Recent reviews by Tekki

The trailer doesn't exactly make it's Powerwash Sim inspiration subtle. If you have already played all of Powerwash and are looking for more, this title may look appealing to you. However, it's just not worth it as the game is buggy and a subpar clone.

It does change things up a little to try and differentiate it from it's inspiration, but however it just comes off as pointless busywork. Having to go back to refill your water constantly, or hiding a ton of things in the levels to pad them out (that may not even spawn in correctly because the game is buggy) isn't exactly taking the formula and making it better. Like other Powerwash clones, they also add the obligatory "shock" level, a murder scene, which fails to be shocking when you consider Viscera Cleanup Detail came out even before Powerwash Sim did.

Unfortunately, this is yet another failed clone, hopefully in further updates it can be improved but for now I'd say avoid it.

So I've played this both on the switch and here on Steam, and I have generally enjoyed my time with Rudymical. I do like the Dark Witch series enough, but while those games are typically action platformers in the style of the Megaman series, this game is unique with it's attempt at rhythm elements.

I honestly don't think this game is great as a rhythm game, because I felt more of my time was spent focusing on the bosses' attack patterns than the music or rhythm. To me, a great rhythm game such as Rhythm Heaven or Parappa the Rapper has more of a focus on the music than this game does. That being said, I still had a lot of fun with it and think if you can take it for what it is, it's an enjoyable experience.

And as to be expected with this series, the art style and characters are super cute still. So if you like the Dark Witch series, I'd say check it out.

An action-packed touhou fangame in the style of Megaman X, starring everyone's favourite bunny girl: Reisen!

It really captures the Megaman X experience accurately, right down to how the spritework looks. Dashing around is super satisfying, and there are even a few unique levels that play more akin to a space shooter with classic touhou bullet hell elements.

It's a great budget title, and a worthy experience if you're a fan of either of these franchises or just enjoy action platformers.

One of the most surreal games I've played this year, and very enjoyable. I had no idea what would happen next, and that made playing through it such a joy. The assets clash a lot in terms of style in a lot of the more realistic areas, but I think it adds to the "weird dream" energy this game has.

Word of advice: put every stat you can into ranged attacks early on.

This game is cute, and succeeds at it's intended goals of being a feelgood experience that offers the player some tools they can use in their daily life for mental wellness. However, this is not for someone looking for a hardcore experience or a 100+ hour farming game. This is better suited for someone who wants a game on the gentler side that won't take up too much of their time.

Garden Buddies has a very simple story mode about helping decorate a garden, and finding new friends. Each of the titular garden buddies has a different minigame, such as a guitar hero-esque music section, a rock stacking game, or washing an old person. In between these minigames is the decoration mode, where the garden buddies harvest flowers which can be exchanged for decorations. The story is progressed by saving up for a character's specific item. At the end of the day, Mutsy walks the player through some simple relaxation and mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing or positive affirmations. There are also options to replay the minigames on their own, or sandbox modes for decorating the garden as you see fit without the restrictions of flowers.

This game is unfortunately a little light on content, and I wish we could have had more to do with our garden buddies. It kinda felt bittersweet in a way, just as I grew to know and love them, the game was over. That is probably it's biggest flaw. but otherwise, a pretty fun experience. I commend the developer's goal of spreading positive feelings in the world, I just wish we could have maybe had some more side episodes with the buddies or something.

A short, free game that's basically the anti-powerwash simulator where you play as a cute dog and mess everything up.

So before I get into this review, keep 2 things in mind. First of all, I was gifted this game so the cost factor didn't affect whether I'd recommend the game or not. You should keep in mind your own budget and what you consider "fair" to pay for a shorter indie title when reading this review. Secondly, the game is very rough around the edges in certain aspects which I will be going into later in my review, but despite that I did enjoy my time with this game and could see it having more potential if it's a bit more polished.

What I liked: For starters, I loved the aesthetic. While some assets do seem out of place, the character designs and animation all have great personality to them. The 2D art style of character models boldly stands apart from the more muted and detailed backgrounds. Additionally, I really like how this game shows characters and creatures seen in folklore from around the world, however offered a take on these familiar stories that felt unique to the game.

The best part of the game by far though was the potions themselves. It's no wonder the game is called "potions", because while there is indeed some combat required to beat the game, most of the gameplay involves finding unique uses for the potions. You may need to use a water potion to grow a plant, or a metal spear potion to harvest certain ingredients. Creatures each have their own reactions to certain spells, as well as different behaviour upon being encountered - not all attack you immediately, some will only attack if provoked.

Now for my issues with the game. First of all, there are a lot of small things that need to be fixed just for the sake of QoL improvements. For one, enemies can hurt you while you are teleporting or walking down stairs. I actually took damage exiting an underground area because an enemy respawned over the staircase. Secondly, the potion satchels are not properly placed on all maps and can make reloading your potion stock downright impossible. Also, the final boss honestly felt anticlimactic to me. But maybe there were some out there who had a harder time with it than I did?

All in all, Potions: A Curious Tale makes for a fun, albeit flawed experience. The demo this game offers gives you a decent idea of what the game is like, so if you're on the fence about it, I highly recommend playing that first to see if this will be your cup of tea.

The Company Man had promise, and it's not without it's fun moments. However, the game felt half-baked in the end, making it difficult to recommend.

Now I will praise certain aspects of the game. The animations, environments, and character designs are all top-notch. Everything feels fresh, and the sheer amount of attention to detail given to the visual style actually reminds me of Wario Land: Shake It! with the focus on good animation. I also liked the concept of fighting through an office. They found creative ways to incorporate corporate concepts and office items into hazards and weapons. It was

Near the end of the game is a glitch-fest. In the marketing level, I fell straight through the stage, forcing me to reset. The final boss was completely buggy, not panning the camera properly in several areas which forced me to basically restart again, made even worse by the fact that the final boss is 2 phases long. This also ties into another issue I have with the game: the janky hitboxes. It's always hard to tell what will and won't hit you, because the sprites are so large. Also, the upgrades. Good luck affording anything, because you can't. It makes the coffee shop feel a little redundant.

My final issue with this was the story. While it brought up an interesting idea of corporate greed being larger than one person or even a handful of people, it ultimately went nowhere. Even Jim's backstory feels utterly unfulfilled, as the ending is just a still image. It would be nice to have had some text to accompany this CG, or even just one final cutscene to show how Jim's character has progressed.

All in all, if you want to play this I recommend waiting for a sale, as it's just not worth the hefty 20$ price tag, both in terms of the content it offers, and it's performance. While The Company Man undeniably has some great style, flair alone cannot carry this game, as it's bugs and lack of a true ending leave it feeling like a truly mid experience.

A fun, short, simplistic platformer with a focus on speedy action above all else. You play as a cat, and as such there's an emphasis placed on climbing and wall jumping. You also have a swipe attack to kill enemies, however I found it a bit of a gamble to even use it because it's kind of flimsy and it's oftentimes more efficient to evade enemies.

I enjoyed my time with Cattie. It's not exactly breaking new ground, but it was charming and fun, and that's all I really ask of it. I've seen a lot of budget platformer options here on steam, and a lot of them don't come close to the level of quality shown here. I also found it interesting how after beating the game, you get to replay the game in mirror mode. While fun, I had a slight issue with a few levels feeling cumbersome and not designed to work both ways.

This DLC felt like a Christmas gift from the Powerwash Simulator team. Sure it's only one map, but it's a free map nonetheless and comes with some free festive outfits. Did I mention it's free?

You're probably not going to play this outside of the holiday season, but for what it is it's pretty nice.