Dark Deity 2 Nintendo Switch Review 9.5/10 "Sword & Axe LLC Shine Once More!" ⚔️🪓 @DarkDeityGame #GameDev #IndieGame

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to cover the original Dark Deity on Switch back in 2022 when I awarded the game 9/10, having thoroughly enjoyed the experience… with the exception of the downtime between the turn-based skirmishes in which a light visual novel element crept in, and I found myself mindlessly skipping through paragraphs of seemingly endless dialogue and banter between the characters in my party. 

With this sequel, Sword & Axe LLC have found a way to tighten this aspect, blending in the more dialogue-heavy sections into the actual plot itself, making it a much more seamless experience, that makes the game feel more cohesive, and much more inviting and playable, with these scenes feeling as important in terms of unveiling the expanding tale as the core combat sections themselves.

The Edge of Allegoria Nintendo Switch Review 6/10 *A Game Boy-styled JRPG with a lot of effing and jeffing*🧑‍🌾 @its_avg_joe @CobraTekkuGames #IndieGame #GameDev

The Edge of Allegoria is an atypical Game Boy-esque JRPG in that, whilst it has the usual turn-based battles, top-down adventure vibe, and glorious chiptune music, the basis for the writing is a pretty vulgar crudeness that, whilst setting it apart from more generic titles in the same genre, means that your mileage will very much vary dependent on how amusing you find crass language.

Whilst there’s nothing offensive about The Edge of Allegoria, the story sort of sits in the background, and gameplay overall is pretty standard with the main hook in the combat being that you acquire certain masteries of weapons after using them for a short while that broadens your arsenal of attacks against monsters that have physical. Magical, and elemental abilities. 

There are some nice visual flourishes, such as the overall colour palette changing as you get poisoned or wounded etc. with the music being the usual jaunty GB fun, but the very thing that sets The Edge of Allegoria apart – its use of adult language and humour – makes it a game that people will either click with or find tiresome. 

First Look: Puzzle Quest Immortal Edition Switch 2 Gameplay (2025 Release) - Ten Minute Taster Video 🧙‍♂️🪄🔮 @505GamesJapan @505_Games #IndieGame #GameDev

Rich dives into the world of match-3 RPG strategy with Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition, now running on Nintendo Switch 2. In this gameplay video, we explore the opening battles, character progression, and spell combos that make this edition a must-play for fans of tactical puzzle games.

Quick Look: From Baytona Beach to Frostbite Harbour – VHR World Tour! (Victory Heat Rally Ten Minute Taster) 🚗💨 @VHRgame #IndieGame #GameDev

🏁 Rich plays Victory Heat Rally – World Tour Gameplay! Lets all buckle up for a high-octane ride through the pixel-perfect tracks of Victory Heat Rally! In this gameplay showcase, we blaze from the sun-soaked shores of Baytona Beach to the icy curves of Frostbite Harbour, drifting through vibrant environments and unleashing turbo-charged chaos.

🔥 What to expect in this video:

🚗 Fast-paced arcade racing with retro flair

🌍 A tour of two stunning tracks: Baytona Beach & Frostbite Harbour

🎮 Skill-based drifting and tight cornering

🎵 Thumping soundtrack and nostalgic visuals

🏆 Tips, tricks, and pure racing thrills

Gioteck WX5+ Wireless RGB Controller Pink Swirl | Unboxing & First Impressions 🍭 @GioteckArmy

🎮Rich unboxes the Gioteck WX5+ Wireless RGB Controller – Pink Swirl Edition

In this video, we take a close look at the Pink Swirl version of the Gioteck WX5+, a wireless RGB controller that blends vibrant aesthetics with multi-platform compatibility. 💡 What’s Inside: - First impressions of the Pink Swirl design - Build quality & button feel - Compatibility with Switch, PC, Android & more If you’re into stylish gear that performs, this controller might just be your next favourite. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more gaming hardware unboxings and retro goodness!

Pockettohiro Available on GBC (physical edition), PC, Switch 🎮 #IndieGame #GameDev

The Adventure Begins!

Welcome to the world of Pokettohiro! A new action/adventure game developed for Game Boy Color.

A group of brave heroes must gather the fragments of the Magic Crystal to face the evil Black Knight and thus prevent the destruction of the kingdom. But it will not be an easy task, for this they will have to overcome countless obstacles, defeat huge monsters and visit all kinds of places. Will these little heroes be able to restore peace to the kingdom?

Our Summer Festival 2 Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "A Bunch of Mini-Games Set in a Japanese Festival" 🎈 @SAT_BOX_2011 #IndieGame #GameDev

We’ve covered a few Sat Box games here at GF, with the most recent being the very enjoyable Desktop Golf. This newest title takes us away from the links and instead plonks you and up to three other players in a Japanese festival in which you will find yourself doing everything from fishing through to dancing, and even cooking!

Is OFF Still Brilliant in 2025? Nintendo Switch Ten Minute Taster Gameplay📴 @‌OFFtheRPG @pr_pirate @MortisGhost

Rich steps into the eerie, minimalist world of OFF by Mortis Ghost—now on Nintendo Switch! In this gameplay episode, we explore Zone 1, uncover cryptic lore, and battle ghostly adversaries in a turn-based system unlike anything you've seen before.

A Cat and His Boy (also available on PC) - Developer – Howdy Riceball *a short and simple adventure in a Game Boy style* 🐈👦 #IndieGame #GameDev

A very short little side quest presented in a black & white Game Boy style, A Cat and His Boy puts you in the shoes paws of a cat, your owner – a little boy called Leif – has gone to sleep and you are left to roam the house and surrounding areas in vintage top-down Game Boy adventure style, coming across other characters and areas that require some pretty light problem solving.

A simple little title that can be completed in under an hour, A Cat and His Boy evoke the Game Boy style pretty tastily, with suitably chip tune music provided by Beatscribe.

Whilst this is a fun little game that touches on topics such as alienation and how an unstable household can affect the children involved, it’s such a breezy experience that things don’t get too heavy. 

Lovely sprite work and music push this simple adventure along at a nice pace, whilst its short length means it can be completed over a cup of tea – or perhaps a saucy glass of wine. Looking forward to seeing what Howdy Riceball dream up next!

Alien Breakout Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "An accessible, 100 level alien platformer!" 👽 @Vergiuu @eastasiasoft #IndieGame #GameDev

It’s easy to get burned out on certain genres, many times over the years I’ve moved from one epic RPG to the next and just sighed at the sheer weight of time-suck that I know is about to take place, and I’ve learned to switch to shorter, more succinct titles whenever this happens so that I don’t lose interest in gaming for a while. 

I was recently at this very point, and so fancied covering a few titles that were a little more pick-up-and-play friendly in style, cue Alien Breakout from developer Vergiu and publisher Eastasiasoft, folks who very much have a taste for this genre of games - a simple 2D platformer that’s perfect for beginners, has a player-friendly learning curve, and is just the ticket for some quick blasts of action!

Slaughter: The Lost Outpost Nintendo Switch Review 6/10 "Take Back Control of A Prison Run By Inmates!" 💥 #IndieGame #GameDev #SlaughterTheLastOutpost

Inmates of a massive, labyrinthine prison  have broken free and anarchy reigns, cue the entrance of your lone hero – named Russell, natch – a man who is here to bring law and order to chaos…by shooting everyone dead in a blizzard of bullets and gore.

A third-person shooter with a focus on head-on action as opposed to strategic, cover-based gameplay,  Slaughter: The Lost Outpost makes a solid first impression, running at 60 fps on the ageing Switch hardware, and the initial sections consisting of tense, close-quarter combat with armed prisoners, either blasting you from afar and dashing behind doors, or rushing you with knives. The industrial surroundings, little shortcuts through vents, and smooth ambient work gave off some pretty positive vibes for my first thirty minutes or so with the game.

Collectible Cars Shop Simulator Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "That Endless Loop Has Become Oddly Relaxing" 🚗 @nostra_games_ #IndieGame #GameDev

Being the father of a four year old that has more Hot Wheels cars in our house than Oliver Reed has receipts from Oddbins in his back pocket, the chance to cover Nostra Games’ Collectible Cars Shop Simulator was one that I leapt at. 

Whilst it feels very ‘assety’ as a lot of the ‘simulator’ games can be, the lack of variety in NPC character models, fiddly controls, and endlessly looping music couldn’t put a dent in my enjoyment of the core gameplay – opening the store, hiring staff, upgrading where possible, and making dosh off flogging those sweet, sweet toy cars before closing up for the night and doing it all over again the next day.

Rallyallyally Nintendo Switch Review 5.5/10 *A chaotic racer that’s fun…for a few minutes* 🛣️ @hairyheartgames #IndieGame #GameDev

A multiplayer racing title from wonderfully named Scottish developers Hairy heart Games, Rallyallyally can be played with up to eight vehicles (a mixture of players and bots), in a game wherein the main goal is to grab a hold of a roll of road, and unroll it to the finish line! 

Upon completion of each section, points are awarded accordingly, and the hectic action rolls on until all three rounds are complete. Scattered powerups help add to the frenzy, and the simple visuals suit the on-screen action.

There are very few options available to customise your approach to Rallyallyally - although you can choose from a large variety of vehicles – and the game quickly becomes repetitive, with some of the environments getting in the way, and the zooming single-screen action sometimes tipping over from chaos into seeming randomness, as you struggle to even find yourself onscreen, or which direction in which you are currently zooming!

SUMMARY
A game that is fun for a short while, but the lack of customisation options combined with the fact that variety in the gameplay means that this is a tough one to recommend beyond those gamers that enjoy true, pure chaotic action in their racers.

5.5/10

🧊💦MELTING 🧊💦

Composer World - Developer: Dynamic Voltage Games Available on: Nintendo Switch *Create music on your Switch!* 🎶🎺🥁

Write music in many styles! Classical, retro, electronic, synth, pop, jazz, etc - with a controller or touchscreen.

Composer World is a unique way to write music. It includes hundreds of instruments/drum sets across many styles. You can create music that sounds like a real orchestra, or compose a track that sounds like it's from a retro game console.

Includes a multi-touch piano with over 100 sounds to choose from - as well as drum pads. Use these to practice, brainstorm a song, or to record in music in real time.

Turtle Beach Recon 70 Headset for Nintendo Switch - Review By Britt 🎧

Following on from our recent coverage of the Turtle Beach Kone II mouse – which I’m using right now, in fact – today I’m taking a look at the Turtle Beach Recon 70 for Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2).

Compatible with Nintendo Switch™ | Nintendo Switch™ Lite | Nintendo Switch™ - OLED Model | Nintendo Switch™ 2, the Turtle Beach Recon 70 comes in white with Nintendo branding, as this is an officially licensed product. Coming in at under £30,this is a bargain wired headset that covers a lot of ground in terms of flexibility – fitting both myself, my partner, and our young son, comfortably – whilst sporting straightforward design and ease of use.

Dance Of Cards Nintendo Switch Gameplay "A Roguelite That Shuffles the Deck" 🃏🎴 @pineapple_works #IndieGame #GameDev

Dance of Cards Nintendo Switch Gameplay | Roguelite Deck-Battler Magic!

Rich buys in to sit at the table in Dance of Cards – a tactical roguelite where every shuffle can seal your fate! In this video, Rich dives deep into the card-slinging combat, explores deck-building mechanics, and uncovers why this Switch title might be the hidden gem of the year.

✨ Gameplay Highlights:

• Unique roguelite mechanics 🔁

• Strategic card battles that test your tactics 🧠

• Beautifully moody visuals & chilling soundtrack 🎼

• First impressions from the GamesFreezer crew 👀

🎲 Whether you're into strategy games or just love a twist of randomness, this one’s for you!

🔔 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more gameplay deep-dives and retro-inspired picks!

🔎 Read The review by Britt here: 

Dance of Cards Nintendo Switch Review 9/10 "A game that won my heart...and spade, club, diamond." 🃏🃏 @FrogOfHearts #IndieGame #GameDev | ❄️ Games Freezer | Retrogaming, Indie Games and Games Culture

All You Need is Help! – Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "Tetris Inspired Funky Family Fun" 🧶 @PixelJunkNews #IndieGame #GameDev

Whenever a four player co-op video game drops into the Games Freezer I immediately think, "Will this make it onto our Best Video Games To Play With Your Kids list?" Some of my best times playing video games come from gathering around the Nintendo Switch at the BIG telly and playing four player Minecraft, Mario Kart or Overcooked and I'm always super keen to add more good times to the ever growing list. All you need is help gets a lot of things right to make it onto the list but slightly falls down on other things which means it's not an all time classic co op game.

In the ever-growing pantheon of indie party games, All You Need is Help! brings a nice cosy dose of teamwork, miscommunication, and gloriously silly chaos. The game has been developed and published by Q Games who always seem to be bring out some fun arcade style video games on the Switch.

Victory Heat Rally Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "A Super Vibrant Retro Racer" 🚗💨 @skydevilpalm @PTonicFriends @VHRgame #GameDev #IndieGame

A vibrant racing game with retro-arcade style mechanics, Victory Heat Rally makes a great first impression with its energetic audio, bright graphics and kinetic sense of energy. Indeed, whilst the devs of Victory Heat Rally are based in LA, it’s very easy to assume that this is a Japanese-made game, so strong are those classic arcade vibes! 

Featuring many stages and environments, the order of the day here is super-fast arcade racing. It’s a very bare bones setup in terms of the core game loop, the tracks are often short, and you can whip around them in around thirty seconds, with the high speed action being all about avoiding other cars and managing your boosts. 

Tiny Pixels Vol. 2 – Stormy Knights Nintendo Switch Review 6.5/10 “Bite-sized, princess-rescuing action” 🏰👸⚔️ @eastasiasoft #IndieGame #GameDev

A snappy, heavily timing-based adventure game that casts you in the role of a knight on a quest to rescue several princess trapped in separate castles, you’ll find yourself adjusting to the simple control setup quickly, and timing your movements, shield blocks, dashes, swipes and magic accordingly as you cut your way through the enemies ahead of you, in single-stage battles.

Hole Digging Master Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 “Take a deep breath, and dig...deep.” 🕳️⛏️ @nostra_games_ #IndieGame #GameDev

I have to admit to covering Hole Digging Master out of sheer curiosity, the premise seemed somewhat bland, but hey – Fishing Vacation was awesome! There was also the fact that the trailer promises mysteries and treasures, tied to relaxing gameplay...good.

Hole Digging Master begins with a swift tutorial that introduces the game mechanics and core loop, that is – you dig, you sell, you upgrade...you dig. Played out entirely in POV, Hole Digging Master takes place entirely in a garage and the nearby garden, with a large square marked out on the grass, and the surrounding paraphernalia suggesting that the reason for digging – initially, at least! - is to get a swimming pool on the go. And so you grab your – erm – battery-powered shovel, and get to work.