Adventure games have always had a special way of blending humor, mystery, and puzzles into experiences that feel both cozy and cerebral. In the 1990s, LucasArts classics like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle defined the genre, but in the decades since, only a handful of indie titles have captured that same charm. Lucy Dreaming, the debut full-length adventure from Tall Story Games, is one of those rare efforts. With its witty script, smart puzzles, and a quirky British sense of humor, it feels both like a nostalgic throwback and a refreshing modern take on point-and-click adventuring.

A Nightmarish Beginning

The story follows Lucy, a young girl in a small English town plagued by recurring nightmares. Her dreams are vivid, unsettling, and strangely tied to events in her waking life. Determined to get to the bottom of it, Lucy sets out on an investigation that bounces between reality and dreamscapes, blending the ordinary with the surreal.

The premise sounds heavy, but Lucy Dreaming is anything but dour. The writing walks a fine line between whimsical absurdity and subtle melancholy, managing to be laugh-out-loud funny one moment and unexpectedly poignant the next. Lucy herself is a standout protagonist: witty, sarcastic, and refreshingly self-aware without tipping into annoying cynicism. Her journey becomes as much about growing up and facing her fears as it is about solving puzzles.

Classic Gameplay With a Modern Touch

Lucy Dreaming sticks closely to the traditional point-and-click template. You’ll click through hand-drawn environments, collect oddball items, and figure out how to combine them in unexpected ways to progress. Anyone who played the old LucasArts adventures will feel immediately at home.

What keeps it from feeling stale, though, is the game’s puzzle design. The challenges are consistently clever, and most solutions feel logical once you arrive at them—even if they require some creative leaps. One early example has you tinkering with mundane household objects to build a dream-entering contraption, which feels both ridiculous and entirely sensible in the game’s offbeat world. Importantly, Lucy Dreaming avoids most of the “moon logic” that made older adventure games frustrating. And for players who do get stuck, there’s an optional in-game hint system that gently nudges you in the right direction without spoiling the fun.

The pacing is tight, too. New locations and dream sequences open up regularly, keeping the sense of discovery alive. By the end of its 8–12 hour runtime, the game has thrown enough surprises and twists at you to stay engaging without ever overstaying its welcome.

Presentation and Personality

If Lucy Dreaming excels in one area, it’s personality. Every environment bursts with detail, from Lucy’s cluttered childhood bedroom to the strange, shifting dreamscapes she explores. The art style blends crisp, colorful pixel art with a modern polish that makes it feel both retro and fresh. Characters are expressive, and animations carry a surprising amount of nuance for the pixelated format.

Voice acting is another highlight. Lucy’s performance in particular captures the dry wit of the script perfectly, but the supporting cast is equally strong, each character dripping with eccentricity. The game leans heavily into its British roots, with humor and references that might fly over the heads of some international players but lend an authentic charm for those in the know. The soundtrack complements the tone nicely, switching from whimsical tunes in the real world to eerie, dreamlike melodies when Lucy dozes off.

A Few Rough Edges

For all its polish, Lucy Dreaming isn’t without small frustrations. A handful of puzzles still veer toward the obscure, requiring trial-and-error or liberal use of the hint system. The linearity of the story also means there’s not much incentive to replay once you’ve solved its mysteries, aside from catching a few Easter eggs you may have missed the first time around.

That said, these are relatively minor issues. The overall experience remains consistently engaging, and the occasional stumble is far outweighed by the clever writing and satisfying problem-solving.

Verdict

Lucy Dreaming is a delightful throwback to the golden age of adventure games, but it’s far more than just a nostalgia trip. With witty dialogue, charming characters, and puzzles that strike a smart balance between challenge and accessibility, it manages to feel both familiar and fresh. Its blend of quirky British humor and heartfelt storytelling makes it stand out in a genre that too often leans on clichés.

Whether you’re a veteran of the point-and-click classics or someone looking for an accessible entry point into the genre, Lucy Dreaming is worth your time. It’s funny, clever, and occasionally touching—a dream worth getting lost in.

I’ve either played or seen others play a handful of business management simulator games—Supermarket Simulator, Waterpark Simulator, TCG Card Shop Simulator just to name a few. This genre can be a lot of fun and easy to lose track of time in, but admittedly, I find that enjoyment rather fleeting. The gameplay mechanics and concepts might differ from game to game, but most tend to feel like a recycled (pun intended) version of one another. I found writing this review to be difficult because most things I could mention are straightforward with not much to dive into.

However, Recycling Center Simulator does have some gems that I enjoy. It is a business management simulator taking place in, you guessed it, a recycling center. Developed by Balas Games and published by PlayWay S.A., it released back on October 2nd, 2024. As the owner of a new recycling center, you are responsible for making sure all operations run smoothly. To do this, you must collect and sort through recyclable materials, recycle those materials into other products, sell those products through contracts and of course, order your NPC workers to do the work for you. So, grab onto those pallet jacks as we discuss Recycling Center Simulator!

The Story & First Steps: A Dumpster Dive Into Gameplay

Typically, I start my reviews talking about the story or lore. However, like most simulator games, there’s really no story here. You are an owner of a recycling center and you must make money. Done. There are some questions I have that could involve a story, but I don’t think they will be getting answered.

Why are so many businesses in this town shutting down and seemingly abandoned? Why do some of the locations have storage crates with massive gold bars in them? What’s with the slight monopoly of who owns these shutting down businesses? Why is our recycling center outside and not in a building, as I would imagine most are? Why are we sleeping in a small shipping container above our office in our outside recycling center? How come there’s seemingly no non-recyclable materials that are just garbage? With the lack of dialogue or lore pieces, these questions will never get answered.

Story aside, the game drops you immediately into a tutorial. Your first steps will include building your first machine, negotiating your first scrap deal and going to the location to pick up the left behind scraps. Everything so far is pretty simple. The machines can be picked up and moved with ease. Negotiating a scrap deal lets you bargain for better deals (or for better sales in contracts which is later). I particularly enjoyed picking up the scrap, filling my trash bags and then making trick shots from a distance into the back of the truck.

Following this was the first of many, what I would call, minigames which is sorting the trash you just picked up. After starting the sorting machine, the items will flow down a conveyor belt. You must sort them into the correct bins. Each type of recyclable material is color coded, such as gray for metal or green for glass, but the bins will light up as you pick up the pieces. You can also perform a combo while sorting, which will give you bonus scrap.

After you are done sorting, you can then grab the sorted waste boxes below and feed them into the correct machines—which are also color coded. You can then start the actual recycling process which will give you products, such as pressed papers or sawdust. These will need to be placed in the storage area in order to be sold first, which might require a pallet and the pallet jack. This part was also fun, but I’ll talk more about this later.

After this, the tutorial walks you through some computer elements, such as the marketplace and contracts. These are the main two ways to earn profit in this game. The marketplace is for selling smaller quantities, good for a quick buck if needed. Contracts require more products, but will pay a lot more and build your reputation level if delivered on time. You can also buy new machines, equipment such as a lockpick or crowbar, expand your factory’s size, take out a bank loan and of course, hire workers to do the work for you. The tutorial shortly ends after hiring your first worker, informing you to go to sleep to refresh the contracts and scrap deals. You will then be on your own to build your recycling center as you best see fit!

The Gameplay: A Simulator with Minigames

Personally, I think the best aspect of Recycling Center Simulator are the minigames. Sorting the scraps into bins is mindless entertainment that has a slight “challenge” in getting combos or scraps building up on the belt. Lock-picking cash registers or doors at scrap sites is a nice addition to earn some extra money or scraps. Even maneuvering the pallet jack feels like a small minigame on its own because of the slight change in controls. None of these are super challenging or take up much time. However, it is the little things like this that make Recycling Center Simulator feel unique from other business management simulators. It’s the small additions like this that entertain me and bring me joy.

Unfortunately, beyond that, the gameplay is rather mundane. Gather scrap, recycle scrap, sell scrap, repeat, day after day. You set the goals yourself—either personally or through contracts. Sure, as you raise your reputation level, new gameplay elements are unlocked for you. However, none of the ones I’ve experienced ever felt all that game-changing. Unlocking better machines did allow me to create new products and make better profits, but the core elements were still the same. Expanding my factory allowed for a lot more machines, more conveyor belt placements and more storage, but it was really just more or less the same as before—only bigger.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the game lacks a real wow factor. Sure, being the owner of a recycling center probably isn’t the most exciting profession. However, I shouldn’t have the most fun in playing the short minigames and creating lives and backstories for my NPC workers. (The two workers in the picture below were identical twin brothers, Roch and Bradley Anderson, who had a quarrel over who could sort trash faster.)

I want to quickly mention that the controls in this game are pretty straight forward. None of the mechanics or processes felt overly complicated and made perfect sense. Simulator games rarely complicate things, and this one sticks to that formula.

The Graphics & Audio: Could be Better, Could be Worse

The graphics in this game are fine. From what I’ve seen, simulator games never have the best graphics but none of them are ever so bad its hard to look at. Though I can’t say I’ve ever seen recycling machines, they all looked pretty realistic to me. Workers look kind of dead and lifeless, but that’s part of the simulator charm. I really appreciated the color coordination for the different recyclable types as it made the game 10x easier. Same could be said for the way scrap would glow at a location, making picking it up a breeze. I also really enjoyed the detail of the recycling bins filling up under the sorting machine. It’s a really nice touch that gives this simulator a great touch of realism—even though no matter how full a box got, there never seemed to be any overfilling or spilling.

The sounds in the game all feel super realistic. The wheels on the pallet jack sounded like actual wheels. The different noises that played when you picked up different types of recyclable materials felt fitting. The machines were super loud, vibrated my headphones, and despite my headache, all sounded true to real life.

If anything, it is the background ambience that doesn’t work. There is no actual music. Instead, two generic noises, birds for morning, crickets for night, play on a very short loop. The game does allow you to lower the ambient sounds to get rid of them, but I’m still a tad bit disappointed it isn’t something better. The title screen plays a rather catchy song. Why can’t the actual game itself?

Overall, the graphics and audio are just okay. Though there are some great touches in both, they tend to once again, feel the same as any other simulator.

The Wishes: Potential to Recycle the Game

In this section, I’m just going to include a few paragraphs on my personal wishes that might improve the game. I wasn’t entirely sure where to put these in the above sections, so I will make them as individual paragraphs here. I won’t mention things I can not see happening at all, such as adding a whole story to the game, and will try to stick with things that could. Obviously, I’m not an expert by any means. These are just my own opinions.

To start with, I think at some point in the day, the workers should all go home. The clock stops at 21:00 (9:00 PM). Everything is dark, flashlight is out and yet all my workers are still standing around. Though I appreciate their staunch loyalty to me and my business, it does not feel realistic at all.

Though I enjoy the minigames, there isn’t any incentive to try and get better at them. You can let the sorting machine’s conveyor belt fill up with scrap with no detriment to the sorting process. It would be nice if there was a slight uptick in challenge. Scrap could fall to the ground, causing the player or worker to pause, pick it up and try again, wasting just a few extra minutes in the day. Failed lockpicking could break the lock. The crates could sometimes be empty.

I think there could also be an uptick in other aspects to increase the realism. The endless supply of pallets could instead require you to order more after using so many, with the potential of reusing them as they tend to disappear after completing a contract. The recycling boxes could also follow this same concept, as they just appear after the sorting process is finished. Maybe simply adding some just plain un-recyclable garbage would ring more true to reality. Adding smaller mechanics like this would add to the realism, something that simulator games tend to strive for.

Finally, and probably most importantly, why is there no multiplayer? This is coming from me—someone who always prefers playing single player. The best moments in simulator games tend to be ones shared when you’re goofing around with your friends. Being the owner of this recycling center is a lonely experience, surrounded by the lifeless NPC workers. Perhaps all our business needs is a friend to panic as they sort through the endless supply of scrap we feed into the machine or be the target for our full trash bag trick shots.

The Conclusion: Simulators, A Dime a Dozen

I’m not really sure what Balas Games has in store for Recycling Center Simulator, if anything. The last major update was in March of 2025, with no roadmap of future updates in sight. I suppose it is very possible that they have moved on to new projects and will not be returning with updates anytime soon. If this is the end, then Recycling Center Simulator is just that—a business management simulator that’s like any of the others. Despite the few positive elements, I never felt that wow factor, something that made me think “hey…this one is better.” Maybe I’m just biased. Simulator games were never my cup of tea.

However, I don’t want this review to seem like a critique on the simulator game genre as a whole. They can be a lot of fun with the right elements and the right people to play with! If you’re an avid fan of simulators, then this game certainly keeps up with the rest of them! If you’re like me though, the entertainment is fleeting and might only last a weekend at best. Even if you do manage to reach a point where everything is automated by workers, with upgraded machines churning out profits and robots flying all over the place, I might still wonder if the time spent was really worth it in the end.

Thank you for reading and please remember to recycle!

The Prince of Persia takes another venture into the world of 2D action games. Compared to last year’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which was a Metroidvania, The Rogue Prince of Persia is an action roguelite developed by Evil Empire. This team previously worked on another 2D action roguelite, Dead Cells. They aren’t the main developers, but they took the reins after Dead Cells launched to work on updates and DLC expansions. From this background, Evil Empire seemed to be a perfect fit for a movement-based 2D action roguelite.

Moving Through the Sands

Similar to Dead Cells and other roguelites, your progression is mainly based on how far you get and what you find in a run. Repeat deaths are very likely when starting out in a roguelite. With every death, you come back stronger along with more resources to help yourself for future runs. This perfectly applies to The Rogue Prince of Persia. These can range from weapon unlocks or experience points you can spend to upgrade the Prince’s abilities. Although you are not exactly making your character and attacks stronger, you are acquiring different options for combat and sustainability. Along with that, you’ll also encounter medallions in which they provide passive buffs to the Prince. I found them to be somewhat lackluster unless they were a Legendary tier medallion.

The combat is incredibly easy to understand and get into. The real meat of this game comes from its advanced movement mechanics. From wall running to vaulting over enemies, this game is heavily designed around the Prince’s movement. Once you get used to both combat and movement, you’ll end up reaching the end of stages pretty quickly. Movement is also important for boss fights as the arenas where you fight them change significantly. Adapt to those changes, and you’ll have a much better time fighting these bosses. 

Story In Gameplay

With comparisons to other roguelite, I would attribute a lot from the Hades games. Similarly, every time the protagonist dies, they are resurrected back to the main hub area. In these hub areas, there are multiple characters who you can talk to. Normally, they’ll have something different to say to the protagonist after every death/completed run. The Rogue Prince of Persia follows this similarly to the Hades games, but not to the same impact. After some point, the characters end up repeating dialogue in a short span of deaths/runs. Even the characters who you find or the interactable event locations in stages don’t have a lot to say. Although I haven’t seen every bit of dialogue from every character, the few runs that I have completed didn’t really change much, aside from the few characters in the Prince’s camp.

Along with engaging in this game’s world and story, there’s the Mind Map. The Mind Map is a great resource for those who want to know more about the world and characters, but it also somewhat serves as a quest list. Throughout runs, you’ll encounter scenarios with characters that may involve returning to them in a future run. In some cases, you’ll have to bring a specific item that’ll take up your tool slot. It leaves you with less combat options, but in a way, you are progressing more through the game by completing these quests. These help unlock new companions for the main hub area or unlock stages for future runs.

Closing Thoughts

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a solid 2D action roguelite. It excels in its movement mechanics making for great platforming sections combined with satisfying combat. Much of what I have said that I didn’t feel too strongly about the game were smaller aspects such as the medallions and the limited dialogue variety. Regardless of these small gripes, I would say this a great roguelite to pick up and sink some time into. The Rogue Prince of Persia is currently retailing at $29.99 USD and it is available on Steam, Ubisoft Connect, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and a future release this year on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.