TOEM is free on Epic

A light news week all things considered. On Monday, the original Flappy Bird creator claimed not to be involved in the new game with hidden crypto nonsense involved. Tuesday, there is a new special edition of the Switch controllers for Rocket League. Wednesday, NeoDuel: Backpack Monsters is a Pokémon meets Backpack Hero in an auto-battler, apparently, while a new My Time at… game has been announced for the Switch 2, or the Swiitch as it should be called. Thursday, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and 16 didn’t sell gangbusters, so it didn’t “meet expectations,” and Hero of the Hive will have apiculturists up in their tiny bee arms.

Moving on to the Epic Games Store for this week, we’ll get straight into the Con Artists Games’ The Last Stand: Aftermath. You play as people infected and on death’s door in a Rogue-like twin-stick action setting, trying to “survive” as the hordes of zombies just keep running at you. Be the pessimist if you must (I certainly am in that situation), but you are supposed to be setting up the world for the next lot of survivors so they might succeed. If I didn’t have a tepid disinterest in twin-stick shooters, I might have enjoyed the ideas here.

Up next is something I’m a lot less tepid on as it is a game all about a photo mode. If you know me, you know I’m always eager for a game with a photo mode. TOEM is a short, simple, sweet, monochromatic adventure title about a little fella wearing clogs and running around taking pictures of everything for everyone. Get me pictures of Spider-Man, and all of that. Light on plot, similar to A Short Hike or other adventure games, TOEM is more about exploration and adventure than anything else.

You can pick up both The Last Stand: Aftermath and TOEM on the Epic Games Store until the 26th of September. Moving on to next week, it is another one of those short, sweet, and adorable adventure games, but more so of the PS2 era in its feel. The Spirit and the Mouse is a game I previously reviewed back in 2022 when it was released, and two years on, I’m still thinking about my adventures in the small town of Sainte-et-Claire. You’ll play as a small mouse, Lila, as you help out and explore this charming little French village next week.