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.

Onion Assault – PC Review
PC Reviews

Onion Assault – PC Review

Onion Assault is a 2D platformer now available on PC and Nintendo Switch. It is the latest game by indie developer Hörberg Productions (Gunman Clive, Mechstermination Force). Pick it up in the Nintendo eShop or via Steam starting January 26th. Simple 2D Platforming That is Just Hard Enough for Me to Suck At I can say with nearly 100% confidence that Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System was the first video game I ever played. Unbeknownst to me at that time what a major part video games would take in my life, both as entertainment and a social outlet. What about you, dear reader? What was your first dip into the endless sea of video games? Be sure to let me know after you read my take on Onion Assault. Gameplay The objective of Onion Assault is to defeat the evil C...
Season: A Letter to the Future – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Season: A Letter to the Future – PS5 Review

Games have the power to make us feel and experience stories differently to any other medium. The interactivity delivers in a way that only playing a game can.  Season: A letter to the future is a bicycle road trip of exploration and discovery. The Last Breath of a Season Developed by Scavengers Studio whose vision is to "Find intuitive and impactful ways to participate in interactive entertainment", the game is the Montreal-based team's second major project. It arrives Jan 31st on PS5, PS4, Steam and Epic Games. There are no spoilers ahead in this review so you can go enjoy this adventure for yourself. Gameplay The game sees you take on the role of Estelle, a young woman leaving her secluded village home to explore the world. Being the first to leave your village in a generation...
Forest Ranger Simulator – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Forest Ranger Simulator – PC Preview

Forest Ranger Simulator is a brand new Kickstarter game all about saving nature. Currently under development by FreeMind Games - a Polish development team, release is planned for Q2 2023. So far the title has raised £2,582 of it's £7,550 goal, with 179 backers and 20 days to go. Check it out here; Forest Ranger Simulator Kickstarter. Stats as of 22nd Jan 2023, subject to change Gameplay Forest Ranger Simulator is a first person, exploration sim game about managing a forest. Play as a ranger, manage resources, pick up trash and tend to the environment in this relaxing and thought provoking experience. Played from the first person perspective, players control a pretty basic camera setup. A lack of character body animations means interacting with objects works similar to the old Oblivion...
Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure – PC Early Access Preview
PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure – PC Early Access Preview

Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure is a relaxing, top-down casual game full of exploration and adventure. It hit PC Early Access on Steam in mid-August. Snowcastle Games (Earthlock) is responsible for both development and publishing. Though currently only available on PC, Snowcastle is planning to release Ikonei Island for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4/5, and Xbox One/Series X/S at a later date. It will also eventually be multiplayer. Explore, Adventure, Farm, and Decorate to make Ikonei Island your own! There are plenty of farm/life sim games out there. Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are two of my favorites. Though Ikonei Island isn't necessarily a farm sim game, it definitely scratches the same itch as those others seem to. There seem like so many things you can do that there i...
My Fantastic Ranch – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

My Fantastic Ranch – PS5 Review

Playing video games can have many positive impacts for kids. Hand to eye coordination, problem solving, decision making, reading are but a few of the skills that benefit from a healthy dose of gaming. My Fantastic Ranch is an easy to play management simulation game that you can play with younger kids as an introduction to games. Fantastical Ranching Developed by Piece of Cake Studios, a team based in Paris, the game is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Played here on PS5 the game has a 1.17GB install size. Gameplay My Fantastic Ranch is set in a fantastical world you design and develop a ranch where you adopt Unicorns and Dragons, train and care for them. To advance your ranch you can offer lessons for paying students to earn some ca...
Sweet Transit – PC Review
PC Reviews

Sweet Transit – PC Review

Developed by Ernestas Norvaišas on the MonoGame engine and published by Team17 we have Sweet Transit. Initially released in Q2 2022 and is available on PC Do Not Forget To Signal Join me as I check out just what Sweet Transit has to offer with its multifaceted city-building transport simulator elements. Gameplay At first glance, the game looks like any other sim title of its type. However, it goes a lot deeper and has quite complex mechanics. There are basic sim elements, such as resource collection and goals. Sweet Transit however completely throws you off by not allowing certain buildings to be built anywhere near each other. Now, this is clever in certain ways as it does force you to create trail tracks everywhere. After all, the game is all about the railroads. There is a tutori...
Kirby’s Dream Buffet – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Kirby’s Dream Buffet – Switch Review

Brought to you by Nintendo, developed by HAL Laboratory, and available On the Nintendo Switch. Kirby’s Dream Buffet is recommended for Ages 3+. Gamers will remember and associate Kirby with previous games such as Kirby and The Forgotten Land. We're on a strawberry roll now... Kirby is taking on fall guys! Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a 2D platform game exclusively available for the Nintendo Switch and is rather controversially associated with Mediatonic’s Fall guys – a multiplayer game with a similar goal. Controversially where ‘Fall guys’ offers the ability to play with 60 online players, Kirby currently offers several different modes enabling the game to be played solo (with AI bots) against a friend locally on an additional switch or up to four others online. Gameplay The game has no fix...
Battle Axe – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Battle Axe – PS5 Review

Developed by Henk Nieborg and Bitmap Bureau Ltd we have Battle Axe. The nostalgic-styled hack-n' slash was originally released in 2021 with Q4 2022 release for the Playstation 5 Special edition. Mercia Will Not Rest! So join me as I jump into Mercia with my trusty character on my journey to Etheldred's lair! If you haven't already make sure you also check out our review of Final Vendetta! Gameplay After admiring the Playstation 5 Battle Axe Special Edition sleeve and 13-track OST I thought it was about time I jumped into the game. You are greeted with nothing but stunning pixel art and instantaneously meet your nemesis Etheldred and make your way to the menus. From here you can choose your playstyle (Solo or Co-Op) and amend any settings. Choosing your hero will determine your gameplay...
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration – PC Review
PC Reviews

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration – PC Review

If you were born in the late 70s or into 80s you may have been lucky enough for your parents to have a classic PC in the household, be that an Atari, Commodore or a ZXSpectrum. Now I was one of those lucky children and an Atari ST520 adorned my Dad's office, with my siblings and I fighting over who would get the game time first, before 2 joysticks magically appeared and put a stop to that farse! Atari 50 hopes to bring that all back in the 21st Century! Now in the 2020s Atari has released the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration a broad selection of history and games that span the Atari universe. If you enjoy this review check out my others right here! History Tour or Gaming? Let's start by saying this "game" is huge! I've been playing for quite a while now and barely scratched th...
Surviving the Aftermath: Shattered Hope – PC Review
PC Reviews

Surviving the Aftermath: Shattered Hope – PC Review

Shattered Hope is the latest expansion for Surviving the Aftermath - the first being 'New Alliances'. The Shattered Hope DLC went live on Steam November 3rd 2022, building on the base game which launched October 19th 2019. Since quite a length of time has passed between the base game and the expansion, it makes you wonder what Iceflake Studios have been up to. Well, Shattered Hope brings a ton of new content, modifications and tweaks to the original game. Some of these are based on player feedback - it's refreshing to see a studio that listens to the players. Gameplay Surviving the Aftermath is a colony-sim survival game set in a post-apocalyptic future. Resources are scarce, colonists are valuable and danger is everywhere. The main goal is to create a sustainable settlement, bringing ba...