Didn’t get to play as much as I liked due to work related stress but man, what I played was freaking amazing. I had a great time with the games I played so far this year, but every now and then, you find this one particular title that sucks you in and makes you forget everything around you. Let me tell you about a game I nearly missed out on: Valkyrie Saga. And there is also the quirky Berry Bury Berry!
All the games features this week, have demos available on Steam. Please check them out if you are even midly interested!
Valkyrie Saga || 27/01/26
One of the most exciting elements in a video game, is the exploration of a strange yet vaguely familiar place. Dark Souls, Digimon World, Moon Remix Adventure RPG, Sable and Paradise Killer, are my favourites when it comes to that (and one of my favourite games in general).
A game world so mystic and fascinating, that you can’t keep your eyes from it. In Valkyrie Saga we play as Roll, a Valkyrie send down by the Goddess to bring back balance. From the very first minute I was locked in. The look, atmosphere and music, are highly reminiscent of the PS1, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast eras. A melancholic track plays when you arrive at the planet, crunchy footsteps echo in your ears, sluggish yet powerful movement, when you move around.
Somewhat of a biblically correct angel tells you about how you can jump and glide with your wings; yet your actions are limited. To extend these actions, you need to find specific crystals. Some of the townsfolk might be able to share more with you. And that’s the whole setup. Find the crystals to achieve the top and save the planet. Where you go from here and how much you take in, is up to you. You take a 360 turn around; spot various lands and buildings around you and above you; each looking more magical and promising than the last. Everything you see, can be reached. Everything you see brings its own depth and secrets. Entities will ask you for help, share valuable knowledge, and some of them might even fear you. Is their fear grounded? What is happening to this place and how does „balance“ look like? I want to desperately know it all, visit everything, arrive at places that looked so out of reach to me a while ago. This game is special. It takes you one look at the trailer to get it; and it turns out better with every minute I spend in it. Lost in the magic of Valkyrie Saga, I want to dwell deeper.
Berry Bury Berry || 29/01/26
This game is about a hole. Not about digging a hole, but about feeding it with berries. The setup is simple. You are trapped in a small room, pick up berries, throw them into a hole, receive coins, go to sleep, power up and repeat. An obscure creature with a star shaped head is watching you, while you pick up berries in the short amount of a day. Everything stops once the day ends, and all you have to do is go back to bed. When I took a bit longer to pick up the coins, I noticed the hole slowly following me. It slowly grows bigger and will swallow me if I don’t end the day. It can swallow up the gnomes and other decoration. An upgrade unlocks a sledgehammer, that can destroy stuff. Don’t throw it, says the sign. Obviously you throw it against the wall, right? What lies around you? What is the purpose of your repetitive task?
Berry Bury Berry is ultimately about the fruit and the hole. Its gameplay loop is super fun, and learning what surrounds you, multiplied my engagement. Fun little game, that ones again shows, how a simple setup creates room for something complex and valuable.
Quick Shoutout (not played yet)
Hermit and Pig || 05/02/26
It’s an Eartbound inspired RPG, where you navigate through the wildlife to gather resources and dig into a conspiracy. The combat is a turn based RPG with Wario Ware like mini-game elements. Each action features a unique mini-game and lots of humour. The look is vibrant, the cast quirky and the overall vibe playful. The demo was fun and is still available to pick up!
Master of Piece || 04/02/26
Master of Piece combines the rogue-like genre with a turn based deckbuilder. Slay the Spire might come into your mind, yet it plays a bit differently here. You inhabit a small party of minions on a grid field. The battle is influenced by your decisions in between, your deck, colourful traits and many more. It’s a medieval setting with a boardgame look. Engaging gameplay that looked promising in the demo. The demo is still available, but know that the game is still a tad unpolished as it’s in early access for now.
