Recent reviews by m a j i

Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra isn't your typical HOG, in the sense that you're doing more than just finding dogs — you're making music. There are 10 levels in total, each with their own unique soundtrack, and finding all of the dogs will help complete the orchestra. The backgrounds are lovely, the soundtrack offers something for everyone, and it's just a unique take on an otherwise saturated market. One can also appreciate that the theme is something other than cats, which pretty much dominate this genre, and is one of the few hidden dog games that are actually worth playing. It's charming and I'd love to see more games like this.

Bramble: The Mountain King was truly a unique experience in the best possible way. I can't remember the last game that had me on the edge of my seat like this, but it held my undivided attention from start to finish. The storytelling and atmosphere were absolutely fantastic! It's a short experience that doesn't overstay its welcome, but they pack so much into it that it never felt like it was lacking. I was completely immersed in this world, guiding poor little Olle through all the horrors that await him.

Speaking of horror, I liked that the game doesn't rely on jump scares to get the point across. In fact, there weren't any! The scarier scenes were very subtle, like seeing something in the background or hearing noises nearby, which made them so much more impactful because it really built that tension leading up to the encounter. And the portrayal of these creatures was so well done, they're sure to leave a lasting impression.

A fair warning to those considering this game: the themes are heavy...really heavy. Bramble doesn't shy away from its subject matter, as most of it is on full display, but these are some of the most shocking scenes I've seen in gaming (especially considering the main character is just a child). I'll admit, the warning of infanticide had me a bit worried, since that's not a common theme shown and that's certainly not something I'd want to see.....but they handled that scene as well as they could, I think, and thankfully the act itself was not shown. As for the other unsettling themes, yes, you'll be seeing those pretty often. With that being said, despite all of the gore and shocking elements, I feel that none of it is unnecessarily done and it stays true to the traditional folklore in terms of how grim these stories are.

Anyway, I loved this game and it's easily become one of my favorites, even though I'm not usually a fan of this genre. It was much darker and scarier than I expected, and I was thoroughly creeped out and horrified at times, but it was all part of the experience. It's a real treat!

I buy too many cat games and at some point they all start to feel the same. This one was cute and different from what I'm used to, so it kept me hooked. The mechanics are simple and the puzzles are just the right amount of difficulty to enjoy without a headache or getting bored. This was a good game for a quick and chill play session.

This beautiful little game was an absolute treat! The art is lovely and the music was very pleasant — a perfectly cozy atmosphere. It was a joy to experience these lost summer days in the French countryside ♡

Lovely and very well-made. The puzzles are clever without being too hard and most were fun to solve. It was a short experience, maybe less than 5-6 hours, but I'd say it's one of the best escape games I've played.

I finished Sea of Solitude a few days ago and it's been on my mind since, despite it being a very mediocre experience. The visuals looked great and reminded me of a dark version of Submerged, a game I loved with a very similar setting, but this ended up falling a bit flat for me. Maybe I was expecting something different based on the trailer and description, but it's not as dark as I thought it would be.

While the game touches on very real problems, the message tends to get lost within the cringey voice acting and frustrating combat. To be quite honest, it would've been more impactful if they had left those things out and focused more on the storytelling and gameplay. I would say that maybe only two of the characters actually did a good job voice acting, but Kay (the protagonist) was not one of them and she does the most talking....it just ruins the immersion. However, the visuals were stunning and fit the overall theme very well. I just felt like there was a very noticeable gap between how the game looked and the message it was trying to convey.

As for collectibles, there are two types: messages in a bottle and shooing away seagulls. The messages make sense and would've been a great way to improve the storytelling aspect of the game, but I still don't understand why the protagonist felt the need to shoo away seagulls, as it had no real purpose. I did appreciate that I could return to a chapter if I missed any collectibles, but it would've been nice to know which ones I was actually missing. Since the game doesn't tell you, I had to use a guide and my own memory (which, I'll admit, isn't as sharp as it used to be) to determine which ones I needed. This definitely could've been improved.

To be clear, I don't want to give this game a negative review, but considering there are only two options and the cons outweigh the pros, I feel that's the most reasonable choice. If I had to give a rating, I'd say 6/10 at most. It's just a shame because I can see the potential and passion behind it, the execution just could've been better.

After 11 years of waiting for this game to come to Steam, I can finally share my thoughts...Was it worth the wait? In short, no. No, it wasn't. But I still enjoyed my time tearing through zombies, nonetheless! The gameplay is a lot of fun with plenty of action and gore! I'm still not sure how I feel about having supernatural abilities in a Dead Island game, but it did make for some exciting and overpowered zombie slaying :)

As far as the story goes, I felt that it left much to be desired. For most of the game, the story just seemed okay — definitely different from the first game, but not bad. However, the end felt rushed and incomplete...it left a lot of loose ends, possibly setting things up for a future expansion or "Dead Island 3" (I really hope it isn't the latter). Personally, I found the ending to be very anticlimactic, which is a shame because it was fine up until that point.

There are also a few more side missions that only unlock after you complete the main story. I don't know why the devs decided to do this, as it just feels unnecessary and out of place — they should've been available before the final cutscene, which would've made a lot more sense, in my opinion.

If you're really just looking to kill some zombies and the story matters very little, you'll have fun with this!

*UPDATE*
The addition of New Game+ and Neighborhood Watch breathed new life into the game, giving players greater challenges and new opportunities to slay together. New Game+ adds 10 area bosses (revenants), which are much stronger versions of enemies you've fought previously and they drop some pretty nice loot. There's also an increased level cap for both your character and '+' weapons. Neighborhood Watch is basically 'horde mode' — fun, fast, and teamwork is crucial. While you can play it solo, I found it to be more successful (and enjoyable) with a full team of 3 players. I also like the additional outfits you can earn: one by slaying at least half of the revenants in New Game+ and one from completing enough challenges in Neighborhood Watch — I love having more options to customize my character, especially when I can earn them myself (not locked behind a paywall)!

I've had Night in the Woods on my wishlist for quite a while, but recently picked it up because the timing just felt right. Let me just say that the description on the store page doesn't do this game any justice. It's good...really good. The writing is very well done, the characters are likable and relatable, and the atmosphere is just perfect (especially if you love cozy Autumn vibes with a touch of mystery). Don't let the cute art style fool you, it has some dark undertones throughout and was surprisingly deep when it wanted to be.

I really enjoyed the humor, although it might not be for everyone. The mini games were fun, yet challenging — Demontower was the bane of my existence for three whole nights, but I'm also not good at roguelike games (this one was optional). Hanging out with your chosen friend was probably the most entertaining for me — Gregg was my absolute favorite, but I also loved the interactions and character development with Bea. The visuals were vibrant and beautiful in their simplicity, with music that complemented them so well.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this game going in, but I went along for the ride and enjoyed every minute of it. It's cute, fun, creepy and weird...truly a unique and interesting experience that I won't soon forget!

I picked this up for the cute frog and tea theme, but I didn't realize just how much I would end up loving this game ♡ The art style was beautiful, the characters were adorable, and the soft peppy music tied everything together so well. The variety of mini games kept tasks interesting and none of them felt difficult or boring. It was just a lovely cozy experience that made my little introverted heart oh so happy ♡

I haven't played a game like this in ages, but I guess the free to play weekend came at a good time because I finally decided to play it. After all, what did I have to lose? There was a bit of a learning curve, since I've never played the game before, but I had a lot of fun from the start! So I ended up buying the game AND some of the dlc. It's an even better time with friends :)