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There was not a game released yet that can challenge Anno in its propensity for balancing districts until the release of Frostpunk 2. Frostpunk 1 is about surviving, Frostpunk 2 is about thriving in the frozen wasteland. It’s a bit of a different take than the first game, which I’d compare to a more visual novel-esq experience. The entire city was contained within the original crater and, revisiting the city 30 years later, the original main character passes and you, the new main character as Steward, take over. Your task is to expand the city outside of the crater, establish a city council and make a decision to embrace or conquer the cold. Before being thrown into the mix, you visit a failed generator where you survive the first whiteout at a Dreadnaught. This tutorial serves as a smaller, easier experience before jumping into the main game. A Perfect City…

Imagine having a seamless experience playing almost any retro game you could think of. That is Anstream Arcade, an online subscription service that allows you to play over 1300 classic games from the classic arcades, to the NES/SNES all the way to PS1. Universal control schemes, including using your mouse for the laser shooter in games like Operation Wolf make each game seamless to load and play. This is a strange one to review because it’s a subscription platform for retro games, but it does offer such an amazing value that it’s remiss to mention it. It’s only $39.99 a year for access to pretty much every single major arcade game I could think of, without the need to set anything up and the ability to play across multiple platforms. There isn’t anything to say about the games, outside of the previously mentioned seamless controls. Fantastic in that regard, I…

Timberborn’s update 5 enriches the beaver kingdom with new features, particularly the ecological ‘Badwater’ challenge, enhancing the game’s core city-building mechanics. It introduces faction-specific content, terraforming capabilities, and numerous quality-of-life improvements, including an overhauled irrigation system and building flexibility. With its profound updates, Timberborn is now an essential experience for city-builder enthusiasts.

In 2023, our staff collaborated to create a comprehensive ranking of the year’s games. Standouts include Alan Wake II and Armored Core VI in the S+ tier, with titles like Dead Space Remastered and Tales of Symphonia Remastered in the S tier. The A tier features games like Cities Skylines 2 and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

Alan Wake 2 is a storytelling masterpiece in gaming, blending horror tropes seamlessly into its narrative. The game offers a thick atmosphere, deep characters, and intertwined storytelling with Control. Although reliant on callbacks to previous games, it delivers exceptional combat, pacing, and an enthralling story, making it a must-play for fans of the series and new players alike.

Pixel Cafe has a smooth lo-fi vibe with some of the best music I’ve heard this year. Released early October, we finally got a chance to sit down with what can be considered revolutionary in its own genre. You’ve got gorgeous pixel-art style beats, a soundtrack that kicks off from the start and doesn’t stop and a hypnotic gameplay loop that’s as mediative or brow-sweating as you want it to be. Quick note: The developers have been active in updating the game. A mid-December 2023 update introduced difficulty modes, giving the game more depth from the challenging kitchen manager that it was to a zen like rhythm game to the challenging kitchen manager that many loved as is. Let’s dig into what separates this game from others. Running the Pixel Cafe The game starts off with a cup and a coffee machine and simple instructions. The game’s complexities slowly unveil…