rumbles

I've just uploaded my latest review to TikTok (and it's also on YouTube and Twitter). It's the first voice over I've ever recorded and edited myself, so I'd really appreciate any feedback you have. Please be kind, I'm still learning!

TikTok: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSCXBCT3r/

All my socials: https://linktr.ee/vithsyni

Hozy is such a cute cozy game experience. The graphics and lighting are genuinely stunning, the sound design is super relaxing, and I loved the whole concept of restoring and decorating rooms while slowly learning about the people who live there. It feels very thoughtfully made.

My biggest issue is the length; there are only 9 levels and I finished the game in a little over 3 hours. For AUD$17.99, that feels a bit overpriced. I also think a creative/free-build mode would add so much replayability and longevity.

Really cozy little game overall, but I’d personally recommend picking it up on sale.

Price: AUD$20.50

Confidential Killings feels like a stylish little hidden gem. Very “Case of the Golden Idol” inspired with its point-and-click deduction gameplay, but wrapped in a gorgeous retro 70s comic-book aesthetic. The art direction honestly carries a lot of the experience for me.

The downside is the length. I finished it in under 3 hours, which makes the AUD$20.50 price feel a bit steep. The storyline was decent enough, but nothing especially memorable. Still enjoyable overall if you love mystery/puzzle games and strong visual style.

Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall.

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

Price: AUD$8.50

The devs openly disclose AI use, saying it was only used as a “supportive tool” while all details were human-made. They mention AI assisted with some UI/painting elements and grammar.

Interesting concept overall and definitely very cozy, but for my personal preference it got a little too tedious after a while and I dislike the use of generative AI being used for art. I also had to crank my mouse sensitivity way up immediately because it felt super slow/laggy by default.

First thing I noticed: autosave!! Huge win. Starting a new game lets you choose between a full town map or an empty map, and the opening train/tutorial sequence is super charming. You get introduced to the townies and can either pick a premade household or create your own.

The create a household system is AMAZING. The UI is cute and simple, there are 8 life stages, adjustable heights, and a colour wheel for basically everything. There’s body hair, freckles, scars, birthmarks, heterochromia, adjustable eyebrow thickness, different eyelash styles, and separate chest/crotch presets. Face/body sculpting feels really dynamic too.

Build mode definitely has a bit of a learning curve at first, but once everything clicks it becomes incredibly fun to use. I’d still love to see things like foundation tools and fence gates added though.

The gameplay itself feels super cozy and full of personality. I love the colours, atmosphere, and sound design, and I’m really excited to see how the game grows as development continues.

Mixtape feels like a bad movie with average minigames attached to it. The whole concept of telling the story through carefully picked music is cool, but I didn’t find the writing special or memorable at all. I’ve seen stories told way better in half the time.

The gameplay also feels really clunky, especially the animated movement/walking sections outside of cutscenes. Nothing felt particularly polished or well put together. The characters are also super shallow. The voice acting is genuinely good, but the writing and interactions felt like something written by a 13 y/o on Quotev in 2014.

Also… how is this being marketed as a “traditional indie” game when they somehow licensed 30+ massive 90s songs on perpetual licenses? Even huge AAA studios struggle with that. The game has billionaire-adjacent funding backing its development, distribution, and soundtrack licensing, so I don’t really buy the indie label people keep throwing on it.

That said, visually the game is gorgeous. The cutscenes, cinematography, presentation, and painted art style are all genuinely stunning.