Just Another Game Review

Big thanks to @bimbo.city for gifting me this all the way back for last Christmas and calling it "the bet game of 2025" (yes you spelled it wrong, I still have the email). I still can't say for certain if it's the bet, but it's certainly one of the best.

"Öoo is an excellent puzzle game, one that takes full advantage of its limited game mechanics and respects the player's intelligence with each one it aims to teach." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full reviöoo here: jagreview.com/2026/10/13/r...

Surprise, I'm not dead, just caught up with life and a new hobby (and possibly crippled by undiagnosed ADHD). Big thanks to @leik.games for the game code, and a huge apology for taking so long to actually review it due to a two-week vacation followed by another week of exhaustion and illness, lmao.

"...I’d still say that Dicetris is worth picking up right now, whether you’re interested in a unique puzzler or another addictive gameplay loop where you can park your butt and farm for a high score." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2026/10/05/r...

"RE9 is an easy enough recommendation for the Grace sections alone, but it’s a shame those parts are somewhat bogged down by some of Resident Evil’s worst habits." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review for Resident Evil Requiem here: jagreview.com/2026/04/20/r...

"I went in expecting another second monitor "number go up" time killer and wound up with a shockingly compelling mystery story that sat firmly on my main monitor basically the whole way through." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review for Asbury Pines here: jagreview.com/2025/11/24/r...

I was recently given a copy of Wednesdays, a visual novel about healing from child sexual abuse. In honor of World Children's Day, the game has been made free to keep if you grab it before November 21. If you'd like to know more before picking it up, you can read my review at the quoted post below.

"It delivers a story that’s as heartbreaking as it is uplifting, and it does so in a way that I don’t think you could replicate with the same impact in any other medium." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review for Wednesdays here: jagreview.com/2025/11/19/r...

"It wears the skin of BF3, an infinitely better game, without understanding what made that game fun to play." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review for Battlefield 6 here: jagreview.com/2025/11/14/r...

I put off playing this game for way too long, but it ended up being the perfect way to spend a not-so-scary Halloween night (yes I know I'm posting this in like mid-November, I'm slow, don't judge me).

"Minor complaints aside, My Friendly Neighborhood was just about everything I could’ve asked for when I set out to play a beginner-friendly survival horror game." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/11/09/r...

"Misc. was just an absolute joy to play, and it’s without a doubt one of my favorite games of this year." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review for Misc. A Tiny Tale here: jagreview.com/2025/09/13/r...

"I don't think that this is a game I'll dump a hundred hours into or anything, but it got me to engage with a genre that I normally don't enjoy playing, and that's got to be worth something." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review of Hot Pot Game here: jagreview.com/2025/09/03/r...

"Even though it could feel very rough around the edges at times, I still had my fair share of fun with Miner Open Chests." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/08/26/r...

Huge thanks to @flebpuzzles.bsky.social for the early review copy. My only "complaint" with his last game 20 Small Mazes (which you should also play, it's free) was that I wished I had more puzzles with that same level of creativity, and playing through Strange Jigsaws finally scratched that itch.

"It's a labor of love from someone with a deep appreciation for puzzles of all kinds, and you'll feel that same appreciation with every new puzzle you solve." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review for Strange Jigsaws here: jagreview.com/2025/08/07/s...

I said going into this that it would likely consume me for at least a month, and I was right on the money with that one. I'm so glad to finally play a sequel to one of my all-time favorite games, but now I want to pause the 100+ hour-long games and go back to the more bite-sized stuff for a while.

"...I think despite the occasional missteps, Fantasy Life i is great, both as a standalone game and as a sequel to a game so near and dear to me." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/07/07/f...

I played Split Fiction, an extremely well-made game, but one with two lead characters who should be thrown in the ocean. Still, it's one of the better games to come out this year. I wrote a review of it for @jagreview.com. You can read the review here: jagreview.com/2025/05/21/s...

"But for all my complaints about some iffy writing and dodgy characters, it’s hard for me to imagine Split Fiction not making it into my favorite games of the year thanks to its overall excellent game design." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/05/21/s...

Fun fact: this game actually went through two Kickstarter campaigns, failing to be funded in the first but succeeding in the second. I'm really glad that the folks at @gallagames.bsky.social got that second chance, because what they ended up releasing is just fantastic.

"...if the full release retained the same polish and charm as [the 2022 demo], then it was sure to be an excellent game. Now I can happily say that it is, in fact, an excellent game." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review for Kulebra & the Souls of Limbo here: jagreview.com/2025/05/18/k...

I tried way too hard to come up with a clever quote that's only there to be later plastered onto social media pages as a summary of the review, if you couldn't tell. Do I sound like a competent game review outlet yet? Anyway, really fun game, looking forward to the sequel coming out next week.

"Like a duck to a good slice of bread, this game had me hooked on the spot and left me eager for more when I was done." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review for Duck Detective: The Secret Salami here: jagreview.com/2025/05/14/d...

I really wanted to like this game more than I did. I can see why my friends and other review outlets consider it one of the best out there, but having to fight with so many random chance mechanics wore me down before I could fully experience the best it has to offer. Here's hoping you fare better.

"If this game vibes with you, there's a good chance that it'll become one of your all-time favorites; but the constant battle with its RNG made it too frustrating for me to feel the same way." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/05/09/b...

I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a game that is legitimately my favorite of all time. On every level that a video game can be good, it masterfully excels. I wrote a review of it for @jagreview.com. You can read the review here: jagreview.com/2025/05/02/c...

"Genuinely, this is the closest to perfection in a video game I’ve come across. There is nothing in it that I can say I dislike or feel even slightly bothered by." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 here: jagreview.com/2025/05/02/c...

I liked it for what it is—enough to earn every achievement, even—but I also went in expecting a game with the deep crafting mechanics that Atelier is known for, and I think it missed the mark there. That being said, I'm glad I played it, and I hope this isn't the last we see of Yumia and the gang.

"There's a fun JRPG here to be sure; but as an Atelier game specifically, I must admit that it left something to be desired." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/04/23/a...

"'Slop' gets thrown around a lot for games that don’t deserve it, but Shadows is truly slop with no redeeming qualities to it that can’t be found in better, cheaper alternatives." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/04/02/a...

so i've been promising a long list of my favorite demos in the next fest but i couldn't edit it down for bluesky's 300 character limit So i worked with my good friend who runs a game review website and put it up there instead!!!! check it out!!! there's BIRDS there's HORROR there's YURI

If you haven't checked out any demos in the latest Steam Next Fest yet, our friend @junipertheory.bsky.social has made a list of her favorite ones for you to consider trying before the event is over. You can find the full list here: jagreview.com/2025/03/01/1...

I stopped being lazy and played Marvel Rivals, the hot new hero shooter with enough cake to put every bakery in the world out of business. It's a chaotic mess, but it's fun and fitting. I wrote a review of it for @jagreview.com. You can read the review here: jagreview.com/2025/02/25/m...

"It does have some frustrations, but with a strong debut, Marvel Rivals has put itself in a good spot to take the crown that Overwatch dropped in the hero shooter department." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/02/25/m...

Well, this one took several weeks longer to post than I expected. I put way more time into this game than I thought I would, but if that isn't an indicator of how much I enjoyed it, the fact that I also bought Ryza 2 and 3 right as I was publishing this should give you another hint.

"Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout hooked me in a way that I did not expect, and suffice to say that the Atelier series has found itself a new fan in me." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2025/02/16/a...

This took me longer than it should have, but I'm happy with how it came out. Big thanks to @robustgames.bsky.social, @coalsupper.bsky.social, @npurkeypile.bsky.social, @mistermorrisgames.bsky.social, @smellyfrog.bsky.social, and everyone else that put out great games this year. Here's to many more.

With 2024 coming to a close, @michael.jagreview.com has prepared a list of 11 games that might have flown under your radar this year, plus an additional list of resources to help you find some more. Check out the full article here: jagreview.com/2024/12/29/1...

I played Dokimon: Quest, a love letter to old Pokémon and creature collecting games. It was nice and fun until the game's annoyances started to pile up until I suddenly stopped wanting to play. I wrote a review of it for @jagreview.com. You can read the review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/14/d...

"The tiny things just started to add up to a point I didn’t want to continue, and at that point, I realized I couldn’t recommend the game." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/14/d...

In honor of the most hinged time of year for games, I did a Top 5 games list. It became a Top 6 games list thanks to @skydevilpalm.bsky.social making a game I couldn't not include. I also talk about other games I played, including the worst of the year. Read it at jagreview.com/2024/12/13/g...

In the spirit of the video game awards show season, @gordon.jagreview.com has put together a list of noteworthy titles he's played this year, including a Top 5 that suddenly became a Top 6 at the last minute. Check out the full list here: jagreview.com/2024/12/13/g...

I played Tomb Raider (2013). Despite having more fun than I expected, its acceptable gameplay and solid visuals don't take away from a weak Lara, her bad arc, and the gross treatment of her. I wrote a review of it for @jagreview.com. You can read the review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/11/t...

"...the gameplay isn’t good enough for me to recommend this game with how gross it left me feeling about Lara." @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/10/t...

"I can spare you the rant and just say that Loco Motive is not only a really good game, but easily one of my favorite games of 2024." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/09/l...

"The way it handled the story left something to be desired, but mulling it over had me skew more towards positive thanks to the strength of the gameplay." - @michael.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/05/f...

I played The Forgotten City, a time loop game from 2021 that everyone knew was good. Shocker, I also think it's good. I liked its writing, absorbing atmosphere, and use of its time loop mechanics. I wrote a review of it for @jagreview.com. You can read the review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/02/t...

"Some small gameplay complaints don’t pile up enough to take away from an absorbing atmosphere, characters I wanted to learn more about, and a layered story that I enjoyed peeling away with each loop I did." - @gordon.jagreview.com Read the full review here: jagreview.com/2024/12/02/t...