This time I have quite an eclectic mix for you, dear readers. There's a puzzler for those who hunger for a little bit of brain-tickling. A great roguelike tower defense with Gnomes, and who doesn't like gnomes, right? And then a cosy, comfortable little restaurant game with focus on creative expression set in the Japanese afterlife - serving those frogs the ramen they deserve! Let's jump into it then, straight away.
COSMOTILES
As a huge enthusiast of the tile-layer genre, I was quite eager to jump into this demo and see what makes it a fresh proposition in the genre. After playing a few runs, it was clear to me that this one leans more into a puzzler than a relaxed, casual fun about building a growing landscape. The concept is simple and neatly executed - you are given a planet with limited land and you need to put down your variously shaped tiles of different biomes to score points until you hit a required goal set before you. The challenge comes from two directions. First, as previously mentioned, the space on the planet is limited, so you cannot afford landing tiles that score you meager points. Second is the scoring system itself - each tile shows two colors, telling us what biome it is (forests, mountains, plains, dunes, etc.) and an outline informing us what it wants to neighbor with to score points properly.
It’s quite fun! The demo is in a little bit of a rough state I’d say. Nothing terrible or game-breaking, but it feels like the UI lacks some information. At some point, I lost a run and had no idea why exactly, had to play a bit of a guessing game. Did I run out of tiles? Doesn’t look like there is a limit to them. Did I run out of space on my planet? Likely, but there was no info of any kind or visual aid to tell me that. The tiles themselves are also just monocolored simple shapes - help with clarity, but make the game a little lifeless. Nonetheless, the gameplay itself is very solid, a decent puzzler with intuitive system to play with. Be sure to check it out!
GNOMES
Quite brilliant from the very start. I was flabbergasted and quite elated by the sheer amount of content a mere demo was able to show - which, for me, spells that the full version will be astonishingly vast in things to play with. Kudos. The game is a well-made blend of tower defense and roguelike, a well-woven set of mechanics that work together like a charm. You need to grow and defend your gnome village from the many goblinoids that threaten your kind - this requires investment in farming, growing various crops, and buying as many powerful relics as you can afford.
Meanwhile, the supremely fun part of each stage lies in the fact that your “towers” aren’t set in stone, locked to a spot. Your fighting gnomes are your towers and you need to keep moving them around to combat the incoming waves… as well as use them to bend the pathing of your enemies to your satisfaction. It's a crucial part of the game, a brilliant addition, as path-bending might lead your enemies through various hazards as well as ensuring your gnomes get bonuses from adjacency to different bits of environment. The system works like a charm.
I was easily sold on the retro aesthetics, the gritty sounds, and the grim colors. It might be a game about gnomes, yes, but they aren’t interested in any kind of whimsy. They mean business and the business is grimy. Had a ton of fun with this demo and awaiting with delight the release of a full version.
MIDORI NO KAORI
Who doesn't love a good cosy game to relax to with a cup of tea by your side? MIDORI NO KAORI is a work of passion, it is beautiful and soothing, crafted to a high fidelity. The goal? Nothing is set in stone, no thresholds to work towards, no scoring of any kind - it's just you and your heavenly restaurant for the souls passing by. The hungry frog-folk need their spiritual nourishment as much as the more mundane ones, as you'll serve them various dishes from your kitchen as you slowly expand the restaurant to your heart's content. More space, more tables, more decorations to alter the vibe to your liking.
The demo was a slow burner - the income you generate from your customers felt low, and every item you can buy to spiff up your place was expensive. You can become a little impatient, even if the routine of serving your patrons might be a great way to zone out and relax. Fortunately, there's also a Free Mode, which grants you unlimited resources and unlocks everything from the start. Made for players who want to express themselves, and work their creativity out into a fun, charming project without the need to slowly work towards every unlock.
It was an enjoyable experience, to be sure, and I am quite happy to play a game like this every other evening - to unwind, to rest my mind. Will be looking forward to the final release!
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