📦👀 STEAM DECK UNBOXING 📦👀 #SteamDeck

Rich finally got his Steam Deck through the post and decided to do an unboxing video as he was very excited about getting hips deep into the wonderful world of Steam Deck!

I really want one of these docks, please!!

🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ Voyage Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "A Beautiful Walk" 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ @venturousgames #GameDev #IndieGames

Voyage is a dream-like video game that drops you into a world with little to no introductions and leaves you to work out how to traverse a beautiful world.

Playing Voyage is like being trapped in a watercolour storybook with mystical tinges of story interwoven into the puzzles that will leave you wondering what will come next and what is going on in this world.

My immediate thoughts went to Journey, LIMBO and Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons when I began playing this intriguing puzzle platformer that leaves you agog with its beauty and the atmosphere that is created through visuals rather than words. 

🫖🧸🗝️ Lost In Play Ten Minute Taster Nintendo Switch Gameplay "Time For A Key In A Tea Party" 🫖🧸🗝️ @HappyJuiceGames #IndieGames #GameDev

 
In Lost In Play, you will get to Go on a feel-good adventure with a brother and sister as they explore dreamscapes and befriend magical creatures. Lost in their imagination, Toto and Gal must stick together and solve puzzles to journey back home. This whimsical puzzle adventure game will make you feel like you're playing a cartoon!

📺🕹️ Thinking of Improving Your Home Gaming Experience; Here’s 4 Tips to Get Started 📺🕹️

 

Photo by JESHOOTS.com:

So you’ve decided you’re tired of your current home gaming experience. Maybe the games you have don’t do it for you like they used to, or maybe you’re just looking for a more immersive and social experience. Well, we have some tips to help get you started on improving your home gaming setup!

Invest in a better TV.

It might be time for an upgrade if you’re gaming on an old CRT TV. A newer TV will provide a better picture quality and offer features like 120hz refresh rates and low input lag that can give you a competitive edge. If you’re looking to improve your home gaming experience, investing in a better TV is a great place to start. A newer TV will provide a better picture quality and features like 120hz refresh rates and low input lag that can give you a competitive edge. Don’t forget to consider the size of your room when choosing a new TV – you don’t want to get one that’s too big or too small for the space!

Experiment with console gaming.

If you're used to playing games on your phone or computer, console gaming can be a different experience. It can be more immersive and provide a better sense of competition. As a result, you might enjoy console gaming more than you thought you would.

There are several different consoles to choose from, so do some research to see which one would be the best fit for you. Once you start console gaming, make sure to explore all the different features and games it has to offer. You might be surprised at how much there is to do.

Console gaming can be expensive, so if you're on a budget, look for ways to save money. For example, buy used games or look for sales and discounts. There are also ways to get free games, so do some digging and see what you can find.

Invest in an ergonomic gaming chair.

You don't have to spend a lot of money on a gaming chair, but it's worth investing in one that is comfortable and supports your back. There are many different gaming chair styles available, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget.

Comfortable seating is essential when you're going to be spending hours in front of the TV or computer. A good gaming chair will help you stay comfortable and prevent back pain. You may even find that you can play better when seated in a comfortable chair!

Socialise while gaming.

One of the best ways to improve your home gaming experience is to socialise while you're playing. You can join an online community or clan or invite friends over to play in person.

It can be a bit daunting at first if you're not used to socialising while gaming. But don't worry – there are plenty of resources and guides to help you get started. Once you start meeting people and making friends, you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner!

These are just a few tips to help you get started on improving your home gaming experience. There's no need to do everything at once – start with one or two of these tips and see how it goes. You'll be well on your way to having the best home gaming setup around with a little effort!

🌍🌎 Batora Lost Haven PC Ten Minute Taster Gameplay "Save Earth!" 🌍🌎 @BatoraLostHaven #IndieGame #GameDev

In Batora Lost Haven you'll embark on an epic adventure to save Earth in this interplanetary action RPG. Harness the ancient powers of the Sun and Moon to take on a variety of unique enemies while solving diverse puzzles and exploring stunning sci-fi worlds, each with its own curious stories, inhabitants, and mysteries.

For the Record - From Sumthing Else to Skill Tree Records "How Nile Rodgers' Video Game Record Label Closed and Then Rose From the Flames" #VideoGameMusic

A huge thank you to Blip Blop for their insight, knowledge, and assistance – without them, this article would not have been possible.

A record label founded by multiple Grammy award-winning musician and composer Nile Rodgers in 1998, Sumthing Records – and the distribution arm, Sumthing Distribution – was at one point the largest African-American-owned distribution company in America, created to produce and distribute video game music.

The label – mainly through the trading style of Sumthing Else Music Works – released music from some of the largest games and franchises of the era, before closing suddenly in January of 2019, with Nile Rodgers’ below statement on his official website:

🎮 SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 now available to Pre-order in Europe! + GAMES LIST🎮 #SEGAMegaDriveMini2 #SegaGenesis

SEGA Corporation has confirmed that pre-orders for the SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 are now available in Europe.

The SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 is set to release on October 27th, 2022. 

More details are available on the official website: https://sega.jp/mdmini2/en/

The Mega Drive Mini 2 features 60 titles from SEGA's illustrious back catalogue, including, for the first time, titles from the MEGA CD era, new ports and previously unreleased games.

🩸 Vampire Survivors Gets Another 'Bloody' Patch 🩸 #VampireSurvivors

Vampire Survivors SPOILER ALERT:  Patch 0.11.2 lets players unlock a new game mode: the quick start mode randomly picks a random character and stage for an extra challenge. On top of that players can unlock and select a “?” character button that lets them actually play as ?.    Yep, the new secret character is a playable question mark. I’m not kidding.    The patch also brings new spells (aka cheats, list below) and a whole bunch of fixes and tweaks.  See the full patch notes for more info and how to unlock the new secrets. maybeiamastallion: Unlocks Smith (only works if Toastie is unlocked) igottagettotheedgeofsoul: Unlocks Aren Gijus allatonce: Unlocks Queen Sigma

Links Official patch notes (Live at 4.30 pm BST on Steam) Steam page

💰 Trust Gaming keyboards, mice and headsets with MASSIVE discounts this week! 💰

There are some massive savings on Trust Gaming’s range of gaming gear this week!

With over 50 per cent off on the Pylo headset and Redex mouse as well as the fantastic looking and feature-packed Azor keyboard and mouse set for under £20, these really are a steal.

These deals run until the 9^th of September so hurry up and get involved!

📀 Dead by Daylight Official Video Game Soundtrack (Volume 2) 📀 #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #VGM

Dead by Daylight Official Video Game Soundtrack (Volume 2) | Michel. F April

Return to Analog – Purchase Link

When I covered the first volume of Dead by Daylight’s music back in October of last year, I remember being struck by how effective it was at capturing the foreboding, building tension – and subsequent explosive terror of the game itself.

Michel. F April completely nailed the tone, and it made listening through the selections of the soundtrack a perfect horror companion. To celebrate Record Store Day, Canadian label Return to Analog has released volume 2 in the series, capturing more of Michel. F April’s thunderous score for the hugely successful video game.

💿📀 HAVEN (vinyl) Original Soundtrack by Danger Label: G4F Records 💿📀 @G4F_Records @TheGameBakers #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #VGM

Purchase Link - 

https://www.g4f-records.com/en/produit/haven-edition-vinyl/

(From the G4F Records website)

"Haven Original Soundtrack Double Vinyl

A double vinyl album (180g) of the Haven soundtrack, the new RPG adventure game from The Game Bakers (Furi, Squids Odyssey, etc.).

This edition includes a selection of 17 tracks (including some LP Edits) from the game’s original soundtrack, composed by Danger.

This edition includes two vinyl records (yellow and red) in a “pastel grain” textured gatefold cover designed by Yukio Takatsu (Japanese animator and director). The inner sleeves also feature their own design in the game’s colors.

Each order includes a digital download of the Haven soundtrack in the format of your choice (MP3, WAV, FLAC…)."

🏚️🔥🦖 Gigapocalypse XSX Review 8.5/10 "Absolutely Roarsome" 🏚️🔥🦖 @goodypundit #IndieGames #GameDev

Having had my fists kicked off by Covid for the second time, I was in a pretty sorry state last week. After three days of being bed-bound and praying for fevered sleep, I couldn’t take any more Billy Blanks movies and dragged myself to the couch for some interactive entertainment.

Being ill, I couldn’t really focus on anything too hips deep, and was really fancying some kind of casual, zoned-out fun…and stumbled across Gigapocalypse in our ‘to be reviewed’ list. It was just the tonic.

🕹️ Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium XSX Review 8/10 "More gold from the big guns" 🕹️

The original Capcom Arcade Stadium was an absolute pleasure, nigh-on perfect versions of some glittering jewels from throughout Capcom’s illustrious career. 

This, the second incarnation understandably pulls out some curios and oddities from their catalogue but also focuses on some key franchises (Darkstalkers, Street Fighter) as well as bringing some real hidden gems into the limelight.

🔊🎸 Introducing AUDIOCASE – A game-changing portable and powerful hi-fi speaker, guitar amp, PA system, and karaoke machine! 🔊🎸 @AudiocaseDK

 Fully funded on Kickstarter within just one hour! 

Audio professionals, Audiocase today announced the launch of two new Audiocase portable speakers on Kickstarter. 

The Danish startup is ready to disrupt the market with its ultimate all-in-one portable speaker, home audio system, practice amplifier, PA system, and karaoke machine. 

The Audiocase S5 is currently selling on Kickstarter at €539/£461/$541 and the S10 is €699/£598/$702, both for a limited quantity, which will receive a significant discount over the retail prices. The Kickstarter campaign is now live and fully funded in just one hour.

⚔️🔥🏚️ Age Of Darkness : Final Stand Ten Min Taster PC Gameplay "Night Terrors" ⚔️🔥🏚️ @AOD_FinalStand #IndieGames #GameDev

Age of Darkness: Final Stand is a dark fantasy survival RTS where you must illuminate, build and defend humanity’s last bastion against hordes of Nightmares. 

Set in the remnants of a kingdom consumed by a deadly fog, you decide. 

Will you hide in the light? Or take back your world?

🕹️ Atari Releases Warlords and Super Breakout in 50th Anniversary Cartridge Format on Limited Run Games 🕹️@atari #Retrogaming #Atari2600

Atari revealed today a new set of 50th Anniversary collectable cartridges for the Atari 2600: Warlords and Super Breakout. Available now for preorder through the official Atari XP website and Limited Run Games, the two new cartridges feature striking, reimagined artwork on the front labels and are adorned with an acrylic logo on the top of the cartridges that light up when being played. 

The cartridges will ship in newly designed boxes that are inspired by the colourful and iconic packaging of the original Atari 2600 games. 

📸🔪 Dreadout 2 Xbox Series X 4/10 “Less is more” 📸🔪 @dreadoutgame #IndieGames #GameDev

I have spent my last few reviews lamenting over the horror genre, all the games had similar flaws and each of them seemed to languish in generic plots without a hint of originality, so going into Dreadout 2 I was hoping for a big kick up the butt, with a horror game filled with new ideas and an amazing plot.

Nope. within the first twenty minutes, I could see where we were heading, except it now included technical problems. Now, this game is obviously made on a budget, so I do cut it some slack, but it does things that make you think, “if you’re on a budget… just don’t do it, horror is the perfect genre to scale back and subscribe to the motto less is more”.

🏃 Guns N' Runs has been announced PS4/Switch 🏃

Guns N 'Runs is a stylish platformer, action and shooter game, containing special superpowers and dash mechanics. Unlock hundreds of meticulous challenges and boss battles. All with an immersive soundtrack and an individual story for each of the 8 characters.

🥋🕹️ Rich's Fave Commodore 64 Games From When He Was Growing Up 🕹️🥋

Here's a list of my favourite Commodore 64 games from when I was growing up.

The C64 has a special place in my heart even though I never owned one.

So here's a little video celebrating my faves from the days of playing demo tapes from the covers of magazines and buying the best-looking box art from the computer shop!

💥 Life on Mars - Genesis | "It takes us into a realm on the Sega Mega Drive that gets my blood pumping" 💥

Life On Mars: Genesis is the next game from Kai Magazine Software, the company that brought us Metal Dragon. Whereas that game was a humorous run ‘n gun title, Life On Mars: Genesis takes us into a realm on the Sega Mega Drive that gets my blood pumping almost as much as RPGs on the system, Metroidvania. The Mega Drive was starved of several genres – and true sequels to Landstalker… - and the Metroidvania genre was certainly one of those.

⚔️🪓 Video Game Fables PC (Steam) Review 8/10 "Laugh as You Level" ⚔️🪓 @MomijiStudios #IndieGames #GameDev

It’s always a pleasure to come across a game that has been created as a labour of love, and Video Game fables is very much that.

Developed by one-man team Momiji Studios (with music provided by Levc EGM), Video Game Fables is primarily a turn-based RPG with an open-world structure, but is also packed with mini-games and asides – from the website:

"Video Game Fables" is a fun, light-hearted RPG adventure set in an abandoned RPG game world that hasn't had a player in decades.

The world's script gets completely ruined by someone calling herself "The Forsaken Princess."

It's up to Aru (the world's princess), Nate (an NPC aspiring to be a hero), and Tator (the villain's son) to get things back to normal...or maybe change everything forever.”

🕹️🧦 Britt's Arcade Paradise Launch Day Diary - "As the whole experience was an almost surreal one, I thought I’d document it here" 🧦🕹️ @KingWashArcade

As mentioned before on the site, Arcade Paradise was quite a unique gaming experience for me, in that my band’s music was part of the game’s soundtrack, and so I couldn’t review the finished product, as I was too close to it (my editor Rich recently reviewed the game, however) but it did mean that I was invited to the launch party up in London in a venue located at the Leake Street Arches. As the whole experience was an almost surreal one, I thought I’d document it here, more from my perspective as a musician than a writer for GF.

😼 Astro Aqua Kitty Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "Mike, do you want to review Astro Aqua Kitty or Human Fall Flat?" "Oooh the cat one please!" 🙀 @TIKIPODltd #IndieGames #GameDev

Ever since Crash Bandicoot, I have had a rough relationship with games that look cute and friendly but are actually alarmingly difficult (cheers for the PTSD flashbacks Cuphead).

Astro Aqua Kitty is significantly less traumatising than those two but still offers a pretty hefty challenge and a surprisingly deep RPG system for a game about adorable cats in their adorable submarines.

💥 Bright Memory: Infinite Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 “The Little Console That Could” 💥 @FYQD_Studio #GameDev #IndieGames

The Switch will always have a place in my heart as “the little console that could”. 

Many unlikely games have made their way to Nintendo’s smash dual-function console, with the ports of DOOM, DOOM: Eternity and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus all delivering intense first-person action in the palm of your hand (albeit with many technical cutbacks).

⚔️ The Tale Of Bistun Xbox Review 6/10 "A little less conversation, a little more action…" ⚔️ @IMGNPRO @Bart_IMGN #GameDev #IndieGames

The Tale of Bistun appeared to be an interesting prospect. It’s a heavily narrative-driven adventure, and most that we Western audiences are exposed to commonly involve a modern setting and/or some sort of zombie apocalypse. So, this was certainly something new.

I can safely say that this is the first game I have played that is based on a Persian poem, namely Khosrow and Shirin, written by Nizami Ganjavi in the 12th century. I won’t go into what the poem is about because it unfolds in front of you as you play the game.

3 of the best FPS games in 2022

https://unsplash.com/photos/GfrWnNkzOkE

First-person shooter (FPS) games have long been popular. This is a subgenre of shooter video games, whereby there is a first-person perspective, and the game is centred on the gun or weapon. 

We are seeing so many FPS games enter the market today, meaning you have plenty of different options to select from. 

Not only are there FPS games for game consoles, but you can even find FPS-inspired slot games at casinos, such as Evolution Casino and such like. If you are interested in giving FPS games a try, read on to discover more about three of the best options available today:

Trust Gaming Back to School and Gaming Week Deals - Save Up To 50%

Trust Gaming are running promotions with deals of up to 50% off and there are plenty of options on gaming accessories and computer peripherals including ergonomic mice, 4K webcams, streaming microphones and gaming headsets and keyboards.

Build-up to Christmas with a Sonic the Hedgehog Figurine Builder calendars | "Figurines are for life not just for Christmas!" @NumskullDesigns

Well, this looks awesome!

Those cheeky monkeys at NumSkull have released a Sonic The Hedgehog countdown calendar where you get to build the blue maestro piece by piece over the course of the Christmas Countdown!

💰 Top 4 Popular Online Casino Games in the World 💰

Modern technologies have given a hint to the growing popularity of the online casino sphere. The iGaming field is at the peak of vogue right now. It is possible because of the availability of mobile casinos, virtual reality and other interesting technologies that are used. We decided to discover what are the most popular iGaming game globally. For this purpose, we kept an eye out for different casino sites and made the conclusion that it is impossible to find out only one game. If you open the section of the most popular games you will see four games there. They are full of bright emotions and fun. Read our review and select something suitable for you.

🐑 Cult Of The Lamb Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay 🐑 @cultofthelamb #IndieGames #GameDev

In Cult Of The Lamb you can start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venture out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.

🧛 Vampire Survivors Adds 20 new ‘spells’ and a nifty Steam Deck feature... ♰ @poncle_vampire #IndieGames #GameDev

Creeping ever closer to v1.0 like a true creature of the night, Vampire Survivors has released patch 0.10.109

This update added a host of new cheat codes spells that can be used to unlock Arcanas (see below for the full list and a new trick to unlocking the secret menu), as well as an on-screen keyboard option in the Secrets menu so Steam Deck and Gamepad users can type them out.

🧦 Arcade Paradise PC Ten Minute Taster Gameplay "A Chewing Gum Hunters Dream!" 🧦 @nosebleedgames @KingWashArcade @WiredP #IndieGames #GameDev

🕹️👖🩲🩳🧦 Arcade Paradise PC Review 9.5/10 "The LaundCade Is Now OPEN!" 🕹️👖🩲🩳🧦 @WiredP @Withnailmarwood @nosebleedgames #IndieGames #GameDev

As soon as I was crawling around on a Laundrette floor searching for chewing gum and plastic bottles I knew Arcade Paradise had me by the trousers and it was wrenching them off me.

Arcade Paradise follows the story of a son who is given the opportunity to make something of himself by his dad by taking over the family laundrette business.

Every day you will drag your arse into the laundrette on the bus and then the day job will begin. You’ll be presented with the benign tasks of running a laundrette such as unblocking the toilet, emptying the cash hoppers, taking the rubbish out and filling the safe with last night's takings. 

Once you’re done with that you’ll have to get as many washes on the go as you can and then be ready to pop those washes in the dryer as soon as the wash cycle ends. Once dried you’ll need to get those clothes back into the collection area for your customers to collect.

Spinning all these plates will ensure that your laundrette business keeps the money rolling in.

🐢⚔️ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge XBOX Review 9/10 "It’s More Than Worth… 'Shelling Out' For!" 🐢⚔️ @PixelHunted @Dotemu #IndieGames #GameDev

Shameless nostalgia tweaking usually doesn’t do much for me. It’s self-indulgent, a crutch for lazy writing, and once the initial thrill of “ooh, I recognize that” is out of the way things rapidly get boring.

But Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was a laser-guided missile of early 90s bliss aimed right at my heart, and I was powerless to resist.

🎧EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Closed Acoustic Wireless Earbuds with Dongle 🎧 @eposaudiogaming

‘Leave the world behind with no compromise audio delivered by GTW 270 Hybrid wireless earbuds.

Its unique shape ensures a secure and comfortable fit for hours of high-end audio playback.

As an EPOS Hybrid product, the GTW 270 Hybrid delivers multiple connection options; Bluetooth® or aptX™ Low Latency connection with the USB-C dongle.

Escape to new worlds while on the go.’

🥋🥷 SIFU PS5 Review 9/10 "On paper Sifu is simple." 🥋🥷 @SifuGame @sloclap #IndieGames #GameDev

On paper Sifu is simple. It's a third person brawler that has you fight your way through five levels, kill five bosses and avenge your slain family. 

🧟‍♀️ REDO! XBOX Review 5/10 "You are scratching a living as the last surviving human..." 🧟‍♀️ @REDO_99 #IndieGames #GameDev

REDO! is a 2D Metroidvania set in a dystopic future where you are scratching a living as the last surviving human.

That is until you receive a message from a mysterious person who wants to meet, kicking off your adventure.

🚘🧳🧸 Car Boot Carnage Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay 🚘🧳🧸 @JCT600

 

CAR BOOT CARNAGE has all the browser game pleasure of packing for your holidays without actually going away!

https://carbootcarnage.com/

🩸📸 MADiSON PS5 Review 6.5/10 “Many Scares To Be Had, But Far Too Formulaic” 🩸📸 @transvaalgf @MADiSON_Game #IndieGames #GameDev

MadiSon is a first-person psychological horror game, in which you play as Luca, who wakes up to find his hands covered in blood, and his father screaming at him through a door, questioning how he could ‘do this to the people he loved.

It’s a very exciting and tense opening!

You manage to escape the room and now explore your grandparent’s home, where you learn its dark secrets and understand how Luca has come to be in this position.

🥷 Shadow Gangs Dreamcast Review 8/10 "More Ninja Action Than You Can Shake a Katana At!" 🥷 @ShadowGangs @WaveGameStudios #IndieGames #GameDev

The next step on WAVE Game Studios’ quest for Dreamcast world domination, Shadow Gangs is a 2D platformer (mostly) that takes a lot of inspiration from the arcade classic Shinobi, in terms of visuals and gameplay.

You are Master Dan, a ninja master who sets out to take down a ninja army and rescue his family in a plot that’s so ninja-centric that it feels like it was written by Godfrey Ho. Good. 

👿🥧 Hell Pie Xbox Series X Review 7.5/10 "A wonderfully ghastly concoction straight from Satan’s kitchen" 👿🥧 @SluggerflyDev #GameDev #IndieGames

Warning lights flash in my mind whenever games go for humour - as so often cheap gags and lazy writing are brought to the fore at the cost of gameplay, or perhaps the humour doesn’t connect with you personally.

So every attempt at it elicits a sigh. However, the trailer for Hell Pie showed what seemed to the naked eye to be a surprisingly polished 3D platformer. Having fancied this genre for a while - the last I played was the sublime A Hat in Time - I thought I’d give Hell Pie a goosey, and by Jove, it was a wise move.

🧛 Vampire Survivors PC Gameplay 🧛@poncle_games #IndieGames #GameDev

Mow down thousands of night creatures and survive until dawn! Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you.

🕷️⚔️ Baldur's Gate : Dark Alliance 2 Nintendo Switch Ten Minute Taster Gameplay ⚔️🕷️

An unspeakable evil has returned to the legendary city of Baldur's Gate. A call for adventurers echoes through the embattled land. Cunning warriors and bold magic users are desperately needed to reclaim Baldur's Gate from dark sorcery that threatens all in its path.

🕺 Human Fall Flat Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay "I Fall FLAT!" 🕺 @curvegames #IndieGames #GameDev

Human: Fall Flat is a hilarious, light-hearted platformer set in floating dreamscapes that can be played solo or with up to 8 players online. 

Free new levels keep its vibrant community rewarded.