Hello everyone, and welcome to another dispatch! There was a big Nintendo Direct last week where we learned that there are not many Nintendo Switch 2 games coming out this year, and that Mario Galaxy will get it’s second re-release this decade alongside Mario Galaxy 2 this time. No news on whether this will be a limited release like the baffling Mario 3D All-Stars, but I would not put it past the big N to pull some wild shit like that.

Rather than lament on the fact that I have yet to play a Metroid Prime game, I instead continued to dive into my recent “understanding” of the Search Action genre. I managed to devour Hollow Knight entirely, and instead of moving onto something more relaxing, I decided to give 2019’s Catholic Guilt Simulator, Balsphemous a go.

I thought Hollow Knight was a fun, sometimes a little challenging, memorable game that kept me focused but was easy enough to deal with. Blasphemous absolutely KICKED MY ASS at every turn. Often described as “2D Dark Souls”, this Search Action game centred around the Spanish Inquisition is horrendously brutal, both in theming and challenge, but I honestly could not put it down. I managed to finish it in just over a week, which for me is pretty unheard of these days, and while I definitely feel a little battered and bruised, crushing that final boss was a high I will not forget any time soon.

But while I certainly enjoyed the flow of exploration and the challenge of Blasphemous’ combat, what really kept me here was the theme. This is one of the darkest games I have ever played, really diving into the anguish and twisted views of a certain brand of catholicism that was born out of the Spanish Golden Age. There’s a really great piece about the art of the game and the age it was inspired by on playthepast that I recommend reading for those who may be interested. Now I have to add the sequel to my wishlist, but to be honest this has now just really inspired me to play INDIKA and Pentiment to keep this thread of dark religion going.

But enough about my weird obsessions, let’s take a look at what’s waiting for you this weekend.

And what came out this week?

Flick Shot Rogues

Developer: Butter By The Fish
Steam rating: Very Positive
Store

Physicality is not something I associate with many games, especially those that are not wobbly physics based, but just one look at Flick Shot Rogues I can already feel the satisfying clunk of flicking a character into position to pull of amazing combos.

Flick Shot Rogues is a tactical Roguelike that has you chaining impressive combos on small battlefields by flicking your heroes into position. You will unlock new characters, items, talents, and even some curses on each run. When you die you’ll rack ‘em up and start again, this time more powerful than the last time.

To me, it really feels like an interactive homage to the tabletop game Flick ‘em Up! simply trading in the cowboy theme for a pirate theme, and with tonnes of exciting combos to uncover. Very excited to check this one out.

Wobbly Life

Developer: RubberBandGames
Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
Store

After a successful Early Access period, the folks over at RubberBandGames have hit 1.0 on their sandbox physics open-world adventure, Wobbly Life. Supporting 1-4 players online or locally, this family-friendly sandbox is packed to the gills with secrets, toys, costumes, cars, and more.

Grandma has had enough! She decides to kick you out into the world, demanding that you get a job. Sounds a little boomerish to me, but that’s the premise as you squiggle around the bouncy world. What really appeals here is the online play, and with Steam Workshop support, this could be a great game for those of you with families looking for a weekend game for the next few months.

LAN Party Adventures

Developer: Pchujoy Games
Steam rating: Positive
Store

I am old, OK! I actually used to run my own LAN in my terrible country Australian town (shout out to any TAN LANners out there!) as an excuse to pull the nerds of the region together for what should have been an illegal amount of Red Bull, and a lot of Team Fortress 2 and Quake III. Immediately after seeing the beige screens in the trailer for LAN Party Adventures, I was sold.

Your friend has gone missing, but the LAN party awaits! You have to set things up, make sure all the computers have the right software installed and updated, and perhaps solve a mystery along the way. This one is only going to hit for a certain kind of reader (me for instance), but I really like the nostalgia on display here. Perhaps some of you will learn the joys of sorting out CAT5e cables and daisy chaining switches, while not tripping the circuit breakers too!

Arctic Awakening

Developer: GoldFire Studios
Steam rating: Positive
Store

Fans of Firewatch need to pay attention, because Arctic Awakening definitely has the same vibes, but set in the unforgiving Arctic circle. A narrative walking sim (I’ve always hated that term btw), your plane goes down in a snow storm leaving you stranded with a therapy drone. Before long you’ll be venturing out into the harsh conditions to find your co-pilot, and perhaps find some mysteries awaiting in the great white unknown.

The art direction is beautiful, and the vocal performances seem pretty solid here too. I am calling it now - this has SOMETHING to do with trauma. The therapy bot kinda gives that away, but it feels like it is taking a very different direction to where Firewatch went, so I am very excited to see this one unfold. They claim that there are big story moments that will effect the outcome of the narrative as a whole, so I am also interested to see how meaningful those moments are.

Easy Delivery Co.

Developer: Sam C
Steam rating: Very Positive
Store

DO YOU LIKE PS1-STYLE GAMES WITH CREEPY CHARACTERS THAT HAVE NOTHING GOING ON? That’s the sales pitch for Easy Delivery Co., a self-proclaimed “relaxing driving game with, with definitely no secrets.”

You drive around making deliveries in your cool polygonal white truck, earning a “living wage” while paying for overpriced gas and other items. You’ll also learn the town and meet with all the quirky inhabitants along the way, and may I once again remind you, there are DEFINITELY no secrets here.

This one looks like a vibe, one that I can definitely get with.

That’s a wrap!

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See you next week with some new reviews, and another Indie Release Dispatch.