Hybrid farming/monster (slime) collecting game with an insanely addicting gameplay loop. Collect slimes of all varieties, combine them into new slimes, feed them, collect their plort (poop) and sell it at a market with fluctuating market prices. The more difficult the slime is to handle on your farm the more valuable (in general) their poops are. You could focus your farm on many different setups and combinations. There is a lot of room for creativity to make your farm feel unique.

A game like this clicks well with my brain which enjoys repetitive tasks and some micro managing (aka, the grind). I really like seeing my gold go up and up and up as I become a more efficient farmer and put in the work.

There are multiple biomes, secrets to find, treasure to unlock, and technologies to discover. I found it very satisfying to finally gain access to a new area that had been previously sealed off and watch the island open up and by the end of the game I knew the island very well, having ran it's paths many times.

I also really appreciated the difficulty of the game. I played on adventure mode and it is VERY easy. That is to say, relaxing. This is a game I would play to unwind at night, check in on my slimes and do some exploring. The punishment for death can be harsh, as you will lose everything you are carrying (permanently) but it is quite hard to die. 99% of my deaths were from me falling off the edge of a cliff. Oops!

Recommended!

Do I recommend: Yes if, and only if:

You like your games weird, 'different', strange, trippy, etc.
You can enjoy slower gameplay with almost zero action.
You enjoy exploring and finding (very) hidden secrets.
You want to talk to a bunch of different NPCs a bunch of different times to get to know them.
You can handle adult themes.

That said, I really enjoyed the game. What really drew me in is the highly original vaporewave inspired setting. Right from the get go I knew I was playing something unique when the main character is being release from their 3,000,000 day exile. There is a hidden lore here that involves gods, immortality, suffering citizens, alternate realities, power trips, betrayal, and what seems to be an extremely complicated process of reaching a religious goal.

You piece this lore together mostly through exploring, talking to NPCs, and finding "items" in the form of low-res images that explain bits and pieces of what transpired in the past. I found the map exciting to explore, as it is quite large and filled with interesting things. There are different districts and each one has it's own vibe and art style. There really are some neat corners of this world to discover and exploration felt fun.

I loved the characters and found all of the main NPCs to be memorable. They all have hipster names and a cool aesthetic and over time you will learn about their backstory as you try to squeeze or seduce more information out of them.

The music is an amazing mix between vaporwave synth and jazz saxaphones, making a strange contrast to the mystical and exotic setting.

Finally there is the mystery that you are trying to solve. Strangely enough this was what I was least interested in. But what I was very glad to find out is that the game keeps track of all of the MANY clues you will uncover and auto prompts the dialogue to incorporate what you have found. What this means is you really don't have to memorize, or even analyze the clues you are finding to finish the game. Just keep talking and exploring and the game does most of the heavy lifting.

Some players might not like that they don't have to figure it out themselves but I'll just say this...there are so many pieces of information that personally I would find it exhausting if not impossible to put it all together with my own head. I'm just not that good of a detective.

At the end of the game you will have to make some possibly tough decisions based on what you think happened. Once the credits rolled I felt satisfied that my 20ish hour journey was finished.

Would I recommend: Yes

Tails of Iron is a 2D side-scrolling RPG where you play as a rat king trying to restore his kingdom. You are at war with the Frogs, Bugs (Grubs), and other less savory creatures. You will explore the world, collect many items, run into side-quests, and discover secrets.

The game pulls you in with absolutely stunning hand drawn graphics. Although the game is 2D, the areas have impressive sense of depth as shadows hang in front of the screen and much activity can be seen in the background. Although you can't interact with most NPCs, the cities feel lived-in and quite bustling. Sewers and tunnels feel cramped and dark. The artists really knocked it out of the park with the graphics and design of this game.

The map is fairly large with multiple towns and underground complexes, and there is a fair bit of backtracking, but I would not consider this game a "metroidvania" per se as the level layouts are somewhat straightforward and easy to navigate. Personally I would have liked more secret passages, doors, areas sprinkled across the map, but what is there is rewarding to find.

Combat is often difficult but rewarding, with each enemy having a unique set of moves that must be learned and countered. Even a single enemy can be deadly if you do not pay attention. There are quite a few boss fights and it is unlikely you will beat them on your first try as their moves are complex and brutal and require good reaction time. In hindsight I would have played this game on the easiest difficulty as I didn't need yet another "souls-like" difficulty, but that is a personal taste. It is very rewarding when you finally kill a boss you are struggling with.

The story is somewhat simple with not many twists or surprises, but it is a rewarding tail (get it?) in the end reminiscent of old fairy tales.

Loot is quite abundant, but like many RPGs much of it is somewhat useless once you find top-tier gear. Although it is still fun to mix and match light gear for faster attacks and dodging or go heavy for max protection and damage. And of course you could just pick your favorite fashion based on looks and still do well in the game.

All in all this game surprised me with how enjoyable it was and I wholeheartedly recommend it. It took about 8 hours to get all trophies and call the game finished. Thanks for reading my review.

Do you enjoy:

Platformers?
Time travel?
Amazing music?
8-bit/16-bit graphics?

If yes, you should definitely play this game. The devs clearly have a real appreciation for old-school gaming and pay it the respect it deserves with this modern take on the genre. Every level is well designed (well...I wasn't a huge fan of the DLC) and the difficulty ramps up as you go but never gets too difficult. This game is significantly easier than Celeste, as example. The boss fights are memorable and well designed.

The humor is spot on, often hilarious but subtle, never being over-the-top or cringey. There is also plenty opportunity for philosophical musings sprinkled in on your journey.

The music is masterfully done and will be popping up in your head long after the game is finished. It is catchy, moody, exciting, and always fitting of the current scene.

The story itself is interesting and compels you to keep going. Although I was confused here or there I blame that on my own cognitive functioning (or lack of) rather than any loopholes. Time traveling ninjas. I mean c'mon that should hook you right there.

As a critisism, like most "Metroidvanias" you will end up doing some to a lot of backtracking. Some areas push you in a one way direction, so if you take the wrong way well..woops, you now have to take the long way as the game auto-saves each time you enter a new area. This is a small gripe but was annoying a time or two. Thankfully the levels are fun to replay.

There is so much COOL crammed into this game from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

I really wanted to fall in love with this game and it's world but there were a good handful of things that kept me from doing so. First, the good: The game is a charming, fun, colorful adventure with plenty of memorable characters. The music is good (if somewhat forgettable) and the voiced dialogue is really fantastic. There are quite a lot of little critters (Bugsnax) to collect. And the story is....well it's quite unique I'll just say that.

Now the bad: Personally I found the game to be very repetitive. Sure, it's a Pokemon type thing where the gameplay loop revolves around catching different bugz, but many of the Bugsnax seemed like the same with a different coat of paint. Each area there were some that flew, some that ran around quick, some that tried to damage you...and you catch them all in very similar ways from one area to the next. After beating the game I had no desire to go "collect them all." I also found the Bugsnax to be too wholesome for my taste. None were really "cool" in my opinion.
Then there is the humor. It just wasn't my jam.
Lastly, and my biggest gripe, was the noise that each Bugsnax makes. They all say their own name in some obnoxious manner, over...and over...and over...to the point where I actually turned off sound effects to mute it.

So yeah, interesting story that is pretty strange and I am glad I finished it, but I won't be going back.