Recent reviews by Glitch

Developed by a single developer for more than 4 years, Stardew Valley is a top-down, roleplaying, farming simulation game, and somehow much more.

As you start the game you create your character as you see fit, choose favorite pet and the style of farm (and its name), and you can also customize some game mechanics and multiplayer options.

The initial premise of this game is the inheritance of a farm and after a non-disclosed amount of time working in an office job, your character decides to move to said farm only to find it covered by overgrown weeds. It’s up to the player to decide what will be the best course of action to take.

Alongside the different crops the player can chose to grow, there is also animals to raise, different characters to meet (and date if so inclined), items to collect, a museum to fill with interesting items, a mine with monsters to delve and fight, fishing, and a mystery surrounding the town. As the player explores and choses any given activity to develop, skill points are gained to improve specific actions.

The game is divided into seasons, and there are different weather conditions that change how some activities are played. Special events also occur in some specific moments of the game following the internal calendar.

The game can be controlled with keyboard and mouse or controller, with customizations of keys. There are also plenty of options to make the experience more comfortable, like autorun and audio options.

Updated over the years, and adding a bigger crew to the game, it’s a very polished experience with great pixel art graphics and great soundtrack.

Considering the many ways this game can be played, mostly all very relaxing, I highly recommend Stardew Valley.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for more recommendations and reviews.

Developed by Toby Fox and released in 2015, Undertale is a game that presents itself as an RPG that you don’t need to kill anyone, but how is that achieved and how it affects the story?

In a what can be described as simple yet charming roleplaying game that focuses on interactions and mini games, it is up to the player to choose whether fighting, which in turn presents a plethora of different mini games, or to seek a way to make the “enemies” stop attacking.

The game can be controlled using the keyboard or a controller. There are some options to configure the game but limited to screen size and language.

The story centers around a child that fell into an underground society of monsters that were banished there by humans long ago, and as the player explores this new place, many characters can be found that present the story in a short and linear manner. In an interesting development concept, the choices regarding fighting or not do alter the environment and plot development.

This game also has a particularly good soundtrack that complements the interaction segments and story heavy moments in game. Another noteworthy feature of this game is its length. Unlike some games, this one is rather short, but that does not mean it is a negative point, it can be considered a refreshing take to overly long games that require too much grinding for progression.

Overall, Undertale is an interesting game experience, not overly hard, not long, but one that can be savored on your own pace, shaping your interactions with its characters as you see fit, and for that I recommend it.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for more recommendations and reviews.

Given time and loneliness, what can you discover? Can the dark halls of a mountain hold more secrets than darkness itself? The longing is a unique point and click adventure game with an impressive art style that permeates all in the game, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack that fills the halls with solitude and mystery, and a story told very slowly, through exploration.

Released in 2020 with its development starting in 2014 by Studio Seufz, inspired by German legends of a King under a mountain that waits to be waken in the right time. Follow a shade in a 400-day journey, receiving a simple request from the King: to wake him up after that period, you are allowed to explore, but warned not to leave the caves, because once the King wakes up, all fear and longing will end.

Although you can simply choose to start the game and wait 400 days for one ending, you can explore and make shade’s existence more comfortable. One thing to consider is that no matter how you choose to play, time doesn’t stop, so the timer once started will continue, but considering the allotted time there is no sense in hurrying anything.

The game can be controlled either by clicking the left mouse button to a specific point, clicking and holding either the left mouse button or the spacebar to guide shade, right clicking to interact with elements of the game and double clicking to get moving automatically.

Considering the main point of the game, shade walks very slowly, so patience is a good thing to have when considering playing this game, but if you allow yourself to be immersed by the ambience this game provides, you’ll slowly learn more about shade, and even discover the many secrets hidden in the game.

Exploration is also something intrinsic of this game, where paying attention to the background, shade’s questions, and even reading may be important, as waiting because, like all other things in this game, time is a key to most puzzles.

Although this game may not be up to everyone’s taste, the slow pace, the story, the soundtrack, all combined make for a refreshingly unique experience that I highly recommend.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for more recommendations and reviews.

Designed by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman and published by Epyx Incorporated in 1985, Rogue is, quite literally, a genre defining game. The original Rogue, one that served as the cornerstone for roguelikes, all in a visually simple game comprised of ASCII characters, a handful of enemies and procedurally generated dungeons.

Without the term “rogue-like” to explain its genre, one can describe this game as a top down, dungeon crawler role-playing game, with some survival aspects included by the necessity of eating food to sustain health.

Like older games, the game’s story is presented in the manual, where is presented that your quest as a rogue is to find the Amulet of Yendor in the Dungeons of Doom. Reading said manual can help making the experience of playing this game much easier, although a quick reference guide can be found in game by hitting the “F1” key.

Control wise, the game can be played using a combination of the arrow keys and letter keys, each with specific actions attributed to. Although visually simple, this game does present the possibility of depth, by the exploration of the procedurally created levels and using specific weapons for specific enemies.

Experiencing such important game in the creation of a whole genre makes it easy for me to recommend it.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for more recommendations and reviews.

What horrors wait in the dark? Dwell into the unknown depts and learn secrets better kept hidden. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth was developed by Nicalis and released in 2014. This game is a top down, roguelike, dungeon crawler twin stick shooter, that can be controlled either by keyboard or controller.

As you boot up the game, the story is presented every time, but as a summary to escape his mother Isaac dives into the basement and the game starts. Armed initially only with his tears you must kill every enemy in the room for its doors to open so you can progress. Different rooms can appear on each floor, from treasure rooms that contain items that modify your character in many possible ways, to stores hold items to be bought, to the boss room and many others, some not even being initially visible, but knowing patterns they can be accessed.

Speaking of items, this game has a vast array of items that interact with other items, making your survival easier or harder, all dependent on the items chosen. A good portion of fun this game offers is learning not only learning builds that work better for your playstyle, but learning all the possible interactions items have, and how to optimize them.

The enemies’ design is also something to be discussed. Some enemies have a rather simple look, but as you dive deeper and deeper, enemies become more deformed and twisted, and like the items, learning enemy patterns is key to surviving.

As you gain experience in the game and win a few runs, you may discover more characters, items and even new floors, further increasing the complexity of this game and the replay value. There are also challenges that unlock specific items and daily challenge runs, which may provide something more for experienced players.

With all secrets, items to be discovered, the different characters and runs, it is easy to recommend The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for more recommendations and reviews.

Developed by LocalThunk and released in 2024, Balatro is a rogue like deck builder with a Poker theme. Using the card combinations from Poker, customize your deck to better suit your playstyle and bend rules to achieve great scores.

The basic mechanic of the game is simple, play poker games until you win. Games are presented in “antes”, groups of 3 poker rounds where the third round has special conditions and modifiers. The modifiers present part of what makes this game unique.

Between each round, the player has access to a store, where a number of cards can be bought, which can also be altered. Cards can be bought as booster packs as well as Tarot cards, Planet cards, and Jokers. Each of these booster packs allow the player to select different cards for their decks and customize not only the score of specific card combinations, but also card modifiers, score multipliers among other things. The amount of customization possible in this game really transforms what could be an addicting, yet simple, deck builder into a complex rogue like, where rules are bent and almost all can be modified.

Another notable feature this game brings is the little details. From the effects in the cards, to the small screen shake when points are added, all details that are so well made and implemented an already impressive art style and game.

If deck builders are something you already enjoy, I highly recommend Balatro, even if you never played Poker before, it is truly a fun addicting game.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for more recommendations and reviews.

Initially developed in 1996 by Accolade and available on steam since 2014 brought by Nightdive Studios, Deadlock is a turn-based strategy game set in a faraway planet with different aliens competing for its domination.

As an agreement between different alien species to stop fighting for the rights over Gallius IV, a competition of sorts was set where either by building city centers or driving away the competition would determine the winner.

After choosing your character, you choose your initial position in Gallius IV, and the first colony is set. Wheater by building, or by pushing away the other races by any means necessary, you choose the path to total domination. Each different alien species has advantages and disadvantages, suited better for different play styles, so experimenting until you find one that better fit your playstyle is important.

Each species can develop different technology and units, further differentiating playstyles and allowing challenging runs. In another great customization setting, before starting the game, you can set not only the winning conditions, but how much of an opposition the enemies will be, which technologies are available and even how the world is going to be created.

Considering the turn-based mechanic, this game is relaxed in the beginning, but with increasing complexity on resource management, strategic placement and even contacting the black market for all your necessities, I can’t recommend this game enough.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for recommendations and reviews.

As cards from a fading deck, wake up in a fragmented world with no memory or understanding of the erasure of your reality. Loop hero, developed by Four Quarters and released in 2021, is a rogue like deckbuilding game. The game starts presenting the main mechanic, the lack of direct control over your character.

As other roguelikes, losing runs is not only part of learning the interactions between items, but also unlocking new cards that will further increase the complexity of interactions and synergies. Speaking of which, a good portion of the learning curve is the control of what enemies will spawn in the map you create, what items better suit fighting those enemies, and what environmental cards would better suit the previous combination.

Behind the initially simple appearance, this game hides a myriad of interactions that can both help and hinder the player. The game can be divided into 2 main sections, the expeditions where the random maps are generated, along with enemies and resources to be gathered, and the camp, where those resources can be used to build different structures to enhance specific traits of the character, give new abilities and even provide some help. You can also learn more about the world, enemies, and resources.

With all the previously mentioned complexity is complemented by beautiful graphics, an incredibly relaxed and flexible playstyle, and customization options that range from graphical to game speed. Considering all this game offers, I highly recommend Loop Hero.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for recommendations and reviews.

Following the memorable and impressive Knights of the Old Republic, the Sith Lords is a third person turn base roleplaying game set in an old Star Wars universe. This game was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and originally released in 2004.

As the original game, the focus of this game is its story and the interactions between every character, but more than the almost directly diametrical choices present in the previous iteration, this game presents possible discussions of morality and the place of Jedi and Sith in the universe, as well as the influence that choices take in the environment and people around.

As established by other Star Wars properties the game begins, after the character creation, with a text crawl that explains the story so far, but as the game begins the tutorial section starts with a droid in a broken-down Ebon Hawk, where most basic mechanics of the game are presented.

Like many roleplaying games you wake up with little to no memory of previous events and slowly, sometimes with the help of other characters, learn about your past and your place in the future. Your character is an exile, with all connections to the force severed, and with the unfolding of the story, you discover more about your character and about your companions.

Another interesting addition to this game is an affinity system, whereby specific dialog choices modify how other characters perceive you and further increase the connections you can make with them, or decreasing them, if those are negatively impacting the affinity. Similarly, force alignment can also be influenced, directing the development of the story even further.

Other than the many characters the player can interact with, there are battles spread around the different worlds that can be visited. The combat system follows the same mechanics present in the first game, where different equipment and skills present actions that can be queued and decided by dice rolls, hidden from the player’s eyes. On the topic of equipment, this game presents many customization options to better suit different playstyles and character builds.

Although we may present a bias view due to appreciating the game, it does have some flaws. Some missions can softlock the game requiring usually loading to a previous point after restarting the game and some aspects feel rushed and incomplete. But with all of that said, the story development and characters are incredibly written and are, by themselves, what drives the game and its enjoyment.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a Star Wars story and a roleplaying game, I highly recommend Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords.

If you enjoyed this review, I would like to invite you to visit Backlog log my curator page for recommendations and reviews.

Developed in 2019 by Tendershoot, Michael Lasch, and ThatWhichIs Media, Hypnospace Outlaw is a simulation investigative adventure game set in a pseudo-90s internet, where you act as a moderator for an innovative system that allows interaction while sleeping.

Although not like more classical presentations of the point and click genre, it is hard not placing this game in that method of control, even though you can also use the keyboard to input specific commands and you can even use a controller, the mouse still the easiest way to navigate the game.

The game sets itself in the last days of 1999, where the player is an enforcer for a new way to be connected while sleeping, Hypnospace, a product from Merchantsoft. Your role is to act as a moderator, seeking activity that violates the codes of conduct and subsequently reporting them.

As new cases are presented, time moves on, and a thicker plot is presented. It is up to the player to investigate, pay attention to the clues spread on this inventive internet and discover the true crimes behind Hypnospace.

With a combination of great music, a plethora of content hidden and an enticing story, Hypnospace Outlaw is easy to recommend.