BANCHOU TACTICS - This one is a tactical RPG about gang members in a Japanese high school I’m guessing. The former leader of a school gang organization retired and chaos ensues. You play some up and comers and want to fight the people wanting to keep up the Oni regime. This one played OK enough, although the UI for clicking and how where to face along with skills and attacks was very clunky. The story is basic gang warfare, but it’s unique. Would get on a heavier sale or bundled, but it has potential. 6/10
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder - This one is another 2D Metroidvania game, but this was quite good. The graphics and controls felt similar to SOTN and kind of played like the Mega Man Zero games. The story was pretty good. The sounds were good as well, although the music was a bit generic epic sounding. This was very clean and felt pretty fun. It is worth it on a small sale or bundled. 8.5/10
Glory & Miserable Survivors DX - 6 minutes. This is another basic Vampire Survivors clone although this one is 18+. This feels like a very average doujin game, and doesn’t control amazingly well with the Series X controller. A big time pass only for ultra cheap bundles. 5.5/10
Gravity Circuit - 12 minutes. This one is a Mega Man like 2D platformer that has beat-em-up mechanics instead of shooting. It looks and sounds good although the controls can be finicky particularly for the hookshot and sliding. This one was solid, but I was dying so much to some sketchy hit boxes (mainly around spikes), that I stopped playing. Decent, but not my cup of tea. 6/10
Grim Guardians: Demon Purge. 17 minutes. This one is an INTI Creates Metroidvania starring 2 schoolgirl demon hunters. This one looked and sounded like SOTN, but was missing something. The controls weren’t amazing, as was playing as the girl with the gun. It could only shoot forward and sometimes didn’t do enough damage. I kept dying and this one felt messy. It is polished, but is lacking something for me right now. 7/10
Gripper - 28 minutes. This one is more style over substance. You go around with 80s synth on your motorcycle it somewhat 3D tunnels like the Battletoads to get revenge and you do boss fights on your bike. I lost about 15 times on the first boss, and just realized these controls weren’t for me. I could get used to them, but they felt weird and that boss was way too hard for a first fight. I loved the look, but this was not for me at all. 6/10
A Guidebook to Babel - 13 minutes completed one scene. This is a weird interactive adventure game where you see things play out and can butterfly effect them to change outcomes. The characters are strange, as seems the story, but it looks nice and can be fun. 6.5/10
HeistGeist - 6 minutes completed one battle. This one was an alright looking and playing Slay the Spire like except you guess what the enemy does. It says they’ll attack, but not what they do. The graphics are pretty nice for the characters, although the battle graphics are a little lackluster. The big thing on this one is in addition to energy, cards have A, B, C designations and other cards give bonuses when you combo off them, such as playing a B card after an A card. It was all OK, but felt a little boring. The atmosphere was cool though. 6/10
I Am Future - 95 minutes. This is a survival futuristic post apocalyptic (the more natural kind) game where you wake up from a 6 year sleep and are on a rooftop and fixing and trying to survive with food and sleep. This was challenging and pretty fun. The setting is relatively unexplored in video games, so it was nice. I would get this on sale or bundled and it’s just a somewhat cozy but stressful game. 7.5/10
Inkbound - 11 minutes completed demo. This is the newest game from the Monster Train creators. It has a quasi turn based battle system online co-op thing. I thought it was kind of fun, but it is probably catered to co-op as playing single player felt like I was going against HP sponges. This felt kind of OK, but generic as well. A disappoint for me, and one not really on my wishlist anymore. 6/10
Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling - 2 minutes completed demo. This one is one of those interactive adventure games like Shadowgate for the NES. This one seems to be about a girl in her apartment and probably depression. It was super short and just had a few interactions and places. The UI could use some sprucing up, but the art and music was nice. 6/10
Lust Element - 28 minutes completed demo. This one was a kind of messy visual novel that is 18+ and sc-fi with 3D elements for the characters. It was OK, although the story wasn’t great or the visuals. It at least had a story and wasn’t just a big fest of junk. Still not very good, but could have been interesting. 5.5/10
Mail Time - 22 minutes completed demo. This one is a 3D platformer kind of collectahon where you deliver mail and other things for people. It was cute and generally controlled OK although things sometimes felt floaty. The music and graphics were great, and it felt very cozy. Just one of those games you could get on sale or bundled. 7/10
Mika and The Witch's Mountain - 10 minutes completed demo. This was an excellent demo. This is kind of a 3D platformer broom flying game where you play an apprentice witch thrown off a mountain and have to do deliveries to earn money and better brooms. This is based on Kiki’s Delivery Service (excellent movie if you’ve never seen it) and felt long for the 10 minutes I played. I got to do a delivery, meet some nice folks, experience pretty good Series X controller controls, and see what it could offer. I liked the graphics enough too and the music was excellent. I would get it slightly discounted or bundled. 9/10
Mr. Saitou - 15 minutes completed demo. This was a 2D RPG about a guy who gets drunk and ends up in the hospital. A little kid shows him his drawing of some worms and he ends up at work as a worm working with worms. It was charming and played and looked OK. Would be worth it on a higher discount or bundled. 7/10
My Summer Adventure: Memories of Another Life - 25 minutes completed demo. This is a visual novel. This game had a weird beginning of a lady reading a diary written by her ex. It said he was a traveler and was not meant to be in that body. This story is about that story. I actually like that it’s about a person confused to be in a new body and place, because it feels realistic to what would happen in the situation. The music isn’t bad and the graphics are quite nice. Overall it seemed written well and I would love to play on sale or bundled. 8/10
Ninja or Die - 30 minutes I believe I completed the demo. This one is a weird kind of Angry Birds type ninja game where you go slashing/throwing and saving villagers and defeating enemies by flinging yourself around. It was pretty neat and looked alright until I got to the second level. This was foggy and much harder to see. Also the terrain got really repetitive and I was ready for the game to end after 14 of those levels. Not a bad game, but I felt a lot of repetition already sinking in. Would likely only get bundled. 7/10
Oblivion Override - 27 minutes almost beat first boss. This is a 2D platformer action Dead Souls like. It is similar, but a lot less good. It still has decent controls, graphics and sound. The action feels less in your face and your moves don’t affect the enemy as much. It’s still pretty good, but I’d likely need some sale or a bundle to get it. 7.5/10
Ogu and the Secret Forest - 30 minutes. This one is a 2D overhead adventure game similar to Legend of Zelda, but much more like the original Alundra. This one has a lot of charm, good graphics, ok music and lots of puzzles. You play some white thing with his cap and bug catching net. It was solid, though I’m not the hugest fan of many environmental puzzles. Would get bundled. 7/10
Planet of Lana - 11 minutes. This one is a 2D platforming adventure game where you wake up and there is this cat thing and you go walking and jumping around in a slight Prince of Persia style in a pretty nice looking landscape. The music was really pretty too. Nothing spectacular, but would play bundled. 7/10
Pocket Mirror ~ GoldenerTraum - 18 minutes. This one is a 2D adventure horror game where you go around as a little girl solving puzzles and trying to figure out where you are and what is happening. The game crashed on me, but what was here was relatively solid and creepy. Would get it on sale or bundled. 7.5/10
The Ramsey - 9 minutes. This one is a 2D puzzle platformer where you play a gerbil and go on adventures. It controls well with the Series X controller, has decent graphics, music and sounds, and was not very frustrating. A worth game to get on sale or bundled. 7.5/10
Recolit - 8 minutes. This one was an OK 2D adventure game of an astronaut kid guy landing on a planet full of spirits it seems, carrying around only 1 item and helping them or something. The art, atmosphere, music and sounds are nice, but it was just a little underwhelming. Still would be worth it bundled. 6.5/10
Ribby: The Game - 9 minutes completed demo. This one is an overhead 2D adventure game similar looking to the Gameboy Legend of Zelda. There was a bit too many boulder pushing puzzles, but it had nice graphics, an excellent chiptune soundtrack, and quirky characters. I liked it enough and would play it on sale or bundled. 7.5/10
RIN: The Last Child - 9 minutes. This is yet another 2D Metroidvania game. This one stars a god I think who needs to master aspects and go against her siblings. It is drawn decently nicely, has a good soundtrack and controls relatively well with the Series X controller. The combat was also alright, albeit a little more floaty than I like. This isn’t bad, but there is so many of these games nowadays. It played alright, but didn’t feel amazing. 6.5/10
RINA RhythmERROR - 4 minutes completed tutorial and part of one song. This one was a pretty decent rhythm game with excellent aesthetics, okay controls on the Series X controller (two of the beats are LB and RB….would have preferred X and B), and decent songs. Overall I’d probably just get it bundled, but it seemed very playable. 6.5/10
Robolife2 - Nova Duty - 47 minutes completed demo. This one is an 18+ android simulation upbringing where you take in an android and raise her stats to get through more events and do well in contests and such. There is also a simple RPG system where you use the same color skills as an opponent and theirs becomes less effective. It was pretty fun, looked nice and the story and characters were alright. This is the second in the series, so I need to check out the first. One of the better 18+ games in the Steam Fest. 7.5/10
Room of Depression - 5 minutes. This one is a somewhat interactive visual novel about someone living with depression. I went through a walking simulator part with okay graphics and good sound. It’s more of a narrative to have an insight to this type of depression. I would probably play it bundled, but I’m not sure I’d get it myself, although it seemed to be written alright. 6.5/10
Saga of Sins - 23 minutes completed demo. This one was pretty cool and very unique. It is a 2D platformer action game similar to like Altered Beast or Gargoyle Quest. The art style was pretty nice and felt kind of like stop motion and glass window like for some stuff. The music and sound were very good, and it controlled well with the Series X controller. Very good voice acting as well. I would get it on sale or bundled. 8/10
Shattered Heaven - 31 minutes. This one is a Slay the Spire like except you control a party of 3 characters and have turns like say Darkest Dungeon. This one has pretty cool art and a lot of customization. It feels a bit unpolished in the UI, but wasn’t too bad. Overall not super exciting, but felt solid. 6.5/10
Shumi Come Home - 33 minutes completed demo. This one was very similar to that mail one I reviewed in the same Steam Fest. There is even an Easter egg for that game in this one. I felt this was the better of the two and just controlled better, although they looked and sounded similar. They are both pretty chill and nice and would get either on sale or bundled. 8/10
A Sister’s Journey - 8 minutes. This one was a 2D platformer similar to Celeste with dashing, but this one was driving me nuts. It looks nice enough, but the inaccurate IMHO dashing led to so many deaths in a row I rage quitted. This one looks like it could be a winner with a girl looking for her sister, but it drove me nuts already. 6/10
Slave Zero X - 18 minutes. This one is a 2.5D kind of hack and slash devil may cry style one. The 2.5D stuff is very gimmicky and doesn’t look amazing. The gameplay is repetitive, but responsive enough unless surrounded. Overall it was kind of neat, but was getting old for me. Would only get bundled. 6/10
Spirited Thief - 6 minutes. This one is a 2D overheard stealth game in turn based action where you steal and accomplish missions. It felt a little unpolished, but reminded me a bit of something like Deadly Rooms of Death. Overall I think it is playable and decently fun, but I would only get it bundled. 6/10
Splittown - 10 minutes. This is a game similar to games such as Maniac Mansion with no voice. The song in beginning almost seems like a homage to those games too. I got stuck in the first room, but it was alright. I’m kind of over these types of games, but I would get it bundled. 6.5/10
Stellar Mess: The Princess Conundrum (Chapter 1) - 6 minutes. This one is a pretty old school looking like Space Quest adventure game. There are no voices, but the graphics are similar. It has the verb system of later adventure games. The music was OK, and some humor was there. Overall it seems worth getting bundled or on sale. 7/10
Super 56 - 15 minutes completed demo. This one is a trip. It’s pretty much a bunch of mini games using only 1 button. Some were neat and some were pushing as fast as possible nonsense. Honestly really creative although I would only get it bundled. 7/10
Tourist Trap - 11 minutes. This one is a weird adventure game starring some kid who lives with his parents in a home that is like a zoo. There is a talking money and he guides tourists around as a job. I HATED the talking in this with fake blah blah blah blah for dialogue and there is a lot of it. It also goes slowly and drags on. There is some charm here with the good graphics, but I was annoyed by the interface and the dialogues. Would only get bundled, but has potential. 6/10
Wall World - 16 minutes completed demo. This one is kind of a mix between like a Missile Command and Steam World dig where you go up and down on a wall to get to mines which you mine for resources. You have to protect this big mecha thing that climbs up the wall with your guns and missiles. It’s OK, but lacks some polish and isn’t anywhere near as fun as Steam World Dig. Still would play it bundled. 6.5/10
Witch Guild Survivor - 12 minutes. This is another Vampire Survivors clone except with witches. It controls well, but that’s about it. It’s a bit generic overall and nothing special. 5/10
Witch Spring R - 2.2 hours completed demo. This one I was going to stop sooner but it was pretty alright. It looked great, sounded good and is a game about a witch in an RPG gathering game similar to a simpler Atelier game. This one had great voice acting and was a good time. Well worth it on sale or bundled. I do think the demo should have been shorter, but it gives a great impression of the game. 8/10
Women's Prison - 33 minutes completed demo. This one is an 18+ prison running simulation game where you are a warden looking after 3 inmates. Of course this requires you getting along with them to pass your evaluations and also keeping their cells clean. It is pretty fun and is a nice take on an eroge. 7.5/10
hopefully your luck is better than mine
