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You’re out adventuring and discovered an old magical artifact? Are you worried that it might be cursed, but you want it to be squeaky clean? Fear not! Wyrmhall is the place to go. You can stop by the cleaning kiosk and get someone else to clean that possibly cursed artifact you’ve found in the dungeons.

WYRMHALL was developed by Leafy Games and blends several different genres. It is both a narrative fiction and a simulation game. You could even categorize it as a visual novel because the game is all about the narrative. Wyrmhall is a magical place. It’s a hub where many fantastic worlds meet. You play as a small goblin who’s just landed a temporary job at a cleaning kiosk. This modest kiosk is not an ordinary one however, here they clean magical… and some not so magical artifacts of all sorts.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3448255612
The game starts with a simple job advertisement. The owner of the cleaning stall has decided to leave for a well deserved vacation, but he needs someone to mind the kiosk while he’s away. This is where we meet our young protagonist. He needs work and decides to answer the call. Wyrmhall seems like a wonderful place with all of the different magical worlds only a step away, but not all is as it seems. There is an underlying mystery and it’s up to you to uncover it. While you go about your work, you’ll meet a whole cast of characters that need your services; an adventurer, a sentient sword, and many more. They are each more quirky than the last.

WYRMHALL’s artwork is fun and quirky just like the game. I love how the developer has kept to a darker color scheme in keeping with the underlying ominous vibe of the game. The artwork perfectly represent the game’s dichotomy. Both the characters and dialogues are light, funny and quirky represented by a very bold and stylized 3D figures while the overall atmosphere is dark and foreboding with its darker backgrounds. It creates a very unique experience and helps enhance the mysterious narrative. The soundtrack is medieval tavern style music, but also has different themes when certain characters appear. My favourite part is the variety and how the creator has integrated the sounds and music in their storytelling. It’s a great way to dramatize key points in the story and to immerse the player fully in the game.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3448257395
This game has a lot of characters. In addition to our goblin protagonist, there are about ten important characters that make up the narrative. They are all quite well developed for a game of this size. The writing is funny and witty. I enjoyed reading through the dialogues. There are also different routes you can take depending on your answer to certain prompts. Some routes will trigger specific events, and you can even get different ones if you do your job perfectly or not. When you finish the game you’ll have a choice to make now that your week at the kiosk is over. This will unlock your chosen ending, however after the credits you can go back by hitting “continue” on the starting screen and choose a different ending beside the one that you unlocked during your playthrough. You can watch all of these endings without having to play again. If you want to see all of the events and endings, you will have to play the game more than once.

There is only one aspect that I feel is sorely missing. The game takes place in a single week, and each chapter is a different day. The saving is done automatically at the end of each day. If for some reason you have to quit in the middle of a day, you’ll have to restart the whole day again on your next session. A day doesn’t take hours to complete so it’s not a huge issue, but it’s annoying to have to replay a whole day when it seems like it would be quite easy to add a manual save. It would have also been useful for those who want to see all routes without having to complete multiple playthroughs. It’s a minor gripe, but in this type of game it should always be an integral part of the game.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3448258343
The game is short. It took me around 3 hours to finish, and I’m the type of player who reads and looks at everything. It could be much shorter for others. If you want to see all of the events available, you’ll need at least two playthroughs, maybe more. It’s great that it offers a certain amount of replayability. It’s the perfect game to play if you only have a couple hours and don’t like to leave a story unfinished. I went in expecting more of a simulation type game, and it is, but more. The story is entertaining and the dialogues are well-written. I’ve played a lot of choice-driven type of games and often they don’t deliver. In WYRMHALL, your choice truly impact the outcome through the dialogues, but also your dedication to your cleaning job.

Leafy Games have truly impressed me with their game. It’s tons of fun, witty and has some replayability. The artwork is cute, and is used in concert with the soundtrack for storytelling. If you like story heavy simulation game with a quirky cast of characters that will make you laugh, WYRMHALL is the perfect choice.

• Funny dialogues
  
• A great soundtrack
  
• Some replayability

• No manual save

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It’s the zombie apocalypse! Luckily for you, you’re not a human or you’d already be one of them. What is a lonely fungus to do? A lot it turns out. You might just be humanity’s last resort and the solution to rid the planet of the proliferating zombies. Mycelium Heaven is a lovely puzzle game by the Spanish studio, 3DGoblinDev.

Mycelium Heaven is a Sokoban style puzzle game with a twist. In this game you’re not a character that has to push objects or reach a goal post. You play as a fungus, and as fungus naturally do, you have to expand and grow to consume all the zombies on the board. There are four sections which you can access from the level selection screen. Each one of these sections is a season, and they all have their own challenges and specificity. Each season contains 30 levels of varying difficulties.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3439712101
The goal of each level is to consume all of the zombies. Some zombies are stationary while some walk, and some even jump out of their last resting place. The walking ones will only go back and forth on the same line so you know where they’ll be several moves ahead. The game is played on a square grid. The size depends on the level, and some levels can combine more that one grid. Every move takes energy whether it be expending, growing fungus or consuming a zombie. You start each level with three moves/energies. The only way to replenish it is to consume zombies or what they left behind. A different amount of energy is restored depending of what you consume. If you consume a zombie all of your energy is restored, but if you consume an arm as an example, you only restore part of your energy.

Mycelium Heaven involves a lot of strategy. You have to plan your moves ahead, and know when to consume a zombie of part thereof to ensure that you have enough energy to complete the level. The game also has many unique mechanics. Every season has some new mechanics being introduced like the tree trunk and grave zombies. In the first area you are introduced to the tree trunk. When you consume this tree trunk and grow mushroom on it, it’ll let you expend the area you can reach further than you would normally with a regular tile. This is only one of many novel mechanics that are introduced throughout the game. I love that the mechanics are sparsely introduced in each area because it helped keep me interested until the end.

The artwork is beautiful in its simplicity. It has a unique and polished low-poly style. I love how each season is represented with different color schemes. Autumn has a lot of warm colors like orange and warmer greens, spring has a lot of browns and greens, and summer is represented by lots of bright greens. Winter on the other hand has of course whites, but also a colder color scheme to represent the cold months. Even though the levels are similar in style, the change in colors and small details make each area stand out. I also love the soundtrack, because the sounds create an immersive and relaxing experience.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3439712025
Once I understood the gameplay, I enjoyed Mycelium Heaven however my experience would have been greatly improved with a proper tutorial. You are thrust into the game with minimal tips. The first level shows you where to click, but that’s about it. The tips you get in the first levels are extremely basic, and not enough for a first time player to learn how to play. You’ll have to go by trial and error before you start to understand gameplay and the different mechanics. If you never played a Sokoban style puzzle, and this is your first experience, you might be lost and get discouraged. This is too bad because once you get the hang of it, it’s a fun and challenging game that deserves to be discovered.

Mycelium Heaven is an excellent puzzle game with over 100 levels. This game is a new take on an old classic. With its unique and varied mechanics, it truly take the Sokoban style puzzle to the next level. The lovely low-poly artwork and relaxing soundtrack gives this game a cozy vibe, however beginners might find the task of learning the ropes daunting due to the lack of a proper tutorial. Overall it’s a fantastic game, and I would recommend it to players who are already acquainted with Sokoban style puzzles.

• Challenging puzzles
  
• Diverse innovative mechanics
  
• Beautiful low-poly artwork

• Not beginner-friendly because of the lack of a proper tutorial

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In this spacious world filled with tiny planets and strange lights that sprout everywhere. The beings grow, and grow, and just keep on growing eternally. This universe is filled with beings, and each one has their own story. The Bear: A Story from the world of Gra is a brand new game from Mucks! Games. This German studio is made up of a trio of developers straight out of school. They’ve just finished their degrees in interactive fiction, and this is their first completed project.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3438496607
The Bear is an interactive bedtime storybook with a metaphorical story. These developers have created a whole world in which this game takes place. They are also working on an interactive light up puzzle book where you’ll meet new character from the world of Gra. This world is filled with small planets, a space in which beings can swim, and so much more. In Gra beings starts tiny, but they grow, and keep growing to an enormous size. This particular narrative talks about a tiny young character, a bear, and the friendship that develops between them. The young being finds the bear while exploring a tunnel. This bear has been sleeping for too long, and he doesn’t want to move. Our young protagonist convinces the bear to move a little, and to finally get up out of his comfort zone. As their friendship forms, the bear, tentatively at first, agrees to explore beyond his own planet. They travel across the universe together, and meet interesting characters, each with their own touching story. I’ll let you uncover the rest of this captivating story on your own because the discovery is a big part of the experience.

The Bear encompass many themes; finding a place where you belong, friendship, growth, and even letting go. The latter is probably one of the toughest universal lessons we all have to learn at some point in time. Eventually you’ll have to make some difficult decisions. The game is short. It took me around forty-five minutes to complete, however there are divergent storylines that you can take to lengthen gameplay. When all was said and done, I had spent a little more than an hour to see everything the game had to offer. It’s not meant to be long, but instead to be enjoyed in small sessions every night. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the world of Gra. The story is emotional, and with its universal themes everyone will be able to relate.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3438497684
There are five chapters that you can view at your own pace. The second, third, and fourth chapter each have two branching paths. Your choices don’t affect the next chapter. If you want to experience the branch you didn’t take, you won’t have to go through the whole story again, you can do so from the chapter’s selection screen.

The artwork is beautiful, and perfectly suited to a bedtime story with its dark muted color scheme. All the animations are hand-drawn and give off a melancholic vibe that flawlessly expresses the storyline. The soundtrack is soothing, and created to lull you to sleep, and I loved listening to it. It was very relaxing. The animations, color scheme, and beautiful soundtrack all work in concert to create a riveting experience.

The gameplay is limited as it should be for a bedtime story, and players expecting a lot of interactive elements might be disappointed. You have to drag the bear to move him, and click to move the young being. It’s all about knowing when to move the right character and where.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3438498161
The Bear is a bedtime story with a philosophical narrative. It’s perfect to fall asleep to. You can go through the whole story in one sitting or make it last and play a chapter every night. It’s both a game and an interactive piece of fiction, but also so much more. It’s an experience. Everyone will see something different, but to me it’s about finding this special friend that is always there to give you a boost when you’re down, and just makes your life better. This emotional story incorporates so many universal themes that it will speak to people of all ages and creed. It’s what makes it so special. Whether you’re here for the game, the bedtime story or the art, this game will leave you reflecting on your own life while you are lull to sleep by its comforting soundtrack, and relaxing atmosphere.

• Narrative encompasses universal themes
  
• Beautiful hand-drawn animation
  
• Soothing soundtrack

• Limited interactions

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Sophie has been eagerly waiting for Berry Berry Day, and it’s finally here. The citizens of Ortgaurd will celebrate their beloved community and its inception today. Every year on Berry Berry Day, the village’s children participate in the Berry Berry Harvest competition. Barry has been the reigning champion for the last four years, four long years, but this time is Sophie’s turn. She’ll finally triumph over Barry and take home the trophy. Help Sophie and the Ortgaurd’s resident to prepare for this most important festival.

Berry Berry Festival is a cute and wholesome RPG developed by StarboiHooch. You play as Sophie, a young girl from the small village of Ortgaurd. Once a year, the whole village assemble to celebrate their community, and the Ortgaurd tree. This tree is very special. The berries it produces has sustained the village in its infancy, and this tree is a strong symbol for the community that is flourishing around it. The festival is a way for people to show their gratitude. Today is all about the tree and its berries. To Sophie, Berry Berry Day is the most important event of the year.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3424818242
This game’s aesthetics are cute, and almost childlike. I like the stylized hand-drawn artwork. The colors are mostly greens, and I feel it is representative of Berry Berry Day. After all what they are celebrating is the nature that sustain their village. It has a truly unique style, and is perfectly suited to this fun and playful RPG game. I love how detailed the berries are since they are the star of the show. The characters are also very detailed, and my favorite part is how expressive they are. The map is quite small, but while you are playing, you won’t feel restrained. There’s a lot you can explore despite the smaller map, and it expands as you play which helps keep it fresh throughout.

The game starts in Sophie’s house. She has just woken up and is extremely excited for Berry Berry Day. She receives her first quest when she speaks to her mother. Sophie’s mom is baking her famous pie for the festival, and needs berries. The first berries you gather for Sophie’s mother will be tallied with the subsequent ones to the berries count for the Harvest competition. The other quests includes retrieving escaped chickens for a farmer, helping Sophie’s teacher distract her girlfriend, finding the other kids, and more.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3424818715
The developers have found a clever way to block the map so you access the different parts in sequence. Initially Sophie’s father blocks the way out of their yard. He is setting banners at the gates. This helps keep the game’s pace relaxed, and means that you don’t run out of things to do too quickly. After you’ve finished the first few quests, your dad will move on to the next gates and open up the map a bit, but not completely. It’s an artful utilization of the space, and means that there’s always something new to discover all the way to the end. Every time you finish a quest, another character suddenly shows up asking Sophie for help, and it goes on until the festival is ready to be celebrated.

The game is quite short. It took me around an hour to get to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and was surprised at the amount of variety in such a short game. Some of the quests are pretty straightforward, like gathering berries for example, but some of them however will trigger mini-games. These introduce several different mechanics, and keep the game from getting stale. The first mini-game triggers when you meet the farmer. His chicken have escaped, and you must bring them back to the coop. When you get close to them they’ll run away, so you have to herd them back to the coop by “pushing” them to go just the right way. It’s harder than it seems due to all the obstacle between the chickens and their destination. In addition some times they’ll go in an unexpected place. It was a fun challenge. There’s also a card memory game, a dance battle, and more. Despite the short length, it didn’t feel reductive, and the variety is impressive and unexpected. I love that the creators have still taken the time to create a map for their game even if they probably could have forgone it. It’s a nice touch, and make the game feel polished.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3425140557
I did not expect so much content to be packed in such a small package. Besides the mini-games and the charming artwork, the ending is rather impressive. When the last quest is finalized you are asked if you are ready to enter the festival. If you want to explore a little more, or continue looking for berries, you can simply stay. Once you completed everything or are ready to finish the game, you just enter the town, and the festival will begin. As soon as you enter the town, a cutscene immediately triggers. It shows the celebration. You’ll see the different characters, and the part they play in the festival. Of course the winner of the Berry Berry Harvest competition is revealed. There’s even an original track being played. I was quite impressed that the developers have taken the time to create an original song for this ending, and the song is great. I love the ending, and the original song was an unexpected addition.

Berry Berry Festival is a great little game. It’s a fun game for everyone, but will especially appeal to a younger audience. The mini-games are enjoyable, and offer some extra challenges. You are not punished for not succeeding, and can continue on playing without repeating it, which is perfect for younger players. The story is simple, yet still interesting. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and the characters are adorable. The art is nicely stylized, unique, and the soundtrack even features an original song. If you are looking for a cozy game that will keep you entertained for an evening, Berry Berry Festival might just be the game for you.

• Cozy and relaxing
  
• Several varied mini-games
  
• Cute and expressive characters

• Might be too easy for some players
  
• No achievements

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Today is an important day, because the mayor is going to bestow the city’s key to the Supa Buddies for all of their heroic deeds. Alas, the villains flea gang burst in and stole the key before the Supa Buddies could receive it. The city is in terrible danger. The evil fleas have used the key to open the city’s prison doors. The worst of the worst are loose and intent on causing chaos. The city is in total disarray, but fear not the Supa gang is here to save the day!

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is a traditional puzzle-platformer with humorous dialogues developed by the team at Floor 84 Studio. It is based on the comic book series Dog Man by Dav Pilkey. If you have children you might also know Dav Pilkey for his other popular series, Captain Underpants. The game has 50 levels divided into 5 areas, and 45 epic artworks to collect. You can view these artworks from the main menu.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384382577
Each area is a different iconic location taken directly from the comic book, like the police station, downtown, city hall, and a giant marshmallow factory. There is a fight boss you must win for each location before proceeding to the next one.

You start the game playing as Dog Man. Eventually you acquire two other characters, Lil’ Petey and 80-HD. You have to switch characters many times depending on the environment to progress through all of the 50 levels. These three main characters each have their own individual abilities. Lil’ Petey is very small so he can enter tight fitting space. Additionally, he can walk on crumbling blocks due to his small stature, and hack gadgets. Dog Man can dig once he dons his dirt proof pants, you’ll have to use him many times since most levels have some underground parts. The last character you collect is 80-HD. He’s very big which means that he can jump higher and further. He cannot however walk on crumbling blocks without them disintegrating due to his big size. He can also push heavy objects once you earn the power gloves.

In each level there are a certain amount of bones to collect to receive a shield. The other shields are collected while playing the level. There are also gadgets you earn while playing, like retractable claws, a grappling hook, dirt proof pants, power gloves, and more. These gadgets gives specific abilities to different characters, like the retractable claws that lets Lil’ Petey climbs on wall or the power gloves that lets 80-HD push heavy objects. The gadgets adds replayability, since once collected you can revisit completed levels to discover new areas you couldn’t previously access.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3412346887
The artwork is fun and colorful. I like that the developers have decided to stay true to the comic books style, and faithfully recreated Pilkey’s original world. Playing the Dog Man’s game feels like you just stepped into the comic book’s universe. It has a unique and fun style that is well suited to the puzzle-platformer genre. The story is told through comic book strips which is very fitting, however I think there could have been more to it. The story is interesting, but since it’s based on a series, I think it could have been a little more fleshed out. I really love the fact that the developers have kept the Dog Man’s spirit by retelling their story in a comic book style.

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is an old school puzzle-platformer. In fact the level construction is very reminiscent of the Mario’s games. The levels are long, and there are checkpoints and health-checks. Each level has one flag or more used as checkpoints.

The game is not a difficult one even though some levels can be more challenging. It’s family friendly, and easy enough for kids to complete. There are also “health check-in points” where you meet Petey, and reinstate your health fully. Similarly to Mario’s game, the enemies go from right to left endlessly until you stun them by stomping on them. Once stunned they’ll freeze momentarily, and then resume their course after a couple of seconds. When touched by an enemy you lose some health. The second time you’re touched you die, and have to restart the level at the last successful checkpoint. You start with three lives, and once you run out then you will have to restart the level entirely.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384384221
There is no time limit to complete a level so you can take as long as you need. You can use either a keyboard & mouse combo or a controller. You can also rebind the controls to your liking. I’ve found the controller much more comfortable, but that will depend on each player’s preference. The controls are pretty good, however there were a couple occasions where the timing seems a little off. You can click to jump higher if needs be, but I didn’t see that much of a difference between the regular jump and the extended jump. It felt like I was jumping the exact same distance when I tried it, but when you acquire 80-HD it becomes redundant anyway since he can jump much longer distance due to his stature.

I had a lot of fun playing this game. The gameplay is so reminiscent of the Mario games that it felt nostalgic. The levels are well-constructed and enjoyable, and the different gadgets you acquire helps to add replayability. It was fun to experience Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man’s world in a new way, and I love that the game’s aesthetics stay true to the comic book’s original artwork. I wouldn’t put it in the category of ‘must play’, but it’s definitely worth giving it a try if you are a fan of old school puzzle-platformer or of Dog Man’s comic book. Dog Man: Mission Impawsible is a great family friendly choice.

• Fun artwork that stays true to Dav Pilkey’s book
  
• Great level construction
  
• Bonus artwork to collect
  
• Gadgets add replayability

• Perfect for beginners, but might be too easy for experienced players
  
• Timing is occasionally off
  
• Story could be more prominent

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Have you ever wanted to be part of your favorite TV show as a kid? In Bonnie Blob in Shapeville you and your children can now take part in the adventure. Bonnie Blob, Monkey Noise’s first Steam release, is an interactive and educational children book.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3390655451
When you start the game you are given two choices. You can either choose a book from the bookshelf or play the matching game. There are four books to read: Bonnie’s Day at the Beach, The Quest for the Missing Puzzle Piece, Bonnie’s Birthday!, and Bonnie’s Day Trip. All the books are centered around our protagonist, Bonnie Blob. I love how you choose a book. Initially you see a bookshelf, and a book comes out with a small animation. You can then cycle through the available books and click on your chosen book to start reading.

If you decide to go for the matching game you are presented with three choices; easy, medium, or hard. The easy one has eight cards to match, twelve in the medium, and sixteen in the hard mode. All three modes are easy enough even for very young children. The game is quite simple. It’s a memory game, so you open a first card and try to match it. If you can find the second card with the same character they stay face up, otherwise you have to start again until all the cards are face up. It’s an easy game, but offers a good challenge for children especially the hard mode.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3390657748
I love the artwork. It truly feels like you stepped into a children’s TV show. Children will be attracted to its bold and vibrant colors. All the characters are shapes, besides Bonnie Blob of course. This makes the characters simple, but perfect for kids. Even the soundtrack sounds like the kind of music that you would hear in a children’s TV show. There are also sound effects to nearly everything you click which helps immerse the player in the game. The text is both spoken and written, and the voice acting sounds professional. It’s read slowly enough so that the younger audience can follow along. In each scene there are a couple of short sentences, but only one is shown on the screen at any time. What I loved about it is that as the narrator reads the text, the word they say is highlighted in a different color. It makes it easy for younger kids to follow along, learn new words, and eventually read it for themselves.

Almost everything in Bonnie Blob in Shapeville is interactive. Most of the time when you click on an object you see a short animation. Some even have more than one. In Bonnie’s Day Trip when Bonnie is in the bath, you can click on her to make her go into the water. When she comes back up she has a ‘bubble mousse’ mustache, but if you click again it’s a hat. In Bonnie’s Birthday!, there is also a small bonus game. During the birthday party while you are in the yard with Bonnie and her friends, you have to find some hidden candies.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3390656128
My only issue with Bonnie Blob in Shapeville is not with the game itself, but actually with the game’s achievements. This game is obviously geared towards a younger audience, however some of the achievements are quite difficult to achieve. There are three achievements related to the matching game. You must get the highest possible score for each mode. If you want to get these achievements, you have to get a perfect score. Because of the nature of the game and the fact that it’s randomized, you have to be very lucky to get all the matches without any mistakes. For example, to get the easy achievement you have to score 10 000 points. I played it several times to see if I could get it, and never reached more than 6 800 points even with minimal mistakes. It seems like it would be extremely difficult for a small child to reach, and I fear they might get discouraged. I like that the developers have thought to add achievements, but I don’t feel like these three specific ones are right for a kid’s game.


Bonnie Blob in Shapeville is a delightful children’s book come to life. The art will surely appeal to children with its vibrant colors and cartoonish style. The soundtrack is upbeat. The addition of different sound effects every time you click an object makes you want to click everything just to hear the sounds and see the short animations. The bonus matching game is perfect to keep children entertained between books. Bonnie Blob makes learning a fun and engaging experience for the whole family.

• Bonus matching game
  
• Educational
  
• Bold and vibrant artwork

• Some achievements are too difficult for children
  
• Achievements have been modified to better fit a younger audience

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The sea is home to so many fascinating creatures. With its myriad of unexplored areas, the deep sea is the perfect backdrop for a hidden object game. Jellies of the Deep is Catloaf Studio’s first Steam release and takes place entirely underwater. Although unique, this cozy hidden object is reminiscent of Under Leaves style.

Jellies of the Deep consists of four areas; the Red Reef, the Green Fjord, the Yellow Lake, and the Blue Arctic. Each area has 5 different levels. There are 60 unique jellies to collect. The first level is used as a way to introduce gameplay so it is simpler. In this initial level there is only one jelly to find, but subsequent levels require finding several of them. The goal is to find one or many unique jellies in each level. It will have a slight difference from others, it might be a different pattern, an extra horn, or really anything. What complicates matters is that each level has several types of jellies so you really don’t know which type is the unique one, but it makes for a fun challenge. Another aspect that adds to the difficulty is that as you progress the search area expands. At first there is only one screen to search, but as you play there’s more and more screens being added. The last level has eight screens where you must locate five unique jellies from a multitude of types.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3377389017
You start the game in a level selection screen. When you complete one level the next one unlocked. After each completed level, the collected jellies are added to a collection which you can view at any time from the main screen. It’s fun to see your collection grow and you can even name them. It’s a great idea and gives credence to the fact that each found jelly is unique.

Jellies of the Deep’s artwork is hand-drawn. The dark colors and ethereal vibe of the backgrounds truly make you feel like you are deep in the sea. They also have a blurred effect which helps create a relaxed atmosphere and makes the lighter colored jellies pop. The drawings are simple, but still very detailed. They have a fun and unique style. The soundtrack also works with the beautiful visual style to create a cozy relaxed vibe with its soothing music. I would have liked a bit more variety, but overall it’s a lovely soundtrack.

There are several interesting mechanics. They are slowly introduced one at a time through the different levels. Each one builds on the next one to create a perfectly balanced progression. The first one introduced is the light jelly which you click on to light up the level. These levels are very dark and you won’t be able to play until you click on the light jellies to illuminate the level. The ghost jellies are translucent until you click them. Then the frozen jellies are encased in ice, once again you have to click on the ice to release them. There’s also a snowflake mechanic which is introduced a bit later in the game. You can click these to freeze the level for 20 seconds. There can be multiple snowflakes in a level and each one gives you a 20 seconds freeze. It can be really helpful especially in larger levels because the jellies are constantly moving, and with multiple screens it can be difficult to locate one single jelly. Lastly, there are geysers that release bubbles. These are on the bottom screens. The bubbles released by the geyser pushes all of the jellies at the top where they condense in a jelly mass so until you click on the geysers to stop the bubbling you won’t be able to find anything. Jellies of the Deep is a simple game and the many different mechanics add a certain albeit small complexity that is very welcome into the gameplay.

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It took me around 2 hours to complete the game, but if you’re fast and don’t spend too much time naming each and every jelly it will probably take you less than that. It’s short, but I think for this type of game it’s exactly right. There’s is one feature however that is missing. There is no hint system. I probably wouldn’t have used it, but some levels can be tricky. It’s not a complicated game in and of itself, but if you fail to find one jelly and can’t continue playing it could become frustrating. A hint system would be a helpful addition.

Jellies of the Deep is a fun hidden object game with interesting mechanics. The beautiful hand-drawn levels and the soothing soundtrack creates a relaxing atmosphere perfect for a cozy gaming session. The later levels are difficult enough to offer challenging gameplay for seasoned players. If you are looking for a fun casual game that you can finish in one sitting, Jellies of the Deep might just be the game for you.

• 20 beautifully hand-drawn levels
  
• Collected jellies can be named
  
• Nice cozy atmosphere

• Soundtrack lacks variety
  
• No hint system
  
• Some players might find it too short

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If you played NAIRI: Tower of Shirin and were excited to see some more, you’ll be happy to know that HomeBearStudio, in concert with publisher Hound Picked Games, have just released this long awaited second installment on Steam. It picks up right where the first one left off and continue Nairi’s story. This story rich point & click game has a lot of dialogue, so it might also appeal to some visual novel lover.

The main character is Nairi, but there are other noteworthy appearances from a charming character cast. During the introduction you play as Shiro who you might remember from the first game. Shiro finds his way to the Middle District and reunites with Nairi. You then start playing as Nairi. She is a young girl from the rich district. Her whole family has been kidnapped, and she’s on a quest to save them. Her quest takes her on a journey which starts at Badu’s Bakery. She needs to make her way back to the rich district where she believe her family is being held against their will. Her quest takes her on a grand adventure. This story has everything: some funny moments, a would-be revolution, corruption, a mysterious conspiracy, and even a prophecy that threatens to engulf the whole world.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3376449555
The artwork is completely hand-drawn, and it is gorgeous. I love the fun colorful style. Visually it’s one the most stunning indie point & click game I’ve played this year. The backgrounds are beautifully detailed. Everything in NAIRI is aesthetically pleasing, even the little ‘developer’s intro’ at the start is created with care.

There is a journal that you can view at any time during the game. Inside you can read past dialogue, view hints, and see your artwork. You accumulate these artworks by finding them hidden in different locations during the game. Each collected artwork is a piece of concept art that you can view in your journal. You can acquire figurines by buying them from Reza with in-game coins, and these can also be viewed from the journal.

The narrative is an interesting blend of humor, adventure and a lot mystery. NAIRI contains a lot of dialogue, but they cycle quickly enough for fast readers. You can also click once to make them instantly appear completely. In addition, you can go to the settings and change the speed of the text’s appearance. If you want to reread the narrative you can see it in your journal. In some parts of the game you can switch characters during the dialogue, and the NPCs will reflect that by reacting differently.

There are three save slots, and while it’s a sufficient number, the issue is that you can only use one at a time. When I play a point & click game I like to save often and at different point in the game. It’s lacking the ability to save in multiple save slots through the same playthrough.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3376448233
This second entry is a big step up from the first one. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first NAIRI game, but it was simpler. In NAIRI: Rising Tide, the developers have added tons of clever details and features which makes for an excellent player experience. To give you one example of these little details when you want to exit the game you have to click on the ‘exit’ button while holding the mouse button for a couple of seconds. This ensures that you don’t misclick and lose all of your progress. It’s a simple detail that makes a big difference for the player. In this second entry you get a different map for each section of the game which makes it easier to find things because each map is simplified. Another new feature is the toolbelt. It lets you combine items in new and interesting ways.

The hint system is also interesting. Instead of clicking a ‘hint’ button, the creators have made the hint system an integral part of the game. There are coins hidden everywhere in NAIRI’s world, and you’ll be able to use these to buy hints after meeting Pipi, the cute little chick. He loves coins, and teams up with you. In exchange for coins he gives you hints. The hints will be drawn in your journal, and they can be a nudge in the right direction all the way to full solutions. It’s up to you, and how many coins you want to spend.

One aspect that I love about this game is how the different features are introduced in compelling ways. For example, the fast travel is introduced when you meet the Rising, a group of fed up citizens. The rising’s leader asks you to help their members before answering your query. One of those tasks is to fix Fadi’s whistle. Once completed, you receive the whistle, and the ability to fast travel. From there on, you can blow the whistle to call Fadi and travel quickly between locations. This is an interesting way to introduce fast travel. It helps to make it an integral part of the game as opposed to just a feature you’re introduced to in the tutorial.

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When you play NAIRI: Rising Tide, you really get the feeling that this is a work of love. The creators have put in time and effort to create a fun and engaging experience. The puzzles are no exception. They flow well with the narrative, and are purposeful. One of the first puzzle you solve involves delivering Bear Buns for Badu. It’s a hidden object puzzle that spans a whole section of the map. You receive drawings of the customers in your journal. In addition, when you read the dialogues there are hints sprinkled in. If you are in the mood for an extra challenge, there are also three optional dungeons. If you want a more relaxing experience, you can simply skip them without consequences. There is a good amount of variety with many different types of puzzles.

The story is interesting, but what makes this game shine is the gorgeous hand-drawn artwork, and all of the extra player-friendly features. NAIRI: Rising Tide was a joy to play. The atmosphere is cozy and the puzzles are fun to solve. I like that they made the bonus dungeons optional so that players can customize their experience. This second entry is more than the sum of its parts. If you love story rich point & click games, you’ll love NAIRI: Rising Tide.

• Stunning hand-drawn artwork
  
• Fun story related puzzles
  
• Optional dungeons for an extra challenge

• Can only play in one save slot per game
  
• Puzzle oriented players might find the large amount of dialogue daunting

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If you enjoy reading this review, please consider following Vee's Cozy Corner for more.

You’ve been dreaming of owning your own farm all of your life. You’ve been saving for years to make this dream a reality. With a little help from your parents, you can finally make this dream of yours a reality. You’ve carefully selected you future home. Orange Town is where your vision will be fulfilled. Orange Season is a farming simulator developed by Innerfire Studios. It is published by SOEDESCO, who are also known for the Adam Venture series. The game has been available in early access for a while now, but has been officially released on the 24th of October.

Orange Town is a cozy little village full of friendly people, and this is where your journey starts. You play as a young person who’s always dreamed of owning a farm, and can finally realize their vision. You initially buy a small plot of land with a modest house already built on it. You can eventually upgrade your house by visiting the carpenter and also expand your land by buying the plot of land that are beside yours. Beside farming your land, you can also mine, fish, raise several animals, and even cook.

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There is a big cast of characters, and each of these characters have different quests you can help them with. The first quest you’ll be asked to fulfill, ‘meet your neighbours’, requires you to meet 30 different characters. This quest seems fairly easy and is used in concert with a few other as a tutorial of sorts. However because of the way the map is constructed, it ended up taking me many in-game days to complete. The other introductory quests are pretty straightforward, harvesting five turnips for example. At this time, the game doesn’t offer marriage options. There is still a friendship system where you build up your friendship level with each character by talking to them and offering them gifts. Each character has likes and dislikes to take into account.

In a farming sim a good map is important, and Orange Season’s map is missing many important features which makes finding anything overly complicated. When you open the map, you’ll be presented with many different circles. Each circle is an illustration representing a different area of Orange Town. They are not a good navigation tool. The only information offered on each of these is which characters are in which area, and if they are home or not. It doesn’t show you where they are within this section. Additionally, It doesn’t show any of the main buildings, where they are, or where you are within the area. If you are looking for a specific store or character, good luck finding them. This map is a map in name only and lacks almost all functionality. I really don’t understand why this this choice was made, but it makes the game more complicated than it should be, especially when it comes to the quests.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3371540755
Visually the game is beautiful. It would be hard not to mention the similarity with Stardew Valley. The colorful look is stunning, and it is what drew me initially to the game. The backgrounds are lovely. Despite the pixelated style, the creators have managed to make detailed environments and characters. However Orange Season is not a Stardew Valley clone, and if this is what you expect you will be sorely disappointed. I had fun playing Orange Season, but it is not in the same league as Stardew Valley.

The controls are your typical WASD navigation, but the action ones can be a little finicky. When you are farming a target will appear around the area you are tilling, but not for watering, planting the seed, or harvesting. It’s the same with foraging. You have to be facing the item you want to pick just right otherwise it won’t work. Personally it didn’t bother me too much, but it might frustrate some players. The mining, fishing, and cooking are straightforward. The fishing is really easy. You simply drop your line in the water where you see the fish’s shadows. Then when you see a ‘!’ appear on top of your character’s head, you click ‘E’ to reel in your line. Most of the time you’ll get a fish, but once in awhile it’ll come up empty. It seems to be randomized.

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Despite showing great promise, Orange Season is missing some core features like a functional map, some marriageable characters, and better targeting controls. I still enjoyed my time with this game. If you don’t go in expecting a Stardew Valley 2.0, Orange Season can be a fun way to spend a couple of hours regardless of the issues I mentioned. I think that this game has the potential to become a fan favorite, and I will keep an eye out for updates.

• Beautiful pixel artwork
  
• Relaxed and cozy atmosphere

• The map is not functional
  
• The controls are finicky
  
• No marriage candidates

For more cozy gaming, visit the Vee's Cozy Corner website.[veescozycorner.com]

If you enjoy reading this review, please consider following Vee's Cozy Corner for more.

6-Sided Stories is a relaxing puzzle game by DarZal Games. It is the newest self-published by the Canadian duo. The game has a light narrative entirely told through the puzzles’ images.

The cast showcases a mischievous dog, a cute cat, and an adorable mouse. The story is extremely simple. You’ll follow the characters and watch as they get into all sort of situations: a birthday party, a picnic, and a lot more. Each puzzle picks up where the last one left off and spans a whole year. There are five distinct areas that feature a different season. The last one covers the credits so it contains less puzzles, but there is still a fair amount of content. It’s a fun way to add value to the game, and encourages the player to see the credit as an integral part of the game. Each member of the creative team has their own puzzle. The narrative is light, but it gives the game a common thread. I like the idea of solving puzzles that have a continuing narrative.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3370141899
6-Sided Stories is a bit different than a traditional puzzle game in several ways. You don’t place the pieces, since they are already in the right place. Initially you see the full image, and then it gets jumbled up. You need to flip them in the right way to recreate the image. Another difference is that the piece are hexagonal which means there are three way to move them; horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Some of the puzzle pieces will also switch to a different color scheme.

I love the idea of having hexagonal pieces so that there are more ways to turn them, however I feel like the developers underutilized this mechanic. It’s introduced in the tutorial and we barely ever use it afterward. Most of the pieces have to be turn vertically or horizontally. It would have been nice to have this extra level of difficulty. Another option could have been to keep the game as is for a more relaxed experience while adding the third flipping mechanic for those who like a more challenging gameplay.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3370142074
The game has a hint feature if you get stuck. You can click on the little light bulb, and it lets you look at the image you have to recreate one more time. Some of the pieces consist of a part of the image that is basically blank, and this can make it challenging to know if they are in the right orientation or not. If you are only missing a couple of pieces, and don’t want spoilers there’s a feature for that too. You can simply wait and once in awhile the pieces that still need to be moved or change color will wobble slightly. I think it’s a clever way to create a spoiler-free system.

The artwork is nice and simple. The images are pixelated to create a fun style. I feel like it fit the genre of game well. The story is simple, and it’s perfectly suited to be told through a puzzle game. The puzzles are all interconnected, and are easy to understand even though there are no words written or spoken. The soundtrack is definitely the star of the show. It’s a relaxing low-fi beat, and helps to create the relaxed atmosphere. One of the game best feature I’ve found is the in-game music player. One thing that irks me in this type of game is having to go out of the game while in the middle of a puzzle to change the music. It breaks the immersion, and is an extra step that is not necessary. 6-Sided Stories has solved that by creating a music player directly on the puzzle page. It’s feature complete. You can do everything while solving the puzzle. It has a volume slider, a next and back button. It also shows you the title of the song, the name of the artist, and there’s even a small thumbnail of the album cover. In addition, there are plenty of tracks to create a personalized experience.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3370142533
There is one feature that I found was missing. There is no level selection at the start, it only appears once you’ve completed all of a section’s puzzles. While you are in a puzzle, you do see how many puzzles are left in the section and how many you’ve completed, but you can’t use it to select a different level. I believe this choice was made because there’s a short narrative, but it also means you can’t skip a level. The next button doesn’t show up until the puzzle is solved. The game is fairly easy, so you shouldn’t be stuck, but I think it’s always nice to have the option.

I had a fun time playing 6-Sided Stories. There is a good amount of content, and I love all the extra little details like the in-game music player, and the hint system. The puzzles are not very difficult, so this makes it a perfect choice for beginners. I think the game would have benefited from using the diagonal turn mechanic to a greater extent, or in a challenging mode. Regardless of that, 6-Sided Stories is a solid choice even if it’s a little too easy for experienced players. The cute story, chill music, and interesting mechanics kept me playing until the end.


Positives

• An interesting twist on the traditional puzzle
• Fun story that build up with each puzzle
• Great in-game music player

Negatives

• No level selection menu
• Some of the mechanics introduced are underutilized
• Might be too easy for seasoned players

For more cozy gaming, visit the Vee's Cozy Corner website.[veescozycorner.com]