One might not be able to intellectualize exactly what they're doing at a given moment in SWARMLAKE, an endless score-chaser first-person-shooter/platformer hybrid that tasks one with jumping deftly in and around massive swarms of enemies - some clusters of spheres that follow you around, others incomprehensibly tall walls of pointed death - collecting satisfyingly-explosive orbs to stave off the horde for as long as one can, but something about the gameplay just feels right in some instinctual way. The deeper one falls into the swarm, the more one naturally steps in tune with its intricate, captivating dance, learning little techniques and bits of gameplay knowledge like making right-angle turns to maximize enemy drop pickups or facing your direction of motion to clear out enemies in your path that offer the game a sense of skill progression and depth far beyond what its minimalist presentation suggests. Each run gives one the sense that they understand the game more, that they can wrangle with the chaos a little bit better (provided the game doesn't randomly decide to kill them as it feels sometimes, which is my one gripe) than the last time, which makes for a perfect, maddeningly-addictive way to waste an afternoon - or much, much longer if you feel like honing your skills to take on this game's leaderboards.

Part 3D platformer, part interactive musical, Billie Bust Up is sure to become an endearing experience that'll melt the hearts of even the most jaded, discerning gamers out there. Every facet of this game is oozing with charm, from the aforementioned music to the character designs, and I especially applaud the developer's focus on representation and inclusivity. Access to the Steam demo can be granted via supporting the game on its Patreon page.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3292852148
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