Previews & Early Access

31Mar

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

Hidalgo – PC Preview

Reality and imagination intertwine in Infinite Thread Games' upcoming release Hidalgo. Across five chapters, players will be able to relive some of the most memorable Don Quixote stories told by a mother and her family. After a successful Kickstart campaign, Hidalgo is available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Switch. We tried out the PC version to give you some insight into what to expect from this new cosy game! Over the hills, on the next page, is the next chapter for Don Quixote Gameplay Hidalgo is a simple game with simple mechanics. As you explore La Mancha you will find different collectibles and meet cutesy NPCs that will give you missions which you will have to complete to progress through the chapter. Quests range from simple things such as herding sheep to defeating bosses to ...

28Mar

By Tyler DenyerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Moros Protocol – PC Preview

Moros Protocol is not here to hold your hand. If anything, it’s here to rip it off and beat you over the head with it. Developed by Pixel Reign and published by Super Rare Games, this upcoming roguelite FPS blends the fast-paced brutality of classic shooters with modern procedural chaos. Think Doom meets Dead Space, but pixelated and utterly relentless. We at Thumb Culture got an early preview, and let’s say… we’re already bracing ourselves for the inevitable, repeated deaths. Moros Protocol, The Protocol: Wake Up, Choose Violence You play as Alex, an unfortunate soul who wakes up on The Orpheus, a warship that’s gone from “state-of-the-art military vessel” to “haunted house in space” in record time. The ship is overrun with horrors, and survival is less about heroics and more about m...

25Mar

By CharlotteNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Call of Boba – PC Preview

Like many around the world, I am a fan of bubble tea. And so when the opportunity to play Call of Boba from Tomatoast landed in my inbox, I couldn't say no. The game is available now in early access on Steam for £10.99. You're having a bubble The game markets itself as a cosy pixel art adventure about saving a struggling Boba Tea shop. I've seen many a Boba Tea shop, and I'll be honest I've never seen them struggling. Are you a bubble tea fan? Let us know in the comments below! Gameplay Call of Boba is like a typical cosy game, it eases you in gently with no heavy hitting themes at all. Wait, no. That's not true at all. Starting up the game you're confronted by an overworked Penguin who is disillusioned with their job, terrified of letting down their parents and has overworked them...

Dragonkin: The Banished – PC Early Access Preview

17Mar

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Dragonkin: The Banished – PC Early Access Preview

Eko Software (How to Survive, Warhammer: Chaosbane) teams up with publishing from Nacon for their latest ARPG project Dragonkin: The Banished. Take up the fight as a hero of the realm to fight back draconic forces threatening to corrupt everything. It is now available in Early Access on Steam with a plan for release on consoles at a later date. Dragonkin: The Banished is Certainly Not Eko Software's First Rodeo Having just recently taken a look at Coridden, it felt appropriate that I take a look at another contender in the isometric ARPG genre. Dragonkin: The Banished appears to be a completely different aesthetic though, with a darker but still striking setting. So what else does it have to offer with the experience Eko Software has under their belt? Quite a bit for an early access rele...

13Mar

By Tyler DenyerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Scarlet Hollow – PC Preview

There’s something deeply unsettling about small towns. Maybe it’s how everyone knows your business, or perhaps it’s the sense that you might never leave once you’ve arrived. Scarlet Hollow, developed and published by Black Tabby Games, leans into that creeping dread with a masterful blend of mystery, horror, and pitch, black humour. Best known for Slay the Princess, the indie duo behind Black Tabby Games have crafted another narrative-driven gem where your choices matter, your relationships evolve, and no one is getting out unscathed. With four episodes currently available (out of seven planned) on Steam, Scarlet Hollow is already shaping up to be one of the most immersive experiences in gaming. Scarlet might be Hollow but this game is full of greatness What are you most excited about in...

11Mar

By Tyler DenyerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Augmented Empire – PC Preview

Augmented Empire by Coatsink out on Steam April 16th throws us into the dystopian city of New Savannah, where class divisions are as sharp as a well-maintained katana, and the elite rule from above while the less fortunate scurry below. With a star-studded voice cast, including Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager, Orange is the New Black), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), and Garrick Hagon (Star Wars: A New Hope, Horizon Zero Dawn). But does it deliver? I was given a two-hour preview window to explore its world, command my ragtag squad, and get a feel for the game's turn-based combat. While I can't give a final verdict, there's much to unpack. Gameplay The story is where Augmented Empire shines, or at least flickers ominously, like a broken streetlamp in a bad part of town. ...

7Mar

By StuartNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Atomfall Exclusive Preview

Unless you've been living under a large rock you will have heard of Atomfall, the latest game coming soon from Rebellion. The game is set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster in Northern England. Inspired by the real-life event. You have to explore the quarantine zone, barter with people as well as survive to find out just what is going on. Follow The Leads We were incredibly fortunate to be invited to a special press screening and playtest recently. This is what we experienced. Playtest So, a number of other members of the gaming press were introduced to the game through a short presentation by one of the developers. Once that was all done, we were invited to control a PC running Atomfall remotely. Starting my game a bit further into the game than perhaps I should have....

28Feb

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Sancticide – Early Access PC Preview

Sancticide is an early access third-person action game with souls-like combat and roguelite systems. Red Square Games (SlavicPunk: Oldtimer) and Sylen Studio (The Sin Collector: Repentless) are both developing and publishing the game. Explore the dark world of an apocalypse of biblical proportions today only on Steam. The Apocalypse is a Dark, Brutal Place... Reading up on a game description can really only gets you so far. I really am not sure what I was expecting going into Sancticide. What I found was definitely not it. Have you ever run into this before? Where the content within the game isn't what you were expecting? I mean I had an idea but check out my thoughts in the preview below. Gameplay Sancticide is a third-person action game based in the midst of the biblical apocalyp...

21Feb

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Confronted – PC Preview

Confronted has been out since October last year and was made by Grumpy Rock Studios (I love that name). It’s a new survival-horror which emphasises the use of making your own cover. I’ll find resources and attempt to stay away from what stalks me in the shadows. The game is currently in early access on Steam for £5.99. It only has one chapter right now, with two more on the way. When Confronted, Hide Instead. Confronted’s story starts with a narrated letter from a prisoner named Nicolae. Who is pleading for aid from a woman called Dorinela, who we play as? This leads us to go save him from Castle Radu. Gameplay The gameplay of Confronted so far is mainly walking and hiding. Hiding being the key thing to point out. Really early in the game, we get the turn screw. It’s the tool that ...

Saintess of the Golden Bow – PC Demo Preview

20Feb

By MikeNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Saintess of the Golden Bow – PC Demo Preview

Saintess of the Golden Bow (SotGB) is the latest and first commercial project from Transparent Games and publisher Error 300. Transparent Games is a Polish studio that has made over a dozen free games since 2021. SotGB is a fantasy romance visual novel where the heroine must navigate the responsibilities of the title role and handle romance involving the eligible bachelors who cross your path. Will Cupid's arrow find its mark in Saintess of the Golden Bow? I went into the demo expecting a period romantic drama and was pleasantly surprised. SotGB delivers a spin on the fantasy genre with its world-building and a likeable protagonist in Celeste. It is still in early development as fundraising for the game will come from the developer's Patreon and upcoming Kickstarter campaign. The demo wi...