free??? this is one insanely polished "demo". it's a movement/mechanics tech demo/sandbox that has way too much content than necessary

this has got to be one of the best old school inspired platformers currently. a game that fits the aesthetic ps2/gamecube 3d platformer era perfectly; the fluid and crisp movement, expressive animations, deceptively familiar character designs, nostalgic music and crunchy sound effects. it's like every single game from my childhood inspired this game, i feel like i could list them out. its a game that prioritises it's movement mechanics and skill expression, experimentation, and knows how to have fun!
although, i think this game is more for those who grew up with these kinds of games, because it's a lot difficult than you might think and can feel a bit too punishing and frustrating to play, although that is exactly why i love it. it's a challenge for those who are up to it.

its hard to describe the feeling i had when i randomly stumbled upon this game in the steam store. it was a wave of intrigue and nostalgia and excitement all at once the moment i saw the trailer, kinda like finding a cool new game at blockbuster and not knowing how much of an impact it will have on you and your childhood (hello mario sunshine).

side note: this is a brilliant way to advertise your game i'll tell you what. just slap free on it and cheapskates like me will devour it. you've gotten 1+ fan for this, im definitely gonna buy it on release. huge props to devs

i feel like when i get my thoughts down, it means i'm willing to move on from it, and i regretfully need to put this down for my own sake lol. this game has sucked out the past 3-4 days from me, obsessed with wanting to understand this resilient world. im constantly reading updates on the discord for any updates to the secrets and theories, i haven't felt so connected with a community in so long!
its a very mysterious metroidvania, a game that is filled with mystique and never actually quenches that thirst for that understanding. it's a game that after you finish a puzzle or complete a momentous task, it makes you feel accomplished but also reminds you that you know NOTHING about this world depsite all the time you just spent trying to understand it. it has some really great puzzles that tie into the landscape, into the lore, into your understanding of the game. it's a game that utilises so many tools to create a rude goldberg machine like world that emits pulses of life, i'm not even sure how to describe the layers of knowledge and of understanding that go into some of the puzzles the further down the rabbit hole you go. i've been sucked into this world and i HATE that i'm so addicted.
i also want to mention, this game is 35mbs, something about that speaks volumes in this day and age. a lot of the time was me trying to understand the cool little tricks you would have to pull to create a game like this.
do you like mystery? do you like problem solving? do you like the familiar yet odd vibe? well, here is the perfect game you for my friend. go in blind and let the brilliant mind of billy basso lead the way

it's good, but i have my concerns and issues.
a series that rewards legacy knowledge is finally tackling it's biggest issue of accessibility. the bigger focus on aggression (chip damage, get off me buttons, weaker backdashes, no genuinely infinite stages), baby button mode, better training options; all these allow players to learn the game faster or just focus on pressing buttons which becomes who can flail their hands harder, perfect for newer players. the amount of new players at my locals is insane. mental stack of the insane amount of moves on top of the aggression focused changes means it's easier to bully in this game (as if it wasn't already prevalent). definitely way more fun to watch tournaments, it's party mode all the time in this game.
not to forget everything else this game has to offer, it really is the whole deal, i'd argue just as good as street fighter 6 launch. fun story mode, plethora of single player modes, more emphasis on learning the game with ghost mode, training mode options, and most importantly, fun character customisation.
but the online modes need some work, ft3 for all matchmaking is terrible for a game like this, where learning is personally the most fun part. you cannot learn a player in less than 3 rounds when they're just partying until it's over. i can appreciate player lobbies having steam invites however, one of the only fighting games nowadays to use this function and instant rematching is insanely good.
i think it's downfalls are definitely it's updates so far, and future of the game. shitty "battle pass", mediocre PAID skins, poor quality assurance in general and poor quality control over balance. i want this game to succeed, but i feel like they're built on a house of cards. all the legacy balance is about to be thrown out the window soon for something more simplified which opposses what made this series so great and i'm not really sure where this game is headed. and c'mon these dlc chars feel like base roster characters but they decided to make them paid for more money. you can tell the devs have their hands tied in this case, nobody wants this shit except the greedy corpo losers, but perhaps this is the cost of having something so nice in this day and age.

cautiously optimistic, im having a fun time with this game regardless

i love how well this game advertises it's intentions; to be a little idle game that sits on maybe a side monitor and doesn't require all your attention, a little digital ant farm where you get to watch your little lemmings go!
although, for someone like me you literally never take your eye off your little guys and your productivity goes down the drain. terrible in that sense, but such a vibe otherwise. beautiful music, aesthetics and world.
i quite like the progression and how it ramps up, however theres not much past maybe the 10-15 hour mark, it's already been 2 days and i've already seen everything i need to see with this game, but perhaps just having a little farm on your screen is enticing enough to some people, and perhaps future updates may add more fun stuff to play with.
personally, i think what this game does wrong is the early game. you are kind of forced to interact with the game, rather than just letting the world "live" and i believe its opposes my vision for the game, which is for the world to live on without the need for my interaction (how else am i gonna be productive if im thinking about min-maxing my little farm lol). you actually do get this option later into the game where you have a little guy that plants for you, so then why not have that at the start? perhaps it's to get people to play and interact with the game, but as said earlier it opposes how i want to interact with the game.

regardless, i had a lot of fun. it's a fun concept that i feel like hasn't been touched on in a while, so it's a nice change of pace. always support small devs!

plays on that idea of wanting to shoot maybe a fun little vlog going into scary spooky place, or wanting to shoot a little horror film with you low budget set up, i think it honestly pulls it off so well and the fact that you only get like 1~ minute just makes it all the more fun having to get creative with your time.
treat it more as a sandbox than a true game to get yourself immersed into. it gives you all the tools to make a really fun and silly experience.
i'd say it doesn't quite hit the mark, but it works out anyway

i was curious how they would improve on 2, how can you tell a new story that makes sense, how do you make the puzzles enjoyable and fresh, how do you innovate and create a similar yet distinct experience, much like portal 2 was for portal 1? it all just kind of works, and i gotta admit, i'm thoroughly impressed! while it isn't the most ground breaking/innovative experience, it definitely knows what i want in a portal game, immersion and awesome puzzles.
i really love how they teach you the game with one portal for a solid hour before moving on, i think it perfectly teaches you how to "think" and play the game it was designed. i rather preferred how it was handled in this game, you're given way more time to get acquainted with understanding the core concept at a nice pace. although i can totally see people getting frustrated and just wanting to play with 2 portals straight away.
i remember valve explicitly said they refused to use timing/reaction based puzzles. in this game it is actually used to increase difficulty, which isn't actually bad or anything, in fact i love it and it's the perfect direction to go. but it just cements to me that the series ended at portal 2, which is bitter sweet to think about. you really can't improve on this game anymore without changing it entirely and valve realises this.
for something free, and made with a small team, this is incredible. it really speaks the language of portal; the story, the vibes, the puzzles, the characters, music, just everything honestly. i can't believe i didn't have to pay for this! it's absolutely insane.
recommend if you want more portal content, this is the best sequel we will ever get i reckon.

the perfect game in my books and i'm not sure how to put it into words but it's a beautiful experience playing this. this game comes from a place of love and dedication, an eye for user experience and an understanding of what it should be delivering to the player, and what it expects from the player. i think the best way i can describe this is nothing is put to waste, the designs, the enemies, the movement, the interface, the animations, the space. it's like stumbling upon an oasis in today's barren gaming landscape filled with surface level shit that is only fun to play initially before you lose interest. it captured my interest, short and sweet. i don't even know where to start..
i think what this game does brilliantly is progression. from opening the game for the first time, to catching your final fruit, it feels like a complete journey that never skipped any steps getting there. i don't know if maybe I'M just the audience for this shit, but this game just scratches this itch of game design that i've always loved. one that does not hold your hand, but also points you towards something fun and leaves expectations at the door. hey you've got cool power ups here, and you've got some puzzles here, and they lead you here by means of exploration and intrigue from the player. i'm really not sure how well it communicates this to your average gamer but i feel like you really can't miss it and it's all found organically, without a trace of dialogue, brilliance!
you start off by being taught how to move, you fling yourself, and you can bounce off walls and you can hard drop for more precision. you can bounce off enemies bc of course you can, and you collect fruit. why am i collecting fruit? oh theres some monster that will literally kill us if we don't feed it juice, and it has to be the right combination (not really). if you touch the ground you lose all your fruit, and if the timer is out, you don't have the fruit and you touch the ground, you lose hp, until it reaches zero. now im learning the game. what else is there to this game besides that? combos bro. the whole idea of the floor is lava is such a fun concept that more games need to reward players for doing.
i think this game builds up on downwell extremely well. my main problems with downwell were that it was way too fast to feel and it felt more like reaction checks trying to play the way i wanted to play (never touching the ground). this game lets you slow the game down, take things at your own pace and think things through before committing. i've come to realise fast does not always equal better, it is especially the case for this game.
so past this first phase of progression, we then lean into how can i get better at the game. learn the ins and outs of the game, bouncing on stuff gives me extra bounces, bouncing on walls gives me extra height, etc. and mix this with getting now power up and even learning new mechanics from here, like the spin state picking up more around you, reviving if you create a fruit shake as you are dying, as mentioned before leaving nothing to waste. even in the puzzle mode on the right you learn important information about going on fire and destroying fruit you do not want, which i imagine could easily go over your head if you are not paying attention, but this way it teaches you with intentionality.
and then it tells you to reach level 20 and you put literally everything you've learned to the test. you are unable to cheese as it requires you to gather 5 star shakes, not accounting for quality, all while dodging everything. i got here at a pretty low level and realised i was definitely not prepared and grinded levels to get more jumps and better power ups, and finishing this game was such a journey, realising how far you've come and it all coming to an end, and not realising how much fun you were having. it's quite disheartening knowing that there is not much else to this game, but it was fun, brilliant and a fun case study to a brilliant user experience.
plus it has music from bo-en, love the guy!

this game reminds me of my first experiences with runescape, a magical time in my life, that has since passed. i think it perfectly captures that vibe of innocence, carelessness and mystique, and the magic of interactions with other players.
if that was the intent of this game then damn did it succeed, it feels surreal. i didn't expect to do anything when i booted up this game, walked around for a bit and met another real person, had a nice chat with them and more wizards started to show up and it left me with a strange feeling of being connected with no judgements, expectations or responsibilities. little did i realise how much time had passed.
moments like this i love, and i wouldn't have any other way.

oh man.. it's EVERYTHING a good platformer needs to be. it's an insane puzzle/speed run platformer that introduces mechanics EVERY SINGLE LEVEL, has a deranged yet charming visual aesthetic, has a banger soundtrack and tests your intuition and skills at every single second. this has got to be the most stimulating game visually and mentally in recently history. this game is celeste for adhd'ers, it's stimulation overload!
every platformer needs incredible movement, and this game delivers. you could probably get away with not having to understand the whole "move list" but this game is so much more fun when you implement the tools you have at your disposal. at first it is overwhelming, i struggled at first because they throw so much at you at once, but you really don't have to use a lot of it. it is just there for skill expression which is something i appreciate, especially for a game like this where the gameplay is super solid and the whole game is like a playground to experiment.
i've never played any of the wario land games but i hear this takes a lot of it's ideas, and the formula of returning back to the beginning of each level is something of genius. the first half which is your exploration, experimentation and learning phase of the level, learning the new mechanic in a safe and happy environment. you learn the way of the land as well and get acquainted with it, noticing little details for when you make your way back, by noticing the opaque walls and collectables that are only collectable once it is...
pizza time...
now you can test your knowledge, skills and intuition, working under stress to get back as fast as possible. the reward for going getting back asap is getting a better score, but also getting to go fast as hell and this is honestly the most orgasmic shit in the world. "it really makes you feel like a speedrunner" :^)
i feel like this is the type of game you can only really appreciate when you're playing it, because there is so much going on that a spectator would never understand it.
how can i forget the fkn story? no spoilers but hoooly is this story nothing short of fantastic. story through gameplay and environmental story telling is my favourite way of telling stories and man is it good. it's a cathartic ending and that is as much as i will share without giving too much away.
if you're a fan of platformers, just give this game a shot already. you owe it to yourself and to the creators!

to preface; i don't plan on playing it just because it's not for me (nothing wrong with that) but i just wanted to share some thoughts.
played it for like an hour before realising there isn't really going to be an horror in this game, not the type that i was expecting anyways. its a pretty indepth RPG with a really cool love craftian horror vibe, and not really the type of horror that it leads itself to be, the kind of immersive, thriller horror with jump scares and a really sick aesthetic.
theres something about steam games and the horror genre that lead to some impulsive purchases, and this is one of them for me. this game looks really slick and presents itself as something as some sort of immersive thriller, and it is also inspired by junji ito who is known for using the jumpscare of books, the "pageturn", that you kind of expect something incredibly gruesome, unsettling and potentially jumpscary. i mean even that trailer on the steam page sells it like this, with that really slick animation. but i'd say its quite the opposite, when dealing with rpg math, there is an element of randomness that sometimes just feels unfair, you lose to some stupid boss you've been fighting for like 10 minutes because you got unlucky a few times, most of the time i'm forced to focus on my odds in a battle and ways to optimise my run instead of actually immersing myself.
i think there is a skill in grabbing attention of people solely off of it's slick cover art and enticing title, and then pulling a bait and switch and getting someone like me to try an RPG of all things. the amount of people in my friends list that have around an hour playtime, never touching it again made me want to write this review because i reckon they fell for the same thing as me lol. there is something impressive about making a game be enticing at with a single glance. this is all subjective, let it be known

not the worst, not the best.
visuals novels are always hit or miss for me, and they are most definitely medium that usually only ever caters towards a certain crowd, meaning it can isolate those who aren't in that niche. this game is short enough to not feel like i'm just forcing myself to play, but i will say this is definitely not targeted towards me and it becomes apparent in the writing, characters and setting. a game about understanding yourself, and of others, and that love is important :3 (haven't heard this one before!). omg ur so cute when you smile XD lets scissor and finger later tonight ;P ^^ im definitely not the demographic but it's whatever, it's not the worst thing in the world.
let's talk gameplay for a bit, this game plays on the idea of multi-tasking, quick thinking and reading, it reminded me of a real job, without the repercussion of mistakes of one. i was curious how they would ramp up the difficulty, since it is quite a simple game concept, but throwing curve balls with the ghosts' scenarios, adding more conversations at once and adding another entry make it very engaging, but also incredibly difficult towards the end (to perfect). i think i enjoyed that aspect a lot! however you're gonna need better navigation UI and at least a way to exit out of a run. you can imagine making a mistake on the very first call of that day and having to finish the whole thing is just painfully annoying with your mistake staring you in the face for a solid 15 seconds and having to dredge through knowing this run will not matter, but it is what it is.
i enjoyed it for what it was, definitely not a game for me but hey i do love the edgy yet cute aesthetic and the silly name and the somewhat interesting gameplay concept, it's what grabbed my attention in the first place.
however -0.5 stars for that fucking music. looping that same song over and over again will drive anyone insane, and i only played this game for like an hour

i always love a game that has a sole focus on it's core mechanic and builds around that, i think this game has a solid idea and executes it well (for what it's worth). it's all i really care for in games nowadays; BUT, do i find this game fun? hmm... i think the real question is, "is addiction fun?" depends on the person but a definite no for me. this game has consumed a good chunk of my day, thinking to myself "just one more time and surely i'll beat my highscore" and 5 hours later i'm still not satisfied. psychologically this game is addicting and satisfying, but holy shit is this a time waster, it feels so unhealthy to play. just getting a hold of it makes me feel dirty and gross but i can't put it down. i can't argue that this game feels incredibly rewarding and satisfying to play, it's up there in game feel and polish, it's just an addicting concept all round. big numbers go up, easy dopamine rush, lose and the desire for that dopamine rush encourages you to continue and the cycle repeats until you've wasted 5 hours. i love/hate this game, leaning towards hate.
don't play it for your own sake, just watch other people play it and live vicariously through them. trust me, you are not missing out

honest and straight to the point, the perfect sequel! they made an insane and ridiculous game concept and somehow made it 100x better in a years time, improving on literally every single aspect; from the charm and goofiness, the performance, the quality of life, the scope, adding multiplayer, more challenges, collectables, cousins and more things to do and see and experience and enjoy and play and watch and i could literally go on and on and on. these guys really know their audience and i would say they have successfully mastered the art of FUN and what it means to make video games for the sole purpose of enjoyment and to create cool experiences! i would recommend this game to anyone interested in learning how to make fun through gameplay alone, this game transcends culture and language and even gaming itself, it is just a pure and fun and innocent idea. i think about this game A LOT, it's a crazy source of fun even in my imagination, imagining things being rolled up, kinda like how some people imaging like sonic running across buildings on a car ride, (i still do that sometimes), but when i'm just staring at the world i just imagine my little katamari scooping everything up. just ignore all the people, animals, insects, flowers, buildings and everything that i'm rolling up, none of that really matters, just learn to let go and have a little fun sometimes with your mind. i'm so impressed day by day the more this game consumes my thoughts and as the title suggests, we fucking love katamari!