Recent reviews by Bench

Over the years I've played a lot of couch multiplayer games with friends on the regular. Stick Fight: The Game is without a doubt though, at the top of that list. It's easy to pick up, easy to play, and like binging the latest streaming series you can get lost playing level after level.

Admittedly I've never tried online, but for local multiplayer it's great. Though plagued with a few minor bugs that can cause it to freeze or crash, it's never deterred us from picking it up and playing it. The variety of levels is great, with the ability to download community levels a way to help it stay fresh. The variety of weapons and different approaches keeps the gameplay fun, and the quick changing of levels keeps players engaged.

Even for those who aren't big gamers, it's easy to pick up and enjoy playing, which for casual couch multiplayer games can often be a make or break.

Honestly, if you enjoy hanging out with friends and playing some casual games, this is a MUST.

Astroneer is one of those game I constantly return to every few updates to replay through. This cute vibrantly-coloured space exploration game brings a lot to the table, giving you a great curve of gameplay with some interesting mechanics that make it unique amongst the genre. The main premise around the gameplay surrounds the ability to manipulate the terrain in a variety of ways, resulting in mining being closely intertwined with exploration. Additionally the survival elements, found through the need for oxygen and power, are clearly set from the start and easy to understand and manage.

Like most exploration games, the underlying story is only uncovered once you have already immersed yourself in the gameplay, so those you find games where you set your own goals fun will find this appealing. The technology trees are fun to explore, as is the new way to research new technologies and components. Astroneer gives you a number of ways to gather and refine resources, so there's a level of creativity in how you approach any objective.

The building components of the game start basic but easily expand, so it's not complicated to understand how pieces fit together with clear slots and sizes. And the ability to create different size vehicles and tether them together allows you to creatively build with functionality and exploration in mind. In tandem with that, the ability to move components around after construction allows swapping out vehicles for new uses depending on your current objectives, preventing it becoming a burden with any single-use vehicles.

All in all Astroneer is a great space exploration game with simple mechanics to understanding, picturesque planets to explore, and a level of catharsis that makes it a pleasure to come back to again and again.