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Beginner Guide – Walkthrough, Tips, Tricks, and SECRETS – Stardew Valley

Posted on by Dave Pizza
This article is my Stardew Valley Beginner Guide. Along with some quick beginner tips on the game, unravel the narrative a bit, and in the process, let me share some helpful lessons learned from playing the game. Whether you’re just starting out, or returning to the game, I’ll show you how life in Stardew Valley pans out from parsnips to star drops. So, without further ado, buckle your overalls, because we’re headed to the ultimate cozy game Stardew Valley. Let’s have some fun, shall we? Stardew Valley Beginner Guide: Starting With NOTHING First of all, Stardew Valley is a great… Read the rest

Hayai is an Awesome Artistic Enemy Hell With Samurai Action

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Hayai is a pretty cool game. I played another game like it recently called Pizza Tactics, but only in the sense that the main mechanic is drawing a path with my mouse. Really though, Hayai is a full-feature game aimed at casual play. Control one of 5 Ronin, and clear hordes of enemies swarming from the sides of the map by dragging a line between the individual enemies in one long swipe. It could double as a mobile game, but I really enjoyed playing it on my computer. A huge cool feature here though, you can actually play this with… Read the rest

Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue is a Neat 2.5D French Firefighting Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
The idea behind Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue is in the title, Firegirl. I find myself drawn to this game due to its slight quirk and frank concept. But the game deserves a little more credit than assuming the entire plot is based on a conjunction of the words “fire” and “girl.” Although you are exactly that in the game, Firegirl is the type of game that should have been made, conceptually, at least in the 90s. But three decades later, here it is with a shiny package. Classic nods from many of the old-school NES-style games are here though,… Read the rest

Haiku the Robot is a Surprising New Indie I Played

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Yep, Haiku the Robot is about robots, although you’re more likely to catch on fire before most of its poetics! It’s a dystopic pixel platformer with a variety of routes to navigate through. The tunnels are left from the aftermath of an apocalyptic turn. It does have somewhat of a narrative for the first minute. Mostly, you’ll be in the heat of battle. You are thrown into the general theme of trying to find your way around immediately. Thankfully, maps are available. Collect bits and bobbles to fund your robot hack-and-slash lifestyle. This game is as challenging as platformers like… Read the rest

A Showcase of Vesper: Zero Light Edition (On Switch)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Vesper: Zero Light Edition is out on Nintendo Switch and PC today! Players can find this new version, plus the big debut Switch release, on eShop and Steam. It’s an innovative platformer with arcane space vibes and shimmering, colorful environments. It also includes a compelling and innovative storyline told through holographic recordings and plentiful checkpoint diversions. I played the first twenty minutes on my Switch for you. I have to say it’s one of the more stylistically compelling platformers I have played a release version of. You might be familiar with one of my other past articles on the game… Read the rest

Rotund Zero is a Super Cheap Preview of the Rotund Franchise

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Back with another Indie Game Collective showcase for Rotund Zero. It’s a precision platformer with a Game Boy monochrome style that uses directional keys only to solve puzzle levels made of bouncing blocks. It’s only $1.99 on Steam at the moment and encourages problem-solving in timed runs. You have 5 minutes to complete as many levels as possible, and there are 26 levels, 1 for every letter of the alphabet! You’ll be on your toes to speedrun all of those levels, but the pressure is mild. Watch the YouTube video at the top of this article to see me run,… Read the rest

Galacticon Really Plays Like an Old Arcade Cabinet Style Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Today, I’m taking a look at the soon-to-be-released, arcade-style title Galacticon from developer Radin Games. It’s similar in style to 1980s arcade games like Defender, Joust, and Jetpac. You might be familiar with some of these from the book Ready Player One; and maybe the film, but I can’t remember, although I know Joust featured prominently in the book. I sat down with the space-themed preview they provided and honestly got really into it. Initially, I wondered how much there’d be to say, but the game has many objectives. There’s also an online leaderboard to compete with, so it is… Read the rest

Labyrinth City – A Family Friendly Where’s Waldo? Type Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
It’s been some time since a game like this has been featured on MrDavePizza. Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective absolutely belongs. As a game that originated in a book series, the game takes many cues from the visual classics of growing up for me. Incidentally, I was a big fan of books like Where’s Waldo? and Eye Spy, which are similar in scope and content as Pierre the Maze Detective–perhaps you remember too. So, let’s get into this, what is Labyrinth City? It’s a top-down puzzle game with hand-drawn characters in a visual feast of eccentric characters and scenes.… Read the rest

Village Monsters: A Pleasant Town Sim Borrowing From Made Up Myths

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Village Monsters is a solo dev project from Josh Bosser. It’s a pixel art town sim that departs from conventional titles with an alternative community of friendly monsters. The game plays on similar genre themes as Stardew Valley but the content goes into the outsider/quirk genre of games with its monster acceptance communicated in each character’s unconventional friendliness. It departs from too much comparison by offering a vast amount of exclusive unique story concepts in each character’s backstory and dialogue. Players can also enjoy activities like treasure hunting, fishing, exploring, working, and contributing to the town itself. Village Monsters is… Read the rest

Pompom is A Challenging, Colorful Hamster Platformer

Posted on by Dave Pizza
The recently released pixel platformer Pompom: The Great Space Rescue ran across my desk as a showcase opportunity through my friends at Indie Game Collective. It’s a precision platformer, sort of, with a feature I’ve never seen before this involving time slowing AND improvised platform placement. You can play with a controller, or you can play it with a mouse (or hamster actually, since that is Pompom’s main character you play as.) The game balances innovative gameplay, a moderate learning curve, and generous leniency to keep your gameplay flowing. I’m thoroughly enjoying it, at the level of some other top… Read the rest

Moonlighter is a Much Better Game Than I Thought

Posted on by Dave Pizza
The game Moonlighter is a combination of rogue-lite dungeon-crawler mixed with trade simulation and story-rich RPG elements. This timeless, beautifully rendered pixel top-down was released by Digital Sun in 2018, and the game is available on most platforms like PC & Nintendo Switch.Moonlighter is a story about hopeful adventurer Will, a shopkeeper in the small commercial town of Rynoka. Although his family’s shop offers stability and prosperity, it is sustained by the materials found deep in dungeons accessed through gates outside the village. Every night after the shop closes, Will skulks into the darkness to descend into the dungeons before… Read the rest

Showcase: Inked: A Tale of Love Is a New Hand-Drawn Game (Nintendo Switch)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Well, here I am, back to keep things fresh here with a showcase for Inked: A Tale of Love I have the privilege of receiving a review copy for what was originally a PC game, now out on Switch, Xbox, and Playstation. Today I tested out the Switch version on the handheld mode and made my way through the first couple of chapters to see how well the transition has been (plus promote it to new players!) I’ve seen sketch-style game graphics before, but I was curious to see what this was all about. The developer reached out to my… Read the rest

Indie Spotlight: Fayburrow – a Super Cozy Student Project

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Today, I plunged headfirst into the free games pile of new releases over on the Steam store. On my arrival, I discovered a cozy little visual novel among the listings called Fayburrow, and I decided to take a look at it. Fayburrow is a free game created by the self-named “Fayburrow Troupe” at VIA University College in Denmark. It just hit the Steam store today. What was first intrigue, turned into a fascination with the conjunction of such delightful graphics with a genre I have not covered in far too long! So, after downloading, I fired it up and took… Read the rest

Playing “Make The Burger” Because It Looked Cool, and it Kinda Was

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Welcome to my post about Make the Burger. This game’s release date on Nintendo Switch occurred this week, although it has a presence on Steam and ItchIO as well. This is a casual food truck sim with catchy and fun pixel environments and a line-up of hungry and paying illustrated customers. Your entire success is dependent on your ability to remember ingredient symbols and who ordered them. Take orders from customers to cook the burgers they want as accurately and quickly as possible. Upgrade your establishment each day by using funds to purchase new ingredients, furniture, and various tools of… Read the rest

Is “Pizza Express” the Predecessor to Good Pizza, Great Pizza?

Posted on by Dave Pizza
My hunger for low-res grounded pixel games lately opened me up to a stellar sale on a game called Pizza Express. Pizza Express is an indie pixel-graphic pizzeria simulator about a fast-paced solo restaurant run by animal friends Gastone the cat and Lucky the rabbit–and also you. The game is fairly simple but incorporates playful dialogue and gameplay that is quirky in the best indie-adhering ways. It is very similar to the game Good Pizza, Great Pizza, but is older and definitely a bit more grassroots. I enjoyed it very much, so I’ve decided to bring this review of it… Read the rest

Necrow Co. is a Fun Little Platformer

Posted on by Dave Pizza
If this headline doesn’t raise an eyebrow, then stick with two, because this article is tapping into some unexplored territory with the game Necrow Co. by creator Zahran Worell. The game Necrow Co. is a 2D pixel platformer, playable with either a controller or keyboard. It’s a light narrative about a crow who starts work for a company of reapers, featuring a cozy skeleton psychopomp grim dispatching you to a national park filled with spookies, squishies, and don’t-touchies (terms coined on our end.) Abilities are basic: move left and right, jump, and shoot a sort-of crow song wave that disables… Read the rest

What Lies in the Multiverse is a New Game With One VERY Interesting *Feature*

Posted on by Dave Pizza
We’ve got a big event going on right now for THE BIG ADVENTURE. Many demos, and many great indies. I set my eyes on What Lies in the Multiverse first. It’s a collaboration between Studio Voyager, IguanaBee, and Untold Tales. Everything you’ll see in this game has a silvery thread of classic games like Fez, Owlboy, etc. But it’s a little more than technicolor flashing pixel animations, it’s dealing with a really awesome powerful mechanic. Changing universes. That’s right, when you click RT you change universes in this game, and, honestly, it’s unique, it’s a seldom-used trope, but a particularly… Read the rest

Remember When I Played Soul Delivery And It Got Like 40,000 Views?

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Alright, folks, I am compelled to write about this. Last night I posted a video of a game on itch.io called Soul Delivery. Yes, it is true, the graphics in this game are so stunning, it’s enough to short-circuit. Though, until now, I’ve never even heard of it. I don’t know who the dev is, and I don’t know anything more than what’s covered on the itch.io page. But, since there’s a demand on this, let’s just take a look at it right now, and I’ll polish this up later once I’ve had a little more time with it–maybe, I… Read the rest

Celeste is Ultimately the Best Game I Have Ever Played

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Celeste. Yes, it’s about time we did this. The renowned precision platformer from Extremely OK Games has been out for approximately three years now (Celeste was released on Jan. 25, 2018, hence the three-year anniversary,) and it has not lost its charm. And why would it? The game sold over a million copies by the end of 2019. Whether you’re hanging out in your game room or playing on your Switch en destination, this is the kind of pick-up-and-go game dreams is made of. You’ll have to pardon me as I haphazardly introduce a game that’s been out for three… Read the rest

Unpacking is Great For People Who Obsess About ORGANIZING But Need To CHILL While They Organize

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Unpacking is an isometric puzzle game by Witch Beam, an Australian developer, published by our very own sponsor Humble Bundle. You are a third-person clicker, looking down into an empty room with a stack of boxes sitting in the middle of the floor. There’s no direction or impetus, but as you open the box, intuition sets in, and you start to place objects from here and there. Before you know it, you’re an artisanal thing mover. You may take solace in a simulation of this if you’re particularly neat, or simply like no-pressure puzzles. The game starts off in the… Read the rest

Indie Spotlight: Down In Bermuda is a Tropical Hidden Gem on Switch

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Yak & Co released Down In Bermuda catering to the growing indie cozy fanbase in Q3 of 2019. Yes, this game is over two years old, but with the occasional mega discounts, from time to time and continuing interest it’s cognizant to explore. It’s still relevant, fun, and cozy–indeed. The level of a-ha moments in this puzzle platformer is suited to YouTube, Twitch, or wherever you want to turn a gathering into a chill hangout. And even as much on your own, whether it’s the hunt of unlocking a puzzle on intuition alone that interests you or the pastel color… Read the rest

GOOD PIZZA, GREAT PIZZA is the Ultimate Pizzeria Simulator

Posted on by Dave Pizza
In the Fall of 2020 when I was just launching the Mr. Dave Pizza concept, I played Good Pizza, Great Pizza by Tapblaze on an Android tablet, one of the many formats this game is available on. Today I played the official version released for Nintendo Switch to go back and really see what amused me about this game. Pizza, the food, has always been pretty popular, but in the last five years, it’s developed a near cult status. It’s kind of weird honestly, but it’s spun some pretty creative and entertaining ideas. So, after so much traffic from google… Read the rest

Alchemic Cutie is a Bright, Colorful, & Adventurous RPG

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Update: Alchemic Cutie is, once again, a game running across my desk, slated for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 for June 2023. I really have no particular context for describing it after so long, but when I tested it on PC I felt that it fits into the few neat descriptors of bright, colorful, cute. It’s an RPG. In all fairness, it is a monster collection game, à la Pokemon-style games. In the realm of indies, it bridges stylistic notes of games like Arietta of Spirits as well as Potion Party, but goes a little more Zelda in its cutesy… Read the rest

Not It: Spookiest Edition is a Dark & Amusing Visual Novel

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Earlier this year, I took a look at a visual novel from this developer called The Last Act. Incidentally, they have a new act called Not It: Spookiest Edition just in time for Halloween. In fact, this whole game’s story revolves around an old legend of a curse that arrives every Halloween. I suppose, being on hiatus and everything, I can still find some room to squeeze this one in because this whole month I’m doing a Halloween theme. Also, it is released today, so that’s a scoop I can’t resist. Therefore, from a very distraction-free space, mostly, let me… Read the rest

Blake is a Colorful Grit Filled Cyberpunk Visual Novel

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Blake is an interesting new visual novel from LegendOri Productions about a complacent computer programmer turned vigilante in a futuristic cyberpunk city. The primary scenario within the game involves a new technology that can make somebody totally anonymous. Even amongst the modern people-tracking computers of its era, a criminal of heinous description is leaving a fatal trace and incidentally has decided to start toying with Blake’s sanity. The visual amalgamation of all the people and places of this story looks really, really good and the art, in general, is right on the button in terms of a high-quality visual novel.… Read the rest

Onirism is A Colorful Dream & Nightmare World

Posted on by Dave Pizza
“Onirism” is a good example of another game where French indie dev teams are making games potent in fun and translates to a wide audience. This goes beyond exaggeration and is an interesting subject to me, but one which I don’t know a lot about. Regardless, I committed to this game, so I’ll take you through a brief but satisfactory run down of the world of Onirism. Additionally, the game recently received a major update and has a ton of new content. Let’s go!! By the way, thank you so much to Indie Game Collective and the developers at Crimson… Read the rest

Hoa is a New Indie Adventure With a Magical Vibe

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Hoa is an intricate hand-painted character and environment art platformer released this week. Visually it succeeds wonderfully with Studio Ghibli-like aesthetics in illustration, animation, and special effects. It also boasts an absolutely charming ambiance in its background music plus sound effects that are cinematic in quality and effect. It also is available in 10 different languages right from its launch. I feel very relaxed playing Hoa, and even watching someone playing it can be very pleasant. If you have ever been a fan of Totoro or woodland creatures with endearing hearts, fall in love as I did with the game… Read the rest

The Universim is a Fantastic New World Sim I Tried

Posted on by Dave Pizza
The Universim is a civilization simulator from Crytivo that combines features from planet sims with more advanced skill trees. The game touts a robust planet-level environment with the ability to manage the course of civilization from primal to advanced stages. The game is still in development but is going through a rigorous beta, although you can purchase early access on Steam, which many have. I’m kind of reminded here of experiences of other sims out there, but I saw some things I haven’t seen before too. Thanks to the collaboration between my friends at Indie Game Collective and Crytivo, I’ve… Read the rest

Existensis is a Little Known Indie Hidden Gem

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Existensis is a hand-illustrated philosopher platformer game from the creative spirit of dev Ozzie Sneddon/Librarium Studios. In Existensis you play a masked character known as The Mayor, who is actually an artist. The objective is to gather inspiration in a journal so you can use it to create a tower to represent the journey of life. From situations and interactions with characters spread throughout vaulting platform areas and cities. You can learn more about your environment and gradually collect enough information/inspiration to enter swirling vortices around certain characters. They will help you teleport somewhere new and completely different so that… Read the rest