Tag: Puzzle

Looking for that next puzzle game to stretch those brain muscles? Thumb Culture has news and reviews of the newest puzzling genre games.

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...
Killer Frequency – PC Review
PC Reviews

Killer Frequency – PC Review

Killer Frequency, developed and published by Team 17 Digital, brings a style of game I've never played before. You play a radio host in a small mid western town in the USA and things aren't plain sailing on the night shift! Don't touch that dial! What is your favourite slasher flick? Is it Friday the 13th? Or Does Freddie infiltrate your dreams? Let us know in the comments. Gameplay As soon as I saw the trailers for Killer Frequency, I immediately knew that it was going to be a game for me. Playing as Forrest Nash, a radio host on 189.16, The Scream, you will single-handedly save or completely ruin the night. It is going to be quite hard to cover this game without giving away any spoilers on the story, but here goes. Set in the 1980s you are at the KFAM Radio Station in a small town...
Teslagrad 2 – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Teslagrad 2 – PS5 Review

Back in 2016 I played a game called Teslagrad on PS Vita. I was so wowed by its art design and excellent use of clever gameplay mechanics that I went on to platinum the game and also purchased the physical edition too. It was a critical and commercial hit and needless to say when Teslagrad 2 was announced in 2022 I was excited for its release. Teslagrad 2 - Magnetic Norse Norwegian team Rain Games also shadow-dropped a new remastered version of Teslagrad alongside this sequel. Both are available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. Gameplay Players take on the role of Lumina who is on a quest to return home to her family after her airship is attacked leaving her stranded. Using magnetic abilities to solve puzzles to traverse the treacherous lands of Wyrmh...
Unheard: Voices of Crime Edition – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Unheard: Voices of Crime Edition – Switch Review

Unheard: Voices of Crime Edition by devs NExT Studios and published by 505 Games is an interesting game that mainly uses sound as its primary game mechanic. Available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, I was fortunate enough to put my ears to the test on the Switch version. Being the first time on console, as it has been out on PC since 2019, I felt that this could be a good handheld game to get stuck into. Stop, Look, and Listen. Playing as an acoustic detective. Do you have what it takes to solve the mysteries that are about to be presented to you? Gameplay Unheard: Voices of Crime is a 2D top-down game that presents itself on a single screen. In a nutshell, you play a detective that needs to revisit crime scenes and answer questions about what has happened. It is e...
Shadows of Doubt – PC Preview
Previews & Early Access

Shadows of Doubt – PC Preview

We had a chance to get a sneak peek of Shadows of Doubt, a detective stealth game from ColePowered Games released into Early Access on 24th April 2023 on PC. The Devs boast of an immersive game where you have the freedom to play the game how you want. Let's take a closer look. If in doubt, Stakeout! ColePowered Games offers here a character-rich and immersive detective thriller. Being a crime/detective game fan I had to check this title out. Are you a fan of this style of game? Leave a comment below and let us know what games you enjoy. Gameplay Shadows of Doubt is essentially a detective game, more particularly one with a feel of neo-noir crime drama. While not explained much I got the feeling the character you play is a retired detective. The game starts with a dark room with text sa...
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened – PS5 Review

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is the latest title from Ukrainian developer Frogwares. A remake of the original 2007 release shows the level of commitment Frogwares has to produce titles. H.P Lovecraft comes to 221b Baker Street Sherlock Holmes Chapter One for me was a great title. When Frogwares announced the remake of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened it went straight on my wishlist. Frogwares weren't happy with just a simple remake, opting to change almost everything aside from the overall plot. Quest Design, Voice acting even the ending has changed. This means there is something for everyone whether you are a newcomer or played the original. Gameplay Blending the Lovecraftian world with the rational world of Sherlock Holmes. This dark adventure will push Sherlock to his limits leaving...
Defend The Rook – Xbox Series X Review
Xbox Reviews

Defend The Rook – Xbox Series X Review

Chess. A traditional game as old as time (well 9th century Russia). Some traditions are made to last, King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook and Pawn. But wait! What if the rule book was thrown out of the window and suddenly the rook was the most important character? So what if the others were now a Rogue, a Fighter and a Sorceress? What if the enemy were goblins, orcs, wolves, or giant mushrooms? Is this even chess any more? Well, One Up Plus has stomped all over tradition to make this happen in the form of Defend the Rook. Time to pack a bag full of tactics, skill, logic and mortar and see where this adventure takes me. Defend the Rook - It's a Castle, not a Bird! Can the few outwit, outgun and outplay the many? Time to bring it on and see what I am up against. My hopes are quite high as I ...
Contraptions 2 – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Contraptions 2 – Switch Review

Contraptions 2 is a 2D puzzle game by devs Moragami Co., Ltd and published by Funbox Media & GS2 Games Inc. Available from 27th April, it is the follow-up to the first iteration that was released back in 2019. Available on PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, the concept is to find the physics-based solution in order to eliminate the monsters on the screen. Having not played a game like this since Jeff Tunnell's The Incredible Machine back in 1992 I could not wait to get started! Contraptions 2 - Testing That Brain! Once in a while, a game comes along and it just drains away time. Contraptions 2 is one of them! I have been lucky enough to play it on the Nintendo Switch and I do not know where my evenings have gone. Gameplay Although relatively easy to grasp, Contraptions 2 reli...
Montgomery Fox and the Case of the Missing Ballerinas – PS5 Review
PlayStation Reviews

Montgomery Fox and the Case of the Missing Ballerinas – PS5 Review

Montgomery Fox and the Case of the Missing Ballerinas is a point-and-click puzzle-adventure game developed by Paprikari and published by Big Fish Games and Ocean Media LLC. It is available to pick up on the PlayStation Store for £11.99 On The Prowl For Answers Gameplay In Montgomery Fox and the Case of the Missing Ballerinas, players assume the role of the titular character. Montgomery Fox is a detective looking into the disappearance of several ballerinas and suspects a character named Lazy Dog but lacks the required evidence. Players will enter levels which are hidden object games with clues and evidence to find. While hidden object games make up most of the gameplay, there are a couple of different puzzles. Lost & Found During the hidden object sequences, players will have ...
Papertris – Switch Review
Switch Reviews

Papertris – Switch Review

Papertris is a match 3 game from Germany-based Father and 2 sons developer Paper Games. It is available for the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Today we will be looking at the Nintendo Switch version which will set you back £4.49/$4.99 at the time of writing and will require 346MB of storage. Not Quite Tetris in Name, Not Quite Tetris in Nature Everything from the name and the looks of the game tells you this is going to be something akin to Tetris. But no, not quite. It does feature falling blocks and you do have to make them disappear. But that's about where the similarities end. Gameplay Papertris is a match 3 game. You know the sort, make 3 or more of the same block touch and poof! Bye-bye, blocks! It features power-up blocks that I never quite worked out how they work. Th...