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.

Swordship – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Swordship – PS5 Review

I love when indie developers put a fresh take on beloved game genres. That's exactly what Digital Kingdoms have delivered with Swordship. Dubbed a "dodge'em up" this, the fourth title from the Swiss team is their most ambitious game yet! Bringing a Swordship to a Gunfight Set in a world where most of the lands have become submerged by the seas, most of humanity has moved to three huge underwater cities. While these cities bustle with trade through a constant flow of containers filled with goods, there are those banished from the cities that struggle to survive in the remaining barren and inhospitable lands. Rising up against the big cities, skilled pilots use lightning-fast ships to steal some of the containers and deliver them to the banished. You are one such pilot. Gamep...
Death Squared – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Death Squared – Switch Review

Developed by SMG Studio, Death Squared is a fun multiplayer puzzle game that puts up to 4 players in control of cute robotic cubes to solve individual test rooms. Published in 2017, this game came to my attention when I was looking for a cooperative game to enjoy with my wife. After many hours of joyful and successful puzzle completions – and possibly some accidental and vengeful friendly fire – I am happy to be able to review my ongoing experience. While I am playing it on the Switch, Death Squared is also available on Steam, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS and Android. Death Squared - Try Not to Die! Death Squared presents players with individual puzzle levels, reminiscent of Portal testing rooms, where players have to cooperate and coordinate their cube-shaped robots (often with chicken ...
Horse Club Adventures 2: Hazelwood Stories – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Horse Club Adventures 2: Hazelwood Stories – Switch Review

Horse Club Adventures 2: Hazelwood Stories, published by Wild River Games, is a single-player casual adventure sim and the second in the Horse Club Adventure series. Available across all consoles as well as PC, I had a play through of the game on my Nintendo Switch Lite. Prepare to meet the neigh-bours! If you are looking for a casual, easy-going game to play, then this may just be it. Saddle up and come and see what I made of Horse Club Adventures 2: Hazelwood Stories! Gameplay Set in autumn, in a village called Lakeside, the aim of the game is to meet up with friends, go riding and take part in quests! At the very beginning, you get to create your own character, customising not only yourself but also your horse. You can change the colour and markings as well as choose a man...
Ashina: The Red Witch – PC Review
PC Reviews

Ashina: The Red Witch – PC Review

Developed by Stranga Games, Ashina: The Red Witch is a casual 2D pixel puzzle game which hit Steam on 4th June 2022. With heavy elements of exploration, story-telling and adventure, Ashina offers a casual yet joyful single-player experience for all audiences. Available for PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One and Vita, the base game is priced at £7.19 with an optional stories bundle for just £5.00 more. Ashina: The Red Witch's ESRB rating is currently pending. About | Stranga Games Stranga is a solo indie developer based in New South Wales, and is responsible for titles such as Red Bow, Scared to Play and My Big Sister. All of these games are of similar style, and review very well. Being my first time hearing of Stranga, I'm excited to play Ashina: The Red Witch.  Story "Join Ash on the journe...
Shatter Remastered Deluxe – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Shatter Remastered Deluxe – PS5 Review

Classics like Breakout and Arkanoid are beloved titles that defined the brick breaker genre. In 2009 Shatter turned things on their head by bringing new game mechanics, redefining what a brick breaker could be. Shatter Remastered Deluxe brings the award-winning game back for the modern generation. Shatter High Scores Based in New Zealand, BAFTA and DICE Award nominated developer PikPok have a wealth of experience having released a catalogue of games across different genres since 1997. Played here on the PS5 the game is also available on PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Linux and Steam Deck. Gameplay There's an iconic scene in the beloved 1995 movie Hackers that captures the beauty of Arcade games. As Cowgirl by Underworld blasts from the speakers, protagonist Dade aka...
Tin Hearts – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Tin Hearts – PC Preview

Tin Hearts has been lovingly created by Rogue Sun, published by Wired Productions and will release soon on Steam for PC. In this 3D puzzler, players "Guide a troop of tin soldiers through a magical toy-filled world, in this immersive puzzle adventure game from members of the team that brought you Fable." Lionhead Studios?! Yes, you did read that right. Rogue Sun is comprised of ex Lionhead Studios developers - the team who brought us the legendary Fable franchise. When Microsoft chose to shutdown Lionhead in 2016, it was a blow felt by all gamers, sparking controversy still talked about today. Seeing the developers back in action is fantastic, but this certainly adds a level of expectation to the title. Will Tin Hearts meet those expectations? Well, if Gamescom 2022 is anything to go by ...
You Suck At Parking – PC Review
PC Reviews

You Suck At Parking – PC Review

You Suck At Parking (YSAP) is a driving sim where the aim is to go from A to B and park. However, that is not as simple as it sounds with numerous obstacles along the way, just like real-life driving. Buckle up for a high-octane experience where P marks the (parking) spot. YSAP is developed and published by indie Belgian studio Happy Volcano (The Almost Gone). And it is available now on PC and Xbox series S/X. Prove your skills at the wheel in You Suck At Parking I was excited to play YSAP after seeing the spin on the racing genre and it didn't disappoint. Let us know what you thought in the comments below. Gameplay You Suck At Parking takes the simple concept of parking a car and turns it into the most frustratingly fun game I've played in a while. While it began simply to ease pl...
Tiny Troopers: Global Ops – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Tiny Troopers: Global Ops – PC Preview

Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a fast-paced arcade twin-stick shooter which is due to be launched on Steam, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation. Starting out life on mobile, how will the game translate to console and PC? Well, lets take a look at this early access PC edition! This title was developed by Epiphany Games, Kukouri Mobile Entertainment and published by Wired Productions. Fire At Will... Which one's Will?! Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is full to the brim with some of the best humour I've seen in a video game. Listen out for the enemy's jokes and let me know below which one's your favourite. Welcome to TALON. That's short for; Tactical, Armour, Logistics, Operations and Negotiations. Apparently we're some kind of mercenary team, up for hire to any government with a mess to clean up a...
Camp Canyonwood – PC Early Access Preview
Previews & Early Access

Camp Canyonwood – PC Early Access Preview

Camp Canyonwood is a life sim and management game that places you as the head counsellor of summer camp. It is in development by Deli Interactive LLC (We Need To Go Deeper) with publishing by Graffiti Games (Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, Blue Fire). It is only available on PC and became available via Early Access on Steam on August 4, 2022 with a full release pending for 2023. Take the Lead as Counsellor of Camp Canyonwood Summer camp was never really something I personally took part in much growing up. I'm pretty sure my experiences were limited to some day camps sponsored by the YMCA. I suppose I did attend a week-long camp a summer or two for Boy Scouts as well, but don't particularly remember really enjoying it as I mostly just got homesick. Camp Canyonwood is interesting because i...
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection – PS5 Review

Developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Konami, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is a title that will send most retro-specialists into hyperdrive. We Are In A Sewer! I Am Gonsta Talk About The Turtles! The moment I saw the release of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection I knew it had to be a title I owned. Primary school me would have gone absolutely crazy for a title like this! I am not going to lie, I did a little dance knowing I would finally get my hands on it. Grab yourself a pizza and read on! Gameplay Growing up with TMNT felt like a right of passage when I was younger, everyone talked about them, created their own little adventures with the action figures and even listened to the OST on vinyl. Back in the day, I would be getting...