Lisa Pollifroni
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Writing For
Checkpoint GamingLatest Reviews
I never thought The Alters, the new sci-fi survival game from developers 11 Bit Studios and behind Frostpunk 2 and This War of Mine, would become my favourite game of 2025 so far. Mainly because I didn’t think that a base-building survival game could weave in themes of grief, and dive into such topics as the butterfly effect and how intergenerational trauma can impact our personalities. It’s not just this element that makes The Alters a stunning game, however; it’s the beauty of the gra...
Detective Dotson, in all its pixelated wholesomeness, really is a love letter to India. Developers Masala Games have made it explicit that they want to create a game that celebrates the culture and vibrancy of India, rather than the false narrative that the country is “poor and ancient”, which some pop culture depicts. Detective Dotson is a short, side-scroller puzzle adventure game where you play as Dotson, an amateur sleuth who is investigating his father’s death. However, during his ...
In Rusty Rabbit, the world has turned to ice, humans are extinct, and rabbits rule the world. It might sound like a scary concept if the rabbits weren’t so darn cute! In this action adventure 2-D side scroller, you play as Stamp, a Sylvanian families-inspired looking middle-aged “rust hunter” who is obsessed with adventuring and discovering “trash” in this rabbit-run world. With his mech, Junkster, he goes through different dungeons to find parts that he can use to upgrade items and...
Keeping Driving is not just the name of indie devs YCJY (car)RPG, pixel, management driving adventure, but its whole philosophy. Keep driving through the rain, the damage to your car and other things that could just get in the way of your main goal.
Techno Banter is a narrative adventure/bouncer simulator, that is a love letter to Berlin’s infamous nightlife with a specific focus on la egendary nightclub, the Berghain. If you’re unsure what the Berghain is, it’s an exclusive nightclub that has been dubbed the “world capital of techno.” Many have lined up to enter and not many have made it through, but if you are lucky to pass the scrutiny of the bouncer, who is famous for being a ruthless rejecter, you’ll enter into an unkn...
The new Metroidvania platformer, Ultros, has gamers talking about its amazing cosmic-coloured art style and for a good reason – it’s gorgeous. The aesthetic vibes of the game remind me of a cross between a 90s dance club and an alien cult den with its vibrant colour palette of swirling neon greens and yellows. These visuals connect beautifully with the mysterious, time-bending nature of the game and your journey to understand what exactly is this strange world that you have crash-landed on.
If you asked me to describe Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged in one word it would be fast. Coming off the back of the 2021 game Hot Wheels Unleased, there is obviously a reason developer Milestone added “turbo” to this sequel’s title! The competitive arcade-style racing game taps right into the nostalgia as players race model vehicles from Mattel’s Hot Wheels toy line over tracks that are just as small as the cars themselves. Hot Wheels fans will get to experience the feeling of a...
The last year of high school is a weird time; you’re still treated like a kid yet you’re asked to make so many life altering and adult decisions. To paraphrase Britney Spears – you’re a teen, not yet a grown-up. The narrative rhythm game Goodbye Volcano High deals with the complexities that come with this time in someone’s life. Add into the mix the possibility of an asteroid colliding with Earth and the teens of Volcano High’s lives become shrouded in more uncertainty and intensity.
The sizzle. The steam. The aromas. The anticipation. A home-cooked meal that is made with love by someone you care about can make you feel safe, cared for and blissful. Venba is a short, narrative-focussed, casual cooking game where the protagonist cooks to show love for her family, and their Tamil culture. The main storyline focuses on Venba, the game’s namesake, who with her husband, moved from India to Canada in the 1980s. Though they have left all their family behind, Venba has brought ...
From playing many LEGO adventure games in my time, I was pretty excited to see what LEGO could do with an open world racing game. LEGO 2K Drive isn’t the first time LEGO has explored the world of racing; in 1999 they released the single player LEGO Racers and its sequel in 2001. Ever since then however, LEGO hasn’t delved into the genre. That is, until now. With 2K coming along for the ride, I was even more ready and excited to put some LEGO to the metal and drift around the world of Bric...