Recent reviews by coolz

Short point and click with a spelling-music mechanic. Direction, artwork, and music is charming and very well done, with music freely available via Steam and Bandcamp[storybirdgames.bandcamp.com]. Game is frequently on sale or bundled.

Missed opportunity for younger audiences due to complicated spelling (and possibly some death sequences). "New Game +" unfortunately offers no new gameplay. Hoping Finding Teddy 2 expands and improves.

Dialogue is dull and repetitive. Trying to skip banter leads to strange breaks & pauses. No real variation in poker play.

Camera angles and respawn points are poorly executed and offers the only real challenge in the game. Music is nice and playful.

The Bridge pushes the puzzle platformer genre even further with Escher-themed level design. The pencil artstyle, obtuse plot text (sometimes a bit too over the top), and the tinkering music all fit the theme well.

While there are a few timing and (seemingly) trial & error soltuions, The Bridge offers a unique world to explore and some very interesting puzzles. After Escher, where else can the puzzle platformer go?

Mayhem Intergalactic is a very simple Risk-lite and it presents itself as such. Easy to pickup and the AI (at the Highest setting) provides a reasonable challenge while understanding the mechanics. While some extra UI polish & Numpad support would help, the game is functional and the build & conquer mechanic is classically enjoyable.

However, Mayhem Intergalactic feels like a game built for a community. As with many indie titles, any previously existing community has moved on and I cannot recommend it for this reason.

Simple physics puz-latformer in the same vein as Cut the Rope (collect 3 items before completion). Probably best suited for the phone/tablet audience, but the Steam workshop level designer earns it a few PC points.

While Kario has some interesting puzzles, visuals, and architecture, it failed to keep me as an "explorer". After several minutes of "where do I go next" frustration while rerunning through bland empty corridors, I turned to a guide.

The pacing feels awkward/slow (even with Shift/Sprint held down), the scattered collectables are unnecessary, and puzzle satisfaction is quickly tarnished as you trudge forward (or even worse - backtrack) down long corridors to the next puzzle. Kario could still be complex and grand without the stairs, paths, and extra large rooms. The only thing which drove me to continue was my stubbornness to complete the game.

More Hexcells: added mechanics, even more clever levels, and just the right amount of difficultly.

Simple concept, beautifully designed, strictly logical solutions with minimal punishment (except striving for that perfect score).

Retro-style platformer/puzzler, best played with a controller. Death will happen often, but a fast respawn time and short levels won't let you feel frustrated for long. The achievements & challenge levels are a great addition. The "rage warning" prior to the challenge levels was a nice gesture by the developer, but probably didn't save any controllers from being thrown.

I can only hope Escape Goat 2 delievers more of the same!