As a writer and video game enthusiast, I’ve been trying to expand my game knowledge. So, I put extra effort this month to play tons of games. Here are 5 games I tried out in the month of April.

WarGroove

Wargroove is a tactical RPG game that features a cute and wholesome pixel art style. It was released in February 2019 and made by ChuckleFish, which is a game developing and publishing company also known for making Eastward and Starbound. ChuckleFish is also known for publishing Risk of Rain and Stardew Valley.

Wargroove features multiple game modes which include Arcade, Campaign, and Puzzle. You can also connect with other players through Co-op Campaigns, Multiplayer, or shared Custom Content.

Wargroove’s gameplay is similar to Fire Emblem. Players control multiple units from foot soldiers and cavalry, to battle dogs and archers. More powerful units called Commanders are also controllable, these units are also integral to the story. Fortunately, these commanders are neither overpowered nor unkillable; most of the time, you can always play around them.

Just like Fire Emblem, Wargroove also has unit counters. . Critical hit attacks are also present, but not random. Certain conditions must be met for critical hits to work.

Terrain also affects combat but can also be used by enemies, making it fair across the board. There is also some resource management involved, as you need gold to produce regular units. Fortunately, gold is given to you every turn.

If anything, the game is very casual and family-friendly, as defeated characters in the story are neither killed nor injured.

But do not be fooled, as some missions can be quite challenging. In fact, I actually got stuck in Act 1 Mission 3.

Corpse Keeper

Corpse Keeper is what you get if you combine Darkest Dungeon with Tekken and Dark Souls.

Developed by Melancholia Studio and published by Thermite Game, Corpse Keeper is an extremely unique action RPG game that combines different genres such as side-scrolling adventure, arcade fighting, and dungeon crawling

The game is set in a dark and grim medieval world where you have to defeat a demon with your newfound necromancy.

You are tasked with building and leading your army of corpses within a limited time while acquiring resources and eliminating anything and everything that blocks your path.

Dungeon crawling is a large part of the game, requiring you to manage your resources well and prepare thoroughly before each expedition.

Battle encounters in your expeditions are realistic, requiring a high level of skill to effectively dodge, attack, parry, and roll out of danger. Aside from health bars, there are also injury levels and balance meters to be mindful of as they can make fights harder by increasing the damage you take or leaving you vulnerable.

A decay system is also present which puts your army of corpses in a timer every expedition, adding a level of complexity unique to the game.

You can also fashion your army of corpses with different kinds of units, each featuring its own unique attacks and specialties. This, however, is the same for your enemies. Due to this, you will have to learn a variety of attack patterns from a variety of enemies.

There are many more left unsaid and that I have to find out. Even as an Early Access game, Corpse Keeper is already fun and complex. I am extremely excited about how things will change moving forward.

Hellslave

Hellslave is a game that reminds me of a Flash game I deeply adored in the past: Sonny and Sonny 2.

If you don’t know those then you should check them out.

Anyway, Hellslave is a dungeon-crawling game with a DnD-style exploration system, featuring a cool “region” map for discovering dungeons and other locations.

Each dungeon is composed of several interactable sections where you might find interesting items, story scenes, or enemy encounters.

While the game is twisted and haunted by demonic creatures, there is still a village that acts as your safe haven in between your dungeon expeditions and travels.

One thing I absolutely love about Hellslave is its grim comic art style that is inspired by dark fantasy lore. I will even go as far as saying it is very similar to Darkest Dungeon’s art style with a bit of realism.

Regarding combat, Hellslave uses a turn-based system that involves “time” management. Attacks have “fatigue” stats that indicate the amount of time that passes if the player chooses to perform a certain action.

Prior to combat, players can also upgrade two skill trees; one active and one passive. During combat, you have the ability to turn into a demon due to a pact you made at the start of the story.

Speaking of the demon pact, you have 6 demons you can choose from: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Baal, Satan, Asmodeus, and Leviathan.

Hellslave also has great replay value as you can easily experiment with different strategies, skills, items, and characters. You can do this using multiple save files or continuing with New Game+.

Overall, I am really enjoying this game. Ars Goetia Games did a hell of a job with Hellslave and I highly recommend it.

Campfire Cooking

Campfire Cooking is a puzzle game with cartoonish graphics where your goal is to roast your marshmallows by placing them on top of a bonfire.

The gameplay involves horizontal and vertical movements, pushing one marshmallow with another, and turning the barbecue stick for better positioning. After completing some levels, you unlock another region that contains ten levels in total.

The game has a backstory that starts with you going on a camping trip with a few family members including your grandpa, however, I haven’t gotten far yet so there is more to know.

There is a subtle fourth wall break in the game as the characters acknowledge the game’s flawed logic. The grandfather questions why the teenagers don’t just lift the sticks to reposition them, but they justify that it’s more fun to play the game the way it is, dubbing it “Marshmallow Tactics.”

As you progress through the game, more mechanics get involved, such as boiling pots and lighting up unlit fire pits. Roasting the marshmallow is not as straightforward as you have to roast both sides by flipping it every time you move it horizontally.

Outer Wilds

This one probably isn’t that informative, just a quick note on the game.

I tried Outer Wilds since I wanted to find a game to unwind with. So, I installed it and booted it up.

Much to my surprise it had a great atmosphere right from the get-go.

The art style is kind of cartoonish but not too much, think of Subnautica but with humanoid aliens.

You start by waking up in a village and you are greeted with the night sky. The sounds of the wind and rustling leaves fill your senses, and a friendly spacefarer is resting with you.

Talking to him leads you to go to the observatory, apparently, you are now headed off to a solo space voyage.

Exploring the surroundings was refreshing, as the sound design was crisp and realistic, in contrast to its visuals.

I pretty much only played up to the observer and tried out the different tutorials in the small haven.

Unfortunately, the vastness of the open space and potential for exploration felt overwhelming to me.

More than that, there doesn’t seem to be combat which isn’t a dealbreaker but is always good to break the peaceful pace of the game.

Due to these two, I decided to hold off playing this game but I do see its potential. Maybe someday I’ll try it again, but this is surely recommendable for gamers who enjoy open-world exploration.

If I had to find similar games like this, it would be Subnautica and No Man’s Sky.