Santa Claws

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Adam DeLease

Santa Claws is one of the easiest, quickest games to beat…and it's almost as easy to beat if you're naughty as it is if you're nice. To see both endings and mop up all achievements in the game, you're probably looking at about 15 minutes needed, tops. To see the good ending, simply go to bed. To see the naughty ending, you've gotta eat Santa's cookies. The lights in the house will go out, then an out-of-place, pixelated, gray-skinned Santa will eventually find you and pull you outside. From there, your goal is to navigate a maze, with the goal of following the light in the sky…which will eventually lead you to a Christmas tree and a pile of gifts. While navigating the maze, you need to avoid ol' Santa Claws….which is pretty easily done. Unfortunately, despite the 15 minute playtime of Santa Claws, to see everything, this game STILL manages to feel old by the time you reach the end of those 15 minutes. It's almost like Adam DeLease wanted to make a video game version of coal for everyone to play. Even with a low price tag, I really can't recommend Santa Claws. There just isn't really anything here worth going out of your way to play…and I'd even argue that even if this game is placed in front of you, and you're not going out of your way at all, it still may not be worth playing.

Review added: 10/31/2022

Save Twiks

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: REVVALUTION Studio

I was hoping that saving Twiks would be one of life's great kicks…but much like how that reference to a 1990's candy bar commercial fell short of getting a laugh, Save Twiks just falls short of being a passable game, in my opinion. I love the concept of the game, but there's far too many times where it's unclear what you need to do…so you find yourself just pacing back and forth until you happen to trigger a path opening up. This game also has one giant lack of logic that made me laugh….you eventually get a bucket of water and insist that you need to put out the fire in a car wreck that you saw a loooong walk away, because the goal is to save everyone from the fire…meanwhile, not far from the bucket of water is a burning trailer with a person inside (with their legs outside) squirming and screaming as they get burned alive…but nope, you should get that car first….I laughed even harder when returning to the area, there are two more fires to put out…but neither one is the trailer with that still-burning, still-screaming person inside. You end up walking away leaving that person to their fate, I guess. Anyway, if you like walking simulators, you'll still probably enjoy this game. I enjoyed it, myself, but there's just too much here for me to call this passable…I will say that it is just slightly below passable, though. Still, I hope REVVALUTION STUDIO puts out more games with unique stories like this one…I can only imagine that the more games that they pump out, the better that their games will be.

Review added: 10/31/2024

September 7th

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: EMIKA_GAMES

I don't know if I really understand why this game is named September 7th, when the whole game revolves around an evil Christmas elf….but regardless, I liked it. It may actually be my favorite of the EMIKA_GAMES that I've played thus far, honestly. Like most EMIKA_GAMES games, it's not perfect by any means, but I feel like they did a pretty good job with this game. It still takes place in a small environment (the majority of the game takes place in an apartment) but it doesn't feel quite as claustrophobic as some of their other games…which I guess could be seen as a good thing or bad thing if you felt like the claustrophobia helped with the atmosphere of their other games. My big complaint with the game is that it's a neat concept, but there isn't really enough here to flesh that idea out…even if they created a solid backstory through extra notes that you'd pick up, it would be nice to have a little more of a narrative here. Still, if you're looking for a nice horror game to play during the holiday season, then September 7th is a passable, quick game that you can play.

Review added: 10/31/2024

Sex Vixens from Space

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Free Spirit Software

Wow…as somebody that loves horrible, cheesy movies, this game delivers in an over-the-top, laughable story…unfortunately, that’s probably the most praise that I can give it. Sex Vixens from Space is a text-based adventure game that was released back in 1988…and aside from the comically awful story, there honestly isn’t a reason to play this. Aside from the story, gaining access to disturbing-looking, 8-bit pictures of topless lady folk is your “reward” for making your way through this short game…and by short I mean, it may take you some time to figure out what exactly to do, but once you know what you’re doing, and if you skip reading the story, you can probably finish the game in about 5 minutes. Unfortunately, there are much better adventure games out there, so while I’d love to say that this game is b-movie entertainment quality, I simply can’t. Brad Stallion, the game’s hero, should have been treated like what happens to the animal that shares his last name with when they break their legs…unfortunately, he’d have a few more adventures following this awful debut.

Review added: 03/30/2020

Shin Megami Tensei Online: Imagine

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Cave

This was the first (and is still only as of this writing) PC-based MMORPG that I've ever played...And I've got to admit, it got me hooked. Simply wandering around and exploring the ruins of Tokyo while battling and conversing with demons was fun...as was the Megami Tensei trademark of demon fusions to create bigger and stronger allies. The community was also very friendly. I actually had a very high level character hand me a very-strong-for-my-level weapon early in the game. He wanted to trade, but when I told him that I had nothing of value to give in return, he simply said, "Take it. It's a gift for being new." Shin Megami Tensei Online wasn't perfect, and some very annoying glitches could sometimes cause frustration...But overall, I've lost plenty of hours to this game due to the enjoyment it created. Unfortunately, the English version was shut down several years ago, and the Japanese version followed a few years later after nearly a decade of being online. It’s a shame because it truly was an enjoyable game, and the best part was that it was absolutely free of charge.

Review added: 07/04/2019

Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: ladybug

Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue brings the Shin Megami Tensei franchise into Metroidvania territory in this short, but very enjoyable game. It does a great job of mixing the usual traits of a Metroidvania-style game with the elemental weaknesses of a Shin Megami Tensei game with the ability to swap between Jack O’Lantern and Jack Frost on the fly. The best part? Atlus released it for free to help promote Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. While the “official” download link is no longer active, it’s not hard at all to find the game online with a quick Google search. I highly recommend doing so. Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue only lasts 2-3 hours, but if you’re a fan of the Metroidvania formula and looking for something unique added to it, Synchronicity Prologue will probably be just the game for you.

Review added: 07/04/2019

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Atlus

At first, I wasn't sure if I'd be adding Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance to the list or if it'd just be a review…I wasn't confident that it'd be a different enough of a game for me to justify placing it on the list with the original Shin Megami Tensei V…but I sure can. While this does contain the complete, original Shin Megami Tensei V, complete with its DLC, it also contains an "alternate" story that's completely unique, which makes me feel like this deserves a spot on the list. The main appeal of the new story is the inclusion of a new character…and while much of the story appears to be similar at first glance, you'll realize as the game advances that this single character manages to completely change scenarios from how you saw them in the original game, and in some ways, completely eliminate scenarios, replacing them with new ones. Along with that character also comes a new group of potential enemies to contend with. Minor gameplay tweaks were also added to this game, as well as the fact that it was released on every modern console this time, not just the Switch like the original game. While I liked it on the Switch, the Switch sometimes simply felt like it wasn't strong enough to handle this game at times…but playing it on PC or PS5, I can definitely see a difference. Anyway, if you played the original Shin Megami Tensei V and liked it, then you'll find more to like in Vengeance. If you weren't really a fan of SMTV, well, then there's probably not enough new here to make you a fan this time, either.

Review added: 10/24/2025

Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015: Do You Still Shower With Your Dad?

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: marbenx

Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015 is one of those games where I saw it…thought it would be incredibly horrible and incredibly stupid…and noticed that it was $0.99 when not on sale and thought, “Why the heck not?” I’m glad I took a chance on it because not only is Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015 surprisingly good, not only is it just as warped and stupid as I thought (and hoped) it would be, but it’s got plenty of easter eggs to find…like suddenly transforming into a point-and-click adventure game. Is this a game that someone will claim is the greatest game of all time? Maybe if they weren’t a D.A.R.E. kid and are high on drugs. But this doesn’t need to be the greatest game of all time. It’s a good, entertaining, really stupid time killer that is exactly what every video game should strive to be - fun.

Review added: 08/12/2019

Silent Hill 2

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Bloober Team

In a time where we seemingly have unlimited remakes in video games, I think Silent Hill 2 has done it pretty much perfectly. I have it scored lower than the original Silent Hill 2 because the original had a bigger impact on its release, but this game has managed to bring Silent Hill 2 to a modern generation, with modern game mechanics, and modern controls. It's the only remake that I, personally, have seen where I genuinely believe that both die-hard fans of the original Silent Hill 2 and new fans will both love this game equally. The dialogue is pretty much the same, the path you take to get to the end is pretty much the same, and even the layout of Silent Hill is pretty much the same. If you've played the original and have it memorized by heart, you'll probably love to see that. But, if you love the original, but want new puzzles to solve, an extended path to get to the ending, and a Silent Hill to explore created with modern, beautiful graphics, then this game has you covered, too. Any aspects that you may think haven't aged well with the original are removed in this game, and much of the gameplay is revamped…meaning that if you've never played the original Silent Hill 2, you can jump right in here and experience Silent Hill 2's story, just as it was in the original, without feeling like you're dealing with gameplay aspects that may not have aged as well as one may like over the last two decades. I love this game, and it looks like everyone else who has played it so far loves it, too. My only real complaint is that it's a bit too long - the original could be beaten in a few hours. This version, I put in around 16 hours before I saw credits roll…a lot of that was exploration, but a lot of it was also due to the game being stretched out a little too much, in my opinion. That's a minor gripe, though, since I still enjoyed myself at the end for the most part. Anyway, if you're been a fan of Silent Hill 2 since 2001 or if you're completely new to the Silent Hill franchise, I think you'll find plenty to enjoy here. This is, quite possibly, the best remake I have ever played.

Review added: 10/31/2024

Silent Nights

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: JustTomcuk

With a name like Silent Nights, I was sort of expecting a Christmas-themed horror game…and I guess you could consider it one if you want to stretch the definition of a Christmas game - the song "Silent Night" does play during the course of the game. Anyway, this is an okay outing from JustTomcuk. I think it would have been better except for two big things. One, once you get outside of the house, you move WAY too slowly for the long paths you have to walk. You also move WAY too slowly when you manage to find an invisible path into the woods and then spend 10-15 minutes trying to figure out how to get past the invisible wall preventing you from taking one step forward back onto an open path. Two, this story makes less and less sense as you advance through it. When the game ended, I felt more confused by everything that took place than satisfied that all loose ends were tied up by the end. Still, if you like walking simulator-style horror games that focus more on atmosphere than gameplay, Silent Nights is a passable game if you're willing to give it a try.

Review added: 10/31/2024

Slide in the Woods

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Jonny's Games

Slide in the Woods is a solid, short horror game available over at itch.io. There's not a ton to it….you find a slide in the middle of the woods. You're only human, so you decide to go down the slide like any rational human being….then slide down it again….and after a few slides, you begin to see the world around you change….eventually finding yourself at a temple where a sacrifice was apparently made. The rest of the game has you crawling through tunnels, trying not to get murdered by a monster chasing you. It's a bizarre concept, and it's roughly 10 minutes long, but it's a nice, decent game for those 10 minutes. If you want to play a unique horror game to pass a little bit of time, then Slide in the Woods is a good choice.

Review added: 10/31/2024

Spelunky

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Mossmouth

If you've never played Spelunky, but like 2D platformers, you NEED to play this game. The randomized levels mean that every playthrough is a different experience. That, when added to the fact that this game just has a charm to it where you'll keep telling yourself "just one more time" when you die...and one more time turns into ten or twenty more times…and you’ve got yourself a game, in my opinion, that was one of the absolute best 2D platformers that I’ve ever played. There are plenty of secrets to discover as you play as well, increasing the replay value even further…hidden levels, playable characters, game modes, etc. To this day, over 5 years after its release Spelunky is still one of the games on Steam that I like to pick up and play randomly from time to time. If you haven't played it yet, go out of your way to do so. You won't regret it. Spelunky is absolutely fantastic.

Review added: 02/11/2020

Spelunky 2

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Mossmouth

If you’ve been following this website since I originally published it, then you’ve probably seen where Spelunky sits on the list and what I think about that game. So, it’s probably no surprise that I was really looking forward to playing Spelunky 2. After putting roughly 10 hours into the game so far, I can honestly say that while I like Spelunky 2, I can’t help but feel like it falls short of the quality of the original. For me, it feels like Spelunky 2 tried to improve on everything so much that it attempted to re-invent the wheel. The changes and additions aren’t awful by any means, and some of them are very welcome, but one of the things that made the original Spelunky so great was how simple it was. By moving away from some of that simplicity, it kind of feels like it lost a little bit of its quality. That’s just a minor complaint, though. Spelunky 2 is still an excellent game, and I’m sure that I’ll put just as many hours into this game as I did the original over time. If you’re looking for a solid, difficult platformer that will keep you coming back for more, regardless of how many times you fail, then much like the original, Spelunky 2 is a very solid choice.

Review added: 09/29/2021

Squirrel Stapler

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: David Szymanski

The description of Squirrel Stapler on Steam is simple - "Hunt squirrels, staple them to a corpse, and meet god." And that's really what this game is, with the addition of finding documents and exploring the little forest surrounding your cabin. If you've read other entries on this website, then you're probably aware that I've got a soft spot for bizarre games…and the main goal of stapling squirrels to a corpse is up there amongst the more bizarre concepts I've seen in a game. Unfortunately, Squirrel Stapler isn't very good. Hunting squirrels, the primary focus of the gameplay, feels tedious and boring. I found myself not really wanting to continue to the end by the second day (your goal is to complete five days) but I was also curious to see what awaited me if I managed to complete my hunting and stapling tasks, so I pushed through. Unfortunately, I wasn't really rewarded for my suffering. For what it is, Squirrel Stapler is a so-so, short game that fans of the bizarre will likely find some mild enjoyment in. For everyone else, though, it'll be an awful first-person shooter with a bit of a demented theme to it.

Review added: 10/31/2023

The Stanley Parable

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Davey Wreden

The Stanley Parable pretty much instantly became one of my favorite games within the first minute or two of me playing it. The sense of humor found here is quite well done and simply exploring around to do pretty much anything but what the narrator says can result in a pretty amusing narrative. Plus, it makes me feel like a rebel...like I should be part of a group of troublemakers known as the Sweathogs. Like I should change my last name to Barbarino and frequently say, "Up your nose with a rubber hose."  But I won’t do that stuff ‘cause I’m too rebellious to act like a rebel. Anyway, I'll welcome myself back to this review. The Stanley Parable is tremendous and I hope you'll give it a chance if you haven't already done so. It’s a good, quirky, entertaining game that I think most people will find some enjoy in if they give it a chance. Oh, and if the screenshot that I put with this review looks boring, go play the game. You'll understand.

Review added: 07/19/2020

Stigmatized Property

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Yuka Taira

Stigmatized Property is a nice, short horror game from Chilla's Art. I don't think it's quite up to par with some of the other Chilla's Art games, but it's still passable. There's not much of a story here, and what is here isn't really all that interesting, in my opinion. But, the game also doesn't last long enough for lack of a story to get in the way. One complaint that I do have, though, is the filter. It gives the game a VHS-like feel, but it's so grainy that sometimes it can be hard to see certain things…and not in a creepy "I don't know what's hiding in the shadows" way, but in an annoying "I can't always see what I'm doing" way. Despite its flaws, though, due to its short length (I'm guessing most people will finish it in 20-30 minutes) Stigmatized Property is over before it really has a chance to feel like it's getting boring or stale. The length also makes it a nice game to play during the Halloween season if you're looking for something to play that won't take up a lot of your time. I'd recommend several other Chilla's Art games over this one, but Stigmatized Property still isn't bad by any means.

Review added: 10/31/2024

Summer of '58

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: EMIKA_GAMES

Reading reviews on Steam, where so many people raved about how scary this game was, I was fully prepared for Summer of '58 to scare me….and it got one small jump scare out of me where I flinched…but that's about it. The atmosphere of the game wasn't really scary, in my opinion…it was a lot of stuff that horror fans have probably seen before in other games. Creating horror is like creating jokes - the more you're exposed to something, the less effective it is. The first time you hear a joke, it's funny. The twelfth time you've heard a variation of the same joke, it loses much of the humor. Horror is the same way. That doesn't mean that folks newer to horror games/movies won't get creeped out here - they likely will. I'm just used to much of it, so I wasn't really affected too much, unless it was the cheap jump scare of a loud noise accompanied by a sudden image popping up on screen…but that's a cheap way to get reactions out of people since it requires no skill to create. All that said, the developers did do a good job with Summer of '58 overall, despite my disappointment in the scares. They managed to make a game that lasts roughly an hour or two that mostly takes place in a very small house with a hallway and four rooms - a classroom, bathroom, bedroom, and main room. They also told a decent story that made me curious where everything was going to lead to….even if it ended in a less-than-memorable fashion. Overall, though, I enjoyed my time with Summer of '58. It's may not be as scary as it was hyped to be by other players, but it's a decent, short horror game all the same.

Review added: 10/04/2023

Super Hexagon

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Terry Cavanagh

Super Hexagon is a game I like to play if I've got about five minutes to kill, or want a brief distraction, but don't want to go on a gaming marathon. The concept is simple - move the small triangle near the center of the screen triangle left and right and avoid hitting walls. That's it. There's a catch, though. The triangle is on a rotating, hexagon-shaped platform and the walls are closing in on you at a fast pace. Even on easy (which is labeled as 'hard') most people will die before they hit ten seconds on their first try. Like the games of old, the more you play, the better you get and the longer you can last, which not only makes this a fun game in small doses, but it gives you a sense of accomplishment each time you surpass your previous record. It's fun, it's simple, it's cheap...It's worth owning. Super Hexagon is proof that sometimes the best video games are simplistic in nature.

Review added: 07/29/2019

Super House of Dead Ninjas

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Megadev

Toss Castlevania and Mr. Driller in a blender and you've got yourselves a nice Super House of Dead Ninjas milkshake. Mmmmm, mmmmm. The premise of this game is that you start on the roof of a castle. You want to work your way down to the bottom as fast as possible while killing enemies and collecting items. You're on a timer (like Mr. Driller's oxygen level) and T-shirt icons refill the time (like the oxygen capsules in Mr. Driller) but the combat and everything else very much feels like Castlevania, but at a much faster pace. The only downside is that while it’s a good mash-up of gaming styles, it doesn’t quite reach the quality of either game mentioned. Still, Super House of Dead Ninjas  is  pretty fun for what it is. If you haven't played it yet, give it a try. If you like the early Castlevanias, you may like this game as well.

Review added: 07/22/2019

Super Meat Boy

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Team Meat

Super Meat Boy wasn't the first difficult platformer ever released - but it managed to make platforming that looks and feels impossible fun. They had a few tricks up their sleeves to help with that. The first was to remove the typical screens you'd see when you die in a game, so when you die, you're instantly respawned back into the game. Next, they supplied the player with infinite lives, which leaves plenty of room to experiment in the levels without fear of losing all your progress and having to start over. Those two aspects alone often result in an attitude of, "I'll just try one more time, then I'm going to bed," and one more time often turns into about one hundred more times. The quick respawns and unlimited lives almost makes you feel stubborn…like you've got all the time in the world, so no matter how difficult a level is, you kinda feel motivated to sit there and play until you finally complete a level that looked absolutely impossible when you first laid eyes on it. But, that stuff would mean nothing if the game wasn't fun, and aside from being known for its difficulty, Super Meat Boy is also known for being a really good game. The controls are smooth (they need to be for how precise you have to be in some levels) and the levels are well thought-out and designed. If you're a fan of 2D platformers, you likely will never get bored when playing this. Frustrated at times, perhaps, but never bored. If you've never played Super Meat Boy, but enjoy 2D platformers, then give it a shot. I bet you'll like it. If you like your games on the difficult side, but like the idea of having the forgiveness of infinite lives, then you'll likely absolutely love this game.

Review added: 08/26/2022

Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Adult Swim

Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe is a unique hybrid of platformer, shooter, and match-3 puzzle games that all blend together surprisingly well. I first played Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe thinking that it would be a so-so game, but nothing special. I wound up getting hooked and lost several hours to this game, jumping around and shooting my way through matching up those dang colored blocks. Years later, I still find myself coming back to Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe every now and then to have some more frantic fun with this uniue puzzle game. Back when this game first came out, I was really enjoying the games that Adult Swim Games were publishing. They were usually unique, and almost always at least a little bit fun, if not very fun. Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe falls into the "very fun" category and is one of the better games that Adult Swim Games published, in my opinion.

Review added: 09/29/2019