Strategy

19Sep

By CharlieNo Comments

Whiskerwood – PC Demo Preview

Whiskerwood is a settlement management simulation game from developer Minakata Dynamics and publisher Hooded Horse. The game is set to release on Steam in 2025, with a demo going live today too. Lead a colony of mice on untouched islands. Manage your resources, production chains, and the needs of your Whiskers while growing your settlement. All while surviving under the oppressive paw of your cat overlords. Just be sure to pay your taxes on time, or there will be consequences. Loving cats and settlement management games, I fell head over heels for Whiskerwood when I first saw it at the PC Gaming Show this year. I instantly put my hand up to cover this little preview for Thumb Culture. So let's get stuck in. Monarch Cat Overlords? So just a normal cat. This preview could have been writ...

17Sep

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Frostpunk 2 – PS5 Review

I was a big fan of Frostpunk when it released on consoles in 2019. Fast forward six years later, and console gamers finally get their hands on Frostpunk 2. Developer 11 bit studios first released their follow-up title in 2024 for PC (Thumb Culture even reviewed that version), garnering positive reviews across the board. But how does the console version fare? Is this city building, survival title a big improvement over the original game? Let's find out! Put a Jacket on; It's a Bit Nippy Outside! It may be worth noting that this is the first time I've played Frostpunk 2, so there won't be much comparison to the PC version. If you've got any thoughts or opinions on the original release, I'd love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below, but for now, it's on with the review! Game...

Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids – PC Review

10Sep

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

PC Reviews

Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids – PC Review

Chip 'n Clawz vs. The Brainiods is a new 3rd person strategy action game by the creator of X-COM, Julian Gollop, and Snapshot Games (Phoenix Point). With publishing by Arc Games (Remnant II, Torchlight 3), play solo or with a friend to save the planet's supply of Brainium from the invading Brainiods. You can pick it up today for PC via Steam or Epic, PS5 or Xbox. Today I'm taking a look at the PC version which is £25 on Steam. Meet Your Next Comedic Gaming Duo: Chip 'n Clawz! Duos seem to be a common theme in 3d action platformers. The obvious and most direct comparison here would be between Chip 'n Clawz vs. The Brainioids and the well-known Ratchet & Clank series. Both feature a humanoid and their robot sidekick with a world to save. Regardless of similarities though, the trailer c...

11Aug

By Ruddy Celestial1 Comment

Previews & Early Access

Frosthaven – PC Preview

Frosthaven is a RPG, Strategy game from Sanpshot Games. Fun fact, some of these developers actually worked on the X-COM games before forming Snapshot Games. Which greatly explains the RTS in a bird's eye view whole aesthetics. I have hundreds of hours under the X-COM flag. Besides at the very least a point-blank shot doesn't have a chance to completely miss. You must choose who to fight as from a list of six characters, but why did you choose the same character FOUR TIMES!!!!! The game is out now in Early Access on Steam. Which means this will be a nice little preview, rather then a full review. Being a multiplayer game, and to get a proper feel for it, I grabbed Thumb Culture's Stu, Kyle and Nathan, then headed on in. Gameplay Frosthaven uses a card system to do both movement and ...

6Aug

By CharlieNo Comments

PC Reviews

Block Factory – PC Review

Block Factory is a new, relaxing creative building game that hit the market on July 11th on Steam. In this game, developed by OverPowered Team and published by Shiro Unlimited, you get to build and optimize factories to create your own 3D figurines from building bricks. A Solid Foundation? My hopes for this game were pretty high, but unfortunately, some early performance issues let me down quite a bit. I don't believe that it's a bad game, but it sure took me for a ride. Oh, and just so you know, my factories in the screenshots are such a mess and, uhh, let's call it "compact", in order to avoid performance issues. Yeah totally, that's why. Nooo other reason, I swear! I'm not bad at optimising, maybe YOU are bad at optimising. I think you're projecting, really. Anyways, moving on. ...

2Aug

By Tyler DenyerNo Comments

PC Reviews

The King Is Watching – PC Review

Hypnohead, the quirky minds behind The King Is Watching (out now on Steam), have teamed up with publishing powerhouse tinyBuild to deliver a truly unusual blend of strategy, roguelite and pixel-art kingdom micromanagement. In this kingdom, the King's literal Gaze decides what can exist, function, and survive. But what caught our eye (pun intended?) is an adorable duck with glasses. He takes over to advise during the tutorial and the first time doing new maps, but unfortunately, that is all you see of him. The King Is Watching — Let's hope he is entertained. So, before we dive into the meat of the review, drop your favourite King—real or fictional—in the comments. We want to know whether it's King Arthur, Dedede, or King Julian. Because the King may be watching, but we're reading. Ga...

28Jul

By Tyler DenyerNo Comments

PC Reviews

Let Them Trade – PC Review

City builders can often be an overwhelming juggling act of spinning plates and spreadsheet economics, but Let Them Trade tosses that stress out the castle window and invites you into a cosy world of carved wooden cuties and economic hijinks. Developed by Spaceflower and published by ByteRockers' Games, the game is out now on Steam, This Game Is Well Made So - Let Them Trade With its whimsical tone, charming visuals, and intuitive gameplay, it's hard not to smile, even when bandits are cheekily robbing your merchant carts. But what really sets Let Them Trade apart? The king doesn't rule alone. No, his most trusted advisor is an adorably smug squirrel named Mr. Nuts, who perches loyally on his shoulder and, frankly, steals every scene he's in. So before you read on, tell us: who's your fa...

No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – PC Review

25Jul

By Ruddy CelestialNo Comments

PC Reviews

No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – PC Review

No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is an Adventure game, made by the wild minds from Spike Chunsoft. They're behind not only this series, but many others like Danganronpa and Stein's Gate. Basically, most of my favourite story telling adventure games came from this company. No Sleep for Kaname Date is the third instalment of the AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES series and launches today (25th July) on Steam. As someone who's invested over a combined 80 hours from the first two alone, this was actually an amazing addition. Remember, when you're feeling sad or lost, just pick up a Porn-o mag to wash away the pain. When it comes to the timeline of the game, this one take place between both the first game and nirvanA Initiative. Getting to do the puzzles so blind that I had no guides...

15Jul

By CharlieNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Worship – PC Early Access Preview

Get ready to embark on a new, dark journey into the occult in Worship, the new cultist-themed roguelite game by Chasing Rats Games. Originally set for a 2022 release, the game makes its Early Access debut on July 16th on Steam! A potential "Cult" Classic? From the title alone, I came here expecting a game along the lines of Cult of the Lamb, I left playing… Pikmin? To be fair, there are noticeable differences between Pikmin and Worship. In one of them, you can have your minions fight to the death for you and your cause, often dying brutally and unnecessarily due to preventable situations that you have put them in, and in Worship you can draw pretty shapes! All jokes aside, I've had a great time playing so far. It is even more fun than I expected it to be! I think we already have a great ...

Hotel Architect – PC Early Access Preview

20May

By CharlieNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Hotel Architect – PC Early Access Preview

Step into the chaotic life of being a hotel owner in Hotel Architect! Developed by Pathos Interactive and published by Wired Production, this hotel construction and tycoon management game allows you to build your hotel from the ground up and to tackle the challenging demands of your guests. Get ready to check in for Early Access today on Steam! Is Breakfast Included? I've got high hopes for this one! The game is still “under construction” but already feels very nice and smooth to play. It's got quite a bit of content already, too! I'm excited to jump into the game, especially since my knowledge of hotels in general is very limited. All I really know is the fact that even looking at the mini-bar will most likely bankrupt you immediately. Do you have any fun hotel stories to tell? What ...