StartMenu
startmenu is a website dedicated to mentoring the next generation of games media. Since 2019 it has fostered a community of talented writers and helped dozens of people break into the industry.
Latest Reviews
Lone Ruin
Alongside references to the original Kao game, bashing barrels to find ducats, and unleashing fists of fury on a variety of troublesome foes, Kao the Kangaroo deftly finds a way to combine stereotypical platformer tropes to create a knock-out game. As a newcomer to the franchise, I am left wanting...
Strange Horticulture
Besides the fantastically written main storyline and characters, the simple joy of organising your plants is honestly addictive. I could happily spend days leafing through my growing book of plants, identifying and labelling my colourful array of flowers and mushrooms, and petting your cat, Hellebore (the real star of the show)....
Martha Is Dead
Finally, it is worth noting, that there is an additional triggering scene at the end where Giulia then ‘kills’ herself, by slitting her wrists. The developers added an option on PC where you can censor this sequence. I was relieved to have this option, however, like enforced edits on Playstation,...
Tunic
A friend of mine posted in a Discord the other day that they were trying to run through Tunic for a review and felt it was too opaque. They, as I did at several points, missed one of the game’s very subtle breadcrumbs and as a result, like me, spent...
Grapple Dog
It is a shame that parts of Grapple Dog get in its own way so much because I do really like this game. In fact, I would recommend most people play it. I haven’t mentioned the wonderful art design that could have been plucked from cult-classic Hal Laboratory game. Nor...
Encodya
Maybe this game could have been a better experience on a different console or on PC - if the hardware was more powerful it might have been able to brute force through these performance issues. But, ultimately, Encodya is a game with a relatively simple presentation on a platform that...
Epic Chef
Aside from the saving issue, I was surprised by Epic Chef. In fact, after putting hours into it I can say for certain it is one of my favourite games of the year. It mixes arguably terrible jokes (I find them hilarious), cleverly chaotic gameplay and a semi-nostalgic art style...
Echo Generation
Echo Generation is an ‘80s cartoon soulslike, masquerading as a relaxing adventure game. If you’re willing to put in the time to learn the enemies attack patterns so that you can properly block their hits, then I’m sure you’ll have fun with it - I can already imagine people attempting...
Gloomhaven
As crushingly difficult as the game can be, the Gloomhaven Steam port is a great way to experience the game for the first time. It does something most board games can’t - it teaches you how to play without throwing you in the deep end or forcing you to read...
Back 4 Blood
I am not saying Back 4 Blood is bad by any stretch, as I said I enjoyed it (issues and all), but it is what it is. Do I recommend you pick it up? Yes - on its own merits it does change the formula enough to be a different...
Skatebird
My experience with playing Skatebird was largely a frustrating one, mainly thanks to technical issues and floaty controls but despite the game’s issues I was very charmed by it. The birds are cute and fun to customise, the soundtrack is fantastic and catchy, and the environments are a joy to...











