Previews & Early Access

15Jul

By CharlieNo Comments

Worship – PC Early Access Preview

Get ready to embark on a new, dark journey into the occult in Worship, the new cultist-themed roguelite game by Chasing Rats Games. Originally set for a 2022 release, the game makes its Early Access debut on July 16th on Steam! A potential "Cult" Classic? From the title alone, I came here expecting a game along the lines of Cult of the Lamb, I left playing… Pikmin? To be fair, there are noticeable differences between Pikmin and Worship. In one of them, you can have your minions fight to the death for you and your cause, often dying brutally and unnecessarily due to preventable situations that you have put them in, and in Worship you can draw pretty shapes! All jokes aside, I've had a great time playing so far. It is even more fun than I expected it to be! I think we already have a great ...

1Jul

By PaulNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Dispatch – PC Preview

As an avid enjoyer of choice-heavy, consequences-matter games, I was sad to see the death of the original Telltale Games in 2018. While the studio kind of reformed in 2019, they're yet to release a new game. Some of the staff who left Telltale in 2016/17 came together in 2018 to created AdHoc Studio. They wanted their own studio where they could take the narrative genre beyond what Telltale was doing and where risks could be taken that would otherwise be avoided at a large company. Finally, in 2025, AdHoc are nearing the release of their first game. Dispatch is a superhero, work-place comedy with a stellar voice cast and an authentic, comic-book visual style. Z-uper Heroes — From Z to A? Robert Robertson, also known as MechaMan, has broken his mechanical suit in a battle with his neme...

30Jun

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Small Spaces – PC Preview

Decorating goes to the next level in Niklas Tomkowitz' Small Spaces. With nine compact apartments to transform and over 500 stylish furniture pieces to play with, we jumped into this cosy interior design sim to find out if it’s a relaxing creative escape or just another cluttered concept. Small spaces with big opportunities! Small Spaces is now in Early Access on Steam for £10.99. Is it more of a DIY SOS or dream property ? Let's find out. Gameplay Fans of build mode in The Sims will feel right at home in Small Spaces. There are three styles to choose from, each with a different size and layout of a building. The first room you decorate is a small studio to teach you the basics of placing and how to complete jobs. Each level has a checklist of items you need to complete the room, a...

Netherworld Covenant – PC Early Access Preview

29Jun

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Netherworld Covenant – PC Early Access Preview

Netherworld Covenant is an isometric crossover of souls-like and roguelite gameplay in development by MadGoat Game Studio with publishing by Infini Fun. Obtain souls of the fallen in the form of companion abilities and create unique builds to suit your preferred playstyle as you fight between realms. The game is now available in Early Access for PC on Steam and Epic. Who Put these Dodge Mechanics in my Roguelite?!? Yep. It's me. Here with yet another roguelite. I will note that the game describes itself as a roguelike rather than a roguelite, and I was curious to see how it plays differently than others I have recently spent time with reviewing. Needless to say, Netherworld Covenant caught me a bit off guard with a more unique playstyle that took a little getting used to. Check out my th...

Chronicles Of The Wolf – PC Demo Preview

20Jun

By JoseNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Chronicles Of The Wolf – PC Demo Preview

Chronicles Of The Wolf is a metroidvania so fiercely loyal to its source material that it could have fooled me into believing it was made in the early 90s. As cliché and overused as it may sound, the game is a true love letter to the roots of the genre. Whilst the game is available now on Steam this is a preview article of the demo only. A Nostalgic Throwback, For Better And For Worse As soon as you open the game, your senses teleport you back to a time when the internet made strange noises, phones had long curly cords, and televisions were as heavy as modern fridges. The menu options, the eerie retro music, and the 32-pixel resolution all work together in harmony to deliver an incredibly immersive experience. Let's check it out. Gameplay You play as Mateo Lombardo, an initiate of ...

18Jun

By MichaelNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Sintopia – PC Preview

A God sandbox, meets micromanagement simulator? Sign me up! Think Black & White meets Theme Hospital, and when you add in the cartoonish humour of Worms you might just find yourself in a gaming Utopia Sintopia. Developed by Piraknights Games, a Sintopia demo can be downloaded from Steam right now. Early Access is planned for 4th September 2025. I Write Sins This is my first contribution to the Thumb Culture community, so I wanted to have a go with something that really stood out for me. And what stood out the most was the prominent character of Lili, advertising the PC game Sintopia. My initial reaction was “What in the mobile gaming ad hell?” but my concern was immediately laid to rest when I found that this game was published by Team 17. The company that gave us the excellent Worms...

17Jun

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Ritual of Raven – PC Demo Preview

Cosy? I’m listening. Colourful? Go on. Collectathon farming sim that celebrates all things witchy? You had my curiosity, now you have my attention! Ritual of Raven is the next wholesome outing developed by the aptly named Spellgarden Games—creators of the highly popular Sticky Business—and published by Team 17. Celebrating the practices of the craft and with a unique take on farming and tarot, it has all the hallmarks of an experience that speaks to the witch in all of us. Witch Card is your Card? Out of nowhere, you are promptly plucked from your grad student life and sucked through a portal to the magical village of Nevar. Under the tutelage of the witch Sage, you learn the fundamentals of witchcraft, gaining a familiar in the process. But Sage reluctantly departs through a portal ...

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers – Preview Event

16Jun

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Features, Previews & Early Access

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers – Preview Event

When I was asked by the Senior Editors here at Thumb Culture if I wanted to attend a preview event of Leenzee and 505 Games upcoming title Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, I'm sure you can guess my answer. Even if I had to make my way from Wales to that there London! I had intended to go into this game blind upon launch, but who can say no to playing a game early and getting to chat to the developers about it? Warning, the GIFs used in this article may contain flashing images! Destiny is a heavy burden for such small wings. For those who aren’t aware of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, it’s an upcoming Souls-like game with a Chinese Mythology setting. If you know how most Souls-likes go, then you’re fully aware of what to expect, but there are a couple cool things to point out. If you’re wondering ...

10Jun

By PaulNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Cairn – PS5 Preview

Climbing a mountain is one of those activities that seems exciting and life changing, but one that I will never actually do because of the risks, much in the same way as skydiving, spelunking, and weekend trips to IKEA. Cairn aims to deliver at least one of those experiences to you without the risk of flat pack divorce. Following Sony PlayStation's State of Play showcase on 4th June, a PS5 demo was released, and I wasted no time clambering into it. I'm amazed by The Game Bakers' apparent ability to turn their craft to vastly different genres of video game. From the ultra-fast twin-stick shooter Furi, to laid back adventure narrative Haven, and now a surprisingly deep mountain climbing/survival simulation. They've even tackled a drag-and-fling, top-down RPG about squids. Is there nothing...

Deadzone: Rogue – PC Early Access Preview

6Jun

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Deadzone: Rogue – PC Early Access Preview

Deadzone: Rogue is a roguelite FPS by Prophecy Games (Tribes 3) now available in Early Access via Steam or Epic. Live, die, repeat in this foray onto a drifting colony ship to Mars that never made it. Fight your way through bots, cyborgs, and even reanimated corpses as you search for answers not only about the ship but about yourself. Going Rogue in the Deadzone Deadzone: Rogue has been on my radar for a while now. I spent a good amount of time playing the demo, which left me wanting more. Even as an Early Access launch, the game has not been disappointing in the slightest. Check out my thoughts on this latest roguelite below! Gameplay Deadzone: Rogue is a first person shooter roguelite that can be played solo or co-op. As a [insert spoiler here], fight and die to upgrade and fight...