Steam – SmashPad

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On: “Armatus” promises a darkened, kinetic shooter experience for the roguelite landscape

by David Rodriguez | Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Previews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 20 Feb 2026

We’re not particularly starving for roguelites. Now a favorite of indie developers the world over for around a decade, it takes a lot for a new one to stand out among the crowd in gameplay, but also in art style. The ones I usually play tend to be on the brighter, sillier side with levity or at least a sense of humor to balance out the drama a la both Hades games. Armatus dares to be a little different with a dark, apocalyptic take for the setting while retaining a gameplay loop that makes genre fans ravenous.

REVIEW – “Demon Tides” is a devilishly good tribute to retro 3D open-world games

by Michael Fertitta | PC Reviews Steam | 0 Comments | 19 Feb 2026

Imagine my surprise when I got word of Demon Tides, an indie game that intends to recapture that same feeling of thrilling exploration and vibrant world-hopping that Wind Waker and A Hat in Time did. Yeah, it was a no-brainer to dive into this game to see if it hits the mark. And let me tell you, it absolutely does.

REVIEW – “Love Eternal” is a weird horror platformer with an enthralling narrative

by Myles Obenza | PC Reviews Steam Xbox One Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 19 Feb 2026

It’s not every day a game has such a profound emotional effect on me, and even less so with pixel art platformers. But Love Eternal is one of the weirdest games I’ve ever played, and in all the most complimentary ways.

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On: “Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!” has what it takes to eliminate the Bug menace

by David Rodriguez | PC Previews Steam | 0 Comments | 13 Feb 2026

Ultimate Bug War! is a clear callback to the FPS games of the late 90s with some flavoring from the PlayStation 2 era in the 2000s and, of course, modern accoutrements and comforts. At its core though, it’s really simple: you have a wide arsenal of Bug-repelling weapons. Use them freely and fiercely to defend humanity as Private Sammy Dietz.

FINAL PREVIEW – “Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection” could potentially break Persona 3-like ground as a spinoff

by Danreb Victorio | Nintendo Switch 2 PC PlayStation 5 Previews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 12 Feb 2026

After playing Monster Hunter Stories 3 for over 10 hours, the potential for this turn-based spinoff to reach greater heights is definitely there. Monsties, anyone?

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On:”Crushed In Time” nails classic adventure tones with a time-stretching premise

by David Rodriguez | PC Previews Steam | 0 Comments | 12 Feb 2026

Have you ever wished you could interact with a cartoonishly charming world with all the elasticity of Mario’s face from the Super Mario 64 start screen? Draw Me A Pixel is where your hands need to reach for then.

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On: I had to hold myself back from playing too much “Fallen Tear: The Ascension”

by Danreb Victorio | Nintendo Switch PC PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Previews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 12 Feb 2026

I first saw Fallen Tear: The Ascencion after I received a press release promoting a trailer for the game. When I found out it was being developed by a studio in the Philippines, it had my full attention. My roots are important to me.

REVIEW – “Escape From Ever After” is the Paper Mario We’ve Needed for Years!

by Michael Fertitta | Console Nintendo Switch PC Platforms PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 11 Feb 2026

In 2000, Nintendo released the original Paper Mario, an instant hit for RPG and Nintendo fans alike. While recent entries have left many fans disappointed, its legacy has spawned several titles from indie devs that have attempted, and generally succeeded,…

REVIEW – “Nickelodeon Splat Pack” is a nice trip back to when we had lower expectations

by Kayla Merritt | Console Nintendo Switch PC Platforms PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam | 0 Comments | 11 Feb 2026

Sometimes it’s worth it to just feel like a kid again who doesn’t have strong opinions about intuitiveness and just loves cartoons because they exist. Despite the four games in Nickelodeon Splat Pack being of mixed quality, if you grew up with the classic Nickelodeon cartoons then you really should get this game.

REVIEW – “Code Vein II” is a code red for modern soulslikes

by Tanay Sharma | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 09 Feb 2026

Code Vein II remains a big piece of the puzzle in a world littered with puzzling Soulslike at the moment. Usually, a second entry into a series like this one does something that would surprise fans (in a good way), but I fail to see that happening for Code Vein II.

REVIEW – “Highguard” is fun, frenetic, and deserves a fair shot from genre fans

by David Rodriguez | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 06 Feb 2026

There is absolutely fun to be had and I’ve been solo queuing this whole time so far. Finding good loot is exhilarating, strategizing on the spot during a raid is demanding yet rewarding (if you win anyway), and the plethora of content on the horizon is enticing. I may be biased toward this sort of game, but it’s only going to win me over with solid gameplay, compelling design, and respect for the player. Highguard has all of that so far.

REVIEW – “4PGP” is a tribute to arcade racing through a very console lens

by Patrick Mifflin | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC Reviews Steam | 0 Comments | 05 Feb 2026

The state of the arcade racing genre in 2026 is fascinating to say the least. Founding fathers Sega and Namco have been on a milk carton, apart from the surprising inclusion of Virtua Racing in the Sega Ages lineup over on Nintendo Switch, or the random Ridge Racer drop on Hamster’s Arcade Archives or the PlayStation Classics line. This has left the genre to a bunch of indie studios that have done a great job paying tribute to those old classics with games like Formula Retro Racing: World Tour, DDI Rally Championship, and most recently, Super Woden: Rally Edge. Tribute and succession are two different things, however, and as fun as a lot of these games can be, there’s a certain noticeable gap between them and the games that inspired them.

Category: Steam

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On: “Armatus” promises a darkened, kinetic shooter experience for the roguelite landscape

REVIEW – “Demon Tides” is a devilishly good tribute to retro 3D open-world games

REVIEW – “Love Eternal” is a weird horror platformer with an enthralling narrative

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On: “Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War!” has what it takes to eliminate the Bug menace

FINAL PREVIEW – “Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection” could potentially break Persona 3-like ground as a spinoff

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On:”Crushed In Time” nails classic adventure tones with a time-stretching premise

[Steam Next Fest] Hands-On: I had to hold myself back from playing too much “Fallen Tear: The Ascension”

REVIEW – “Escape From Ever After” is the Paper Mario We’ve Needed for Years!

REVIEW – “Nickelodeon Splat Pack” is a nice trip back to when we had lower expectations

REVIEW – “Code Vein II” is a code red for modern soulslikes

REVIEW – “Highguard” is fun, frenetic, and deserves a fair shot from genre fans

REVIEW – “4PGP” is a tribute to arcade racing through a very console lens

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