, for the life of us, we can’t think of a lot of RPGs that throw us into the middle of a real conflict and let us shape its outcome ourselves. Set during Japan’s Sengoku period, Expeditions: Samurai lands us on Japanese shores and throws…
-

Conquest Dark Review: Borrowing the best parts of ARPGs
Conquest Dark borrows heavily from traditional action RPGs, giving every run a stronger sense of character progression than most of its competitors. It may look familiar at first glance, yet after a few runs it becomes clear that its real strength lies in how it lets us shape a hero from the ground up before…
-

Interview with Tim Berce: Designing the Mechanics of Sensory Overload
When solo developer Tim Berce started working on a prototype inspired by Minecraft’s dropper maps, he wasn’t expecting it to go viral. Yet, his upcoming game Sensory Overload has amassed over 70 million views and 90,000 wishlists ahead of its demo release. This interview would not have been possible without the wonderful people at Two…
-

Sephiria Review: The Bunny Bites Back
The first thing we noticed after naming our bunny Fluffy wasn’t the combat or the colorful pixel art. It was the music. The cheerful soundtrack immediately put us at ease, and watching the wind gently sway the trees only reinforced the feeling that we were about to embark on some cozy little adventure. Since we…
-

Dragonsword Giveaway & 5 Hard-Earned Lessons From Game Devs (#2)
Welcome to the second edition of the Dev & Play Media newsletter. Before we get to the games, I just want to say thanks. Over at Linkedin, we crossed 100 subscribers this week! Watching this list grow so fast has been great, and I really appreciate you taking the time to read this. Our small…
