Screenshot: Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time I’ve always been a fan of when YouTubers and streamers find old memory cards from retro consoles, and pick up saved games where the previous owner left off. It’s a fun bit of nostalgia to see both the previous player’s mindset and what they prioritized. A sort of digital time capsule that makes the past feel more present. Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time is based around the concept of coming into s

While I appreciated how much of the world Alt Shift got right, the experience never felt quite as harrowing as its premise promised. So much of the pressure and drama in Scattered Hopes comes from management systems that feel very sterile, while the combat is the only part that feels tense and decisive in a satisfying way.

There’s something nostalgic about Moomintroll, even if I don’t directly remember it before playing the demo for Winter’s Warmth at the Steam Next Fest. Created by Finnish-Swedish author Tove Jansson in 1945, the Moomin franchise has steadily evolved from beloved children's literature into a multi-generational global empire.

Games like Frostpunk turned resource management into life-and-death affairs—and I’m done with intense decisions that can lead to a cascade of death and failure. I’d rather have something a little more cozy. So I was excited when I heard about Above the Snow. It’s a resource management game that doesn’t make it feel like what you’re managing is going to fall apart at any moment.

There’s a part of me that associates video games with platformers and shooters, despite the fact that I spent a chunk of my childhood playing narrative-heavy games like OPUS: Prism Peak. Prism Peak, on the other hand, deals with a very human journey while incorporating spirits and Japanese folklore elements to tell its very earth-grounded story.

While MINOS isn’t exactly the "Balatroization" I was hoping for (that’s a real word, I swear), it is a competent tower defense game with roguelite elements and some synergistic fun.

I don’t want to be too hard on developer Calibus Creations. I’ll admit that I sometimes judge indie games on a bit of a curve. I’ll let things like production value go as long as the gameplay is good. Ember Island doesn't really have that going for it. There’s a lot of 'okay' there, but not much good, and nothing I could qualify as “great.” It doesn't just lack polish; it lacks a soul. It looks exactly like the uncanny video an LLM spits out when prompted to generate a "retro

Somewhere in my awareness, I knew the Telltale Sam & Max games had been remastered, but I didn’t expect Skunkape to bring Poker Night at the Inventory back into the hands of modern audiences. While their mainstream relevance might not be what it was in 2010, the crossover still works, and underneath the nostalgia is a surprisingly decent game of poker.

To-Go Games obviously put a lot of work into crafting Faremont. There are loads of interesting trails, overlooks, and flora and fauna to take a look at—which you document with your camera to fill out your nature lexicon. But a big park means there is also a lot of park to maintain, and there always seems to be something to do.

I don’t know if it’s the sight of old Casper Van Dien really putting it out there as General Rico, or the general nostalgic vibe, but Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! is fantastic. It’s been my favorite shooter of the year. Instead of putting more time into Marathon, I found myself sneaking away to stomp some bugs. I’m doing my part.

With all of the humans dead and our greatest works left to rust, Timberborn envisions a world inherited by beavers. Despite a premise that sounds like an internet meme, it is far from a simple gimmick. The adorable exterior hides a game that takes its survival mechanics seriously. Developer Mechanistry clearly knows what they’re doing, as Timberborn stands as one of the best examples of the genre released in recent memory.

I usually don’t do much sampling with Steam Next Fest. I do the odd article here and there, focusing on this demo or that. But this year, I decided to go all in and play as many demos as I could. I think I may have bit off a little more than I could chew—because between my upcoming coverage, the Marathon server slam, the fact I was sick most of the week, and my cat Mr. Worf demanding my attention, I felt like I was drowning in demos for a long time.

If you’re a fan of all things Star Trek, you’ve likely spent plenty of time after rewatching a series wondering how things might’ve turned out if any number of characters made different choices. Thanks to Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown, we get that chance.

I’m an absolute sucker for old school survival horror, and based on my time with the Steam Next Fest demo for Senara: The Sacrament, that’s exactly what developer Influsion Inc. is going for. But instead of relying on retro aesthetics, they want to up the scares with "hyper-realistic" graphics that do their best to mimic real life.

Screenshot: ANTHEM#9 ANTHEM#9 is a game of "buts." It is the debut title from self-taught solo developer koeda, but it feels surprisingly polished in its presentation. It has some serious style and seriously catchy music, but a gameplay loop that makes me feel like it’s missing that certain something. It features a clever gem-matching combat system that feels great when it works, but the world around it feels empty.

Did you ever wonder what went into maintaining our national and state parks? Did you ever want to be a park ranger, thinking you’d spend your days sipping coffee in a fire tower somewhere? Ranger’s Path: National Park Simulator actually approximates the day to day activities of a National Park Ranger.

I can’t wait to see more of Whirlight – No Time to Trip when the full game is released. The developers obviously understand the heart and humor that made those old games timeless.

This probably won’t be the last I write about Witchfire this year. It’s just so damn good. If you told me a game was able to blend Dark Souls with first-person gunplay, I’d be horribly skeptical. But Witchfire not only pulls it off, I think saying it’s "Dark Souls with guns" undercuts just what developer The Astronauts has accomplished here.