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Cube Escape: Paradox (Steam Deck): COMPLETED!

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I do like Rusty Lake’s weird graphical adventure/escape room games, with their creepy aura, Art Deco imagery and psychological themes. Cube Escape is another of those, mostly set in a single room with you able to look in each direction and interact with items, such as a clock, mirror and a telephone in order to solve puzzles to (usually) open doors and drawers, eventually leading to the unravelling of some event in your past where you may (or may not?) have murdered your wife. Or maybe she tried to murder you? Or was it a dream?

There’s also time travel, as if your character’s brain wasn’t unravelled enough. Oh, and literally some brains to play with.

It’s all a bit dark, but there’s humour and some silliness, and then it goes all horror and gore for a bit. There are live action cut scenes. And, I suppose, dead action cut scenes. Spooky shadows, things that might not really be there, and all sorts of messages and symbols to decode. Another excellent game from the team.

Inspector Waffles (Steam Deck): COMPLETED!

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Yes, I’ve played all the Inspector Waffles games in the wrong order. Somehow they’re in neither release order, nor – as one is a prequel – in chronological order. After Chance’s Lucky Escape on the Playdate last year, and Inspector Waffles Early Days more recently on the Evercade, I was on the lookout for a cheap copy of the original. At least, I think it’s the original? Whatever, here it is.

And it was great. Quite light on difficult puzzles, but humourous and smart and all the things a good point-and-click adventure game needs to be. I liked how all the cases were linked, and although the twist (and therefore, the reveal of the main “how”) was a bit silly, it didn’t detract. Now, are there more Waffles incoming any time soon?

Inspector Waffles (Steam Deck): COMPLETED!

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Yes, I’ve played all the Inspector Waffles games in the wrong order. Somehow they’re in neither release order, nor – as one is a prequel – in chronological order. After Chance’s Lucky Escape on the Playdate last year, and Inspector Waffles Early Days more recently on the Evercade, I was on the lookout for a cheap copy of the original. At least, I think it’s the original? Whatever, here it is.

And it was great. Quite light on difficult puzzles, but humourous and smart and all the things a good point-and-click adventure game needs to be. I liked how all the cases were linked, and although the twist (and therefore, the reveal of the main “how”) was a bit silly, it didn’t detract. Now, are there more Waffles incoming any time soon?

Justice League: Cosmic Chaos (Steam Deck): COMPLETED!

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Why yes, I am seven years old. Because that’s clearly the age the game is aimed at. But you know what? It may be simplistic and childish, but it was good, actually, so stop judging me. It’s not like it’s Paw Patrol or anything.

What it actually is, is a bit like all those Lego games, only without the building and smashing. Or the Lego. So maybe not like Lego games. It does feel like those Lego games though, with similar combat and character swapping and the same sort of humour and cute versions of superheroes. Here, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have to stop Mr Mxyzptlk from turning the city into a fishy hellhole after he decides to make himself mayor. The rest of the Justice League, literally referred to by the Big Three as “The B Team” have been facejacked by no-mark DC villain Starro, who himself is mainly there as muscle for Mzyzptlk. So, off you go, mainly in the sewers because obviously, rescuing them all.

There’s nothing complex here, just button mashing to punch and kick everyone. You have a few moves like a batarang or laser eyes which have cooldowns to prevent spamming them, but mostly it’s fisticuffs and dodge-rolls. There are a few platforming bits, and the odd puzzle or button-activating exercise, and some “collect X of Y to progress”, but nothing a seven year old, or an old man like me, should find problematic.

Enjoyable and mindless, which is fine really, isn’t it? I also liked all the niche DC superhero lore references, like minor events and characters from the comics and stuff. And Booster Gold being a tool, as is right and proper.

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell (Switch): COMPLETED!

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A while back I played an earlier game in the Momodora series and liked it enough to stick this, the (at time of typing) latest game, on my wishlist. I do like a good Metroidvania and, as it turns out, Moonlit Farewell is a good Metroidvania.

It is, of course, more of the same, but much more polished and impressive with some huge bosses and great animation. If Reverie Under the Moonlight was Super Metroid, this is Symphony of the Night.

The basic plot is to find out who rung a bell which has unleashed demons, but along the way other forces get involved and there are gods and monsters and characters from previous games who make an appearance. As a Metroidvania, it mostly plays out in the standard explore-til-you-can’t-explore-no-more way, getting new abilities (most of which are pretty standard for the genre, like a wall jump and “don’t die in heat item” and “break through specific walls” type powers) to open up other areas. You also have a number of “slots” with which to add buffs, like being able to heal quicker or hit a bit harder or use less magic, but I didn’t see a need for most of those I unlocked.

I found it really easy for some reason. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, but literally only two bosses gave me any trouble and that was only because I hadn’t figured out either their “tell” or their weak point. All the exploring and incidental fighting was pretty simple but still fun. I was starting to get a bit annoyed with the amount of back-tracking but thankfully fast travel points are introduced eventually.

Moonlit Farewell doesn’t do any particularly special with the formula, nor does any feature stand out, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recommend it – it’s a perfectly solid, well made game. It just isn’t all that different to others of this type.