Rowen Cameron, Author at Thumb Culture

4Oct

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

Game Pass October 2024 Games

While September was the month for strategy and sim fans, October 2024 has something for everyone! Game Pass has rolled out the first wave of announcements across various genres, some ready to download now. Cards, kung fu mastery or clandestine spy action: it’s all here. Here are the four new additions announced for October so far: Sifu Genre: Beat ‘Em Up Longevity: 8 - 20 hours | Achievements: 61 Metacritic: 81 | OpenCritic: Strong Available: 2nd October (All platforms) Released: 8th February 2022 https://youtu.be/jXxskvOYNU4?si=_ORorw9JpPk6jDRi Become a kung fu legend Jackie Chan would hesitate to spar with in Sifu, a journey of mastery and revenge. As the child of a murdered sifu (master), you will track down the culprit’s accomplices and their coteries, one battle at a t...

2Sep

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

Features

Game Pass September 2024 Games

We may be moving out of summer, but September’s Game Pass line up is set to be a scorcher with 5 new releases coming our way. Strategy and sim fans will be like a kid in a candy store with plenty of goodies to sink their teeth into. Star Trucker Genre: Simulation Release Date: 3rd September https://youtu.be/ue68N_CpVlM?si=W2rTG4RzSeyLTSAc Ever wanted to experience the trucker life but boldly go where no big rig has gone before? Now you can! Star Trucker puts you behind the wheel of your own rocket-powered truck as you transport cargo across the galaxies. You can pick up jobs hauling a variety of cargo, sometimes to hazardous places, to earn cash to upgrade your rig. But you’ll need to keep an eye on the fuel tank and the state of your components along the way. A neglected rig can ...

15Aug

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

Xbox Reviews

Creatures of Ava – Xbox Review

My relationship with creature-collecting games is complicated. I occasionally enjoy them, but often find many aspects of them uninspired or frustrating. I left Pokemon behind in Gen 2. So when one comes along that subverts my expectations on several levels, it’s both wonderfully refreshing and a warm hug at the same time. Creatures of Ava by Inverge Studios and Chibig is that refreshing warm hug. A “creature-saver” rather than collector, you take control of Vic, a scientist tasked with saving the creatures of the planet Ava before it succumbs to an infection known as the Withering. With the help of a new friend, Vic stumbles upon an ancient staff, capable of cleansing the infection. What begins as a simple rescue and evacuation soon becomes a journey of empathy and understanding, for bo...

Steam Next Fest June 2024 – Demos That Packed A Summer Punch

27Jun

By Rowen Cameron2 Comments

Features

Steam Next Fest June 2024 – Demos That Packed A Summer Punch

Summer weather may have been late to the party here in the UK, but one thing that never fails to deliver during summer is Steam Next Fest. Running from 10th - 17th June, Steam Next Fest showcased the very best of upcoming indie gems with demos galore. From veteran devs to promising newbies, and mascot platformers to gritty survival horrors, it was the perfect summer smorgasbord. Every studio brought their A-game, literally. Being huge indie stans, we here at Thumb Culture were of course all over it and keen to bask in the Steam Next Fest heat. So, flaky weather aside, here are five Steam Next Fest demos that made sure summer was off to a fabulous start. And guess what, console players? Almost all five have a console release lined up! Huzzah! Akimbot Genre: Action-Adventure/Platformer Pl...

5Apr

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Beat Slayer – PC Review

Ever wonder what Hades mixed with Crypt of the NecroDancer set in a ‘90s dystopian city would be like? Well, wonder no more! ByteRockers’ Games takes all these juicy elements and blends them into a high-energy roguelike smoothie. Beat Slayer is a 3D hack-and-slash rhythm roguelike that tests not only your combat prowess but your musical timing. Hack-And-Slash Rhythm Roguelike - Beat Slayer It’s ‘90s Berlin and the twisted music mogul Dietrich has perfected the art of truly hypnotic music: using sound waves to emit mind-control signals. All who hear it become his mindless zombies and, with a robot army to keep order, he has the entire city under his control. But there’s one underground corner of the capital free from his grip and ready to fight back. Young rebel Mia and her crew of mis...

Feels, Felines and Finding Yourself – Steam Next Fest February 2024

29Feb

By Rowen Cameron3 Comments

Features

Feels, Felines and Finding Yourself – Steam Next Fest February 2024

Steam again got into the Valentine’s spirit this month with their thrice-yearly spreading of indie game love. Vals, gals or pals, it was the perfect pre-holiday experience. The first Steam Next Fest of 2024 ran from 5th - 12th February, boasting a vast array of upcoming indie demos from both new and known developers. Many also hosted devstreams and live Q&As to further whet players’ appetites for what awaits on the indie horizon. Spicy Souls-likes, artful adventures, pixel art platformers, quirky crafters - whatever your taste, everyone could easily come away with some favourites. Us included. So here are five memorable demos that captured my heart and made eyes at me long after ending: Hauntii Developer: Moonloop Games Publisher: Firestoke Planned Release Date: Q2 202...

8Feb

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

Twilight Oracle – PC Review

In a world of strange creatures and unknown worlds, a supernatural gift is commonplace and doesn’t stop you from being at the bottom of the class. But even a straight-F student has a chance to orchestrate monumental change. ‘80s-reminiscent developer Cosmic Void returns with another pixel art point-and-click adventure: Twilight Oracle. Blending sci-fi, fantasy and zany antics, it's a bonkers tale that Dalí would take notes from! Struggling student Leo is in quite the pickle. His grades are woeful, his prospects grim and his ability to breathe underwater is going to waste. Brought before the school Magistrate, he is given an ultimatum: redeem himself by retrieving a renegade disciple or be banished and stripped of his gift forever. Well, banishment would be kinda long and boring. And if ...

Mysteries, Myths & Melodies – Steam Next Fest October 2023

6Nov

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

Features

Mysteries, Myths & Melodies – Steam Next Fest October 2023

Any indie gamer knows that one of the best places to find hidden gems is at Steam Next Fest. Three times a year, hundreds of upcoming/newly released games are showcased with playable demos, livestreams and dev Q&A sessions. And it’s where you’ll find me glued to my desk soaking up every last bit of it. Every year the number of incredible demos increases, the wishlist gets ever bigger and we're always here for it! So, having finally been able to fully absorb the sheer volume of great demos on offer, here’s a few that went straight in my basket: Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express Developer: Microids Studio Lyon Publisher: Microids Release Date: 19th October 2023 Platforms: PC, Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch The Belgian de...

9Oct

By Rowen Cameron1 Comment

PC Reviews

Bilkins’ Folly – PC Review

When is a pirate not a pirate? When they’re a ‘treasure hunter’, of course! Sailing, swashbuckling and grog is all fine and dandy, but finding long lost booty is the meat of the matter. Of course, most modern pirate-themed games include this, as they should. But often it’s with the aid of a detailed map, HUD and quest markers. Bilkins’ Folly by Webbysoft takes it firmly back to basics, embracing the maps, methods and mania of a true treasure hunter. Percival Bilkins is the young heir of a line of famous treasure hunters, eager to live up to the family name. His mother and grandfather disappeared when he was just a young boy. Now of age, he sets sail with his faithful dog Drayton on a quest to find them. But a dreadful storm finds the pair shipwrecked on a deserted island without bearing...

26Sep

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Tartarus Key – PC Review

Despite the plethora of high-definition scares out there, low-poly indie horrors have experienced a surge in recent years. There's an audience out there eager for PS1-style spoopy entertainment. Following the success of their visual novel game Aviary Attorney, Portugal-based studio Vertical Reach decided to trade sparrows for scares. From this came The Tartarus Key, a psychological horror adventure game with both a Saw-esque nature and an eldritch aura. You play Alex Young, an average teenager who wakes up in a strange mansion. She has no memory of how she got there, but cameras watch her every move. Doors are locked with puzzles and devious contraptions. And it seems as though she is not the only one trapped here. But things take an ominous turn when Alex begins to hear things, see thi...