Having played the demo of Ruffy and the Riverside at Steam Next Fest earlier this year, I had high expectations for the full version. The inspiration is clear: Paper Mario with hints of Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64 as the icing on the cake. However, this game brings something truly unique to the genre: a magical “SWAP” ability to copy and paste textures around you. Should everyone be playing it right now? Yes and no. However, it uniquely blends collectathon platforming, puzzle-solving, and free-form exploration in a semi-open world, ensuring you’ll keep playing long after the main story ends.

The game follows Ruffy as he teams up with friends like Pip the bee and Sir Eddler the mole to stop the villainous cube Groll from destroying the World Core and plunging Riverside into chaos. I have to be honest: there’s too much pointless dialogue. The characters ramble endlessly about everything, and I’m not ashamed to admit I skipped half of it without missing anything important.

Puzzles throughout the game use the SWAP ability

The SWAP Ability lets you copy a texture from one surface and paste it onto another, transforming the target. Eligible surfaces are highlighted, and you have about 15 seconds to use a copied texture before it vanishes. This mechanic is vital for puzzles and progression, for example, swapping a waterfall with vines creates a climbable path, or turning a stone pillar into wood makes it float. The ability evolves later with the “Pix” tool, allowing custom texture design for both aesthetic and functional purposes.

The main campaign of Ruffy and the Riverside unfolds across a central hub, Riverside, and seven distinct regions. Each area is filled with puzzles, side quests, and collectibles such as butterflies, dreamstones, Etoi creatures, and coins. The moment I realized we have the freedom to explore the map, I happily spent 30 minutes just exploring the first region.

The puzzles vary greatly, from simple tasks like swapping water with lava to burn a tree, to arranging precise stone patterns based on wall images. You might find Etoi hidden behind a wall, requiring you to transform a stone block into wood to breach the area. There’s even an entire puzzle section imprinted as 2D on a 3D wall, accessible via a portal that itself needs a puzzle to be solved. This type of gameplay will follow you through all regions, and you’ll find yourself spending 30-45 minutes exploring each area, which is definitely a lot of fun.

However, not every puzzle is straightforward or easy. You’ll definitely need to think more, and it can become frustrating, as solutions are often found by observing your surroundings. This is partly because the game doesn’t always clearly indicate when you can use the SWAP ability with certain platforms, and these opportunities aren’t always obvious. The SWAP ability also isn’t entirely flexible; you can only use it in designated spots meant for progression, collectibles or on elements that won’t break the game.

Exploration in the game offers many interesting ideas

Despite some drawbacks, exploration in Ruffy and the Riverside offers plenty of fun. Imagine riding a giant ice ball across the sea or atop a bale to win a race. The game also features dynamic shifts, reminiscent of Nikoderiko, like transitioning from 3D to 2D to dodge traps in a temple by hiding from rolling balls and leaping over spikes. In the Realm of Dead, for example, there’s a top-down section where you run from a ghost. The game truly introduces some interesting ideas and worth mentioning is the Buried City areas that combine multiple mechanics.

Ruffy’s moveset includes jumps, gliding with Pip, punches, spin attacks, and sprints, controlled via joystick or keyboard. While gliding and sprinting help travelling, their limited stamina requires coin upgrades. Combat is rather average; enemies pose little threat, and types are repeated. Given that combat isn’t a major focus, the game would have been better as a pure platformer filled with collectibles and puzzles. Boss fights don’t happen often and offer minimal challenge and usually feature predictable attack patterns and segmented health bars. The SWAP mechanic is also underused in combat.

The graphics are truly impressive

Ruffy and the Riverside ties progression to main quests and side content, with collectibles naturally appearing as you advance. While its collectathon structure rewards completionists, some collectibles like Etoi feel less impactful without specific quests, and coins become redundant after early upgrades. If you love collecting and puzzles, this game offers a satisfying experience. Expect about 10 hours for the main story, but around 20 hours to complete the entire game.

The graphics are impressive; just standing on a high hill overlooking the plains and buildings reveals the game’s detail and optimization. There’s an insane amount of content spread across regions, including beaches, farms, and graveyards, while characters like Ruffy and Pip are 2D sprites with thick marker strokes, animated with crayon-like charm.

A solid platformer with its strengths and weaknesses

The game definitely has its charm, especially in its humor and plot. There are moments where it genuinely feels like playing an old cartoon. While I admittedly skipped a lot of the dialogue, I grew quite fond of Sirsil the snake. Reaching the highest point of Riverside and playing barrel games, like riding one over a waterfall or jumping from barrel to barrel, was a surprisingly interesting part of the experience. Honestly, the game truly surprises you with these moments.

Another drawback worth mentioning are the controls. If you’re planning to play with a keyboard, forget about it — it’s not intuitive and quite difficult to manage. A controller is your best option. I’m still surprised how challenging it is to navigate the various cluttered menus, an issue that hasn’t been fixed since the demo. In the end, you won’t be entirely let down by this game. Is it perfect for everyone? Sure, if you can overlook some shallow mechanics and tolerate irrelevant dialogue. But if you enjoy collecting items and want a chill gaming experience, this game is definitely for you.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.8

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You play as Deniz, man trapped in a state between life and death, while simultaneously acts as both judge and accused in a confrontation with his own soul. Pera Coda explores Deniz’s traumatic memories through branching dialogues and layered environmental puzzles. Each time loop in this surreal Istanbul forces you to confront regrets, relationships, and hidden truths, uncovering mysteries that reshape the world around you.

Iconic real-world locations reflect Deniz’s fragmented psyche, merging the city’s East and West, chaos and peace. The gameplay uses intuitive point-and-click mechanics to focus on exploration, dialogue, and choices, rather than combat or item collection.

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S.p.l.i.t. blends psychological tension with methodical puzzle-solving, immersing you in a claustrophobic digital world where every command feels like a step deeper into danger.

From a computer terminal, you’ll solve various command-line puzzles, navigating directories and running software. The game features retro tech aesthetics, using Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to connect with other hackers, gather intel, and uncover secrets. What to expect from it, be sure to watch the trailer below.

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I have to admit, Projected Dreams surprised me in a good way. I never imagined a game where we would use shadow wall projections to solve puzzles; it truly feels like stepping into a childhood memory. You join Senka, a young girl, in recreating shadow puppet silhouettes using toys and household objects. This unravels a bittersweet, wordless family story that spans 50 years. It’s a cozy, wholesome, and stress-free nostalgic experience, though it does have its flaws.

Projected Dreams offers many interesting puzzles

The core gameplay revolves around dragging toys, mugs, boxes and many other objects from shelves onto a table, positioning them in front of a light source to cast shadows that match a silhouette in Senka’s photo album. You will rotate, stack, and sometimes resize objects using mouse, keyboard or controller inputs. The puzzles start simple, such as aligning a single toy to form a rabbit but grow complex with mechanics like dual light sources, “ghost” objects (invisible in shadows), and sticky items that glue pieces together.

Despite some interesting ideas, the game’s physics-based elements are a bit clumsy. Changing the sides of an object you’re holding feels really weird, and it’s slightly frustrating to use arrows for alignment while rotation has a separate button. It’s not terrible, but takes time to get used to. However, the puzzles themselves were super interesting and became more engaging as the game progressed.

My biggest positive is the hint system, accessible on the back of each photo. Some hints did spoil solutions by clearly showing which objects to use. While you’ll rarely need them, there will be times you do get stuck, struggling to find the right solution because some projections look truly weird and it’s hard to tell which objects are needed.

“The game’s physics-based elements are a bit clumsy.”

Environments change as you progress

The game unfolds in an ever-evolving room that mirrors Senka’s life stages (child, teen, and adult). You will also explore the environment to find collectible objects like cassette tapes, which unlock musical snippets, or trinkets that decorate the photo album. However, searching for specific items can be frustrating, as some are hard to spot in cluttered rooms, and the absence of a clear inventory system means you’ll be repeatedly scanning shelves.

Each chapter of the book tells you if you missed any secrets and how many stars you earned; there are three stars per level, which nicely encourages you to get all three instead of just one. Overall, the experience was pleasant and cozy. It didn’t waste your time, and these types of games are approachable to everyone. It was fun to try and find multiple ways to beat a level.

Another great aspect of the game is its graphics, filled with 90s nostalgia, using a soft, colorful palette of pastels. The 2D illustrations in the photo album tell the story with “funny graphics and special adornments”, balancing humor and touching moments. Animations are minimal but effective, and the entire game has a charming cartoonish feel.

“Each chapter of the book tells you if you missed any secrets and how many stars you earned.”

A short experience, but one you’ll finish feeling satisfied with

While Projected Dreams seems easy at first, some puzzles will definitely test your brain. It’s ideal for those seeking a peaceful, reflective puzzle experience. The game stands out for its effective use of nostalgia, and despite occasional hiccups in physics and controls, it’s an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys this genre. In fact, it’s a short experience, likely taking around 3-4 hours to complete, but it’s still a very worthy buy.

Review copy provided by the publisher

4.2

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The Vanished Soul leverages all the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 in an impressive way. It’s fascinating how detailed and graphically advanced this title is. It’s not just surface-level, when you open a fridge, for example, there’s plenty to see; everything is so intricately crafted that you can clearly distinguish every item or read text without zooming in. The same goes for all the books and objects around the house, with special attention drawn to pictures of Belmin from his wedding, adding a really charming touch.

Stunning Graphics Accompany You Throughout the Game

The story revolves around unsettling mysteries hidden in the fictional town of Novazenica and its surroundings. It weaves a personal and emotional narrative exploring themes of memory, guilt, and connection with loved ones. Expect various jump scares, like sudden disappearances of people in front of you or a hand popping out unexpectedly. Though it might sound cheap, these elements are skillfully implemented; early in the game, while running from a room, a girl suddenly appeared in front of me, giving me a genuine fright since it was totally unexpected.

This isn’t a classic horror but leans toward an atmospheric approach. As you solve puzzles, you’ll constantly hear footsteps and various sounds around you, sure to send chills down your spine. In other words, the game gradually builds discomfort through carefully crafted light and sound effects. Besides horror, there are puzzles, which are fairly simple but will test your resourcefulness and creativity since solutions aren’t always obvious. The game is linear, as expected, so you can simply focus on following the given objectives.

The Vanished Soul stands out with two key aspects, the first being the importance of choices, already noticeable in the demo. Your responses in conversations, such as the early phone call with your wife, will likely influence the story’s ending, especially since the goal is to reach her. Moreover, your actions and the paths you choose can shape the narrative, revealing different perspectives, outcomes, and consequences.

No True Horror Moments, Atmosphere Influences Everything

The second key aspect is the dynamic fear system. As Belmin highlighted on Steam, no playthrough is the same when it comes to scary moments, aiming for maximum replayability with randomly generated elements from predefined locations. The demo version might not have showcased this well, but there’s plenty to look forward to if it delivers.

Let’s revisit the puzzles. They range from simple tasks like moving boxes to activate a platform to more complex challenges where you connect electrical circuits to progress. However, it’s not overly difficult. Unfortunately, you can only pick up marked items in the game. I was disappointed with the jump and landing sounds on wooden floors or carpets—they don’t quite fit well. Still, the horror sound effects are generally well-crafted.

You can still play the demo during Steam Next Fest until Monday evening. While the exact release date for the full game isn’t known, the demo lasts a full hour. If you enjoy longer horrors or just atmospheric scares, The Vanished Soul is definitely worth a try.

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Hanako’s Flower Shop is a cozy visual novel with resource management elements, centered on Hanako, a young woman taking over her grandfather’s beloved flower shop. Set in a cute, anime-inspired village, the game blends heartfelt storytelling, bouquet-crafting puzzles, and light farming mechanics, focusing on themes of growth, grief, and connection through the language of flowers.

The main feature of the game is its bouquet-building system, a puzzle-like task where you create arrangements based on the symbolic meanings of flowers, like red roses for love, white lilies for modesty, or amaryllis for regret. Customers share their personal stories, and key phrases in their dialogue, which are highlighted via a transcript system reveal emotions like joy, grief, or kinship, guiding your flower choices.

Blending multiple genres while staying cozy and forgiving

There are no strict timers or penalties for wrong bouquets; instead, customers gently suggest alternatives if your arrangement misses the mark, keeping the game cozy. The June 2025 update introduced a “Flower Codex”, a journal tracking flower meanings and customer preferences, which helps new players by cutting down on guesswork.

On the other side, resource management in the game involves gathering flowers in three ways: planting them in your garden, foraging in the forest (limited to seven flowers per trip), or buying seeds and flowers for next-day delivery. Gardening is straightforward, you plant seeds, water them, and harvest once they grow, though some flowers take longer to grow than others.

Hanako’s Flower Shop also features a “Neighbor Assistance” option, where characters like the twins Aya and Sayuri can collect flowers for a small fee, meaning this feature really is simplifying resource gathering in a good way. Not everything here is about gameplay though, you can take breaks to listen to the radio or enjoy snacks, which boosts Hanako’s happiness, a small stat that influences your dialogue choices and improves your shop’s performance.

“Resource management in the game involves gathering flowers in three ways.”

Your choices slightly shape the story outcome

The story isn’t truly linear; your choices shape Hanako’s journey and the outcomes for customers. What you say during customer conversations or nightly chats with Grandpa (through flashbacks) impacts relationships and story paths, although major plot points remain consistent. For example, giving a “good” bouquet that matches a customer’s feelings can lead to positive follow-up letters or happy endings, while “non-fitting” bouquets might result in neutral or bittersweet outcomes. The launch version featured multiple endings based on Hanako’s growth and relationships, and the June 2025 update added two new endings.

Cute animations, like sheep jumping over Hanako’s bed at night, add a charming touch while community festivals, such as the Flower Festival, let you sell bouquets, play mini-games like flower-matching puzzles, and unlock unique decor items. The bouquet-building puzzles are forgiving, letting you retry without penalty as long as you listen carefully to customer stories. Also, the resource system is well-balanced, offering plenty of flowers.

A Hint System for these puzzles provides subtle clues if you struggle with flower meanings, while the game’s emotional depth explores themes of grief and self-discovery. For example, helping a customer process loss with a thoughtful bouquet feels truly meaningful. The absence of “wrong” choices reinforces the game’s message that growth comes from good intentions, not perfection.

“Your choices shape Hanako’s journey and the outcomes for customers.”

Best enjoyed in several sessions

Hanako’s Flower Shop features lush, hand-drawn 2D anime-style art, showcasing flower designs and cozy environments like the shop, forest, and village. Characters have distinct designs, and charming animations, though they lack variety. While the art shines, the UI’s text-heavy design feels dated compared to modern visual novels, and some animations, like customer movements, can seem stiff. Still, performance remains solid with no major graphical glitches.

In the end, Hanako’s Flower Shop is a heartwarming visual novel with no major issues, though it’s not for everyone. I believe visual novels need something truly special to draw you in and keep you playing, and while this game suits fans of Coffee Talk or Strange Horticulture, its overly forgiving gameplay might feel too easy. It’s best enjoyed in several sessions rather than one long sitting and perfect for fans of Visual Novels.

Review copy provided by the publisher

4

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Set on a mysterious island in a long-lost sea, Keeper follows the journey of a lighthouse, an unusual protagonist, who awakens from a deep sleep beneath a distant mountain peak. Accompanied by a seabird, the lighthouse embarks on an adventure of friendship and discovery. What sets Keeper apart is its complete reliance on visuals to tell its story, with no dialogue or text, challenging you to explore the island’s landscapes and decipher clues from the environment.

Keeper will be available on October 17, 2025, for Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam, and will launch day one on Game Pass.

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Set in the decaying ruins of Toska, a fictional Soviet nuclear complex in Siberia in 2034, you control NODE, an autonomous AI robot tasked with preventing a catastrophic reactor meltdown. The game introduces a unique timeline-based command system, where you sequence actions (e.g., moving, jumping, interacting) to solve puzzles.

Game that will challenge your brainpower

The gameplay is highly detailed and demands precision. You can choose how many seconds or tenths of a second your character moves, then command it to jump over obstacles and continue, all to reach the next checkpoint. However, the path to stopping the nuclear reactor won’t be easy: it’s filled with traps, crumbling walls, holes, and stairs.

The gameplay revolves around a unique command system where you don’t control NODE in real-time. Instead, you sequence actions like moving forward, jumping, pausing, interacting, or turning on a timeline and press “play” to execute them. You can precisely set the second or tenth of a second for each action, ensuring your character reaches the next checkpoint.

But the journey to halt the nuclear reactor is challenging, packed with traps, decaying walls, gaps, and stairs. If NODE fails to reach the goal, you rewind, adjust the timeline, and try again, creating a trial-and-error loop. The game requires careful planning, as actions must sync with environmental elements like moving platforms or timed switches.

Puzzle games can always surprise with their creativity

NODE: The Last Favor of the Antarii offers more than just pure gameplay, it’s accompanied by a story. You can interact with your creators, choose narrative dialogues to learn more about the world, or simply execute given commands. However, it’s all quite linear, so you don’t have much choice in certain matters, and it’s unclear whether your decisions impact the story’s progression. The game’s world is also rather dark and highly atmospheric, enhanced by stunning, beautifully detailed graphics.

Unfortunately, this game has a significant flaw: you can’t view the entire map while setting commands on the timeline. Instead, you must first make the robot move, explore, and scout the area, then go back to adjust and plan its movements. This isn’t ideal as it wastes a lot of time. While you can speed up the movement to mitigate this, the game also features many repetitive puzzles. Though this is somewhat acceptable once you realize the entire structure has its own logic, it can still be distracting.

The demo version effectively showcases the game’s core features; everything is well-executed, and I recommend giving it a try. It was engaging to dodge lasers and mathematically calculate the exact time needed for specific actions. However, the game feels unforgiving with your time, expect plenty of repetition and frustrating moments. Despite this, it’s an impressive title that puzzle enthusiasts will likely love.

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In Dead Take, you’ll search for a missing friend, peeling back the glittering facade of the entertainment industry to expose its darkest secrets and uncover the monstrous cost of creation. This gripping narrative promises an impressive lineup of actors, with details to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Abubakar Salim, CEO of Surgent Studios, hinted at the game’s impactful nature, saying: “We’re being secretive for a reason. The subject matter of this game is delicate, and it hits close to home. When it comes out, and it won’t be long until it does, I want players to think, ‘I can’t believe they actually did this.”

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The Thinky Direct spotlighted The Mermaid Mask by SFB Games and Echo Weaver by Akupara Games, both showing off new trailers hinting at their complex mysteries. Parallel Experiment from Eleven Puzzles locked in a June 5 launch, while Sunken Stones by Spritewrench is set for July 18. He Who Watches by Danga Games and EMUUROM by borbware are both planned for later in 2025. Also, a new demo for Strange Antiquities, the anticipated sequel to Strange Horticulture, drops on June 5, and 868-BACK by Michael Brough impressed with its latest trailer.

Kiko’s Apple Adventure by Paw Paw Games launched today, along with a surprise release of parts 2 + 3 DLC for Bonfire Peaks by Corey Martin and Draknek & Friends. City of Voices, a detective mystery from a Golden Idol designer at Kini Games, released a demo. Shape Sender Deluxe by Dead Teapot and The Button Effect by Frycandle offered limited-time demos during the Showcase. Plus, Railbound by Afterburn received a level editor update, letting players create their own puzzles, and Pup Champs added free, tougher puzzles for fans.

Other highlights included Isles of Sea and Sky’s Mysterious Update coming in July, packed with new areas and secrets. Birdigo, a roguelike deckbuilder by John August, Corey Martin, and GameTeam 6, debuted a trailer and demo. NONOLITH by JUSTCAMH teased its 2026 escape adventure, and CIPHER ZERO by Zapdot showcased over 300 minimalist puzzles. Draknek’s Spooky Express, a haunted twist on Cosmic Express, rounded out the show with a demo that’s live now, charming players with its creepy train-routing puzzles.

Thinky Direct also kicked off the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase, which runs through June 5. With discounts on games like Blue Prince and Animal Well, plus plenty of demos, it’s a great week for puzzle lovers.

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