Anzu

I like games that don't hold your hand, but there are limits. I don't think I have ever felt as directionless and confused while playing a game as during anzu. and I play A LOT, and I mean A FREAKING LOT of video games, from all eras, all consoles. The hub is extremely overwhelming, and there are no clear directions, and the few directions there are are unclear, because I don't know what the result even means. When I do something, I have no idea whether it is correct. I know I'm supposed to incubate an egg, because it's in the picture on the game page, but I don't know how to do it in the game, and I looked everywhere for any sort of directions to no avail. Gameplay-wise it's kind of like wario's woods mixed with shovel knight dig, and cult of the lamb. But those games told me the bare minimum I needed to know to play. I don't even think the game is probably bad, but it feels like trying to find your hotel in a foreign country where you don't speak the language. Try the game out for yourself! Maybe you'll find more success than me, or they will add more directions.

This is a fun puzzle game with cute, colourful art. The base gameplay is explained at the beginning, and the rest of the game is very intuitive. This allows for a clear gameplay that requires thought and strategy. If you take your time, you can get very far. The more time you invest, the more possibilities to advance and unlock something new.

Wonderful pixel art, pretty awful game design Overly simple game with a very complex hub system where nothing is explained to you at all. There are some fun ideas and talent here, but it needs a UX pass and some variation on the gameplay loop to make it more exciting.

A bit overly easy, and time consuming, a lot of time in the hub messing with the eggs. On my second run I managed to 100% the museum and buy out the shops