TheMasterDS
2017
This is a very cool game that I appreciate from a distance, however playing it I found it to be way too stressful and clunky for my tastes. The inventory system is too clunky for me to figure out in the heat of battle and the differences between various weapons is lost on me. Left to my own devices I would just hole up in a bathroom as long as I could and that's not especially fun. Still, from a distance, I think this game is cool, just super not for me.
2014
A simple little soccer game that pretty quickly ramps up into some absurd scenarios and little gags that you must contend with in order to make a goal. Aiming your shot is easy enough, and it's a bit fun to figure out what the secret of scoring in each scenario is. Will the guy with untied shoelaces duck down to tie them? Or perhaps the ninjas are hidden on the left side? Each level has something like that, which is a bit funny once. They're good gags, but could use more substance or punch.
2018
A super tight platformer with heart and great accessibility options. The dash especially feels really good, and the game builds a lot of cool challenges around both using it and not using it until just the right moment. The game is full of mechanics and ideas that really put you through your paces plus collectibles that add further challenge if desired. On top of all that the characters are lovable and it's easy to get invested in the drama of the climb. It's an extraordinary endeavor. <3
Putting portals and other Portal mechanics into a bridge builder is a great idea even if the bridge building itself is pretty basic. Each level is really long and requires you route the car (or an absurdly long convoy for extra credit) through portals and around obstacles, which is real novel, though it does become a bit too much work pretty quickly. There's also some trademark Portal humor which isn't particularly sharp, but does remind you of the original games and the jokes they told.
1990
Everything you need for Solitaire, plus a reasonable amount of personality and flair. Idly playing solitaire was a universally accepted way to pass the time back in the day, and this version came with some great little touches like selectable card backs, good ux that's there's nothing wrong with and who can forget the thing where the cards go all over the screen if you win. That bit is great, and the solitaire is solitaire. Perfectly good for a pleasant time waster.
2013
An annoying timing minigame that might eventually ramp up into jokes if you could get that far. You cannot simply kick the ball into the goal aiming around whatever obstacles are in your path, you must instead time the release with when the ball arrives, which varies a bit randomly. If you miss you start over. It's possible that eventually the obstacles get wacky, but one fuck up and you're back to shooting shots against the most boring goalie ever. Practically unplayable!
This second installment of The Fall is a more substantial than the first part and delivers on the science fiction, though the gameplay is still hit or miss. There's a lot more vignettes this time, that is to say there's multiple of them, and each is not only longer but also more flavorful. It's still an adventure game with solutions that can be annoying to figure out and combat that's bad, but there's less bad combat relative to the good science fiction writing. It's a nicely meaty follow up.
This game is a pain in the ass, but intentionally so? It controls especially badly on a smartphone, which either adds to the charm or detracts from it. Either way, not very fun to play. Getting over anything takes a lot of fiddling around and it all can be lost in a second. Again, this is intentional so... as bad as it feels to play you can't really ding it too much for being what it is, a torturous bore, because that's what it's supposed to be. It's the "dead dove do not eat" of video games.
I guess it's supposed to be pretty basic and boring before things kick off but goddamn. The writing is really weak and hard to get through up until you get to the big twists which everyone pretty knew about going in. Even with their reputation preceeding them, the twists are still plenty interesting in a surreal and visceral way, but they're a tad dark for my tastes and I don't know if they really needed such a bland lead in to work. I guess it's fine, just didn't hit super hard for me.
2015
A perfect entry point for Yakuza that tells the origin story of two of the coolest dudes of all time. Set in 80s Japan during a heated power struggle revolving around an empty lot, the world is super fun to hang out in between main missions with super good atmosphere and lots of great side stories much of which is wonderfully absurd. You'll also beat up a lot of dudes, which is brainless but at least in a flashy way. What's more important is that the game's funny, charming and rad as hell. <3
2018
An amazing compact tactics game with a lot of depth packed into each 4 turn battle. Each turn is like a little puzzle to solve. Punch that bug away from the building it's after. Make the other bug hit its friend. Shield the power plant with your mech's body. The options available to you depend on both your starting squad and how you build over a campaign providing huge replay value. On easy it's simple but satisfying, on normal fraught but manageable. Either way, it's engaging and rewarding. <3
2016
A bridge builder with a powerful set of tools that allow you to build very impressive slash very absurd bridges, ramps and other contraptions. It's full of quality of life features that help to automate a bit of the bridge building which helps you to focus more on figuring out how to manage the game's appropriately tricky objectives than worrying about making perfect triangles supports. Though it demands a lot of you it also gives you everything you need to get through with some ingenuity. <3
2018
A very impressive narrative game that tells the eponymous Florence's story through a series of simple little microgames. Each is relatively simple and hard to fail, but immerses you a little deeper into Florence's life. The way they seamlessly transition from one to the next ties the whole thing together, making it feel cohesive and keeping you locked in. While the game isn't too long, while it lasts it sucks you in and paints you a lovely picture of Florence's life. Worth experiencing.
A mobile Animal Crossing that was dead on arrival. It's slow to get into, a deadly sin for a phone game, and once you do everything on offer is mundane and tedious. Proper Animal Crossings also tend to drag things out only they usually manage to make their slow pace feel comfy and cozy. On the other hand, this entry has evil free to play design tricks mixed in which make things painfully slow intentionally in the interests of gouging players. There's nothing comfy about that, it just sucks.
2014
A gag based runner that suffers from having just one joke, but it's a pretty good joke. It's the classic trope, a girl late for school runs out the door with toast in her mouth and has to avoid men she does not want to have romcom moments with. It's a funny idea, and makes for some fairy fun gameplay that escalates until it's over with many different types of dudes from soccer players shooting balls at you to sumo wrestlers, giant mechs, boulders and walls. It's a fun ride, albeit a short one.