Recent reviews by Girlbeard

SSTD is a fairly inoffensive tower defense game, it doesn't really do much to break new ground but it also doesn't screw anything up. Other than two game crashes I never had any issues with the game. It gets a bit challenging later on as more advanced units are thrown at you but if you can figure out a decent strategy it's quite rewarding to crush your enemies, see them driven before your towers and hear the lamentation of their slowly charring fleshpods. Or something like that.

Pick it up in a sale and it's a real steal, but I'd say it's probably worth the asking price. Not a bad addition to your tower defense collection.

Clockwork Tales has all of the usual trappings of the genre, but occasionally it uses hidden object scenes to make you search for items needed to progress rather than for chess pieces, a cat and an egg beater (although you do have to look for those in some scenes because of course you do).

In some scenes the characters are animated which was a nice change although it does look a little odd, the voice acting ranges from acceptable to annoying, the music is pretty good and the puzzles were challenging enough (although some are really easy). The story is fairly standard fair. Rescue an old wise bloke from an evil guy with a moustache who wants to 'RULE ZE VERLD MUAHAHAHA!'.

If you're a fan of HOGs and want something that is a little different from other titles then this is well worth picking up.

Cinders is very much an interactive novel more than it is a game. By biggest gripe is that whilst you do make choices that can alter the storyline and the ending, there isn't much variation aside from a few scenes playing out differently and a different set of text showing up for the ending 'cutscene'.

But other than that it is a well crafted title. The art work is good and unlike similar games the characters have some (albeit limited) animation. Since you will probably play through the game multiple times there is a very useful function that allows you to quickly skip through dialogue you have already seen, stopping at anything that is new and at any choice you have to make.

If you are a fan of reading and fairy tales you will probably enjoy the game. If a wall of text sends you in to a fit of rage then you should probably avoid this one. Overall I'd give it a thumbs up.

Whilst the game is short (you can finish it in about an hour) it's quite good considering that it is free. Be aware that you will have to put up with very simple tasks, so-so voice acting and some dodgy animations. There are certainly far better adventure games out there but not everything can be Monkey Island.

If you want a quick, free game and can overlook some problems then this isn't a bad addition to your collection.

This is a great game and I would highly recommend it.

The art style is fantastic and goes well with the Esher-like puzzles and level design which are also well crafted. Once completing the puzzles you are then challenged to complete the 'mirrored' versions which, as the name suggests, are mirror versions of the previous levels but with devious little changes made that increase the difficulty. The controls are simple but work very well. And the soundtrack is great. All in all it is well worth picking up if you are a puzzle fan.

An overall enjoyable game and one I would recommend.

The animations can be a bit simple at times but it is easy to overlook. The visual style is nice and fits in with the cartoonish humour and story although it does get quite dark at several points throughout, so whilst it looks like it would be child friendly you probably wouldn't want a young child to play the game.

The puzzles are pretty good compared to other adventure games, they aren't randomly cryptic but aren't always simple either; and the minigames are refreshing but you can skip them if you can't be bothered and just want to progress.

If you enjoyed Breath of Death you will like this game. Fortunately it is a bit longer than the previous title and keeps the humour and interesting mechanics that made BoD different, such as being able to start battles manually and branching level-up bonuses. Where is differs from BoD is that you have the option to pick a party from a pool of characters, giving you some tactical choices in the later stages of the game.

Considering you can get the game for less than the cost of a sandwich I whole-heartedly recommend you pick it up.

The game has a nice art style and the music is great, with each area in the game (of which there are about 5) having it's own style. The puzzles are kind of basic and will have you looking for certain objects around the area to unlock them and giving you further items to progress the game. You'll get at least a few hours of fun for your money and completing the game gives you access to a menu that allows you to replay any puzzle you want, so you can see if you can beat your previous efforts (although there is no built in timer).

I'd definitely recommend it if you are a puzzle fan but want a more casual game rather than true mind benders, but without the monotony of something like sudoku.

Great game. The music and artstyle both help seperate this title from others like it. You get a strong Zelda-vibe throughout but it certainly isn't a cheap knock-off. The controls can bit a little annoying at times but they never really get in the way of the gameplay, which is also well done.

If you like good storytelling but without heaps of backstory and lore then you will enjoy this game.

The game is quite good but not perfect. It mixes up your typical adventure game with graphic novel style cutscenes, but it has a few issues with sub-par voice acting, typos in the subtitles and a few animations being a bit naff. The plot is okay, focussing on environmental issues and time travel (a weird combo), and the puzzles aren't terrible although a few are a bit frustrating.

If you are a fan of point and click games then this is not a bad addition to your collection, but there are better games out there. I would still recommend it as it is a bit different to other offerings.