Recent reviews by Retrl

Listen, after eight hours in Maid of Sker VR, I can say for sure: it's one of the most atmospheric horror games I've ever played. The Sker Hotel feels eerily real in VR—the 1:1 scale and 1898 Victorian interiors create a truly surreal sense of presence. The main thrill, and simultaneously the nightmare, is the sound: you literally freeze, afraid to breathe even once, while the "Quiet Ones" lurk just a few centimeters away. The sound modulator gimmick is incredibly well implemented; you panic and try to activate it yourself to somehow save yourself. The plot, based on Welsh legends about the Williams family, keeps you on the edge, and the search for notes and dolls is truly captivating. The music deserves a special mention—those eerie folk hymns create such a mystical backdrop that it gives you goosebumps. The game doesn't feel like a cheap port; it's a fully immersive experience, steeped in silence and horror. If you love stealth and a dense atmosphere where you really need to "survive" with your ears, then these 8 hours will fly by.

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My Lovely Dog Adventure is the kind of game where a small indie game gives you more emotions than the latest AAA blockbuster. I just wanted to see the corgis, but ended up spending two hours running on short legs through this strange, frozen world. The plot about people turning into stone seems creepy at first, but the game presents it very gently — through exploration, finding clues and that very atmosphere of light sadness, when you are alone, but still hope to find your person.
Gameplay is as relaxing as possible: you run around mysterious locations, collect shining crystals and try to understand what kind of curse has covered the world. There are no enemies that jump out of the bushes or timers that drive you in the back. This is pure exploration, where the main reward is to find another magical place with unrealistically cool lighting. The low-poly style doesn't look cheap here; instead, it adds a touch of magic, and the musical ambient is perfectly suited.

There Is mORE is a solid representative of the 2D sandbox genre with a focus on cyclical gameplay. The gameplay is strictly regulated by the changing of day and night, which requires the player to carefully plan their resources. The Core defense mechanic adds an element of tension, especially when the base's health starts to dwindle under the onslaught of skeletons. The spell system is well-designed, allowing players to combine magical abilities for effective defense. The visual style is presented in a high-quality pixel art that is easy to read, even in the dark mines. The technical part deserves praise, as the controls are adapted for both keyboards and gamepads. However, the current content is still in early access, so some repetition of tasks is inevitable. The character progression feels linear, but each improvement really helps you survive for longer. At this stage of release, the game is ready to offer a full-fledged experience for fans of indie projects.

Heart of the Forest—a movie? (Or a game?) Or something similar about a group of students who find themselves in the forest and... all sorts of things happen to them. Sometimes it's scary, sometimes it's intriguing, but often it's infuriating. I like that the game doesn't require me to choose an answer right here and now (I am given a certain amount of time), after which something bad (or terrible) will happen.
I admit, the characters' actions don't always make sense (or you have to look carefully to find the meaning, I don't know). Therefore, you will encounter some inaccuracies or even fakes in the actors' performances. Sometimes it seems as if they came to commit suicide and you constantly interfere with your answers (yes, I chose the branch that would allow everyone to stay alive as much as possible, but...).
My rating is neutral. I can't give it a thumbs down, but I can't give it a thumbs up either, hmm, with a markup!

Running Fable Petite Party is a no-frills party where 16 mini-games unfold in three arenas to the accompaniment of dice and laughter. Boat races end with falls into the water, target shooting with mutual banter, and victory is often won not by the most agile, but by the most lucky. The graphics are juicy and festive, although with four players, the animation freezes in places — a small detail, but noticeable. With four players, the game comes to life: chaos, shouting, and arguments turn a game into a real event. Two players can be boring, and playing alone is pointless, as the essence of the game is lost without live emotions. The downside is that some mini-games are too short, and you don't have time to blink before you need to move on. However, with a few hours of playtime with friends, you won't get bored, unless your friendship needs to be restored after the third game. This is not a masterpiece, but it is an honest and straightforward game for a lively group.

Little Droid 2: Escape is exactly the kind of game that you want to play with headphones, in complete silence, to feel every detail. From the very first minutes, you are immersed in the atmosphere of an abandoned world: gloomy ruins, the buzzing of old machinery, a feeling of complete loneliness.… At the same time, the gameplay keeps you in suspense — traps are triggered quickly, enemies do not forgive mistakes, and the constant need to recharge forces you to carefully plan each step. Improving weapons adds a sense of progress, but doesn't make the game too easy — the balance is perfect. I was thrilled with how organically research and survival are embedded: you really want to look for secrets, and not just "discover by checklist." The pixel-style graphics look stylish and atmospheric, and the music perfectly emphasizes the feeling of mystery and danger. After a couple of hours of playing, I was really worried about my little droid, especially when it was barely crawling to the next charging point. This is not just a platformer, but a real metroidvania with a soul, where every victory over the boss feels like a personal triumph. Despite the difficulty, the game never feels unfair — you just learn, adapt, and move on. In general, if you like atmospheric, demanding attention and reaction projects, you are here — especially for such a modest price.

I want to be clear:

This is not a “good” game.

Not in the way that most people mean when they say that word.

The combat barely holds itself together. Some of the mechanics are clunky - the movement feels like you're piloting a dream through static. NPCs shift in and out of emotional coherence. Some cutscenes and parts feel like they got duct-taped over the remains of some entirely other game.

And yet.

I can’t stop thinking about it.

You play as Dreamer... a boy... maybe - following orders going through a half-dead megastructure underground, under the command of a baby-shaped thing strapped to your chest. Yes, really. You’re accompanied by Enris, someone who might have loved you once or might hate you forever. You’re being monitored by a creepy lady who barely acknowledges your humanity.

That all sounds a little surreal, maybe even a little absurd. But it does feels real. The dynamics are messy, restrained, painful in a way where no one says what they mean - but you somehow know exactly what they meant.

Sometimes you sit on a bench. Sometimes you go on a train that loops endlessly. Sometimes you do meaningless sidequests and they hit you harder than any “main plot” ever has.

Sometimes it breaks.

Not just technically. But Emotionally. Structurally.

It's kind of broken ruin in this game thats not just aesthetic - it feels spiritual. You’re not just playing through jank. You’re playing with it. It's a brokenness that feels like it's part of the text, not just. The game has it's holes - but they’re the kind of holes that you fall into, and then when you climb back out, you’re not the same.

And I think that’s the point.

This isn’t a story with a clean arc or resolution. It’s not a hero’s journey... and even when you "do stuff", you don't feel in control. It’s more like watching someone trying to remember a story they once tried to write about someone that they used to be. And they’re failing. And you’re watching them fail. And somehow that just feels holy.

I won’t pretend it’s for everyone. If you want clean polish, fun mechanics or combat - then you should better look elsewhere. If you need clear story, or agency in choices, or stability, you’re not going to find that here either.

But if you’ve ever played a game and wished it would just stop trying so damn hard to be a “game”…

... if you’ve ever sat with something imperfect...broken and still found it kinda beautiful despite or maybe because of that…

or maybe if you’ve ever felt seen in a moment or a place that no one else would have noticed you there…

And then maybe you’ll understand why I cried when nothing happened.

So that's why it's not a good game.

It’s just a real one.

And sometimes that’s what matters more.

I've just completed the first three levels and I'm absolutely thrilled with this Martian adventure! Jack, our earth lumberjack, is just awesome - the way he kicks these cactus-like monsters, like in a good old action movie, makes me laugh every time. At first, I was worried that the controls would be uncomfortable, but jumping and somersaulting work perfectly, especially when switching between characters: the tiny professor One-Rock helped me get through the narrow gaps, and the robot girl simply amazes with her abilities. The humor in the dialogues is really uplifting-especially when Jack is arguing with a talking stone about "the right methods to save the princesses." On normal difficulty, the bosses give a tough rebuff, but after a couple of attempts you start to feel like a real ninja lumberjack. However, in some places the levels are too confusing - I got stuck in the scenery a couple of times and had to restart the checkpoint. After two and a half hours, I can't wait for the finale - what if it really reveals all these cosmic secrets about life on Mars? For your money, this is a godsend for fans of classic platformers with a twist and great humor!

I recently played The Last Case of John Morley, and I was pleasantly surprised. I immediately felt immersed in the atmosphere of an old detective story: the rain outside the window, the smoke from a cigarette in the office, and the haunting soundtrack. It was like watching a black-and-white film starring Paul Mooney. The game is short, lasting around three hours, but it allows you to truly immerse yourself in the story of Lady Fordside and her lost daughter. I liked the fact that you don't just collect evidence, but actually try to make sense of it by comparing, contrasting, and reconstructing the crime scene. Some of the puzzles require careful thought, but they don't feel overwhelming or irritating. Instead, they are logical and in line with the era. The ending was truly shocking, although it wasn't in the traditional horror genre. Instead, it was sad, dark, and very... human. While the textures may seem slightly artificial in certain areas, the developers have been transparent about using AI only for minor details, and it's barely noticeable.