Recent reviews by Kong Wen

Interesting gameplay hooks combine with low stakes to make subpar pool an ideal game for relaxation. I wanted something to help me unwind at the end of the day, and the only problem is the gameplay is so engaging that I find myself playing longer sessions when I should be drifting off to sleep!

Each run is short—five small pool / mini-golf tables—and you can choose rule modifications and feature "cards" to make the run as straightforward or challenging as you like. The progression system involves winning a run with specific challenges or combinations of challenges to unlock new features. There are 196 of these challenges in total, and they're unlocked at an engaging pace.

If you've played developer grapefrukt's previous game holedown, you'll probably enjoy the similar vibe of subpar pool!

Eversion is a nice little platformer with a thought-provoking dark twist. The "eversion" skill allows players to change the mechanics of various world features (clouds, blocks, enemies, etc.) and adds an understated but brilliant puzzle element to the game's relatively small number of stages. It's short, but it's great quality for the price.

Dark Souls is without question one of my favourite games of all time. The gameplay is perfectly tuned. The stage design and difficulty are well balanced. The game is hard but fair—it's one of those games that you fail at, but your failure makes you a better player, and you always feel like you're improving even when you die. The music, world, and atmosphere are beautiful, creepy, and amplify the tension. The plot, despite being subsumed mostly into the backstory, is highly engaging. Completing a Soul Level 1 run through the entire game is one of my proudest (and most entertaining) memories as a gamer.

A brilliantly conceived game, filled with perfectly-designed puzzles, a great plot, and top-notch voice acting from the entire cast. It's not as perfect as the original (the full retail length gives it more room for the plot to sag and it almost risks wearing out its welcome at one point), but Portal fans won't be diappointed. The co-op campaign deserves special mention, as it has its own story, avoids the "tacked-on" feeling of so many modern multiplayer modes, and manages to be incredibly fun.

This is one of my favourite games of this generation. While it plays like a platformer, the precision-centred gameplay based on memorization and best times make it more akin to a classic-era shoot'em up in spirit. Infinite lives/continues and instant respawns mean you can focus on finding better and faster ways to get through the obstacles in your way. The great music and stylish graphics are a bonus.

This is one of my top three favourite games of this generation, and that's including full retail games across all major consoles. The controls are tight and the conceit of the game is perfectly designed and perfectly executed. As a bonus, the soundtrack is one of the best fusions of retro-inspired chiptunes with modern style that I've ever heard.