Recent reviews by coolz

Tinykin is a fun platformer + puzzler + collect-em-all. You may become proficient at move-tech for all the map crawling (if 100%ers) that awaits you. Also some "yeah, I can climb that!" type of platforming.

Map races are optional and challenging to Platinum. Requires smashing inputs on oft-clippy terrain. I had fun with it. I'd prefer a Plat-every-race achievement for fellow monitor-moaners shaving 0.44s and rage-restarting from red +time deltas.

Some achievements are buggy. Tinykin can be 100% by revisiting every room again (including attic) if you have met the requirements. There are no helpers for 100%. You will crawl (with a glideboard) all over each level for a missed corner.

Art was fun, humor is clean (I hopped on a toilet-flushing button), levels are interesting and unique. I ignored most of the story and immediately got to collecting and grinding the races.

Thanks for the game, Splashteam.

Excellent take on the minesweeper-likes. 30 handcrafted levels, 4-8 hours gameplay, reasonable difficulty curve. Customization options are a nice touch. Appears further enhanced for Polimines 2, including a "note" mode.

A similar free-draw mode would be a benefit to this title, if only to further it's accessibility. Looking forward to playing Polimines 2!

Dig, Upgrade, Defend, Repeat

Various abilities and gadgets that are unlocked through gameplay, making the first few runs difficult
Excellent gameplay loop of dig deeper vs defend the surface
The made-in-72-hours game jam version is free online as Dome Romantik

Whimsical story, captivating music (the intro vocal tune is groovy, too), universal humor, and some beautiful (and sometimes unsettling) artwork. I love the worlds here and the bizarreness of it. The voicework is interesting and expressive. You can tell the team had fun. Great, simple, universal storytelling on top it all off.

Lost in Play was a fun game to complete and experience.

I'll list a few minor shortcomings, since I can:
Some minigames take too long to understand the gameplay mechanics. However, it is a nice (and sometimes difficult) bit of static gameplay to take a break from running around a point & click adventure.

I brute forced a few puzzles where I knew all next steps, but wanted less trip-making.

No "Double Click to Sprint / Warp". A QoL miracle to benefit us impatient + very forgetful players.

No ability to skip cutscenes. Nobody should want to skip them (outside of a corrupted save), but it still should be a feature.

Fun little co-op platformer that can also be played solo. Would recommend enabling checkpoints under the assist options for a first playthrough.

I enjoy the "discover how to solve this pattern" puzzle genre. Yes, its clearly inspired by The Witness and that's a good thing. The difficulty ramp between some puzzles feels too steep, especially if a player does not yet fully grasp the mechanic.

The world, environment, and music are well crafted and implemented. It's nice to be able to sprint rush to the next puzzle yet also stop to enjoy a waterfall.

Fun platformer. Great music and design. Would be great if a "rumble off" option was available.

The Witness after you've hit your head a few too many times. The Looker is a short parody done well.

Overall, a great addition to the deckbuilder genre. Interesting mechanics. Nice art. Lots of achievements. Runs are a bit long, maybe 2h+ (please add an Animation skip!). Difficult initial few sessions, which I blame the grindy unlock/perk system. ~4 runs to get my first win sticking with the 2 starter heroes.

Unlocks do allow gentle introduction of new elements, but end-game decks did not feel possible prior to some perks. New Game+ does add some difficulty modifiers. I often avoid these challenge/ascension modes and the grind this game presents is a bit too daunting personally, but might be promising to the genre's long-term players.

Excellent addition to the Portal universe. Puzzles, new mechanics, voice acting, and level design are all well done. Some sections are a bit too open, allowing for unintended solves and wandering. I was never stuck, but a sprint or more directional clues might help.

I'd recommend chasing achievements (especially Fingerprinter / glass panels) during initial playthrough. Chapter select was handy to hunt those last few.