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Just a Phrase by POWGI

I’ve made no secret of my love for the POWGI games, and Just a Phrase is no exception. Taking a hangman style formula and adding the twist of substituting at least one word for a homophone, it’s a simple puzzle that is fun to solve and satisfying when you get it right. There’s a whopping 120 of them to solve, varying in difficulty, along with a pleasantly generous hint system that means you’ll never be stuck on a level for too long.

The POWGI pup with the dog-themed dad jokes is back, as is the range of easy but interesting achievements. The classic slightly lewd joke is missing - there’s no way to spell out a rude word when you’re simply adding letters to an existing phrase after all - but the other usual suspects are present, asking you to complete levels in a 60 second time period and even awarding you for selecting every wrong letter before you finish a level.

There won’t be much variation in your letter picks to start each level, which does somewhat take away from the strategic element of the game once you’ve figured out what letters are going to be more common, and the graphics are fairly minimal as usual. Still, there’s a good range of phrases and it’s a great game to dip in and out of over time. I really enjoy the jokes between levels - most sessions have me chuckling more than once! It isn’t doing much different to the other POWGI games, but as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Pros:

• More POWGI is always a plus for me!

• Includes a massive 120 levels, which means 120 excellent jokes

• I appreciate that the generous hint system doesn’t punish players for struggling

Cons:

• This title’s wordplay puzzling only really works in English

• Fairly simple visuals on this one

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Infinite Guitars

Infinite Guitars tries to fuse rhythm gameplay with a turn-based RPG and very nearly succeeds. Unfortunately, there isn’t quite enough variety in the musical gameplay to keep things interesting for the full length of the story. It’s a shame, because the concept feels solid and the character designs are amazingly done - it just doesn’t stick the landing.

On the positive side, I love the soundtrack of this game, and the artwork truly is stunning. The colours look great and the characters charmed me throughout the story, especially visually. The rhythm action portion of the gameplay uses three of the face buttons and a couple others for special abilities, and whilst this could be used to great effect, it’s never given enough variety for each song to feel different when you play it.

Riffs are repeated far too often, using the same button combos for several attacks. Having a playable section after every action seems like a good idea, but it gets old fast with the small pool it has to pull from. I really wanted to enjoy Infinite Guitars, but it just doesn’t have the level of polish it needs to be fun to play. I’d love to see what developer Nikko Nikko makes in the future with a little more time to work on things. There’s some awesome potential here that I hope is fully realised some day.

Pros:

• Superb character designs

• Soundtrack features excellent work from artists like Louie Zong, 2Mello and more

• Interesting story, though setting details are a little muddied

Cons:

• Rhythm sections just don’t hold up due to their frequency

• A few nasty glitches can block progress entirely in some places

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Hitman: Absolution

Hitman: Absolution is a controversial game, not because it deals with a contract killer with the sense of whimsy you’d usually see applied to a set in a comedy club, but because it simply isn’t a very good Hitman game. Compared to previous entries in the series like Blood Money and Contracts, it tries to be more action-focused and expand on the backstory of the enigmatic protagonist, Agent 47, with a sort of irreverent tone that feels more like it belongs in a B-movie than a stealth game. Compared to future games like the now iconic Hitman reboot from 2016, the controls aren’t nearly as slick and levels are much more linear, limiting how you play in order to keep you on the path to the story the game wants to tell. On its own though, I honestly think Absolution isn’t nearly as bad as the rep it gets implies.

I understand why long term series fans were disappointed by Absolution upon initial release. It limits exploration much more than the previous open world levels of Blood Money and Contracts, and the character of Agent 47 seems to have been dumbed down and flanderised to an extent. Whilst the story is entertaining in an ironic, self-deprecating sort of way, there are more than a few cringe-inducing characters (nuns in bondage gear wielding automatic weaponry anyone?) and it definitely doesn’t quite hit the mark on the dark humour the series became known for.

Still, I came into Absolution as my first Hitman game, and I had plenty of fun exploring the environments it had to offer. Discovering signature kills was satisfying, and even the jankiness of the disguise system presented a sort of interesting challenge when it came to learning the game’s quirks. The instinct system is a great idea, proven by its implementation in the later reboots, and the graphics are definitely a point in the game’s favour. As long as you aren’t expecting perfection, there’s plenty you can get out of Hitman: Absolution. I’d say it’s worth the price of admission, even if it’s just to see the early versions of some of the systems from IO Interactive’s more recent takes on the series.

Pros:

• Interesting level concepts are fun to explore and map out in your mind

• Plenty of potential challenges to impose on a space to extend your playtime

• Pretty good graphical style, even if it does go a bit heavy on the bloom at times

Cons:

• Given the unique storytelling, I’m not surprised this game led to a soft reboot for the series

• I ran into a very nasty bug quite late on that corrupted my save - though it has been many years since this happened!

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Glass Masquerade

If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing puzzle game, Glass Masquerade is a solid pick. You’ll travel the world whilst constructing intricate stained glass images by placing pieces, sort of like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s definitely not reinventing the wheel, but it’s a nice way to spend a few hours when you want to relax with something simple - after all, not every game needs to be an action overload!

This is the kind of game that’s always a bit tricky to control on console, but Glass Masquerade does well with what it has to work with. The cursor moves at a good rate, though it does feel a bit floaty at times, and the minimal guiding points for your first few pieces are a great help in getting started with each level, which makes things far less frustrating than it could have been. The achievements are nice and easy too, which is always a bonus!

The real draw here is the visuals, which are sleek and elegant. The steampunk-ish art deco vibe is pleasant, with plenty of moving parts to keep you entertained, and getting to see the completed stained glass images themselves is a great reward when you complete a level. If you still aren’t sated by the time you finish this game, developer Onyx Lute released a sequel in 2020, though be warned that this one adds a rotation aspect that increases the difficulty by a few notches. I personally prefer the simpler style of the original - a level or two of this is a lovely way to relax after a long day, so kick back and enjoy the soft piano and superb puzzles.

Pros:

• Impressive visuals

• Soothing music really adds to the vibe

• A great way to wind down

Cons:

• Occasional moments of frustration with tricky pieces

• By the end of the first level, you’ve seen pretty much everything you’ll be doing for the rest of the game

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Full Throttle Remastered

Full Throttle is a fantastic point and click adventure game, originally released by LucasArts all the way back in 1995. It made its way to Xbox in 2020 in glorious remastered form, with the perfect blend of old and new content that seems to elude many studios attempting to modernise a classic. With improved graphics and controls, it’s welcoming to newcomers, but features the option to toggle back to the old visuals and sounds for those that want to experience the nostalgia they remember.

I’m a little young to have played Full Throttle the first time around, but certain infamous puzzles (kicking a certain pixel on a brick wall anyone?) mean I was familiar with it from gaming content on the web before I jumped in. The animation is awesome and the voice acting, featuring stellar work from Mark Hamill among other talents, is a great asset that really helps make the setting feel responsive and charming. There’s a lot of humour in here too, despite the rough and tumble motorcycle gang cast - ever wanted to use adorable bunny rabbits to cross a minefield? Now you can!

Full Throttle is perfect for fans of the adventure gaming genre, and is even better as a starting point for new players. It managed to keep me engaged where other titans of the genre failed - I have to confess, I didn’t enjoy Monkey Island when I gave that cult classic a go years ago. Full Throttle keeps the puzzle logic tough but fair, instead of demanding five-dimensional thinking like some of the older Sierra titles, and the wheel of actions make the controls much smoother than other games. I’d absolutely recommend giving it a chance, especially since it’s on Xbox Game Pass at time of writing!

Pros:

• Excellent visuals and a superb soundtrack

• Controls are easy to learn and do a good job of directing you clearly to what’s important

• Stellar voice acting talent

Cons:

• A few tricky moments might have you reaching for a guide

• Some tight timed sections are more frustrating than they need to be

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Embr

In the modern era, gig work is getting more and more common, and it’s expanding over lots of different industries - delivering fast foods, driving taxis… firefighting? Embr envisions a less than stellar future where the guy stopping your house from burning down will need to ask you to rate and review afterwards, casting you as the unfortunate worker getting to grips with the hoses and ladders you’ll need to turn down the heat on your new job. It’s a pretty competent physics-based sim, and it’s even better with friends, supporting up to 4 players in online coop.

The controls are pretty easy to get to grips with, though some of the menus aren’t explained super well, and the clothing system is particularly vague without outside help. You’ll eventually run into clouds of gas, electrical malfunctions and even optional stacks of cash to pick up as you roam the level, putting out flames and evacuating survivors. Mechanics are added at a nice pace and earning a good rating is honestly pretty satisfying, but the real fun comes from the shenanigans that can happen in multiplayer mode. Who doesn’t love to watch their buddies bounce wildly off a safety trampoline and into a firetruck, right?

Sadly, I personally had an issue with motion sickness when playing Embr for longer periods of time, but I can’t say precisely why, as other wobbly physics games like Human: Fall Flat and Totally Reliable Delivery Service didn’t cause this problem for me - maybe it’s the first person camera? Either way, it’s something to watch out for before you buy. Still, for shorter bursts, I had a good time with Embr. It’s nice to dip in and out of, with a bright colour palette and a premise that lends itself well to cooperative gaming. Try to rope in some friends and enjoy the corporate hellscape together!

Pros:

• Pleasantly bright and cartoonish graphical style

• Good build-up of mechanics as the game progresses

• Great fun with a group of friends

Cons:

• Certain things just aren’t explained well in-game

• Caused me a bit of motion sickness that I couldn’t quite shake

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Deceit 2

Ever wondered what would happen if you stuck Dead by Daylight and Among Us into a blender? Deceit 2 is a horror-themed social deduction game that doesn’t shy away from the gory stuff, allowing certain players to transform into Terrors during short bursts and devour the Innocents trying to survive. Between these brief periods of power, the Infected must blend in as regular humans and complete tasks with their companions, balancing plausible deniability with a desire not to let the ritual keeping them here be defeated.

There’s a lot of jargon unique to Deceit 2’s setting, but anyone who’s ever played a game like Werewolf or Secret Hitler will understand the premise - catch the bad guys, or hide in plain sight til you can kill the good guys. The game does mix up the formula by adding the role of the Cursed, sort of like the Jester in other secret role games, a pseudo-Innocent who has their own secret agenda to win. The graphics are great at setting the atmosphere, and the difficulty feels pretty well balanced no matter which side you’re on. It’s a simple concept, which should make it easy to jump into, but unfortunately the controls are fairly dense and communicating without a microphone is almost impossible.

Thankfully, Deceit 2 is not just free-to-play, but it also features crossplay, so even if your only mic is attached to an old webcam, you’ll be able to get things running with players on PC, Xbox and even PlayStation consoles. Still, there’s a lot you’ll need to learn before you can consistently win matches no matter your role online, and most information has to be sought out on the game’s website, as it isn’t explained well in the game. If you’re willing to put in the time though, you can have a lot of fun here! Just prepare for the real horror - verbal communication from the general public. It’s not for the faint of heart!

Pros:

• Genuinely spooky atmosphere and a nice rotation of free content

• Crossplay makes finding friends to play with much simpler

• Good range of characters and monsters to choose from

Cons:

• Prepare for foul language from other players in public lobbies

• Dense instructions can take a while to figure out

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Chants of Sennaar

Chants of Sennaar is a beautiful game, no doubt about it, but it isn’t a case of style over substance at all. Beneath the gorgeous graphical choices and soothing colour tones is a brilliant adventure through an unfamiliar world, learning a number of languages as you go. Players control a traveller attempting to translate between various languages and peoples within this new realm, discovering a deep and fascinating history as they begin to understand the cultures around them.

The constructed languages (or ‘conlangs’) used within the game are a total thrill for any linguistics nerds out there (myself included!) and provide a really unique puzzling experience as you try to pick up the meanings of various symbols through contextual clues. Each language has their own grammatical structure as well as their own scripts, and it’s really gratifying to figure out a full set of the symbols and communicate properly with the locals. The story elements are no slouch either, though it does rely quite a lot on player interpretation, given the language barrier inherent to the game.

There are a few frustrating stealth-based sections, but they shouldn’t stall experienced gamers for too long. No guesswork is required for any of the solutions, but trial and error is greatly encouraged through the journal system, which will confirm correct answers and allow you to easily label your suspicions on the meaning of each symbol as you go and change them on the fly. It’s a spectacularly pretty game with a tight grip on its theme and an excellent execution - what is there not to love?

Pros:

• Real sense of achievement when solving a puzzle

• Stunning to look at

• Every language feels unique and makes sense in the context of the game world

Cons:

• Stealth sections can be annoying if you fail them more than a few times

• It’s easy to forget parts of the scripts between sessions if you take an extended break

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Balatro

Balatro has been taking the gaming world by storm, especially with its port to mobile devices making the novel deck-building poker roguelike more accessible than ever. Your goal is to build poker hands from your deck of cards, earning chips to beat target values set by the blinds and progressing through the ranks, or ‘antes’, all the way up to ante 8. To help along the way, players can modify their deck with altered cards, or apply new effects like multipliers and chip bonuses to every hand with the help of jokers.

It sounds somewhat complicated, and watching an experienced player can feel totally baffling at first, but when you play the game yourself, it builds fairly naturally to the heady heights you’ll need to reach before your first successful run. It does definitely help to have a working knowledge of poker hands before you play, though there are handy tips in the menus if you need a reminder. The art style is charmingly pixelated, with some awesome cosmetics for your deck repping other indie darlings like Vampire Survivors, The Binding of Isaac and even some Stardew Valley cards, courtesy of creator ConcernedApe himself.

It’s an addictive style of play, with plenty of that ‘one more run’ feeling creeping in to extend your time with Jimbo and the other jokers in the pack. Visual effects and animation speed are totally customisable, though the singular music track does begin to grate after a long period. Overall, it’s a well-balanced, stylish game, with some real satisfaction to be gained from completing runs with the various decks and challenging modifiers on offer. Pick it up, and as a tip, don’t shy away from investing in the blank voucher!

Pros:

• Massively deep meta for those that want to delve deep into the odds

• Flexible modifiers mean any deck can be a winner

• Collaboration cosmetics featuring other games are a lovely touch

Cons:

• Only one music track as of writing, and it does get a bit much with time

• Certain jokers are much more specific in their uses than others

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Apple Slash

Apple Slash is a charming hack & slash indie that more than lives up to its £5 price tag. Players control an apple-shaped knight out on a journey to rid their homeland of monsters. You’ll find a limited number of other characters to help out within the world, all with their own appealing design quirks! The visuals aren’t massively complex, but the limited animations and clean designs have their own charm to them, in my opinion.

The controls are as simple as the story - besides your standard sword swing, you will unlock a few extra powers as the game progresses, but these are introduced slowly enough that it never feels overwhelming. The limited colour palette of black, red and white is used to create a fantastic sense of atmosphere, and the uniquely understated music really adds to the enjoyment. It’s super satisfying to earn the 1000g on offer here, despite the relative ease, with the only potential sticking points being either missing some optional keys to reach the secret concert or prematurely leaving the island before getting the 1000 kills required for the Killer III achievement.

For the price, Apple Slash is an absolute bargain, and adding a fresh completion to your profile isn’t a bad bonus either. It might not keep you occupied for days like a sprawling RPG, but it’s perfectly good for a few hours of fun. The art style and music really make this game feel special, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what else developer Agelvik comes up with in the future.

Pros:

• Superb visuals are clean and stylish

• Bargain price point

• Controls well, with just enough depth to keep you engaged

Cons:

• A few of the 11 achievements can be missed on a blind playthrough

• Not much reason to replay the game after a successful run

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Phasmophobia

If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel with a TV, you’ve probably seen a ‘real’ ghost-hunting show that claims to have honest video proof of the supernatural. Phasmophobia lets you star in your own sensational docu-drama a la ‘Paranormal: Caught On Camera’, focused on finding poltergeists, ghouls and spirits in haunted locations. It’s a blast detecting EMF fluctuations and getting spooked by evil apparitions, made even better with the option to play with up to three friends.

Yes, there’s plenty more to this ghost-hunting simulator than just taking photos, but earning a full clear in a hunt means snapping pics of the supernatural haunter, any evidence you find and even the bodies of your less fortunate crew members. You can even set up video cameras on tripods to spot spirit orbs or witness your friends experiencing the horrors from within the safety of the van. It’s great fun cataloguing all the evidence of the supernatural, from footsteps in salt to spirit writing, and using it to work out exactly what kind of ghost is haunting the area.

Phasmophobia has been updated plenty since it launched, adding more equipment, more ghost types and totally reworking the progression system in free content patches on PC. On Xbox, you’ll take on the latest version, which comes with its own pros and cons compared to the simpler early access variation. There are tonnes of ghost types with their own quirks, which can make narrowing it down pretty tough, and unlocking all the fun equipment does take time and careful play, somewhat curtailing the opportunities for fun silliness that the original release excelled at. Still, so long as you have one reasonably experienced player in your team, you’ll have a brilliant time getting scared together, and considering the game offers crossplay between Xbox, PC and even PlayStation, there’s plenty of experts out there who will be happy to add another ghost hunter to the crew.

Pros:

• Amazing fun to play cooperatively with friends

• Loads of depth for those that want to engage with it

• Some genuinely good scares can pop up as you play

Cons:

• There are so many pieces of equipment and ghost types to learn that it can be overwhelming for newcomers

• Still needs some of the kinks working out, though constant updates mean it’ll get there soon!

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TOEM

TOEM provides the chillest atmosphere of any photo game I’ve seen, with zero time pressure and a beautifully friendly world to explore. You set off from your grandma’s house in search of the titular TOEM phenomenon, sort of like a version of the Northern Lights, yearning to take a snap of it with your camera. Along the way, you’ll complete errands for various NPCs to earn stamps, which can be traded in for bus tickets to reach your goal. Everyone you meet is kind and grateful for your help, and there are plenty of charming environments to explore, camera in hand.

Stylistically, TOEM makes a statement with an almost entirely black, white and grey palette. It’s still looks great, with a cute and appealing cartoon style that becomes detailed in key moments for portraits. There are tonnes of secrets and rewards to be found, so you’re encouraged to experiment and explore the entire world. This version of the game even includes the Basto DLC, which takes you on a tropical adventure with even more delightful quests to discover.

Whilst some might find the price point of TOEM a little high for a title that can be completed in 6 hours or less, I think it’s worth the investment. It doesn’t wear out it’s welcome, and if you do want to experience all it has to offer, photographing every creature and individual person for the compendium is quite the task, adding another few hours easily for completionists. Take a break from the stresses of life, kick back with a virtual camera, and enjoy exploring the world of TOEM. You won’t regret it.

Pros:

• Accessible and simple control scheme

• Plenty of secrets to discover if you’re looking out for them

• Quests are varied and charming, despite all relying on the photo-taking mechanics at their core

Cons:

• Some puzzles are a bit tricky to work out, especially late game

• If you want all the stamps, backtracking is mandatory

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Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

Frank West isn’t any old photojournalist - he’s covered wars, you know. The original Dead Rising launched in 2006, putting you in Frank’s shoes as a zombie outbreak traps the people of Willamette in a shopping complex. It’s part horror, part comedy, as you’ll be using everything from CDs to boomerangs to fend off the undead. It was a pretty impressive graphical feat back in the day to render so many zombies at once, and the game quickly made a name for itself with stylish special moves and awesome boss fights. Still, it definitely has aged, and remastered visuals are just the start of the fantastic changes that the Deluxe Remaster offers for you to love.

Not only do the controls of DRDR get a much needed reworking compared to the original 360 edition, the AI of the survivors you can rescue is leagues better than it used to be. Gone are the days of praying your companions won’t simply wander off into a horde for no reason - whilst the new path finding isn’t perfect, it feels much more realistic, like a smart choice instead of stupid design. This makes the Deluxe Remaster the perfect way to experience Dead Rising in the modern day, be it as a first time player or a veteran of the series. It’s a much smoother, less frustrating experience overall.

Frank’s camera isn’t just for show - you can earn PP (meaning Power Points - yes, the acronym is terrible) by photographing survivors, zombies and hidden collectible stickers, as well as earning bonus points based on categories like Drama or Horror. Whilst it’s not as central a mechanic as in other titles, it’s great fun trying to line up your perfect shots, and it gives you a pleasant side activity to do between missions and survivor rescues. Still, the focus for this one is the action, and for that, Dead Rising is a brilliant pick - just remember to stock up on orange juice and coffee creamer in case you get hurt!

Pros:

• Remaster provides a much needed NPC update

• Loads of weapons and items to discover around the map

• Managing your schedule to save every survivor is super satisfying

Cons:

• Still has a few crashes here and there

• Time management aspect can get pretty stressful if you’re not sure what to do

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The Good Life

The Good Life is, first and foremost, a really weird game. You play as a debt-ridden New York photographer, sent to the idyllic English village of Rainy Woods, a place where the townsfolk are rumoured to be able to turn into cats and dogs. You begin to investigate, eventually ingratiating yourself to the townsfolk and paying off some of your loans as you go. Also, you’ll need to solve a murder. Directed by beloved gaming weirdo SWERY65, creator of Deadly Premonition, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die and many more, it features exactly the calibre of strangeness he is known for, and more than enough charm to justify it.

Day to day, you (as protagonist Naomi) will be running around the countryside village, talking to residents, buying food and supplies and taking photos to upload for your blog. Sounds pretty standard, right? Later on, you’re able to harness the secrets of the town for yourself, unlocking animal forms of your own that add, amongst others, digging and uh… peeing minigames. You’ll also be unlocking shrines, racing sheep (whilst you ride them, obviously) and dealing with a rival photojournalist who often yells ‘LOBSTAH!’ as he speeds away on his motorbike. It’s a fantastic blend of insanity and chilled out RPG mechanics, and I really enjoyed the time I spent in Rainy Woods.

Whilst the absurdity of your tasks does draw you in, for my money the real charm point of this game comes from the superbly realised setting. As a Brit, it was hilarious to see Naomi navigate the world of Marmite on toast, black pudding and stargazy pie, and as a real human, I was right there with her dealing with the quirks of the rest of the cast. From an innkeeper who hasn’t slept in 30 years to a Sherlock Holmes wannabe, there’s plenty of absolute characters to talk to, each with their own charms and oddities. If you like your photography with a side of cosy British weirdness, I can’t recommend the Good Life enough.

Pros:

• Amazing atmosphere makes Rainy Woods super fun to explore

• Huge depth in almost every mechanic

• I love the writing and dialogue

Cons:

• Less photo customisation than other options on this list

• Certain side quests are a hell of a grind

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Life is Strange

You can’t talk about photography in gaming without touching on Life is Strange. Whilst photography might not be a major game mechanic, it’s certainly central to the story of this choice-driven narrative game, and as you explore the artsy town of Blackwell, you’ll run into plenty of opportunities for protagonist Max to flex her shutter muscles in the form of hidden collectible shots. Some are reasonably simple, but some require uses of her more supernatural power to set up - you’ll have to use time manipulation!

The story, set over five episodes, sees Max distracted from her photography work at Blackwell Academy by the death and subsequent rewinding undeath of her former best friend, Chloe. The two pair up to figure out the source of Max’s newfound time travel skills, survive the trials of high school life and discover what happened to Rachel Amber, a missing student who’s been gone since before our protagonist transferred in. If you’ve managed to remain unspoiled, there are plenty of twists to discover, and I genuinely enjoy the sci-fi teen drama on offer here.

The dialogue and even the animations of the original Life is Strange are pretty abysmal, but this often contributes to the weird charm of the game. Characters speak like a middle-aged man’s vague idea of a 2012 hipster, the mouth movements only really match up to the dialogue when it’s spoken in French and things like drug deals and kidnappings are treated with the same seriousness as an argument over not paying attention during a breakfast outing or a promise to attend a party. It’s hilarious, sincerely ironic and genuinely moving at times, and despite the mess it makes along the way, I love it for what it is. With the return of Max in the recent Life is Strange: Double Exposure, it’s a perfect time to jump back in and remember where the series started.

Pros:

• Incredibly quotable dialogue is so bad it’s good

• Very few pesky quicktime events or time pressure moments

• Your choices do affect the story as time goes on

Cons:

• Animations really do vary in quality

• This level of teen drama simply won’t be for everyone

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Pupperazzi

Looking for cute graphics, but still want to get your photography fix? Look no further than Pupperazzi, a former Game Pass alumni that is all about popping pics of pleasant pooches and earning internet fame with your epic snaps. You play as a sentient camera (yes, literally) and are tasked with hunting down certain shots and fulfilling special requests to please your social media following. It’s super relaxed and the fairly simple graphical style suits the game well.

You’ll unlock new equipment, lenses and filters as you progress, allowing you almost total control over your shots. There are plenty of levels that only get wider and larger as you go, ranging from a little beach with a striking lighthouse to a giant nature park filled with dogs everywhere you look. You can even return to levels once they’re unlocked at different times of day, changing the was the pups interact with the environment and giving your pics a totally different natural light. Traversal is manageable, but with larger levels I did find myself getting lost a bit more often, though thanks to the lack of time limits that’s not a huge problem.

You’re not even limited by the amount of film in your camera - whilst you can only take so many pictures at once, you can recycle boring or unnecessary shots to reuse that film slot for a better snap. It’s a simple game that is excellent at what it sets out to do, and even as a self-proclaimed cat person, I definitely found myself charmed by the cosy, cute atmosphere when I played. Maybe we can get a feline-focused sequel one day?

Pros:

• Adorable artstyle is bright but not overwhelming

• New equipment unlocks at a good pace

• Revisiting levels in different time periods changes the whole vibe

Cons:

• Had some performance issues at launch, and a few nasty bugs still linger

• Traversal feels a little slow in larger maps

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Umurangi Generation

Umurangi Generation is an incredibly stylish photography simulator, with a backdrop of cyberpunk aesthetics that don’t skimp on the anti-government messages the genre became known for. Made by a Māori dev with plenty to say about the pandemic and rampant bush fires around New Zealand and Australia, this game does a great job of satirising and criticising the current climate without becoming a slog to experience. The story is found in the background, implied by the setting rather than told to you outright, but always there to explore when you’re ready.

The gameplay of Umurangi Generation is no slouch either. There’s plenty of detailed photo editing options and lenses for budding artists to mess around with, and even complete amateurs can have some fun seeking out the various bounties around levels and using the awesome traversal options you unlock. The grading system is very loose, encouraging you to play around with your shots and only rewarding the ‘three Cs’, colour, content and composition. Still, especially with the addition of the Macro DLC, it’s clear that this game isn’t just here for fun - it’s a way to express the frustration of living in ‘unprecedented times’ that I’m sure many of us have felt.

Umurangi Generation is a fascinating game that speaks to many political issues - police brutality, corporate greed and government ignorance and incompetence. It’s also a superb minimalist photography simulator, accessible and satisfying, that tries to end on a message of hope for future generations. Playing as a photographer who unwillingly gets swept up in the end of the world isn’t cathartic, per-say, but it’s a valuable experience that’s best explored first-hand. Give Umurangi Generation a shot when you get the chance, and have that experience yourself.

Pros:

• Amazing exploration of important political issues

• Wide range of lenses and photo edits on offer

• Excellent traversal systems and levels to explore, filled with details

Cons:

• Xbox version is missing some lighting sections to improve performance after a rocky launch

• I experienced a little motion sickness in extended play sessions