DeVuego LATAM

The last of LCB Game Studio's Pixel Pulps is here! Bahnsen Knights is a short, choose-your-own-adventure about a cult of the same name. Despite focussing on the wrong areas of the plot, the game does have some lovely characterisation where one sentence paints a big picture. The nostalgic feel along with the gorgeous and sometimes downright terrifying pixel art means that Bahnsen Knights offers a lot, despite some rough edges.

Chessarama delivers some great puzzle design, with delightful visuals and inventive ways of teaching you chess concepts as you play. It's missing the attention to detail that could make it really shine, but it's a charming package that's easy to recommend for anyone who enjoys chess puzzles or who is interested in learning more about the game. Just don't expect it to replace your chess.com subscription.

Despelote beautifully captures the mundane but rich childhood experience of play and sport through its gentle slice-of-life narrative. Via its stellar first-person soccer mechanics, intimate scope, and outstanding hand-made visual stylings, it succeeds at capturing a personal autobiographical sense of Ecuador and the quietly affecting experiences of youth.

Even though its overarching story world could be fleshed out further, Dicefolk offers a refreshing take on the roguelike formula. Thanks to its combat mechanics, dice system, and variety of chimeras and equipment, gameplay is varied and complex while still being accessible to newcomers. Added to this, the feature of customising different dice allows players to tailor their dice according to their personal tastes and playstyle, making Dicefolk a good fit for both casual and more hard-core roguelike fans.

While Dunjungle won’t satisfy anyone looking for a deep narrative, its pleasing pixel art did enough to charm me. It may take a while to unlock most of its content, but once you’re past those slow early hours, Dunjungle is a load of fun and brims with variety. I had a great time with Dunjungle, and if you like roguelike platformers, you likely will as well.

While the core gameplay loop of Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo feels dated, there's a lot to enjoy in the retro-inspired experience that Pocket Trap have crafted. The level design and puzzles, badge and upgrade system, and art design make it worth a look if you're craving an old-school adventure. There's a great game in here, but it's sometimes held back from shining through.

I wish I enjoyed Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire more than I do. There is plenty to love, such as its charming visuals, fun narrative and worldbuilding. However, it's simply hard to look past the clunky gameplay, from the incredibly slow and repetitive animations to the clunky menu navigation, and that's not even mentioning the bugs. Hopefully, the worst of them will be patched out, but at least at launch, Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire is a turbulent experience, and worth recommending only for those willing to brave the game's flaws.

Top Racer Collection does what it says on the box, it contains the three SNES games from the series, pretty much unchanged. The collection provides the bare-bones quality-of-life options that are usually expected including changing screen size and playing with filters. Some new gameplay options such as online play are present as well. Unfortunately, given the number of better alternatives in this genre, both past and modern, this collection is a bit of a hard sell. However, I acknowledge that the series does have a huge following in some parts of the world, and for those that simply want to play Top Racer again, in their original form and on modern consoles, then this collection will sort them out.

Varney Lake tries to be a compelling thriller that obviously wants to keep its players guessing. The narrative lacked in its ability to keep me entertained and wanting to know what actually happened during that summer. What kept me interested was the way it looked, sounded and made me feel. It pulls off the "pixel" elements but very much fails to live up to the exciting, suspenseful narrative of the pulp fiction genre. If you're into game and audio design, or love the pixel artstyle , you may be able to forgive this, but if you're looking for a narrative that will have you clicking your mouse for more, best look elsewhere.