07/12/2024 - 100 Hidden Cats: Pirates Completion.
Current Backlog: 781
Currently Playing: 15

💜 This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

It has really pretty artwork, but other than that, it's just like any other "poorly done" hidden object game
that can be completed in under 10 minutes. It would be a lot better if it wouldn't so easy to complete,
since currently the cats are not at all hidden and you literally don't have to even work your brain to find them.

I completed both the main level and the extra level
and would say that maybe turn your attention towards more of the better hidden cats games, like the ones from Devcats or Nukearts Studio.
I hope to see better content from this dev later though! The artwork was pleasant.
- Marisa (JK)

25/10/2024 - Oxenfree Completion.
Current Backlog: 770
Currently Playing: 10

I played this game for Pay or Play 4th Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by Fynx.

Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift.
Play as Alex, a bright, rebellious teenager who brings her new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight party on an old military island.
The night takes a terrifying turn when you unwittingly open a ghostly gate spawned from the island’s cryptic past.

Oxenfree was a lovely game with a dialogue heavy story and different endings, as well as some cheeky time shenanigans.
I have enjoyed a bunch of similar games previously and this one did not disappoint at all!
The game offers a low stress experience without forcing you to rush through the game.
You can take it as slow as you like, or as fast as you like (or possibly can, obviously).

The game really shines with it's character design and making the characters feel like they were actually alive.
Their reactions, random dialogue and all the little details made it such an enjoyable thing story-wise.
Even if there story would have been bad, which it wasn't, but I get to that in a moment,
the characters would have probably saved the game even then.

The story made it so there was a constant sense of pressure throughout the game,
but it wasn't overwhelmingly bad that would have made me rush through it. I definitely got spooked a few times,
more times than I'd like to admit, but it was definitely not too scary, but just enough!

Few issues I feel like this game had, was when some dialogue choices would start to fade out
even before the character I was responding to hadn't finished talking yet. It was also a bit unclear
when the thinking bubbles would appear atop people, when they were thinking about a specific character.
Did it mean they were thinking of them positively or negatively?

The game was an alright experience to 100% complete it, but it did take me more playthroughs than I would have liked.
I didn't really follow guides for the achievements, except for the collectibles, so you can kinda tell that from my playtime.

Either way though, I think its a fantastic game
and everyone should definitely play it!
Highly recommended!
- Marisa (JK)

20/10/2024 - An Arcade Full of Cats Completion.
Current Backlog: 765
Currently Playing: 11

It's a lovely free game from Devcats who have previously made games like A Castle Full Of Cats,
Sudocats, Zodiacats and many more. You get to journey through gaming history's time and space,
while searching for adorable feline companions in 'An Arcade Full of Cats,' the ultimate "pet'em up" hidden object game.

The paid DLC is required for getting a 100% completion on this game, but it is definitely worth it if you enjoy the rest of the game.
You join Leo and Fofiño as they navigate a feline-infused version of the arcade era, spanning from 1980 to the year 2000,
all while attempting to find their way back to the present! The DLC adds some more older timelines with extra stuff to do.

Absolutely recommended to be played!
- Marisa (JK)

10/10/2024 - Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island Completion.
Current Backlog: 767
Currently Playing: 10

I played this game for Pay or Play 4th Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by Fynx.

Are you ready to adventure like it’s 2001?
Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is a passionate revival of the legendary 3D platformer genre
with classic gameplay, playful gadgets, and a lighthearted story set in a gorgeous,
colorful world reminiscent of our childhood adventures.

It's a very nice and lovely little 3D platforming game that is reminiscent of Jak and Dexter.
It's quite simple, but has a few different unique mechanics that were quite fun to master.
There was some collectibles to gather, which were not too difficult either.

I'm quite sad that the game has been removed from sale on steam
since its a very lovely game and I would love to recommend it to people.
Im sure you can still get a key somewhere but its probably not worth it for huge amounts of money.
Either way, its a lovely game and totally worth playing if you happen to get it or you already own it!
- Marisa (JK)

06/10/2024 - A Short Hike Completion.
Current Backlog: 768
Currently Playing: 10

I played this game for Pay or Play 4th Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by Riku.

Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park
as you make your way to the summit. In A Short Hike you play as Claire, a young anthropomorphic black bird,
who lives in the city. She has come to visit her Aunt May at the Hawk Peak Provincial Park where she works as a park ranger.

It's a very chill and lovely little game where you go on a hike up the mountain!
To get to the top, you need to gather some golden feathers to be able to climb and fly higher.
The main story ends after you've reached the peak and talked with Aunt May about it,
but you can explore the game after it just fine. I did almost everything before went up the mountain though, which is possible.

It wasn't too difficult to play and to 100%. One of the achievements was time specific,
so I changed the time on my pc to get it, as I would have otherwise forgotten it anyway.
Other achievements were very straight forward, though I used an interactive map on google to find some of the collectibles.

In the end though, the game is very lovely and I think it's worth to play, such a lovely little game.
- Marisa (JK)

25/09/2024 - Familiar Shadows Completion.
Current Backlog: 769
Currently Playing: 10

A very lovely and sweet little game made by 117Briggy for a Gamejam.
I got introduced into this game by a streamer named Cide.

I was given a sneaky hint by the dev that there was only 4 potions, so it didn't take too long to get them all.
the cat is very cute, and the animation is adorable. For a game that took only a week to make, its amazing!
- Marisa (JK)

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/65275
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/134657
I believe the name was changed, that probably is the reason a new page was accidentally added.

never mind, apparently its a whole new game, they just did it on top of the old and changed everything lmao

24/09/2024 - World of Goo Completion.
Current Backlog: 768
Currently Playing: 10

I played this game for Pay or Play 3rd Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by VinroyIsViral.

A delightfully challenging physics-based puzzle game that stands out with its quirky charm, intriguing narrative,
and excellent soundtrack. The game tasks you with building structures out of goo balls to reach a goal,
but don’t let its deceptively simple premise fool you—getting 100% completion is seriously hard
and can leave you feeling overwhelmed at times.

The story itself is surprisingly compelling for a puzzle game. It’s quirky, mysterious,
and manages to keep you hooked throughout its various chapters. The narrative explores themes of corporate greed,
technology, and environmentalism, all wrapped in an oddball yet thought-provoking package.

One of the standout features is the soundtrack. The music is beautifully atmospheric,
enhancing the game's emotional depth and drawing you into its bizarre world. It ranges from whimsical to haunting,
perfectly fitting the mood of each level and making the overall experience much more immersive.

If you're looking for a puzzle game that offers a unique experience with some real brain-bending challenges,
it's absolutely worth checking out. Just be prepared to not get 100% easily unless you're up for a real test of patience and precision!
- Marisa (JK)

22/09/2024 - Rise of the White Flower Completion.
Current Backlog: 769
Currently Playing: 10

Pretty good adult visual novel. The story was really interesting.
I didnt really like that it was so female oriented (clearly made for those who prefer women),
but the few dudes that were there were quite nice.
- Marisa (JK)

02/07/2024 - Beyond the Harbor: R Completion.
Current Backlog: 755
Currently Playing: 10

Pretty alright visual novel in my opinion.
It has some NSFW content, it wasn't anything amazing though.

(forgot to write this when I completed)
- Marisa (JK)

17/08/2024 - Where Birds Completion.
Current Backlog: 755
Currently Playing: 10

💜 This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

I don't honestly know what to say about these games anymore. They are literally the same game, just with different items/animals to find,
that are not actually that well hidden either! Also why did they combine birds, humans and balloons together to be found??
The one with Kiwis made sense to find the kiwi birds and the kiwi fruit, but this makes no sense.
Also there were birds in the background that I couldn't select, which were clear birds!!

This game just made me more annoyed. If you have to play this dev's games play one of the other ones lol.
- Marisa (JK)

17/08/2024 - Where Kiwis Completion.
Current Backlog: 756
Currently Playing: 10

💜 This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

I feel like the devs did an improvement here by not giving an achievement for each Kiwi found,
like they did in hidden cats game, but it didn't really improve the game enough to get a good review.

The game takes under 10 minutes to complete and it's really not that good.
There is so many better hidden object games on steam. Most of the games from these devs feel like a copy paste,
I also took a closer look at the artwork and it's really detailed for sure, but there is a lot of errors and it doesn't feel like it was done with care.

Sadly not for me and I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on it, even though it's really cheap.
- Marisa (JK)

17/08/2024 - Back To Home Completion.
Current Backlog: 756
Currently Playing: 10

💜This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

I really wanted to give this game a recommended review, but sadly,
I had so many issues with it that I just can't. I'll start with the positive though,
as my experience with the game wasn't all bad.

Back To Home is your average walking simulator type of game, with some platforming mixed in there.
The graphics were decent, but the cat looked a little sick (especially when looking from the front lol).
The soundtrack was lovely and It was easy to complete, in theory.

Truth however, was that I was more often than not, stuck in some hole that was left by the developer
who had put down the 3D assets of the terrain. There were many such holes that I accidentally dropped myself in,
and I was unable to continue without closing the game and restarting the chapter/level.
There was also one part of the game where I was able to just jump over most of the "puzzles"
and skip them entirely, and getting forward to the next chapter.

I feel like with a lot of hardwork and polish, this game could be a lovely little hidden gem,
but to me, it currently isn't it and I felt more annoyed playing it, than satisfied and enjoyed.
I wouldn't recommend getting it, as there are other better walking simulator like games out there similar to this one.
- Marisa (JK)

14/08/2024 - Pixel Car Racing: Blocky Crash Completion.
Current Backlog: 745
Currently Playing: 10

💗 This game was gifted to Indie Therapy for review.

An indie racing game where you race with small cars made of blocks!
It reminded me of Lego Racers somewhat, though this lacked in many aspects in my opinion.
The game has it's heart in the right place, but it falls short on several key areas that I would think were integral for a racing game.

The game mechanics are alright, but there are many things that I didn't like,
such as the fact that there was no controller support or the fact that getting new cars good cars required a lot of grind.
There isn’t much to keep players engaged long-term, as the tracks and cars, though varied,
don't offer enough distinction or challenge to sustain interest. There is a lot of levels,
but they don't really get more interesting or harder.

Visually the game is really fun and the artstyle is quite pleasant to look at.
The way the cars break down when you hit things and get repaired with different colored blocks was super fun.
Soundtrack wise the game was really good, though I kinda wish there were more variety.

In conclusion, I feel like the game can become something amazing with a little more polish,
though I didn't personally like how it was at the moment. I wish there was a neutral review option,
but I guess I will recommend it, as it's still a few hours of good fun.
- Marisa (JK)

04/08/2024 - Magic Axolotl Completion.
Current Backlog: 746
Currently Playing: 10

Magic Axolotl is an enchanting and delightful game that captures the essence of whimsical, short-form adventure.
In this charming little game, you play as an adorable axolotl wizard who embarks on a magical quest
to recover a fallen star, guided by a mystical map. The journey takes you into beautifully crafted areas
and finally into a dark forest where a dark ghost cat stands guard over the precious star.

The gameplay is simple yet captivating, relying on drawing spells with your mouse to defeat various enemies.
I found the mechanic very simple and quick to learn, making it easy for players of all ages to jump in and enjoy the game.
Though, the hard mode of the game is actually quite difficult to master, and I had to get my drawing display
to be able to manage all the spells without taking damage, if you manage to beat it with your mouse,
you might actually be a wizard!

Despite its short playtime, the game delivers a memorable experience filled with heart and whimsy.
The story seems sweet, yet it isn't much expanded on. The axolotl protagonist is absolutely adorable,
and the little amount of interaction that you get with the ghost cat at the end adds a touch of mystery
and intrigue to the narrative.

Overall, Magic Axolotl is a delightful indie gem that offers a perfect blend of cute visuals, engaging gameplay,
and a heartwarming short story. It's a must-play for anyone looking for a magical, feel-good, casual game.
Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just looking for a charming way to spend a cozy afternoon,
this game will undoubtedly leave you enchanted and smiling.
- Marisa (JK)

03/08/2024 - The Darkside Detective Completion.
Current Backlog: 744
Currently Playing: 10

I played this game for Pay or Play 3rd Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by Sword.

Grab your trench coat, tune your sixth sense and join the Darkside Division
as they investigate the outright bizarre, the downright dangerous and the confusing cases of Twin Lakes.

The game follows a list of mysterious cases that are to be solved by the hard-boiled,
yet surprisingly humorous Detective Francis McQueen and their lovable partner, Officer Dooley.
Each case is it's own contained story, but certain plot threads and characters can be seen in multiple different cases.

The Darkside Detective effortlessly blends the spooky aspects with humor, creating a unique
and engaging atmosphere that feels like a cozy mix of supernatural spooks and lighthearted buddy cop comedy.
The witty dialogue stands out amidst it all, consistently delivering funny lines and puns.

The pixel art style is charming and nostalgic, perfectly capturing the essence of classic point-and-click adventure games.
The game's design is full of clever details that reward exploration and keen observation,
interacting with everything also gives you hilarious commentary from McQueen and Dooley.
The puzzles are well-crafted, but on the tad easier side, so you wont get frustrated with them.

Overall, the game is a fantastic experience
and I think anyone who enjoys these kinds of point-and-click pixel games will love it.
The "very positive" rating it has on steam is well deserved! Highly recommended.
- Marisa (JK)

01/08/2024 - Assassin's Creed 2 Completion.
Current Backlog: 737
Currently Playing: 9

An epic story of family, vengeance and conspiracy set in the pristine, yet brutal, backdrop of a Renaissance Italy.

I played this game for the first time in 2016 on my xbox 360 and fell in love instantly!
I played it after completing the first game in the series, and I was very much happily surprised of the improvement
they had done to the second game compared to the first one. Don't get me wrong, Altaïr is a great character and I loved him,
but Ezio really captured my heart, as well as all the other characters that were introduced in this game.

I also feel like Renaissance Italy is the perfect spot for an Assassin's Creed game.
There is so much fun things to see and learn about, but also the villains of the story were all quite interesting.
I've always had a soft spot for this game, but playing it again on steam just reminded me of how much I loved it.

In technical aspects, it's slightly clunky and hasn't aged really well, there were more than a few times
where I almost threw my controller at the wall because Ezio decided to jump backwards of a tall building,
causing desynchronization, rather than up or to the side where I wanted him to go.

Either way, it's still an awesome game and I 100% recommend everyone to get it.
So much fun times with this game.
- Marisa (JK)

21/07/2024 - The Henry Stickmin Collection Completion.
Current Backlog: 733
Currently Playing: 10

I played this game for Pay or Play 3rd Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by VinroyIsViral.

Absolutely adored this game back in 2008 when it was still just a collection of flash games.
It's still an awesome game to this day, and well worth getting.

The Henry Stickmin Collection is a collection of a Newgrounds choose-your-own-path classic games,
reborn and put together in a 6-game epic collection where the story culminates into multiple different and awesome endings.
Correct choices move the story forward where incorrect choices lead to an array of different fail scenes.
If you happen to get the correct ones on your first try, you are doing something wrong. Failing is the best part of this game in my opinion.

The game brings back incredible amounts of nostalgia and some of the endings made me shed a tear, if you know, you know.
The game is still one of the funniest and well made games out there and its definitely worth getting
if you like point-and-click games and good humor.
- Marisa (JK)

25/06/2024 - Cats and Seek: Kyoto Completion.
Current Backlog: 717
Currently Playing: 10

Another fun Hidden Cats game from Noobzilla. I feel like this one was a huge improvement on the previous one I played!
Still very cute art and lovely soundtrack! You can still pick your personal colors on the background, lineart, and cats which is still a huge bonus!
You can also customize your cursor which was super fun!

This time there is more things to do, some special easter eggs and locked chests.
They have less achievements than the last game, but this time the game takes longer to 100%,
but it doesn't take too long in my opinion! There is also a photomode that you can try out!

This game still didn't want to launch properly through steam, so I had to play it through the exe again,
but the achievements unlocked normally and game time was recorded fine. It's still a little bit of an inconvenience,
but it was a good game still.

Definitely recommended, a lovely game for free and was very fun to play.
Absolutely worth your time!
- Marisa (JK)

Love cats so defintly will put this game on my wishlist.

there is other games in the Cats and Seek series as well! you'll love them :D

25/06/2024 - Cats and Seek Completion.
Current Backlog: 717
Currently Playing: 10

A very lovely Hidden Object game where your hidden objects are cute cats!
The game has a very cute artstyle and you can customize all colors of the game if you want!
You can change the background, lineart and cat colors to suit your needs!
This was perfect because I wanted everything to be dark, since I cannot do lightmode.

The game doesn't take too long to complete though, it only took me 13 minutes to find all cats
and do a speedrun level once. It's rather short, and I would have preferred a little bit more game time.
There is some extra levels from paid DLCs.

I had some issues with the game running properly through steam when pressing play,
so I had to run the game through it's exe file, but that didn't affect anything thankfully, and achievements unlocked fine!
Other than that, it was a fantastic hidden cats game and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

I can definitely recommend it for a quick little fun! and it's free, so its definitely worth it!
- Marisa (JK)

21/06/2024 - The Wolf Among Us Completion.
Current Backlog: 718
Currently Playing: 10

I played this game for Pay or Play 2nd Cycle of 2024 and it was picked for me by La Volpe.

Telltale revolutionized the ground-breaking choice and consequence game mechanics with their The Walking Dead Series.
Now they delivered us a dark and moody thriller based on the Fables comics, The Wolf Among Us.

You play as Bigby Wolf, also known as The Big Bad Wolf, who acts as the Sheriff of Fabletown,
a community made for the fables who had to leave their home behind and enter the world of the regular people.
The game delivers a mature and gritty take on characters from fairytales, legends and folklore who have escaped into our world
and has you hooked on it's story from the get go.

The story spans across 5 episodes that have 5 chapters in each of them. It has twists and turns,
excitement and emotion at every turn and a thrilling ending that can change depending on your choices.
The story absolutely doesn't disappoint and it was such a blast to play through.

The game isn't even that hard to 100% either, as most achievements are automatic as the story progresses,
though some require you to do different choices, for collecting all entries for the book of fables.
Thankfully that has been made easy with the replay option after you have completed each episode.
I did that at the end once I had completed the whole game and it took only a few moments.

I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys Telltale games and story-based games.
While everyone still clings to the hope of a second season, I personally am just really happy to have experienced this game.
Definitely worth your time!
- Marisa (JK)

20/06/2024 - thanks mom Completion.
Current Backlog: 718
Currently Playing: 11

💗 This game was gifted to Indie Therapy for review.

Thanks mom is a.. confusing platforming game? Question mark?
I wasn't really sure what the heck was going on... I didn't really enjoy it.
Something about babies, pregnancy and cow butt. I know this review is a little sparse,
but I really don't know what to say. It was just.. bad in my opinion.

I wouldn't recommend it honestly. I guess if you want some weird stuff then sure.
- Marisa (JK)

20/06/2024 - Hidden Cats in Berlin Completion.
Current Backlog: 723
Currently Playing: 11

💜 This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

Nukearts Studio once more deliveres an amazing success of a game in their series of hidden cat games.
Like it's predecessors, Hidden Cats in Berlin delivers an impressive array of details in it's artworks,
with cats hidden in multiple different places and a couple of different modes to enjoy.
You start with an uncolored illustration and it gets colored as you find more and more cats until the last one is found
and the final awesome artwork is revealed in all of its beautiful color.

You get to play through two different modes of the main game, normal and advanced,
as well as extra kitten levels that are unlocked from finding special named cats in advanced mode!
There is also a big bonus level, which is unlocked by doing all of the bonus kitten levels.
It's similar to what they started to include in their few previous games.

The game is relaxing and addictive like all the games in the series and I would highly recommend this game wholeheartedly,
not just on sale, but even with full price as it is not only cheap, but supports the developers to make more of these
amazing hidden cat games! Try it out!
- Marisa (JK)

20/06/2024 - Corbid: A Colorful Adventure Completion.
Current Backlog: 725
Currently Playing: 10

💜 This game was gifted to Catizens Curations for review.

Hop on and drive into the colorful adventure of this very cute game! You play as Corbid, a cute elephant,
with the power of color on their side. You meet a cute friend, Poppy the axolotl, who helps you on your adventures.

You play your way through two different gardens which contain a few different levels and a boss "fight" for each.
It's a very well made and enjoyable game, with cute enemies and a colorful look. The enemies in this game are defeated non-violently,
so it's a very lovely game for children. The puzzles in this game include simple navigation, complex paths to unlock doors,
use pressure plates and switches, targeting, navigating through different slimes, finding the different colors, combining them and more!

I absolutely enjoyed the game, the first garden was rather simple, but it was clearly meant as a "teaching the basics" kind of stage.
The second garden was a little bit harder and it had me scratching my head at some times, but it was still rather simple
and great for kids as well! I also read some reviews where people said there had been some bugs, but for me, I encountered none,
so I believe they had fixed them rather quickly.

In conclusion it's a very lovely and enjoyable game in my opinion!
Definitely worth the price it sits at and it was super fun. Absolutely recommended!
- Marisa (JK)