I fooled myself into thinking that one gets a certain amount of enjoyment ‘for free’ by virtue of being in the Star Wars universe. This has previously been true and carried me through multiple otherwise-not-amazing games. Star Wars Outlaws has proven me wrong: an uninspired, bare-minimum “open-world” experience (if you can even call it that, given how restrictive it can be)… stealth, combat, and exploration that are painfully shallow, with comically bad AI and repetitive mechanics. It has its moments of charm and “huh cool :)”, but overall a disappointment that does not live up to its potential.

Black Myth: Wukong is a crazy impressive, visually stunning action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology. It’s not a soulslike, and it’s not entirely a boss-rush either. Combat is fluid, satisfying, sometimes challenging. The enemy variety is wild, and the boss designs are compelling. The narrative is engaging, the overall atmosphere and world-building are captivating. Remarkable achievement for a studios first big game.

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain feels like a love letter to Ghibli and Wind Waker, with its whimsical world, light-hearted atmosphere and gameplay. As a rookie witch, you’ll deliver packages to quirky townsfolk, zipping around on your broom through the charming art style. It’s not without flaws, but being short and sweet, they’re relatively easy to overlook. The simplicity won’t be for everyone, but if you’re up for a cosy Sunday, definitely give it a go.

Pretty wild that Balatro, an indie game from a solo developer, can put out a free update featuring card skins in collaboration with franchises; The Witcher 3, Dave the Diver, Vampire Survivors, and Among Us. Onya localthunk! Friends of Jimbo is available now.

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.

[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.

Seemingly simple, but absolutely delightful and just as dense as it needs to be. Lead a group of adorable creatures through beautiful landscapes amongst its charming visuals and super chill soundtrack. The controls are simple, and the gameplay is engaging, making it perfect for a lazy - dare I say cosy - Sunday.

SCHiM is a unique puzzler where you navigate exclusively on shadows while solving puzzles. Its minimalist design and core mechanics are fresh, progressing creatively. It’s a delightful and refreshing take - and at times has quite poignant moments - but it’s hard to not feel like it peaks quite early, despite it’s short playtime.

The First Descendant is an almost aggressively pedestrian looter shooter - neither exceptional nor terrible. It combines ideas well but is held back by shameless drive toward microtransactions and apparent lack of identity: part Destiny, part Warframe, lots of fanservice. While the visuals and cooperative systems are strong, its gunplay and movement feel pretty average, and overall inconsistent quality and monetisation model won’t appeal to everyone. Worth a quick go if you wanna turn your brain off for a while.

Please don’t. Rumours started last week about an Elden Ring TV show or film adaptation, and George R. R. Martin has added fuel to the fire in his ‘not a blog’.

Oh, and about those rumors you may have heard about a feature film or television series based on ELDEN RING… I have nothing to say. Not a word, nope, not a thing, I know nothing, you never heard a peep from me, mum mum mum.   What rumor?

As much as I’d love to see this done well, I think it’s more likely it won’t be… if it even can.