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

This week, the truth is out there.

I’m running late on finishing this one, so we’ll skip the intro this time. Here are some new video games!

Early Access

Cataclismo is getting some attention as an Early Access release due to its combination of tower defence and, surprisingly, Lego. You build your fortresses brick by brick then work hard to defend them from invaders.

Developed by Digital Sun (Moonlighter, The Mageseeker) and published by Hooded Horse (Manor Lords, Against the Storm, Sons of Valhalla).

New Releases

Ete (PC) is the opposite of Powerwash Simulator, in the sense you have to cover an entire Montreal village in paint. The premise here is that an amateur painter has moved home and is now faced with a blank canvas, both literally and figuratively. You use paint to colour the world around you and make this village your own.

Developed by Impossible.

If you like the look of Into the Breach but wish it had more fantasy elements, Forgotten Mines (PC) has you covered. You lead a team of dwarves through the titular mines, fighting off goblins and orcs you find along the way.

Developed by Cannibal Goose and published by Ishtar Games (Lakeburg Legacies, The Last Spell).

Dreamsweeper (PC) is a dungeon crawler infused with popular Windows time-waster Minesweeper. You play as a girl who fights her demons inside a dream world, using the mechanics of Minesweeper to uncover traps along the way. Promises a lo-fi soundtrack too, so it’s apparently surprisingly cosy.

Developed by Etherlight (Mislight).

The Star Named EOS (PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox X/S) is a puzzle adventure game about photography. You play as Dei, a man trying to track down his absent mother. Using her letters and photographs, he attempts to trace her footsteps and uncover the mysteries hidden within. There’s some beautiful art here and an intriguing premise, although I do wonder how complex the puzzles are.

Developed by Silver Lining Studio (Behind the Frame) and published by Playism (Momodora series, Gnosia, The Good Life).

Conscript (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) is a retro-style survival game set in World War I. You play as a French soldier stuck in the trenches coming to terms with the horrors of war. A lot of info around this game is shrouded in mystery, and I’m not entirely sure if the horror is supernatural or psychological, stemming from the trauma of conflict. That alone makes this intriguing.

Developed by Jordan Mochi and Catchweight Studio and published by Team17 (Dredge, Golf With Your Friends, Worms)

Valley Peaks (PC) is a first-person platformer about connecting a population of frogs in the mountains. You climb the many peaks to place radio towers through a series of platforming challenges, while also indulging in goofy mini games involving your sticky hands.

Developed by Tub Club and published by Those Awesome Guys (Monster Prom, Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom).

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure (PC, Switch) is a puzzle adventure game about a girl who moves the world when she walks. The game sees Jemma set out into the world, arranging paths as she goes in order to solve the challenges she encounters. There’s a cool mechanic here and there’s been a ton of critical praise so this has potential to be something special.

Developed by Furniture & Mattress.

Ninja Slayer: Neo-Saitama in Flames (PC, Switch) is an action platformer based on the Ninja Slayer manga, and the visuals of that medium are used to great effect here. Every frame of this game’s trailers suggests a game that sits somewhere between a living manga and any given Suda51 game. No idea how well it plays, but it’s definitely the most stylish game this week.

Developed by Skeleton Crew Studio (Olija) and published by Kadokawa Corporation.

Game of the Week

Game of the Week is The Operator (PC), a game made for X-Files fans who wished they were supporting Mulder and Scully. So, you know, me.

The Operator puts you in the shoes of a technical support officer at the FDI, someone who takes evidence and examines it all to uncover the secrets. Facial recognition, chemical analysis, car registrations, that kind of thing. However, on your first day on the job, you start to realise that something more sinister than a few murders is happening under the surface.

I was seriously craving a solid mystery game this week, saw this on my release list and purchased it almost as soon as it became available, and I did not regret my choice. I’m a big fan of mystery games where you search through digital evidence – this is why I’m eagerly awaiting the full Steam release of The Roottrees are Dead – and this definitely scratched that itch. Bit of a short experience that feels like it leaves a lot unanswered, but that just makes me hope for more further down the line.

Developed by Bureau 81