AceDingo

Cloudpunk is an incredible experience. The music by Harry Critchley and writing by Thomas Welsh are top notch, leading me to seek out their other work and contact them to express my appreciation (both firsts for me). Open world and action-light games are rarely my thing, but I could hover around the futuristic cyberpunk city Nivalis for hours and cherished every little weird (and sometimes profound) interaction with its citizens. You will fall in love with your AI dog companion Camus. He is a very good boy, and knows it. I just love this game.

Cloudpunk is an incredible experience. The music by Harry Critchley and writing by Thomas Welsh are top notch, leading me to seek out their other work and contact them to express my appreciation (both firsts for me). Open world and action-light games are rarely my thing, but I could hover around the futuristic cyberpunk city Nivalis for hours and cherished every little weird (and sometimes profound) interaction with its citizens. You will fall in love with your AI dog companion Camus. He is a very good boy, and knows it. I just love this game.

Horace is the definition of hidden gem and one of the most touching and humorous games I have ever played. The mix of story and platforming leads to an incredibly balanced and satisfying game. Multiple innovative mechanics keep the gameplay fresh and the story is so compelling that I never skipped a cutscene or hurried my way through the dialog, which I typically do. At $15 (I bought it on sale for $5) it is well worth it. It is lengthier than you would think, but even if it was a few hours long it would have been worth it just to show my appreciation for the developers and the fact that this game exists.

Horace is the definition of hidden gem and one of the most touching and humorous games I have ever played. The mix of story and platforming leads to an incredibly balanced and satisfying game. Multiple innovative mechanics keep the gameplay fresh and the story is so compelling that I never skipped a cutscene or hurried my way through the dialog, which I typically do. At $15 (I bought it on sale for $5) it is well worth it. It is lengthier than you would think, but even if it was a few hours long it would have been worth it just to show my appreciation for the developers and the fact that this game exists.

A fun and stylish old-school NES-style platformer that is both addictive and frustratingly difficult at times, in the way some of the best games from that era were (think Mega Man, Contra, Bionic Commando, Metroid). Some enemy and boss attacks feel impossible to dodge until you figure out the pixel-perfect strategy and train your muscle memory. The challenge ultimately feels fair and not cheap, and the choice of difficulty level is very welcome. The graphics and aesthetic are great, reminiscent of underrated NES classic Vice: Project Doom. If this had been an NES game, it would have been up there with the greats.

A fun and stylish old-school NES-style platformer that is both addictive and frustratingly difficult at times, in the way some of the best games from that era were (think Mega Man, Contra, Bionic Commando, Metroid). Some enemy and boss attacks feel impossible to dodge until you figure out the pixel-perfect strategy and train your muscle memory. The challenge ultimately feels fair and not cheap, and the choice of difficulty level is very welcome. The graphics and aesthetic are great, reminiscent of underrated NES classic Vice: Project Doom. If this had been an NES game, it would have been up there with the greats.

Fun old school platformer that wholesale lifts aesthetic and gameplay elements from classic games. Donkey Kong Country primarily - sidescrolling gameplay, enemy patterns, combat, barrels leading to bonus stages, riding animals, collecting letters to spell your name that look exactly the same; Crash Bandicoot - north/south 3D stages, similar mascot character; Rayman Origins/Legends - the main collectible is exactly like lums and floating mechanic after jumps. It rides the line between homage and ripoff, but if you're nostalgic for those games you should have fun with this. It plays and controls very smoothly, but is generally very easy (at least on the standard difficulty, haven't tried the other ones). The music, graphics and chill gameplay create a very pleasant vibe. If this remotely sounds up your alley I recommend it.

Fun old school platformer that wholesale lifts aesthetic and gameplay elements from classic games. Donkey Kong Country primarily - sidescrolling gameplay, enemy patterns, combat, barrels leading to bonus stages, riding animals, collecting letters to spell your name that look exactly the same; Crash Bandicoot - north/south 3D stages, similar mascot character; Rayman Origins/Legends - the main collectible is exactly like lums and floating mechanic after jumps. It rides the line between homage and ripoff, but if you're nostalgic for those games you should have fun with this. It plays and controls very smoothly, but is generally very easy (at least on the standard difficulty, haven't tried the other ones). The music, graphics and chill gameplay create a very pleasant vibe. If this remotely sounds up your alley I recommend it.