tldr videogame curation
melbourne, australia

Genre: Strategy

Winnie’s Hole is a grotesque, inventive roguelite where you infect dear old Winnie from the inside out - literally. Part deckbuilder, part tetromino puzzler, it’s mechanically sharp and thematically cursed. It may have been a joke premise, but the systems have real teeth. Fantastic.

An ambitious gacha mixing real-time combat, Satisfactory-like base-building, and a grab-bag of other systems and minigames. The factory sim and automation are what you’d expect (if simplified), the presentation genuinely impressive, but tutorial bloat and predatory pulls may test your patience… and your wallet.

Shape of Dreams is a roguelite with MOBA-style combat, sharp progression, and dense buildcrafting. Characters shift drastically depending on your upgrades, and runs snowballs fast. It’s chaotic, stylish, and full of smart mechanical ideas.

Q-UP pretends to be a sweaty 4v4 ranked esport, but it’s really a pseudo-multiplayer incremental dressed in a sponsored competitive jersey. You build elaborate skill engines, then watch the coin flip and the satire unfold. The joke works, and so does the game. Brilliant.

A compelling Papers, Please-style loop with a zombie twist. Mechanics ramp up fast, with layered tools and decisions, though some feel like a loose fit. It’s clever, tense and at times funny, but its pace and style won’t be for everyone.

This Ain’t Even Poker, Ya Joker is a vibrant, fast-paced idle, incremental kind-of-deckbuilder with punchy progression, stylish visuals, and a clever twist on poker mechanics. Lasting 5-8 hours, it’s a focused, satisfying experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome. The VFX/SFX and constant ‘number goes up’ feedback make it a true serotonin dispenser, and after only a short time with it, I finally understood pokies boomers.

Dispatch nails the Telltale-style revival with sharp writing, heartfelt characters, and standout voice acting. The combination of superhero satire and dispatch management is surprisingly compelling, with striking visuals and a soundtrack that lands every beat. The episodic format, I think, was smart - because you definitely have to be in the mood for a session of this type of game, so medium-sized bursts fits well. Won’t be for everyone, but a great addition to the genre.

A moody, folklore-soaked strategy deckbuilder where battles play out on grid, so positioning matters as much as your draw. You explore distinct regions, craft loads of cards from enemy materials, and swap archetypes as each biome pushes different mechanics. It’s tough-but-fair with low death penalty, and the pixel art and soundscape absolutely rule. Really cool.

CloverPit is unabashedly satanic slot-machine Balatro inside Buckshot Roulette - moody, stylish, and addictive. The spins, synergies and vibes hit hard - it’s intriguingly thrilling. Once you’ve cracked a few builds, the depth might run a bit thinner than its counterparts, but absolutely worth a play. It speaks to how strong the core is that I just want more.

The King is Watching hooked me from the demo alone. A smart blend of roguelite, city builder, and tower defence. The gaze mechanic makes every choice feel vital, and runs are tense and addictive. Balance and grind may hold it back a bit, but it’s got enough going on that absolutely deserves attention.