Hello! Welcome to the latest Geeky Brummie Games Release Roundup!

This week, paintbrushes, cars and sugar.

New Releases

A.I.L.A. (PC) is a horror game set entirely within a virtual environment. And based on the demo, this virtual reality concept is used to full effect, disorienting the player with environmental shifts, dreamlike imagery and incomprehensible puzzles. Developed by Pulsatrix Studios and published by Fireshine Games.

A Heavy Morning (PC) is a small narrative experience from Saf Interactive about living with mental illness. You play a woman who struggles to get out of bed and you must find ways to enter the Mind Space to find ways to escape your own thoughts. Uses actual cognitive behavioural therapy techniques.

Captain Wayne: Vacation Desperation (PC) is a cartoony boomer shooter inspired by FPS games of the 90s. You play as Captain Wayne, a ruthless pirate with a shotgun arm looking to wreak vengeance on a mercenary team. Wacky cartoon visuals and a rude attitude make this one stand out from other retro-style shooters. Developed by Ciaran Games and published by Silver Lining Interactive.

Solo Leveling Arise: Overdrive (PC) is a reworked version of a mobile gacha game based on the Korean webtoon that’s become a huge anime series. Overdrive removes the gacha elements and boils the game down to a basic action RPG. Features the story of the webtoon along with new story content, as you build a squad of party members that fight in real-time battles. Developed by Netmarble.

Bubble Bobble: Sugar Dungeons (PC, PS5, Switch 1) is a new entry in the eternal Bubble Bobble franchise, as you guide little dragon buddies Bub and Bob through a series of puzzle platforming challenges. Developed by Taito and Arc System Works.

Project Motor Racing (PC, PS5, Xbox X/S) is a new sim racer supervised by the director of Project Cars. Boasts an extensive career mode that covers all aspects of a racing driver’s career, including the history of motorsport, and promises races with up to 31 AI opponents. However, early reviews suggest the game might not be in a great state right now, so might be worth holding off on this one for now. Developed by Straight4 Studios and published by GIANTS Software.

Game of the Week

This week’s Game of the Week is Constance (PC), a Metroidvania about paint.

You play as a struggling artist named Constance, who heads into a world build around her psyche, one that’s slowly crumbling as she struggles with her creativity and purpose. You wield a brush and use paint to your advantage, gradually building up your skills and mastering them to complete increasingly tough puzzle challenges.

Played the demo of this one, and it was clear this was a game that deserved to be Game of the Week. It’s a Metroidvania heavily inspired by Hollow Knight, but feels smoother to me than that game, and features less frustrating death mechanics. This includes the choice to continue where you are with a minor penalty or return to a checkpoint, and no need to retrieve your goodies upon death. Its beautiful hand-drawn art style is gorgeous and ties in nicely to its story. Definitely worth checking out. Developed by btf and published by ByteRockers Games.