REBIRTH + DESPAIR Vinyl Review 'Piano and Cello Covers from NieR: Gestalt/Replicant + NieR Automata' 💿 @TheMangoMage #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM

The NieR series of games has a seriously hardcore fanbase, and from my own experiences of playing the original title on PS3 (I remember picking it up at a bargain price in a car boot sale near Pontins, natch) I can see where the love comes from, as the characters are memorable, and the story is sweeping, majestic and grand – terms that can also be levelled at the music.

Whilst the original versions feature full orchestration, here TPR and Roxane Genot strip the sound back to primarily piano and cello, re-arranging the tracks to give a closer, more intimate feel.

Dark Quest 3 XSX Review 8.5/10 "oh go on...one more go..." ⚔️ 🧙‍♂️ @brainseal #IndieGames #GameDev

It has only been over the last few years that I’ve really gotten hips-deep into board games. From diving into breezy games like Dungeon! And Hero Quest to rule-laden slogs like Massive Darkness or Endure the Stars/Rules, I’ve really come to appreciate the wonderful blend of dedication and camaraderie that comes from a day of getting some snacks and drinks in, then settling down for eleven hours of arguing over the results of dice rolls and bafflingly unclear card descriptions.

It was after a recent weekend jaunt to a salubrious part of the country – where the curtains were promptly drawn and daylight not sighted for 48 hours – that I began to yearn for a single-player board game experience… but in the digital realm.

I genuinely spent a few days installing and uninstalling various games on my phone, hunting around for what I was looking for - and it was then that I stumbled across Dark Quest 3, which was due for imminent release, I can’t comment on Brain Seal Ltd’s other games, or even the preceding two titles in this trilogy, but I can certainly say that Dark Quest 3 is exactly what I needed.

Landlord's Super Ten Minute Taster PC "A Nice Little Earner" 🍺 @MinskWorks #IndieGames #GameDev

 
Landlord's Super, your quintessential construction simulator, is here. Take a dodgy loan, restore a property, move in the locals, attend to their grievances, then celebrate with a pint in this fully-simulated, open-world 1980s Britain.

Thief Simulator 2 | Preview 🦸‍♂️ @ThiefSimulator #IndieGames #GameDev

The next release in the ‘Thief’ (not that one) series, Thief Simulator 2 follows PlayWay S.A. 2018’s Thief Simulator and – my personal favourite - 2022’s American Theft ‘80s.

This 2023 entry sees you again returning to popping into various locations – uninvited - and going out on the nick. Whilst the game does not yet have a solid release date beyond 2023 (PlayWay S.A.’s release schedule is intense), it builds on the illicit thrills of the previous two entries by including various abilities, items and environmental hazards such as police officers, sleep gas, traffic spikes, ATM hacking, drones, dynamite and weather factors such as rain – to hide the thief’s movements.

The series has previously given me a lot of tension-fuelled thrills, and I’m especially a fan of the way in which the games aren’t afraid to have fun with themselves. As far as I’m concerned, this is an underdog series of games that always manages to deliver idiosyncratic fun with a touch of craziness, and I’m looking forward to diving into this next chapter!

Vampire Survivors PC DLC TIDES OF THE FOSCARI Ten Minute Taster Gameplay Video "Let's Get Lost In The forest!" 🧛🌳 @poncle_vampire #IndieGames #GameDev

 
Vampire Survivors' second DLC Tides of the Foscari is out and I've just received Steam codes to play it! (The DLC is £1.59!) It features new characters, weapons, a massive whimsical forest level to explore and a groundbreaking new feature for the Vampire Survivors universe: 2 of the brand new Survivors (Maruto and Keitha) now have attack animations! This is limited to these 2 Survivors only!

NACON Pro Compact Controller Review (PC & XBOX) 🎮 @Nacon

We’ve covered a few NACON products here at GF over the last few years, and they’ve all stood out as high-quality, robust peripherals that last a lifetime and look cool as they do so, but does the NACON Pro Compact Controller continue this trend?

Return To Grace Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay Video "AI On My Wrist!" 🤖 @CBytesStudios #IndieGames #GameDev

Return To Grace is a surprise game for me that I have absolutely fallen for. Please watch this taster of what you can expect in this mysterious walking sim set in the future.

A daring space archaeologist has just unearthed the ancient resting place of a long-lost A.I. god known as Grace. Adventure with various fractured A.I. personalities as you uncover the great mystery of why she was shut down all those years ago.

I Think Skyrim May Have Saved My Love Of Video Games 🖤

Video Games are a passion for me that stems from when I was about 7 years old and I discovered that the Amstrad CPC at my mate Briggsy's house could play a video game called Football Manager 2. 

From that day forth I fell for every computer and every console that came out. If I think back even further I do actually remember playing my sister's Pong Machine at home in the early 80s but that is a distant hazy memory that didn't drive my love of video games but probably helped me along that road a bit.

Fast forward around 35 years and I'm still a video games lover but the difference now is that not only do I own various systems to play the latest video games but I also run my own video games website that requires me to be switched onto video games every day of the year.

Some might say that type of always-on mentality can wear you down a bit and I would say to them that,

"Yes, you are correct, it can wear you down". 

Propagation: Paradise Hotel VR Review 8/10 "Zombies! Hotels! Horror!" 🧟 @PropagationVR #IndieGames #GameDev

Steak and chips. Cannon and Ball. Coffee and cream. Zombies and VR. Some things are just destined to go together. Yes, there are roughly 5 gazillion VR zombie games. Yes, some of them are rubbish. No, this isn’t one of them.

Spacebourne 2 Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay "LOST IN SPACE!" 🚀 @DBK_Games #IndieGames #GameDev

 
Rich tries to embark on a journey to greatness (with varying levels of success). Get ready for adrenaline-fueled battles and a chance to claim your place in the galaxy. Grab the controls of your ship, gear up for the fight, and unleash your ambition to conquer and build a new empire in the vastness of space.

Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! Switch Review 8/10 "Bubble Burstin’ Boisterousness" 🫧 @ININ_Games 🫧

There’s a purity to the Puzzle Bobble games that has always drawn me, a merciless blend of colourful, simple gameplay and snappy action that has entranced me since pounding hours into it on Vs mode on the PS1, back in my days as a teenager.

This new version does a fantastic job of plate-spinning the solid-as-a-rock original mechanics whilst also adding various bells and whistles through extra Modesto giving a neat amount of variety to the usual bubble-popping proceedings.

Lego 2k Drive Xbox Series X Review 7/10 "Is it as good as Mario Kart?" 🏎️ @LEGO_2K_HUB @2K #LEGO2KDrive

Every time a new kart racer comes to market, be it badged as Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, or, somewhat oddly, Garfield, the first question everyone asks is, "Is it as good as Mario Kart?" and the answer, invariably, is no. Lego 2k Drive is the latest to come at the King, and while it does miss, it's a good game in its own right.

Klaus Lee Thunderballs PC Let's Play Gameplay Video "Jetpacks & TNT!" 💣 @TheRealKlausLee #IndieGAmes #GameDev

Dive deep through the neon-hued brash and bawdy '80s-inspired reimagined classic 2D action-platformer with your favourite BADASS Kraut, Klaus Lee! Dust off your jetpack, grab your dynamite and prepare your laser eyes and dive deep into Klaus' first challenging adventure!

Dungeon Drafters PC Review 8/10 "Big Deck Energy" 📕 @DungeonDrafters #IndieGames #GameDev

A mage, cloaked in a purple, erm, cloak, pushes the heavy stone door open and peers inside the crypt beyond. The brawler, muscles glistening in the barely visible torchlight, stands behind his companion, ready to step forth into the unknown. The block of granite slides open and the duo step into the cobweb-bedecked room ahead. Before they draw breath they are set upon by hellish creatures - two gelatinous blobs, a giant beetle and a mighty winged dragon! 

The mage flashes a knowing, smug glance at her warrior friend and smiles fiendishly at the beasts before her. They know not of what is to happen next, as she reaches under her cloak and brings her hands back out in front of her, brandishing… a pair of playing cards. The beasts attack and devour the two heroes, as their small pieces of cardboard offer no protection at all, though possibly do provide some added fibre to the meal they become.

That’s how this story SHOULD go. But no. Fortunately, in Dungeon Drafters your cards are magic. Phew. And there are a lot of cards. But let’s rewind a little, shall we?

Trust Lyra Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Review ⌨️🖱️ @TrustGaming

I’m a big fan of smaller-sized keyboards and mice, especially in the current climate of the hybrid working model, where carting around a full-sized keyboard along with a laptop can be a pain, and whilst the Trust Lyra desktop set is easily among the most compact and practical keyboards I’ve come across, there are so many other nice touches in terms of design, features and accessibility that– especially at this price point- it makes the Trust Lyra stand out in the crowd.

Moviehouse The Film Studio Tycoon Ten Minute Taster Gameplay "Let's make sweet movies together" 🎬🎥 @MoviehouseGame #IndieGames #GameDev

 

Welcome to the big show! Ready the camera, unleash your creativity and pile up the profits! Grow your operation with your razor-sharp business sense and usher in a new era for filmmakers worldwide.

Largest Study of Video Games Dialogue Reveals That Men Say Twice As Much As Women 👩‍🦰💬 @RSocPublishing

Researchers have found a stark gender imbalance after carrying out the largest-ever study of video game dialogue, published today (Wednesday 24 March 2023).

The research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, analysed more than 13,000 video game characters and found that men speak twice as much as women.

The study, led by Dr Stephanie Rennick at the University of Glasgow and Dr Seán G. Roberts at Cardiff University, performed the first large-scale test of gender imbalance in the dialogue of 50 role-playing video games (RPGs).

It discovered that games include twice as much male dialogue as female dialogue on average. 94% of games studied had more male dialogue than female dialogue, including games with multiple female protagonists like Final Fantasy X-2 or King’s Quest VII. 

No One Lives Under the Lighthouse XSX Review 8/10 "More Bite-Sized Horror Gold" 🗼 @marevocollectiv #IndieGames #GameDev

I am a big fan of bite-sized titles that can be enjoyed in a single evening – horror titles especially, as Boomfire’s recent The Creepy Syndrome reminded me.

No One Lives Under the Lighthouse is a game with some serious character in its presentation that drew me in on multiple levels from the visual style through to the subtle gameplay mechanics, narrative, and incredible sound design – with the only slight hiccup for me being the final sequence of events.

The game – a first-person adventure - opens with your character being dropped off at a remote island, with the titular lighthouse looming large. The boatman makes cryptic comments about the previous lighthouse keeper before rowing back off into the darkness, leaving you alone on the island….or are you?

Video Game Lo-fi: Sonic Curaga Records Vinyl Review 💿 🌴💨 #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

There’s something about the lo-fi genre that completely resonates with me. Over the years I’ve covered several lo-fi versions of various video game soundtracks, and I appear to always be in the mood for a lo-fi record, there’s something about the low, beat-driven mellow vibes that gets me hips deep into the music, and in cases where I have a personal history with the game in question, I can genuinely find myself getting totally caught up in it, as was very much the case with a specific track on this particular record.

Kill It With Fire VR Review 7/10 "Lots and Lots Of SPIDERS!!!" 🕷️🔥 @KIWF_Game #IndieGames #GameDev

SPIDERS!

Still here? Well, they make some people run a mile so now they've all gone, let's talk about Kill It With Fire. Because this game features spiders. Lots and lots of spiders. 

Waaay back in the beforetime (1990), there was a movie called Arachnophobia, which also featured lots of spiders. If you haven't seen it, watch it, it's great. Anyway, the reason that comes to mind is one particular scene in which Jeff Daniels makes a flamethrower from a lighter and an aerosol can. This prompted a spate of arson-lite events at my school which resulted in a lot of kids nearly blowing their hands off with cans of Lynx Africa (which, by the way, smells even worse when it's lit), and general flame-based mayhem. 

Some 30-odd years later and Kill It With Fire comes to VR, giving you the opportunity to relive the excitement of the homemade flamethrower, but with none of the danger. 

But that isn't all.