Previews & Early Access

4Dec

By JoseNo Comments

Comic Book Store Simulator – PC Preview

Comic Book Store Simulator is a small shop-management game where you step into the shoes of a comic shop owner trying to keep a niche business alive. Developed by Akhir Pekan Studio and published by PlayWay S.A., the game tasks you with organizing your store, dealing with thieves, and juggling the constant flow of sales and restocks. I played it on PC, and overall, the game runs rather smoothly with only a couple of minor wrinkles. Organizing the Chaos Running a comic book store might at first sound a bit dull, but as anyone who has spent some considerable amount of time in these nerd dungeons will tell you, it is anything but. As a comic book store crawler myself, I found it intriguing to see the store from the other side of the counter. Let's explore the magic behind running a geek lai...

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault – PC Preview

3Dec

By CharlieNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault – PC Preview

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, developed by Digital Sun and published by 11 bit studios, is a direct sequel to the first Moonlighter game and is available now on Steam in Early Access. The full release date is still to be determined. The sequel picks up the story shortly after where the first game left off. Things aren't looking too great though, as Rynoka has been taken over, forcing everyone to flee and settle somewhere new. Now, their main goal is getting their hometown back. Conveniently, a mysterious, floating vault has appeared in the town square promising to grant wishes, but only if you manage to earn a massive amount of gold. So, it looks like Will is going to have to set up shop once more! Moonlighter 2: Endless Boogaloo? I absolutely love the first Moonlighter game, so I...

28Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

ASKA – PC Early Access Preview

ASKA is an open-world survival, colony management simulator. Currently in development by Sand Sailor Studio (Black The Fall), it is available right now as an early access title with Thunderful Publishing (GODBREAKERS). ASKA is only releasing on PC initially and you can pick it up over on Steam. Make ASKA Your Next Viking Adventure I will admit that I'm fairly sure I've seen advertisements for ASKA come across my feeds on occasion. I didn't look into it further because I heard "Viking" and "survival" and thought of Valheim. What I found was that and so much more; a pleasant surprise. I should have been remembering the fun times I had in Valheim and seeing else ASKA has to offer. Let me tell you why you should too in the review of its current state below. An impressive feature that is some...

28Nov

By CharlieNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Whiskerwood – PC Early Access Preview

Whiskerwood is a settlement management simulation, brought to you by developer Minakata Dynamics and publisher Hooded Horse. It released into Early Access on Steam on November 6th. You are put in charge of a colony of mice on an untouched island, where you will need to manage your resources, set up production chains, and ensure the general welfare of your little Whiskers, all while trying to grow your home. The cats have taken over! Today, I am diving back into Whiskerwood to check out the newly released Early Access version! I previously played and reviewed the demo version, so feel free to check out that article before reading this one. While the general gameplay loop has stayed the same, there have been some really major updates that open the game wide up. I'm excited to talk about th...

The Last Caretaker – PC Early Access Preview

5Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

The Last Caretaker – PC Early Access Preview

The Last Caretaker is a first-person crafting survival game by developers Channel37. Embark upon a voyage on the vast planet-wide ocean while searching for clues to restore humanity. Explore, craft, and survive against rogue robots and a corruption spread across everything. The game is available starting November 6ths on Steam and the Epic Games store, with a later date planned for consoles. Last and Lonely Caretaker There have been so many survival crafting games over the past ten years or so that I've lost count. Too many involve zombies. Even more involve some facet of PvP as a core mechanic. But The Last Caretaker looks a bit different. A bit less jumpy and much more inquisitive. So what are my thoughts on the game as it hits early access? Check them out below. Gameplay The Las...

28Oct

By Olivia HoultonNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

House Builder 2 – PC Preview

Built on the foundations made by House Builder in 2024, House Builder 2 paves its way into the simulation genre. Developed by FreeMind S.A. and published by PlayWay S.A., House Builder 2 is available now on Steam. Let's Get Building! House Builder 2 was released in early access, with the intention of developing it using feedback from its players. Therefore, this preview is based on its current early access state. Gameplay As the name suggests, the premise is, of course, to build houses! While the first task gives you a teeny introduction into the game by building fences, it isn’t long until you are chucked into the deep end. By the second task, you are well on your way to building your first house. After being given the blueprints of what the customer wants, you then need to trave...

22Oct

By Ruddy Celestial1 Comment

Previews & Early Access

Frosthaven – PC Preview

Frosthaven is a RPG, Strategy game from Sanpshot Games. Fun fact, some of these developers actually worked on the X-COM games before forming Snapshot Games. Which greatly explains the RTS in a bird's eye view whole aesthetics. I have hundreds of hours under the X-COM flag. Besides at the very least a point-blank shot doesn't have a chance to completely miss. You must choose who to fight as from a list of six characters, but why did you choose the same character FOUR TIMES!!!!! The game is out now in Early Access on Steam. Which means this will be a nice little preview, rather then a full review. Being a multiplayer game, and to get a proper feel for it, I grabbed Thumb Culture's Stu, Kyle and Nathan, then headed on in. If you're specifically looking for my thoughts on the latest updat...

3Oct

By CharlieNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Eat The Rich – PC Preview

Eat the Rich is a multiplayer party game all about alliances, betrayals, and secret advantages. Developed by Maccima Games and published by Monstronauts, it was released on Steam into Early Access on September 10th. Sounds like Food Poisoning to me Who doesn't love a good party game? What about a mediocre one? While it's great when game developers have many ideas for their game, maybe putting all of them in at once isn't the best idea. Let's get into it! Gameplay Eat the Rich is a multiplayer party game in which you scramble through mini-games, betray your friends, and ruthlessly compete to be as rich as anyone could possibly ever be! Imagine a weird mix between Jackbox Party and Among Us. The main difference is that those games are actually fun to play. Eat the Rich tries to throw...

25Sep

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Jump Space – PC Preview

Jump Space is a co-op, mission-based FPS that just launched into early access on Steam and Xbox. For this preview we got hands on with the PC version. Gather up to three of your friends and follow developer Keepsake Games into the void of space. You'll crew your own ship, fight in space and on the ground, and work together against a spreading robotic corruption. Join the resistance today! Jump... and Shoot and Fly and Loot! Ok before we get into it, I need to own up to something. In my opinion the Jump to Lightspeed content in Star Wars Galaxies was peak for me. It was my first experience in an MMO and I absolutely loved getting into space on a ship of my own or as part of a crew for someone else. It was a highlight in my gaming experience that I will forever pursue to feel again. Wh...

23Sep

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Rita – PC Preview

If you too are mourning the loss of the NY Times mini crossword to the deplorable paywall, then maybe this will tickle your fancy. Rita by Sporktank is an upcoming, crossword solving adventure where you play as a small chick Rita and learn about your world. The demo launched earlier this month and I was lucky enough to snatch it away from everyone else at Thumb Culture! Okay so one down is... something you play? Does this cosy little adventure have a lot of promise? Or is it a failed wordsearch looking for a dictionary? Well, let me tell you everything I know about little Rita. You can try out the demo for yourself here! Gameplay The focus of Rita is the word games. You waddle around the map, collect letters and then solve puzzles that affect the world around you. Starting as a hat...