Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors Nintendo Switch 2 Review 9/10 🧛🍷 "A surprising spin off that stands as tall the original" @poncle_vampire #IndieGame #GameDev

Vampire Survivors melted the world when it was released back in 2022. I’ve had friends and colleagues here at GF that adored that game and spent many, many hours with it, and whilst I dipped my toe in for a few weeks and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, Vampire Survivors never really sucked me in as it did for others…Vampire Crawlers, however, has crawled out of its sarcophagus, plunged its teeth into my neck, and yanked my trousers down with such force and intent that the friction burns blistered my trembling thighs. Good.

The words ‘roguelike deck-building game’ have almost become burned onto my retinas due to how often I’ve come across them over the last couple of years. Whilst I love the genre, it seems to have replaced ‘soulslike’ as a term that makes my eye twitch whenever I stumble across it whilst checking out upcoming games. That said, as with anything, if a game is good, it doesn’t matter how many others there are in the field; it’s a cracker. 

Such was the case with Vampire Crawlers, which was kindly sent over to us from Nosebleed Interactive, who are the minds behind Arcade Paradise, a game that my editor, Rich, very much fell in love with back in 2022. 

I was offered the code, installed it on the Switch 2, and that was it; I was hooked.

Mouse: P.I for Hire Nintendo Switch 2 Review 8.5 /10 "A Very Gouda Game" 🧀 @mousethegame #IndieGame #GameDev

When you think about games set in a fictional world akin to 1930’s cartoons, Cuphead will probably spring to mind, and as much as that game made an incredible impact – although I admit, its boss rush gameplay wasn’t for me, and I’ve spent far more time engrossed in the Netflix series – Mouse: P. I for Hire really caught my eye when I saw early trailers, and I pounced when the option to review it here at GF popped up. 

I’m very pleased to say that this is a game that really lives up to the promise of the trailer, and dives deep into the mousey, cheesy, noir world of Mouseburg, balancing challenging gameplay with great voice acting, an incredible sense of vibe, and visuals you’d ink your shorts for.

Set in the fictional city of Mouseburg in the ‘30s - a place inhabited by anthropomorphic rodents – you are private eye Jack Pepper, a typical hard-nosed noir detective who has his office next to a bar, and is friends with both the seedier side of town as well as up-and-coming mayoral prospects. Through a seemingly minor case, he soon finds himself embroiled in a city-wide scandal far outside his usual scope. So far, so noir.

Amnesia: Rebirth Nintendo Switch 2 Review 6/10 🤰"Did it Thrill Me, Intrigue Me and Scare Me?" #GameDev #IndieGame

Even by the generally miserable standards of horror game protagonists, Tasi Trianon has a real bad time in Amnesia: Rebirth. Barely ten minutes go by between things happening that, if they happened to you, would be the low point of your year.

By now, many fans of horror games will be familiar with Trinanon’s woes. Rebirth was initially released back in 2020 on Windows and PlayStation 4, the sequel to 2010’s Amnesia: The Dark Descent and 2013’s Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Both of the latter games have languished unplayed in my Steam back catalogue for years, but thankfully, you don’t need to have played them to enjoy Rebirth.

And I’m pleased to confirm I did enjoy Rebirth quite a bit. One of my benchmarks for enjoying a game is it giving me an experience I haven’t had before. On paper, it doesn’t. Rebirth is boilerplate horror gaming, delivering a spooky atmosphere, an isolated heroine, monsters hunting you, and tense environmental puzzles.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss PS5 Review by Regan 7/10 🐙 @PlayCthulhuCA #IndieGame #GameDev

Step into the shoes of Noah, an Ancile field agent, as you explore a deserted deep-sea mining station in 2053. Tasked with unravelling the fate of a missing crew, you'll be challenged by intricate puzzles and an atmosphere thick with mystery. 

This immersive experience sets the stage for a gripping adventure that will keep you guessing until the very end.

‘Kero Kero Cowboy’ and ‘Yap and The Enchanted Bubbles’ - NEW Game Boy Color Games From Broke Studio 🎮 @HomebrewFactory #IndieGame #GameDev

We’ve covered a few games over the years from Broke Studios / Homebrew Factory (more info on them here) and their products are always of a high quality, with a heavy focus on giving tasty indie titles a professional-level physical release. 

Today we will be taking a look at two of their Game Boy Colour titles, Mike Bedsole’s Kero Kero Cowboy, and Cel Design’s Yap and The Enchanted Bubbles.

Beyond Words Nintendo Switch 2 Review 9/10 "So Good That it’s Almost Beyond Words!" 📖 @PQubeGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Beyond Words is exactly the sort of game you’d expect from era-spanning veterans of some of the most celebrated FPS titles of all time… a word-centric puzzle game with deck-building / roguelite mechanics. Yes, the only head-shot you’ll come across here will be a word comprised of Scrabble tiles and will net you some tasty points and multipliers...not a frag.

Word-based games are treasured here at the Welsh branch of GF, with one of the best-loved here being Letter Quest: Grimm’s Journey, but Beyond Words takes a different approach that rewards failed runs and scratches that one-more-go vibe by constantly rewarding you with unlocks and bonuses that can make or break on the tougher stages.

Beginning with a snappy tutorial that sets the stage for the simple game mechanics, you’ll find yourself making words up from the hand you are dealt, with the ability to shuffle and change a few, if needed. The main game board has a simple image behind it to add a bit of personality and colour to the proceedings, whilst there are also special tiles that act as multipliers or upgrade tiles to boost your word score. 

Dread Delusion Xbox Series X Review 9/10 "A Beautiful Misery" 📖⚔️ @DreadXPGames #IndieGames #GameDev

I knew nothing about Dread Delusion before diving in, and what I discovered excited the hell out of me. Dread Delusion is one of those games that aches like it’s the final burst brainchild of a single individual, and – as with all truly great prose - takes a while to get to grips with.

A first-person RPG beginning with your character being tasked with tracking down known sausage Vela Callose (aka - the most wanted person in the Apostatic Union.), your task soon branches out into various side and main quests over the various ‘skylands’ before you. 

Presented in a PS1 visual style with a surprising amount of options as to just how PS1 you want your experience to be – you’ll soon find yourself traipsing around the world of Dread Delusion, accompanied by a beautiful, keening (if slightly repetitive) soundtrack, sparse visuals, and tightly-funnelled game design that feels like a lesson in world-building without waste.

Marvel MaXimum Collection Nintendo Switch 2 Review 6.5/10 "Welcome to DIE!"❌🦹‍♀️ @LimitedRunGames #RetroGaming

With some games featuring regional variations (JP, US, EU) and also archival details – as well as a ‘jukebox’ section – on the face of the matter, this looks like pretty decent ‘snikt!’ For your buck, but the age and design of some of the games, as well as a bare bones feel to the package in terms of the extras included does end up making things feel a little lacklustre overall, although you do get the usual save state and rewind features along with the choice of using a CRT filter.

A collection of six games from the early to mid-nineties starring beloved Marvel characters, Marvel MaXimum Collection puts the below games in one place:

1. Silver Surfer (NES)
2. Captain America and The Avengers (NES, Arcade, Genesis)
3. X-Men (Arcade)
4. Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge ( Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, Game Gear)
5. Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (Genesis, SNES)
6. Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety (Genesis, SNES)

Skinfreak PC Review 7/10 “Not so much ‘super freaky’, more ‘slowly freaky’” 🔪 #GameDev #IndieGame #Horror

I have a very simple and happy relationship with Puppet Combo and developer Jordan King; they release games, I really enjoy them - and then I look forward to the next one, Stay Out of the House and Night at the Gates of Hell remain two of my favourite indie horror games, so any time another release from Puppet Combo comes along - I’m excited. I must admit that I am a bit late to this one but was still keen to start my journey running away from a man who looks like Leatherface’s distant cousin.

In Skinfreak you play as Belle, who has been called into the office late at night. you arrive to a very empty office and are to install new software – which is to be delivered later in the night - and yeah …that's mainly it. 

VGM Essentials - Final Fantasy Vinyl Review By Lee 📀 @FiragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

Firaga Records and the VGM Essentials series. Lots of them are out, many of them are essential for the discerning video game/electronic music fan in your life. And this, the Final Fantasy edition, is no different.

I'm not going to delve into the history of the series, because everyone who knows video games knows Square Enix's franchise, from the NES era to the modern 9th-generation console powerhouses. One thing the multitude of FF games has in common, though, is excellent music. This collection takes a sprinkling of that magic from across the whole series and allows a bevvy of producers to drag it firmly into club-ready territory.

The presentation is, as usual, exemplary. A bright, glossy die-cut slipcase houses two sleeved records, pressed on black vinyl at 45rpm. Each sleeve has a beautiful crystal design that is visible when the package is put together. Each track is remixed by one or two producers, some of whom will be familiar to fans of the series, such as SARE, nokbient and Noteblock, along with some new-to-me names like Emunator and Prower.

Crime Simulator PS5 Review 6/10 *A Game That Almost Stole My Heart* 🦹 @ULTGames #IndieGame #GameDev

Back in 2024, I covered Thief Simulator 2 and whilst I had a lot of fun with, it was very clearly rough around the edges and needed refining. Fast-forward to 2026, and the newest release from Polish studio CookieDev has made its way to consoles, and it is a game that is frustratingly short of being a really unique gem in the stealth-thievery genre but has too many issues to really be a recommended title.

The game – a first-person affair - begins with your character locked up in prison and being bailed out to quite a princely sum by a mysterious cabal of insalubrious individuals that intend to make you steal and earn your way through your debt. 

Beginning in an abandoned warehouse, you only have a PC, a box to send over your stolen goods, and a wall chart to pan out your next nick-fest. There is only one neighbourhood available at the start, with you and your team – up to four players online – needing to rack up some earnings (via a percentage cut from what you steal, which gets higher dependent on the difficulty) in order to unlock heists and other areas to pillage.

Dead Format PC Review By Ayden 6.5/10 📼 "A 3-8 hour horror-action experience with character"

While I’m a fan of horror movies and books, I haven’t had much experience with horror games up until this last year. I put this down to it being easier to desensitise oneself to films and the written word, whereas with video games there is no option to mentally disengage. Your choices matter, when you move matters, and that is quite a bit more terrifying than simply watching a slide show of off-putting and uncomfortable scenes.

All this to say, I may have watched over 50 horror movies last year with a stony and dead eyed expression, but when it comes to games of the same genre, I’m a snivelling coward. So I can’t promise that what got me nervously pausing and gathering myself before I could again brave more of the Video Ghastlies will equally terrify you. What I will say, is that if the stress detector on my watch is to be believed, this game achieved what it set out to with me.

The game starts with scant details, other than you are on a search for your missing brother. You enter his flat and search for clues which ultimately leads you to uncovering the mysteries of a new and inexplicably dangerous VHS format, “Video Ghastlies”. After watching the first tape, you will find yourself stepping out of the flat and into its macabre reality. Whilst in these other realms, you will find new tapes and trinkets required to proceed. You do also at some point get a bone-gun that shoots teeth (don’t ask, I’m still not sure), so it’s not an experience entirely built on hide-run-hide-run. 

Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition Review 7.5/10 "Ridiculous Fun, Lovingly Preserved" 🪱

I went to a flat party in 1999 and was in the front room when the host asked me if I'd ever played Worms before. I said, "No". He said, "You're Gonna Love it!" and proceeded to fire up the PS1 and welcome me into the crazy, crazy world of Worms: Armageddon. 

By the end of the night, most of the people in the flat were playing Worms, and the manic action was being fuelled by the many litres of Red Bull & Vodka being consumed (it was the late 90s, after all). From that moment on, Worms was THE party game and all my friends loved to drink and play this; it was essential for a great night out, either pre-party, post-party, post-post party or during party!

Fast forward to today, and it's true that some games age gracefully… and then there’s Worms Armageddon, a title that refuses to age at all. Firing it up feels like opening a box in your mum and dad's loft packed with banana bombs, holy hand grenades, and the kind of ridiculously crafted chaos that not too many video games attempt nowadays. Worms is most definitely still utterly ludicrous, endlessly funny, and capable of turning players into cackling agents of worm-fuelled destruction.

Armageddon remains the perfect expression of what makes Worms tick. The physics are just unpredictable enough to keep every turn tense. The weapons are as silly as ever, and still capable of producing those hilarious local multiplayer moments; it’s as manic today as it was in 1999.

What really elevates this release is the museum timeline charting the history of the series, the unexpected star of the show, with behind‑the‑scenes content that is a love letter to the Worms legacy.

These documentary‑style segments are surprisingly heartfelt. They chart the evolution of Team17’s iconic series with archival footage, developer interviews, early concept art and some cool Stories about how certain weapons and ideas came to be.

It’s the kind of material we've all come to expect from a Digital Eclipse release, and once again, for fans of gaming history, it’s pure gold nuggets. For Worms fans specifically, it’s borderline emotional. You get a real sense of how this quirky British strategy‑comedy hybrid became a global phenomenon.

Worms is Worm, but why does it still work? Well, Worms Armageddon endures because it’s built on timeless ingredients of simple rules, deceptively deep strategy, endless unpredictability, and a tone that never takes itself seriously. It’s the rare game where losing can be just as entertaining as winning, especially when your last worm is blasted into orbit by a rogue sheep or a concrete donkey.

SUMMARY
For me, this is more than a nostalgia trip. It’s a reminder of how inventive, chaotic, and downright joyful games can be. The core experience is still a riot, but the documentary timeline pushes this version into “must‑own” territory for anyone who loves retro gaming, British game development history, or just a good laugh. My kids and I are playing this endlessly as I introduce a new generation to Worms and have more couch chaos with the family!

Right, I'm off to drop a concrete donkey on my wife...

7.5/10

🆒COOL🆒

Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition | Nintendo Switch games | Games | Nintendo UK

MARVEL COSMIC INVASION XBOX SERIES X Review 8/10 "A vibrant, retro-inspired beat 'em up that channels old-school arcade energy" 💥 @MARVELCosmicInv @Dotemu

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is here: it hits Xbox Series X as a vibrant, retro-inspired beat 'em up that channels old-school arcade energy - think the classic 1992 X-Men arcade game - with the combos, special moves and overall depth we've come to expect from Dotemu, the publisher behind the excellent Streets of Rage 4.

The game follows the Marvel Annihilation storyline, pitting a huge roster of 15 playable characters against the evil Annihilus and the deadly Annihilation Wave. You punch, claw, fly and swing through locations ranging from New York City, through the Avengers Helicarrier, to the depths of the Negative Zone. The excellent pixel art style and fast-paced brawling capture an energetic comic-book feel that is very much in keeping with other Dotemu releases.

Dark Quest: Remastered Xbox Series X Review 6/10 *The boardiest of digital board games* ☠️⚔️ @brainseal #IndieGame #GameDev

I first got on board with the Dark Quest series back in 2023 with the third entry, which was a fantastic isometric title that relied on a blend of chance and memorisation as you delved ever further into its rewarding depths, as a man with a loud voice shouted numbers at you – good! 

More recently, I covered Dark Quest 4, which further evolved the formula with more classes and personalisation options – and so when I had the opportunity to go back to the start of the series and cover this remaster of the original Dark Quest – originally released back in 2015 for PC– I leapt at the chance, as Brain Seal have fast become a personal fave developer of mine – helped along by their recent explosive physics-based title Blow It Up. Although this remaster does feel a bit of a step backwards as opposed to a celebration and re-imagining of an earlier title. In the Brain Seal catalogue.

Britt’s Brief Bulletin - April Review Round Up! 🎮

ICARUS: Console Edition
Available on PlayStation 5

A game that was initially released on Windows at the tail end of 2021 and has now made its way to console, ICARUS comes from the mind of DayZ creator, Dean Hall. Developed by RocketWerkz, ICARUS is again in the survival genre, this time with a slightly futuristic bent but with the same sense of a world of beasts and nature itself being against you.

Visually impressive, and a game that does not hold your hand, ICARUS is all about incremental progress and practicality, playable online with multiplayer, this is a game that has you weathering out storms, building structures to protect you from wildlife as well as the planet itself...structures that can go up like a lit match if you are too cavalier with your campfire placement!

Certainly a game that invites you to dive in, explore...and survive in a harsh unrelenting world, this would be a blast with the up to eight players that can be in each drop, gathering and managing resources whilst fighting off curious animals as well as preparing a transient home away from the natural elements, but I did find a slight disconnect between these hostile planets, futuristic setting...and the fact that -initially at least – the fauna that you deal with are bizarrely very Earth-centric. 

It would have been cool to be up against things other than boars, wolves, and bears, as it can make the whole setup feel a little superficial, not taking full advantage of the fact that this could be a truly alien world, full of surprises, instead of being just another survival adventure, with the tutorial effectively snapped off. 

Finally, the in-game text is minute with seemingly no way of enlarging it, so if you have trouble with your eyesight, be prepared to get close up and personal with your TV.

Dragonkin The Banished PS5 Review 7/10 "A Solid, If Generic ARPG That Runs Fantastically" 🐲⚔️ @Eko_Software @DragonkinGame #IndieGame #GameDev

A new ARPG from EKO Software, Dragonkin The Banished has a lot going for it in terms of the smooth visuals, intriguing world, city-developing aspect, and dragon-centric story, but fails to stand out from a crowded genre in a meaningful way, and results in a game that makes you wish it had something else up its sleeve – or a little more character – to really leave a mark.

Choosing from a pool of heroes, you (and up to one other player locally, or up to three more if playing online) are challenged with defeating a world being overcome with the corruption of banished dragons. Beginning in the one remaining city as yet untouched by corruption, you start your quest. 

A game full of various options to customise your experience in terms of accessibility and camera zoom – you can choose whether to be closer to the action, or see more of the landscape – it’s here you’ll get to grips with the games mechanics and systems. 

Dragonkin The Banished features a hexagonal upgrade system in which you can put tiles together to boost your powers, not to mention those of your wyrmling; a small dragon that accompanies you on your quest and primarily features elemental powers in a bid to aid your combat finesse, these can eventually be armoured and powered up alongside you. The city also gains its own experience points as you explore in your journey and you’ll find new areas such as stores and features cropping up with each level. 

Pilgrims 'Curious Adventures' Board Game Review By Britt 🎲♟️

I’ve been a big fan of Amanita Design for a few years now, first being introduced to them through their incredible Machinarium (I previously covered the glorious soundtrack to this), Creaks (and the art of the game), and more recently, Phonopolis and Happy Game.

Titles from Amanita Design have incredibly distinct and unique visuals and music, with Radim Jurda being a huge part of this, with his handcrafted artwork and talents. The first board game from them that I’ve covered, Pilgrims casts you as a wanderer that meets new characters whilst building up their tale and hopefully – having enough victory points to best the other players!

ZX Dreams Vol. 2 Review By Britt - Author – Graeme Mason Publisher – Fusion Retro Books 📖 #RetroGaming

I covered ZX Nightmares, the original book in this series back in 2023, and was so taken by it that I followed it up with an interview with the author, Graeme Mason. It remains one of my favourite books on gaming (being one of the few to genuinely make me laugh out loud whilst also being incredibly insightful) and is sadly out of stock on the Fusion Retro Books at present, because so many incredibly wise folks snapped it up upon initial release! 

I remember seeing some noise on the internet that there would be a follow-up (ZX Dreams) which got me excited, and then for reasons I still can’t fathom – it completely passed me by, I can only assume that I was buried deep in some preposterous 90-hour JRPG review for GF and time had all but ceased to hold meaning. Whatever the reason, I recently noticed that a second volume of ZX Dreams had been released, and jumped at the chance to cover it here at GF.

The cover (and included dust jacket) feature a handsome gentleman in a white t-shirt lying in bed, lost in the realms of sleep as various instantly recognisable 8-bit characters dance around his head. From Trap Door characters through to Dizzy via the racer from Super Hang-On – it hints at the titles to be covered inside these hallowed pages. Also included is a white-ribbon page-marker to keep your page – and you will need this, because, like all the best books about gaming – you’ll probably find yourself pausing to jump online and watch some footage of / spend a bit of time playing the game currently being discussed in ZX Dreams, as Mason’s words bring the experience to life, and often add context and intrigue to each title.

Reboxy Review By Britt "every video game has a soul. And every soul deserves a body." 💾 #Retrogaming

One of the things we are very keen on here at GF is the preservation of older video games, and Reboxy is very much in the same vein. Creating high quality products that allow gamers, fans, and collectors to celebrate key games from their gaming histories in physical form.

I first became aware of Reboxy a few weeks ago when I received an email from Ziggurat Interactive – another company that celebrates the legacy of older games- as they were promoting their collaboration with a PC big box release of Terminal Velocity. This really intrigued me, as Ziggurat have brought some really intriguing releases back from the brink (including a personal fave of mine – Boiling Point), and I was soon making my way through the Reboxy website which led to GF being in the position of being able to cover two Reboxy editions – Litil Divil (1993), and Realms of the Haunting (1996).

The presentation is absolutely top notch, these specific titles are officially licensed from Funbox Media, another company that we’ve previously covered here at GF and I especially love the attention to detail, such as the logos on each box regarding Gremlin Graphics / Interactive reflecting the logos used at the time of original release, and the colouring of Reboxy’s logo on each release matching the main font / colour of the game in question, for example – Litil Divil’s box font is red, whilst Realms of the Haunting is gold, and the Reboxy logo on the side is colour-matched accordingly. It’s a small touch but shows the level of detail that goes into these Reboxy editions. Also of note is that all editions are DRM free!