Strategy

28Nov

By Ruddy CelestialNo Comments

Vivid World – PC Review

Vivid World is an Action, Adventure, Strategy game from Asobism. The successor to another game from Asobism called Vivid Knight released back on May 26, 2021. Available on Steam, this is an adorable dark pastel game that gives me notes of games like Labrinth of Refrain and Etrian Odyssey for their party build mechanics. Bejeweled except if people were trapped inside and you just have to get 3 to level them up. Vivid World has a good amount of pros and cons to how their system works. However the game's mechanics simple and easy to grasp once you go through your first dungeon. But, enough of that. Let's grab as many crystals as we can and get to the review before someone runs out of mana. Gameplay You play as Lemuria, a witch in training who was just in class as usual, when out of no...

28Nov

By CharlieNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Whiskerwood – PC Early Access Preview

Whiskerwood is a settlement management simulation, brought to you by developer Minakata Dynamics and publisher Hooded Horse. It released into Early Access on Steam on November 6th. You are put in charge of a colony of mice on an untouched island, where you will need to manage your resources, set up production chains, and ensure the general welfare of your little Whiskers, all while trying to grow your home. The cats have taken over! Today, I am diving back into Whiskerwood to check out the newly released Early Access version! I previously played and reviewed the demo version, so feel free to check out that article before reading this one. While the general gameplay loop has stayed the same, there have been some really major updates that open the game wide up. I'm excited to talk about th...

26Nov

By JasonNo Comments

PC Reviews

Anno 117: Pax Romana – PC Review

Every few years, the Anno series decides to take us somewhere new. We have built Renaissance trading hubs, industrial powerhouses, futuristic colonies in space, and deep-sea utopias. Anno 117: Pax Romana marks the first time the franchise marches back into ancient history and plants its eagle standard firmly in the Roman Empire. It is a bold move. Ancient Rome is one of the most overused settings in gaming, yet somehow rarely done justice on a strategic, city-building scale. Frontier provinces, political intrigue, marble megastructures, legions marching across dusty plains, it is all ripe for the taking. The question is whether Pax Romana manages to feel like a true Anno game while embracing the grandeur and brutality of the Empire it portrays. A Grand Strategy Worthy of an Emperor Th...

9Nov

By Ruddy CelestialNo Comments

PC Reviews

Dispatch – PC Review

Dispatch is an Action, Adventure Indie game produced and developed by AdHoc Studio. After reading Paul's preview article of the game, I was first drawn to Dispatch because of the art style and dialog. It gave me that old school nostalgia I feel for TellTale Games, especially when it game to the game's humour and dialog choices. Imagine my surprise when I did research on the team that I find out they were ex Telltale employees. It must have been the best of the best because holy mother of ducks was my experience with Dispatch amazing. So, who do you believe is the best choice to go after? Invisagal or Blonde Blazer? As someone who loves and replays the classic Telltale games like Sam n' Max, The Wolf Among Us, and others. Dispatch did scratch my Telltale games itch that finally got scrat...

5Nov

By JasonNo Comments

PC Reviews

Jurassic World Evolution 3 – PC Review

Ever since the first Evolution game, dinosaur-park management sims have had a special place in my heart: equal parts “wow, a T-rex!” and “oh no, a T-rex!” With Jurassic World Evolution 3, Frontier asks: what if you could really play god over scaly, roaring beasts, sculpt your own island, and maybe, just maybe, watch your park go from pristine dream to absolute prehistoric meltdown? Released on October 21, 2025, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game arrives with the promise of deeper systems, bigger creative freedom and, yes, more “life finds a way” moments than ever. "Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming." It’s the third major chapter in the Jurassic World Evolution series, so naturally, I went in expecting a little more than ...

27Oct

By Tyler DenyerNo Comments

PC Reviews

Becastled – PC Review

Every so often, a new real-time strategy game pops up to remind us that the genre still has a pulse, and a damn good one at that. With Becastled (out now on Steam, GOG, Xbox, Switch, and Playstation), developer Mana Potion Studios and publisher Pingle Studio Ltd bring us something refreshingly earnest: a medieval city-builder that fuses cosy creativity with nightly chaos. It’s rare to see a new RTS try something different these days. Between massive 4X empires and military micromanagement simulators, few dare to find that sweet spot between Age of Empires’ depth and Kingdom Two Crowns’ immediacy. But Becastled gives it a proper go, and it’s good to see someone still flying the RTS flag in 2025. Becastled - Be Crowned It’s heartening to see a small team take risks in a genre often dominat...

22Oct

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. If you're specifically looking for my thoughts on the latest updat...

16Oct

By Tyler DenyerNo Comments

PC Reviews

Dicealot – PC Review

There’s something about dice in video games that always gets my heart rolling. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of tabletop games, maybe it’s the thrill of chance, or maybe it’s just that sound when a perfect roll hits the table and you know fortune’s finally decided to stop mocking you. Whatever it is, Dicealot out now on Steam by Goodview Games, published by Yogscast Games, leans all in on that satisfying roll. Dicealot a lot of dice, a lot of rolls It’s genuinely great seeing Yogscast continue their support for quirky indie gems. They’ve built a bridge between creators and gamers that feels refreshingly genuine, and Dicealot fits that ethos perfectly. With a charming, risk-filled romp through Camelot where luck, logic, and laughter all share the same pint. Tell us in the comments below which ...

19Sep

By CharlieNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

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...