Nekki revealed a new trailer for SPINE, featuring its ‘gun fu’ combat, parkour, and cyberpunk setting. The trailer introduces boss fights, a soundtrack by Le Castle Vania, and dynamic combat seemingly aiming for “Sifu, but guns” (not a bad thing!). Set to release in late 2025.
[Early Access] Cataclismo drew me in with its super slick visual design, and continued to impress with its unique blend of tower defence and survival mechanics set against a dark, atmospheric world. The strategic depth in building and defending kept me intrigued - albeit oftentimes feeling a bit smoothbrained - and the haunting visuals and challenging gameplay should appeal to fans of the genre.
Creatures of Ava definitely has a lot of heart. There’s a vision here and evidently a lot of passion, but for me falls short with its uninspired gameplay and lack of polish. Despite a promising concept of evolving creatures in a dynamic world, the execution mostly feels clunky and repetitive. It’s great to look at though, and if you’re in need of a cosy game, it’s worth checking out.
ONE BTN BOSSES is a clever, hyper minimalist boss rush game where timing is everything. The one-button mechanic makes it super accessible, but it can get pretty challenging too - if a bit frustrating at times. A unique concept that’s fun in short bursts but might not hold attention for long sessions.
shapez 2 builds on the original’s addictive factory automation with more complexity, creativity and a new third dimension. The introduction of 3D shapes and an upgraded tech tree adds fresh layers of challenge and progression. If you’re into optimisation/factory games, it might just be a must-play.
[Early Access] Go-Go Town! offers a charming blend of Animal Crossing style town-building and management sim, wrapped in vibrant visuals. It’s light-hearted and engaging but, needs a bit more time in the oven: quests and progression are a bit repetitive, but this may change as the game develops. A good casual pick but don’t expect much complexity.
Black Myth: Wukong has made an impressive debut on Steam, drawing 2.2 million concurrent players on its first day - overtaking the likes of Elden Ring, Cyberpunk, Dota 2, Counter-Strike and Palworld. This puts it at #1 alltime for singleplayer games, and #2 overall (behind PUBG). About 90% of that comes from China, reflecting strong local support for Game Science and the Monkey King story. Game is cool, so I’m happy for ‘em - monke strong together.
Yo! What?! Secret Level, an animated anthology series from Blur Studio (Love, Death, and Robots), is coming to Amazon Prime Video on December 10. The series will feature 15 episodes, each telling new stories inspired by games including God of War, Sifu, Warhammer 40K, Unreal Tournament, Dungeons & Dragons, The Outer Worlds, Pac-Man, Armored Core (with Keanu??), Mega Man, Spelunky and more. Adaptations are fraught with danger, but I’m very keen!
This looks sick. Herdling, developed by Okomotive and published by Panic, is an adventure game where you guide mystical creatures called Calicorns across atmospheric landscapes. Focused on companionship and exploration, it’s set to release in 2025. More details will be revealed at PAX West and Panic’s showcase on August 27.
Revenge of The Savage Planet, the sequel to The Savage Planet, shifts to a third-person perspective and features four new worlds, cross-platform and couch co-op play. I dug the first one and always thought it was kinda overlooked, so I’m pretty keen! 2025 release.