Review Roundup: Fate Hunters, Horace, Pawarumi & More!
A very diverse bag of tricks.
Our monthly review roundups provide a quick look at indie games that released over the course of the month but may have slipped through the cracks. July gave us some true gems and a bit of weirdness – check them out below.
Fate Hunters
Taking the ideology that imitation truly is the highest form of flattery to new levels, Fate Hunters is yapping loudly at the beleaguered heels of Slay the Spire. In fact, they may almost – but not quite – be the same game. This is a roguelike dungeon crawling deckbuilding game (the collectible card kind, not the spend time and grill outside sort) with an interesting focus on risk/reward gameplay.
You are offered different paths of varying difficulty, but the harder the choice the greater the loot-filled reward. Fate Hunters definitely has a more refined presentation than Spire, with beautifully-drawn cards and excellent 3D animation. So, clone-like it might be, but it’s still a fine entry to the genre.
[Reviewed on PC]
7/10
Horace 
Horace is essentially what would happen if you took the general concept of the Robin William’s 1999 film, Bicentennial Man – about a service robot gaining sentience and questioning his role in the universe – and turned it into a retro side-scrolling platformer. Oh, and if you made it very British.
Horace is the titular character in this morality tale centered around how he’s treated by his rich masters and outsiders, though the gameplay itself mostly consists of brisk and entertaining obstacle courses involving lots of running and jumping. Horace isn’t groundbreaking or anything we haven’t seen before, but it’s quaint fun.
[Reviewed on PC]
7/10
Pawarumi
Inspired by classic shmups like Raiden, Einhander, Ikaruga, and Radiant Silvergun, Pawarumi is a gorgeous, frenetic, and nail-biting example of the genre done right. The game’s neon-infused cyberpunk aesthetic is melded tight to a stunning ‘pre-Columbian’ setting, leading to a brilliant visual fusion.
With three color-based weapons, the player must use the right gun for the right situation. Certain gun and enemy combos recharge shields, while others will energize the ship’s special weapon. There are also three somewhat different storylines for the game’s three difficulty levels, which is certainly unique. Either way, for those who love old school-styled destruction with modern tech, Pawarumi is a must-have.
[Reviewed on Switch]
8/10
Super Mutant Alien Assault
The self-proclaimed “Citizen Kane of Super Crate Box clones” has finally landed on Switch. Randomized levels, two-player local co-op, and tons of unlockables (especially guns, so many guns…) all tucked neatly into a colorful pixel-art world make the game feel entirely at home on Nintendo’s portable.
The action is absurdly fast, hilariously deadly, and perfect for a quick pick-up-and-play session that will make you nostalgic for the golden age of arcades.
[Reviewed on Switch]
8/10
Lust for Darkness
So, Lust for Darkness is not a good game. Not in the traditional sense anyway. But there are certain not-good games that are appealing in the same way terrible B-movies are – the flaws actually end up making them more enjoyable. From the crazy story of a Lovecraftian-styled sex cult kidnapping your girlfriend and absurdly clunky controls to the mere fact that someone thought it was a good idea to port this soft-core porn mess to the Switch, Lust is a game with a decidedly limited audience.
The mannequin-like orgies, hefty focus on vaginal doors, and character designs that look like questionable 50 Shades cosplayers, however, can’t cover up the fact that what the game is really about (or should have been) is finding all the intriguingly bizarre dildos spread throughout the game’s wonky world.
[Reviewed on Switch]