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Wishlist XP | Flock Around, Snap & Grab

Flock Around is a multiplayer bird watching game. Explore a nature sanctuary with friends, snap pictures of birds, and fill out the guide book!

🎮 Flock Around on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | April 24th, 2026

Do crimes using only your camera and your crew! In Snap & Grab, any photo you take could be the key to cool crime success. Travel to exotic sandbox locations, photograph treasures and reveal threats, then combine your photos in unique ways to create a rad heist plan.

🎮 Snap & Grab on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | April 24th, 2026

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | CUBO

Hey! Cubo was my 50th backed game on Kickstarter! I am now a superbacker, woo!

You can playtest the game right now on Steam!

A narrative adventure-puzzle game set on a rubik's cube world

🎮 CUBO | Kickstarter | Steam

Quest Vibes | Dosa Divas by Marskye

My review is coming soon! Bit delayed, but the soundtrack is fire and my favorite is Village Groove.

🎮Dosa Divas | Steam

Quest Loot | Cult of the Lamb Designworks

🏪Lost in Cult | Cult of the Lamb Designworks

Gaming Club | Chants of Sennaar

Want to play Chants of Sennaar? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it.

It’s our game of the month for April 2026. It’s on sale on Steam at 40% off!

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

🎮 Chants of Sennaar on Steam

Also, we picked Tunic and Disco Elysium for May and June, if you want to join for those instead.

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The Triple-i Interactive | Games to Wishlist

Neverway is one indie darling I know is on many gamers’ wishlists. The game is co-created by Pedro Medeiros, pixel artist of Celeste, with music by Disasterpeace. You can watch the new trailer above, with more gameplay, and they dropped a prologue you can play right now! I also highly recommend checking out the game’s official website. https://neverwaygame.com

After quitting her dead-end job, Fiona starts over on a farm and becomes the immortal herald of a dead god. Make friends, fight through horrors and pay your debt in this nightmarish life sim RPG.

🎮 Neverway on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | October 2026

I shared Long Gone a while ago when they first revealed the game. We were finally shown a gameplay trailer, and it’s looking great! Visually reminds me a lot of Replaced (Which a review is coming for next week!). It also feels like The Last of Us, but in a 2D-3D pixel world.

Explore an abandoned suburban neighborhood decades after the outbreak. Solve environmental puzzles with your cat companion and uncover the secret lives of the people long gone through the belongings they left behind in this atmospheric 3D pixel narrative adventure. Oh, and watch out for the zombies.

🎮 Long Gone on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2027

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The studio that brought us the hit game 1000xResist comes a new take on how AI takes over a human body and believes it’s more human than humans. Or as my live chat said during the showcase: CAPTCHA the game.

An AI dares to dream she is human. You've been hired to put her in her place.

🎮 Prove You're Human on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | To be announced

Friendslop? Maybe! Muppets as characters? Yes, please! Too Deep To Quit is a treasure-hunting co-op game that is definitely going into rotation for the Discord co-op sessions.

Grab your gear and your friends for a hilarious, golden-age co-op adventure! Dive into cursed temples, hunt for the ultimate treasure, and work together to stay alive. Beware of everything and everyone... after all, only the survivors get to split the gold!

🎮 Too Deep To Quit on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2026

Good Game Lobby | Review Under the Island

This week’s game I reviewed was Under the Island, a Zelda-like game that hit all my nostalgic spots.

Gaming Club | Chants of Sennaar

Want to play Chants of Sennaar? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it.

It’s our game of the month for April 2026. It’s on sale on Steam at 40% off!

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

🎮 Chants of Sennaar on Steam

Also, we picked Tunic and Disco Elysium for May and June, if you want to join for those instead.

Nia is new to Sea Shell Island, and when she discovers that the fate of the island rests in her hands, it’s her turn to prove herself and uncover ancient mysteries.

• Game: Under the Island

• Studio: Slime King Games

• Publisher:

• Platforms: Steam

• Completion Time: 10-12 Hours

• Price: $19.99

• Genre: Zelda-Like, Action RPG, Pixel

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Game Lobby Review of Under The Island, an action RPG Zelda-Like from Slime King Games, and published by Top Hat Studios. It’s a Zelda-like that harkens back to one of my all-time favorite games: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Under the Island looks great, plays great, and has snuck into my heart as one of my must-play games of 2026. Let’s jump into the story.

Sinking Destiny

Nia quickly learns on arrival that Sea Shell Island is doomed to sink. With her companion Avocado and guidance from a divine elder, she sets out to collect crucial items to save the island.

I can’t talk about too much more without spoiling the story, but rest assured, you can coast through the game, only taking in bits and pieces, and still come out thinking it’s the best Zelda-like of the year. For example, Zelda games follow a similar pattern—you have to collect items and eventually defeat the big bad. It’s the same here, but this time the protagonist has a voice, and she uses it often to put people in their place.

The way she navigates builds the story up, giving it more weight than the previous Zelda titles of that time period did. I am saying Zelda a lot. Sorry!

Classic Reinvented

The gameplay of Under the Island feels snappy, and the comparison to Link to the Past is warranted. It reminds me so much of it that certain patterns of gameplay felt natural and familiar. I almost speed ran the game because of that. Your weapon is not a sword; instead, Nia’s weapon of choice is her hockey stick. You will no doubt go around chopping down bushes for hearts, moving around stones to solve puzzles, and finding hidden chests with items for your journey. Think everything Zelda in a 90’s fantasy world.

There is something so rewarding about opening a chest or solving a sidequest and getting a new heart coin, which increases your maximum health. I even sidelined myself by going on a full run, trying to collect as many as possible before the endgame. You can also improve Nia’s healing abilities and weapon damage by foraging for special items around the island and either exchanging them or using them through the game’s upgrade menus. The puzzles, fighting, and exploring had me stuck with a permanent smile on my face throughout the island. The way they introduced familiar weapons or mechanics was similar to other titles, but the upgrade system and foraging for items offer a modern take, making Nia stronger and more equipped as you progress.

In your time on Sea Shell Island, you will explore 6 different biomes with their own set of challenges and puzzles. The amount of puzzle work in the game is impressive, all keeping things fresh and never repeating in style and difficulty. I even had to reference a walkthrough for one because I was stumped! This was due to user error and was not the game’s fault.

I recommend foraging most when you can because the upgrades to healing and weapon damage make the late game smooth sailing.

Cozy Pixels

The vibrant pixel art and world designs felt warm and cozy. I wouldn’t mind living on Sea Shell island even with the game’s end-of-the-world premise.

The top-down action RPG might be done to death for some, but not for me! Just think about Mina the Hollower and how hyped the gaming world is for an advanced version of a Zelda-inspired game.

The world of Under the Island is gorgeous, and the design of the NPCs’ portraits is also a nice touch that builds into the characters’ back stories. The color palette also plays a role in the vibrant world. I wish I could own a real-life heart coin.

Nostalgic Harmony

The soundtrack was a delight, with many songs evoking a nostalgic feeling. They collaborated with Miyoko Takaoka (Terranigma), Edward Marianukroh (Chained Echoes), and Robert Kilpatrick (Born of Bread). These composers come together to create a wonderful soundscape that will stay with me forever.

One song in particular that I couldn’t get enough of was Baleru Forest by Edward. Take a listen and let me know what you think in the comments.

Timeless Adventure

On my 8th birthday, I was at home sick with the flu. To my surprise, my parents gifted me an SNES and Link to the Past. Still one of the best birthdays ever, and it set off a chain of events that led me to where I am today. It’s still one of my favorite games of all time. That being said, you can say Under the Island made a link to my past. (Sorry)

I wish things were still the same as back then, with a physical cartridge that I could trade my copy of the game with friends so we could all play it in short bursts. It brought back so many of those old memories, and I thank the developer for that. It felt good to be a kid again.

Under the Island took me 12 hours to complete the main quest, with a decent amount of the heart coins collected. I played almost exclusively on my ROG Ally, and it ran buttery smooth. It’s also Steam Deck verified.

Under the Island took roughly 3-4 years to make, and it shows in the attention to detail. Where some of the writing took a back seat because of the addictive gameplay, it still didn’t disappoint. They have set up a world I would love to revisit in a sequel. The collection method and quests grow well and give the game a ton of replayability.

Nia is bright and has a leadership role, continuing to set a great example with each biome explored and challenges solved. I particularly enjoyed the latter half of the game because of how the game wraps up the story, and the puzzles needed to be solved.

It never felt like it was dragging. In fact, I felt like I was speed running with how quickly I was running through the world and enemies, even with 12+ hours of gameplay.

A great looking game with smooth gameplay, an inspiring tale of a young girl against the odds, and a phenomenal soundtrack all came together for an adventure I hope inspires a fresh new franchise because I am hungry for more!

The natural successor to Link to the Past was Ocarina of Time, so no pressure, but I would love to play a 3d version of this game. The link to the past was my entry into the Zelda world, and that is how I hope a younger audience feels when playing Under the Island. If 2d top down action adventures are your bag, then I highly recommend this must-play game of the year.

The mission of Slime King Games is:

And I can say for me at least, they did just that.

It’s out now on PC, Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation and comes in at $19.99. I am starting to sense a pattern for the indies I love that have a great quality coming at $20.

Thank you for the review from Top Hat Entertainment, and thanks for checking out my review of Under The Island. Also, is on Substack!

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Wishlist XP | Hidden around the World, Nippets

I just received the key for Hidden around the World, and I can’t wait to get started! This adorable-looking hidden object game is one of the cozy games I saw at the recent Wholesome Direct.

Travel the world in this cozy hidden-object adventure with decoration and discover the charm of cities like Tokyo, Paris, New York, and many more!

🎮 Hidden around the World on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | April 6th, 2026 (demo available)

Okay, I get it. This is the second cozy game I am sharing, and it’s ALSO a hidden object game—they are completely different! Nippets has a great hand-drawn animation style that is completely my vibe.

A hand-drawn hidden object game inspired by the joy of people watching and telling small stories. Shake trees, peek through windows and spin curious objects to uncover secrets and follow the lives of its charming inhabitants.

🎮 Nippets on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | April 7th, 2026 (demo available)

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Boss Fight Books Presents

I backed Boss Fights Books’ last campaign, and I am excited to share that they are back. Age of Empires is the focus now, with over 29 interviews of those involved in the game.

Age of Empires is a game I have never played, but I am fascinated by the development and can’t wait to read this. Also, I love the contrast between the the hardcover and paperback covers. The campaign is at $13,500 of the $5,000 they asked for! 👀 AND we still have 26 days left on the campaign.

The creation & legacy of the 1997 real-time strategy game, based on interviews w/ 29 former Ensemble & Microsoft staff.

🎮 Age of Empires: How Ensemble Studios Made History | Kickstarter

Quest Vibes | Hozy (Original Game Soundtrack)

Hozy was released a few days ago, and it’s a cozy sandbox game. Its design is beautiful and almost realistic in its style. It is cozy in the relaxing gameplay of restoring a forgotten world to its former glory. The soundtrack by Morusque is charming and chill.

If you don’t try out the whole soundtrack, at least listen to Sea Change, one of my favorites.

🎵 Yann Van Der Cruyssen | Morusque | Hozy (Original Game Soundtrack)
🎮 Hozy on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out now!

Quest Loot | Mewgenics Original Sountrack | Lost in Cult

recently shared a song from the soundtrack of Mewgenics, so I naturally checked it out. I am loving what I am hearing, so it’s no surprise that Lost in Cult is not only making the records, but has made a ton of beautifully designed ones.

Quest Loot really is 80% Lost in Cult at this point, huh? Maybe I should get paid for this? XD What other gaming merch or brands should I check out? Let me know in the comments!

📔Mewgenics 3xLP Vinyl | Lost In Cult

Gaming Club | Chants of Sennaar

Want to play Chants of Sennaar? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it.

It’s our game of the month for April 2026. Fun fact, it’s available on the March Humble Bundle if you want to get it and a handful of other great games.

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

🎮 Chants of Sennaar on Steam | Humble Bundle (AD)

Full disclosure, I get a kickback on any Humble Bundle bought through the link above. :)

Also, we picked Tunic and Disco Elysium for May and June. :)

• Game: Mr. Sleepy Man

• Studio: Devin Santi

• Publisher: Monster Theater

• Platforms: Steam

• Completion Time: 5 Hours

• Price: $19.99

• Genre: Comedy, Adventure, 3D Platformer

• ✅ Steam Deck Verified

Hello everyone, and welcome to the review of Mr. Sleepy Man, solo developed by Devin Santi and the first platformer published by Monster Theater Games. It’s a comedy 3D platformer. I wasn’t planning on playing it, as I was taking a small break from reviewing games, but it arrived in my inbox on a Monday morning, and after finding out it’s a short game, I figured, why not?

In 2026, this is now the 3rd platformer I am reviewing alongside Big Hops and Lil Gator Game In The Dark. What I can say is that it definitely holds its own, being uniquely different from the former games and building on its odd dream world. Let’s get into the story.

Dream Dive

You awaken in a messy room with a broken TV, spilled cereal, and a Lonely 64. You grab the cartridge for Mr. Sleepy Man, pop it into the console, start it up, and that’s when a hand bursts out of the TV and drags you into the game. You wake to this goofy-sounding character named Teefy, who is your right-hand man, and he explains your slumber with the best voice and comedic timing that reminds me of an Adult Swim show.

Mr. Sleepy Man joins a group of distinguished misters—like Mr. Bean, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Bond, Mr. GIF, Mr. T, Mr. Fantastic—adding Mr. Sleepy Man to the quirky mix.

Your first task is to literally go back to sleep, but not before getting a blanket and pillow. Your blanket doubles as your air glider, and gladly, it’s right from the start of the game, not like waiting forever to get it in Breath of the Wild. You are ready for the outside world, where Teefy says not to mess anything up, but your task is titled “Mess Everything Up”. Okay, Mr. Santi, I am ready to mess things up!

Chaotic Platforming

The gameplay is where you hit the ground running. For instance, I went down into the town, walked into a convenience store, and stole the keys from a grandmother, then took her car. If Teefy wasn’t the first indication that this is a comedy, then drifting around, smashing into the folks of the town, and collecting notes on a musical highway should be. After crashing the car, I stumbled upon the first of 5 items needed to complete the main story. Imagine one of the biggest pieces of the game’s overall main storyline within the first 8 minutes of gameplay, and all on a whim.

Okay, let’s get into the surprisingly quick movements of the Mister of sleeping. Using your blanket to air glide, you can then jump into a diving forward position using your pillow, which will help you slide at a tremendous speed. Similar to what you see in Mario Odyssey or the aforementioned Big Hops. Once you get the hang of it, the feeling is amazing to speed around all while sleeping.

Creating havoc in this world builds up your meter, which, when full, causes a nightmare. Waking up the moon and making a mess of the whole dang place. The aesthetic of the world shifts to a VHS-filtered look, and the only way to fix things is to get back to bed. This nightmare mode has its negative effects, like NPCs chasing you to be put in jail or beaten incessantly.

Similar to Mario 64, you will explore while collecting stars. Which is once again a delightful comedic part of the game. Collect a shiny, odd-shaped star, and the screen gives this message. WOW you found something Shiny. Damn it if it doesn’t take the wind out of your sails when you think about all the shiny things you have already found in countless other platformers. Why does this feel better even though it’s the most sarcastic reward ever?

These shiny things are used in the Underworld to repair broken dream screens that hold the memories of the past. This is where you get deeper into the lore and also learn about Teefy’s troubled past alongside a host of other characters’ lives. Teefy’s story could be one of the best storytelling beats in a game. Honestly, I was depressed about his story, but that pop punk ballad accompanying it made it worth the whole experience.

You have plenty of puzzles to solve, like stealing a key to unlock a light that will, in turn, shine on the moon’s face. The granny’s keys to crash her car that I mentioned earlier. Or one of my favorites, the Bear who has a crippling addiction to nudey magazines. The speed at which you will play all depends on how easily you can control Mr. Sleepy Man. I found myself running through a platform and falling off the edge, but no worries, Santi has added plenty of shortcuts to assist.

I can not stand when a camera is locked, and you have no control. Thanks to the developer for thinking to add a button that will either lock the camera behind Mr. Sleepy Man or let you freely move it. This accessibility provides a great gameplay experience! Which leads me into boss battles where being free to roam around is a big assist. They didn’t provide a big challenge, and maybe that’s by design to keep a steady rhythm.

I have shared a lot here, but the gameplay is the main focus, of course. The last thing I wanted to share is that the game is packed with plenty of collecting. From pillows and stars, and the clouds that, as you collect, will add more health to the mister. Where I powered through in 4-5 hours, I imagine a few more would give you 100% completion.

Surreal Style

This 3D platformer follows a trend of indie games where the graphics don’t push the boundaries in terms of quality, but focus more on the overall design vibes. Hand-animated flat surfaces are used for the tears of the moon, which is also a 3D-designed, almost clay-like model. Some of the hand-drawn tiles on platforms look like references to animated TV shows of the 90s, like Rugrats. Devin used a ton of inventive visual gags to add depth to the game. The VHS effect is welcome, and you can even toggle it on at all times. The musical numbers offer opportunities for music video-like visuals. Which is a great time to get into the soundtrack.

Musical Magic

One of the highlights of the soundtrack is the pop-punk anthem to Teefy’s relationship with Dinosaur Jones, which shreds alongside platforming–one of the biggest highlights for me. This is where Mr. Sleepy Man truly shines. When you own the whole process of a video game, there are no limits to what you can achieve, and this sequence is evidence of that.

It’s no wonder it’s all pulled together so well because Mr. Sleepy Santi works in music as a singer, songwriter, and producer. Take a look at this official music video for the pop punk anthem Lost In Dreams.

Okay, I can’t move on from the soundtrack without also highlighting the Mr. Sleepy Man theme. I’ve been playing it at home all week, and now my 7-year-old and I are singing the lyrics of the song and imitating the spicy bass line all the time. The press kit I was shared mentioned that the idea for the game came from the original music video idea for the theme song.

Charmed, I Am Sure?

Mr. Sleepy man took me roughly 5 hours to complete. I think you get a ton of hand-holding on mechanics, and even at one point, a sign says that the developer watched someone spend 20 minutes on this part, so he hints at what you can do. Yes, sure, platformers always have a bit of user error, and I applaud the humility in the explanation, but Mr. Sleepy Man could learn a thing or two from the platformers that precede it. It was fun, but I was still puzzled by a few areas and what the next task was. Also, you keep adding more and more tasks to check off, which might come off as overwhelming to some.

There is room for improvement, but maybe during testing, he noticed the game had too much hand-holding. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy my time with the game. The well-designed odd world and premise work well together with the brilliant and playful soundtrack. It’s a good game that is a few minor tweaks away from being a great game.

I want to highlight the attention to detail Devin put into the random TVs you come across, where I would lose my focus and watch TV in-game. Littered with jokes, great animations, and short-form songs. This is one of the most interesting games you will come across. I think platforming fans should definitely check it out and give the soundtrack a spin; you will not be disappointed.

The comedy beats in the game are unmatched, and I don’t think I laughed this much playing a game since Thank Goodness You’re Here. It’s out now on Steam, and I believe it’s coming to consoles this year. It’s priced at $19.99, which is a sweet spot for indie games I talk about often. I played exclusively on my ROG Ally, and it ran perfectly with no issues.

Thank you to Devin and Monster Theater for the review key, and a big congratulations on the release of the game!

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Wishlist XP | Bubble Frog 2, Go! Go! Mister Chickums, Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland

My indie gaming bestie Timbo Johnson is hard at work on the follow-up to one of my favorite Gameboy games that was released in 2024—Bubble Frog. Now in part two, we are getting more levels, a possible 2-player mode (let him cook), and a whole bunch of unlockables. He is also running a Ko-Fi page if you want to assist his development of the game. Link below!

Having finished his grand adventure in Bubble Frog DX our hero has returned to Hub Town to get some much-needed rest! I’m sure OniGary won’t lose his Onigiri AGAIN! I’m sure the Onigiri God won’t be angered by this and demand Bubble Frog go on a quest to collect artifacts from all over the world to appease his wrath!

🎮 Bubble Frog 2 by Timbo Johnson | Kofi
🗓️ Release Date | To Be Announced

I loved the look and feel of GO! GO! Mister Chickums. This platformer is inspired by retro games, but it looks fresh and new in a way I can’t describe—watch the trailer please.

GO! GO! MISTER CHICKUMS is a fun, classic single-screen platformer inspired by arcade hits from the 80s. Playable in single player or couch co-op mode for 2 players. Are you ready to take over the leaderboards?

🎮 Go! Go! Mister Chickums on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | April 2nd 2026 (demo out now)

Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland feels like its been in development for an eternity. I am so happy to see its releasing next week and I am only finding out now its a Metroidvania! 👀

Explore a dream world as the iconic Little Nemo, armed with toys, candy, and stuffed animals in this cute & colorful Metroidvania adventure. Experience NES-era platformer gameplay in a vast, non-linear world that has been hand-animated frame-by-frame, as you unlock new abilities to progress.

🎮 Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | March 31st 2026 (demo out now)

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | CONTINUE: A Defiant, New Videogames Magazine

Just a quick update! If you have already backed the campaign they just added a new pledge for a special edition cover of the magazine.

Look at this beauty, and the goose is now wearing a scarf lol.

Bringing together journalists, devs and artists, CONTINUE celebrates and interrogates videogame culture, creativity and community.

🎮 CONTINUE: A Defiant, New Videogames Magazine | Kickstarter

Quest Vibes | Under The Island Soundtrack | Eddie Marianukroh

I have rolled credits on Under the Island, and all I can say is wow! A Zelda-Like in the theme of Link to the Past. It checked off so many nostalgia boxes for me. A review is coming, but for now, why not enjoy one of the songs from the brilliant soundtrack?

🎵 Eddie Marianukroh | Under the Island
🎮 Under The Island on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out now!

Quest Loot | A Communal History of Metroidvania Video Games — Lost In Cult

Lost In Cult is starting a new book series called A Communal History of… and they are beginning with one of my new favorite genres: Metroidvanias. I don’t have to add more, do I? It’s Lost in Cult. You know it’s good.

📔A Communal History of Metroidvania Video Games | Lost In Cult

Gaming Club | Chants of Sennaar

Want to play Chants of Sennaar? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it.

It’s our game of the month for April 2026. Fun fact its available on the March Humble Bundle if you want to get it and a handful of other great games.

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

🎮 Chants of Sennaar on Steam | Humble Bundle (AD)

Full disclosure I get a kick back on any Humble Bundle bought through the link above. :)

Also, we picked Tunic and Disco Elysium for May and June. :)

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Wishlist XP | Rubato, ROVA

I still haven’t tried the Rubato demo, but gave a brief review that only made me more confused. Not in a bad way, but in a yeah, it’s as weird as you thought type of way. 😅

RUBATO, an experimental, 2D physics-based take on the collect-a-thon genre!

🎮 RUBATO on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | March 20th 2026 (out today)

Last week, I shared Rover’s Tale, and this week I am sharing ROVA. It’s something about Rovers on other planets that reminds me of a future where they replace pets. Also, it looks like Sable and plays like TOEM. Sounds good to me!

ROVA is a cozy space-rover photography game. Help a new space colony conduct research on large spherical planets, by documenting elements of alien worlds through photography. ROVA is a game about discovery and exploration.

🎮 ROVA on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | March 27 2026

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | CONTINUE: A Defiant, New Videogames Magazine

A majority of the campaigns I back on Kickstarter are video games. Sometimes a book or magazine on gaming will make its way onto my feed. As I was searching for campaigns to back, a new indie gaming magazine, Continue, had just launched. It took me a couple of minutes to watch the video, see the team’s passion, and the amazing cover to back it up right then and there.

As of this post, they have reached an outstanding $73k AUD of the initial $25k AUD, and have another 20 days to go! 👀

They promise to “celebrate and examine videogames and the different ways they impact broader culture.” I am all for more physical media in gaming when everything seems to be shifting to digital—when it’s coming from passionate gamers in the mostly indie gaming space. Go back it now!

Bringing together journalists, devs and artists, CONTINUE celebrates and interrogates videogame culture, creativity and community.

🎮 CONTINUE: A Defiant, New Videogames Magazine | Kickstarter

Quest Vibes | Mr. Sleepy Man

I just started my playthrough of Mr. Sleepy Man, and I can’t wait to share more, but today we are focusing on something else. The vibes from the Mr. Sleepy Man Theme song are stunning. It has these synth stabs that remind me of early Sonic, but it has all the makings of a Ghostbusters theme song nostalgia overload. Think MC Hammer in the Addams Family Values soundtrack. Okay, I am all over the place, but go press play and have 1:24 of bliss.

🎮 Mr. Sleepy Man on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out now!

Quest Loot | ON3: Elden Ring Edition

I recently reviewed the first two issues of ON Games Magazine, and I am very excited to share that they are launching issue 3 on Kickstarter. Read my review here:

It’s going to feature ON Games’ alumni Keza MacDonald, Keith Stuart, Christian Donlan, Yussef Cole, Nicole Carpenter, and many more!

This version of ON is unique in that it has a larger overall focus on all things Elden Ring. We can expect deep dives into the lore and the recent Night Reign release. They also shared that if they hit stretch goals, we will get more mini-features on the series.

It’s shaping up to be a jam-packed issue with tons of great writing talent, and I can’t wait to back it soon. You can go to Kickstarter to save the campaign to be notified when it launches or head to their website to be added to a VIP mailing list.

📔ON3: Elden Ring Edition | Kickstarter | Website

Gaming Club | Dredge

Want to play Dredge? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it. We’ve started playing, and people are already loving it or scared—as they should be!

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

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Future Game Show Spring Showcase

Last night I co-streamed the Future Game Show Spring Showcase. A few people from the community joined, and we had a great time! We were scared of horror games, barraged by first-person shooters, and surprised by a ton of great new indie game reveals, deep dives, and more. Here are a few that stood out to me!

Wishlist XP | Future Game Show Spring Showcase

I play at least one point-and-click game a year. I played Phoenix Springs in 2024, and POCO in 2025. Now I have Unboxing Mr. Coo— did point out that I already said I would play Wax Heads. Let us see what happens!

Mr Coo gets into a new conundrum, this time through the not-so-simple act of opening a gift box. A puzzle and narrative game without words, where you click your way through a mesmerizing toy.

🎮 Unboxing Mr. Coo on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | To Be Announced

ReVamp won for best game title, and everyone in the chat agreed it looked great! Okay, a Metroidvania, but it's also a tower defense game, and has beautifully animated visuals. Sign me up.

Rule as Dracula in this castle-defense roguelite. Shape your fortress room by room, command an army of monsters, and step into battle yourself to protect your throne from relentless mortal invaders. A war waged for eternity, for the love you couldn’t save.

🎮 ReVamp on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | To Be Announced

Rover’s Tale is a charming tale of a way to have good, good, doggos live forever through space rovers. Please, go wishlist this, and then comment below that this is now your most anticipated game of the year. Also, Metroidvania? 🐶

A creature-collecting metroidvania, in a world where dogs live on forever amongst the stars as Space Rovers! Become a LAIKA Rover! Catch & research creatures, then use their abilities to explore a new frontier! Upgrade & customize, as you help your canine companions to unravel an ancient mystery!

🎮 Rover's Tale on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2026

The initial trailer for Hello Sunshine was a great tease of what could become an epic tale. This new deep dive solidifies it as a larger-than-life adventure. The director shares details of the gameplay, and how the robot battle is the first step into this world.

A survival mystery set in the ruins of a corporate empire. Walk in the shadow of a giant robot during the sweltering days; stay close to keep warm during the cold nights. Scavenge, craft, upgrade — and piece together the broken puzzle of a world ruled by machines that refuse to shut down.

🎮 Hello Sunshine on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Coming Soon

The 9th Dragon is a gorgeous voxel side-scrolling beat em' up with a fun-looking loop of gameplay. How did I only hear about it now!?

Fight through the criminal underworld of 1980s Kowloon Walled City: The 9th Dragon is a brutal narrative-driven action game with tactical combat and branching choices, where every decision shapes the fate of the city.

🎮 The 9th Dragon on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | To Be Announced

The chat let out a “finally one for us” during the show when Adorable Adventures hit the screen—we were bombarded once again by many horror games. XD

A baby boar on an adventure to reunite with its family. The name of the game wraps up the premise perfectly. It is indeed an Adorable Adventure.

Play as Boris, a curious baby boar who must learn how to use his nose to reunite with his family after a forest fire. Explore beautiful landscapes, track scents, and uncover secrets as you slowly reconnect with nature in this cozy animal adventure.

🎮 Adorable Adventures on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | April 30th 2026

The Dungeon Experience looks like a great game. The hilarious trailers and marketing of the game had me at the edge of my seat. It’s my type of stupid humor. I don’t usually like this scripted style of showcases, but this was perfect for me.

The Dungeon Experience is a comedy first-person adventure about a low-level mudcrab chasing his dream of helping YOU experience the true bliss of Financial Freedom*

🎮 The Dungeon Experience on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | To Be Announced

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Kami Quest: Enter The Imagynasium

When you follow creators on Kickstarter you see what they end up backing on the platform. Chris Wade, who created Big Hops, recently backed Kami Quest. When I saw the notification, I went out to check the game and love what they put together. Two days later, Lance from the Kami Quest team joined the GGL Discord (link here to join), shared a cute picture of his cat, and then shared the link to the game. I immediately went to Kickstarter and backed it.

The early 2000’s 3D style of graphics sets the mood for this wacky 3D platformer. I am also noticing I have a thing for these types of games. Do yourself a favor and check out the campaign page to learn more about this Imagynasium—go back it now. As of this post, it’s reached $44k with an initial ask of $10k with 20 days to go! 👀

Kami Quest is a whimsical 3D platformer inspired by the golden age of video games. You play as Sabbath, an energetic Dalmatian exploring the mysterious, ever-shifting world of the Imagynasium, a giant living castle filled with spirits, surreal environments, and secrets tucked into every corner.

🎮 Kami Quest: Enter The Imagynasium | Kickstarter | Steam (Demo out now!)

Gaming Club | Dredge

Want to play Dredge? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it. We’ve started playing and people are already loving it or scared—as they should be!

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

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Wishlist XP | FROGGONIT, Slay The Spire 2

FROGGONIT is keeping up the apparent unofficial year of the frog. I watched Fuz Games develop the game since I started GGL. It’s been a lot of fun seeing all the goofs and caked up frog footage. They are one of the kindest developers and people to follow on socials. Now the game is releasing today and I am so excited to check it out. Support indie game developers and Fuz Games!

FROGGONIT was trying to be the best explorer but accidentally covered the island with darkness! Hop into this comedy adventure game full of secrets and help your animal friends restore the light!

🎮 FROGGONIT on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | March 6th 2026 Out Today!

At some point I discovered Slay The Spire and feel like I lost 3 weeks of my life. I remember starting the game and then it was all a blur. I loved every dang second of this game, and I can not wait to pick up Slay The Spire II which is OUT NOW!

The iconic roguelike deckbuilder returns. Craft a unique deck, encounter bizarre creatures, and discover relics of immense power in Slay the Spire 2!

🎮 Slay the Spire 2 on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out Now!

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Ben Fanfaire Collaboration with Takaya Imamura

I recently shared that I backed Ben Fanfaire the new game by Chibig Studio who previously released Mika and The Witch’s Mountain. The game is a unique blend of Majora’s Mask but developed in 2026. They just shared fantastic news that Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura is joining for a special collaboration.

If you are not familiar with Imamura’s work he created Star Fox and Captain Falcon which is already amazing in its own right. He also created almost all of the bosses, full map, and more from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

The game is coming in 2027, but the campaign is still live for today only! It’s also at $900,000 funded….👀👀👀👀👀

A witch accused, a world that hunts her, and an old cat who promised to protect her. Mia & Mio is a beautiful story and visual novel / adventure game about finding hope in dark times.

🎮 Bel’s Fanfaire | Kickstarter | Update

Quest Vibes | Chicory: A Musical Tale | Resonant Union

Chicory is another game sitting in my backlog, but for now at least I can enjoy the soundtrack by Lena Raine. Now with a collaborative effort a new soundtrack with 32 songs and an amazing list of people is coming our way. You can preview a few of those tracks below with the whole thing releasing tomorrow.

Resonant Union is a group of musicians dedicated to arranging and producing a variety of VGM-inspired albums. I love collaborations and I can not wait to hear the rest of the album

Made in collaboration with Lena Raine and Wishes Unlimited, we invite you to journey across Picnic Province after the events of the game, reliving memories and making new ones with 32 brand-new arrangements across four discs. Experience the sonic beauty of the seasons and join us as we paint the world with sound!

🎵 Chicory: A Musical Tale | Resonant Union

Quest Loot | Elden Ring - Dark Moon Greatsword Skateboard

Was anyone else obsessed with Elden Ring when it first released? You can keep that obsession going with this rad skateboard that also glows in the dark.

Elden Ring did a lot right with its design and how items felt charged with magical look and feel. They have captured that so well with this Dark Moon Greatsword design.

🎮 ELDEN RING | DARK MOON GREATSWORD SKATEBOARD DECK

Gaming Club | Dredge

Want to play Dredge? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it. We’ve started playing and people are already loving it or scared—as they should be!

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

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Wishlist XP | Esoteric Ebb, Ratcheteer DX, Planet of Lana II

Esoteric Ebb is one I highly recommend for my narrative-driven gamers. The writing is some of the best of all the Next Fest demos I’ve played, and has amazing comedic timing.

Esoteric Ebb is a single-player CRPG inspired by the freedom of tabletop adventures. Unravel a political conspiracy with your goblin sidekick. Roll dice in tense encounters. Become a cleric of legends or completely ruin the campaign.

🎮 Esoteric Ebb on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | March 3rd 2026

From Playdate to now, a colorful port to PC, Ratcheteer DX is another fantastic demo I had the pleasure of playing at this next fest. I am excited to jump into the full game next week.

Explore the interconnected caverns below the frozen surface and a vast Snowcean above as you set out to rescue friend, foe, and stranger alike in this lo-fi action-adventure!

🎮 Ratcheteer DX on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | March 5th 2026

Planet of Lana II is one of my community’s most anticipated games. (I haven’t finished the first game, sorry!) I am planning to override any voting and make it one of the upcoming Gaming Club games. Hopefully, everyone is okay with that! XD

As greed and power divide the tribes of their home planet, Lana and her little companion, Mui, must stand together against the forces reshaping their world – struggling not just for survival, but for the soul of their home.

🎮 Planet of Lana II on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | March 5th 2026

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Mia & Mio

I stumbled upon Mia & Mio randomly and had no idea it had a huge community. I received my alert to back the campaign, and after 10 minutes, it was fully funded. As of this post, it has 27 days left and is already 444% funded.

A witch accused, a world that hunts her, and an old cat who promised to protect her. Mia & Mio is a beautiful story and visual novel / adventure game about finding hope in dark times.

🎮 Mia & Mio | Kickstarter

Quest Vibes | Stardew Valley Symphony of Seasons 10th Anniversary Concert

I was sleeping when this debuted on YouTube earlier this morning. No worries, you can watch it now! When it comes to Stardew Valley, I am not the best person to ask. One thing I can share, though, is that it has some of the best music in gaming. It’s no wonder they have toured the world sharing in this amazing Symphony of Seasons.

The concert is playing right now as I last-minute edit this into today’s late newsletter.

I continue the 10th anniversary below with a beautiful Vinyl!

🎮 Stardew Valley on Steam

Quest Loot | Stardew Valley 10th Anniversary

It’s the 10th anniversary of Stardew Valley, and can you believe I only started playing late last year? I still don’t even know if I like it. XD

What a gorgeous vinyl and perfect for the upcoming spring season, as I am so over this winter season.

🎮 Fangamer | Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons Vinyl

Gaming Club | Dredge

Want to play Dredge? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it. Starting in March, we are playing Dredge!

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

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Wishlist XP | Demon Tides + The Dan Good Show

For the wishlist section, I usually post 3 upcoming games, but oddly enough, I don’t even have another game on my wishlist coming until March! So, this week, I will highlight Demon Tides, a game I’ve been excited about that I haven’t had a chance to play yet, but a friend of the channel, Dan from The Dan Good Show, did. Above, you can watch his gleaming review, and after you are done, go subscribe to his channel. He covers all sorts of indie and AAA games, and does so in a wholesome way!

Race across open oceans and uncover a kingdom’s dark secrets. Expressively platform your way across dozens of locales, upgrading your gear and modifying your move-set every step of the way!

🎮 Demon Tides on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out Now!

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Crowdfunding Checkpoint | GUN NOSE

Okay, if you are still reading, then stop—Press play on the video above. Then go straight to the comment section and tell me how good that was. You might not be the only one blown away by it, because as of this writing, the game is sitting at $160,000 funded with an initial ask of $35,000. 👀

An action-mystery RPG where you uncover clues and hunt killer robots, rendered in a revolutionary top-down 3D pixel art style.

🎮 Gun Nose | Kickstarter

Quest Vibes | Neva Prologue (Original Soundtrack) | Berlinist | Laced Records

This week, we were pleasantly surprised with a new DLC for Neva, one of last year’s hit indie games. I still haven’t played the main game, so I am a bit behind, but we were also given the soundtrack, which I’ve had on since the prologue was introduced.

The Berlinist soundtrack is quite sombre. One of my favorites is “Glowing Fortress,” which slowly builds to these soft synths and violins playfully melding together.

🎵 ▶︎ Neva Prologue (Original Soundtrack) | Berlinist | Laced Records
🎮 Neva on Steam ←50% off as of today’s post.

Quest Loot | Super Rare Games A Collector's Artbook

It’s one thing to release physical games, but when you primarily focus on Indies its something that should be celebrated. That’s why this week I wanted to share the newly released Art Book #1- #150 Games by Super Rare Games.

Features:

• 172 pages of 150gsm silk art paper, beautifully showcasing all 150 releases

• Photography, arrangement, and preface by Harry Knott

• Foreword by George Perkins

• Plus messages from developers, publishers, influencers, and fans who helped shape the journey!

The best was seeing that Grapple Dogs Cosmic Canines, and Tiny Terry’s Turb Trip were the 149th and 150th physical releases. I loved both of these games and had a wonderful time reviewing them. Support indie games, get amazing collector’s items, and share in physical gaming history—why not!

🎮 Super Rare Games | #1 to #150 Games - A Collector's Artbook

Gaming Club | Cult of the Lamb

Want to play Cult of the Lamb? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it.

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

• Game: Lil Gator Game

• Studio: MegaWobble

• Publisher: Playtonic Friends

• Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox

• Completion Time: 3 hours for the Main Game and 3 hours for DLC

• Price: $19.99 + DLC (no pricing as of review)

• Genre: Cute, Wholesome, Adventure

• ✅ Steam Deck Verified

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Game Lobby Review of Lil Gator Game and its newly released DLC, In The Dark. Developed by MegaWobble and published by Playtonic Friends, this indie adventure draws clear inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Instead of saving the world, you’re trying to save something much smaller in scope but bigger in emotions: playtime with your big sister.

Now with the DLC, In The Dark, that story evolves—the perspective shifts. And what starts as a game about wanting to be understood slowly becomes one about learning to understand someone else. Let’s talk about why Lil Gator Game and its DLC, In The Dark, might be one of the best heartfelt adventures you can play.

Growing Up

I named the main character Link, and it’s only fitting as it’s heavily influenced by the game featuring the “hero,” as is mentioned throughout the whole adventure.

You are given a montage of you and your big sister adventuring over the years, but now she is all grown and in university, too busy to play the hero’s adventures, and more focused on her group project. With your friends, you come up with the idea to build out an adventure so good that your sister cannot resist and joins you.

One of your friends, Martin, who is sarcastic yet forward, suggests chatting with her about it, but you are more focused on the adventure. You made a rule long ago that no work or seriousness would be involved in the adventures. It’s an all-too-painful realization as you get older. Not everything can be fun and games.

Lil Gator Game’s story is playful and adventurous. You meet many characters who are silly, and the sarcasm and witty dialogue you experience in the game keep the gameplay funny throughout. You will face resistance, become a leader at times, and have to work harder to convince everyone around you to join in, so you can finally convince your sister to join you.

You can even say that the dialogue, which at times is the main focus, elevates the story. Let me be clear, this is a children’s game, but the wit of the characters, 4th wall-breaking comments, and full-on roasting of Breath of the Wild’s mechanics made me fall in love with this game.

SPOILERS

Okay, basically, you have a heart-to-heart with your sister after completing all the main quests and creating a bigger playground adventure, and you finally break through. She closes her laptop and joins you, and we roll credits. It’s a tear-jerker moment, and I loved how it all wrapped up. In the DLC, In The Dark, things pick up right where you left off, with the park being built up to be this huge castle, and kids scattered around the world you created with friends.

But now a younger child, aptly dubbed the Darklord, has entered the picture. They are adamant that you need darkness, and they have filled that role. This time, instead of exploring the island, you are now headed back to the main island and into an abandoned cave.

If Lil Gator Game is Breath of the Wild, then In The Dark DLC is essentially Tears of the Kingdom. You are now underground once again fighting monsters, but this time around, the Darklord is running the show, and no one seems to be taking them seriously. In fact, you might be the only one who truly understands them, but they are too young to listen to reason.

In The Dark doubles the gameplay time, builds on more mechanics with traversal, and allows you to be the bigger person, leading to confrontations, playful acting, and more new areas to explore, all with an adorable built-up ending. I won’t go into much more detail, but if you played the first game, you’ll see a similar pattern.

Playground Mechanics

Let’s get into the main gameplay. For example, in the main game, you need to build up your stamina to be able to climb higher and glide further with your shirt glider. I recommend getting all the stamina rings because what you have acquired in the main game will carry over with you in the DLC.

You have 4 main items, starting with cosmetics, which, for the most part,s don’t add anything but style. It’s more of the weapons like cardboard swords, a shield which you use to slide around the record from the DLC being my favorite, and the special items like the foam flinger or exploding bowling ball meant to be a bomb.

In the main game, you have a set number of them, but in the DLC, you also get additional movement. For example, the axe you get introduced to early gives you these forward-bursting jumps, and you have stats to show how many times you can use them. The more items you unlock, the more stars you acquire, and by the end of the game, you are flying around with tremendous speed, making the movement so much fun.

Dark Colorful Worlds

Lil Gator Game looks wonderful. I say that it’s the 3D platforming A Short Hike, because the bright, colorful world feels similar, but the cell shading style is the highlight. It runs so well on both my PC and my Ally. It gives the world’s charming cast of characters lives of their own that play well into their own worlds.

In The Dark, the DLC gives us darker, underworld vibes, where, in the darkness, we are introduced to glow sticks and neon foliage that still embrace the loud playfulness of the outside world.

It looks great, runs smoothly, and honestly feels like a well-optimized experience that keeps you focused on the movement and story beats.

Soft Melodies

Recently, one of my friends who also reviewed Lil Gator Game– had a perfect take on the soundtrack.

Here is her review of Lil Gator Game:

Margot Plays Video Games

Reviews: Lil Gator Game

At Margot Plays, I write around 3 mins reviews of games that I have played focused on my experience, which is evolving as I play more games. In general the games’ story will have been completed, on easy mode if applicable and unless stated otherwise played on the steam deck OLED. This time I had it on Switch 2. While I bought it on the Nintendo store I …

Read more

2 months ago · 25 likes · 11 comments · Margot

Unfortunately, the soundtrack for In The Dark isn’t available yet. So, here is one of my favorites from the base game:

Carrying Imagination

You don’t have to take my word for it that Lil Gator Game is great; just look at the high review scores. It’s a no-brainer if you have 3+ hours to kill and want to play an adorable game with heart and witty humor.

What surprised me was how easily they were able to achieve the same with the DLC, In The Dark, increasing the amount of items and new inventive mechanics, designing a bigger underworld of places to explore, and still tugging at your heartstrings with a touching story about friendship, growth, and being the bigger person, sometimes literally. The DLC essentially doubles the experience, so you can complete it all in roughly 6–7 hours.

In the base game, you are playing the child looking up to your big sister, and in the DLC, you are becoming the older sibling. The best part of being a dad for me is creating worlds for my son to explore and seeing how much personality he already shows in how he reacts to whatever I give him. Growing up doesn’t mean leaving your imagination behind; it’s about learning to carry it with you.

Lil Gator Game In The Dark is a must-play if you have enjoyed the original game and were looking for more in this little world. I hope it carries as much success as the original, because I want an open-world game next—let’s call it Big Gator Game.

Thanks to Anni and the team at Playtonic for the review key, and thanks for reading my review of Lil Gator Game In The Dark.

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Wishlist XP | Under The Island, Aerial_Knight's DropShot

Under the Island is a modern take on familiar top-down Zelda-style games.

Embark on an epic adventure in Under the Island! A 2D action-adventure steeped in ‘90s charm, step into the shoes of Nia, and battle fierce monsters, solve clever puzzles, and explore a world alive with mystery as you race to save your new home before it’s too late.

🎮 Under The Island on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | February 17th 2026 (demo available)

I followed a bit of Aerial Knight’s development of Drop Shot, and the way he built it off his personal feeling and the community feedback looks to have created a wild, good time of a game.

Dropshot is a fast-paced, stylized FPS where you face off against enemies to grab a parachute and land first. Armed with limited "Finger Gun" bullets, outsmart enemies, avoid fire, and use slipstreams to survive. Only one will make it.

🎮 Aerial_Knight's DropShot on Steam
🗓️ Release Date | February 17thth 2026

Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Bruma

Bruma looks like an artistic 2D Metroidvania version of Stray. I've been following the game for some time, and they have 32 days left of the campaign with only $5000 to be fully funded. Check out the demo now!

A mysterious and cozy metroidvania of a cat searching for the memories of her friend, an old lady who has lost them.

🎮 Bruma | Steam | Kickstarter

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Quest Vibes | MainFrames (Micro-Chill Soundtrack) | Romain Rope

Main Frames is a game I am excited to check out—I was obsessed with the demo. What Romain Pope has done with the soundtrack is nothing short of perfection for my ears.

Filled with equal parts bleeps and bloops and also touching in the way he adds chiptune-style elevated melodies.

Here is my current favorite: [ADMIN_ANNIE] | Romain Rope

🎵 Romain Rope | MainFrames (Micro-Chill Soundtrack)
🎮 MainFrames on Steam

Personal Update! | Sey’s Pocket Doodles!

My new Substack just launched this week. Sey’s Pocket Doodles is my creative outlet to share art, comics, and more. Please check out the welcome post below and subscribe to weekly art from your favorite Indie Game curator. :)

Sey's Pocket Doodles

Welcome to Sey's Pocket Doodles!

Hey everyone and welcome…

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6 months ago · 15 likes · 6 comments · Sey

Gaming Club | Cult of the Lamb

Want to play Cult of the Lamb? Have it sitting in your backlog? Join the Gaming Club! It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play, and we discuss our experience with it.

Want to join the club? Join my Discord here.

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Wishlist XP | Lil Gator Game: In The Dark, Relooted

Back a few years ago when I was deciding on what games I would cover for the channel I was trying out big to small games across all genres. Would you believe me when I say that Lil Gator Game was one that gave me a clear idea of what I should play? I wanted shorter experiences by small studios and this little adventure checked all the boxes. Now they are back for a DLC that they claim DOUBLES the games original size. I am going to start streaming it so make sure to follow me on Twitch.

In this charming DLC you’ll find that new adventures and friends are just beneath the surface—literally! Get ready to “cave in” to the fun and find that you’re stalag-right where you belong!

🎮 Lil Gator Game: In The Dark DLC | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | February 12th 2026

Relooted is a African futurist heist game where you are recovering real African artifacts from private collectors and museums. Giving them back to those that rightfully deserve them. Stealing back things that colonizers took? Sign me up!

Reclaim real African artifacts from Western museums in this Africanfuturist heist game. Recruit crew members, plan escape routes, acquire the precious cargo, and bounce out of the joint as fast as you can.

🎮 Relooted | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | February 10th 2026 (demo available)

Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Bel’s Fanfare

I reviewed Chibig’s last Kickstarter funded game Mika and The Witch’s Mountain. It was a cozy Studio Ghibli inspired exploration game. Now they are back with a RPG that is inspired by Zelda—especially Majora’s Mask—titled Bel’s Fanfare.

It looks like a polished game from that era of Nintendo releases—and I am all for it. It’s been already funded 4x its asking amount and we are only 2 days into the campaign! 👀

Bel's Fanfare is an immersive RPG with exploration and expressive battle encounters. You play as Bel, the new aura cleaner of the once-luxurious vessel The Witch of the Sea.

🎮 Bel’s Fanfare | Steam | Kickstarter

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Quest Vibes | Cairn (Original Soundtrack) | Martin Stig Andersen, Gildaa, The Toxic Avenger

The MIO: Memories in Orbit was a fantastic demo and I am excited to hopefully get started on the game next month. In the meantime, I am falling deeper in love with the melancholy world Nicolas Gueguen has create for the soundtrack.

Here is one of my favorites that feels like a spacey version of something you would hear on Pink Floyd’s Echoes— Icy Memories.

🎵 Nicolas Gueguen | Kid Katana Records | MIO: Memories in Orbit (Original Game Soundtrack)
🎮 MIO: Memories in Orbit | Steam

Quest Loot | Cult of The Lamb Blanket

This month we are playing Cult of The Lamb for my Gaming Club. From the moment I started my first gameplay I was hooked. Now I am trying my hardest not to buy all the amazing merch. Like this cozy blanket from the latest DLC Woolhaven you can pre-order right now.

Join the club below! ⬇️

🎮 Cult of The Lamb | Steam
📻 Devolver Digital | Cult of The Lamb Blanket – Woolhaven (pre-order now)

Gaming Club | Cult of The Lamb

Want to play Cult of the Lamb? Have it sitting in your backlog? Come join Gaming Club. It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play and we discuss our experience with it.

Want to join the club? Join my discord here.

Subscribe now

• Game: Hermit and Pig

• Studio: Heavy Lunch Studios LLC

• Publisher: Heavy Lunch Studios LLC

• Platforms: Steam

• Completion Time: 10 Hours

• Price: — (not available as of this review)

• Genre: Adventure, Turn Based Combat, Story Rich

• ✅ Steam Deck Verified (not as of this review)

Man’s Best Pig

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Game Lobby Review of Hermit and Pig, the debut title from Heavy Lunch Studios. It’s created by Mason Dickerson, an illustrator and cartoonist most known for Housecat Trouble, and developer Nathan Kennedy. It’s a childhood duo who have collaborated on music, writing, and now, 20 years later, have come together for another must-play game of 2026.

Before I go into the review, I wanted to share that the team at Heavy Lunch Studios have given me a key to give away. Stick around to the end of the review to find out how to enter the giveaway!

When I first saw the game during Day of the Devs in 2023, the visual design hit me hard. The animation of hand-drawn art and pixel design is so well done, and every detail—from character designs to combat animations and the silliness—had me ready to get started playing ASAP. The game only had a trailer at the time, so I patiently waited for anything to play and immediately pounced when the demo was released. So much so that I went straight to Procreate to doodle one of the protagonists, Hermit, which you can see here:

After the demo, I was so in love with the premise and quirky turn-based combat style that I joined the Discord, ready to assist any way I could. That came in the form of testing a longer playthrough of the demo area, which was updated at the tail end of 2025. A release date was set for 2026, and after only a minor delay, it’s releasing in a few days as of this review.

I can honestly say that if I had the funds to publish a game, I would have loved to start with Hermit and Pig. I have nothing bad to say about this game. It scratched every itch, had me stuck with a smile on my face throughout the playthrough, and ultimately became a hit for me. Let’s get into why, starting with the story of our friends Hermit and Pig

Forest Awakening

The game starts like any other day for our duo, heading out to forage for mushrooms—though not before petting your pig and picking up your copy of Wilderness Self Defense for Older Adults, Volume 1. Combat is a huge part of the game, and this will come in handy. I’ll go into more detail on that when I discuss the gameplay.

Fun fact: Did you know pigs are notoriously known for truffle hunting due to their unique sense of smell? With some light research, I learned this practice of foraging for truffles dates back to Roman times.

Okay, back to our forest friends. As they venture out into the forest where they both reside, they are attacked by a roach. This is not a normal occurrence and throws our friends off, but thankfully you have studied your self-defense book. After some stomping, you come out victorious, making your way through the forest when you happen upon a blue, glowing mushroom.

Something that, in the last few months, seems to be a theme in my house, as I finished the show Common Side Effects—all about a miraculous blue mushroom that can heal any illness—and also recently saw the episode of Bob’s Burgers about the elusive Wooly Neptune.

Sorry, got side tracked there. Hermit decides to try this mushroom out and starts to get a wobble in his step. The music starts to get wonky, and he eventually passes out. He wakes up tripping out of his mind, floating in a strange world until he finds another version of himself in a void, where he is told he needs to go north and that’s all.

He wakes up to a frantic Pig and shrugs it off, only to realize that little trip has given him a newfound ability when battling.

They make it back to their home and notice a young girl, Mary, waiting by their house, which is when I realized Hermit has crippling social anxiety as sweat drops fly from his head.

Timed Tension

This is a great time to get into the gameplay. As you are introduced to Mary, she explains that the corporate overlords of the town have ruined the food supply. Hermit is now nervously in an encounter almost like a battle. He’s asked questions where you can see the straightforward answer, but the two other options are clearly his anxiety playing into things—like a character saying thank you, and your choices being:

1. No welcome

2. Problem

3. No problem

I answered with “No welcome” and was hit for 1 cringe damage.

When I played the demo the first time, I was already liking the game, but when this cringe damage was represented, I knew it would be a great game. The sense of humor continues throughout the game in a consistent way that had me giggling often.

The turn-based combat in Hermit and Pig is fun and can get intense because it has a time-based setup. You have your typical RPG elements of attacking, defending, and using powered-up moves you get after tripping on mushrooms, along with mushrooms to assist you in battles.

The way you input each attack is what kept me on my toes. You learn in your wilderness survival book that each enemy has a specific way they must be taken out. For instance, a bug may need to be stomped on, and a bird will need you to use your slingshot. Enemies can also change their movement or technique, so you need to adjust your attacks accordingly.

The trick here is that the attacks all need inputs. You need to select attack, then input a pattern like Up, Down, Down to Stomp, and then hit RT to unleash the attack. This is all happening while a timer on the right slowly winds down. This adds so much stress and fun to the whole experience. I even had a notepad in view at all times with the moves written down to help me remember which animals or bugs needed which type of attack.

This can get so intense and stressful later in the game, but rest assured, you can adjust the settings to make it easier. You can simplify the attacks to the point where it’s set up like any RPG—selecting an attack and the move without the extra inputs. The flexibility of the combat and difficulty is a great touch. The developers have taken tons of feedback from playtesting into account, and it shows.

You also have mini-games in battles where you use those powered-up, trippy moves to either steal mushrooms with Pig’s abilities (yes, Pig also eats the blue mushrooms and trips out—it’s so good, lol). I’ll show you one of Hermit’s that you first unlock called the Slam Technique. A bar shoots from left to right, and you need to hit the direction in a small window as it passes over, accompanied by these lovely animations of Hermit. It increases in speed as you play, and you’re given three strikes before it ends and you unleash a huge attack.

Levelling up is pretty linear. I didn’t find that I could grind independently to level up; it happens naturally as you progress through the story. With each level up, you’ll get a trinket slot opening. You’ll find hidden trinkets throughout the world or trade different truffles and mushrooms as currency to buy them. Trinkets assist with status effects you experience in the game, such as stuns, confusion, and poisoning. The design choices play so well into this system, which leads perfectly into the visuals.

Pixel Whimsy

The visuals for Hermit and Pig are what drove me headfirst into wishlisting the game to begin with. I’ve already said to a few people that if I ever made a video game, this is exactly what I would have made. I love the pixel, hand-drawn style that isn’t heavy on detail, looks clean, and uses color to define the world.

Each character’s design is done in a way that makes them unique in their own right. The animations—especially how battles start or how attacks play out—have these quick, almost GIF-like styles, which are extremely my thing. Even the mushroom designs look wonderful, with incredible attention to detail.

Side note: I’ve been illustrating for years and even had a Tumblr in the early days of the platform where I made animated GIFs. So, unfortunately, I see everything in GIFs. Short bursts of animation are everywhere, and it speaks to me in Hermit and Pig. The way enemies appear, how they look when an attack lands, or how someone reacts to Hermit’s cringe comments all make for a visual delight.

I’m so obsessed with the art style that I immediately ordered Mason’s graphic novels for kids called Housecat Trouble, and I’m eager to read them with my son.

Percussive Melodies

With great gameplay and visuals, it’s no wonder the sound design and soundtrack are amazing. You’ll notice right from the start that the sound of a battle beginning is a rumble of drums and chaos. Landing attacks on enemies gives you drum hits and cymbal smashes that add to the action.

I was genuinely excited to enter new areas of the game just to hear the next track in the soundtrack. Every piece is delightful and never feels repetitive or overbearing, which can happen in some RPGs. There’s also a playfulness to the music that had me dancing while I played.

I wasn’t able to find details on the composer or sound designer at the time of this review, but rest assured, I’ll update it here once I do!

A Cozy and Rebellious Must-Play Game

It’s clear I like Hermit and Pig. I love how it looks, the turn-based combat kept me on my toes, and the story’s premise—along with the hilarious characters you meet—feels like the perfect dose of medicine, especially with how well it mirrors the current social and political climate in the U.S.

It’s rebellious in the coziest way an indie game can be.

I personally think this is one of the best games I’ve played since I started reviewing games over a year and a half ago. I don’t think it needs to be a Clair Obscur or Silksong to be a great contender. Mason’s illustration and graphic novel style is deeply embedded in the game’s identity, and working with his childhood friend Nathan to develop the game really shows in how fun and silly it can be, while still delivering a mature tone and inventive gameplay mechanics.

Hermit’s social anxiety is represented in a way I’ve never seen before, and I loved every part of it. Who hasn’t made a cringe-worthy comment when first meeting someone? Hermit and Pig gives us a glimpse into a world of mushrooms, corruption from higher powers, and a mystery that grows more unusual as you progress.

It has a loud and colorful design, pixel-perfect animated visuals, and gameplay that genuinely stressed me out in the most fun way possible—which is why I believe it’s a must-play of the year.

It took me roughly 9–10 hours to complete the game. I don’t have a price at the time of this review, as the game releases in a few days, but regardless, I loved it, and whatever the final price is will be well worth it. It ran great on my ROG Ally, and I have no doubt it will play wonderfully on Steam Deck.

I want to give a shoutout to Nathan who has been my point of contact and the whole team for giving me early access to the game for this review.

Also, if you comment below with your favorite RPG, I’ll pick someone at random to give a key to that will unlock on the game’s release date—February 5th. I will announce the winner here on the morning of the 5th of February 9am CET.

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Wishlist XP | Hermit and Pig, Lovish, Tearscape

About a year or so ago I tried the demo for Hermit and Pig and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Between the quirky main characters, the bright and cute pixel artwork, innovative turn-based combat, and a soundtrack filled with bops—its one of my most anticipated games of the year. My full review is coming Monday so make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!

Hermit and Pig is a story-rich, turn-based RPG where you fend off wild assailants, forage mushrooms, survive social anxiety, and stumble into a corporate conspiracy with your trusty pig.

🎮 Hermit and Pig | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | February 5th 2026

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I am a sucker for 8-bit games and Lovish is pushing all the right buttons in its design and the gameplay I have seen so far.

Lovish is an outrageous 8-bit action-adventure game! Quest with Sir Solomon through a series of bite-sized rooms, as he attempts to free Princess Tsuna, the woman he loves, from the Devil Lord's clutches!

🎮 Lovish | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | February 5th 2026

A souls-like, Zelda-like, Metroidvania? Are you kidding me? Tearscape’s genres are EVERYTHING I love in video games.

Reach a summit never climbed before in this survival-climber from the creators of Furi and Haven. Climb anywhere and plan your route carefully, managing pitons and resources to survive unforgiving Mount Kami. Discover what Aava is willing to sacrifice to achieve the ascent of a lifetime.

🎮 Tearscape | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | February 2nd 2026

Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Sword Hero

It feels like a darker, more retro low poly version of Fable. Or lets say an indie low poly Fable. Well, lets just call it Sword Hero.

The campaign just launched a couple days ago on Kickstarter and its already 3x funded from the original goal! It looks like the hype for the campaign leading up to launch has paid off.

A truly interactive open-world RPG, packed with dozens of dynamic systems like NPCs with Daily Routines and memory system, Crime and Reputation, a limb-based Directional Combat system and many more. Become a well-known Hero, a feared Villain or anything in-between.

🎮 Sword Hero | Steam | Kickstarter

Review | Big Hops Accolades Trailer

Just a little win for me this week I wanted to share! Big Hops included one of my quotes in their accolades trailer. You can check it out below. Seeing your name next to heavyweights like Polygon and Kotaku feels amazing. <3

🎮 Big Hops | Steam (out now!)

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Quest Vibes | Cairn (Original Soundtrack) | Martin Stig Andersen, Gildaa, The Toxic Avenger

Cairn is one of the most anticipated Indie Games that just released yesterday! From the reviews it looks like its a certified hit. I really liked one of the first songs I heard that was made by The Toxic Avenger a French DJ I used to see in seedy clubs in New York in my early 20s.

Now it looks like with Martin Stig Andersen and Gildaa the soundtrack is out for everyone to enjoy. It’s moody and fun with playful electronic synths taking up space between more relaxing vibes.

🎵 Martin Stig Andersen, Gildaa, The Toxic Avenger | Cairn Original Soundtrack
🎮 Cairn | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out now!

Quest Loot | Lost in Cult—Citizen Sleeper 2 Designworks

One of my favorite games of 2025, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, is getting the Designworks treatment with Lost In Cult and it is headed by John Rogers of Gaming In The Wild. I watched his interview early last year with the game creator Gareth Damian Martin and I can not imagine any other person to lead this project. His passion for the game series and articulate ways of describing the games he loves will truly shine in this release.

Not only is this the second Designworks for the series, but they have added a TTRPG based on the game that was previously only available to print yourself. Also, if your wallet hasn’t suffered enough to Lost In Cult they have reissued the previous books, added vinyl, and MORE! If you want more details on the release check out Gareth’s Substack here:

Jump Over the Age Newsletter

Citizen Sleeper 2: Design Works available to pre-order now!

Hi Everyone…

Read more

3 months ago · 11 likes · 2 comments · Jump Over the Age

🎮 Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector | Steam | Substack Review
📻 Lost in Cult | Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Design Works

Good Game Lobby | Gaming Club

We are about to venture forward into February! How? When did we already finish one month of 2026? That means we are about to start the next game in the discords Gaming Club—Cult of The Lamb!

Want to play Cult of the Lamb? Have it sitting in your backlog? Come join Gaming Club. It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game to play and we discuss our experience with it.

Want to join the club? Join my discord here.

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Wishlist XP | Escape from Everafter, I Hate This Place,

Escape from Ever After is a Mario RPG–inspired, turn-based indie title that looks familiar but feels refreshing. I’m interested to see how it borrows and differs from its inspiration.

A genre-bending RPG inspired by the classic Paper Mario games! When a greedy megacorp from the real world starts taking over fairytales for their cheap labor, a newly-hired storybook hero must climb the corporate ladder, rally together other disgruntled employees, and fight back!

🎮 Escape from Ever After | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out today! (demo available)

I Hate This Place has a fantastic design style, being based on a comic book of the same name. Even the words popping up—like the clank of a grenade hitting the floor or the thud of footsteps—add to the experience. It’s a survival horror game that was slated for 2025 but delayed to early 2026.

A craft-based, isometric survival horror game with twisted monsters and warped reality. Scavenge and build to survive terrifying days and nights while using stealth and noise to fight enemies that stalk by sound. All styled with bold comic art and an '80s horror vibe.

🎮 I Hate This Place | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | January 29th 2026 (demo available)

The Cairn demo really stuck with me. The difficulty is there, and the accomplishments become that much more rewarding. Seeing the paths others take, and discovering what you can achieve yourself, paired with its rugged and beautiful design, makes me feel like this will be a hit.

Reach a summit never climbed before in this survival-climber from the creators of Furi and Haven. Climb anywhere and plan your route carefully, managing pitons and resources to survive unforgiving Mount Kami. Discover what Aava is willing to sacrifice to achieve the ascent of a lifetime.

🎮 Cairn | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | January 29th 2026 (demo available)

Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Oyster Wars

Oyster Wars is an upcoming Platformer I backed in 2024. It was originally slated for release that year, but as with many games, development has taken longer than expected. I don’t judge—I'm all for a game getting more love and care—and it shows in the New Year’s update.

Joseph has done a great job highlighting the new lighting engine additions and fluid animation. He also mentions how he looked into getting help for the game but ultimately decided to stay solo. While that may prolong development, as long as the game gets more love and care, I’m all for it. Check out the link below for the main post and more details.

🎮 Oyster Wars | Steam | Kickstarter

Review | Skate Story

This week, I shared my review of Skate Story, and in case anyone missed it, I’m highlighting the video review here in the Friday Follow-Up. I looooved this game. It’s refreshing to see an original take on skateboarding, presented in such a rad and unique style. You can also read the full review on Substack.

🎮 Skate Story | Steam (out now!)

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Quest Vibes | GameChops - Island Broadcasts

Who else is back on their island checking out the QoL improvements in Animal Crossing? I’m loving the graphical update, the improved frame rate, and the new hotel—it’s a lot of fun.

Did you know is also on Substack? Now you do! They’re behind some of the best compilations of video game soundtrack covers, bringing together a wide range of genres. I’m especially partial to the Zelda jazz series. I plan on highlighting more of their work throughout the year, so make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss them!

🎵 GameChops | Island Broadcasts

Quest Loot | Absolum (Original Game Soundtrack)

Kid Katana has put together a gorgeous 2xLP designed with the Absolum creative team. It features exclusive cover art by the game director at Supamonks and splatter-colored vinyl that matches the artwork. It also comes bundled with an exclusive poster.

It’s a fantastic soundtrack led by Gareth Coker, with additional contributions from Mick Gordon, Yuka Kitamura, Motoi Sakuraba, and Rachel Hardy. Check it out below for a glimpse into the world of Absolum.

🎵 Gareth Coker | Absolum (Original Game Soundtrack)
🎮 Absolum | Steam
📻 Kid Katana | Absolum 2xLP Color Splattered Vinyl Edition

Good Game Lobby | Gaming Club

Want to play Undertale? Have it sitting in your backlog? Come join Gaming Club. It’s like a book club, but for games. Each month, the community picks a new game. If you can’t join us in January, we’ll be playing Cult of the Lamb in February.

Want to join the club? Join my discord here.

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• Game: Skate Story

• Studio: by Sam Eng

• Publisher: Devolver Digital

• Platforms: Steam, PS5, Switch

• Completion Time: 7+ Hours Main Gameplay

• Price: $19.99

• Genre: Skateboarding, Adventure, Indie

• ✅ Steam Deck Verified

A glass demon, sick skateboarding traversal, a contract with the devil, and the power to eat the moon, all set to a rad soundtrack.

Moonbound Contract

In the Underworld, demons are kept up by the Moon. They are unable to gain rest in such harsh moonlight. When a demon who is hungry and tired decides to stare at the moon, their next obvious thought is that they will go and eat the moon and end this eternal suffering. The only thing is, you cannot reach the Moon on foot. Naturally, you, the demon, are given a skateboard, a four-page contract with the literal Devil, and the start of a journey to eat the Moon.

You are not the only glass being in this world when you are introduced to your companion, a glass rabbit, who you must follow, which kicks and pushes our way to the gameplay.

Glass Movement

The tutorial begins with learning to push off and skate towards said rabbit. You will learn to move in an open space, passing through portals. The first of which is a narrow path between a brick wall and fence that gives you a sense of claustrophobia, with just a slight misstep causing you to shatter into pieces before resetting. A nice touch is when you go past that same area, you will see the glass still litters the ground.

You begin with a power slide , which is when you rotate the board sideways to slowly screech the wheels and change direction, or at times, come to a complete stop. As a former skateboarder, learning a power slide when you begin is a fun way to learn to control your center of gravity and maneuver around obstacles.

I won’t go too deep into the tricks you can perform because the basics are all there, and I am sure everyone has played their fair share of Tony Hawk’s or even Skate. Skate Story does have a completely different way in how you perform those tricks. You hold (B) down to ollie, where a small indicator circles around, and depending on when you release, will be how high you end up ollieing. It is then the combinations of the triggers and bumpers on the controller that unlock flip tricks. The RT is a kickflip, or the RT and LB become a varial kickflip.

The longer you keep up the tricks you perform, you will have a running combo, and the enemies you encounter can be defeated by pressing X when landing. Each run-ending smash down of a trick damages enemies and bosses you encounter. It’s the way the game moves in slow motion during killing moves and run-ending hits that looks and feels amazing, which is a great time to talk about the gorgeous Underworld visuals.

Underworld Style

Look at it. Look at everything right now and tell me this isn’t one of the best-looking games of 2025. Sam Eng, the developer of Skate Story, has built one of my favorite games from the ground up, with attention to detail in the glass demon skater, statues of enemies, and unrelenting vibes of the Underworld.

A highlight that felt amazing performing it every damn time was the finishing move of a boss, where the game shifts to a focus in front of the demon, everything goes into slow motion, and the last trick you perform looks like a highlight from a skate video, all coming together as you smash land to the ground and sparkles fill your surroundings.

You also get a similar feeling when ending a run of tricks, when just skating around or fighting low-level enemies, where the second you smash down, a zoomed-in version of the demon is hovering just off-center, adding a nice touch to the visuals. It’s all set up by an outstanding soundtrack by Blood Cultures.

Cultured Chaos

The sound design for Skate Story is perfection. The sound of screeching wheels, the smack of the lip of the board when you perform a trick, the grinding trucks on pavement, and the shattering of glass have these immensely euphoric moments when skating around that would make me trail off and perform a sick run, forgetting I need to complete a task for another otherworldly creature or character in the Underworld on my pursuit to swallow moons.

Blood Cultures have set the tone for the entire soundtrack, and I think this could be one of the best things they could have done for the game. That initial trailer featuring the song Set It On Fire was outstanding, yet this was a song they previously released in 2022. The whole soundtrack for Skate Story is being treated as an album by the band.

It’s also fitting that the band is anonymous in their presence, always in hoodies covering their faces, almost like the demons of the Underworld. Though Set It On Fire isn’t featured on the official soundtrack, the rest of the soundtrack is filled to the brim with jams. Hole In The Sun ends with what I believe is an homage to Daft Punk’s Rollin’ & Scratchin’.

But the one song I am obsessed with is this haunting track, “The Alpha, The Omega.” It has this bass-heavy synth surrounded by screeching vocal chops and background chaos. The vocals are a haunting melody of different styles that most reminds me of CKY. It’s a slow marching ballad that builds into a drum and bass outro you need to hear. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Skater’s Dream

The glass demon’s journey to pursue eating the moon in an intense skateboarding session, coupled with the outstanding work from Blood Cultures, makes Skate Story a must-play game. It has a charm to it, with its dark Underworld becoming a skater’s dream skate park, at times borrowing from the skate game gods of Tony Hawk with letter collecting.

The Blood Cultures band’s unique genre-blending sound reminds me of how I used to discover new music through skate videos like Alien Workshop’s Photosynthesis or Girl’s Yeah Right. Wow, I just dated myself heavily there, but for good reason, because as a kid growing up skating, Skate Story would have been my dream game.

It took me roughly 7+ hours to complete the main story, with plenty of side collectibles still to complete. It’s $19.99 and honestly could have pushed itself to even $30, if not more. I played on Steam and can say that it also ran like a dream on my ROG Ally Z1 Extreme with a few graphical adjustments. It’s also Steam Deck Verified and out now for PS5 and Switch too.

Thank you to Devolver Digital for the key for review, and to Sam Eng for one of the best games of 2025.

Thank you for checking out my review of Skate Story. What do you think? Have you tried it out or plan on picking it up? Let me know in the comments!

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Wishlist XP | MIO: Memories In Orbit, Perfect Tides: Station to Station

The last Steam Next Fest had a ton of amazing demos I played, but MIO: Memories In Orbit is the one that really stuck with me. A gorgeous visual playground of a metroidvania that might become a game of the year contender.

Play as android MIO in this mesmerizing metroidvania where you explore the Vessel, an enormous technological ark overgrown with machines gone rogue. Uncover its secrets, enhance MIO's abilities, and save the spaceship and its residents from oblivion.

🎮 MIO: Memories In Orbit | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | January 20th 2026

Perfect Tides: Station to Station is a pixel-designed point-and-click sequel to Perfect Tides. It looks like it might be the first point-and-click game I play this year—and hopefully not the last. I’m working on it, everyone. I’m still not sold on the genre just yet.

A point n' click sequel to Perfect Tides about the momentum and whiplash of young adulthood. Explore the big city through 18-year-old Mara's eyes. Collect items, nurture ideas, and experience complex relationships while attempting to find your place in the world.

🎮 Perfect Tides: Station to Station | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | January 22nd 2026

Review | Big Hops

My first review of the year is out now, and it’s for the 3D platformer Big Hops. It did really well on Substack, but I was shocked to see it get a couple thousand views on YouTube. Check it out on Substack here and watch the video above. It’s technically the first game of 2026, but it’s my game of the year so far. 🙂

🎮 Big Hops | Steam

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Quest Loot | Genki Grips—Nintendo Switch 2

Genki is a brand I’ve been buying from since the early days of the Switch—first with the streaming dongle, then with their lightweight and tiny Switch dock. They’ve always been a staple of Kickstarter crowdfunding, with successful campaigns at an almost yearly frequency. This time, they’re back with Genki Grips.

It’s a modular grip system that gives you the tools to build the most comfortable setup. It’s live right now on Kickstarter.

🎮 Genki Grips Nintendo Switch 2 | Kickstarter

Quest Vibes | Despelote Soundtrack | pánico

One of my top games of 2025 was not only wonderful in its story and visual design, but also in the soundtrack that accompanied it. We finally have the official soundtrack for Despelote, which was shared in late December 2025.

Here’s one of my favorites I wanted to highlight, titled “San Juanito.” Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments.

🎵 pánico | Despelote Soundtrack

If you want to know how I felt about this amazing game, you can read the review below:

🎮 Despelote | Steam | YouTube Review

Good Game Lobby | Gaming Club

Just a quick update that the Gaming Club in my Discord has kicked things off this year with Undertale. Is it stuck in your backlog? Then lets chip away at it together!

Want to join the club? Join my discord here.

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• Game: Big Hops

• Studio: Luckshot Games

• Publisher: Luckshot Games

• Platforms: Steam, Switch 1+2, PS5

• Completion Time: 12+ Hours

• Genre: 3D, Platformer

• ✅ Steam Deck Verified (Played on ROG Ally Z1 Extreme)

Who doesn’t love a game about a little frog on a big adventure? Combining some of the most polished gameplay mechanics, incredible voice acting, and a gorgeous little world–come join me on this adventure.

A Frog’s Journey

Let’s get to know our friend Hop. He wakes up from an odd dream and sets out on a fun race with his little sister. This gives the developers a chance for us to get used to the mechanics of the game, where your tongue is your main way of doing things. Grabbing items, placing mushrooms for a higher bounce, and using your climbing skills to make it around the little forest.

Everything feels smooth and looks great in this world, and it’s only when you happen upon a frog statue that leads you to solve puzzles to activate it once again. You jump into a portal and into a void that has a wild, great physics-based world, which is one of my favorite places in the game.

You find out you’ve been duped by Diss, the one who transported you here, and he is limiting your understanding of why you are here and how to get home. The thing is, to get home you need airship parts, but Diss needs you to collect dark bits for his own good.

I won’t go deeper to keep spoilers out of the game.

Physics Playground

Okay, the gameplay in Big Hops is a ton of fun. Let’s get down to the basics. You can roll, dive, crouch jump, wall run, free climb, swim, belly slide, walk tightropes, pole swing, grind rails (my favorite), ride minecarts, and way more! Jumping, rolling and diving is what you will use most often and its smooth movement keeps things fast and fun.

You will see these hovering fruits in the world that you can jump towards, grab with your tongue, and swing around. These are also a great quick way to get from point A to point B, but the most fun is using the physics to get proper momentum and throw yourself an insane distance.

Now, early into the first biome, you are given a backpack that stores everything you will need. This includes stamina in jars, fruits from trees, and binoculars you unlock later to find bugs. Oh yes, bugs! A fun side part of everything is being on the lookout for bugs around the world. You collect them, scan and learn what they are, and then eat them. Yup, you are a frog at the end of the day. They add to your stamina and climbing, so also a good thing to keep in mind.

Big Hops has so many unique ways to traverse the world, and each one makes things more and more intense and fun. Using veggies in the game you can make platforms to jump on, grow vines to climb, balloons, oil balls to create hook shots, and many more. It gives me the creativity of Tears of the Kingdom in a 3D platformer.

A quick rundown of more that is included in the game includes buying veggies, upgrading your backpack and wallet, and having the opportunity to get outfits, hats, and change colors using dyes. You find mixtapes around the world to unlock new songs which is a fantastic soundtrack. Collecting the aforementioned dark bits builds up to where you can unlock new trinkets. These trinkets are upgrades like additional hearts, stamina, and more. I didn’t collect them all, but even without going out of my way, I collected 40+ dark bits and unlocked 16 of the 24 available.

Oh an I would be remise if I didn’t share how you pick a lock in this game:

Polished Worlds

Big Hops looks great. It’s so undeniably polished in ways that make me feel like it’s not even an indie game. Let’s be clear — it doesn’t have to be AAA to look good; it’s just polished so well.

It played great on my ROG Ally Z1 Extreme, which is where I played the game 90% of the time. It looked smooth on the 120Hz screen. It’s not Steam Deck verified as of the writing of this review, but I think it should run fine considering I was always hovering around 90-120 fps.

The colors of the world bring a vibrance to the game. I love the simplicity of the bug designs and how detailed all the NPCs you meet are. I was falling in love with each new person I met. The way movement in the game feels and looks while doing it is a ton of fun. The void world has this dull purple filter to it all, and as I mentioned, it is one of my favorite places based on the gravity-bending, puzzle-like worlds, and the dark tone gives it a spooky style.

Voiced Charm

Speaking of the NPCs, one thing you don’t often hear in indie games is NPCs having voice actors. I think every single person I talked to had voice lines. In the credits, the voice acting was done by I think about seven people in total, who each had a handful of character voices.

It’s not just the quantity of voice acting, it’s the quality. Everyone was so damn good in this game. The soundtrack melds the worlds together in a fun and inventive way, keeping the game light and fun throughout. Hop’s little grunts while jumping and swinging around felt like a little frog version of Link.

Also, check out the Duster Bluffs track from the soundtrack:

Platforming Must Play!

I played Big Hops over the weekend, bringing my full playtime to 12 hours. I couldn’t stop once I started. This game may only have four different biomes, but the sheer amount of exploring and platforming is stacked with ways to progress, meet new people, and get back home to your family.

I did experience an odd bug where I was trapped in a vent and had to reinstall the game and restart it a few times, but I was back up and running. Take into account I was playing the game before launch day, and I saw a bunch of updates pushed while I was playing and looks to be sorted.

Chris and the team at Luckshot Games have created not only one of the most wild and fun platformers of the year, but maybe of the decade. I can say it’s taken a place as one of my all-time favorite 3D platforming indie games. Big Hops is fun and fast-paced, polished in such a nice-looking and great-feeling game. Voice acting is on point, it looks fantastic, and it’s packed with tons of content — it is worth every penny.

When Chris Wade created Big Hops, he drew inspiration from a world of creativity shaped by games like Breath of the Wild and RimWorld. Two of the biggest influences were Mario—specifically 64, Odyssey, and Sunshine—as well as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time.

These inspirations are evident in the gameplay style, the larger-than-life worldbuilding, and the overall design and polish. I know we’re talking about a game that took six years to complete, but I truly hope it achieves all the success it deserves, because I can’t wait to play whatever they create next.

I played it on Steam, and it’s releasing on Switch 1+2, and PS5. It’s $20 with a 10% discount at launch.

This key was bought when backing on Kickstarter, but thanks to Chris, the lead on the game, for allowing me to get a key earlier to have the review ready for launch day.

Thanks for checking out my review of Big Hops. If you are looking for another review of a 3D platformer, check out my review of Ruffy and the Riverside.