For the games I’ve played recently which don’t quite meet the criteria or necessity for a full review. Here are three quick and easy (and hopefully delicious!) Fish Bites. The accidental-but-let’s-run-with-it theme for this second outing is cleaning games, and hopefully the joy of making things sparkle.
Sludgineers is a top-down cleaning game where the player needs to clean all manner of goop and pollution from a small city across independent levels. The game was developed by Snickerdoodle Games and Funk Games, and published by Funk Games and Gamersky Games.
+ there is a bit more to it than other games, such as environmental hazards. Being on a timer promotes prioritising certain areas of the levels to ideally get some limited time powerups
+ unlockable automatic drones are available, which add another layer of unpredictability to the levels
+ the strategy become clear, but the randomised nature of when or if you get powerups means you have to be ready to adapt
– the game requires far too much grinding toward the end. The gunk you clean can be converted into materials to purchase greater upgrades, but this takes far too long and means it’s necessary to replay the same levels repeatedly, which was a real drag to end on
– the grinding necessitates that the best upgrades will be available right near the end of the game, potentially solely for the final mission, which feels counter intuitive
Should you play this game: Overall this was short and sweet, and did press my cleaning buttons. But the grinding was a disappointment, and I won’t deny the levels were very repetitive. On sale, this is worth your time.
Playing as a small sushi-thing, Moldwasher is an isometric pixel cleaner where you remove the mold, waste and leftover food scraps from a kitchen and the various appliances therein. Developed by Rubel Games and published by Anshar Publishing.
+ the levels are kinda cute, including ‘inside a freezer’, ‘on top of the ceiling fan’ and ‘behind the microwave’. There is a real sense of scale in the levels
+ the graphics are cute. The main character, which I think is a nigiri, is unique, but I don’t know if I understand why he is sentient food
– the cleaning is simply not satisfying. None of the different washing guns feel quite good enough, and the other tools (a flamethrower for frozen debris, an air-gun/vacuum for spilled rubbish, etc.) are either too samey or cumbersome
– the collectibles are pointless, and at the time I played there was no in-game tracker for which you had collected. If that has changed, great, but it was a negative to me
Should you play this game: I wanted to like this game but I did not. Something about it simply did not click for me. I was disapppointed, as I loved the art style and concept.
Published and developed by 20 Calls, S.A.N.D.Y. – Beach Cleaner is a third person cleaning game where you play as the titular beach cleaning robot, S.A.N.D.Y. (Sweeper & Neutralizer of Debris (Yours)) in a post-apocalyptic world.
+ the gameplay is equal parts cleaning and sorting, though there is no benefit or penalty to the sorting mechanic. I loved the third-person cleaning mode, and got the perfect tingle of straight lines as I did in the first Lawn Mowing Simulator
+ there are some spooky moments which are fun
+ you can rescue some cute animals
– the game is incredibly short, to the point I thought perhaps I had accidentally played the demo
– the sorting mechanic is pointless and wastes time
Should you play this game: I loved this game, but the length and lack of content make it very dfficult to recommend. As a concept or as a demo for something greater, there is a very solid base. Currently, don’t bother.
There you have it, three short reviews to give you an idea of how to spend an evening or what to avoid! New games and review always coming soon, so make sure you save room for more Fish Bites!
