JoeSchmoe
BACKER
(demo impressions) Grid-based dungeon crawler set in WWII trenches - super neat premise that works surprisingly well. It's got a great artstyle on top of everything else
TBD
A delightful little survival/exploration mini game with a ~20 minute runtime. The ability ramp-up is extremely satisfying, and the art is great. Highly recommend checking this out if you enjoy game jam entries even a little bit
Easily one of the best games I played in 2020, condensed into a perfect ~50 minute package. Fantastic characters, genuinely funny writing, and a great aesthetic make WOBJ an unmissable experience. I have to admit that, while packing up the campsite at the end of the game, I was a little disappointed to see the end rapidly approaching. But as the credits rolled, and I was left with a view of the campsite where I've spent the last hour, I'm delighted that the folks at Turnfollow had the confidence to leave it as-is. The short run-time ensures that the peaks stand out, and don't get lost in a swirl of filler.
Fascinating as a mod for the DOOM engine, but the gameplay is pretty poor. I think it's an even better translation of Castlevania than its predecessor, with way more variety in weapons and characters. Still, it's quite dry and feels fairly directionless at times, especially towards the end.
2020
It's interesting to see the translation of the subject matter into a DOOM-engine title, but the game is so incredibly samey, even for its short runtime. The boss sprite design is fantastic, though
2022
An incredible artstyle held back by a combat system which falls well short of satisfying.
A delightful little microvania, the game jam predecessor to Haiku, the Robot
2021
Has never grabbed me in the way that Factorio or Satisfactory have, but I keep wanting to come back to this one.
I've got absolutely no idea what's happening here
An extremely unique and compelling core conceit let down slightly by shallow combat
2019
A real brain-soother. Very light and relaxing but has just enough of a tooth to keep you invested.
Oozes charm out of every honey-hole and presents a shallow but satisfying gameplay loop of deliveries and steady progression.
2020
I really wanted to like this one, but damn near all of its systems feel superfluous, and differences between the MASSIVE arsenal feel extremely shallow. It's great to look at, but there's very little to keep you playing
2019
A game of fascinating systems and a killer premise, but it feels more than a little tedious to play at times.
2022
Excellent Survivors-Like with unique minion mechanics and interesting level designs. All topped with a lovely artstyle. Must-play for fans of the genre.