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Review: Golden Force

James Refelian

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Nov 4, 2021

Never have I wanted to throw my Nintendo Switch out of a window with frustration more than when I played and reviewed Golden Force by Storybird Games and published by PixelHeart, VGNYsoft and No Gravity Games. This is a game which unashamedly holds its hands up and says ‘yes, I am like those unforgiving side-scrolling platformers that caused controller breakages on retro consoles’. But maybe, just maybe, that isn’t all bad.

Premise and Gameplay

Golden Force’s premise is a basic one. There’s a group of four adventurers (playable characters who are unique in design only) that like spending money and have run out. So, they’ve gone to Muscle Islands to beat the Demon King and get some more. The game is even more simplistic with its place names that are very unimaginative, Mount Mountain for example. If you were hoping for story this is not the game for you. If you are a casual gamer this is not the game for you.

You can unlock a secret bonus level on each of the four islands as well as completing each island’s four main levels. Level four of each world contains a boss (one of Demon King’s generals; all strangely named after Mexican food). The art is gorgeous; pixel art reminiscent of ‘retro’ consoles. The levels themselves are nicely varied in terms of designs, puzzles, obstacles, and challenges. This means that progressing to the different islands genuinely felt like progression rather than more of the same. This variation carries through to the monsters; all uniquely styled with different strengths, attacks, and methods to defeat them. This extends to the bosses as well (one of which gives you some challenging bullet hell craziness to deal with), and multiple routes to find the hidden treasures.

However, to navigate each level you get but five lives (six if you buy one in the store discussed later). Each level gives you a checkpoint midway but that only remains saved while you are playing that level. It is relentlessly challenging and so collecting the hidden treasures becomes far less important when you end up playing the same sections repeatedly. The game certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel here but does give you a sense of nostalgia for things that used to be in the world of gaming.

One of the interesting features that Golden Force does offer for all those coins you collect is a store that allows you to buy items. This doesn’t seem to have the intended impact as for the most part it isn’t overly necessary (except for that extra life!) and any items you do buy are single use even if you die and must re-start the entire level. Collecting coins goes the way of treasures though when you end up having to endure multiple attempts at the same level. Another interesting feature, that did become useful in the later boss fights, was the support mechanic. You fill a meter and can call in assistance from your boat dealing some much needed and high impact damage.

Controls for the most part are reasonably logical and responsive. I didn’t experience any input lag when I completed an action. My only issue was with the charge up ability; it takes too long. However, when it does work there is something immensely satisfying about bouncing enemies around the screen.

Issues

Golden Force, sadly, is not without some issues. There was one moment where I got trapped between two unnecessarily tough non-boss enemies (that for the most part I avoided to save time because the rewards were minimal) that I lost all my lives in one fell swoop because jumping wasn’t working. Similarly, at a later stage I fell off a platform and expected to die and be placed atop it to try again, except that didn’t happen. Initially I thought I had discovered a secret area where maybe there would be a unique reward. What did I find? A bug that meant I had to re-start that level from scratch as the only way out of it was to quit the game and re-start.

At certain stages in the game, you must take lifts up and across certain areas, naturally as you would expect there are obstacles to dodge. This is fine and exactly what you would expect from a platformer, however, should you be knocked off by one of these obstacles you find yourself waiting for more than five minutes before the platform reappeared to try again. The wait was unforgivably slow and threw off the pace of the game and waned my willingness to continue the adventure.

While this game was smooth and responsive in the Switch’s handheld mode playing on a big screen with a controller painted a different picture. Here it was plain to see that it wasn’t as well optimised as I had hoped due to screen tearing and minor lag. Still playable, just not as enjoyable so that is something to consider if you plan on picking up the Switch version of the game.

Conclusion

So, did I like Golden Force? I think I did. Sometimes. And sometimes I didn’t at all. It is a side-scrolling platformer that is trying to emulate the nostalgia of similar games which are now considered ‘retro’. I can’t fault this game for that; it does it well. It also captures the frustrations from those games we’ve forgotten about as we look back at them through rose-tinted lenses.

Things like hits against you sometimes being questionable but you lose that precious life anyway. It isn’t perfect; but then neither were those older generation games. It’s unimaginative in terms of character and place names; but who cares? How often do people pay attention to that kind of thing in a platformer. It has no story; but it isn’t supposed to. I want to dislike this game because of its issues and the frustration of how difficult it is; but the nostalgia grabbed me and kept me playing the same incredibly challenging content, desperate to beat it, for hours. To that goal, it succeeds.

Golden Force may play better on other platforms than it does on the Switch, it may cause controller damage and a lot of shouting at the screen; but when you get to the end and finally beat the game’s last boss you can sigh with relief; hug your loved ones and feel a true sense of gaming accomplishment that perhaps is missing from modern games. It isn’t the prettiest, it isn’t the most imaginative, it doesn’t do anything I haven’t seen before and some of the things it does try it fails at; but it’s worth a go… or in reality many, many, many, many goes.

Review: Defend the Rook

Daniel Waite

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Nov 4, 2021

0

Tower Defence titles are perfect for a casual gaming session. They are simple to pick up and readily available in every mobile phone app store. I admit I’ve played my fair share of smaller indie games, but now I crave something more in-depth. Luckily, Defend the Rook offers the perfect solution with its wonderful story and familiar mechanics.

Developed by One Up Plus and published by Goblinz Studio and Maple Whispering, this is a fantasy Tower Defence game. The core concept is to protect your rook, no matter the cost! You are given three heroes, barricades, iced spikes, and spells to battle the onslaught of enemies. You must survive multiple waves and eventually defeat each main boss. On paper, it’s like every other TD title you’ve encountered. However, it has a few tricks up its sleeve to stand out.

Spread your forces and takedown each wave.

Defend the Rook is all about the grind.

Most gamers will be instantly turned off by the word ‘grind’. Yet, lovers of this genre will know it’s a necessary evil. You will start a battle knowing that failure is very likely, and that is okay. The more hours you put in, the stronger your army becomes, and this is one of Defend the Rook’s key concepts. You must win battles to earn both money and XP for your heroes.

Sadly, however, this Tower Defence title incorporates rogue-lite elements. This infuriating twist adds another layer to the unrelenting grind. Subsequently, you get more gameplay, but the repetition levels are off the chart. So, how did the developers counteract this? They implemented permanent upgrades, ascendancy, and unlockable characters! These powerhouse additions must be purchased by improving spells, your machinery, or your units.

The story revolves around each leader’s desire to hold the most gems. They make each faction stronger, and everyone loves the sparkling allure. Therefore, it was fitting that the best improvements were purchased with this rare commodity. You’ll unlock new units, better temporary perks, and additional spells at the end of each run. It was both fascinating and exciting to see the new tactical advantages, though it was equally disheartening that you had to start from scratch again.

Grid-based combat.

There are plenty of tactical options at your disposal and these are vastly important. Yet, the crux of the gameplay involves a deceptively simple grid-based combat system. You are armed with three heroes, a set of spells, combat towers, and the rook. Your troops can move and attack once per turn. The grid is coloured blue for movement and red for attacking options. You must plan the best way to use your forces as you defeat each wave and take down the end boss.

As each round ends, you may choose a temporary perk, health boost, or revive a fallen ally. The choices you make here will give you a tactical advantage and are the difference between success and failure. You can add speed, power, armour, health, spells, and more. You are unaware of the foes you’ll face in the next round, so there is always an element of risk.

Unlike other TD games that force enemies through a ‘tunnel of death’, Defend the Rook has a more open approach. You can’t simply place every strong unit in one place to pick off unsuspecting foes. No, you must navigate the map and use the environment to your advantage. This was excellent as it made the gameplay much harder and it forced you to contemplate every move.

Defend the Rook has a simple but effective style.

Defend the Rook won’t wow many gamers, but equally, it won’t offend many either. Its simple but effective style is supported by the clean-cut UI. The action is easy to observe thanks to the lack of clutter, and the theme is enhanced by the rich colour palette. Unsurprisingly, this basic affair has no graphical issues or frame rate drops.

The audio follows suit with a suitably interesting soundtrack. You’ll enjoy a blend of jovial and angry tunes as each battle is contested. These songs are supported nicely by the simple sound effects and add to the fantasy theme. Sadly, however, a lack of spoken dialogue is an oversight! I’d have loved for each main character to be brought to life in the cutscenes. Unfortunately, this never materialised and you’re left wanting.

A great tutorial makes it easy to play.

I’ve already highlighted the simplicity of the genre, but I expected this more in-depth experience to be harder to play. Luckily, a thorough tutorial makes it easy to understand, and I got into the action with little effort. However, don’t get carried away as the finer details require some work. The more complex tactics and the right lineup of heroes needs a fair bit of trial and error. So you’ll need to invest some time to get the right combination for you.

This approach adds to the longevity and increases replay value. The aforementioned ‘grind’ may not be for everyone, but it’s an essential mechanic. Completing this and unlocking all the progress tiers will take many hours and a patient individual, so best of luck.

Defend the Rook is a fantastic addition to the genre.

Defend the Rook wasn’t a title on my horizon, but I’m glad I played it. It’s a phenomenal Tower Defence game that blends the usual mechanics with RPG traits and rogue-lite elements. It’s a bit of a grind-fest, but fans of the genre won’t mind. I loved the in-depth ideas and recommend you to buy it here! Can you control your small army of heroes and save the day? Plan your approach, destroy your foes, and bring peace to the kingdom.

Review: Penko Park

Jordan Kirkpatrick

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Nov 4, 2021

0

Already missing the spooky vibes of October? Looking to bring them back and polish off your photography skills at the same time? Well, I have the perfect game for you!

You’re welcomed into the abandoned Penko Park by none other than its cutest resident Penki with simple instructions: look around and snap some pictures of the weird and wonderful creatures that reside in every crevice of the abandoned reserve. You’ll explore mushroom caves, magma-filled caverns, lakes, overgrown jungles and even a rundown cafe that was once upon a time occupied by humans.

If you’ve ever seen or delved into Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo Switch, you’ll already be familiar with the simple mechanics of Penko Park.

As our beloved void-eyed buddy Penki accompanies you on-rail through the different regions of the park, you’ll encounter an array of creatures ranging from the confused pond-dwelling Nauplii, mountain-scaling Goato and the cute magma sprites Akakai (seen above). Not all is as it seems though. You’ll need to keep your wits as you explore, as you’ll never know just when a creature will change face in a split second.

Once you either run out of photos or complete a level, you’ll get the chance to rifle through your new snaps and place them into your photo album. You’re marked on a scale of 3 stars on each photo, with 3 being the best. The more photos you take, the more chance you have of receiving the perfect 3-star photo — these are then turned into experience points that can unlock new areas and abilities.

Penki will watch over you as you fill your album

As you progress you’ll be doing more than just snapping pictures. With each run through and ability you unlock, you’ll be able to interact more with the park around you — this means you’ll be able to pick up scattered items, clear shrubbery in your way and throw penko balls at the creatures you encounter. Don’t worry, these balls won’t hurt any of the creatures, but instead, you can coax some out of their hiding places and even have them perform tricks to frame your next perfect snap.

Each creature in the park has its own unique checklist of different pictures you’ll need to take of them. Some of these will require a little thinking on your part on how to make the monsters act a certain way or in some cases not act at all. Its simplicity and easy playability will make you want to come back for more each time you put it down.

Though there are only 3 small stages to explore, you’ll never be doing the same run-through twice. The forest, volcanic and underwater levels all have their own diversity and creatures to find all with unique ways of interacting with the player. There is nothing more satisfying than landing the perfect 3-star shot for your album.

The creatures of Penko Park are nothing short of charming. Developers Ghostbutter clearly knows how to create cute and memorable monsters without needing the familiarity of characters that Pokémon Snap needs.

With the scope to add more levels and creatures in the future, if you’re looking for a game to sit down with for a few hours and relax with, Penko Park might just be the perfect one for you. You’re likely to be able to complete the game within a few hours, but if you’re anything of a perfectionist like myself, you’ll be spending a lot more time trundling through the shrubs, waves and magma searching for each variant of the loveable monsters in the park trying to get the perfect 3-star album.

Thinking of Buying a Vintage or Classic Car?

cars

Andrew Edney

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Nov 4, 2021

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Thinking of Buying a Vintage or Classic Car?

Owning a car is great. The freedom that you get from car ownership can often not be put into words. Ownership of a car that gets you from A to B is one thing, but what about ownership of a vintage or classic car? When you purchase and subsequently own a vintage car, there are other considerations you must factor into your decision. Classic cars or vintage cars are often more expensive, so ensuring that you make the right decision for yourself and your wallet is crucial. So, what should you know and think about when purchasing a vintage or classic car?

Age and Previous Owners

As you are not buying new, you need to know where a car has been and for how long. Vintage cars may have exchanged hands several times, which means they might have had a few owners throughout their lives. Establishing what type of owners they have had and ensuring that this number of owners is appropriate to the age of the car is important. For example, if the car is 30 years old but has had 15+ owners, you might need to start asking more questions. A high number of owners could signal additional problems, which may end up costing you more.

Storage

Where are you going to keep your new pride and joy? Are you going to keep it out and exposed to the elements, or are you going to keep it in a warm, safe and secure unit? You will have invested a lot of time and funds into buying your vintage or classic car, and you will want to ensure that it is stored correctly and safely when not in use. When it comes to finding car storage near me, you need to think about safety and the environment within which it is housed. Not all storage facilities are monitored and as secure as you think. Checking out the safety and security is key, and so too is checking the environment. For example, if the storage unit is damp and drafty, your new beloved purchase could be getting exposed to the elements and possibly getting damaged as a result.

Intended Usage

Thinking about how often you will use your new car and for what purpose will help you establish a budget and checklist for your purchase. For example, if you want to use your car only in the summer months, then do you want to spend more than $20,000 on purchasing and insuring your new love?

Condition Versus Cost

Some vintage or classic cars look good, but on close inspection, you see that they are covered in rust and held together with glue and tape. Weighing up the condition a car is in will help you to make a wise decision and ensure that you do not pay more than you should.

Alterations or Modifications

Has the model been altered or modified in any way, or is it the same as when it was built? Alterations can make a car more expensive to insure, or they can even devalue it. Ask as many questions as you can to ascertain if the car or cars you are interested in have had any work or modifications carried out, and if so, when and why.

Review: Hellpoint

Derren Bennett

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Nov 3, 2021

0

Hellpoint, available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch

Hellpoint is a dark and challenging action RPG set in a heavily atmospheric sci-fi universe where the line between science and occult is blurred.
Nintendo.com

Story

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a game like dark souls and warframe? You would get Hellpoint.

In Hellpoint you are a human created by the mysterious Author to traverse the space station Irid Novo to find out what has caused the incident known as The Merge.

Irid Novo is a huge space station with many secrets and areas to explore and for the most part the player is able to explore at their own will. The player will discover many foes including various bosses which may require some prior weapon and armour upgrades in order to truly stand a chance. There are many different weapon and armour types and each weapon has its own special ability once the player has been able to master it.

Along the way players will find the odd hint (in the form of a glowing green hand) which will either give the player a nudge in the right direction or offer a tip. Occasionally you will also speak to The Author who will guide you after bigger milestones but other than that the player is mostly left to their own devices and exploring is crucial to progress the story.

Due to the exploration and minimal hints, any players that are not already accustomed to this genre of game may struggle to advance through the story quickly and like myself, may have to check a guide once in a while to make sure they’re on the right track. It’s very easy to mistakingly walk into a boss fight that your character is not equipped to win.

Irid Novo is also constantly revolving around a black hole in real time which creates an interesting dynamic, altering enemy stats and positioning as well as bosses themselves.

Visuals

One thing I love about Hellpoint is the art style. As soon as i booted up the game I was met with a dark and eery atmosphere with character design not too dissimilar to Warframe. As a fan of everything horror based I love the vibe that this game gives off. At times though some areas of Irid Novo can be hard to navigate due to the dark art style as well as some areas having a very similar look and feel.

As with other similar games like Bloodborne and Dark souls, Hellpoint also has very menacing enemy and boss designs to make them every bit as terrifying as they are hard to kill.

Although the art style is probably one of the stand out features of Hellpoint, along with performance, they also serve as its main downfalls. As with many other games Hellpoint unfortunately suffers from the dreaded curse of the switch port. Not only are there constant frame rate issues and stutters but the resolution has taken a big downgrade to accommodate the specs of the switch. At times this does unfortunately take away from the experience and can becoming disengaging for the player.

This then becomes one of the situations where I feel like I have to defend the switch because it is not intended as a console to play AAA titles at maximum performance. The switch is a console for a great on the go or family experience which for the most part it nails perfectly and with Hellpoint if you can ignore minor resolution issues, then it does still make for a great handheld experience.

Combat

The general combat experience for Hellpoint is a familiar one for fans of the genre. This consists of light attack, heavy attack, block, dodge and abilities such as healing. Using this, it is up to the player to learn enemy patterns and stats as well as being cautious about stamina level, one extra move could drain your stamina and leave you vulnerable.

I myself have not had much experience with this genre of game so admittedly it took me many attempts to perfect the combat style and many many more attempts to finally beat a boss. For players that enjoy a challenge Hellpoint will not disappoint.

Summary

Hellpoint is a familiar experience that a lot of players have become accustomed to. The art style is very dark and eery with menacing boss designs. Just like similar games it’s a very tough experience and not for the faint hearted. For fans of the genre it’s a great experience on a handheld but unfortunately it is let down by the obvious downgrade and FPS issues.

Review: Monster Bash HD

Gaming

Brendan Freeman

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Nov 3, 2021

0

The graphics put me off playing Monster Bash HD. Yet when I played it I did enjoy it more than expected. It was developed by Emberheart Games and is an HD remaster of Monster Bash that was released back in 1993 for DOS. Monster Bash HD is a side-scrolling action-adventure game.

Plot of Monster Bash HD

Monster Bash HD - Do not feed the zombies

For a game from its era, the plot is rather simple. You step into the shoes of Johnny Dash. Save all the pets to progress and then rescue your own dog from the evil clutches of Count Chuck. Very simple and to be honest was more than the game actually needed to be fun.

Monster Bash HD Gameplay

The player controls Johnny Dash. He can move in various directions and uses a slingshot to defeat his enemies. It takes a while to get used to his jump potential so that you can land on the platforms. The enemies are many and varied. Each with its own attack patterns. Sometimes it can be unfair when being hit by an enemy as sometimes it appears completely random. They are also very quick and can eat into your health fast.

Luckily there is a checkpoint system that you return to should you die. There are also many health pickups that restore all your health. This makes the unfair enemies a bit more bearable and you never feel under pressure if you do have low life. As you will revert back to the checkpoint. Unless you run out of lives. In which case you are sent back to the beginning of the game. Even this doesn’t feel that painful, as it shouldn’t take you that long to get back to where you started.

The slingshot weapon is far better than I expected. Instead of firing stones that go in a straight line forever. They start to dip as they get further away from the player. This makes it easier to take out enemies that are below you since you can’t aim down. Another feature is they rebound once on walls, which again can be used to defeat enemies. The slingshot is also used to free the pets from cages. You need to use the above skills to be able to get them all.

Presentation

This is where Monster Bash HD falls down. I’ve compared the graphics to videos of the original version and yes the graphics have improved. But it is still an ugly game. It reminds me of Ghost and Ghouls. But I never played the original so for a returning player, the graphics would be a welcome addition. It would have been better if they updated the graphics to today’s standard. As I imagine it will put off new players.

Like the graphics, the music seems to be stuck in the 90s. with slight improvements so that you can identify the instruments being played. It gets the job done and so do the sound effects. But it is far from a standout.

Replayability

This is where the game shines through. Before you start each part you are given a rundown of feats that you can do. After completing a level you are then awarded a score and time. There is a par time which you can aim to beat which is far easier the second time around. Some of the levels were taking me ten minutes when the par time was two minutes.

On top of the main campaign, there is a level editor. Where you can design levels for other players to have a go at. This is a great feature and I would expect the number of levels available to increase. Which further improves the replayability of this title. If I ever want a quick game, I can hop onto one of the user-created levels.

Final Verdict

Monster Bash HD is a graphical upgrade on the original. With great platforming and a simple story. Along with a level, editor to expand the replayability. While the slingshot mechanics beat out its contemporaries.

It is not without its faults. The gameplay is still stuck in the 90s and the graphics are not as improved as I would have liked. The music also feels very dated. There is also no tutorial which can be a barrier for new players.

Omit I have enjoyed my time with Monster Bash HD. But I’m unlikely to play it again or recommend it to friends. It’s a solid platformer, with very little to offer. If you played the original I would recommend this version to you. Otherwise, new players can skip this.

Review: To The Rescue!

Vasilis Tatsiopoulos

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Nov 3, 2021

0

The first thing To The Rescue! tells you is that it’s a game about a dog shelter and also that it includes the concept of euthanasia. It’s good that we get a warning like this, and it also is telling about the game’s intentions. You see, this is a time/resource management title, in the vein of many casual games that have you building stuff, mining, gathering and delegating chores. Also, it’s a game that tries to raise awareness about the life of abandoned dogs and the hardships faced by the people trying to help them.

To do this, To The Rescue! tries to shy away from sugarcoating the difficult parts of the process. Sure, you can substitute euthanasia with just-sent-away, but there are other, smaller parts that show how hard dogs have it. It is a noble cause, brought to life through an approach that has its mind on the right place, but there’s a lot left to be desired in the gameplay department.

The presentation is simple, clean, cartoonish and mostly works, but the music tends to get annoying after a while, because it is just too intense for a soundtrack to this type of game. You’re expecting laid back melodies, and you get frantic piano pieces that make you want to run around in the kennels.

The second thing you’re going to notice is the lacking tutorial, that does a common mistake: it takes away the control from the player. You character is named by you, you choose one of the 5-or-something models, and then you start playing. The game wants to teach you everything regarding its systems, but to do so it just tells you about them while you are not even controlling your character. Someone says “follow me”, and your avatar does it, while you’re just looking.

There’s a reason -many reasons, to be honest- that games are using player controlled tutorials and not screens full of text or automated actions made by the AI. In To The Rescue! immersion takes a hit, character agency is brought to the background, and you’re constantly reminded that this is a game, and that it should not be taken seriously.

Then, the dialogue that tries to set up the story is generic and a bit boring, but also comes off as lecturing. Well, I’ve got no problem with a lecture about a good cause, but when it’s entirely obvious that we’re not meeting fleshed out characters and they’re there just to talk about an issue, it get too gamey, and it feels like an educational video. I don’t have issues with the approach, but it could be done in a better way, to be integrated in the gameplay and plot (mind you, don’t expect a complex story, it’s mostly there to drive the gameplay forward with new mechanics).

The core gameplay loop is familiar to any person who plays such games, and it’s more or less fun. You have many things to worry about, like dogs’ hunger, thirst, their health, you have to bathe them and in general you must do all things that keep them in good spirits. Also, you can build new rooms, and there’s even a skill tree to upgrade everything from the money you get by donations to the amount of water you can carry.

It mostly works, but nothing works absolutely as it should. The worst offender: the controls that try but don’t manage to fit every possible move you can do in the WASD-mouse scheme. So, you have to use the mouse wheel to change targets (when you are feeding the dogs, for example) and this is frustrating more often than not, because it’s not obviously mapped and it is clunky. Also, the pacing regarding new skills, tools and mechanics is a bit slow, and there are intervals between aqcuiring something new that lead in you just waiting and doing the same things for a time.

After caring for the dogs, you’ll have the opportunity to find people to adopt them. This is frustrating too, because the way it works makes you wait a lot. A person will come in your shelter and tell you that they’re interested in adopting a little furry pal. Some people will have preferences: they’ll want puppies, or low-energy dogs, or a terrier that is good with kids. If you pay attention to these traits, it will be easier to find homes for the dogs. You also earn money and can expand your business, you hire helpers and you get to thrive, to do your work with less annoyances and make the dogs happier too. The quality of the mechanics and their depth are enough to keep things interesting, but getting the dogs adopted is just painfully slow. Every person that comes to look at the dogs in your shelter, takes a lot of time doing so, every time, with no skip button or even a fast forward. If the developers add anything in a future patch, the ability to fast forward should be on the top of their list.

Then, there are some annoying bugs and glitches. Dogs change forms, your tools disappear, and sometimes the shop stops working and you cannot buy food for the dogs… But, if this type of game is your thing, and if you like the idea of running your own dog shelter, you will have fun with To The Rescue! -at least for some 10 hours or so, when things start becoming a bit stale.

How to Get Started With Learning to Code

Tech

Andrew Edney

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Nov 3, 2021

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How to Get Started With Learning to Code

Coding is one of the most in-demand skills in the technology industry right now. And with tons of employment opportunities available including freelance roles that allow you to work wherever you want if you have a computer and an internet connection, there are certainly lots of reasons to consider learning how to code. If you want to get into some of the most cutting-edge job fields currently available today, coding is one of the best skills to learn to help you get there. Many of the most exciting opportunities for coders today are in AI and cryptocurrency, but coding is an essential skill for IT professionals in lots of different industries around the world.

Learning how to code can be challenging, but it is also a very worthwhile challenge to take on. After just a short amount of time spent learning how to code, you will be amazed at what you will be able to create. And, coding skills are not just relevant now, but they will also be relevant in the future, allowing you to get into roles where you know you can enjoy a lot of job security as your skills continue to experience high demand. Jobs that require coding skills are often very well-paid, and while you can learn coding at college, you do not need a college degree to learn this skill.

Coding for Beginners

If you want to learn how to code, it’s important to prepare for the fact that it can be tough when you first start out, since you’re essentially learning a new language. If you are completely new to coding, it’s going to be very different from anything else you have ever experienced, whether you’re teaching yourself how to code online or learning coding as part of a college degree such as an online MS computer science from Baylor University. Even if you already know some coding, there are so many programming languages to learn, and even experienced master’s degree students will need to overcome the challenges of mastering a new one.

Choosing a Programming Language

The first thing to do when getting started is to choose the programming language that is the best fit for you. If you are completely new to coding, it’s best to start with a language that is one of the easier ones to learn and is mostly user-friendly. HTML or CSS are two of the most popular coding languages to start with. These are mainly used for basic websites and web applications. If you want to get into software development and are interested in starting with a more serious programming language, Python is one of the most popular choices for beginners since it is fairly easy and straightforward to learn compared to some others. There are also many programming courses that focus on Python. Find out more about reliable programming courses here.

What You Need to Start Coding

When you’re first starting out, computer science and coding can be overwhelming. Even if you are familiar with the basics of how computer systems and networks work, it’s still a good idea to refresh your computer science knowledge. It’s a good idea to learn basic computer science or give yourself a recap if you have already completed a course in this subject. There are lots of great resources out there to learn or refresh your knowledge of computer science. It’s also vital to have an understanding of how networks work; before you can start successfully coding, you will need to understand how different computers communicate with each other in various network types. Get familiar with the command line, and learn more about how to start building a website, especially if you are considering learning coding in order to become a web developer in the future.

Common First Programming Languages to Learn

Beginner coders will often start out with one of these three popular programming languages:

HTML

HTML is one of the best options to start with if you have never done any web development and are completely new to coding. It stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is used to create basic web pages. While it is not technically a programming language, it makes up the basics of any website and is essential for any web developer to know. Whenever you are browsing the web and see images or text on a web page, they will have been placed there using HTML. While it’s one of the more basic types of code and there’s not a whole lot you can do with it, HTML does appear all over the internet, and getting a good grasp of it will make it easier for you to move up into more programming languages.

CSS

If you want to develop websites, CSS is an important coding language to learn. CSS is more complicated than HTML and offers much more variety when it comes to developing websites. It is recommended by experts to learn both HTML and CSS before you step up and start learning more interesting programming languages. CSS can be used to make all the HTML you wrote look really good online. You can use it to do a range of different tricks like adding padding, margins, changing fonts, adding colors, gradients, and more.

JavaScript

Finally, once you have gotten a good grasp of HTML and CSS, JavaScript is often the best next choice of programming language to master if you want to learn how to start coding to a high professional level. JavaScript is a must for coders, especially if you want to get into web or app development as it’s simply everywhere today. It is one of the main in-demand programming languages since it’s difficult to find a company that doesn’t need or want an online presence, and JavaScript is used to build most websites and apps. Once you have mastered JavaScript, the job opportunities that you can find are huge but competitive. The average salary of a JavaScript web developer is around $60k per year, with opportunities to earn even more as you develop more advanced skills.

Coding is one of the most highly sought-after skills in the professional world, and very interesting to learn.

Review: Amazing Breaker

Daniel Waite

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Nov 3, 2021

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Block Breaker games come in different shapes and sizes. Whether it’s a simple retro title or an all-out fast-paced nightmare, they require a logical mind and a calm approach. Creating a plan and selecting the correct tool and ammo for the job is essential. Amazing Breaker demands that you understand the equipment at your disposal as you attempt to eradicate the icy landscape before you.

Developed by Dekovir and published by Big Way Games, this is a simple arcade icy block breaker. This strategy blaster requires a slow and methodical approach. You are armed with a selection of bombs and bullets that ghost, divide, and explode on impact. You must combine your munition to have a bigger impact and a well thought out plan is the difference between victory and failure.

Amazing Breaker breaks no new ground.

The destruction of the environment with balls shot from a cannon is nothing new, and therefore Amazing Breaker breaks no new ground! Many games have used these tried and tested mechanics and Peggle from EA instantly jumps to mind. However, unlike that series, Amazing Breaker is less colourful and focuses on a more serious and retro approach.

The gameplay spans hundred of levels that comprise an array of images that require a different approach. You will prioritise certain ammo types to destroy defences that’ll weaken the sculpture. Each stationary image offers no threat, however, the difficulty lies in identifying their Achilles heel. You must destroy a certain amount of the picture to be successful! If you cannot, you’ll fail the stage and have to start again. It’s deceptively simple and you’ll become frustrated as minor errors will undermine the greatest of plans.

Success is in the stars.

Like many arcade games, success is measured on a ‘star’ scale. Achieving three stars requires perfection and is truly challenging. However, progress only needs one star, so you shouldn’t be held up on any stage for too long. This was an intelligent decision from the developers as it adds longevity while balancing out the gameplay difficulty.

Gratefully, the longevity is also increased thanks to the variety of ammo at your disposal. Each offers a tactical advantage over the other, but must be combined for maximum effect. You will fire spiked bombs that split and attach to any surface. You have bullets that ghost objects, rockets that soar through the air, and more. Linking the bombs has devastating consequences, however, this ability requires skill and a high degree of accuracy.

It was fascinating when a plan came together and watching each image being blown up never got old. Worryingly, running out of bombs is a risk in Amazing Breaker, yet, fortunately, every stage has a cache of ammo to collect. Getting your hands on this stash isn’t easy as you are afforded little time to collect it. Subsequently, you must think fast and hit it with a bomb before it disappears.

Amazing Breaker has a no-nonsense style.

Theoretically, the gameplay is extremely simple. After all, you are just shooting a still image with no time constraints. However, the finer points of the mechanics make it much more complex. So, fortunately, the visuals take a no-nonsense approach. A clear and crisp UI makes the action easy to follow. Furthermore, a handy arrow highlights where your bullets will go. This simple style makes the gameplay much easier to understand, yet it adds to the frustration. You’re lulled into a false sense of security and you’ll believe victory is all but guaranteed. Sadly, though, you’ll fail repeatedly!

The annoyance of constant setbacks could have made the gameplay unbearable. Luckily, the lighthearted audio reduces the cruelty and harsh qualities of the unforgiving action. You’ll enjoy high energy music combined with OTT sound effects. I loved the booming sound of the bombs exploding and the jovial sound of success at the end of each level. They were minor things, but they made the hard or oh so rewarding.

Simple controls.

When mechanics are drip-fed, this can cause unnecessary confusion. Yet, Amazing Breaker overcomes this with a thorough tutorial. Every new element is accompanied by a slide that explains how to use them. This was fantastic, as it allowed you to try new tactics with little concern. Alongside this, the responsive controls and aforementioned aiming system make the game accessible for all players.

With three stars on offer on every stage and loads of ways to complete each encounter, there is plenty of replay value. Moreover, the vast number of levels and drip-fed mechanics will keep you playing for hours. Completionists will find it challenging to complete, as its large achievement list is frustrating to finish.

Amazing Breaker is moreish and straightforward fun.

Many games overcomplicate the matter, yet Amazing Breaker doesn’t. Its moreish but straightforward gameplay is a wonderful arcade experience. It doesn’t break the mould, but it offers fun and challenging levels throughout. I enjoyed it and recommend you to buy it here! Study the image, identify its weakness, and plan victory!

Review: They Always Run

Vasilis Tatsiopoulos

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Nov 3, 2021

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It’s almost entirely sure that if you take a look at this game, They Always Run, you’re going to assume it’s some type of medroidvania experience. You will expect sprawling labyrinths to explore and an ever-growing arsenal of versatile weapons and powers. To a degree, you’d be right. However, They Always Run goes back to linear principles, giving us distinct, finite levels to explore and clear, before going to the next ones. There is no backtracking, and the stages themselves are simpler than what you’d expect to find. Is it a bad thing? No, no it absolutely is not, mainly because of some very good design choices made by the developers.

First of all, our protagonist is really cool. He is a bounty hunter, chasing criminals in space while wearing a badass red cape and a futuristic helmet. Oh, also, he is a mutant of sorts, and so he has a third arm on his back. Can it be used to punch bad guys, you are wondering? Thankfully, punching bad guys is what this third arm is best at, and it’s a blast doing it. The battle system is really slick, based on really interesting animations and a moveset that feels and looks awesome. You can slice your enemies with your trusted swords, yes, swords, plural, because you see, you slice using three swords, one on each hand.

It’s fast, responsive, and the animations change depending on where you’re standing and where your enemy is. For example, if you dodge while standing on empty space, your bounty hunter just rolls on the ground. But, if you dodge in front of a bipedal enemy, you slide between their legs and gain the upper hand, surprising them from behind to break their defense and bypass shields or such measures. Later, you’ll find some pistols, a grappling hook and other gadgets that make fights even cooler and a lot more fun.

There are some more mechanics to discover that add depth to the 5 hour campaign, like the ability to scan enemies to find bounties and then mark them -after you kill them- to earn money, you can one-shot kill enemies by countering their attacks, you’ll fight some exciting bosses and try to save money to buy very useful upgrades, used for fighting and exploring. The systems are neat, well-designed and fun, and give you enough to be satisfied without wanting more -or less. The content is balanced and the skills are unlocked at the right times, with a good sense of pace, so that you are always discovering new things and ways to play. The enemy types could be more varied, but it’s hard to complain a lot when the fighting is so fun.

Also, of course, said gadgets are utilized outside enemy encounters too, in exploration segments that are mostly good, but are brought down by unresponsive jump controls, floaty movement and a camera that zooms in and out for no apparent reason, at times. You’ll take part in some very cool parkour chase scenes that are perfect in theory but end up a bit problematic because of the controls -still, very, very fun. The levels are decently designed, getting the job done without being very memorable. The art, however, is fantastic, giving life to alien planets and beings in watercolour strokes that look amazing and distinct. Additionally, the lighting is utilized efficiently to make the 2D backgrounds and models look like they have volume, like they exist and take up space, while the animation is very fluid. Extra help comes through the soundtrack that is fitting and easy on the ears, but forgettable in the end. All things considered, They Always Run manages to deliver on every front, albeit with some problems here and there -not anything unforgivable, but nonetheless most of its faults are noticeable.

The most surprising aspect of this game, though, is the story. To be frank, the first surprise is that it actually has a plot. Then, you’ll see that it’s not just fluff, not simply filler stuff, but one of the core parts of the experience. They Always Run is a story driven game after all, and its story, whilst just serviceable for the better part, does include some high points. In general, it is indeed a story of unexpected depth and it works well enough, giving you reasons to care about the space adventure and to see it to its end.

Seeing past all the problems that don’t let this game shine as bright as it could, it is easy to recommend They Always Run to genre fans. There’s a lot to love here. Some polish could make it one of this year’s most unexpected and great little gems, but, as it stands, it’s still a fun experience, packing a lot of punch and throwing some cool surprises along the way.

Review: Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View

Charles Ombler

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Nov 2, 2021

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Review: Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View

Last week I reviewed a mystery-solving detective game that I wasn’t the biggest fan of. Slow exposition and minimal gameplay turned a game that wanted to be Phoenix Wright into something that was more Phoenix Wrong (look, nobody’s happy with that joke, least of all me – let’s move past it). So when I opened my inbox to a code for Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View, another detective game thriller with a jaded private investigator at the helm, my guard was immediately up for another disappointment. However, it turns out that my caution was unnecessary as Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View is an absolutely delightful game that hooked me in from the very start.

In Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View, you play as Conway, a retired private investigator with a career of dubious success considering his gritty noir-style opening monologue mentions that most of his cases are unsolved. On the note of the narration, it is utterly charming, with the voice actor perfectly encapsulating a combination of a polite unassuming British gentleman who’s sorry to bother you with these questions and a fiercely intelligent investigator who will get to the bottom of your darkest secrets. Conway is investigating a disappearance at Dahlia View, no surprises there. Dahlia View is a sleepy corner of the city that, at first glance, is filled with unremarkable residents of upstanding character. However, the disappearance of a young girl, Charlotte May, shines a light on a series of intertwining mysteries embroiling the locals of Dahlia View. Conway will have to get to the bottom of these events to fulfil his promise to the vanished girl’s father and discover her fate. This is complicated by Conway’s daughter, a police officer on the case to whom Conway has promised (in a world where ‘promise’ means ‘to say you’ll do something and promptly not do it’) that he will “leave the police work up to [her]”.

There’s a lot of gameplay on offer right from the start of the game. Conway becomes aware that something is happening outside, so, in true detective/nosey old woman fashion, he takes his camera over to the window to investigate. You control the camera and take photos of anything of interest, mainly suspects and evidence. As you take the photos, Conway narrates what he can see along with the small details he’s already aware of from occupying the world, getting you, the player, up to speed. It’s honestly a masterclass on giving the player information – the narration is in succinct snippets which paint a picture without being distracting so you pick up the information organically without feeling like you’re having a whole pile of exposition dumped on you. These camera sections come up later in the game as well when things are occurring outside of Conway’s flat as a way of playing out people’s actions as developments in the case in a way the player can control and follow.

Once you’ve had enough of taking photos, it’s time to do some hands-on investigation. These sections feel a little bit like an escape room, so they are completely my jam. There are a lot of items dotted around the room that you can interact with. Notes with information can be photographed for later use but items, such as keys and tools, can be collected into your inventory to help you uncover the secrets of other interactable objects. Once you’ve interacted with everything – using screwdrivers to open vents to find codes to open locks to find keys to get into rooms to finally find a bloody hammer – you’ll have all the evidence you need to make some deductions and take a step along the path towards solving the case. I’ve done a fair amount of escape rooms in my time and, if I were playing through an investigation section of Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View in real life, I would be very content with that as an escape room experience (or, considering my success rate at escape rooms, I’d be very content with the first 75% of the experience).

Once you’ve gathered your evidence, you can take it to a suspect to interrogate them. In this section, I have no idea what’s going on and it’s one of the very few points of the game where I don’t think it gives you enough information. You ask a suspect a question and they give their testimony on what happened. As they’re doing so, questions will appear at the top of the screen as they occur to Conway of which you can ask one, and only one, after the testimony. This implies that one of the options is the correct question to ask but there is no indication whether you have chosen the correct question and the game simply carries on. I don’t know if this is a case where you can ask any question and it doesn’t matter, as I still left the encounter with, presumably, all the clues I needed but not being sure is a little infuriating

Finally, you can bring together everything you’ve learned on the evidence board. The board poses some questions and you have to link to all of the evidence you’ve collected that proves an answer to the question. This bit feels like a nice culmination to all of the work you’ve been doing in a section and makes you feel like a real detective, pouring through the evidence to discount the irrelevancies and pick out the individual segment of a larger piece of evidence that ties the case together. The story is divided into sections, each of which ends with an evidence board to tie up some of the loose ends and clarify what still needs to be investigated in the next section. These questions are always fascinating and the game has an expert way of wrapping you up in the mystery so you desperately want to find out what’s going on and what secrets the next part of the investigation will uncover.

The final thing I want to talk about that doesn’t fit nicely into another section but requires some attention is the fixed camera. When you’re moving around in the world you have absolutely no camera controls. The camera is fixed, and when you move into another area your view is moved to another fixed camera. This has pros and cons. Pro – the framing of every single shot is utterly gorgeous. Paired with a gorgeous stylised art style, the fixed framing makes every single frame of every single section look like a beauty shot that could be on a poster for the game. Con – the controls are an absolute nightmare. There are two control options. If you’re controlling relative to Conway, you need to invert left and right whenever he’s moving towards the camera which isn’t the nicest thing to get your head around. If you’re controlling relative to the camera, it just doesn’t quite work. Conway is in a wheelchair so forwards and backwards are fine but there is no strafing, all directional control is via rotation. This means you’re never quite sure if you’re asking for a rotation or a movement by pressing a direction button. As the camera is almost always at a diagonal to that movement, it feels almost random which one he’ll do.

However, despite some slight niggles around controls and dialogue, Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View is a simply excellent game that I would absolutely recommend you pick up at the first opportunity. With gorgeous graphics, an incredibly compelling story and frankly excellent puzzle-based investigation sections, Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View is not one to miss and the sheer quality of the game significantly outshines any of its less charming quirks. I’m not sure if I’ve ever played a game as close to perfection without quite reaching the bar as Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View.

Review: Reminiscence in the Night

Daniel Waite

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Nov 2, 2021

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Many games are using their platform to explore taboo subjects. These once unspeakable areas are becoming easier to talk about and therefore acceptable to form the backbone of many stories. Reminiscence in the Night is one such title that uses multiple challenging ideas at its core.

Developed by Team SolEtude and published by Ratalaika Games, this is an emotional visual novel. A short but complex tale awaits any player who wishes to take on this touching story. Focusing on “the butterfly effect,” every choice and interaction influences the plot. Moreover, you’ll experience multiple outcomes while unravelling the surrounding mystery.

Reminiscence in the Night is short but in-depth.

I’ve played an array of visual novels and Reminiscence in the Night is by far the shortest yet. However, this doesn’t mean it’s unworthy of your time. No, its multiple endings and many plot twists are captivating. Its unusual subject matter won’t be a comfortable experience for many, yet I loved how the story evolved.

Set in a tiny house, the protagonist awakens to find she has no memory of what has happened. Desperate to discover who she is and what has happened, she explores her tiny abode. Interacting with the objects around her and communicating with Sofia, her childhood friend, the protagonist, pieces together her past while living through painful memories.

Many choices in its minuscule plot.

Though I was left disappointed by the length of each story, the number of choices impressed me. With many objects to interact with, you influence the plot with the smallest of gestures. Will you caress your teddy bear, or will you play a tune on your guitar? Whichever you select will impact your dialogue choice with the few people in your life.

As the story evolves and your memory floods back to you, you will enter a dreamlike world hidden within your mirror. This bizarre look at your personality is twisted and dark and leads to some uneasy moments. Subsequently, the sombre and chilling imagery is reminiscent of a nightmare state.

The source of the protagonist’s sorrow is clarified beautifully when you converse with her mother over the phone. I will not ruin the plot for you, but her nightmarish visions are justified as her haunting past catches up with her.

The mirror allows you to reflect upon what you’ve seen.

Reminiscence in the Night uses sobering imagery.

Its many touching aspects require a well thought out approach and fortunately, the developers have done just that. Its sobering imagery reflects the challenging nature of the story and I enjoyed how the emotions were emphasised in each scene. With a mainly cool colour palette, the serene atmosphere matched the slow pace of the plot. However, when moments of drama or high tension were called for, vivid tones were implemented. Alongside this, shadowy characters and an oppressive style were incorporated to enhance the nightmarish twist.

The audio was perfectly balanced to support the touching art style. A blend of calm piano songs was punctuated by heavier tunes that put you on edge. With such a short story to experience, it would have been easy to incorporate a minimal approach. Fortunately, however, the developers matched the multiple endings with an array of different songs. Sadly, there is no acting, nor is there a selection of sound effects to enjoy. I would have liked the developers to have explored this avenue, as I believe it would have enhanced the gameplay further.

A nice point and click approach.

Strangely, the developers have incorporated a point and click approach to their gameplay. This freedom to select any interactive item on-screen was excellent. I loved searching each room for clues to this strange story and it was rewarding when you progressed the story. Like other visual novels, it’s easy to select between dialogue options and this helps to make sure the gameplay flows nicely. There are also the usual choices to skip text, speed up the game, and so forth. This was excellent, as it prevented the gameplay from becoming stale when revisiting scenes.

You may think that a short game has no longevity. However, in Reminiscence in the Night, this isn’t the case. Thanks to its multiple endings, there is plenty to draw you back in. You’ll experience an array of emotions as you discover secrets surrounding each character. I loved how the story evolved and the pace at which it was delivered.

Reminiscence in the Night will be too harrowing for some.

A dark and sombre plot isn’t going to appeal to everyone. In fact, I’d say that Reminiscence in the Night will be too harrowing for some. If you can cope with the uncomfortable subject matter, you’ll experience a quick but deep tale. I enjoyed its twists and turns and recommend you to buy it here! Uncover the mystery of your past to discover who you are.

Review: Growing Up

Brendan Freeman

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Nov 1, 2021

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Ever wanted to go back in time? Growing Up allows you to relive those early years and decide on a new course. Vile Monarch developed Growing Up. They have also created Weedcraft Inc and Oh…Sir! The Insult Simulator. It’s a life simulator where you make decisions on how to progress.

What is Growing Up?

You start as a baby. You choose your parents, gender and name. Or you can leave the parents and gender up to the game to decide. It then opens up with your baby learning new skills and progressing over the years. It takes you all the way up to your 18th birthday, when you leave school. You are then presented with an ending that depends on all the decisions you made in the game. Once the ending is over you start again with a new baby.

Growing Up the Game

After the player has made their character. The player is then shown how to increase your skills using Knowledge points. Then you schedule a time to devote to those skills to learn them. Each skill has a specified time it takes to learn. Once you learn the skill you’ll receive bonuses. In early game, there isn’t any real difficulty and it’s a great way to ease the player into the game flow.

As you progress, the game introduces more mechanics. That you need to take into account when planning your day. You have to balance mental health vs parents’ view of you. If either of these drops to zero it can have massive consequences. I’ve only done it once, but I avoided it as much as I could. If either drops below a certain level, it limits what you can do throughout the day. This is where the difficulty lies. Do you focus on getting a skill at the cost of your mental health? Or do you have fun and disappoint your parents.

The Many Mechanics

Once the player hits a milestone they are then given an exam. The exam consists of a Bejeweled-like puzzle. Instead of colour jewels, there are your attributes. Once you destroy some of a specific attribute, you can then select a skill on the right. This awards the player points which increases his or her rating. At the end of the exam, the player is awarded a grade. Higher than a grade B and the player gets bonuses. Anything less than a B results in disappointed parents.

Another mini-game is the brain map. This is where the player selects attributes to improve. Only a few attribute points are visible at first. But as the player selects nodes, it reveals more attributes. It’s an interesting take on the RPG element. Which gives the player limited control over their character’s attributes. I found it interesting and was one of my favorite mechanics in the game.

Is Growing Up Pretty?

If you have ever played Doki Doki Literature club the art style is very similar. But less Anime and more western style. The characters are rendered in 2D and so are the environments which are beautiful. I played it on PC, which looked brilliant. The creators decided on as few characters as possible so that each could get a unique and memorable look. The characters also change as you progress through the game. Some change their looks while they get older. And they are believable changes.

The music is suited to the game. Each area has different music which suits the atmosphere. Some of the songs do have vocals which is nice to hear in an indie title. The music is pretty relaxed and I would love to have it on in the background when doing other tasks. Since there are no time-limited tasks, it’s a great game to play while doing other tasks. Though it is easy to get lost in the game and the music.

Many Endings

Growing Up has so much replayability available for the player. After each play through the player is awarded an ending scene depending on the actions you take. With so many skills to learn your characters have many endings based on that. There are also many characters to interact with. If you progress their relationship the ending will change. There are plenty of achievements on Steam to work towards. This means the player can focus on a different aspect for each play-through.

Final Verdict

I enjoyed my time with Growing Up. There was a lot to learn and each gameplay mechanic added more as time progressed. On top of that, there was also the replayability aspect which is very high. It is also not the type of game I would play. But I do feel like I want to explore more of these story-driven games since they are relaxing. It’s a great package of a game and would urge anyone who wants a more laid-back version of The Sims to play it. You can even sneak in games while working, but you didn’t hear that from me.

Review: Yoto Player

Andrew Edney

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Nov 1, 2021

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With Christmas not that far away, we take a look at the Yoto Player.

Yoto Player is a carefully connected speaker – it has the smarts of a connected device, but all the content is safe, since the Yoto Card Store has been built for kids from the ground up.

With Yoto Player, cards are just one way to play. Yoto has a whole ecosystem of features, a lot which you can access for free!

The Yoto App helps get your Player online so it can play cards. Then use it to manage settings on the Player and see and play all your cards.

A second adult can pair to the same Player, to create a family group.

What’s in the Box?

The box contains the Yoto Player, a Welcome Card, instructions and a charging dock.

A Closer Look

Setting it Up

Setting up the Yoto Player was very easy – it’s all done via the app!

Once it’s all set up it’s ready to be used.

There are various settings that can be controlled from the app, including the cards and content.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned, setting up the Yoto Player was very quick and easy. Download the app to your smartphone, connect up the Yoto Player to power and then follow the steps in the app – simple!

Once you pick a card to listen to you just slide it into the player and it adds it to your collection – you can then use the app as well.

Yoto’s parental app allows you to hold a digital copy of all your physical content cards on your phone, so you’ll never be without your complete Yoto library. Audio can then either be played through a Yoto Player linked to the parental app, with no need to insert your physical content card, or directly from the phone itself.

The app also gives parents the power to manage settings and content behind the scenes. Parents can control daytime and night-time features separately, with the option to change the timings of these to suit your child’s routine. The Yoto Player has a clock face that will show a sun during the day, and a moon during the night, perfect for helping with sleep training!

There is also free daily content on Yoto Radio and Yoto Daily so kids can enjoy a world of safe, fresh and interactive fun, readily available at their fingertips.

The night light function of the Yoto Player can be customised via the app, with a range of colours to choose from, the light can be set to change colour, or turn from off to on between day and night.

The Yoto Player is a great addition to any child’s room – they get to listen to whatever stories and songs they choose and they get to see special images on the side of the player. Each story card is the size of a credit card and has a picture on so that your child can easily identify what story they want to listen to, then only need to slot the card in to start.

Controlling the volume and which chapter is very easy on the player, and can also be done on the app too.

With Christmas coming up this is definitely something to seriously look at as it’s not just a story box! There are so many cards available already with more being released all the time, and you can even record your own for that really personal touch.

The Yoto Player is available now priced around £79.99 and the Yoto Cards start from around £4.99.

You can learn more from the Yoto website.

Disclaimer: The Yoto Player was sent to us for the purposes of an honest review. All opinions are the opinions of our reviewer.