I think Helix: Descent N Ascent, out now from Badass Mongoose, may have made me rethink my use of the word “vibrant.” This is a game that is almost entirely black and white, yet somehow feels more visually alive than a lot of the games I’ve described with that term. The black-and-white art style absolutely pops…
Okay, everybody. You know I’ve been on a murder-mystery bender lately. (Lately being subjective, I guess?) I’ve been rewatching Only Murders in the Building. I discovered The Thursday Murder Club. I do basically an every-other-year rewatch of Bones and Castle. I grew up reading Nancy Drew books, had a HUGE Harriet the Spy phase, and…
Tavern Talk Stories: Dreamwalker, out now from Gentle Troll Entertainment, is like finding a cozy corner booth at your local coffee shop where all the baristas know your name and start making your drink the minute you walk through the door. I don’t talk about it much, but I worked at Starbucks for a year,…
I haven’t much lately, but when I was in my early 20s I wondered how much my life would have changed if I hadn’t played Tomb Raider on the PlayStation at a friend’s birthday party when I was young. Or if instead of LEGOs, I gravitated towards boy bands and fashion magazines. Some games tell…
Some games challenge your reflexes. Some challenge how clever you are. And then there’s a game like Swan Song, which, in between clever puzzles, asks you something else entirely. Are you willing to sit with difficult feelings for a little while? If you’ve been around the Cafe for a while or on my social media,…
I’ve played my fair share of shop simulators, most recently TCG Card Shop Simulator. While that game thrives on managing every detail of running a store, Thrifty Business takes a different approach. Instead of overwhelming you with micromanagement, it focuses on the people who walk through your doors, creating an experience that feels both more accessible and more…