Hello! Welcome to the latest Geeky Brummie Gaming Roundup!

This week, let’s focus on new releases! (There’s a lot!)

New Releases

It was delayed for a year due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it’s here at last. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch) is a remake of the first two Advance Wars games released for the Game Boy Advance back in the day. They’re tactical war games with a bright cartoony art style that have garnered cult classic status over the years.

Survival: Fountain of Youth (PC) is a survival game set in the 16th century, set on a deserted Caribbean Island, starring a shipwrecked explorer. Unsurprisingly from the title, there’s also a quest to try and find the fabled Fountain of Youth within the island’s ancient ruins.

Zoeti (PC) is a roguelike card battler, because the indie scene is apparently required by law to release one every week.

Beyond the Long Night (PC) is a roguelike platformer/shooter hybrid set in an underworld full of dangerous cave dwellers.

Suffer the Night (PC) is a survival horror game blending traditional text adventures and stalker horror. While you play a grisly dungeon crawler on your old 80s PC, you have to remain aware of The Pale Man and tackle his interruptions.

Homestead Arcana (PC, Xbox) is a farming game about reclaiming a range that’s been corrupted by Miasma. You play as a witch crafting spells to bring the land back to life then planting and harvesting your crops.

God of Rock (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is a cross between a rhythm game and a fighting game. Some of the world’s greatest music stars are battling for supremacy under the watchful of the titular god.

OTXO (PC) is a top-down roguelike shooter which feels a lot like someone decided Hotline Miami needed a stronger noir vibe.

Mr Sun’s Hatbox (PC, Switch) is an action platformer crossed with a base builder, as Mr Sun forms a team to get back the hatbox that was stolen by Mr Moon.

Stray Blade (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S) is an action adventure with Souls-style combat set in a mysterious land. You’re also accompanied by a wolf who crafts for you, as standard.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is the sequel to 2020’s chill barista-based visual novel. Just like the first game, Coffee Talk Episode 2 sees you preparing drinks for your urban fantasy clientele, listening to their problems and vibing to lo-fi beats.

Disney Speedstorm (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is a free-to-play arcade racer where Disney characters go head-to-head on the racetrack. Characters are a mix of Golden Age favourites like Mickey Mouse, Disney Princesses, Pirates of the Caribbean characters and the cast of Monsters Inc. Be wary of its monetisation model though, I’d say.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is the latest game from Riot Forge, an initiative to let indie developers make games based on League of Legends characters. The Mageseeker is focused on the character of Sylas in an action RPG from the developers of Moonlighter.

Minecraft Legends (PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox) is a real-time strategy game set in the world of Minecraft. You gather allies and fight together to battle the Piglin army invading the biomes.

Dead Island 2 (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) is the long-awaited sequel to 2014’s resort-based zombie killing game. It’s your standard zombie bashing game, with plenty of gore and excitement. From all accounts, though, there’s little else of substance here.

Game of the Week

Game of the Week this week is Tin Hearts (Switch). It’s a cute little game about toy soldiers.

The goal of the game is to guide these toy soldiers through a series of puzzle challenges to uncover a story about a genius Victorian inventor. The gameplay is very similar to Lemmings, where you’re not in direct control of any of the soldiers, but you can guide them in the right direction. The environment is fully 3D though, for extra challenge.

There’s something super charming about this one. The setting is cute and the gameplay looks unique, so it’s definitely one keeping an eye on. Switch exclusive for now, but it will be released on PC, PlayStation and Xbox next month.