This probably wasn't the best place to start with Chilla's Art especially coming from somebody who wasn't a big fan of The Exit 8 to begin with. This hidden anomaly loop subgenre seems to be just borrowing from the same tired formula that PT accidentally established half a decade ago now and it's kind of tedious. Too often I miss something and have to start all over, and it doesn't help that these game is full of graphical and auditory glitches anyway that has me questioning if the game is intentionally showing an anomaly or not. Despite all of my complaints, some of the scares genuinely were a little bit frightening here and I walked away from the experience having not hated my time with it overall. I hope that Chilla's Art wins me over more with their next release.

Don't think I'm the biggest fan of hidden objects games overall except for my soft spot for those 5-10 minute 100 cats games for some reason, but Please Touch the Artwork 2 won me over anyway with a fun sense of style, a lightly amusing tone, and a fun variety to the various searches throughout the game. Even though it all comes down to finding and clicking on items to progress, there still felt like a lot of variety and surprises throughout this short experience that made it fun and unique as a whole.

Exactly as promised, 20 Small Mazes gives you some bite-sized head-scratchers, some of which seem intentionally easier than others so that you're not totally banging your head against a wall. I really appreciated the ability to solve the mazes in any order since this mitigated my frustration somewhat (namely, I was able to save the damn slider puzzle until the end and enjoy the rest of the game first). I'm pretty bad at puzzles like this and the game took me a good bit longer than it probably will the average player, but an enjoyable little project overall.

Another of those rage bait games that are so popular with streamers. A Difficult Game About Climbing knows exactly who it is trying to appeal to and does its thing pretty competently. It's right along the lines of Getting Over It, and you're either going to click with the controls or you're not. I thought that the gameplay itself could be a little uncomfortable especially through tense moments as you're fingers will be locked to the mouse. The handling is fun once you finally get the hang of sideways jumping which is definitely the most challenging part of the game and really takes frustrating experimentation and practice to get used to since it's not the most intuitive thing in the world. This game will definitely have its fans.

This was alright. David Szymanski has garnered a nice little following for himself after some bite-sized horror game hits. The Pony Factory is an improved iteration off something he made in 7 days and then spiffed up for this full release. The vibes are memorably creepy and off-putting as you make your way through this cursed locale and blast your way through some hideous horse-like monsters. The story is told through collectible papers that you find throughout the environment (not really my favorite way to do a narrative but it's fine for something like this). You'll pick up ammo and face off against increasingly difficult monsters until a final boss that took me a good bit to get the better of, and it's all over pretty quickly. This game isn't going to be for everyone but it's not too bad for a quick horror pick that you can get through in 30-60 minute session.

It's not the first game of its ilk but Home Safety Hotline makes pretty good use of its Windows 95 concept, and translates a niche concept into an enjoyable experience. Reading the unlockable art book after reaching the credits, the game's creator spells out his intent on basing an analog game around a Dungeons and Dragons style bestiary. Framing that around a pest control hotline works surprisingly well and I think will really please a certain blend of horror fans.

The gameplay is fairly simple as most of what you will be doing is reading about various creatures and phenomena, which start pretty grounded but grow increasingly fantastical as you go. It can go a little tiresome to pore over these descriptions and try to match the occasionally vague clues the callers will give with a guess to whatever pest is invading their house. It kind of feels like studying, and it could be a little frustrating and stressful when it feels like multiple descriptions match up with the caller's dialogue. I only hit the fail state once, though, so it isn't too obtuse and at least you're treated with a freaky cutscene if you do mess up an in-game day. The writing is pretty good and I don't have any doubt some of the more inventive pests drawing from everything from fairytale folklore horror to modern liminal horror is going to stick in my mind. From a gameplay perspective, I wish that the calls came in a little bit faster as sometimes I felt like I was just waiting around for the next call with nothing to do (and I get that's probably what they were going for but it slowed things down a bit).

I did enjoy the freaky surreal elements of the game that oozes through the bonus videos you can watch, and you're rewarded for your hard work with a wacky inexplicable narrative that goes totally off the rails in an entertaining way by the climax.

Home Safety Hotline is a little brief for its asking price but was a charming time that kept my interest and I could see its moments of unsettling writing will get into my dreams.

Shout-out to my buddy Shane for checking this out with me. A Technician's Nightmare has a few good ideas in it but the mechanics never come together well enough for it to be worth your time. The game is comprised of two levels- the first of which is much more fleshed out and realized, but also more frustrating. As you work to collect the scampering rats in the house and repair AC units, you're hunted by a ghost lady. The QTEs are dull and ask too much of you and the strict two-item inventory means you'll constantly be dropping stuff to pick something else you need up. The level feels like doing chores. I imagine a 4 player team could make short work of the first level but it doesn't scale for player number. It's too hard to escape the ghost's grasp and the game grew frustrating even on the easiest difficulty. The second chapter is set in a more open outdoor environment and I didn't have any trouble with it other than getting pretty lost out in the cornfields and running across plenty of invisible walls.

The Switch seems to be nearing the end of its console cycle, but that didn't stop Nintendo from putting out a buzzy proper 2D Mario title for this holiday season. I've enjoyed all of the New Super Mario Bros. games to some extent. The DS and Wii games are nostalgic classics for me and I replayed a bunch of the Wii U one a couple of months ago with my friend Jack and it was better than I remembered. I can't believe it's been a decade since the last title, and Wonder does a good job of freshening up the formula with some fun new additions.

Right off the bat, I enjoyed the expanded roster. Finally you can play as Daisy in a Super Mario Bros. game- that's pretty fun (especially after she got shafted from the initial Mario Strikers roster last year hmph). Several of the characters make the game a bit easier for younger players which is a fun idea.

There are a couple of new power-ups, most notably the silly elephant suit, but the big twist on the classic platforming fun are the wonder flowers in every level. If you find them, the level will somehow transform into something entirely different. You might change forms into a different character entirely, or the landscape around you can change. You never really know what to expect from a wonder flower and they keep every level feeling fresh and exciting.

Mario Wonder also adds badges which are special abilities that you can equip for each level. I liked trying each of them in the special stage, but you get the glider very early on and it was nearly impossible for me to go without this badge for the rest of the game because it just felt so great to use. It might make the game a little easier than need be but it made platforming fun and fast which is what I was looking for.

Mario Wonder doesn't take too long to complete, but there are special levels to unlock as well which I haven't tackled yet but I hear offer up a respectable challenge. These should be fun to try out and make for good post-game offerings.

I played this game in local co-op with my sister and we had some trouble getting used to the camera. They've implemented a system where someone gets crowned at the end of a level and then they are the leader in the next level. That's a smart balance because it's frustrating to not have control of the camera. I am at least happy that you aren't actively running into your friend, bouncing on their head by accident and whatnot like in the previous games. That's definitely an improvement. The ghost multiplayer mode is an interesting implementation, too.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a respectable entry in the franchise for Mario. I think it might be getting a bit overhyped, but it's definitely some decent platforming fun and feels more exciting and fresh than previous 2D Mario games.

The first Remnant was a super fun surprise for me when I played all the way through on PlayStation Plus a few years back. The sequel expands upon what made that first game great in just about every way, and while it still has some shortcomings, it's an absolute blast to explore with friends.

Remnant II doesn't rewrite the style of the first game. You'll still be exploring several different worlds, unlocking new weapons and fighting bosses as you go and filling in your randomized/procedurally generated map as you go. Like the first game, the story is nothing to write home about and it quickly becomes tempting to skip through dialogue and ignore what's going on. The real fun lies in defeating the various bosses and finding all the secrets scattered throughout the world.

As with the first game, things start out pretty tough but the game gets much easier as you go and start to level up and upgrade your gear faster than the game keeps up with you. There are still some hard bosses here and there to keep you on your toes, and then the final boss is a real doozy that took my friends and I a couple of hours to finally take down. At times Remnant II feels like the easiest game ever and at others you might be banging your head against a wall at the challenge. It really depends.

I don't think Remnant II would be nearly as fun to play by yourself and is definitely best experienced with two friends. We each had our own character archetypes that complimented each other nicely, and I liked how we could split up in the less intimidating wide open areas and explore of our own volition, and then come back together when one of us discovered a portal door to another section.

Remnant II looks and runs great, and the environments offer a lot of variety. I could've gone for one or two more worlds, and it was disappointing that the first DLC that came out in December recycles one of the already used worlds.

Remnant II is a real blast and the sleeper hit of the summer that I'd recommend to anyone who might enjoy a dodge roll shooter type of game. Give it a spin.