Recent reviews by Virtual Turtle

Viewfinder is a super unique puzzle game with mindbending, world-altering mechanics that leave you going 'wow, did that just happen' throughout the game. The storyline is pretty interesting and the guidance you get from your support character cat 'Cait' is wonderful. The writing and voiceacting are both on point and add a lot to the game. In terms of puzzle difficulty, I'd say that Viewfinder is pretty accessible. It does have some headscratching moments but in general the puzzles are relatively straightforward and often enough you're able to bruteforce a solution to a puzzle because of the flexible mechanics. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, as it challenges you to think outside of the box and finding an unconventional solution is still very rewarding. However, that might not be as suited for die-hard puzzle lovers who love elegantly designed puzzles that can only be solved in one way. The vibe of the game is also amazing, with great visuals, audio and general polish. I enjoyed every part of the game, except for one frustatingly time-based section ( The very last level of the game felt like it had an unnecessary timer, and you actually have to hurry a lot which I did not like. ). I'd definitely recommend this game to anyone who loves puzzle games and cool mind-bending mechanics!

The Talos Principle 1 is my favourite game ever. Topping that with a sequel is a very tall order, but I believe Croteam has delivered!

The Talos Principle 2 is a fantastic game! It manages to look even better than the already good looking first game, it has an captivating story and the puzzles are arguably even better, or at least more evolved, than in TTP1. I'd highly recommend playing it, even at full price. However, I do think it's important to mention that the game has a very different feeling from the first game. Let's dive in!


So a big difference between this and the first game, and one that for me defines a lot of the core feeling of the game, is the fact that you're not alone in this game. The first game had you traveling these dreamlike landscapes alone, with the only other voices being Elohim, and the occasional voice recording. I personally really like feeling alone in a game like this and I think it really helped the quiet contemplation the first game was known for. In this game you go out on an expedition with a group of other people. You're mostly on your own when puzzling your way through the levels, but you'll see your crew walking around and you talk to them periodically. Some people may really like the company, but I personally felt it decreased my sense of exploration. It makes sense though, not to be alone in this game, given that a lot of the theme of this game revolves around society, our interactions with others and the world. Definitely not a dealbreaker with such a fantastic game, but something to consider if you're like me.

This game is really ambitious with it's story. Following it will take you all throughout the expansive world the devs created. A world far more varied and detailed than the first game could ever dream of. The story is compelling and is told well! What I loved about the first game was the way it makes you think about philosophical topics and makes you consider new points of view. It was a relief to see that this game definitely does this as well, and almost even more so than in the first game because there are now actual game characters that voice different opinions and views on the situation. I liked that the game doesn't necessarily steer you into a certain direction, but lets you make up your own mind about the subjects discussed. I also liked that there is a lot of hidden story content that you can discover by reading the terminals, exploring the nooks and crannies of the world and by talking to people.

I think the first game did a great job with it's puzzles. It created basic tools and utilized them well. The second game is definitely more of an iteration on the mechanics of the first one. Some of the puzzle mechanics are still there, but there are also a lot of new ones, and some that were (very wisely) left out as they were unpopular in the first game (looking at you time-recording-mechanic!) I love how the solutions to many puzzles are super creative, requiring extensive lateral thinking and brain-scratching. I think I enjoyed ever new game mechanic, except for maybe the swapper station, but even that has it's time and place. The difficulty curve is different from the first game. Puzzles no longer get linearly harder throughout the game, but it has more of an eb-and-flow to it, while slowly rising. In my opinion the puzzles in this game were generally a bit easier than those in the first, but it's said that the DLC will add more difficult puzzles so that's good to hear! I'd highly recommend this game just for the puzzling alone.

The game looks pretty but you pay a decent price for that in terms of performance hit. I run on pretty good hardware, but had to play most of the game on low settings. This is all fine and good, maybe I should upgrade, however... there were 1 or 2 worlds that specifially stood out as being MUCH more performance intensive than the rest, without really looking it. I have no idea why this is, but it can be frustrating. Maybe the devs will continue to optimize and iron out these worlds, but until then expect to have some worlds with worse FPS than others.

I loved playing this game and finished it in just shy of 50 hours (100%ted it). It's clearly a labor of love and the devs did almost everything right with this sequel. It's has a different feeling to the first game, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and the puzzling is as good, if not better than in the first. I'd highly recommend buying this game, it'll be a steal, even af full price!

This is why I love indie games!

I'll start off by saying I'm not someone who likes horror games, generally. However, this game is very light in the 'horror' it uses, and it has more of a 'creepy' vibe then anything. But even then, the comedic undertone throughout the game is just so great that you quickly forget all about the creepy vibes! It also helps that your recording studio, the place you spend most of the game, is very warm and cozy. There is also a fun co-host character who's there to keep you company through most of the game.

Onto the rest of the game then! I finished the story in in about 6 hours and was completely captivated all the way through. The story is told in a very fun and engaging way, even though you get to hear it mostly through phone calls to your radio station. The voiceacting is great and very fun which is a must for a game with this kind of premise. The puzzles are also engaging and mostly really fair. They're not an extreme challenge to the avid puzzler, but you do definitely need to do some lateral thinking. I was afraid that I'd feel rushed to solve the puzzles as the game uses them as a way for you to help characters escape a killer in real-time, but luckily the game gives you as much time as you need to figure them out. Some might say this is unrealistic, but I think the contrary would not have worked as well.

There are real consequences to your actions, and whether you solve the puzzles or not decides the outcome of the story. I liked that, especially after I had my first "Oh no, I really messed that up and now someone actually died" moment. I loved that there is this co-host character called 'Peggy'. She not only keeps you much needed company throughout the night, but also adds some comedic relief where necessary. I think this was a great addition to the game and made it so there was always something that was happening, even in between the radio callers.

I'd definitely recommend playing this game if you like mystery puzzle games with a strong sense of atmosphere! If you can get it on sale at all, it's even more of a steal. You'll love it!

Super cute little game that is very relaxing! I play it in short bursts to chill out and be creative, and it's perfect for that! What I'm most impressed by is how easy it is to build something beautiful and completely unique. The environments are simple yet beautifully serene. The building blocks are basic, not unlike Lego, but combining them will yield awesome results. I like how this game's aim seems to be to inspire you to just slap together some building blocks, and still make it look pretty. Big recommend on this game!

This game has pro's and cons, but ultimately I'd recommend you buy it. I completed it in around 3 hours and really enjoyed it, despite a few flaws.

There's a lot to like here: I really liked the story, the game looks fantastic, the sound design and voice acting is really good, the characters feel like they have depth and the gunplay feels satisfying. Unfortunately, there are also some flaws: the game seems demanding, and even on low settings (with a good GPU) I had framerate issues at times. It can feel like there aren't a lot of robots in the city, and it's easy enough to 'cheese' a level by sniping most enemies before entering a fighting area. Despite these flaws, you can clearly see this game is a labor of love, and it really reminds of me of Half-Life 2 (in a good way). Definitely give it a try on sale!

Good game if you like a well told linear story, light puzzle solving and beautiful lunar landscapes! I liked that there weren't any jumpscares, this is definitely not a horror game. The graphical fidelity of this game is very high, which is definitely another reason to play it. You piece together the story by finding clues and hologram playbacks, which works really well! The story has nice twists and turns, plus a satisfying ending. I wouldn't say it's the best game story I've ever played, but it's definitely movie-level good. If all of this sounds like your jam, do pick it up during a sale!

I picked up Rainswept because the art and description reminded me of other games I love like Night In The Woods, Unforeseen Incidents and Oxenfree, plus it had very positive reviews. I'm glad to say I agree with the reviews, I loved the game. Rainswept is a game with a heavy focus on narrative, supported by a small open world for you to explore. You'll get to know the different characters around town, their stories, their secrets and their hopes and dreams. Everyone feels very alive, which is an achievement seeing as the character illustrations are fairly low-fidelity. The writing is just very good. I loved how the plot keeps twisting and turning until you arrive somewhere completely unexpected. As well as getting to know the town and the people, I also just really enjoyed running around and looking at the surroundings. The art might be a bit low-fi at some points (which isn't a bad thing!), but there are also parts of the game that are absolutely stunning to look at. I'd highly recommend giving this game a go, especially in sale it's a steal. I finished it in a bit more than 4 hours, and I enjoyed every play session!

This is the PERFECT game to play if you want to get into the Halloween spirit! It's fun, funny, has fantastic atmosphere and is incredibly hard to put down.

Let me start out by saying I'm not someone who usually plays 3D platformers, and yet I immediately hooked on this game. It's a great example of 'easy to pick up, hard to put down'. The main reason for this is that the platforming and combat feels very responsive and satisfying. The encounters aren't too difficult, but challenging enough to intrigue.

I absolutely loved the artstyle and environment design in this game. I think it cannot be understated how amazing the atmosphere of this game is, like it said: it's PERFECT for Halloween! The music and sound design are fantastic and complement the art direction really well. It's a joy to play and I often just walked around looking at the vistas!

Another reason to pick this game up is the humor in it - it's really funny! Not in a cringy or done-to-death kinda way, but in a clever and self-aware kind of way. The storyline is weird and wacky, which fits this game perfectly. It works well for tying the gameplay progression into some sort of logical plot. Plus you get to kill Santa at some point! Fantastic.

All in all, I would 100% recommend this game. The price may be a little steep without a sale, but remember this is made by a solo developer. Definitely get it while it's on the annual Halloween sale. It's short enough to complete it before actual Halloween if you play like 1-2 hours a day!

Call of the Sea is a puzzle game that looks fantastic, and also has good puzzles. And I specifically say 'good', not 'great' here. The puzzles are definitely not bad or frustrating, but they can be a little straight forward, especially if you expected a challenge and are a puzzle lover.

This game is not Myst. You won't have to search for small clues and decide for yourself whether pieces of information are important - if you find something of interest, you'll know it as it'll be added to your journal, and the protagonist will talk about it. Sometimes I found it a little frustrating that the protagonist can flat out tell you part of the solution to a puzzle, which kind of takes away from the mystery/puzzly part of the game. This does make the game a breeze to get through, and the story is certainly entertaining enough so for me it was fine.

Like I mentioned, the game looks AMAZING and had great vibes, which is definitely a plus. If you don't mind the somewhat easy puzzles, you will certainly enjoy this game. I'd recommend picking it up in a sale. I finished it in about 6 hours.

Great concept, great execution. Great price. Buy it, play it, love it!