Alex Crooks, Author at Thumb Culture

2Oct

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

Town To City – PC Review

Sometimes there are games that you pick up on a whim and think 'oh I'll play this for a few minutes'. Next thing you know, it's one in the morning, and you don't know what day it is because you've been so absorbed. Yeah, Town to City is one of those games. The latest release from Galaxy Grove is currently available on Steam for £19.79. Rome wasn't built in a day, but my town was built in a few hours! Gameplay The point of Town To City is simple. Start with a small settlement and increase your market and population until you're a fully-fledged city. From decorating streets to building markets, it is up to you to maintain your residents' happiness until you can evolve. Unlike other city builders, your creation is not dictated by grids and anchor points. It's up to you whether you cre...

23Sep

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Rita – PC Preview

If you too are mourning the loss of the NY Times mini crossword to the deplorable paywall, then maybe this will tickle your fancy. Rita by Sporktank is an upcoming, crossword solving adventure where you play as a small chick Rita and learn about your world. The demo launched earlier this month and I was lucky enough to snatch it away from everyone else at Thumb Culture! Okay so one down is... something you play? Does this cosy little adventure have a lot of promise? Or is it a failed wordsearch looking for a dictionary? Well, let me tell you everything I know about little Rita. You can try out the demo for yourself here! Gameplay The focus of Rita is the word games. You waddle around the map, collect letters and then solve puzzles that affect the world around you. Starting as a hat...

22Aug

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

PC Reviews

Catto’s Post Office – PC Review

Waddling onto the Steam store to deliver a little cosy game is Catto's Post Office, developed by In Shambles Studio. This little cosy delight has you delivering the post in the cutest style as you explore an island of cats, each with their own personality. You can grab Catto's Post Office for just £4.29! Delivered faster than Prime, Catto's parcels pack a cute, gift wrapped punch Gameplay Catto's Post Office puts you in the tiny shoes of Catto, a post worker cat who has just woken up on their birthday. Brimming with excitement, Catto leaves their tiny room and greets their boss. There is no mention of any birthday celebration, not even a card! Instead, Catto is immediately set to work delivering packages around the island to his furry friends. This is essentially where the s...

11Aug

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

PC Reviews

Bee Simulator: The Hive – PC Review

Take to the skies to save your hive in Bee Simulator: The Hive. Combining the original story with brand new elements, The Hive allows you to create your own little colony. After releasing on August 4th we decided to buckle in and take up our duties as pollen collectors. Is the additional content worth a new, full release of the game? Let's find out! Get your bees knees ready! It's time to collect some pollen You can grab Bee Simulator: The Hive on Steam for an introductory price of £14.69 Gameplay Take flight as a tiny bee in Bee Simulator: The Hive, a tale of a small bee that wants to help protect their colony. Your wings carry the fate of your bee family as you collect pollen, save lost bees and fight off wasps around a beautiful park. Exploring is simple. Use WASD and your mo...

5Aug

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

PC Reviews

Hungry Meem – PC Review

Imagine opening a book and finding a bunch of little creatures that need your help to survive. Meet the Meems! Strange creatures that are on the verge of extinction need your help in Hungry Meem by Dremcom Co. LTD. Losing your mind when you get a little bit hungry? Relatable. This game has recently launched on the Steam store and invites you to play the hero for the Meems and the World Tree. This simulation game has a 20% discount at the moment and is available for £19.20. If you're looking for a more handheld option, you can also grab Hungry Meem on the Nintendo Switch. Gameplay The story of Hungry Meem introduces you to the Meems, a happy little species who share a love for food. They are creatures that just love to eat. So much so, that they almost ate their own World Tree and ...

My Friendly Neighborhood – Playstation Review

1Aug

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

My Friendly Neighborhood – Playstation Review

Did I pick up My Friendly Neighborhood because of it's art style? No. Was it because of the references and similar play style of Resident Evil? Also no. Well then it must have been because of Kyle's amazing review on the PC release which you can read here! Yeah... no. In all (embarrassing) honesty, I wanted to play this John Szymanski and Evan Szymanski's survival horror because it reminded me of that one episode of Angel where he was turned into a puppet. I'm not sure which kids would be entertained by sentient puppets but to each their own... After initially releasing on PC in July 2023, the puppets have made their way to the PlayStation Store this month. You can invite them into your library for £25.49! Let's take a look at what you'll experience shall we? Gameplay Imagine Resid...

24Jul

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

PC Reviews

s.p.l.i.t – PC Review

Hack into the centrifuge in s.p.l.i.t by Mike Klubnika. This story-driven horror game puts you in the shoes of Axel, a man tasked with using his terminal to hack into various systems. Plan and execute a malware attack alongside two faceless technicians with an intricate hacking puzzles which focus on old school prompts. Warning: This game includes depictions of self harm and suicide which will be discussed in this review. I have tried my best but due to the nature of the gameplay please be aware there may e some small spoilers ahead! If this whole hacking thing doesn't work we're going to have to s.p.l.i.t Whilst I got to play through this ahead of launch, I have good news for you. s.p.l.i.t is out on Steam today! Gameplay At first glance, s.p.l.i.t seems like a very simple game...

17Jul

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Drifter – PC Review

There are not many games that I would sit up until 2am playing solo but it was impossible to stop playing The Drifter. After checking out the demo, I was super excited to get my hands on the finished product. What's even better news for you is The Drifter officially releases today on Steam! Death, death and more death? Point and click me to the sign up sheet! Gameplay The gameplay is the same as I mentioned in the preview. You point and click, pick up items and solve puzzles using your environment. The main story takes what is has already given us and elevates it further. The story took a direction that I really wasn't expecting which is why I enjoyed it so much. However, I did say in my playthrough of the demo that it didn't seem too hard. I take it back. Whilst the difficulty ...

30Jun

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Fruitbus – PS5 Review

Back in October of last year, I wrote a review for the PC launch of Fruitbus and gave it our Gold Award. The game has now released on consoles so I decided to hop back in the driver's seat of Krillbite Studios' game to see what changes had been made. Fruitbus is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S & X as well as Steam. Today I'm taking a look at the PS5 version. Fruit really does grow on trees! And bushes! And in the dirt! Fruitbus is currently on the PlayStation store for £13.49 if you're a PS Plus member or £14.99 for non-members. But just how does the console version play? Let's find out. Gameplay Fruitbus is still a game about meeting characters from your Grandma's life, foraging for fruit and creating delicious recipes for your customers....

30Jun

By Alex CrooksNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Small Spaces – PC Preview

Decorating goes to the next level in Niklas Tomkowitz' Small Spaces. With nine compact apartments to transform and over 500 stylish furniture pieces to play with, we jumped into this cosy interior design sim to find out if it’s a relaxing creative escape or just another cluttered concept. Small spaces with big opportunities! Small Spaces is now in Early Access on Steam for £10.99. Is it more of a DIY SOS or dream property ? Let's find out. Gameplay Fans of build mode in The Sims will feel right at home in Small Spaces. There are three styles to choose from, each with a different size and layout of a building. The first room you decorate is a small studio to teach you the basics of placing and how to complete jobs. Each level has a checklist of items you need to complete the room, a...