Review

Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Sanrio’s Cutest Time Sink

By Jenny O'Connor February 25, 2025
ᯓ★
This isn’t just a Hello Kitty cash grab—it’s a dangerously cosy life sim with surprising depth. Between decorating, crafting, and befriending Sanrio icons, Hello Kitty Island Adventure turns downtime into a full-time commitment. Cute? Absolutely. Addictive? More than you’d think. Here’s why you won’t be able to put it down.

Inside the Animal Crossing x SeaLife Exhibition

By Lauren Lees February 22, 2025
ᯓ★
If you're a fan of Animal Crossing, the Aquarium Tour at SeaLife is a must-see, combining the charm of the game with real-life sea creatures. From meet-and-greets with Tom Nook and Isabelle to hidden villager stamps, it’s an experience that celebrates both the game and its passionate community. But is it worth the ticket price?

Sim-fully Overlooked: The Chaotic Brilliance of The Sims Bustin’ Out and The Urbz on GBA

By Jenny O'Connor January 13, 2025
ᯓ★
The Sims on Game Boy Advance wasn’t about designing the perfect home or finding true love—it was about surviving in weird, chaotic cities with nothing but odd jobs and big dreams. Bustin' Out and The Urbz ditched the cosy life sim formula and gave us something messier, funnier, and way more relatable. It's about time we gave these underrated handheld gems the love they deserve.

Infinity Nikki is Inspiring Gamers to Bond Over High Heels and Earrings 

By Hannah Holowaychuk December 16, 2024
ᯓ★
Seeing a feminine dress-up game acknowledged as a “real” game is groundbreaking. Twelve years ago, Papergames was told that the Nikki franchise was too niche to succeed in the competitive gaming market. The monumental success of Infinity Nikki proves otherwise, showing there’s a community of gamers eager to save the world in an iridescent ballgown and heels.

Short Trip: The Hand-Drawn Cat Carrying Experience

By Annika McCabe December 15, 2024
ᯓ★
As the chaos of finals, demanding work weeks, and holiday preparations looms, the need for a moment of respite becomes undeniable. Thankfully, we’ve found the perfect game to help you pause, breathe, and recharge amid the holiday frenzy.

Anora: Exoticism as Empty Currency

By Jenny O'Connor November 27, 2024
ᯓ★
Sean Baker’s Anora drapes itself in the glittering veneer of social commentary, but at its core, it struggles to engage meaningfully with the very systems it critiques. Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, played with quiet resilience by Mikey Madison, navigates the hostile labyrinth of Brighton Beach’s underbelly, where survival is a dance of compromise. Brighton Beach itself hums with authenticity, a backdrop pulsating with the chaotic beauty of immigrant life. Yet, the film’s gaze—intent on humanising its protagonist—falls into familiar traps, reducing Ani to a cipher, a lens for exploitation rather than an agent in her own story.

Chants of Sennaar Speaks in a Language of Its Own

By Jenny O'Connor October 10, 2024
ᯓ★
There’s a certain magic in the moment when a foreign language starts to make sense—when random sounds and symbols begin to form meaning, creating connections where there was once confusion. This feeling is at the heart of Chants of Sennaar, a beautifully crafted puzzle game that uses language as its core mechanic. After spending time in Corsica with family who speak only French, I’ve been noticing how much of my own experience in trying to learn French reflects the journey players take in Chants of Sennaar. You struggle to decode unfamiliar symbols, but the payoff when you understand even just a piece of the puzzle is immense.

Uzumaki’s Spiral into Chaos

By Jenny O'Connor October 9, 2024
ᯓ★
Uzumaki Fans Spiral into Disappointment as Animation Quality Takes a Nosedive Just when it seemed like Junji Ito’s nightmare-inducing world was ready to dominate anime, Uzumaki‘s second episode left fans with chills of a different kind: the crushing disappointment of a stunning quality drop. After a breathtaking first episode, the Uzumaki anime veered off-course with…

Exploring the Poetic Journey of Gris

By Team G.URL October 5, 2024
ᯓ★
A Palette of Emotions Painted in Silence. Written by Calypso Morgan Imagine a young girl perched on the hand of a statue, trying to sing but unable to. Suddenly, everything around her crumbles, and she plummets from the sky, landing in a barren white landscape. With nothing but the sound of wind on the horizon,…

BLACKSTARKIDS’ “SOULMATEZ!”: A Sonic Rebellion Wrapped in Nostalgia

By Jenny O'Connor September 2, 2024
ᯓ★
BLACKSTARKIDS’ “SOULMATEZ!” is a neon-hued love letter to a chaotic world where nostalgia and modern angst collide. In the ever-evolving tapestry of youth culture, BLACKSTARKIDS stand out as both provocateurs and curators. Their latest single, “SOULMATEZ!,” is more than just a catchy track; it’s a manifesto, a collision of sound and vision that captures the…