Spring is here, judging by the image above this article. However, when I look out my window, it looks dismal with loads of rain. I guess nature didn’t get the memo yet. Let’s focus on video games instead! Time too look at the upcoming new release games on our favourite handheld, the Nintendo Switch, for April 2023. Plus, we also feature Upcoming Steam games. For those of you who prefer gaming on Steam!
Not all games to be released are on the list here. Alternatively, you will see games that the other gaming sites don’t mention. We are taking notice of these games. You can expect reviews for many of them if given half a chance! It should be noted that unless we have some personal experience with the game, there’s a link to the descriptions on the Nintendo website.
GrimGrimoire OnceMore – April 4th in US and April 7th in EU
GrimGrimoire OnceMore brings the classic strategy adventure from Vanillaware into the present! Join aspiring mage Lillet Blan on her journey within the Silver Star Tower, a renowned academy for magicians. All is not what it seems inside the tower walls—mysteries, monsters, and menaces lurk about. Harness the power of magic to dispel the secrets hidden within the tower and discover the truth of the Silver Star Tower!
Paula reviewed the game and gave it our highest praise:
I went into GrimGrimoire OnceMore without knowing whether I would like the game or not! You see, the visual novel’s gameplay style isn’t my thing. However, I fell in love with the game, but it is not a title for everyone. Though if you’re in the mood for a clever strategy game that is fun and features battles and beautiful artwork and scenes, and a good story, then GrimGrimoire OnceMore definitely is recommended.
Alekon – April 6th
50+ characters with unique personalities will join you on Dream’s Doorstep, where you can befriend them through unique quests and minigames, from snowflake design to tuning crystal harps, to telling ghost stories!
I reviewed Alekon and gave it a score of I like it a lot.
Alekon was a surprising game for me. I didn’t know what the game would be like playing a photography game, as it’s my first one. Exploring Alekon is lovely. I enjoyed finding new Fictions, or new poses for Fictions I already had in Dream’s Doorstep. The mini-games are imaginative and fun if you are into them.
The quests often made me smile. For example, who thinks of a quest for you to translate an application to join Captain’s crew in pirate speak? Alekon is a fresh uptake on a photography game, with great text writing and lots of humour.
The Answer is 42 – April 6th
Yes, 42 is the Answer to the ultimate question! As this is inevitable, don’t fight against it, and decipher the fundamental answer at all levels in this game. Find all the combinations that sum up 42 each in your own time, with no pressure. For a relaxing environment use your logic and math skills.
I reviewed The Answer is 42, gave it a score of I like it a Lot, and said this in my conclusion.
You get 100 math puzzles to exercise your brain for a small price. The Answer is 42 is a minimalist game where you focus on the puzzle at hand. No timer, no scores to beat, just you and your goal to make coloured pathways that always accumulate to 42.
Is 42 the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything? I don’t know, but I do know this is a good math puzzle with no frills.
Curse of the sea rats – April 6th
Curse of the Sea Rats is a ‘ratoidvania’ platform adventure with lovingly crafted, hand-drawn animations. Embark on the epic journey of four prisoners of the British empire, transformed into rats by the notorious pirate witch, Flora Burn.
To regain their human bodies, they must fight dangerous bosses, uncover the secrets of the vast Irish coast, and ultimately capture the witch who cursed them.
James reviewed Curse of the Sea Rats and said this in his conclusion.
I initially disliked Curse of the Sea Rats, but the more I kept at the game, the more it hooked me, and I ended up enjoying myself. The barrier to entry may be a little high for some players with difficult combat and messy hit detection. But once you level up a few times and play around with the characters, you should be able to settle in a style that suits you. This is made all the more enticing by being able to pay with three other loved ones locally. Something rarely seen in adventure games.
The design and animations are excellent and make for a nice cherry on top of the experience. If you’re looking for a solid 2D adventure to play alone or with loved ones, this pirate trip will surely keep you busy for a few game nights. Wearing a pirate outfit for the experience is optional.
Pupperazzi – April 6th
Pupperazzi, the dog photography game! Snap photos of dogs while maintaining your social media presence. Will you hound for stardom in public, or would you rather be taken seriously as an artist? Perhaps you just want to show your friends the cute dog you saw while you were out. It’s your choice which direction your career goes – just don’t forget to pet the dogs along the way.
Lynne reviewed Pupperazzi, gave it a score of I like it a lot, and had this to say in her conclusion.
Pupperazzi is a relaxing and charming game to play. The overall adorable nature of playing with, patting and taking photos of all the different dogs easily outweighs a couple of frustrations within the game.
Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade – Original date April 13th, game has been delayed
On April 13, Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade is launching on the Nintendo Switch. Now there’s a game you can get happy over just by looking at it! Watch the world’s most popular girl and her ten iconic Sanrio friends, like Kerokerokeroppi, Badtz-Maru, Pompompurin and more, march to the tunes in a super colourful universe.
In Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade, you can dress up your favourite character with all kinds of accessories. Earn happiness points and collect character cards to level up and upgrade unique abilities. Complete challenges for extra rewards as well. The game will include 23 different levels, and you can enjoy over 40 catchy tunes, including 20 new tracks curated exclusively for the Switch.
Tin Hearts – April 20th
Behind every brilliant invention hides a magical story. Guide a troop of tin soldiers through a magical toy-filled world in this immersive narrative puzzle adventure game from team members that brought you Fable.
James previewed the demo of Tin Hearts and had this to say.
The immediate vibe I got off Tin Hearts was Lemmings but significantly less stressful. Lemmings was a game released on many platforms back in the old retro days. Here you led little fellas towards an exit but unfortunately, some or sometimes all of them would perish. Some of you old gamers will remember the famous ‘nuke’ button when it all went wrong. Tin Hearts is a calming experience that I feel can be enjoyed alone or possibly with a loved one. Out of VR, I can see this being a game you could share together giving each other tips on how to solve the puzzles. But if being strapped in is your preference it does appear the developers have made this a very impressive VR experience. It’s just nice to see some developers remember not everyone has VR.
Molly Medusa – April 20th
Molly Medusa: Queen of Spit is a gravity-bending 3D adventure where everyone turns to stone. Molly’s quest takes her through a series of mystical temples as she struggles with loneliness and alienation.
Paula reviewed Molly Medusa: Queen of Spit and said this in her conclusion.
I have very mixed feelings about Molly Medusa: Queen of Spit. I liked exploring the temples and the puzzles but not the gravity gimmick. On the other hand, I can see the likeness to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and that’s great if the developers wanted to pay homage to the Zelda series. However, other than exploring the temples, the world is pretty empty and void of any personality.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But with Molly Medusa: Queen of Spit, I’m not sure it is flattery in this case.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly – April 22nd
Dust off your coffee machine and prepare your warmest smile to meet your customers again in the second episode of the much-loved coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly.
It’s time to revisit your favourite late-night coffee shop and reconnect with your fantasy friends over a warm drink or two. You are a barista, and your customers aren’t always humans. Listen to their stories and influence their hearts with a warm cup of coffee or two.
Caroline reviewed Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly and gave it our highest score.
I highly recommend this game to anyone who loves visual novels and is looking to soothe their anxiety whilst playing a game. This game helped me to relax at night before going to sleep because it just soothed me. I love that aside from hearing the stories of the customers, you actually make their drinks; this added a lot of extra fun to the game for me.
Another fun addition to the game was that they added a lot of fun little pop culture easter eggs in the dialogues. That made the game feel like it could be real, but just in another realm.
Lastly, I want to mention the playtime. The amount of playtime you get for this affordable game is so worth it in my eyes. It took me a long time to finish the game, and it is definitely replayable when you haven’t unlocked every recipe or have some other achievements to finish.
Life Slide – April 20th
The goal of Lifeslide is to fly a paper aeroplane through various levels in this arcade, physics-driven game. With Lifeslide, the developers Dreamteck wanted to spread a message of positivity and happiness. As there isn’t a story of any kind, players can decide their own meaning from their journey through the environment. This is a relaxing flying game that is essentially a journey through life.
Paula reviewed the game on Steam:
Flight or Flying games with physics-driven gameplay are something I wouldn’t normally play, but I’m glad I got to try out Lifeslide. With each level being used as a metaphor for life and the lovely ambient music this is one to try out on Steam.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord – April 25th
Our story begins with a young man named Fang who has become a Fencer, a swordsman who has the ability to wield a special weapon imbued with a Fairy known as a Fury. Along with his companions, Fang is on a journey to find the Furies and resurrect the Goddess.
One day, he encounters a woman who can save people with her song, and another who can brainwash people with her song. Along with the mysterious power of the women who call themselves Muses, Fang’s destiny begins to unfold…
Strategize to capitalize with an all-new Tactical RPG battle system! Use terrain and objects such as rocks, boxes, and grass to your advantage. Strategic positioning on the battlefield can raise your evasiveness, or lower your movement speed, among other effects.
I reviewed Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord and said this in my conclusion.
To be honest, I had a hard time coming to a conclusion for Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord. I liked the battles, loved the music and disliked the banter between the characters. I mean, I really don’t want to read all about Harley wanting to do a body check to research the Fairies, about Eryn losing her panties during the night and if Fang found them and so on. It might be comedy to some, but not my kind of humour and I even found it off-putting.
The story was interesting, however, and the battles made up for it. I liked the turn-based strategic battles and all the special stat-raising possibilities there are to make the battles as interesting as possible. The glittering colours on the battlefield from Aria’s songs weren’t to my liking; I found it hard to discern the characters and where to place their attack. But the idea of adding music as a tactic is nice.
Minabo – A Walk through Life- April 28th
Minabo – A walk through life is a social simulation game where you walk the path of life while your turnip grows and thrives (or not) in its social relationships.
Life starts when you sprout, time goes by with every step you take, and you can set your pace at any moment. You live and learn: surround yourself with other turnips and interact with them to forge your personality. Your acquired strengths and weaknesses will affect your future interactions.
Build your social circle by maintaining and caring for the relationships that matter the most to you, and run away from the ones that don’t. You can adopt many radish-pets and spend your life with them, start a family and breed little turnips or live fast and die young. There are thousands of ways to live and none is correct!