Jordan Rooker, Author at Thumb Culture

Road Maintenance Simulator 2 – Winter Services PC Review

16Jan

By Jordan Rooker1 Comment

Road Maintenance Simulator 2 – Winter Services PC Review

Road Maintenance Simulator 2 - Winter Services is a new simulator game available now via simulator publishing giant Aerosoft. The game was developed by Caipirinha Games (Road Maintenance Simulator, Forklift Simulator). It is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Maintaining Roads Can Be Such a Chore Simulator games are a hit and miss for me. Some are really, really interesting - whereas others are outright boring. Road Maintenance Simulator 2 - Winter Services looks like it could be the former, so I gave it a try. Things didn't go exactly to plan though as I'll share below. Gameplay Road Maintenance Simulator 2 - Winter Services is a simulation game where you play as a maintenance worker for the roads of a small area in Germany. The objective is fairly straightforward: comp...

We Who Are About To Die – PC Early Access Preview

6Dec

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

We Who Are About To Die – PC Early Access Preview

We Who Are About To Die is a roguelite gladiator simulator with a heavy focus on physics-based combat. It is currently in Early Access and under solo development by Jordy Lakiere. The game recently hit its two years in Early Access mark by celebrating with content patch v0.7, adding a significant amount of content. You can check it out now on Steam. The Best Game I've Sucked at Since Elden Ring Looking at videos of We Who Are About To Die, you kind of get a glimpse that the combat isn't exactly the usual kind. Actually playing it is a completely different experience all together. I don't feel there have been a lot of games over the years that have struck me in such a way as this one has. Have you ever found a game to not quite play as you'd expect? Check out my thoughts on this early acc...

Towers of Aghasba – PC Early Access Preview

25Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Towers of Aghasba – PC Early Access Preview

Towers of Aghasba is a new open-world exploration and adventure survival game by Dreamlit Games. This is the first game by the indie studio, and an ambitious one at that. The self-published title is available now as an Early Access title both on PC via Steam as well as on PlayStation 5. Towers of Aghasba Has Got the Vista Views on Target Towers of Aghasba is another one of those titles that flew well under my radar. Honestly I hadn't even heard of it prior to it popping up on our upcoming list of potential reviews. Even more surprising is that it is already on PlayStation 5 as an Early Access title. I don't feel this is a small feat for an indie studio producing their first game where the base game isn't already available in full on another platform. Though one could argue that many game...

I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survivor 1.0 Release – PC Review

22Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

PC Reviews

I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survivor 1.0 Release – PC Review

I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survivor is exactly what the title says - a relaxing survival game in a lonely world. With development by Mandragora (Skyhill) and publishing by tinyBuild (Hello Neighbor, Graveyard Keeper), the game just took on its full release on November 13th. It is currently only available via Steam on PC. Experience Coziness on the Rooftops in I Am Future I actually had a chance to play around in I Am Future back during some beta testing prior to it going into early access in August of last year. I was eager to take a look and see how things are shaping up now that its 1.0 release is here. Checking in on a game you haven't thought to play since much earlier in development is always interesting. Now that I'm thinking of it, I'm sure I've got a nice list of games from ear...

Purrrifiers: Cleaning Chaos – PC Demo Preview

11Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Purrrifiers: Cleaning Chaos – PC Demo Preview

Purrrifiers: Cleaning Chaos is a co-op chaotic twist on the cleaning simulation genre. It is currently in development by Rubens Games (Pool Cleaning Simulator) and FreeMind Games (House Builder, Aquarist) with publishing by FreeMind Games (aka FreeMind S.A.) and PlayWay S.A. (House Flipper, Serial Cleaner). The demo is available through Steam. Not Quite the Cleanup I was Expecting There are a lot of different simulator games out there. Over the years and having played different types here and there, I've learnt I enjoy ones that get me into a nice groove and calm state. Purrrifiers: Cleaning Chaos sounds a little more spicy than what I would usually pick up, but I couldn't the chance to get an early look at it. The game did take some time for me to warm up to. Read on to for my thoughts...

8Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

PC Reviews

Moon Mystery – PC Review

Moon Mystery is a sci-fi adventure FPS available now for PC by indie developer Cosmoscouts. It is a steady mix of gunplay, puzzles, and exploration across more than just a moon. Published by indie.io (HumanitZ, Coromon) and successfully backed via Kickstarter in May of 2023, you can pick it up over on Steam today. There are also plans for it to be available via GOG at a later date. That's no Moon! With a title like Moon Mystery, one expects to spend a fair amount of time on the moon. I'm here to inform you that in this game, that is not the case. Are there any games that come to your mind when thinking how a simple title held a larger world than you expected within? I'd have to say this is definitely one of them for me. Gameplay In Moon Mystery, you set out to discover a way back home ...

1Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

PC Reviews

Vampire Hunters 1.0 Release – PC Review

Vampire Hunters is a roguelite, 3D survivors fps by Gamecraft Studios (For Sparta, Rogue Summoner). It rolled out of early access and into a full 1.0 release on October 30th. The game is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One/X|S. Like Some Version of DOOM and Vampire Survivors' Lovechild. I'm no stranger to the FPS or Survivors genres. The latter has more recently become a popular form of entertainment for me on the go. With titles like Vampire Survivors, Halls of Torment, and Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor being easy to pick up and play. It looks like Vampire Hunters is trying to give that survivors aspect a different perspective. Any crossover games that come to mind of similar type? Let me know what I should be checking out after my thoughts on the game belo...

9Oct

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

PC Reviews

Satisfactory – PC Review

Satisfactory is a first-person factory simulator set in an open world. It was originally available for the first year exclusively on Epic when it hit early access in March of 2019. Developed by Coffee Stain Studios (Goat Simulator) and published by Coffee Stain Publishing (Deep Rock Galactic, Valheim), it opened a new chapter with a 1.0 release in September. If you're looking to sink a lot of time into a game, pick it up today on Steam or the Epic Games store. Symmetry is so Satisfactory I'll just be flat out up front: I don't know when exactly I'll be done playing Satisfactory. I completely underestimated just how much depth it has brought to the table. Especially when you compare it to when it first went into early access. Needless to say I will be putting in quite a lot more time to t...

24Sep

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Drill Core PC Early Access Preview

Drill Core is a mix of strategy, simulator and roguelite. It is in development by Hungry Couch Games (Black Skylands) with publishing by tinyBuild (Hello Neighbor, among many others). It is now available in early access on Steam. Dig Deep with this Pixel Roguelite Mashup Drill Core first caught my eye when I had a chance to play the demo earlier this year. I didn't have quite as much time with it as I would have liked so I was eager to get another chance to check it out. Not to mention I've been a fan of most of the games out there with the help of tinyBuild. What about you, reader? Is there a publisher you tend to follow as tried and true? Let me know in the comment section. Gameplay In Drill Core, you work for the corporate company... DrillCore... as a Platform Manager. Your prim...

It’s Only Money (Chapter Three) – PC Review

5Sep

By Jordan Rooker1 Comment

PC Reviews

It’s Only Money (Chapter Three) – PC Review

It's Only Money is a new indie open-world life/sim/action game by Usual Suspects Studios. Brought to us on Steam by Firestoke (Hauntii, Bish Bash Bots), live your best poor life as a citizen of Rockhaven - doing whatever it takes to rise above the mayor. It is exclusively available in early access on Steam for PC. How About a New Playground to be a Menace to Society? I never really thought of games like the Saints Row or Grand Theft Auto series as life simulator games. Now that I'm a decade wiser I suppose I could see how they'd be classed as so. After all, the developers and players of It's Only Money seem to think so. But what about these games strikes you as a simulation of life? Check out my thoughts on how this game lines up with those of its kind in the review below. Gameplay It'...