Tag: Casual

If you’re looking for a game that won’t take up too much time or brain space, come browse the Thumb Culture news pieces and reviews of the latest casual games.

Martian Panic – PC Review
PC Reviews

Martian Panic – PC Review

Run! NYX Digital Ltd has sent Martians to invade us with help from Funbox Media Ltd. They'll be arriving June 30th this year! Luckily we can fight back in Martian Panic, an arcade shooter. It'll be available on Steam for those who love rail shooters. Get off my planet! I don't play a lot of rail shooters, and the last one I could recall playing was Silent Hill; I must have wasted a good few tokens on that. I thought I would try and give the rail shooter genre another go and thought Martian Panic would be a good start. The visuals looked fun, and the characters seemed whacky. Let me know in the comment below what rail shooters you would recommend.   Gameplay There are several characters for players to choose from, such as the travelling salesman or a teenage girl who is secretly an ...
Pile Up! – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Pile Up! – PC Preview

Pile Up! is a quirky, relaxing, strategic game in which players need to build and create communities to fulfil the requests of the inhabitants. Given only a small piece of land to develop on, this leads to some pretty whacky designs and interesting constructs. But don't get too comfortable, as chilled and relaxed as the game may be, things can quickly fall apart. Pile Up! has been developed by Remoob and published by Next in Game & IndieArk. Hearing about Remoob for the first time? Well, Remoob is a small indie company based in Turkey that aims to develop "games that feel noteworthy... with unique atmospheres". Remoob have a few other games, so be sure to check out their developer page on Steam, or their website if you enjoy this preview. Brick by Brick Each structure advertently ...
Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine – PC Review
PC Reviews

Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine – PC Review

The development team at Headup Development has brought us the diabolical game known as Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine. Players may know Dr. Fetus as the main antagonist from the Super Meat Boy franchise. If you are familiar with the game Puyo Puyo, then players can try this new puzzle arcade with a large-difficulty twist. Where? You might ask well it's out now on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch for £7.99. A demo is also available on Steam for those who are cautious and know what the world of Super Meat Boy is like. Who knew evil could look so cute? I remember playing Super Meat Boy and never beating the game. When I saw this game released, you know what they say about the cat? I enjoy playing challenging games such as the Soulsborne games or the Nioh franchise, so why not try a puzzle ...
Halls of Torment PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Halls of Torment PC Preview

Halls of Torment is a fantasy horde survival roguelite. It is developed and published by Chasing Carrots (Good Company, Pressure Overdrive). You can find it out now in Early Access on Steam. Halls of Torment is Another Steam Deck Staple I've never really been into horde survival games. I held out a long time before finally picking up Vampire Survivors when it suddenly became so popular. But once I did get around to it I could understand why. Halls of Torment is looking like it will be the same way. I've already added it to my list of games that will always be available on my Steam Deck. The list isn't long yet, but any game that is as simple and entertaining to pick up for a quick session should be there. What's on your list? Gameplay Halls of Torment is one of the latest horde surviva...
Catgotchi: Virtual Pet – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Catgotchi: Virtual Pet – Switch Review

Catgotchi: Virtual Pet has been out for around 2 months now, and RedDeer.Games brings a nostalgic twist on a new game. Bringing the Tamagotchi to life! Raising Cats the Old Fashioned Way Random call to action now... what's your favourite breed of cat? Go on, let us know in the comments down below. Gameplay Catgotchi: Virtual Pet is cute. It really really is. It is also going to cater to a certain demographic of gamers. So what do we get up to on Catgotchi? Effectively your aim is to raise a healthy and happy cat. Choosing from one of 3 breeds to start with you clean up their poop, feed them, give them water and play with them. If you manage to get a cat to full adulthood a couple of times it unlocks the next set of cat breeds to choose from. Be careful though, as although you can st...
Tin Hearts – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Tin Hearts – PS5 Review

Tin Hearts is a puzzle platformer from developers Rogue Sun released on 16th May on all platforms. The game is the first official game released by Rogue Sun. They boast that some of the members of the dev team worked on Fable, a popular action adventure. Having seen the trailer I knew I had to take a closer look at this game which looked quirky, challenging, and had a good narrative. Let's see what it is all about. Get stuck into this Tin-spiring Tale I always find myself drawn to puzzle, narrative-driven games. Something is compelling about working through this kind of game and uncovering an overreaching story. One that comes to mind is The Witness where you journey in solitude through the game solving puzzles and learning more about the story as you progress. This game looks to be simi...
Garden Simulator – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Garden Simulator – Switch Review

Attention all green-fingered and single-player casual gamers! Garden Simulator is out now on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Developed by PRODUKTIVKELLER Studios, who seemingly like to shout their name out loud, it is time to have some fun carrying out virtual gardening. To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow While gardening in real life is seen as a fairly chilled-out affair (most of the time), I was intrigued to see how the past time would translate to the digital world. Granted there would be no sweat, dirty hands or knees as well as vicious cuts from pruning roses! Gameplay In a nutshell, the idea of Garden Simulator is to make the most of your patch of land. You have inherited a cabin with a garden in the woods. With only one area unlocked, to begin with. You must ...
Gym Empire: Gym Tycoon Sim Manager – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Gym Empire: Gym Tycoon Sim Manager – PC Preview

Gym Empire - Gym Tycoon Sim Management is the latest simulation game brought to our screens. Gym Empire comes from the minds of developer and publisher Chronik Spartan with a planned release date of the 21st of July 2023.  What is your passion? Gym Empire is the newest addition to the simulation management genre. It aims to bring the fun that was seen when games such as Theme Hospital and Two Point Hospital were released. Embark on an adventure working your way from the bottom to a gym empire. Gameplay You begin your journey as a personal trainer, who has a dream of becoming a gym tycoon. Starting from the bottom of the chain, your role is to build your popularity and reputation rankings to obtain your dream. There are multiple tools to help you achieve this, as well as different ...
Mountaincore – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Mountaincore – PC Preview

Mountaincore (formerly known as King Under the Mountain) is a fantasy colony sim, now available for PC in Early Access. Taking inspiration from Dungeon Keeper and Dwarf Fortress with the art/design style of Prison Architect, Mountaincore has been a passion project of developer Rocket Jump Technology for nearly a decade. The development cycle seems to have had its ups and downs over those years, but it is now available for further community playtesting and input via the developer's Discord server. You can pick it up over on Steam, Epic, and Itch.io. Throw Out the Micromanagement in Mountaincore I've spent my fair share of time in Rimworld. And just like many people probably will at first glance, I instantly thought Mountaincore was a Rimworld rip-off. It has the same art style and core me...
Park Beyond – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Park Beyond – PC Preview

Fans of Theme Park, rejoice! Park Beyond by devs Limbic Entertainment and publishers Bandai Namco possibly have the fix that you have been seeking! Out across PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC on 16th June, are you ready to create the ultimate theme park? Become the Theme Park Master! I have been fortunate to have had a play on Park Beyond prior to the closed beta. Was it the thrilling "off the rails" game I was hoping for? Would it invoke my past Theme Park memories? Let's find out. Gameplay The preview that I played included the first 3 missions of the campaign and some time on Exploration Park within the sandbox mode. Upon loading up Park Beyond I had an inclination as to what I was expecting. Some sort of walled grassy area where I could deploy rides and connect with paths. Rig...