Kyle McGrath, Author at Thumb Culture

2Aug

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Gym Manager – PC Review

Gym Manager is a management simulator game, developed by Han GAMES and published by PlayWay S.A., who have published various simulator games I’ve covered here at Thumb Culture, such as Thief Simulator 2 and Bum Simulator. Released earlier this week, Gym Manager also has a free demo available for those who want a brief taste of the gameplay. Cash Gains From Customer Gains Gym Manager has the player renovating a run down gym in a rough part of town while competing with the adjacent gym, Daddy’s Gym. While you are predominantly managing and running your gym daily, there are small quests to take part in for extra cash, goals to reach and customers to appease. I’m no stranger to simulator games, and I was curious what Gym Manager would entail. Gameplay The player starts in a grimy, ...

31Jul

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Zoo Simulator – PC Review

This week has been all about simulation games for me. Today's is another new release from publishers PlayWays S.A. and developed by Game Incubators. This time around, I'm taking on the role of a zoo owner in Zoo Simulator. Although the actual zoo doesn't start off as much, hopefully I can make it a place Steve Irwin would have been proud of! You can pick up Zoo Simulator right now on Steam for £15.49. An animal kingdom to be proud of Gameplay Upon starting the game your zoo is rundown. Which means you have to start by renovating enclosures. We do this in a variety of ways, such as fixing faucets, so that the animals can drink, and removing old broken habitats, to keep the same animals safe. You can buy all the necessary tools via the computer in the main office and later on via a ta...

Chocolate Factory Simulator: Prologue – PC Preview

31Jul

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Chocolate Factory Simulator: Prologue – PC Preview

In Chocolate Factory Simulator: Prologue the player steps into the shoes of an upstart Chocolatier who aims to make a name for themselves. The devs Games Incubator and PlayWays S.A. have made a small demo available on steam so you can try this prologue out too. Let’s get to cooking! Bite sized Chocolatiering Gameplay In the prologue, we get access to only a few areas, the workshop in where we will find a trash chute and our assistant Nougat. Nougat is a robot who teaches you the fundamentals of chocolate making. This leads us to the main area where the magic happens, and where you will find a trusty manual and some pots. The manual holds information such as recipes for making white, milk and dark chocolate. These are the only three options available to us. Although I am hop...

30Jul

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Nobody Wants to Die – PS5 Review

Today I’m checking out Nobody Wants to Die, a new Detective Noir brought to us by the team at Critical Hit Games. Set in a futuristic-dystopian New York City, where society has achieved immortality through transferring the consciousness of a person into a new body, or now named "Vessels". Nobody Wants to Die is available now on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam. New Body, Old Problems. In Nobody Wants to Die, we step into the shoes of our main character James Karra. After attempting to get back to his job as a cop, he instead gets offered to work an investigation for the Chief of Police “off the books”. This job leads James to look into an “accident” which then spirals into a whole conspiracy of life and death. Gameplay Whilst playing Nobody Wants to Die, a tool you will quickly get ve...

28Jun

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Taora: Survival – PC Preview

I’m checking out a new open-world crafting and survival game called Taora: Survival. The developers at Tulpar Games released the game for early access in May and placed a road map to show what new features they want to add later on. You can purchase Taora: Survival on the Steam store for £11.79. Looting, killing and surviving, oh my! Craft, loot and build your character’s skills on a zombie-ridden island in the name of survival. Players will recruit characters, complete missions and build their base. Featuring an open world, players will also be able to utilise vehicles to travel across and explore the island. Gameplay The game loads you in and gives you missions to help slowly build up your base. The missions are simple and great for teaching you the basics. You will build vario...

The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication – PC Review

22May

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication – PC Review

I’m playing The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, although this is the second game from Softstar Entertainment, you don’t need to play the first. The game is out now and is available is on Steam for £20.99. I haven’t played the previous entry, but this game caught my eye with their Steam page saying it was also based on a popular movie. For the movie enthusiast out there, the two movies I found are The Bridge Curse (2020) and The Bridge Curse: Ritual (2023). There can't be darkness without light. Gameplay In The Bridge Curse 2, you will play from the perspective of four individuals, starting with the young reporter Sue Lian. Sue gets offered to interview the members of the film club at Wen Hua University. Like most horror games, things aren’t that simple, and she gets pulled into a n...

15May

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Crow Country – PC Review

Let’s check out a new survival horror game which was developed by SFB Games, called Crow Country. You’ll explore an abandoned theme park while looking for the owner who’s gone missing. When has an amusement park not been fun? The player will have to solve environmental puzzles and mange their ammo as they wander this dilapidated place. The game is out now as of May 4th this year and you can pick it up on Steam for £16.75. Gameplay Crow Country plays a lot like some of the earlier Resident Evil games except without the tank controls and no fixed cameras. We play as Mara Forest, a young woman who goes to Crow Country Amusement Park to locate the owner, Edward Crow. You start with nothing but a handgun, but can find other weapons as you play. As you explore the park, kee...

7May

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Harvest Hunt – PC Review

Harvest Hunt is a first-person survival horror developed by Villainous Games Studio and published by Neonhive Games. Reap What You Sow This dark roguelike releases on May 22nd on Steam. Gameplay The Warden you play as is random, with a Strength and Lore unique to them. The overall goal of Harvest Hunt is to survive Harvest Season. To complete a Harvest Season, players must get through five Nights. During the Nights, players must navigate the farmlands of Luna Nova and collect Ambrosia, which looks like a cluster of red fruit, with larger clusters taking longer to harvest. The Devourer It's a race against the Devourer, who'll taint the Ambrosia, making it useless and therefore unobtainable. The Devourer will find and attack you, either itself or through Fiends. Fiends will lurk...

7May

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Phantom Fury – PC Review

Published by 3D Realms and created at Slipgate Ironworks™ comes a new retro-shooter called Phantom Fury. The game was released for Steam on April 24th, for £20.49, with a Digital Artbook also available for purchase at £2.49. Some players might know the protagonist from the developer's other work called Bombshell. Although that game was a top-down shooter, their new game changes to an FPS style. This is one Phantom that doesn't hide in the shadows We take the role of Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison after she awakes in a lab thanks to a character called the Colonel. The area you are in is being attacked by the GDF, and your first task is to arm up and get out of there. This takes the player across various areas and wielding a large armoury or weapons. This may be Shelly’s second game, but th...

3May

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Indika – PC Review

Exploring themes of religion, doubt, regret and the contrast between belief and the harsh realities of the world, Indika explores the tale of the titular young nun struggling against her metaphorical - and literal - demons in her head. Indika is a third person horror game with puzzle elements, developed by Odd Meter and published by 11 Bit Studios. Though it’s currently available on Steam for £20.99, it’s also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox. Breaking The Habit As a disclaimer to those who may be affected, Indika displays and approaches themes some players may find uncomfortable or offensive. Some such dark themes include scenes of abuse and challenging religious ideas. Gameplay Indika’s gameplay come into two different parts. The present tense (which is most of the game) is ...