Albert Wilde: Quantum P.I. - 23 minutes to complete the demo. The graphic style was interesting with animal heads on somewhat normal bodies, and a weird hazy (kind of ugly) filter for a noir detective game. I liked the voice acting and the music was pretty OK. You walk around in 3D and it felt good to control with a Series X controller. I hated the bobbing back and forth moving and it needed a run button. The animation was a bit janky, but it had potential. I thought the main character was stereotypical for a down and out detective, but it was alright. You check out the beginnings of a case in the demo. 5.5/10
Alice Escaped - 14 minutes. A Sekai Project produced game. This one was an OK supposedly 2D Metroidvania type game where 2 girls fell asleep in a library and were transported to an Alice in Wonderland world. You chase after a rabbit starting the game. The graphics were OK with cute characters and kind of Cuphead like characters. The environments were basic but OK enough, as was the basic sounds and music. Felt extremely repetitive already and had no sense of direction where I got stuck in one screen. Also didn’t work with the Series X controller right away, so keyboard controls were OK (you must push z on language choice). I would maybe play it bundled, but it just seemed like Doujin averageness. 5.5/10
Ami - 7 minutes. A 2D not explained at all okay looking somewhat physics janky platformer with some environmental puzzles. Worked on keyboard, and played OK. Somewhat reminded me a little less clunky original Prince of Persia. I got stuck in house part of demo. Just bare background noise. It seemed very okay, but not super polished. If it has an alright story may be worth playing. 5/10
Automon - 5 minutes after gym victory. This is an automatic battling Pokemon parody game. You choose Automons and they auto battle to the death. You can trash bag catch your favorites and eventually fight harder gym battles. I would play bundled, but not otherwise. 5.5/10
AK-xolotl - 3 minutes. An arena twin stick shooter somewhat similar to Nuclear Throne. I found this one quite repetitive and just OK. You shoot some guys and have to press a button to take their gun. It feels made for a Series X controller. Also has just OK pixel graphics and a somewhat generic heavy metal soundtrack. Going to launch a
Kickstarter as well. 5/10
Batora: Lost Haven - 13 minutes. Somewhat quirky Hades like where you play some girl who can shift between 2 personalities who deal more damage to the same colored enemies. It ran really janky on my 1070ti on anything but low settings. It seems like it needs some optimizations but feels alright. It had decent enough graphics and pretty good sounds and voice acting. 6/10
Beacon Pines - 29 minutes completed demo. This one deals with a small town where there is a story being told that you’re living. You play a deer, I think, who has a friend and some strange stuff starts happening in town. You earn charms which can be used to change the story at points during it. This has a really nice narrator’s voice, while everyone in the game sounds like Animal Crossing characters. The graphics are beautiful and the music is as well. I really liked the characters and everything seemed highly made. I really liked it a lot and the changing points with new charms found in the story, which you could go back on decision points, makes this an adventure game to look forward to. I will easily buy it on purchase if the price is right. 9/10
Behind the Beyond - 20 minutes. A medieval set adventure game with some sequences that seem drawn from someone under the influence. The graphics are OK enough, though nothing spectacular. In this game 3 sons go into the village and 2 become influential and great and you play the third son figuring things out. You move around with the mouse clunkily clicking on things and talking to people and figuring out what to do to get work. There is a wandering light at night that I never figured out. I picked up stuff and heard some decent voice acting with a repetitive soundtrack. Overall it could become decent, but what was here was kind of just OK so far. 6/10
Bio-Gun - 20 minutes. This is a 2D platformer where you play as pig with a gun going into a doctor’s dog as there is a patdemic that is wiping out all the pets. By going into the body you deal with a Metroidvania with similar graphics to Hollow Knight, and overall felt clean if a little boring. The story and dialogue were OK, but nothing special. The voice acting was generally good, although it uses Animal Crossing speak for the animal characters. The graphics were nice and it controlled well enough it a Series X controller. Overall I liked it enough to maybe get it discounted or bundled, but it just felt okay. 6.5/10
Birding Simulator - 17 minutes. This one looked ok a first person running around the woods birding simulator. There is a hoky story thrown on about how they will take down the area unless you find a rare bird. It runs a little janky on my setup, but looked OK. The interface is not made for the controller at all so far. The voice acting was OK, and the nature sounds are nice. Overall just OK so far, but would pick up bundled. 5.5/10
Blood Nova - 56 minutes completed demo. This one is an old school adventure game with graphics similar to older Lucasarts games. You are a princess and stuff has gone down on a ship. You have to go around a somewhat confusing map system to get stuff to figure out what happened and hopefully save yourself and others. I think this is a purchase on sale, or maybe around release for cheap. The music was good as well, although there are no voices. It’s clunky, but I’d play it. 6.5/10
Blu - 17 minutes. This is a 2D platform having you play a ninja of sorts who goes around trying to help people. The game has a clean albeit simple look. The music is pretty good. The sounds are just OK. The physics and movement are a little wonky at times, as is the battling you do. It feels very indie, but it is pretty alright as well. I would play it bundled. Nothing amazing, but it has heart. 6.5/10
Card Shark - 23 minutes. Quite pretty graphics with a decent soundtrack no voice overs. Has a story of a mute boy and a troupe teaching you card playing tricks (magic/cheating) and the gestures on the keyboard or controller. Seems like an alright game. I'm not much into these gesture games, so I'll wait for a bundle, but it seems to be worth it. 6.5/10