All posts tagged in action adventure
May 5, 2026
Temtem: Pioneers is the third entry into the Temtem world. It’s a colorful creature collector full of unique creatures, enjoyable adventure, and exciting battles. Step into the Downbelow, a vast, untamed region where your survival skills will be put to the test. The area is unpredictable, but offers plenty of chances to explore, craft, and build. And with over 200 Temtem to tame, there’s so much to do and achieve.
Tame brand new Temtem and some familiar favorites to not only collect them all, but to use their abilities. In Temtem: Pioneers, you need to build your own base of operations. Your new friends can help you with collecting the resources to do so. Some are better suited to exploring the Downbelow and battling other Temtem, though. The game even has a new combat system where you can bring up to 3 of your Temtem and switch between them seamlessly. Play solo or with friends and discover what you can accomplish with friends and Temtem!
Support Temtem: Pioneers on Kickstarter
Temtem: Pioneers is coming to Steam and Epic Games sometime. There is no specific release date listed, but add it to your Wishlist to be notified and keep track! You can also check out the Kickstarter to see what fun new stretch goals can be unlocked.
- Mar 13, 2026
SEDAP! A Culinary Adventure is a couch co-op cooking adventure with vibrant, fun graphics and an interesting storyline. Play as Som and Gon while they work together to prepare iconic Southeast Asian dishes while travelling across dangerous Khaya Island. Each level is a little bit different, with a variety of recipes, ingredients, obstacles, and enemies. You’ll have to explore each level to find the ingredients you need, process them in the kitchen, and cook a perfect dish!
Exciting Fun
Now, I played this SEDAP! on easy mode since I played solo, but I had a ton of fun with it. Even on easy mode, the game was just challenging enough not to get boring. Having to hunt down ingredients and sometimes even fight enemies to get the ingredient also adds a bit of freshness to things.
Sprinkling in bits of story between levels was a nice touch, too. This avoids long cutscenes or info-dumping. It’s short little smatterings of cutscenes that give you enough information to set the stage. It also serves to break up the gameplay a little. I also love the variety of dishes that are prepared, as well as the focus being on Southeast Asian food. Too many games use the same cuisine, so this is refreshing!
My one complaint for SEDAP! is the fishing. The minigame for fishing is awful. It ranks up there with the Stardew Valley fishing minigame for me, which I also hate. Tapping a button to align the dot within a bar to fill up the meter is nervewracking in a timed setting. The bar also jumped around so much on some fish, it was difficult to align the dot appropriately. It just wasn’t a nice experience catching fish.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed SEDAP. I binge-played it over a few days and finished pretty quickly. It was great for capturing my attention, but not requiring too much brain space to play. I recommend it for folks who enjoy games like Overcooked, but really want an easy mode for solo play!
You can find this fun game on Steam, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox!
- Jan 26, 2026
Play as Death in this old-school style action RPG called Spindle. One day, you wake up in a foreign-feeling world. You have no idea what happened, but you’re now in charge of reaping the souls of the recently deceased. Why you, though? Who knows, but at least you have your trusty companion Pig by your side (or as your trusty steed)! Together, you’ll set out on a pleasant but challenging adventure to figure out why and solve a bigger problem. Why can no one die?
Explore the pretty pixel art world of Spindle as you try to capture the souls of the recently departed. Solve environmental puzzles and fight enemies with your scythe across five dungeons. Discover secrets. Sniff out shortcuts. Relax with a little bit of fishing. Even go toe-to-toe with monsters big and small. And experience an excellently crafted tale about death, dying, and the different ways we deal with it. Don’t worry, while the topic is heavy, the game is easy to digest and actually quite cute!
Release Date
You can find Spindle now on Steam and Nintendo Switch! Steam also has a demo available, so you can try before you buy.
- Aug 7, 2024
Creatures of Ava is a unique creature-saving game set in a fantastic alien world. Play as Vic, a young explorer who has set out to explore the planet named Ava. Alongside Tabitha, a researcher, you’ll confront an infection called “the withering” by the local race of Naam. The creatures of this beautiful world are being affected by this mysterious disease that’s depleting their populations, but you’re determined to remedy that.
Use a special flute to tame over 20 wild creatures, and get to know the Naam. Their customs are strange, but you’re determined to learn them. More importantly, you’ll explore four different biomes across the planet of Ava. While out and about, take in the beauty of the planet and help the native creatures heal from the withering. The non-aggressive combat mechanics in Creatures of Ava are meant for healing and not defeating, which makes this the perfect cozy exploration game. As you restore the planet you’ll come to understand what the infection is and how it came to be. But that’s only the first step to defeating the withering. You also need to undergo a change in perspective in order to truly understand how to stop the infection!
Release Date
Creatures of Ava releases today on Steam and Xbox! There’s also a free demo available so you can try before you buy.
- Mar 14, 2024
Set out on a journey through the breathtaking landscapes of Europa, by developers Helder Pinto, Chozabu (Alex PB), and Novadust Entertainment. Europa is the lush, terraformed moon of Jupiter, and the perfect place to simply explore. Armed with your jetpack, discover beautiful vistas as you try and solve the mystery of why this utopia has fallen to ruins. You might also find out what happened to the last surviving human!
Europa is a peaceful action adventure, so take your time exploring. Run, glide, and fly across the world while you solve a variety of puzzles as you investigate the ruins. Perhaps even discover the story about the last human. Navigate hidden dangers in the ruins. Afterward, upgrade the capabilities of your jetpack to reach greater heights! Then, experience an intimate story about humanity’s relationship with nature while taking in the beauty that surrounds you.
Release Date
Europa is set to release on Steam April 16th!
Or if you prefer something a little closer to home, try The Hidden Art of Innkeeping!
- Dec 28, 2023
River Tails: Stronger Together is a 3D co-op adventure platformer. Immerse yourself in a colorful cartoon art style as you and a partner embark on an epic journey. Play as Furple, a curious kitten, or as Finn, a fish with an attitude problem.
Work together to complete various puzzles across different environments. Your ultimate goal for River Tails: Stronger Together is to save Furple’s family, who are in danger. Team up with some unexpected allies to make your way upstream and into the snowy mountains. Explore the rainforest, delve into river caves, and cross a treacherous swamp to reach that distant mountain. You’ll also need to defeat some angry enemies and bosses, but if you work together, anything is possible!
While River Tails is designed as a two player game, there’s also a LoneWolf Mode so you can play on your own!
Release Date
You can find this fun co-op game on Steam now! There’s even a demo for you to try out.
Check out Camped Out for a frenzied co-op experience! - Nov 30, 2023
Have you ever wanted to be a wand maker? Have you wanted to open your own shop, collect necessary materials and sell the wands you craft by hand? Wonder Wandelier might be perfect for you, then! In this adorable game, you do exactly that. Of course, you’re trying to work off a massive debt within 30 days, but that’ll be easy, right?
Play as Wonder Wandelier’s leading lady, Pucelle, who’s destroyed her apprenticeship. A clumsy 16-year-old wand-making student at Grimora Magic School, Pucelle now finds herself running the old wand shop called Wonder Wandelier. Her clumsiness has not only damaged the shop owner, but the tools needed to make wands. Now, it’s up to her to fix her mistake, restore the business, pay off the debt, and prove she’s ready to graduate!
You’ll need to venture out into the wilds of Wonder Wandelier in to gather necessary materials for the shop. Take a partner with you and forage for materials, discover treasures, and even unravel mysteries! Just be careful as the world beyond The Portal slowly drains your energy. If you pass out while foraging, your partner will have to carry you home, but they can only carry so much! You may lose precious materials so your partner can bring you safely home. You may also encounter aggressive wildlife you’ll have to dispatch.
When in the shop, Pucelle will work on her wand-making skills. Some wands require rare materials and higher craftsmanship, but they sell for more money. She’ll also need to haggle with the patrons of Wonder Wandelier in order to fetch the best prices for her goods. Haggling won’t come easy, though. You’ll need to build a relationship with them, study their mood, and set the right atmosphere to achieve the right price!
Will Pucelle succeed at paying off her debt and graduate?
Release Date
You can find this adorable game on Steam! There is currently no release date listed, but you can add it to your Wishlist. There’s also a demo for you to try out.
Want to run a different magical shop? Check out Potionomics!
- Nov 23, 2023
Spells & Secrets is a magical roguelite adventure where you must free the Academy of Greifenstein from the magical creatures that have overrun it. You’re a young wizard who’s just gone off to school at the esteemed academy to learn more about your magic. However, on your first night there, something strange happens and now the school is a mess. Magical creatures run amok in the halls, your fellow students are lost in the ever-changing rooms of the school, and there’s something a little more nefarious going on.
The Story
Spells & Secrets sets up a very basic story from the beginning. Again, you’re a young wizard who has arrived at the Academy of Greifenstein to learn about magic and improve your abilities. You’re then dropped right into the problem of the school being overrun with magical creatures. After that, the story unfolds as you progress through each dungeon level and encounter fellow students and even some of the bad guys. It’s a pretty standard “good vs. evil” situation. Someone has caused chaos at the Academy, it’s just a matter of sussing out who did it.
The question I have is why am I, a literal magical novice and child, the one who’s responsible for fixing the issue. I’m traversing the dangerous hallways of the school in search of my fellow students, fighting monsters, and encountering the bad guys. Meanwhile, the Spells & Secrets adult teachers are chilling outside in the courtyard prepared to sell me spells and upgrades so I can get further in my dungeon crawling. Surely one of the experienced people should help me! Silly adults.
Overall, I enjoy how the Spells & Secrets story unfolds as you progress. You don’t have all the answers, and you don’t always get them quickly. It takes time to earn enough for new spells and upgrades. Plus, without those upgrades and new spells, it can be difficult getting through dungeon levels. Some of those creatures are unforgiving! I also appreciate the lack of hand-holding. There is a tutorial, but you’re not interrupted frequently by cutscenes or new game mechanics. You just get to blast through some rude creatures.
The Gameplay
I won’t pretend I’m incredible at fighting games, and Spell & Secrets has only proved that further. It took me several runs of the first floor before I managed to progress to the second floor. It can be frustrating, but that’s part of the draw of roguelites. It’s certainly easy to see when you’ve made upgrades to your repertoire, too. I went from struggling to blasting through creatures like they were nothing. So, it offers a very satisfying experience, despite the repetition. You feel like you’ve earned it once you progress.
I enjoy the variety of spells in Spells & Secrets, too. Each one has a different effect, while also deploying in a different way. Magic Missile is just a bullet of magic you shoot at the enemies. Freeze comes out in a spray of icy clouds, and so on. It’s easy to visually see which spell is which when scrolling through them or deploying them against enemies. Being able to build on their capabilities is satisfying too. Improving the power of Magic Missile absolutely made my runs easier to complete. And adding different spells that have different effects allows you to combine the powers of your arsenal to more efficiently defeat enemies. It lends a sense of creativity and strategy to the game.
enemies. It lends a sense of creativity and strategy to the game.
Final Thoughts
Besides the fighting, you can join what appear to be like school clubs. There are four for you to choose from, and it helps give you an objective outside the main storyline and dungeon crawling. You can even earn different clothing items to further customize your character. Spells & Secrets is overall a roguelite dungeon crawler with a sprinkling of socializing and other fun. I personally think it’s a fun combination!
I’d recommend this game to anyone who enjoys the idea of being a magic-slinging wizard. Overall, I’d give it:
You can find Spells & Secrets on Steam, Switch, and PlayStation now!
