Find a wide array of game reviews by contributors at Cosmic Circus here.
Games are ranked by reviewers here up to 5 stars. Follow the links below for a quick reference to see what our game reviewers enjoyed playing the most and what fell flat.
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The idea of a modern James Bond video game felt strangely impossible. Bond remained one of the most iconic figures in entertainment, especially after the end of Daniel Craig’s era as Agent 007. But gaming never truly found a consistent way to reinvent him after the legendary era of GoldenEye 007, and some low-budget games were made just to keep the
Read MoreBack in 2014, the indie gaming scene changed with the release of publisher Yacht Club Games’ now-hit game Shovel Knight. That game was originally funded during the rise of the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. While that game had some development delays, it was very successful. It established exactly what Yacht Club Games was capable of, even if it took years to fulfill
Read MoreI recently had the pleasure of playing the new exploration game Duck Side of the Moon, both developed and published by Starbrew Games. You’ll take on an adventurous space faring duck named Doug, as you try to fix his ship while trying to find a new homeworld. After crash landing on an alien world, you’ll make new friends and do relaxing
Read MoreEvery so often it’s difficult to write a review like this, especially when it’s a release I had heavily anticipated for over six months. When you play the demo of an upcoming roguelike deckbuilder (the loosest of the definition), you’re blown away by the entire package so much that you immediately throw it onto your wishlist. You go back time after
Read MoreWhen indie game developer Luca Galante released his first game, Vampire Survivors, in early access back in 2021, it wasn’t an immediate hit. Once streamers took notice, the game rocketed to the top of the charts on Steam, and it eventually morphed into the game most people love and adore. While the game initially came with dozens of characters, a wide
Read MoreThe game Gambonanza uses the chess system and rules uniquely. Not by simplifying it or changing the décor to flashy visuals, but by slowly pulling apart the foundations of chess and rebuilding them into something unpredictable. Gambonanza respects the core idea of chess just enough to keep it recognizable and understandable, but everything around it feels new, weird, and unexpected, like
Read MoreDead as Disco is one of those unique indie games that immediately feels like it’s going to be a big hit. It doesn’t just take inspiration from rhythm games or beat ’em ups. It fully commits to mixing them into something that feels like you’re fighting your way through a music video. At first look, it seems like it’s another flashy,
Read MorePieced Together may be one of the most interesting cozy casual games that I’ve seen to date. You’ll be putting together a scrapbook for the main character, Connie, as she tries to reconnect with her childhood best friend. There are six chapters that will take you through various points of Connie’s life growing up as she reminisces about her time with
Read MoreAt first glance, Mouse: P.I. For Hire almost feels like this game was based on a concept that was never meant to go beyond a short demo or to achieve this level of detail and love. But when you think about it, a first-person shooter with a cartoon mouse detective, all rendered in black-and-white animation inspired by the 1930s? That’s got
Read MoreFishbowl is the debut narrative indie title developed by imissmyfriends.studio and is published by my new favorite publisher, Wholesome Games Presents. Throughout this emotional game, you’ll live day to day for a month-long period as you take on the role of Alo. Your character must adjust to the recent loss of a family member as she struggles with grief and childhood memories.
Read MoreWink & the Broken Robot is a new 2D platforming Game Boy Color title that was developed by Max Oakland. In this game, you’ll play as the title character Wink and go on a vast journey to help recover parts for a broken robot. There are nine worlds with 28 stages total in-between, each filled with various enemies and mechanics you’ll need
Read MoreKey Fairy is a new action role-playing game with bullet hell elements, developed and published by the Australian-based studio Owl Machine. Key Fairy is not a short game, nor is it an easy one. What it is, though, is a delightfully fun and whimsical game. You’ll get to explore beautifully hand-drawn areas, strategize against dangerous creatures, and look forward to non-linear
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