T H E D A R K S I D E D E T E C T I V E

30/30 (100%), 7.8 hours

I played this game for Pay or Play 3rd Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by Sword.

Grab your trench coat, tune your sixth sense and join the Darkside Division as they investigate the outright bizarre, the downright dangerous and the confusing cases of Twin Lakes.

The game follows a list of mysterious cases that are to be solved by the hard-boiled, yet surprisingly humorous Detective Francis McQueen and their lovable partner, Officer Dooley. Each case is it's own contained story, but certain plot threads and characters can be seen in multiple different cases.

The Darkside Detective effortlessly blends the spooky aspects with humor, creating a unique and engaging atmosphere that feels like a cozy mix of supernatural spooks and lighthearted buddy cop comedy. The witty dialogue stands out amidst it all, consistently delivering funny lines and puns.

The pixel art style is charming and nostalgic, perfectly capturing the essence of classic point-and-click adventure games. The game's design is full of clever details that reward exploration and keen observation, interacting with everything also gives you hilarious commentary from McQueen and Dooley. The puzzles are well-crafted, but on the tad easier side, so you wont get frustrated with them.

Overall, the game is a fantastic experience and I think anyone who enjoys these kinds of point-and-click pixel games will love it. The "very positive" rating it has on here is well deserved! Highly recommended.

M A G I C A X O L O T L

5/5 (100%), 2 hours

Magic Axolotl is an enchanting and delightful game that captures the essence of whimsical, short-form adventure. In this charming little game, you play as an adorable axolotl wizard who embarks on a magical quest to recover a fallen star, guided by a mystical map. The journey takes you into beautifully crafted areas and finally into a dark forest where a dark ghost cat stands guard over the precious star.

The gameplay is simple yet captivating, relying on drawing spells with your mouse to defeat various enemies. I found the mechanic very simple and quick to learn, making it easy for players of all ages to jump in and enjoy the game. Though, the hard mode of the game is actually quite difficult to master, and I had to get my drawing display to be able to manage all the spells without taking damage, if you manage to beat it with your mouse, you might actually be a wizard!

Despite its short playtime, the game delivers a memorable experience filled with heart and whimsy. The story seems sweet, yet it isn't much expanded on. The axolotl protagonist is absolutely adorable, and the little amount of interaction that you get with the ghost cat at the end adds a touch of mystery and intrigue to the narrative.

Overall, Magic Axolotl is a delightful indie gem that offers a perfect blend of cute visuals, engaging gameplay, and a heartwarming short story. It's a must-play for anyone looking for a magical, feel-good, casual game. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just looking for a charming way to spend a cozy afternoon, this game will undoubtedly leave you enchanted and smiling.

P I X E L C A R R A C I N G : B L O C K Y C R A S H

No Achievements, 7.2 hours

💗 This game was gifted to Indie Therapy for review.

An indie racing game where you race with small cars made of blocks! It reminded me of Lego Racers somewhat, though this lacked in many aspects in my opinion. The game has it's heart in the right place, but it falls short on several key areas that I would think were integral for a racing game.

The game mechanics are alright, but there are many things that I didn't like, such as the fact that there was no controller support or the fact that getting new cars good cars required a lot of grind. There isn’t much to keep players engaged long-term, as the tracks and cars, though varied, don't offer enough distinction or challenge to sustain interest. There is a lot of levels, but they don't really get more interesting or harder.

Visually the game is really fun and the artstyle is quite pleasant to look at. The way the cars break down when you hit things and get repaired with different colored blocks was super fun. Soundtrack wise the game was really good, though I kinda wish there were more variety.

In conclusion, I feel like the game can become something amazing with a little more polish, though I didn't personally like how it was at the moment. I wish there was a neutral review option, but I guess I will recommend it, as it's still a few hours of good fun.

B A C K T O H O M E

9/9 (100%), 3.4 hours

💜This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

I really wanted to give this game a recommended review, but sadly, I had so many issues with it that I just can't. I'll start with the positive though, as my experience with the game wasn't all bad.

Back To Home is your average walking simulator type of game, with some platforming mixed in there. The graphics were decent, but the cat looked a little sick (especially when looking from the front lol). The soundtrack was lovely and It was easy to complete, in theory.

Truth however, was that I was more often than not, stuck in some hole that was left by the developer who had put down the 3D assets of the terrain. There were many such holes that I accidentally dropped myself in, and I was unable to continue without closing the game and restarting the chapter/level. There was also one part of the game where I was able to just jump over most of the "puzzles" and skip them entirely, and getting forward to the next chapter.

I feel like with a lot of hardwork and polish, this game could be a lovely little hidden gem, but to me, it currently isn't it and I felt more annoyed playing it, than satisfied and enjoyed. I wouldn't recommend getting it, as there are other better walking simulator like games out there similar to this one.

W H E R E K I W I S ?

11/11 (100%), 0.1 hours

💜This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

I feel like the devs did an improvement here by not giving an achievement for each Kiwi found, like they did in hidden cats game, but it didn't really improve the game enough to get a good review.

The game takes under 10 minutes to complete and it's really not that good. There is so many better hidden object games on steam. Most of the games from these devs feel like a copy paste, I also took a closer look at the artwork and it's really detailed for sure, but there is a lot of errors and it doesn't feel like it was done with care.

Sadly not for me and I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on it, even though it's really cheap.

W H E R E B I R D S ?

12/12 (100%), 0.1 hours

💜This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

I don't honestly know what to say about these games anymore. They are literally the same game, just with different items/animals to find, that are not actually that well hidden either! Also why did they combine birds, humans and balloons together to be found?? The one with Kiwis made sense to find the kiwi birds and the kiwi fruit, but this makes no sense. Also there were birds in the background that I couldn't select, which were clear birds!!

This game just made me more annoyed. If you have to play this dev's games play one of the other ones lol.