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Board Games and TCGs

2001: A Space Odyssey Board Game – Fun for Everyone

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Disclaimer

Maestro sent me the 2001: A Space Odyssey board game for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. Always support your LGS when buying board games, but you can pick it up from Amazon through my Affiliate link if you want to help me out. You can also check out my newest sponsor NordVPN if you’re looking for a good one and want to help me out.

What is 2001: A Space Odyssey – The Board Game?

This is a one vs many game based off the iconic book (or movie) of the same name. It is a 3-5 player game that takes about 30 mins to play through and rated for ages 10 and up. It is available now on the official Maestro Media store.

Players split off into two groups: the players who play as H.A.L and the crew who tries to stop H.A.L. This is a card game where players go back and forth, playing cards to either blow up the ship or shut down H.A.L. H.A.L can shut down systems, target players to slow their progress, or close doors to slow their movement. H.A.L can also listen to everyone on board the ship, so players will need to be clever with what they say to each other or risk getting caught by H.A.L.

The players on the other hand must move through the ship using their cards to undo the damage H.A.L. has done. They each have special abilities and can trade with one another, but H.A.L.’s ever pretense makes it difficult to work together.

H.A.L. wins if it is able to shut down the three systems or life support. The players win if they are able to shut down H.A.L.

Review

Before you get discouraged, you don’t need to know anything about the book or the movie to enjoy the game. People who have might enjoy the flavor and catch some solid reference to the source material, but it isn’t mandatory for understanding the game. In fact, this is one of the easiest games to teach and learn. Most of the time, I need a video because that is how I learn, but the rulebook is easy to read and the game play loop isn’t too complicated. This is a great game to pull out for people who don’t play many board games because onboarding is so easy.

The game itself is beautiful. The pieces are well printed on high quality cardboard. The game pips are bright, colorful, and with a good amount of detail. The cards are a little thin, but they are high quality prints that are easy to read. I sleeved my cards because I am a crazy person who sleeves everything, but you can get away with not sleeving them if this isn’t your go to game. The box has a beautiful thematic design with enough space for sleeved decks and the remaining game pieces. I love this box and it will be one that I keep on display.

Now the H.A.L. screen is flimsy and will fall. I wish it was made with cardboard, but I also understand keeping the cost down. It isn’t a huge deal if you’re only pulling the game out once in a while, but you will probably need to create your own if you pull this out every day. This isn’t a huge deal breaker, but it can be annoying if you have fix it every so often.

The gameboard is beautiful. The print is vibrant and the words are clear and legible. The board is a little thin, and I advise caution when opening it. I ripped mine a bit because I wasn’t paying attention to the direction of the opening. This is not the company or the boards fault, I was just a little too excited and didn’t open it correctly.

Most importantly however, the game is fun. Maestro does a good at creating the appropriate ammount of tension through the game’s mechanics. For the crewmembers, having that limited movement coupled with the limited resources as you race across the station trying to shut down H.A.L. is hard. Having to do it with a team but not being able to talk to them without giving too much away makes things tricky. Finding ways to communicate and work together makes it fun though. For H.A.L., having multiple crew memebers working against your goals is frustrating. It is frustrating to watch crew members undo your hard work, but it is so much fun figuring out what your players are up to, and shutting them down.

One thing I will say, RNG can scew a game, so make sure you shuffle well. Either side having a stacked deck because the cards weren’t shuffled properly can ruin a game. I recommend picking up some cheap sleeves for easier shuffling.

If you’re looking for a cool scifi game, or need a break form your favorite TTRPG, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a great place to start. It is a good looking game with fun and easy to learn mechanics. It is great for beginners, even those unfamiliar with source material.

You can pick up 2001: A Space Odyssey – The Board Game on the official Maestro Media’s page, or Amazon through my Affiliate link.

video game reviews

Star Overdrive Review: A fun Janky Scifi Adventure

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Star Overdrive to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do.

What is Star Overdrive?

Star Overdrive is a fast-paced open world scifi adventure out now on Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation, Xbox, and the Nintendo Switch.

Bios finds himself stranded on the planet Cebete as he searches for his beloved Nous. Armed with only his Keytar and handy hoverboard, Bios must race across the strange planet to find her and bring her back. But the journey won’t be easy. The world is full of strange beasts he needs to fight off and strange machines he needs to activate. Can he find the right upgrades to conquer the terrain, save the girl, and get back home? Will he learn what really happened here?

Gameplay

Star Overdrive is an openworld adventure game with a hoverboard gimmick. The hoverboard can be upgraded, tuned, and customized to fit a players style. Players can do tricks, do jumps, and go through special gates to gain boosts. If you aren’t moving fast across the map, you aren’t doing it right.

There is a crafting mechanic baked into this game. Players will collect materials along their adventure to craft different upgrades for their board, or to change the aesthetic. The farming can feel like a grind, but it is worth the trouble, especially if you like to consistently change your boards style. The board will wear with use, and having a fresh coat of paint and polish will make it perform better.

Combat in this game is simple. Players use the keytar to chain normal and heavy attacks, and can earn new powers along the adventure. Players can mostly look forward to exploring the vast world, searching for new styles, upgrades, lore, and some cool tracks to listen to.

Review

I really like Star Overdrive, but not as much as I thought I would. While I do love the flavor, the gameplay, and the concept, I found it a bit lacking. I am aware that there were some limitations baked into the game so that it can perform for the switch, and it definitely feels like a switch game.

One issue I have with the game is how empty the world feels after a while. Everything in this game looks cool, but once you start exploring the world, there isn’t much more to see. Some of it has to do with how they need to make room for the hoverboard riding mechanics, and the other has to do with maintaining the performance. It made me not really want to explore the world, and instead, I tried to finish the story as soon as possible.

The story itself is fine. I liked collecting the small tidbits and piecing together the events of the catastrophe. All the voice logs, journals, and the story itself was fun to collect. I think it is the only reason I kept playing.

The gameplay is fun, until the gimmick wears off. Combat is simple, but it makes the game the casual RPG I’ll occasionally pull out. Riding the hoverboard is so much fun. once I figured out the mechanics, got a few upgrades, I was sold. I wouldn’t say it has revolutionary movement mechanics, but they are good enough to keep players engaged. Zooming through the desert doing tricks, landing sweet jumps, and listening to good music made this game hard to put down.

One thing I did not like about the hoverboard was the upgrade system. I like that the upgrades felt meaningful, and I like that there was unlockable customization, but I don’t like the crafting system. The crafting system is simple, and it produces visible upgrades to the board, but it makes upgrading the board a grind. You have to constantly be farming materials and gambling on the part you get in return. It doesn’t take away too much time from the game, but I would have preferred to find the parts as random loot.

Combat was fine, but it gets better once you unlock a few powers. There were abilities that did feel broken, but it was a fun little loop that kept me engaged.

Despite its flaws, the game is a solid open world adventure with a solid story and a cool gimmick that is worth trying once. Whether or not you value exploration and deep combat may be the deal breaker, but I enjoyed it for the casual fun it is on my Steam Deck.

You can pick up Star Overdrive on Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

Board Games and TCGs

Pathfinder: The Broken Palace – A Vampiric Adventure Review

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Disclaimer

Paizo sent me a free copy of the Shades of Blood: The Broken Palace adventure book to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. You can pick up The Broken Palace directly from Paizo, or you can use my Amazon affiliate link if you want to help me out.

What is The Broken Palace?

The Broken Palace is book two of the Shades of Path adventure designed to take players from level 4 to 6.

The players venture deeper into the broken palace on their search for Lady Nalushae, but find themselves trapped in an ancient cellblock. Now, they must venture into its dark, dank, vampire infested prison for a way out. With their supplies dwindling and threats around every corner, players must learn to be resourceful. Can they make their supplies last long enough to save the world? Can they navigate the complex tensions between the three vampire factions that rule the Underheaven? What secrets will they uncover? What treasures will they find?

Impressions

The cover art is an immediately draws the eyes. I love the use of red. I love Naulusha’s design and how her pose strikes commands attention. I love the image of what I can assume are player characters struggling against a vampire. This series is supposed to be a darker, more horror oriented type of adventure, and the cover does a good job at setting the appropriate mood. The art throughout the book is equal as striking, and I enjoy flipping through it, just to look at the art. If you like vampires, undead, and horror, the book has some very good looking flavor and some fantastic flavor to go with it.

Now the overarching meta story is solid. I enjoyed reading the different bits of lore, and the warring factions are interesting. Most importantly, the book gives players many ways to solve the story. It doesn’t have to all be fighting, but it can be if that’s the kind of table you have. The dungeon design is fine. It has some neat encounters I will definitely borrow, and it builds a good amount of tension and urgency.

One thing to note about this adventure is that there is a survival mechanic that you will need to manage. Players will need to keep track of their food and water supplies to survive. The game does streamline the mechanic so it doesn’t feel like work without taking away any of the tension, but GMs are free to get as hardcore with their mechanics as they want. You can play without this mechanic, but I felt like it took away a lot of the urgency and tension. I like how there is this pressure to save the world from eternal darkness, the desire to explore this tomb of an advanced civilization, and the ever present threat of dying from starvation along with all the other threats that lurk in the shadows.

Overall, the adventure is fine. I enjoyed the flavor and lore, and there are some very cool encounters and monsters to play with. It was a fun path to explore, but I think my table is a bit too casual to take advantage of the survival mechanics. The survival mechanics are easy to manage, but we would often forget to keep track and that definitely took away from the tension. We still had fun, which I’d argue makes the adventure worth trying, but there are definitely some decisions my players wouldn’t have made if we were keeping better track. There is also the danger of being too hardcore about the survival mechanics. If the survival mechanics is that if it takes away from the story or fun, you’re doing too much.

Honestly, if you like vampires and don’t mind the survival mechanics, this is a solid horror campaign. It has a cool creepy setting filled with neat monsters and encounters and I am very interested to see what comes next.

I do want to take the moment to commend Paizo for the quality of their books. Everything I’ve gotten so far has been printed to a very high standard. Everything is clear, vibrant, and the books feel durable. I spilled all of my coffee on this book, and while I don’t recommend anyone try it themselves, I was surprised by how good it cleaned up. There is some warping and some staining, but the book looks good, and is still very usable.

If you want to pick up your own copy of The Broken Palace, check out the official Paizo website, or you can pick it up on Amazon through my affiliate link.

video game reviews

Exploring Sintopia: Sinful Strategy in Game Management

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Disclaimer

I was sent the Sintopia demo to review for my blog. I understand the game isn’t finished yet, so I will be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, I these will my honest impressions.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out.

What is Sintopia?

Sintopia is management god game planned for Early Access on September 4 2025.

You are in the business of sin, and sinners are your most valuable resource. Structure your bureaucratic hellscape to tourcher repenting souls you’ve led astray while keeping your employees happy. Use your powers to grow, guide, and kill off Humus to keep a healthy supply of sin flowing. Can you run your world efficiently enough to gain recognition from the big guy himself?

Gameplay

The demo is the game’s tutorial. Players learn important fundamental mechanics and enjoy a bit of flavor and lore. Sintopia is a management game, with a few different parts: overworld, underworld and employee management.

In the over world, players influence how a society grows and expands. Players can kill kings they don’t like, they can influence people to sin, and kill them to feed their souls to hell. The humus, for the most part, will grow and expand their civilization on their own and react to a players actions.

Once souls go into hell, players can farm them their sin through different buildings and structures. Players are essentially creating and managing a maze. Players will need to hire imps, give them a wage, and keep them happy. Players must also create a maze that can effectively harvest sin from lost souls, while also managing the living. All this is done to earn the currency needed to upgrade the buildings that will make hell more efficient.

The imps that run the various points of a player’s hell also have needs. On top of managing and maintaining a civilization of Hummus and their souls, players need to worry about their imployees. Imps have needs, require breaks, and expect a certain wage. They also have their quirks that can affect productivity. Finding the perfect staff of imps that doesn’t bankrupt you at an early stage of the game is important. Juggling this with the other two tasks is what is going to make or break this game.

Impressions

Sintopia is a very interesting entry to the genre. The game has a cool artstyle, a fun tone, and terrific flavor. There is clearly a lot of effort being put into making this game silly and lighthearted, but also offer an engaging and meaningful experience.

The demo does provide a good sense of what to expect, but the tutorial is slow. I like to jump into these games and figure things out on my end, then look up tutorials for any mechanics I might have missed. This isn’t the right way to do things, but it is how I have fun. I’ll need a full version before I can make my decision.

Sintopia has some interesting mechanics that are worth looking into. If you like management games, this is a promising title, for those who enjoy a busier game. There is a lot going on in this game. It is manageable, but it can feel like work if you aren’t approaching it with an appropriate strategy. The tutorial does a good job of giving the players the tools they need with a fun voice acted story, but it is so slow. I just want to sit back and build stuff. I also wasn’t a fan of the overworld tasks. Killing Humus feels tedious sometimes, keeping track of what they do feels like work, and I never really knew when to kill their king. There seems to be too much going on, if you’re looking for a casual management game. If you are looking for a hardcore management game with fun flavor, this one looks very promising. While I am not just yet convinced if I like this game, you should definitely check out the demo if you like managing resources, building efficient infrastructure, and aren’t afraid of a little sin.

You can check out the Demo now on Steam.

video game reviews

Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors Demo Impressions

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Disclaimer

I was sent the Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors to review for my blog. I understand the game is still a demo and will be a bit more lenient. That said, this will be my honest review.

What is Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors?

Dark Fairy Tale is a survivor-like roguelike coming to Steam June 19 2025.

Play as Pinocchio as he attampts to escape his dark and twisted fairy tale. Unlock new powers, fight off monsters and their masters, and try to survive as best you can. Do you have what it takes to fight your way out of this nightmare?

Gameplay

This is a top-down autoshooter roguelike with some very cool art. Unlike other games in the genre, players unlock spells and abilities by increasing certain stats. Players can unlock more power by eating forbiden eggs at level up, or buy buying permanent powerups between runs. There are over 100 available powers to chose from, with 40 permanent buffs to create a good amount of choice for players. Like other games in the genre, the goal is to survive as long as possible, using the build earned along the way.

Impressions

I love this game’s art, but Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors game isn’t fun. When it comes to survivor-like games, you simply have better options. My biggest issue with the game is that it feels like nothing is happening. Unlike other games with a similar loop, it just feels like you’re moving around the map collecting exp for a meaningless level-up. Leveling in this game feels meaningless. No matter what I chose, it felt like I wasn’t doing anything. This is a game where there is a grind, and it feels bad. Sure you might get a cool new animation, but watching it do absolutely nothing to overwhelming hordes or enemies is disheartening.

Another major issue I have with the game is how it handles permanent boosts. God forbid you build wrong because you will get stomped at a very early stage. This game feels like it has a solvable solution, and more often than not, the RNG won’t give you the chance to do so. The full game might have a more balance pool of abilities and skills, but I am not holding my breath.

If you’re looking for a new survivor-like, go play brotato. That is the best entry to this genre, and that is a hill I am willing to die one. That said, I am willing to give it a second chance when the full version does, until then, I wouldn’t even bother with the demo.

video game reviews

Review of Dragon is Dead: A Captivating Metroidvania Adventure

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Dragon is Dead to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset. If you’re buying anything from Amazon, feel free to use my affiliate link. It really helps me out.

What is Dragon is Dead

Dragon is Dead is a dark fantasy 2D Metroidvania out now on Steam.

The black dragon is dead, and now an unholy force spreads across the land. You are his successor, and it is up to you to get rid of it. Using the powers granted by the gods, fight against the Corruption and restore the peace this world once new. Your journey will be one full of death, but luckily, you are able to learn from death and come back stronger. Can you be the successor this world needs?

Gameplay

Dragon is Dead is a 2D action platformer with roguelike tendencies. Players Journey across a linear 2D map, fighting off its monsters and bosses. Unlike most games in the genre, there are no save points. On death, the player resets at in the starting town of Cliffshire, keeping all their loot, gear, and runes accumulated during the run. While the loop can feel repetitive, it does start getting better the more experience a player gains throughout a run. Combat and and platforming is what you’d expect from the genre, with a unique build system. Players have a good amount of choice when building their character through a run. I am sure there is a meta for this game, but I had fun exploring the different builds and finding something that fit my play style. I like that players can reset the build between runs so there is always a bit of variety.

Review

If you don’t have Dragon is Dead in your library, it needs to be. This is definitely the most fun I’ve had with a Metroidvania, and I will recommend it to everyone. I love how diverse the skill tree is, and how each weapon feels different. While I did eventually settle on a group of skills and weapon types, I never felt like I chose the wrong path. There is a grind, and it can feel repetitive, it doesn’t feel too bad. Leveling and gearing feels impactful. It is nice to earn a weapon or level and seeing how much more effective it is against enemies.

I would argue that Dragon is Dead is a more casual entry to the genre. I like that the game didn’t force me to find my way through a dungeon in search of save points because I have a terrible sense of direction. I also like that I didn’t lose leveling and gearing progress on death because it made having to redo whole sections of the map feel less bad. The bosses are fun, flavorful, and creative, but they aren’t impossible. You can definitely over level and defeat them if all else fails. There is a story, but it does feel like I can pick up this title at any time and not be lost, especially if I just want a quick Metroidvania fix.

My only real complaint is the with the Steam deck experience. The game works great on the Steam deck, and I will only play this game on one, but the words are too small. The game does warn players that the words are too small, and there is a magnifying feature. The magnifying feature on the Steam Deck is too much trouble, I will just ruin my eyesight or invest on a real magnifying glass if it comes to it.

Aside from that small detail, this game is awesome. Dragon is Dead has great art, fantastic flavor, and a fun loop that any player will enjoy. If you are looking for a new game to play, I don’t think it gets much better.

You can pick up Dragon is Dead on Steam.

video game reviews

Exploring Backrooms Level X: A Disappointing Surreal Horror Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Backrooms Level X to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

What is Backrooms Level X?

Backrooms Level X is a survivor horror surreal adventure out now on Steam.

The corporation you work for has tasked you to investigate the strange dimension of Level X for a potential hotel. Unfortunately for you, you find yourself trapped with no easy way out. Make your way though this strange labyrinth as you fight for your sanity. Can you find your way of this ever changing living maze, or will its tricks and creatures be the end of you?

Review

Backrooms Level X is a walking simulator with some weirdness that will test your metal fortitude. The game makes a solid attempt at breaking its reality by creating its strange atmosphere. The problem I have with the game is that it doesn’t go far enough with its surrealism. When compared to other games that go for a similar vibe, you have better options. The first few minutes of this game fail to grab my attention as I am forced to walk through a silent twisting confusing corridor. I understand there is drama in silence and getting lost in a labyrinth can be scary, but it makes the game feel slow and empty.

I can’t recommend Backrooms Level X because there are better options. The whole time I was playing this, I was wishing I could be playing Go Home Annie instead. The game is just unimpressive, and I am definitely going to forget I ever played it.

You can pick up Backrooms Level X Steam, with it planned to release on major consoles soon.

video game reviews

Marble Maid 2 Review: The Good and the Bad

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Marble Maid 2: The Negative Levels to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. This is also a game meant for adults, discretion is advised.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

What is Marble Maid 2: The Negative Levels?

Marble Maid is a marble puzzle game out now on Steam.

Take control of Nega Maid who has been tasked to clean up the mansion. roll across insane levels as you use your powers to get things done. Fight off the many dust bunnies, solve its intricate puzzles, and defeat any boss that gets in your way. Don’t forget to collect all the lewd pictures hidden around the world! Do you have what it takes to clean the mansion, beat its puzzles, and collect all the pictures?

Gameplay

Players control a marble across strange floors, using her arsenal of special abilities to get the job done. Players will have to use marble physics to avoid traps, fight monsters, and move between floors without falling. Occasionally there is a boss fight, and there is even a golf mode for a little extra padding.

Review

This game is only good if you like the art and want to collect everything, otherwise, I wouldn’t touch it. The game works well enough. It never crashed, the controls were responsive, and the movement felt good. My problem with the game is that each level felt like it was made with a randomizer. Each level was crammed with a random collection of traps and tiles, creating busy and chaotic maps with no rhyme or reason. I would have preferred a more thematic looking world, or at least puzzles that made sense.

If you’ve played enough video games, this game can be broken. The abilities are not balanced, and there are ways to cheese some of the levels. This is good if you want to collect everything, bad if you want a challenging and engaging puzzle game.

I got this game because it looked like a fun physics game. It isn’t, and there are better options. Marble Maid 2 has its audience, but I am not part of it. If you like the art and don’t mind doing the work to collect the pieces, go for it. Otherwise, its not worth it.

You can pick up Marble Maid 2: The Negative Levels on Steam for $9.99.


video game reviews

Devil Jam Demo Review: A Rocker’s Rhythm Ride

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Disclaimer

I was asked to cover the Devil Jam demo on my blog. I understand the game is not done yet, so I will be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, these will still be my honest first impressions of the game.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

What is Devil Jam?

Devil Jam is a survivor-like coming to PC and all major consoles.

You have made a deal with the devil, and now must fight your way through his legion of followers to become the best rocker you know you can be. Is the metal that flows through your veins powerful enough to fend off the mobs of groupies, angry mobs, and rival musicians? Will the sins favor your runs and give you the power you need to survive? You are going to have to play to find out.

Gameplay

Devil Jam is your typical survivor-like with a rhythm gimmick to help it stand out against others in the genre. Players start each run with basic abilities, and slowly gain more as they defeat enemies and collect XP points. The powers granted to players are selected from a random pool, and each ability (passive or otherwise) is themed after one of the deadly sins. What Devil Jam does differently is the inventory management mini game that happens at level-up. Players can arrange the gifts they gain from the sins in an inventory where they interact with each other based on their position. Players must think carefully of where they place their abilities in order to maximize their power output. Attacks are automated, but they follow the rhythm of the music playing.

Impressions

I was excited for the Devil Jam because the flavor is fun, I like the music, and the rythmn mechanic sounded interesting. Unfortunately, the demo isn’t very impressive. The enemies and animation isn’t very good. I appreciate that it was all done by hand, but it feels unfinished. The animation feels stiffs. There also isn’t enough variety in enemies. It always felt like I was just fighting off hordes of slimes, which got boring pretty quickly.

My biggest issue with the game is that it already feels solvable. There were abilities that are clearly the right choice, and a lot of filler abilities that will ruin a run. The RNG felt real bad at times, and it made me not want to keep playing. For a survivor-like to be good, the player’s choices need to feel impactful. Every build-path needs to feel viable, even when there is a clear meta.

Having a good balance between the chaos the RNG brings and the viable strategy available to players each run is important for a successful survival-like, and I don’t believe Devil Jam is there yet. I like the inventory mechanic the game implements, but I don’t think the demo demonstrates its full worth. Having to not only chose a powerful ability, but one that synergies with the ever changing puzzle the player is managing is a cool idea. The problem is that there already feels like there is a right answer. Maybe with access to the full game and a more polished ability pool, the 4.93 quadrillion possible combinations will come into play.

I’ll hold out some hope. I like the art and character design, the music is solid, and the rhythm mechanic is interesting. That said, I can’t recommend it until I get an experience that is better than some of the other survivors in my library.

If you don’t believe me, you can check out the Devil Jam demo on Steam now. Don’t forget to wishlist!

video game reviews

Rise of Gun Review: A Unique Shop Simulator Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Rise of Gun to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your aesthetic, check out my latest reviews for the Epomaker TH85, Epomaker HE68 Mag, Cypher81 or the KiiBoom Moonshadow V2. Check out my latest review of the Fifine M9 Microphone System and the Kiwi Ears Aventus Wireless Headset.

What is Rise of Gun?

Rise of Gun is a quirky shop simulator out now on Steam.

The world has been overrun by zombies. The last remaining survivors hold up in walled cities and fend off against an endless waves of undead. You and your shop are the only thing that stands between salvation and complete zombification. Gather materials, discover new guns, and sell provide the town with the arsenal that prevent the end of humanity. Can you create a thriving business from the wreckage of the old world, or will you be another failed shop on main street.

Gameplay

Rise of Gun is not a zombie survival game, but rather a shop simulator. You do not kill zombies. Instead, players are building a business. Players will build guns to sell to customers, and use the profits from the sales to upgrade their business. There is a story and quests, but players can choose to chill and run a gun store which is what I ended up doing.

Review

Rise of Gun will definitely have its niche. As far as shop sims go, the game is solid. Everything runs well, the flavor and quirks are fun, and the gameplay loop is relaxing. My issue with the game is that the tutorial is a little confusing, but sticking with the game will pay off. Another issue I have with the game is that it doesn’t always run well. It isn’t unplayable, but I did encounter a few performance issues that I couldn’t ignore.

There is a story to this game. The story is fine, I just didn’t explore it too deeply because I kept getting distracted building weapons for my shop. I love that I can make some rediculous looking guns without restrictions.

If you are trying to play this game as an action survival, you will be disappointed. You don’t fight zombies in this game. I don’t think you need to fight zombies in this game to have fun, but it is something to note. Overall, Rise of Gun is a solid game that is worth trying if you. It has a fun whimsical art that matches its its tone, and a relaxing gameplay loop that is always good to have in your rotation.

You can pick up Rise of Gun for only $10.99 on Steam.