Hello everyone, and welcome back for another Good Game Lobby review. Today, we are stretching around the first-person exploration and 3D platformer Completely Stretchy. Can we find all the missing Elektros while swinging around the Grombi Isles? Let’s find out! Thanks for being here and supporting my work make sure to like, comment, and subscribe. Your support means the world to me!

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Odd Future

Let me give you the premise of this wacky game.

You are a worker for a lab and running a bit late. As you throw your alarm clock against the wall to turn it off, you gather your belongings and head to the train to work. Arriving at the laboratory, you find your boss, Dr. Grimble, frustratingly waiting for you. After putting down your belongings and starting work, an incident at the laboratory knocks you out.

You wake up all blue—like Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development—and with the ability to withstand electricity and stretch your sticky arm around. The best comparison is one of those sticky hands you’d get from a gumball machine at the supermarket. You are tasked with collecting all the missing Elektros that have been scattered around since the explosion and bringing them back to the laboratory. Now the real fun begins.

Before getting into the gameplay, I have to talk about the people of this world. They are hilarious, naked-looking people with large eyes that follow your movements. For example, if you head into the coffee shop, everyone is staring at you—and for good reason: you’re blue, stretchy, and a total outsider in this already odd world. Some characters have an arm sticking out from the top of their head. Others are tall, short, round, or even so big they fill the space of an entire room. The hilarious visuals of the characters you meet, paired with the fun dialogue, make it a real treat with a great sense of humor. Honestly, it feels like I just wandered into a TV show that would appear on Rick and Morty's Interdimensional Cable episodes.

Now let’s get into the gameplay and how you will get those Elektros back to the laboratory.

How to Stretch 101

You have a blob in the left corner of the screen that shows how many times you can stretch and grab onto something before falling. By completing main quest objectives and odd jobs for NPCs, your blob gets upgrades. For example, I earned six blobs by the time I beat the game. It makes for exhilarating gameplay, offering a thrilling sense of freedom as you swing across the open map. In fact, sometimes I’d just stop an objective to climb as high as I could, jump off a building, and swing around.

You have three unique areas to explore in Grombi Isles: the main city, an industrial plant, and a park/forest area with gardens.

Each area offers new challenges, where NPCs reward you with more Elektros. These are hidden everywhere—sometimes in plain sight and other times in hard-to-reach places. You can explore almost anywhere since doors open freely, making it a truly fun experience as you catch the people of this world in all sorts of weird moments.

The eccentric characters you meet and the comedic banter you experience are a nice touch, helping you better understand this odd world. Daniel Ferguson, the developer of the game, mentioned in 2020 that it was heavily inspired by Sludge Life. After watching a trailer for that game, I can see the similarities—and it also made me want to play it ASAP. You can play basketball and are told about a mysterious hidden basketball on the island which gives you more intentions to search every single area of the game..

Oh, and you can fish in Completely Stretchy—which is always a bonus in any video game!

I Just Blue Myself

I already touched on the characters’ visuals, but I wanted to get into the graphics. It’s a first-person game, and I always go for the highest field of view. I highly recommend it because it makes the stretchy grabs and flying around the map so much more fun—and funny. Especially when one of the characters you talk to is on the edge of the screen, their proportions stretch out even more, making them look funnier than they already did.

This is a fully 3D platformer with a style reminiscent of a cartoon show. The colors add depth to the world with slight shadows that provide just enough definition. While it’s not exactly a style like Sable, the graphics feel like they belong in a cartoon show. The simplified design makes it easier to spot Elektros and see far-off destinations you want to travel to.

Groovy Wonky Future Vibes

The soundtrack by Rupert Cole is honestly so good. It feels exactly like what this world should sound like—a retro synth sound in an oddly futuristic setting. Though I loved the main theme that plays as you swing, climb, and stick around the Grombi Isles, the residents’ radios feature the weirdest jams. Bleeps and bloops with heavy bass make it feel like music someone would listen to high in a club in Blade Runner—or in a club on the Grombi Isles.

Here is the club song FAIR WARNING it gets wild check your volume control. 😂

Here’s one of the main themes that plays throughout the game—I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dedicated Teamwork

At one point during my gameplay, I was stuck. Something had been updated visually, and while it didn’t break the game, it confused me. Gaz, the Lead Designer, was kind enough to clarify that it was just an asset update and not a bug. He nudged me in the right direction, which led to one of the funniest parts of the game: unlocking the watering can. This series of weird events solidified the game as a must-play.

Without giving away spoilers, as you complete the main quest, a bigger story unfolds—which I was shocked to discover. I was fine with doing odd jobs and laughing at the funny dialogue from the Grombi residents, but this extra layer added a nice touch to an already stellar game.

Must-Play

With a uniquely satisfying world full of opportunities to swing, climb, and explore, Completely Stretchy offers a stellar combination of creative design and a groovy soundtrack that makes it a must-play for 2024. The main game took me around four hours to complete, including a variety of side quests, but there’s still plenty to do. I’m particularly excited to track down the remaining hover bike pieces and ride it across the Grombi Isles.

This is a game that keeps you hooked with its quirky charm, hilarious characters, and endlessly entertaining gameplay. If you’re looking for a goofy adventure, this one shouldn’t be missed!

Wishlist XP

This wasn’t from one of the showcases, but the love Monument Valley 3 is getting from Netflix is much deserved, and I had to share it with you all. This animated short is stunning.

UsTwo, the developers behind the game, posted a studio diary last month that you should check out!

🎮Monument Valley 3 | Netflix
🗓️ Release Date | Out Now!

I recently picked up Toem, thanks to the weekly free games on the Epic Games Store, only to be updated that the second game is now in development!

🎮 Toem 2 | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

I’ve been watching HiWharp tease bits of NAIAD over the past year, not knowing it has been in development for five years. This is one of the most beautiful games about exploration, with puzzle-solving along the way. Watch the trailer and tell me you aren’t moved by those visuals.

🎮 NAIAD | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Out Now!

The rise of 2D-3D pixel art games has been a refreshing nod to older 2D pixel games, and it’s a gift that keeps on giving. At some point, the genre may become saturated, but for now, let’s bask in the glory that is Sky Dust and enjoy this cyberpunk world together.

🎮 Sky Dust | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

I think I’ve already shared this game with you all, and I’ll probably do so a few more times because it’s coming in Q3 of 2025. A game where you fight sentient construction equipment with parries and explore environments reminiscent of a third-person Mirror’s Edge is checking off so many boxes for me. Check out the first gameplay trailer!

🎮 MOTORSLICE | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | Q3 2025

A body-cam-styled psychological horror game? Yep, sign me up!

🎮 Dreamcore | Steam | Demo Available Now
🗓️ Release Date | January 25th 2025

This looks like an indie version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, but with a musical twist and dream-like fantasy worlds. The design and adorable visuals give it the perfect elements of a fun adventure.

🎮 Project Timi: Sasha’s Curse | Steam | Demo Available Now
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

I played four Game Boy Color games this year that were released this year. Yes, developers are hard at work making games that run natively on the old handhelds. It’s a fun way to revisit older hardware or test out all the new handhelds, which seem to be popping up weekly. My current favorite is the Analogue Pocket… for now.

With that said, here’s a new Game Boy Color game coming in 2025.

🎮 Toni Island Adventure
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

Pixel graphics, platforming, and cuteness—Go Slimey Go looks like a lot of fun and is kid-friendly. It seems easy to pick up for anyone, and a fully accessible game like this is perfect for family fun.

🎮 Go Slimey Go | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

One of the first indie game trailers from last night was about a co-op exploration game featuring mining and fighting goblins in a pixel art style.

🎮 Kyora | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian are three games spearheaded by Fumito Ueda that completely influenced the games I grew up with. I loved their style and unique gameplay. Now, he’s back with a new untitled game based around mechs.

🎮 Untitled genDESIGN Game | PS5
🗓️ Release Date | TBD

A new co-op game by the team behind Overcooked is great news because I’m tired of getting mad at other people while playing Overcooked!

🎮 Stage Fright | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

Finally, a game where you can create your own planets and solar systems while choosing adorable, odd wildlife to inhabit them.

🎮 Curiosmos | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2025

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Game Lobby review of another great release published by Inner Sloth: One BTN Bosses.

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ON Button BSSS

What could a game called One BTN Bosses be? Well, exactly that. You are a ship controlled with one button, battling intense bosses. You travel through a campaign collecting GP (grind points) that help you unlock rewards like new colorways for the game, different types of weapons (like lasers), or ways to control your ship (like dashing). Each level gets you closer to one of the five bosses you’ll battle to complete the game.

Early in your run, you are introduced to your right-hand, Ace, who assists you with witty banter between themselves and the bosses you encounter. Ace is trying to get a raise from the company you work for and edges out a percentage of your winnings along the way. It’s a nice break between sometimes easy one-run level attempts and one level that took me over 20 attempts (I don’t even want to talk about it)

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The ship follows a line that automatically orbits the bosses. You can either move back and forth on that line, dash, or charge up, depending on what you select in the menu before starting a level. The longer you go without altering the direction, the more damage output you have, so you are always tempted to push it to the limit in fights, just edging out the boss’s last life before you take a hit. You start with three lives and need to restart if you exhaust them.

This is all for the main campaign. Let’s jump into my favorite part of the game: the roguelike mode called R&D.

Research & Development

You unlock it by playing through the main campaign, and once unlocked, it can be chosen from the main menu. You can also dabble in the roguelike gameplay while on the main campaign when you get to what looks like fireworks on the level selection map.

Here, you are met with randomly generated bosses, with upgrades unlocked at the completion of each level. You can increase your health, have a one-hit buffer before you lose health, increase speed, acceleration, bullet speed, damage, and many more upgrades that give you a new experience each run. Like any roguelike, once you have exhausted all your lives, it’s back to the beginning to start fresh. And like many roguelikes, it can become very difficult.

You would be surprised how much I love the roguelike genre, considering how poorly I play them. Like I said earlier, I’m not going to get any deeper into that 20+ attempts I took on one level.

Grind The Corporate Ladder

The campaign is packed with 50 handcrafted levels and bullet-hell boss fights. The bosses taunt you as you struggle and fail, but persistence pays off as you unlock new gameplay options and progress through a mean but satisfying narrative. The boss fights give you a best-of-three, best-of-five, or best-of-seven mechanic to push you to your limits, and you can switch between these options if you're having difficulty beating one.

Retro Pixel Arcade Shooting Fun

The game’s visuals have a clean, retro aesthetic with neon colors and dynamic designs. Each boss battle feels larger than life, with intricate bullet patterns and vibrant effects that create an electrifying atmosphere.

The visuals are pixel-perfect, retro-styled, with different neon colorways depending on the theme you unlock. Some of the colorways were too much for me, but not to worry—you have color settings you can adjust in the accessibility menu. The bullet-hell style can sometimes be overwhelming, but the clean design makes it easy to distinguish enemy bullets from your shots being fired.

James Evans Killed This Soundtrack

The high-energy soundtrack is a great complement to the high-octane gameplay. The soundtrack shifts in tempo, and the chiptune-inspired sound gives it a nice retro style. The drum thumping on most of the songs will make your body move. Here is one of my favorites—it’s not as fast-paced, but I love the style. Enjoy Schismatic Circuit.

🎶James Evans | One BTN Bosses Soundtrack Bandcamp

Must-Play

One BTN Bosses is a deceptively simple game that packs a punch with its one-button mechanic, the depth of the roguelike customization, and adrenaline-pumping gameplay. It’s perfect for players seeking a challenging but rewarding bullet-hell experience. It took roughly 3+ hours to complete the main campaign, and I plan on jumping back into the roguelike gameplay to see how far I can go before losing my mind.

It’s a great game with tons of replay ability, with the ranked level completion and the roguelike section of the game. If you are looking for a challenge with fun, colorful graphics and intense gameplay, it’s a must-play. I highly recommend it—Inner Sloth is now two-for-two for me with the games they publish: One BTN Bosses and Clickholding. I am excited to check out more of the games they have coming soon.

🎮One BTN Bosses | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

Hello everyone, welcome to the Good Game Lobby review of Sorry We’re Closed. Become friends, foes, or lovers with celestial beings rich in lore in this decision-based single-player survival horror game with multiple endings.

Break Ups Are Tough

Let’s start with the story and how we got here.

The game begins with Michelle closing up the convenience store where she works after watching a TV show, The Dying Petal, unfortunately starring her ex-girlfriend. On her way home, she encounters friends and acquaintances who shed light on her life and recent split, like Darrel, who is the biggest douchebag in the whole city and doesn’t have a redeeming quality about him, or Clarissa, the sweetest and cutest character I fell in love with immediately.

Michelle heads home to get much-needed rest when she experiences a surreal and haunting encounter with The Duchess, a celestial being who invites her to a mysterious destiny.

Transported to a dreamlike state, Michelle encounters a dream eater who chases her awake, only for her to be saved by a stranger. The next day, she tells a friend about her "dream," only to realize it was real. She has been cursed by The Duchess with a third eye that reveals an inverted world to discover mysteries between life and death. Michelle must navigate this curse and uncover a way to reverse it, all while being pursued by The Duchess, when all she wants to do is get back together with her ex-girlfriend.

The Duchess is a unique character, and I want to touch on their backstory to explore why someone with such immense power would go through this for the love of a mere mortal.

The Duchess is an ancient being searching for love to replace the divine affection they lost eons ago, before humans were even a thought. Their relentless quest for validation sets the stage for Michelle’s journey and the decisions you make to progress the story in the game. You learn that Michelle is just one of many The Duchess has used and abused for their own happiness. They see something in Michelle that is stronger than anyone who came before her. Will you take on The Duchess with this cursed third eye, or will you give in to her love? This is the true setup for the game.

Are You A Fighter or a Lover?

Let’s talk about navigating this world through its gameplay.

Most of the game is a top-down view of Michelle with fixed camera positions, and combat is the only way you can change the perspective. When you aim your axe, handgun, or shotgun to fight demons, you are thrust into a first-person view, similar to what you’d find in Silent Hill or Resident Evil, but the game it reminds me of the most is Killer7.

This is because, when putting yourself in the third-eye vision, enemies who walk into the inverted world become silhouettes of themselves, only showing a heart, which is a point of interest like in Killer7. You need to shoot at the heart to successfully defeat them. With each perfect hit, a blue meter fills, and once full, it activates your Heartbreaker—a charged shot for defeating bosses and low-level enemies. Everything around you freezes for a moment, allowing you to highlight the crystal heart and fire the Heartbreaker. Filling the Heartbreaker meter with each perfect hit is a fun and rewarding experience, especially if the Heartbreaker can defeat an enemy with one hit. Some mid-level baddies will drop a glowing circle that even lets you refill your Heartbreaker completely, making for a quick and satisfying battle.

The combat can get difficult at times because you are in third person, but when you aim, you are thrust into first person and must quickly react to enemies closing in on you. Triggering your third eye at the precise moment stops an enemy in their tracks, giving you a window of opportunity to strike first. I had some difficulties, but I think that is expected, or the game would come off as too easy. Though I was frustrated at times, I chalked it up to my inexperience because I had a hang of it by the end, killing demons and bosses with ease.

As much as combat is a big focus, the other side of the gameplay is the rich story and its decision-based progression. You are speaking with many characters throughout Michelle's journey. You find out later that some of your friends and mutuals are either demons or angels trying to sway your newfound power to either help you break the curse or assist their best interests. It’s up to you to make the decisions that play out. With multiple endings, the game offers many replay ability options. I recommend saving at key points on another file to revisit and make different choices, as I did. I am looking forward to seeing what happens following Clarissa's story arc. She easily became my favorite character, and I can't wait to see where things lead.

Low-Poly Is So 2024

What stands out visually are the loud colors of the characters' clothing, hair colors, accessories, and the designs of the places you visit, which liven up the desolate streets and dark, moody themes. The game’s Silent Hill 1–style low-poly graphics fit a recent trend in indie gaming, familiar to fans of titles like Mouthwashing, Grunn, or Crow Country, giving a nostalgic, welcoming feel that I love. I hope more games are influenced by this style.

When using your third eye, you have a circular area around you that inverts the look of the world. If you are in a disgusting, old, beaten-down aquarium, the third eye will show you what it looked like when it was nice and fully functioning, and vice versa. This visual is a nice touch, and I admire the hard work behind it. You have to imagine it's used throughout the entire game in all rooms and areas you explore. This means the team had to design a dark and light theme across every single area of the game, essentially creating two versions of the world in Sorry We’re Closed.

The enemies either show up as ghosts in the real world—visible only to you—or as demons in the inverted world, with inside-out flesh, claws, and unsettling walking behaviors, making them even creepier as they approach to kill you.

Some cutscenes that progress the story and provide tools to cure the curse follow others who were in your position. The story plays out in beautiful shots of the characters frozen in time while the camera moves around them. It’s refreshing to avoid overly flashy visuals and keep the focus on gameplay and Michelle's story. These cutscenes often highlight the lingering faults of those chosen by The Duchess before you, emphasizing why Michelle is unique.

The bosses you fight in each chapter have grotesque yet wildly creative designs. Honestly, they’re so cool. They gave me the nostalgic feeling of older N64 games, both in their visuals and how the battles played out. This game is truly a nostalgia trip for anyone who grew up on the Silent Hill or Killer7 franchises.

Another nice visual touch is the portraits of the characters you see when speaking to them. Though the game uses a low-poly aesthetic, the character portraits are beautifully detailed, giving off a vibe reminiscent of depictions of gods and goddesses.

Artistic Integrity

While researching C. Bedford, the creative director’s artwork and itch.io page, I noticed that Robin, one of the main characters from the game, appeared in one of their graphic novels, 13. Naturally, I wanted to know if these were connected in any way.

I reached out to find out if they were tied to the game, and they let me know:

“The comics I made were a while before we even thought of making a game, so SWC definitely came after the fact. There are shared characters between the two, but they definitely don't take place at the same time…It's a weird mesh between it being both the same world and an alternative reality as well.” - C. Bedford

The artwork alone is so beautiful, and considering how in-depth the story of SWC is, I’m keen to check them out. The link is down below to the C. Bedford’s Gumroad account.

Hip Hop and Avant Garde

The music is haunting throughout the game, with beautiful tones for certain scenes that fit its moody look and feel. What makes the soundtrack stand out, though, is the full songs with lyrics and rapping during boss battles, which help build the world even further.

“Dying Petal’s Theme” feels like the intro to a Blood Orange song you can check out below. The town’s theme has a dark, vibe-filled setup with vocal echoes, dogs barking, moans, and marching-band-style drumming. I loved it all. With avant-garde electronic hip-hop tracks, where it feels like TV on the Radio meets Run the Jewels, every song played a huge role in the experience.

Two songs in particular that I loved were “Okumura Matilda Aquarium Boss” and “Devix - Toll (Dinner with the Duchess).” Check them out below!

Must-Play

This is a brilliant game. It took me roughly seven hours to complete one of the endings, where—spoiler alert, if it wasn’t obvious—I broke the curse and freed Michelle. The influences of Silent Hill and Killer7 gameplay, low-poly visuals, avant-garde hip-hop soundtrack, and beautifully designed characters are front and center. I loved every bit of it, especially the rich lore and fascinating decision-based story.

This type of indie game isn’t something we’re blessed with often. I love that the developers took artistic freedom to showcase their skills, delivering a beautifully emotional experience. Sorry We’re Closed is easily a must-play and one of my favorite games of 2024. If you are looking for more low-poly games with a spooky look and feel then I recommend checking out my reviews of Grunn and Mouthwashing.

🎮Sorry Were Closed | Steam
📔Thirteen | C. Bedford | Gumroad
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

Orcs Must Die! 3 was my first encounter with this franchise. It was during the peak of Stadia, and since I had limited consoles and no PC, I can't even fathom the endless hours I put into it. Building up ways to take down orcs and defend castles was an excellent strategy game. I feel like I need to revisit it, and now I have the chance with Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, coming in 2025.

🎮Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap | Steam
🗓️Release Date | January 28th 2025

Cairn already seems poised to earn its flowers early. Anyone who had the chance to try it out or see live gameplay speaks highly of its amazing visuals and style. I don’t want to see too much beforehand; I just want to experience it when it releases.

🎮Cairn | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025

This next one took me by surprise! I loved Moonlighter and still play it whenever I get the chance. The idea of a shop owner moonlighting as a dungeon crawler, gathering items to sell the next day, is such a fresh premise with a fantastic gameplay loop. It seems like the sequel has moved on from the pixel art style, which is a bit of a bummer, but it looks great in this 3D setting, with the familiar sounds of the shop bell and emotes when selling.

🎮Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025

A souls-like Western is honestly all I needed to hear to get hyped for this game, so yeah, that’s all I’ll say about it.

🎮Tombwater | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025

A retro-inspired FPS, all from the view of a mech? This game’s graphics look nostalgic as hell, and I’ve already applied for a review key. I need to play this—it looks so rad!

🎮Mekkablood: Quarry Assault | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025

It was unfortunate to hear that The Alters was delayed into 2025, but like many indie gamers, I’d rather wait longer for a better product. I’ve already posted about it a few times over the past seven months, so just check out the story trailer and tell me you don’t want to play this game.

🎮The Alters | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025

Turn-based bullet hell action rogue-like!? It reminds me of ARCO, one of my favorite games released this year, with its turn-based bullet hell mechanics. The rogue-like elements add a fresh flavor to this colorful and vibrant-looking game.

🎮Enter The Chronosphere | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025

Here are all the Indie Games Releasing December 2024 on my radar. I want to thank you all for subscribing and supporting Good Game Lobby. It’s wild to me that over 2,000+ people across social media channels are now following or subscribed to hear me talk about indie games. Starting in December, every Friday newsletter will highlight my official list of indie games of 2024, going through 40+ of the indie games I played, reviewed, and some honorable mentions each week. Make sure to subscribe to get notified! Now, let’s get into the great games coming next month.

You play as Dynamite Anton or his cranked-out co-worker Annie, causing all-out destruction in this fast-paced platformer. The intense game and visuals feel like we were taken back to the time of '90s platformers, and I am all here for it.

🎮ANTONBLAST | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 3rd

Ever since the peak pandemic Animal Crossing: New Horizons binge, I have strictly stayed away from anything farming or sandbox in that world. It can get a bit stressful to keep coming back every day to clean my house and tend to my garden when I need to get back to the laundry and a plant I own is dying in real life. Overthrown, though, what is this? Well, you can battle and physically lift up houses and throw them or place them where you want. It’s more of a city builder per se than it is a farming sim, but you do indeed farm, fight mutants, wield an unruly sword, and more. This is one to look out for.

🎮Overthrown | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 5th | Early Access

I learned about Symphonia from fellow Substacker Adventures in Indie Gaming’s post about the demo, which you can see here. The visuals and the accompanying soundtrack stand out. The demo was short from what they shared, but the polished platformer looks to have promise. The demo is still available now if you want to make your own judgments. Let me know in the comments!

🎮Symphonia | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 5th | Demo Available

Nikoderiko has some of the brains behind Crash Bandicoot 4, and it’s pretty obvious once you see the gameplay. This one came up on my radar from the KindaFunny crew talking about indie games they had on their radar. The music and gameplay look familiar but with a new twist.

🎮Nikoderiko: The Magical World | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 6th

When I was requesting a key for my Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines review, the kind publisher mentioned this game, Completely Stretchy, and I’ve been obsessed since. This oddball world feels like a full-fledged look at the weird commercials you would see in Rick and Morty. It’s an exploration platformer where you use your arms to swing around the environment, doing... honestly, I have no idea—I just can’t wait to play it.

Here is a part of the soundtrack by Rupert Cole that blends different synth sound effects to give you a taste of this odd world.

🎮Completely Stretchy | Steam
🎶Rupert Cole | Bandcamp
🗓️Release Date | December 12th | Demo Available

Just the visuals alone for The Spirit of the Samurai are enough to pique my interest. I mean, look at the trailer and tell me this game doesn’t look like one of the best stop-motion-style games you’ve ever seen. It almost makes me wish that’s how a new Mortal Kombat should be animated going forward.

🎮The Spirit of the Samurai | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 12th | Demo Available

10 Dead Doves is following the recent trend of low-poly horror like Mouthwashing, Sorry We’re Closed, and Crow Country, but the difference is the two leads working on the game are also starring in it. The witty banter between the two gives this all the character you need. It’s interesting, looks great, and has hilarious dialogue that looks to be an upcoming hit.

🎮10 Dead Doves | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 13th | Demo Available

I am pretty sure this is going to end up on many end-of-the-year game lists. An emotional story-rich indie game, Pine: A Story of Loss, is about a man working on a farm in the forest, struggling to accept the passing of his dear wife. The trailer sets it up very well. No exact date right now, but it is planned for December, seeing as November is ending and Q4 is the window.

🎮Pine: A Story of Loss | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December | Demo Available

An Italian paradise where you uncover the secrets of this quaint town using your detective skills and puzzle-solving in a story-driven adventure. The characters are all animals, and the design of the game makes me feel like we are getting to play a Pixar or DreamWorks movie.

🎮On Your Tail | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 16th | Demo Available

You take pictures of cats in this beautifully animated pixel art game Neko Odyssey. What else do you need to know? Also, the song in the trailer has no lyrics other than a cat meow. Yeah, this one is going into the cutest game category for sure.

🎮Neko Odyssey | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 16th | Demo Available

A souls-like Metroidvania RPG sounds like a stressful time, and it’s described as requiring mastery of high-skilled combat. I doubt anyone looking for an easy game should pick this one up, but if you love pixel artwork and high-skilled combat, this one’s for you.

🎮FOUNTAINS | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 20th

Joe’s campaign for The Edge of Allegoria was nearing its end and just about to be funded. I was new to this world and had fallen in love with the demo, which I played for hours on my ROG Ally Z1 Extreme. I was right there with Joe—sharing, posting, and finding any way to support the crowdfunding campaign. The game did reach its funding, and then some, just as the campaign came to an end!

Now, I cannot believe we are just two weeks away from the release of this visually Pokémon-inspired RPG where you don’t collect monsters, but beat them to a bloody pulp featuring hilarious dialogue and robust gameplay mechanics.

🎮The Edge of Allegoria | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 4th

Quest Vibes

Glitch Dungeon Crystal & markeryjane Soundtrack Songs

I’ve already shared my thoughts on Glitch Dungeon Crystal and how much I loved the demo. It captures the secretive oddness of Animal Well while offering a humorous premise: a grandma cleaning her basement. This quirky setup of a glitchy pixelated game filled with interesting game mechanics lays the foundation for a truly unique game.

It’s scheduled for release this year, the developer recently shared on social media that some last-minute development work has delayed the launch. I’m still hopeful for a 2024 release, but in the meantime, I wanted to share some of the game’s soundtrack.

The developer, Jakeonaut, shared:

Being introduced to more of MarkeryJane’s work, as well as hearing the already finished songs for Glitch Dungeon Crystal, has only deepened my excitement for this game and its future.

🎮Glitch Dungeon Crystal | Steam
🗓️Release Date | December 4th

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River Boy for Cult of the Lamb - Save & Sound

River Boy is a charming musician best known for his work on the Cult of the Lamb soundtracks, including all of its DLC. One of my favorite tracks, "Start a Cult," was transformed into a beautifully layered acoustic cover for the latest Save & Sound festival. River Boy’s magical rendition elevates the song into something truly special.

If you enjoy this work, you can tune into their always-live stream Lofi Lamb: Beats to indoctrinate your followers to.

🎮Cult of the Lamb | Steam
🎶River Boy | Bandcamp
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

Lena Raine for Beastieball

Lena Raine absolutely knocked it out of the park with her retro, nostalgic vibes on the Beastieball soundtrack. This Early Access turn-based volleyball RPG pairs perfectly with her catchy, impressive tunes.

🎮Beastieball | Steam
🎶Lena Raine | Bandcamp
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

Good Game Lobby Review

This weeks reviews are for CATO: Buttered Cat and Phoenix Springs.

Hello Everyone and welcome to the latest Good Game Lobby Review. Your brother has gone missing, and you must use your skills as a reporter to investigate where he is and what has happened to him. Let’s explore in my review of Phoenix Springs, a psychedelic point-and-click neo-noir game.

A Psychedelic Noir Mystery

The team behind Phoenix Springs, Calligram Studios, is an art collective, and it’s fitting that the name “Calligram” refers to a poem, phrase, or word arranged to create a visual image because, together, this collective has crafted a uniquely stylish indie point-and-click game—a genre I typically avoid—but one that has completely changed my perspective.

Let’s get into the story to find out why Phoenix Springs has become one of my must-play games of 2024.

Iris’s Descent

In Phoenix Springs, the protagonist, Iris Dormer, is a reporter searching for her estranged brother, Leo. A bioethicist, Leo’s mysterious disappearance raises more questions than answers. As Iris delves deeper into her investigation, she traces various stages of his life—from his early years and academic career to his affluent lifestyle, ultimately leading her to the desert oasis of Phoenix Springs.

The deeper she goes into Phoenix Springs and the almost cult-like community it houses, she uncovers the deeper connection between her brother's life and how she is tied to this world. The game’s story touches on technology and its overall troubles to connect in a truly immersive affair.

Without spoiling anything big, expect to climb deeper into the rabbit hole, where NPCs speak cryptically, your brother’s life grows more complex, and you realize your role in the mystery is far bigger than expected.

A Fresh Take on Point-and-Click

Now that you have the premise, let’s get into how you use Iris’s investigative skills to get to the bottom of what happened to Leo.

You have a limited number of prompts when interacting with points of interest. The menu gives you three choices: Talk To, Look At, or Use. Once you unlock an item in your investigation, you can, for example, Talk To someone ABOUT a person, phrase, or item. Early on, you speak to an older gentleman, a neighbor of Leo’s, and use the prompt Talk To to ask him about the locked padlock, Leo, and their connection.

Instead of gathering items or tools like most point-and-click adventures, you collect evidence or even concepts that you build on as you investigate. That gave me a breath of fresh air because, as I mentioned, point-and-click is a genre I distance myself from, with cumbersome inventory systems being a major reason.

Each progression brings new puzzles, requiring you to break down subtle clues that invite more investigation or point directly to the next clue. Listening to what others say and how Iris interprets clues is critical—one wrong move could mean repeating a process or missing the next story progression entirely.

Iris herself becomes as much of a puzzle as the plot thickens and the connections to her brother’s estranged life grow deeper.

A Living Canvas

When I first saw a trailer for the game, I was stunned by the visuals and pushed past my hesitation about the genre. I’m glad I did.

The hand-drawn style feels like picturesque GIFs that breathe with subtle, looping motion—even when characters or objects are still. For instance, a hand reaching for something has a few repeating frames. It’s a style I personally use when animating my own work. The color palette, whether in day or night scenes, beautifully represents the environment.

The environments stand front and center as Iris uses her cunning reporter skill set, speaking with people around her brother’s old stomping grounds, investigating his lavish home, the abandoned, zombie-drugged-out university where he worked, and the lush oasis of Phoenix Springs, hidden in the desolate desert. Each new area is set like a painting waiting to be explored. Cinematics add depth with subtle animations in the characters and areas you interact with.

Echoes and Voices

The main menu features a haunting choir whose vocals crescendo and fade into the background, looping almost like the memories you uncover. It sets the overall tone and feels like stepping into a movie. Here it is in all its glory:

At times, there’s no music at all, with a bigger focus on environmental sounds: birds and crickets in the lush oasis, wind blowing through the desert, or the hum of indoor lights. The soundtrack shifts story beats effectively.

Iris’s voice acting is dark and monotone, fitting the noir detective style. Her tone sets the mood, whether it’s a simple line or a response to a mistaken action. For instance, if you try to “USE” a person, Iris might respond with a confused or dismissive remark.

Alex Alexander Crow’s voice work truly brings Iris to life. It’s no surprise that composer and sound designer Alexander Smith excels in this game—he also designs synthesizers! The creative talents of Calligram Studios shine across every aspect of Phoenix Springs. Here’s a piece from the soundtrack that deeply moved me. It is not only a beautiful synth heavy instrumental but one of my favorite songs from gaming soundtracks this year. Enjoy!

Why Phoenix Springs Shines

Point-and-click games have never been in my repertoire. In fact, I’ve avoided them almost my entire life. What I want to congratulate Calligram Studios on with Phoenix Springs is the visual representation and marketing of the game. It’s been a great year of games especially those I had a chance to review where the main protagonist is a female lead from Caravan SandWitch, Arranger: A Role Puzzling Adventure, Mika and the Witchs Mountain, and Été. Phoenix Springs is in great company.

The visuals connected me to something deeper. The hand-drawn style, combined with the green-and-yellow color palette, pulled me into the world of Phoenix Springs. Together with the eerie sound design and minimalist inventory, the game offers a uniquely charming indie experience.

I can’t compare it to other point-and-clicks because I haven’t played many, but as the first one I’ve genuinely enjoyed, I’m looking forward to exploring the genre further. Please share your favorite point-and-click games in the comments—I’d love to broaden my horizons.

Phoenix Springs is a must-play indie game with rich artistic illustration, haunting sound design, and a noir world that has already made it a critically acclaimed hit of 2024.

🎮Phoenix Springs | Steam |
🎶Phoenix Springs Soundtrack | Bandcamp
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Game Lobby review of Cato: Buttered Cat—a meme brought to life in a delightful puzzle platforming adventure.

The game’s premise is based on the "Buttered Cat Paradox," a joke suggesting that if a cat, which always lands on its feet, has buttered toast strapped to its back (which always lands butter-side down), the result would be a perpetual spin. This hilarious paradox is the core of today’s review.

Game Jam Inspirations

The concept began as a game jam entry, which you can still play for free on the developers' itch.io page here. The creators saw the potential and expanded it into a full-fledged game with 200 levels spread across 5 worlds, intricate puzzles, and a variety of unlockable cosmetics. Cato: Buttered Cat is easily one of the best puzzle games of 2024.

😺 + 🍞 + 🧩 = 🎮

You begin in a cozy home as a cat when the milk machine breaks. Venturing out, you meet Toast, who discovers that without milk, there’s no butter. Together, you team up to retrieve the necessary components for milk production. You float up to a portal, and the puzzles commence.

Puzzled

The game’s mechanics evolve across its 5 worlds, introducing clever and engaging challenges. You control both Cat and Toast, either together or separately.

• Cat moves left and right but cannot jump. It can crawl up padded walls using its claws.

• Toast can jump by flipping left or right and occasionally stick to walls. However, it slides down smooth glass surfaces.

  

Gameplay involves activating platforms, solving water-based puzzles, and using contraptions that propel Toast across levels. Once per world, the game shifts to 3D, where you glide through industrial settings on Toast’s buttered side.

The puzzles vary in difficulty. Some are solvable in 30 seconds, while others may take longer to crack. Thankfully, the game includes a helpful hint system, and you can occasionally skip levels if needed. I recommend taking a break and returning later when stuck—it’s surprising how often the solution becomes clear with fresh eyes.

Each world introduces new mechanics, like trampoline platforms that let Cat jump higher or sticky platforms for precise timing. With 140 main levels and 60 hidden ones, you’ll encounter new ways to use Cat and Toast. The hidden levels even add a robot companion that allows you to swap their positions, further enriching the puzzle variety.

Chunky Pixels

I’m a sucker for pixel art, and this game nails the style. The layered parallax backgrounds and industrial silhouettes add depth and character to each world. Platforms are clearly marked in bright pink for Cat and yellow for Toast, making navigation easy.

Animations are comically exaggerated—Cat even stretches into a snake-like shape when traveling through pipes. The design of the characters and their unlockable skins evokes the chunky, whimsical charm of Grapple Dog.

Cato also features mini game based on Flappy Bird, Snake, and more. These are fun to play in-between difficult levels in the main game.

The collectibles include fun variations, like a witch hat for Toast or a Halloween-themed Cat as a ghost and Toast as a pumpkin. You can unlock these by completing levels or entering special codes found on the Steam page. Here is one of them if you own the game and were looking to unlock some new cosmetics!

Puzzle Vibes

The soundtrack is a standout feature. Its chill beats keep you calm during challenging puzzles, while darker themes enhance the atmosphere of certain worlds, like the industrial lava zones in World 3. Boss battles, though rare, add a touch of intensity without overwhelming the player.

The publishing team, GCORES, mentioned the soundtrack will release on Steam by the end of November—a must-have for fans of relaxing game music. Here are one of the songs I loved—enjoy!

Must-Play Puzzle Platformer

Cato: Buttered Cat is a fantastic puzzle platformer that combines humor, charm, and challenging gameplay. Its quirky mechanics, vibrant pixel art, and relaxing soundtrack make it one of my favorite games of the year. Despite its difficulty at times, the joy of solving each puzzle is immensely rewarding.

It’s incredible how many full-fledged games emerge from game jams, and I’m thrilled the developers turned this hilarious concept into a complete experience. Cato: Buttered Cat is a must-play puzzle game that will stay with me for years.

🎮CATO: Buttered Cat | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

I can still remember when Astroneer first hit early access. It was the first game I truly dove headfirst into on PC, and in those early days, I logged an easy 80+ hours. Since then, I’ve only jumped in here and there for small updates to see how things have progressed, always enjoying my time exploring these colorful and odd planets. It’s great to see this bigger DLC coming out, with glitch storms taking center stage in this planet-exploring and resource-mining game.

🎮ASTRONEER: Glitchwalkers | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

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Quest Vibes

I had the chance to review Été, a watercoloring game set in a colorless city of Montreal, where the soundtrack played a wonderful part in the gameplay. Eric Shaw has finally released the soundtrack for us all to enjoy. It has an overall French influence that sets the tone for a beautiful, fun-filled summer in Montreal. Enjoy!

🎶Eric Shaw | Spotify
🎮Été | Steam

Quest Loot

A small taste of gaming merch from Plushies to a great collectors edition book.

Elden Ring – Miriel Pastor of Vows

I mean, just look at that smile. One of the best characters from Elden Ring has been made into one of the best plushies you’ll ever see. To think such a cute thing can come from the brutal world of The Lands Between!

🧸Elden Ring - Miriel Pastor of Vows | Youtooz | $29

Balatro - Jimbo Plushie

Though I still haven’t tried Balatro, there’s no mistaking its dominant impact on the gaming scene since its release earlier this year. Makeship, who ran the successful campaign, works with studios and developers to create crowdfunded plushies or toys, many of which are gaming-themed. It’s a great way to produce a quality product at a more affordable price without significant risks.

🧸Balatro - Jimbo | Makeship | $29.99

Kirby Car Mouth

When the trailer for Kirby and the Forgotten Land dropped, the internet lost its collective mind seeing Kirby suck up a whole car and drive around the world. Nintendo had a hit before they even knew it. Now, you can own your very own version! Fun fact: they also have the lightbulb version of this plush, too.

🧸Kirby Car Mouth Plushie | PlayAsia

Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Ultimate Works

A retrospective of the '90s Sega game console with artwork, illustrations, game developer interviews, and the complete guide to the Master Drive’s first-party hardware.

Originally released in 2014, this new and expanded version, releasing a decade later, features an additional 48 pages of newly discovered work from the Mega Drive (or Genesis, as it was for me) era.

I’m particularly excited about new box art for many classics, including Kid Chameleon, Phantasy Star, Sonic the Hedgehog, and even original design documents for an odd game I loved growing up—Dynamite Headdy!

📔Volume | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Ultimate Works

Good Game Lobby Review

The latest written reviews for Tower of Dreams and Europa.

Early Access

Welcome to the Good Game Lobby review of Tower of Dreams, a roguelike platformer that’s as adorable as it is ruthless. After playing through the available content, I think it's a solid start and on its way to becoming a great game.

If you're new to Early Access, it’s a stage where gaming studios release an early version of a game they believe has its core elements fleshed out enough for players to enjoy and engage with. You can purchase it at a discounted price, react to it, and provide feedback, contributing to a collaborative effort to create a truly polished game. It’s also a way for studios to secure funding and support ongoing development.

Dream State

In Tower of Dreams, the foundational aspects of a platforming roguelike are all here. The graphics and art style are charming, the gameplay borrows from the sword-hopping mechanics of Hollow Knight, and you’ll find many unique items to assist each of your runs, all set to an awesome soundtrack. It's an experience I recommend. My plan is to do a part 2 review once the game leaves Early Access next year.

In the meantime, let's touch on the game mechanics, art style, and soundtrack. Let's dive into the gameplay and level structure.

Roguelike Sword-Hopping Knight

The game starts with simple instructions: move the knight with the D-pad or thumbstick, and press A to jump. You can wall jump to climb higher and collect gems, which you can use to upgrade projectiles, unlock new ways to collect gems, increase your hearts, or even add shields. There are 36 unique items in total. As you progress, you’ll find a sword, unlocking the main movement mechanic: sword-hopping. You’ll use this to kill enemies or jump higher with items and projectiles. The enemies are straightforward, moving side-to-side, flying around, or throwing projectiles. Some are metallic, so you’ll have to avoid them and use them as platforms to hop to the next area.

Warp pipes are scattered around levels where you can either shop for upgrades using gems or unlock free buffs from a frog vendor who’ll also buy back items for gems. Why do all awesome games have frogs? Is this a rite of passage for indie developers? I've reviewed several games recently with frogs as characters like in Caravan SandWitch—or even stars like Bubble Frog! No complaints here—I love it. 🐸

That’s the gameplay in essence, with level mechanics evolving to offer more challenging runs and incentives to experiment with items and strategies to conquer the tower.

It took me about 45 minutes to finish all three main floors, averaging a B rating across them. A board displays your best runs, so you can replay levels to improve your scores. Although I completed the game in 45 minutes on my first playthrough, I ended up spending an additional 2 hours adjusting my upgrades, increasing hearts, armor, and collecting cosmetics.

Sour Lemon Studios has shared that the game is about 75% complete. They plan to add a final floor with a boss battle within the next 6-12 months and potentially expand the first three floors. I’m excited about the boss battle addition, which could let players showcase their unique fighting styles and might even add some lore to Tower of Dreams.

You can follow their Twitter and YouTube accounts for insights on design decisions and current projects. Recently, they completed a compendium for enemies, items, and more, which looks like a Game Boy within the game. Here’s a video for context.

Speaking of the Game Boy aesthetic, doesn’t this game just look brilliant? The typeface for text and the tiny knight protagonist, combined with the greens, blues, and purples, create a fantasy-like world with lively NPC animations that make the atmosphere playful and immersive. The precision timing with the retro-inspired visuals makes for an engaging experience that feels fresh on every run.

Retro Funky Vibes

Now that we’ve covered the gameplay and visuals, let’s talk about the soundtrack—this one truly spoke to me. The music complements the sword-hopping mechanics and the vibrant tower perfectly. The main theme is a fantasy-inspired tune you can hear in the background now. As you progress through different floors, you’re treated to new songs, and the upgrade rooms, shops, and main shop area each have their own themes. I especially love the theme in Stamper’s Supply—it’s reminiscent of a Katamari Damacy track, and I had to pause my run just to enjoy it. Tom Sanborn’s entire soundtrack is on YouTube, and I highly recommend listening to the whole thing. Here’s a taste of “Stamper’s Shop”—enjoy!

Knighted

If this is only 75%, it’s already a great start. Adding a bit more story, new levels, a final floor, and a boss fight could make Tower of Dreams a standout must-play for 2025. My only minor concern is the $12 price point, which, of course, may have a discount upon launch. Early Access notes also mention the price will increase at launch. While I think it’s a little high for what’s currently available, the game is fantastic and will likely keep improving.

Sour Lemon Studios is very responsive to community feedback, so there’s great potential here. They’ve said, “I have an active Discord server for playtesting and feedback, and will be paying close attention to the game's reception to prioritize what to work on and fix for the full release.” With this attention to community feedback, the promise of additional content, and an already fun roguelike experience, Tower of Dreams might be worth it even at this price.

🎮Tower of Dreams | Steam
🎶Tom Sanborn | Twitter | YouTube
🗓️Release Date | Out Now in Early Access Full Release 2025

I’ll see you for part 2 of the review when the game launches next year. Thanks for reading the review and make sure to like, comment, and subscribe to the newsletter for more indie game reviews and weekly updates!

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Ghibli & Zelda Inspired World

A mostly solo dev experience over 7 years culminates in a stunning world built with inspirations from the art direction of Studio Ghibli and puzzles and enemies reminiscent of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Europa is a journey inspired by significant pieces of film and gaming history and is best taken as a small taste of a unique perspective.

A Father’s Secret on a Silent Moon

You are a young android named Zee who awakens on the moon Europa. You find your home where your dear father has left pages from his journal to guide you. You explore a terraformed world lush with forests and open lands, all while unravelling the mystery of why you are here and the history of this once barren moon.

Zee glides through the world, boosting higher to reach puzzles, collectibles, and uncover what happened to the lost civilization of humans. Your father gives you hints of what happened and why no humans roam this moon any longer. For fear of any spoilers, that's as far as I will push forward. Learning how everything played out before you arrived is crucial to the storytelling.

Gliding and Discovering

When the game begins, you have the Zephyr jetpack, which functions similarly to the electricity mechanics in Tears of the Kingdom. You collect energy to increase your glide capacity.

Discovering crystal formations, sometimes hidden in mechanical objects, increases your energy capacity. By the end of the game, your capacity grows to a level that makes it fun to glide higher and higher through the gorgeous scenery.

The controls are easy to use, and it won't take long before you master the gliding. Certain sections feature mostly linear wind tunnels where you only need to slightly move around obstacles, but at times, I wasn’t even controlling it and just let it ride out on its own.

Gliding in Europa starts off slow, and you use your charged jump to mostly get around. But once you find a rhythm, it unlocks a relaxed and fluid gameplay loop. Boosting from one area to another, then pressing A to glide slightly to the next boost, was a true joy at every opportunity. It gives you time to glide around and fully appreciate the meadows and mountainous views.

Items are clearly marked in the world, with pages from the journal that advance the story glowing a bright golden yellow. Collectible crystals, while not essential, add an extra layer of exploration, glowing green to stand out in the environment.

For those looking to have a more relaxed gameplay experience, Europa is for you. If you're looking for a more challenging experience, I recommend playing Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild.

A World Unravelled By Memories

I've already touched on the game's beautiful look and feel. It’s clearly influenced by Ghibli and the open-world Zelda games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom—at times, almost too much. That’s my only real gripe. You encounter enemies that are nearly identical to the guardians from Zelda. When they spot you, a laser locks on, gradually building up before it shoots. Fortunately, in Europa, you can deactivate them with easily located switches, and since you don't have a health bar or die, getting hit is more of a minor inconvenience.

Remnants of a world once inhabited by large devices and robots litter the world. Another influence is clear with the robot designs, reminiscent of Laputa: Castle in the Sky from Studio Ghibli. You use them to climb to new areas or explore around the meadows.

I wish those aspects felt more original rather than borrowed so closely from Zelda and Studio Ghibli.

A Soundtrack That Soars

Now let’s move to the soundtrack. Wow, honestly, wow is all I want to say about the soundtrack of this game. If I could choose a musical accompaniment for gliding through a beautiful world, this is hands down the one. The arrangements throughout every biome you explore and across Europa elevate the gameplay to new levels. A few times, I had goosebumps from the powerful soundtrack. This is a true hit I hope makes its way to vinyl soon. Matthew Thomason has done wonders with his style of airy soundscapes that almost felt like they were breathing in and out with the gliding mechanic. Here is a beautiful video with songs from the soundtrack put together by Matthew. I timestamped the video at the exact song I adore “A Friend When All Seems Lost”. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Gliding Without Faults

When I saw the game a few years ago, it already looked like it was near completion, as the trailer didn’t seem too different from what we have today. But honestly, the game had no bugs and ran perfectly. The almost consistent 120 fps and above I was getting on my PC made for a truly delightful playthrough. I can tell many hours were put into optimization. I’m keen to hear how it ran for those playing on the Steam Deck. For reference, it ran with the highest settings between 70-90 fps on the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme.

Europa was a pleasant experience that I completed in 2 and a half hours. During that time, I ended with 24 out of the 40 collectibles. Assuming you collect them all, you're likely to reach the developer's described playtime of 3-4 hours.

A Beautiful Impression Forever Engrained

When I started this journey on the moon of Europa, I enjoyed the free flow of gliding around, boosting higher and faster across the land. The puzzles were straightforward and presented no real challenge. At one point, I questioned why it wasn’t more difficult or why I wasn’t given a sword to deal with the annoying enemies on Europa. But this game isn’t about combat or challenge—it’s about exploration, learning, and understanding the world around you. The world that came before was filled with war and friction, and now the fate of humanity is in full focus and in your hands.

This intimate story unfolds with each page of your father's journal, progressively building further and immersing you in Zee’s newfound world. The lush scenery of meadows sprawling with a mountainous background leads you higher and higher to reach floating lands, coupled with the world’s mechanical life giving you a sense of urgency at times. The secrets you uncover by solving puzzles and exploring this open yet linear moon bring you closer to the truth. Europa is a breath-taking experience of clarity. The music playfully soars alongside your journey through the delightful scenery, and I highly recommend it. It has become one of my must-play games of 2024.

🎮Europa | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

A mix of turn-based tactics and roguelike deckbuilding where you lead a group of toads against evil forces may sound like a lot, but trust me—this game looks like a great time.

🎮Toads of the Bayou | Steam
🗓️Release Date | November 19th

I never understood the appeal of tower defense games, but the more I play, the more I like them. Is this a sign of me getting old? 100% yes. The catch here is that the main character in Sunstore War can carry elements of tower defense across the map: you can move towers, toss enemies, and carry obstacles.

🎮Sunstone War | Steam
🗓️Release Date | November 14th

Low-poly horror has become a staple in my life. After playing Mouthwashing (check out my review!) and trying the demo for 10 Dead Doves, I’m all in for this genre. Threshold captures it perfectly with a first-person horror experience set on a lonely mountain top, where you must uncover mysteries.

🎮Threshold | Steam
🗓️Release Date | November 19th

I’m not even sure how to explain this one: gods are squabbling at the end of the world, and you solve puzzles by absorbing dialogue and launching it out—with puppets. Just watch the trailer; Great God Grove looks amazing.

🎮Great God Grove | Steam
🗓️Release Date | November 15th

This pixel-styled platformer is every bit as gorgeous and colorful as its soundtrack is fun and exciting. Honestly, the trailer music rips! No release date for Renaine yet, but I had to share it once I saw it.

🎮Renaine| Steam
🗓️Release Date | Coming Soon

Death Stranding finally on XBOX Series X|S

When I started Good Game Lobby, the focus was strictly on indie games and not much else. I would only comment on AAA titles if they related to something involving indie gaming (the next section about the Dead Space book speaks to this). Although I know Death Stranding was made by Hideo Kojima and financed with Sony's help, I still consider it an indie game studio project.

When I played the game for the first time, it was through GeForce Now. I didn’t have a PlayStation or a proper PC, but I put over 60 hours into it. I was blown away by the visuals, gameplay style, unique storytelling, connections to other games, and the brilliant acting by the main characters. It was my first Kojima game since Metal Gear Solid 1.

To this day, Death Stranding is still my favorite game of all time. I’ve also bought the game MANY, MANY times—first on Steam, then on PS4 while visiting a friend, again on PS5 for my nephew, once more for the Director’s Cut on a friend’s PS5, yet again when I got my own PS5, and one last time for the steelbook case on PC. Could Xbox be my final purchase? Who knows, but I’m excited for those on the "green team" to finally experience this brilliant game on its 5th anniversary.

🎮Death Stranding Directors Cut | Steam | Xbox

Quest Loot

Lost In Cult has been on fire with its releases lately, and I’m slowly becoming their number-one fan. Make Us Whole: The History of Dead Space is an oral history book that covers the entire Dead Space universe.

The book will explore all of the Dead Space series' media—from video games to movies, novels, and comics. Written by Elijah Beahm, with insanely detailed illustrations by Jonathan La Mantia, it’s truly a visual treat. Just look at the illustration below…wow.

Dead Space was a fantastic, fresh take on the horror genre, with its unique mechanics of dismembering aliens and monsters. The suit and weapons played a huge part in its success. The recent remake shows how even a classic game can be revitalized to feel new again. You can pre-order the book now, with delivery expected in 2025.

📔Lost In Cult | Make Us Whole: The History of Dead Space

Wishlist XP

Panic held a fall update for the Playdate last night to showcase recently released games and upcoming titles, with insights from the developers. The little handheld, designed by Teenage Engineering, has been selling well, and a second season is confirmed for 2025. This season will release one game a week, regardless of when you purchase it.

One of the highlights is Owlet’s Embrace, an action-exploration platformer reminiscent of Grapple Dog with its fast-paced grappling hook mechanics.

It’s incredible to see so much creativity squeezed out of this tiny handheld, which has an aspect ratio of 400 x 240 and only 1-bit color depth.

🎮Owlet’s Embrace | Playdate
🗓️Release Date | Late 2025

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This colorful little driving game, where you collect carts and build a caravan, feels like the ultimate version of Snake. I love the design and the chaos of growing the caravan to ridiculous lengths.

🎮PAKO Caravan | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out now!

Quest Loot

CMYK, the game design studio and publisher, has teamed up with Hollow Ponds for Wilmot’s Warehouse: The Boardgame. The adorable Wilmot made his way to the board game scene this year in a memory card game, where you work with your team to organize Wilmot’s warehouse. The game emphasizes unique gameplay and memory skills to remember stock locations.

🎮Wilmotʼs Warehouse | Board Game | Steam

Arkotype has outdone themself with the design of the Enhance Soundworks Collection for Lost In Cult. Their clean, minimalistic design style shines in this masterful production, with meticulous details across the vinyl, packaging, pins, and poster.

The soundtrack covers:

Rez Infinite | Tetris® Effect: Connected | Lumines Remastered | Humanity; a celebration of 10 years of Enhance and the masterful work of Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

It’s steep for the $250 price tag, but it looks like a must buy for collectors.

🎶Lost In Cult | 003 - The Enhance Soundworks Collection

(Hey! Sey here, the guy who runs Good Game Lobby. I truly love Lost in Cult's design work, but I’m still waiting for my Sable and Eastward books that have faced repeated delays over the past year. I recently learned from a blog post—not even a direct email—that they're now delayed until January 2025. Order at your own risk. I’ll update when I receive them…hopefully in 2025.)

Quest Vibes

This week, I’m highlighting the latest soundtracks released or coming out this November. Here are a few handpicked tracks I’ve been vibing to!

Good Game Lobby Review

This week I posted the reviews for Bubble Frog DX and Wilmot Work’s It Out. Check them out here and each written review has the video review too!

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Good Game Lobby review of Wilmot Works It Out. This is the second title released by the indie studio Hollow Ponds this year, following Flock, a game I reviewed and loved, released earlier this past summer. You can read review here.

Plentiful Ponds

The core team at Hollow Ponds on game development, along with Eli Rainsberry on the soundtrack, are back together. Their beautiful connection shined in Flock and has done the same here in Wilmot Works It Out.

Let me go into a bit of the story and introduce you to Wilmot. Originally released in 2019, Wilmot’s Warehouse was a puzzle game about organizing your warehouse to run it as efficiently as possible. Once your co-workers needed certain items, it was up to you to locate them and deliver them on time. While Wilmot’s Warehouse leaned towards a more stressful, time-based design, Wilmot Works It Out takes a completely opposite approach.

Wilmot is a cube who still enjoys keeping things organized, even in his home life, but he prefers a more casual approach here. You’re part of a puzzle club and receive new puzzles throughout the season. The delivery woman, Sam, is your main point of contact, and you become close friends, chatting about neighbors, animals, vacation plans, and the weather—as you might with your local mail carrier.

Wilmot Moves It About

Your main area is Wilmot's large house, which feels a bit oversized for a small cube person. You assemble puzzles in the spacious living area, which is perfect for sorting pieces across multiple puzzles.

Upon opening a package, you’ll find random puzzle pieces. Using the left thumbstick, you move pieces around by pushing them, or you can highlight a piece with the right thumbstick, pressing A to pick it up and B to put it down. I recommend grouping similar pieces, as I’m sure most people do with puzzles. Often, you won’t receive a complete set of pieces right away, so you’ll need to wait for the next delivery. The game cleverly includes extra pieces that resemble those in your main puzzle, allowing you to guess where each might belong.

Each chapter of the game represents a season. I spent around 30-50 minutes per season, with eight seasons in total. Every time I saw a completion time of 38 or 54 minutes, I was surprised, as it felt like only 10 minutes had passed. With each puzzle you complete, you can put it up on your wall and decorate with nice frames. At the end of each season, you get to choose between two new rooms in Wilmot’s home to display these framed puzzles. You can also select wallpaper, color palettes, and accessories like video game consoles, plants, and more. Initially, I didn’t think these touches were necessary; I was eager to return to the puzzles. But with the music, art style, and overall ease of play, I was fully enjoying it by the end. You even get to choose a pet companion—either a cat or a dog!

Vibrant and Alive

Let’s talk about the beautiful visual design.

Wilmot is simple: a square with bead eyes, a triangle nose, and a charming smile. While the main room has a mild color palette, the puzzle pieces stand out with vibrant colors. This vibrant art style is a staple for Richard Hogg and Ricky Haggett’s games, like I Am Dead, Hohokum, and Flock, which I mentioned earlier. The colorful worlds, environments, people, creatures, and landscapes you assemble piece by piece feel alive in their own way. Out of the 60 puzzles you complete, each one has such wonderful designs that I’d love to have some in real life to hang on my own wall. Considering Wilmot’s Warehouse was adapted into a board game, my hope is that Hollow Ponds will collaborate again with CMYK to produce physical puzzles.

Another great part of the game design is that the soundtrack album artwork is made entirely from puzzle pieces, recreating Wilmot’s face. The design, from gameplay to artwork and music, is truly charming.

Once again, a delightful game is beautifully complemented by composer and sound artist Eli Rainsberry. And what a cool last name, right? Rainsberry!

Jazzy Chill Vibes

What can I say about the soundtrack that isn’t just a confession of my adoration for it? Eli Rainsberry has done it again. The Flock soundtrack blended jazz with pop and chill vibes seamlessly. Wilmot Works It Out is a puzzle game, so naturally, you’re looking for relaxing music to accompany the time spent pondering each puzzle. The song “Your First Rodeo” sets the stage, beginning with a repeating piano theme (a common element throughout the soundtrack), joined by a jazzy upright bass that builds layer by layer—almost in parallel with solving your first puzzle. Then, Eli’s signature xylophone sound comes in. The song ends by peeling back the layers until only the final piano note remains. That’s just one of many tracks that instantly captured me. I highly recommend checking out Eli’s work on Bandcamp, where the platform often waives fees, so the artist receives the full payment.

I began the game on a Saturday at midnight and played until 3 a.m. I went to bed, woke up at 7 a.m., and finished the rest. You can tell from this review how much I enjoyed it. While I was playing through the second half, my wife brought me a cup of coffee, mentioned how beautiful the game looked, and ended up using my headphones for an hour while doing chores to enjoy the amazing soundtrack. Eli Rainsberry crafts relaxing vibes with tones, clicks, and rhythmic patterns that playfully bounce off the colorful worlds Hollow Ponds creates. I still listen to the Flock soundtrack and will no doubt have Wilmot Works It Out on repeat. Here is one of my favorites “Your First Rodeo”. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Here is the full soundtrack:

🎶Eli Rainsberry | Bandcamp

Hollow Ponds Works It Out

With Wilmot’s Warehouse, Wilmot Works It Out, and the recently released board game, I’m all in for this adorable cube and its expanding universe. Wilmot Works It Out brings vibrant, colorful puzzles to life with a clean, intuitive design. Its jazzy, relaxing soundtrack creates a pleasant, seamless experience from start to finish. It’s a must-play and has officially become one of my favorite games of 2024. What do you think of the game? Have you played other Hollow Ponds games I mentioned? Let me know in the comments!

🎮Wilmot Works It Out | Steam
🎴Wilmot’s Warehouse | Steam | Board Game

Hello, everyone! Thank you for joining me for this latest review of Bubble Frog DX. This is an updated PC version of a Game Boy Color game I backed on Kickstarter last year.

This one holds a special place in my heart. Timbo Johnson, the developer, was behind one of the first Kickstarters I backed when I started Good Game Lobby. During the campaign, I played the game on stream, and he was there, watching me struggle through a few levels while I cracked up. Despite the game being outright adorable, it can be hilariously difficult! It was a joy to watch the campaign grow and hit its goal and here we are a year later with the full release.

A Frogs Tale

Let me touch briefly on the story of Bubble Frog DX. You are Bubble Frog, a frog in a bubble (if that wasn’t obvious enough). Onigary reaches out to you because they've lost their Onigiri friends and need your help getting them back. Only you can save them! With 50 levels of puzzles and over 100 Onigiri to collect, you’re in for a great time navigating through spike-filled, brightly colored, and fantastic levels.

How To Hop

You can use your keyboard or controller to play, but I prefer the controller. You use the thumbstick to move around and press "A" to make Bubble Frog jump and float. If you hold up while jumping, you get a boosted jump. Those are the simple mechanics.

You need precise timing to navigate different levels with Onigiri hidden in tough-to-reach places, while spike enemies move around or spiked walls surround you. Each level begins by displaying how many Onigiri you can collect. Once you’ve gathered them, you head to a dark, orb-like portal that takes you to the next level.

Some levels require you to collect keys to unlock the portal, while others feature wind machines that throw Bubble Frog around quickly. My favorite levels involve portals that move you around, creating their own puzzle as you figure out how to reach the Onigiri that are just out of reach and offscreen. Bubble Frog is separated into 4 chapters, each with different, brightly colored backgrounds and new music to accompany them.

Colorful Pixel Perfection

I’m a bit biased here because I love Timbo’s game design and the colorful worlds he creates. His previous game, Chumbles Bumbles, another Game Boy title, is also a ton of fun—you should definitely check it out. Bubble Frog DX even has an Easter egg referencing Sir Chumbles.

The pixel art style and colorful world make exploring the game a joy. Between levels, you’re introduced to characters from Bubble Frog’s world, like a cyclops named Francis, a bodybuilder Kimma, twins Pim and Pom, and my personal favorite—Mr. Squeeks, a clown. The character designs are so funny and colorful that I’m hoping for a sequel so I can dive even deeper into this world (and maybe be a character I hope you read this post Timbo lol).

Beats With Hops

Each chapter has its own song, along with a main intro theme that plays in the menu and museum section. All the music features the bleeps and bloops typical of a Game Boy game, but the intensity of the Blue World levels sets the mood perfectly. Take a listen of my favorite below:

A Hopping Good Time

One of the major upgrades in Bubble Frog DX from Game Boy ROM to PC is Timbo’s chance to put his unique spin on the main menu. You enter a museum where you can see a “Frog Boy Color” that you use to start the game. You can also check out the game credits, fan art, and portraits—a shoutout to the backers who helped bring this release to life. I jumped on one of the tiers immediately to become an executive producer. I didn’t do much aside from backing the Kickstarter, but it came with a credit and portrait. Look at that pristine portrait—it’s stunning! There’s also a nice shoutout in the credits, where Timbo accidentally spelled my name wrong and then corrected it in the most hilarious way possible. He truly is the best.

Timbo also added a whole new area called Ink Zone, which has its own song and a darker vibe. The challenge here is that you only have 20 lives to complete the whole thing. I don’t claim to be good at video games, and I proved that by dying 10 times in the second level of Ink Zone. I still haven’t completed it. I suck. haha

Bubble Frog DX is a breath of fresh air in the Game Boy ROM scene. It has all the makings of a classic game I would have loved growing up. I even loaded the ROM on my Analogue Pocket, where it looks fantastic and plays seamlessly. I love supporting crowdfunding campaigns, and this one was a win for sure.

Bubble Frog DX is one of my favorite games released this year and a must-play for Game Boy aficionados. I can’t wait to see what Timbo comes up with next—whether it’s Bubble Frog 2, another Chumbles Bumbles, or a completely new adventure, you can bet it’ll have great visuals and be adorable.

Quest Loot

A little bonus: the regular version of the game (not DX) is available for purchase on cartridge at RetroGameShop!

It comes with original styled box, cartridge of Bubble Frog and a gaming manual (dont we all miss these so much!) It goes for roughly 40 Euro which may seem steep, but remember these are small companies/developers making a physical media in 2024 for a retro handheld and shipping around the world. Also, an added bonus of Cherry Time another indie game being sold on the site comes with it for free. An amazing thing to see nowadays!

🎮Bubble Frog DX| Steam
🏪Retro Games Shop | Website
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

Bubble Frog DX officially releases today on Steam! Originally launched on itch.io last year, this Game Boy Color–inspired puzzle game by Timbo Johnson made it to a full release after a successful Kickstarter campaign I backed late last year. With its adorable style and quirky difficulty options, it’s one of my must-plays for 2024!

🎮Bubble Frog DX | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out Today!

Earlier this year, I reviewed Flock by Hollow Ponds—a creature-collecting, colorful open-world game filled with stunning environments and unique characters. You can watch it above!

They’re back with Wilmot Works It Out, the second installment in the Wilmot series! It’s a puzzle-building game where you complete beautiful images to decorate your house. It looks super cute and fits right in with their colorful theme. My review is coming next week, and I’ve added the soundtrack down in Quest Vibes!

🎮Wilmot Works It Out | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out Now

Crowdfunding Checkpoint

The campaign for Lone Fungus 2 didn’t hit its goal, but they’re coming back next week with a new name-Lone Fungus Melody of Spores, updated gameplay, and a fresh campaign. Check out the link to save your spot and get notified when it launches!

🎮Lone Fungus: Melody of Spores | Kickstarter

Quest Vibes

One of the classic action-adventure games, Beyond Oasis—or The Story of Thor: A Successor of The Light (a way cooler title!)—features the best in chiptune composing, courtesy of Yuzo Koshiro. I got to play a bit of this game when I was younger, and recently stumbled upon the soundtrack again, which I just had to share with you all. Yuzo has composed some of the most iconic soundtracks, with notable works in Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Shenmue, and many more.

He has been asked to create two songs for the soundtrack of Yacht Club Games' highly anticipated Mina the Hollower, coming soon! This makes me feel like the game is definitely going to be a hit!

🎮Mina The Hollower | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Coming Soon

Good Game Lobby Reviews

Here’s the latest review of Necro Story. Scroll back to the top of this post to see the video for my Bubble Frog DX review, just dropped today!

Rablo Games is back with another RPG full of humor from beginning to end. While Pokémon might be the go-to comparison for creature collecting, this game takes a darker turn. Instead of capturing creatures in a ball, you capture their souls to fight alongside you. This is the second game I’ve played this month with this mechanic—the other being The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom—and I’m loving them both.

Necro Story Story

Necro Story begins when an evil necromancer is awoken from his eternal slumber by a ghost named Vivi, who becomes your companion throughout the game. She informs you that the human race is dead, and it’s up to you and her to save them from the Upperworld, which is technically the underworld/hell. With your annoyingly charming companion Vivi, your main healer, you navigate different worlds, castles, and even Valhalla as you make your way to your goal. And Vivi isn’t your only companion.

Turn-Based Real-Time

Let’s take a look at the gameplay. I already touched on the creature collecting, but it’s the way you do it that’s unique. After killing an enemy, their soul floats out, and using your mouse, you have to click on them to capture the soul and gain mana. Mana is crucial in the game, so you don’t want to miss out on them, though at times they can float away from you very quickly.

You have a mirror that comes into play as you collect these souls, and once it’s filled and turns blue, you take the soul of the creature you want to collect and throw it at the mirror. Now, this raptor, evil angel, or even an ice dragon can become part of your crew. The ice dragon only temporarily joining is one of the funniest parts of the game. The necromancer is lazy and doesn’t want to climb a huge mountain, so he fights the ice dragon just to collect it and use it to get to the top. It’s a comedic break that brings you to the second half of the game.

You also collect items that upgrade your stats like healing, magic, strength, and more, which you equip to Vivi and your creatures. They can hold up to two items at a time. As you level up, you unlock new necromancy spells that can poison enemies, summon skeletons and zombies, and many more. The upgrades and in-depth skill tree give you the tools to create your own style of gameplay. I favored the poison spells that damage poisoned enemies and spread poison to others.

After the first main area, you get to a demon, your typical big boss, and after defeating them, you can sign a Dark Pact that adds them as one of your necromancy spells. Think summoning Ifrit from Final Fantasy, except these demons are chatty.

Before each battle, you have the option to change around your team, items, spells, or skills. It’s a nice touch to be ready for each battle, giving you a heads-up before jumping in blind—a feature more RPGs need.

You will enjoy new ways to defeat enemies, collect souls, and ultimately catch them all! Most of the boss battles are straightforward and indicate when you can’t attack them, and it only becomes more difficult over time. You will need to do some occasional grinding to level up yourself and your team. By the endgame, everyone on my team was between levels 30-35.

One of the items you collect is a staff that is alive and can talk to you. It roasts you for having a crush on Vivi and even speaks about how he has everything she needs in a man. The staff begs you to equip it and jumps in and out of the story to help you out on occasion.

Now that we've explored the core gameplay, let's dive into the game's unique visual style.

Tones and Colors

The whole game has an oil pastel look that is very beautiful. It isn’t something loud or in-your-face graphically, but the style feels inviting, and each character’s design is animated nicely, especially the dramatics of Vivi, who is always shocked by the necromancer’s hatred toward her. This theme fits well throughout the design of the skill tree, items you collect, enemy designs, including the overworld. What is a great-looking game without a beautiful soundtrack?

Necro Lullabies

The soundtrack is a delight. When I first started the game, I actually lingered on the main menu just to take in the music. If this is what they had in store, I knew I was in good hands. The different biomes you explore have a new style of music that fits their themes, like the dinosaur-themed area and the aforementioned Valhalla. They don’t have the soundtrack on streaming so watch my review above for a snippet of the intro song!

Life or Death

The demo for the game truly set it up well, and I cannot stress enough the importance of a well-thought-out demo. The comedic timing and banter between the main characters is petty and hilarious throughout. At one point, you fight a boss, and they ask you riddles about the number of people on the team at Rablo Games, how many years it took to develop the game, and even check if you’ve been paying attention by asking the characters’ names or spells you use. It caught me off guard, so a handy notebook helped out because I died three times before I got all the questions right. This type of humor is my style, and they break the 4th wall often with great results.

Necro Story raises the creature-collecting genre from the dead with a unique spin on a deep skill tree, a fun game-within-a-game battlefield collecting souls, and a comedic RPG I was begging for even after my 10-hour playthrough. Luckily, I have a chance to try out their previous title Healer’s Quest, which is a hilarious take on being the most underappreciated character in all of gaming—the healer.

Necro Story is one of my must-play games of the year, and I highly recommend it.

🎮Necro Story | Steam
🎮Healer’s Quest | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

Thank you for reading this review! If you are looking for more indie games to play then why not head to the main Review section here:

My favorite demo from Steam Next Fest was Glitch Dungeon Crystal. I’ve seen a few development posts, and the style really spoke to me. The pixelated, glitch-filled world, centered around a grandma cleaning up a dirty basement full of glitches, is one of the most unique games to cross my screen since Animal Well. It feels like both games share an oddity and complex, secretive world. Try out the demo now!

🎮Glitch Dungeon Crystal: Babushka Quest | Steam
🗓️Release Date | November 2024

This one was sent to me by Pirate PR, honestly one of the best PR companies around for creators and developers. You should follow their newsletter! 10 Dead Doves was a Kickstarter project that was backed by 200% last year and is now releasing at the tail end of 2024. The developers play the leads in the game and have a wonderfully witty banter that eases tension in this fixed-perspective horror game. The graphics enhance the impressive visuals showcased in the trailer.

🎮10 Dead Doves | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Q4 2024

Orbo’s Exodus is one of the wildest and funniest platformers I’ve played this year. It really fits a wild Dreamcast aesthetic, almost like the quirky offspring of Sonic Adventure. Dash rolling, using your helmet as a screwdriver, and many of the other mechanics, once mastered, make for a hilariously fun game that runs beautifully.

🎮Orbo’s Exodus | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025

Welcome to your new job! Follow the instructions exactly—that’s all the description you really need. It’s your first day, and you navigate this 1-bit world with instructions coming from your pager. Do you even know what that is? If you do, congratulations—you’re old. Pager is coming later this year!

🎮Pager | Steam
🗓️Release Date | Coming Soon

Quest Vibes

Last week, I shared the teaser trailer for Claire a la Mode, the latest title coming soon from Colorgrave. This week, they dropped the first song from the soundtrack, and wow, it’s a fun tease of what’s to come. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Good Game Lobby Review - Europa

Here is the latest review of Europa and one of my must-plays of this year.

A Normal Gardening Game

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Good Game Lobby Review of Grunn, the latest release by the indie gaming studio Sokpop Collective.

Grunn is described as a normal gardening game, but it is far from that. With 11 endings, puzzles to solve, and some occasional gardening, this game is a great example of how a simple idea can be fleshed out into one of my favorite games released this year.

Sokpop Collective

Before we get into the game, I wanted to start off by explaining who Sokpop Collective is.

This small Dutch indie studio is made up of four game designers with the goal of creating 100 games. Starting in 2017, they were releasing one game every two weeks for a number of years. After years of hard work and dedication that reached that goal, and figured, why not develop an additional 100 games?

They shifted to releasing one game a month and set up a subscription service for $3 a month. It’s an interesting concept and one I totally love, considering it supports indie developers and provides a steady output of interesting games. Grunn, the game we’re checking out today, is one of them.

Keep in mind, if you aren’t part of the collective, the game is set at $12.99 on Itch.io and on sale for $10 on Steam. But for only $3, you get Grunn and two additional games. I recommend checking them out! Full disclosure: I did receive a game key for this review, but I liked the game so much that I joined their Patreon immediately. If you’d like to win a copy of the game, make sure to comment on this video and subscribe, and I’ll pick the winner later this week!

A Weekend Getaway

Now let’s grab our shears because we only have a weekend to start sprucing up this garden.

You begin the weekend on a bus, where you meet the first character, the bus driver. Unfortunately, you're met with weird vocal tones, and you can’t quite make sense of what they are saying. This holds true for all NPCs in the game. You know, totally normal stuff—nothing to be scared about.

You leave the bus, but are blocked off by a locked door and a Polaroid showing a key in a garden. You turn to the small garden, pick up the key, unlock the door, and head over the bridge. A plank breaks, and you hear the bus drive off. You are now officially in the world of Grunn, and that intro gives you a great start for the gameplay. Sometimes you’ll find items you’re not even sure what to do with, but rest assured, that bone will come in handy. Yes, you can pet the dog in Grunn.

Over and Over and Over

The first place you go is your shed, where you will stay for the weekend. The owner has left you notes on what tasks they need you to take care of and where to find the tools you’ll need. Your first tool is a pair of shears used to cut the grass, which is oddly satisfying. I usually dislike farming simulators or games where you needlessly farm for a common goal, but the sound and atmosphere were oddly on point for me. Even if I was set on a different task, I’d still cut grass any chance I got.

As you explore, you find more Polaroids that give you clues on where to head next. Each time you find that Polaroid’s location, you "solve a picture."

This feels straightforward until you start to cut some nice white flowers by the church, and as you cut more, you realize something is off. You die and experience one of the 11 endings the game has set up for you. I honestly didn’t know that was the game’s premise, so after finding my first ending and being sent back to the main menu, I was a bit shocked. Could I just end there and review the game? Was that the end of Grunn? Not exactly!

Without spoiling too much, I wanted to show another ending and how it occurs. I was gardening the main area a few times and hadn’t even noticed that a door was there the whole time with a secret entrance. You can’t cross the path, so you need to get the plank that’s behind the gas station. The maze has a few dead ends, but it’s clear something is off. It feels like someone is watching you at all times, and when you reach the end of the maze, you have someone staring right at you. You press the symbol on the ground, and you are immobilized as the walls close in on you. You’re dead. Another of the 11 endings realized. A few of the endings are much more complex, but for fear of spoilers, I recommend picking up the game and finding them on your own. They are either really funny or jump-scare styled. After each ending, you’re met with a character who tells you they need your help. They send you back to restart the process and help them. Each day, you need to get to bed before midnight, for fear of—you know—either death or another ending, maybe?

Warping Reality

Let’s talk about the game’s visuals!

Grunn has a sunny vibe when you start, and as night gets closer and the world darkens, it has all the makings of a scary indie film. The world itself feels like you're on a mushroom trip, with everything around you almost breathing in the way things move. People’s faces have odd shapes and movements that make them look more sinister. The deep purples and dark greens give it a garden feel, while the interiors of areas are dark and without light, adding suspense to what might be around the next corner—a ghost, or a snail racing to the finish line.

You can go through a secret entrance filled with mushrooms or find a full white area with only a blanket waiting for you. The secret entrances around the game give it a unique look and vibe.

Sound Garden

The sound design is on point. Each noise—from the shears, hammer, or trowel—has a nice feel. The sound of your steps in the dark or the ghosts you encounter adds more mystery to the increasingly scary vibe.

Finding items or unlocking new things also has a nice touch in the sound design. My favorite item is the horn, which sounds hilarious when you add it to your inventory.

The soundtrack from the trailer and the odd music you hear throughout the game is eerie and wonky. It sets a mood of mystery and fright. I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the soundtrack because certain secret areas have their own themes.

A Must-Play for 2024

So, is Grunn worth your time? For the price of $3, you can join an indie game collective of thousands, get Discord access to a wonderful community, pick up this great indie game, and see how the shrubs are sheared.

Grunn is a short and sweet creepy indie game that explores inventive new ways to trick and treat the player, with funny and at times scary results. It’s one of my latest must-plays, and I highly recommend it. Thanks for reading the review and make sure to comment to let me know if you will play Grunn or like what you have seen!

🎮Grunn | Steam | Itch | Patreon
🗓️Release Date | Out Now!

If you are looking for more indie games to play then why not head to the main Review section here: