Rowen Cameron, Author at Thumb Culture

24Aug

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Lou’s Lagoon – PC Review

It’s always exciting to see how a Steam Next Fest gem has progressed, and this time it’s Lou’s Lagoon. A cosy open-world life sim set in a vibrant archipelago, Tiny Roar’s newest venture mixes exploring, crafting, and exciting seaplane shenanigans. After receiving a distress call from your Uncle Lou, a legendary airman, you return to his island home to find it in disarray from a monstrous storm. And he is, of course, currently missing. It’s up to you to follow in your uncle’s shoes and help the Limbo Archipelago get back on its feet, while uncovering the ancient mystery surrounding Lou’s disappearance. ♫ OHEEAY! OHEEOH! ♫ As a wee ‘90s kid, one of my favourite Disney TV shows was Talespin. My VHS tapes were played so much, it’s a miracle they didn’t disintegrate. After playing the Lo...

5Aug

By Rowen Cameron1 Comment

PC Reviews

Doloc Town – PC Review

When the world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket, a game that reminds you that life and hope can be steadily cultivated is extremely comforting. And if it’s got delightful pixel art animation, all the better! Doloc Town is a side-scrolling pixel art farming sim from newcomers RedSaw Games Studio. Put a tablespoon of Stardew Valley, a sprinkling of Terraria, and some drops of Fallout into a cooking pot with their own special sauce and it serves up something striking. A catastrophic war of machines ravaged the world and brought seasons of acid rain. Many fled, but the survivors who remained built Doloc Town and the community prospered. As a young ‘un, you grew up on tales of the legendary “Eden’s Legacy” said to be found in the river valley. You've heard the story of the brave lea...

Steam Next Fest June 2026 – Mischief, Meows, and Maniacal Monsters

3Jul

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

Features

Steam Next Fest June 2026 – Mischief, Meows, and Maniacal Monsters

A heatwave won’t stop us at Thumb Culture from soaking up as many of the hottest demos as possible when Steam Next Fest rolls around. Running from June 15th to June 22nd, approximately 4,200 game demos took part in this year’s summer fest. And so, with a fan on max setting and Pepsi Max Cherry in the fridge, I dove into my thrice-yearly deliciously difficult task of choosing just five favourites (and three honourable mentions) to highlight as shining stars. Here are this fest’s Top Five: Bunderkin: The Ocular Eclipse Developer: Studio Zubio Publisher: Studio Zubio Genre: Stealth Platformer Planned Release Date: TBA Platforms: PC If you’ve been pining for the sass of Jak & Daxter, the stealth of Sly Cooper, and the visuals of Wind Waker, Bunderkin: The Ocular Ecli...

22Mar

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Lost and Found Co. – PC Review

Hidden object games have had a big resurgence in the last few years, from the simplistic to the multi-layered. Lost and Found Co. manages to be both. A cosy Where’s Wally?-style spot-a-thon from Bit Egg Inc., sees the past and present collide on various levels in a wholesome adventure. The ancient goddess of war, Mei Long, suffers from dwindling faith, with fewer and fewer visitors to her shrine every day. What's worse, a shadowy yet up-and-coming corporate figure seems to be involved. With the help of duckling-turned-young-boy Ducky and the questionable merchant Kit, Mei must renew people's faith by finding lost valuables. All while being stuck in cute, tiny dragon form. A Throwback With Bells & Whistles On Back in the mid-2000s, three things were certain about me. I was determined ...

Steam Next Fest February 2026 – Saviours, Snowballs, and Sailing the High Seas

5Mar

By Rowen Cameron1 Comment

Features

Steam Next Fest February 2026 – Saviours, Snowballs, and Sailing the High Seas

In a flurry of pixels and polygons, another winter Next Fest has come to an end. Nearly 4000 demos made up Steam Next Fest February 2026, and of course, I was keen to don my comfies and take on as many as I could. From heartwarming adventures to survival horrors, fantasy RPGs to complex crafters, the selection on show was determined to make choosing a top five a quest of epic proportions. But here goes. Here are the five demos that now live rent-free in my noggin, and make my wishlist—and hopefully yours too—that little bit longer: Alabaster Dawn Developer: Radical Fish Games Publisher: Radical Fish Games Genre: Action-RPG Planned Release Date: TBA Platforms: PC, Linux It’s one thing to have to save the world, but having to do it when you’re secretly an outcast and c...

4Nov

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Simon the Sorcerer Origins – PC Review

Being a complete point-and-click adventure and pixel art nut, the first two Simon the Sorcerer games are very close to my heart. And with the three sequels that followed leaving a considerable amount to be desired, it seemed as though the series was long forgotten. Enter Simon the Sorcerer Origins by newcomers Smallthing Studios, available on Steam. Opting for a prequel rather than a sequel/reboot, Origins claims to go back to what Simon the Sorcerer does best with comical puzzles, British banter and fourth wall breaks. Is it fourth time's the charm for a worthy series addition and in line with its 30th anniversary? I had to find out! Have We Met Before? Set weeks before the events of the first game, Simon and his family have moved house after his expulsion from yet another school. Wh...

11Aug

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Ritual of Raven – PC Review

The planted seeds have finally blossomed and are ready for harvesting. And not with our hands, of course! Back in June, I took a peek at the demo of witchy farming (and loose intro to coding) sim Ritual of Raven by Spellgarden Games, and the time has finally come to see what it has grown into. Merry Meet Time to dig out the grimoire, charge my crystals and make a cup of witch’s brew - I’m ready! Available now on Nintendo Switch and PC , Ritual of Raven is playable on Steam Deck (with only small text size as a slight issue), so the sofa is calling. Storytime A typical grad student obsessed with the arcane, you are plucked from your mundane life and sucked through a portal to the magical world of Leynia. You learn the ways of magic as an apprentice to the witch Sage in the village of...

24Jul

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Everdeep Aurora – PC Review

Digging deep, metaphorically and literally, is the heart of the matter in Everdeep Aurora by developer Nautilus Games and publisher Ysbryd Games. Completely switching out combat for conversation and cavern delving, this exploration-centric adventure game takes inspiration from the 16-bit era and Game Boy Metroidvania classics. In a world perpetually beset by apocalyptic meteor showers, the population has relocated underground to rebuild their lives. As Shell the kitten, you awake on the surface to find your mother gone, leaving only a vague note. To track her down, you must bravely venture underground. Using your trusty drill, you must uncover the secrets of the deep and the people who now dwell in the darkness. I Am A Cat and I'm Digging A Hole As one of Thumb Culture’s resident pixe...

Rift of the NecroDancer: Hatsune Miku DLC – PC Review

26Jun

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Rift of the NecroDancer: Hatsune Miku DLC – PC Review

As Thumb Culture’s resident NecroDancer fanatic—Rift gained a TC Gold Award from me!—my eyes immediately lit up at the announcement of more new music packs. Celeste and Pizza Tower tracks got the Rift treatment in previous packs, as well as some Super Meat Boy tracks and Crypt of the NecroDancer favourites for free (cue many squees from me!). Now Cadence is back to conquer even more rifts, this time with an old friend who is no stranger to NecroDancer DLC. Virtual pop star and Vocaloid legend Hatsune Miku joins the fray with 6 new tracks to sharpen your rhythm skills and bop till you drop. Miku Miku Beam! Admittedly, despite being familiar with her, my only experience of Miku songs is through the Crypt DLC. So naturally, it stands to reason that I hear more of her virtual vocals through...

24Jun

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Quantum Witch – PC Review

Metroidvania meets point-and-click meets choose-your-own-adventure in Quantum Witch, a pixel art “plot-former” by solo dev NikkiJay. The game releases today on Steam. Heavily inspired by the ZX Spectrum, Jay explores her experience of growing up in a religious sect and embracing her true self through a tale of comedy, fantasy and the far-reaching effects of choice. In her own words: “a queer emancipation story”. You play Ren, a young woman living in the perfectly idyllic realm of Hus. Life seems quiet and simple: find your lost flock, pick a pretty flower for your wife, confront and dethrone God. Wait, what?! Suddenly, you get a glimpse of a destructive and encompassing force entwined in the roots of this slightly saccharine utopia. And you’ll be damned if you’re not going to get the bo...