Movies Games and Tech

Review: My Little Universe

Daniel Waite

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Apr 4, 2025

My Little Universe is a fun and simple resource-gathering adventure experience. However, it is also a grind-fest, and if you hate that sort of thing, you will want to give it a miss. With 9 mythical worlds to explore and over 65 dungeons to test you, there is plenty to see and do. Yet, the repetitive gameplay may put some people off.

This cute and fun adventure title was developed by Estoty and published by SayGames. It is a single and multiplayer experience that blends mythical ideas with outlandish sci-fi elements. This combination shouldn’t work, but it does. You don’t have to worry about what tools you use or smashing the action button on the controller. Thankfully, there is automation to take the heavy load. However, you can select your weapons and manually activate them if you so wish.

My Little Universe focuses on exploration.

My Little Universe doesn’t rely on a story to keep you hooked. Instead, it is the desire to rebuild each of the 9 worlds that makes you come back for more. As you waltz over each tile, you can smash rocks, cut down trees, and mine for valuable resources. This is essential if you wish to rebuild the world and move on to the next planet.

As you expand each level, you unlock vendors and areas to improve your axe, pick, and sword. Moreover, there are pieces of armour to increase your chances of survival. Each of these pieces of equipment must be improved with a host of unique resources. Accordingly, you must mine, cut, and smash each node like a man or woman possessed. This resource-heavy approach generates a whole world of grind. Consequently, I suggest grabbing some friends to share the workload.

A giant octopus attacks the hero in My Little Universe.

Exploration and fighting.

Expanding the world is the aim of the game. Yet, it is the never-ending fighting and the bosses of My Little Universe that test you. Skeletons, sharks, ghouls, ghosts, and more threaten to kill you at every turn. If you die, and you will, you needn’t worry. You respawn and lose one of your 10 bonus cards.

The bonus cards give you permanent buffs as long as you have them in your pocket. The moment you die, the game picks a random one, and you lose that perk. Subsequently, you’ll need to dodge, weave, and understand your enemies’ weaknesses if you wish to live.

As you annihilate each boss, you will discover stars, keys, and orbs for each portal. These items are essential if you wish to unlock every costume and escape each planet. Though most of these elements are easy to find, some tricky bits will make you pull your hair out. As such, you will need to keep your eyes peeled if you wish to complete every stage.

My Little Universe is a vivid affair.

A tile-based game shouldn’t look this good. Each world has a unique style that is vibrant and great to look at. Whether it is molten lava, desert, or an underwater cave, it is interesting and varied. Additionally, each of the monster were well-designed, and I liked the simple but effective animation.

The audio takes a relaxed approach. The chilled vibes don’t always match the danger that you face, but this wasn’t a problem. I loved the upbeat but mellow songs and the occasionally loud sound effects.

Excellent controls.

My Little Universe is ridiculously easy to play. I used the automated approach as I love to be lazy, but if you choose to manually use your weapons or execute your special boost power, you will not have an issue. This simple design is ideal for lazy gamers or those who wish to have a straightforward time.

This excels when you play it with at least 1 friend. The grindy action doesn’t feel so bad, and you can blame them when things go wrong. Additionally, the difficulty isn’t ramped up, so it is a win-win. If you want to complete it, you will need to invest plenty of hours to find every star and unlock every tile. Therefore, there is plenty of replay value if you enjoy mindless gameplay.

My Little Universe is a wonderful, relaxing indie game.

Though My Little Universe is repetitive, I liked its relaxing ways. You can waste hours collecting resources or trying to 100% a level. Furthermore, it is great when you tackle it with friends. The simplicity makes this a perfect title if you have young gamers who don’t want to stress about missions or controls. Accordingly, it is a wonderful indie game, and I recommend buying it here! Will you rebuild every planet? Grab your tools, collect some resources, and expand every tile.

How To Set Up An Online Sportsbook

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Andrew Edney

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Apr 3, 2025

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Pexels – CC0 License

For many people, setting up an online sportsbook is the ultimate business goal. Creating something that will generate cash from players worldwide will provide a source of online income and could even blow up and become something enormous and well-recognized.

That’s where this post can help. It runs through some of the steps you need to take to set up your online sportsbook and get it off the ground so you can start making some real money.

Here’s what you need to know:

Research The Legal Requirements

The first step is to look through the legal requirements. Even though the business is online, you’ll still need to register it somewhere, otherwise, players may not trust it, and it could be illegal.

Interestingly, though, online sportsbooks are usually only set up in a limited number of places, including the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Malta, or Curacao. These offer regulatory frameworks that you can tap into immediately, but they also tend to be less onerous than those in other countries, which is why these locations are so popular in the online betting entrepreneur community.

How much it costs to get a license depends on where you apply. You’re usually looking at figures ranging anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. Once you sign up, you’ll need to follow the laws and regulations in the country you’re registered in, including checking the age of people using your services.

Develop A Business Plan

Once you’ve dealt with the legal issues, you’ll need to develop a business plan. Plenty of companies are already showing you what you need to do, but you should still try to cook up new ideas or consider how much liquidity you need to start your operation. Consider how much you will pay out in jackpots and whether you can afford large sign-up bonuses and payouts.

Clearly, you’ll need to keep your betting odds competitive (or players will use other platforms). But you should also consider costs, like:

Licensing
Marketing
Software

Usually, you’ll need to pay a royalty to developers if you plan to use third parties for your sportsbook. You may also need to use a digital marketing agency for managing gambling SEO as it could be challenging to get Google to recognize your site as legitimate.

Usually, you’ll earn money through commission on bets. Here, you take a cut, sometimes called a “vig,” which is usually 5% to 10% of the total.

Choose Your Software

Don’t underestimate the value of choosing appropriate software for your sports book. Getting this step right is critical if you want to attract players while providing them with systems they already know how to use.

The good news is that there are plenty of pre-built sportsbook solutions out there, so you don’t have to build them from scratch. You simply host them on your site and earn a commission whenever a player places a bet. The designers put solutions in place to prevent you from losing money, ensuring that the commission is fair and what players expect.

You could custom-build a platform, but that’s expensive. You’ll need to prepare for a massive investment if you want to offer unique features or add to the platform over time.

Set Up Odds

Setting up odds and risk management is critical for sportsbooks. You want to ensure there aren’t any hacks users can use to deprive you of your funds.

Again, you can use an odds provider. These companies have expert knowledge of probabilities and use huge quantities of data to arrive at their conclusions.

In-house or outsourced options are also available. These may be able to provide more bespoke betting odds that reduce the risk of heavy losses and help you hedge your bets in some cases.

Establish Payment Systems

Establishing payment systems is the next step. You’ll want to integrate these with your site to avoid manual work.

These days, getting payments to and from your bank account is usually quite easy–numerous services like NETeller or even PayPal are available for these purposes. However, providing users with running cash totals and automating payouts is more complex and requires more development time.

Build An App

Finally, you’ll need to build a mobile-first app for your store, something that a lot of casino entrepreneurs do. This provides links to all games and betting options.

The most challenging aspect of this process is to integrate the app with the betting odds and payment systems. It can take time, but there are now numerous expert companies that provide this type of service.

Review: The Backrooms 1998

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Cody May

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Apr 3, 2025

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The Backrooms 1998 takes the old internet horror idea and twists it to create a short and scary indie game. In The Backrooms 1998, fear lurks around every corner…

Trapped in the Backrooms.

The Backrooms 1998 is told in a found-footage horror movie style. This means the entire game you are looking through the lens of an old vintage 1990s video recorder.

You begin as a teenage boy, skating with your friends videotaping the day, all seemingly going good. That is until a fall lands you trapped in a maze of those ominous yellow walls the internet has become so frightened by.

One Character in Search of an Exit

The gameplay in The Backrooms 1998 is fairly simple. Navigate the maze-like interiors, search for items and clues, and ultimately escape.

This isn’t an easy task however as all manner of horror will present itself. Including a deep and personal monster relating to the main characters past.

Make no mistake, The Backrooms 1998 will scare you. You will get jump scared, and if you already have a fear of the backrooms, this game will send chills down your spine.

It is a rather short game so you won’t be trapped in the back rooms for too long, however a minute inside those walls feels like a lifetime. Each room looking the same as the last, and horrors lurking near your every move.

Conclusion

The Backrooms 1998 is a rather short game so I recommend this game for those who like jump-scares and short spooky games. Also if you’re a backrooms enthusiast you should really enjoy it.

It’s not perfect, it’s very short, and outside of scares there’s not much else to offer here. Perfect for a play-through around Halloween, but overall it leaves a little to be desired.

Review: HE68 wired keyboard

Daniel Waite

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Apr 3, 2025

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The HE68 wired keyboard from Epomaker could be overlooked. This wired-only device is compact, colourful, and impressively well-built. Moreover, the switches are responsive, and I adored the white and purple livery.

This small form factor keyboard has only 67 keys. The 65% form factor is perfect for compact workstations. Additionally, if you can do without a numpad and other inputs, you’ll love the streamlined approach and the glorious south-facing RGB.

What’s in the box of the HE68 wired keyboard?

The packaging is small but vibrant. Furthermore, the contents are well protected and it can be recycled.
The HE68 wired keyboard comes in 2 colourways. I selected the white and purple. However, a dark livery is available as well. There is an unusual ribbon design to the left, and there are 3 height positions for ultimate comfort.
The long USB-C cable can be detached. This keeps your workstation tidy when the keyboard is not in use.
Pull the keycaps with the tool.
Spare switches are provided.
Learn the fundamentals with the user manual.

Technical aspects.

Many gamers yearn for wireless connectivity. However, the HE68 wired keyboard has bucked this trend. The wired-only approach delivers a generous 8k polling rate. This lightning-fast speed ensures that you will not struggle against the best global players.

On top of this, the Hall Effect switches have adjustable actuation distance. This is a phenomenal edge that gives the user ultimate control. Users can adjust the dead zone to match their chosen genre. Furthermore, this improves control and accuracy for typing and gaming. Unlike other keyboards, this delivers a blistering 0.125 ms latency. Accordingly, you’ll be ahead of your competitors and winning every game.

Finally, we’ve all made typing errors. However, when this is the difference between virtual life and death, mistakes are costly. Thankfully, the HE68 wired keyboard supports SOCD. This handy feature understands incorrect inputs and cancels out the unwelcome command. The result is fewer mistakes and more fun gaming.

Build quality.

I’m a lover of heavy and premium keyboards. Yet, I admired the lighter and more agile feel of this device. The plastic case is durable, and I like the contrasting white and purple keys. The smaller form factor won’t be for everyone, but I like its compact style and usability.

This analogue keyboard has a distinct tactile nature, and the keys are much quieter than a mechanical counterpart. This was great for typing but may feel alien to many modern gamers. Another odd choice was the ribbon loop. I’m unsure if this was for carrying the device or decoration. Either way, it is strange but equally inoffensive.

Is the HE68 wired keyboard worth it?

The HE68 wired keyboard is an affordable and impressive tool. The Hall Effect switches are often found on more expensive devices. Furthermore, the inclusion of SOCD was impressive. Though it isn’t wireless, I like the high polling rate and the ultra-responsive switches. Moreover, the build quality was good, and I like the 2 colourways. Accordingly, it is a great peripheral, and I recommend buying it here!

_{(More information can be found on Epomaker here!)}

The HE68 wired keyboard has been awarded the Movies Games and Tech Gold Award.

_{(Full disclosure! A sample was provided for an unbiased and free review!)}

Review: Memory Adventure in the Jungle

Saim Khurshid

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Apr 3, 2025

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Developed and published by Les Jeux de Milen, Memory Adventure in the Jungle is a card-matching memory game designed for Children.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 just around the corner and many parents preparing to spend big on their children, you wonder why anyone would make a lower-grade flash game and throw it onto Steam.

Memory Adventure in the Jungle functions, and if you’re bored and every game in your Steam library has stopped working, it can give a few minutes of stimulating experience. Just make sure you have some LSD on hand.

Memory Test

Not much I can say, it is a memory game. You know the one. You have a table covered with cards, pairs of two shuffled around. Find the matches and remove them from the table till you are left with nothing, and you win.

As you progress through this slow and steady adventure, Memory Adventure in the Jungle gets harder. And by harder, I mean each round gets longer. The only thing getting tested is your patience.

But I digress, I am not the target audience for such a game. Memory Adventure in the Jungle is for children. So would children play it?

As a man with many nieces and nephews(And I mean, a lot!), I can safely say that none are so bored out of their minds to give even a second of their lives to such a mundane and tedious experience.

I’ll be honest, that is all I have to say about Memory Adventure in the Jungle. Wasn’t a lot to review.

Well, I have a word count to reach, so let’s just share some thoughts on the whole concept of children’s games as a whole.

The Reality of Children’s Games

Back in the mid-1900s, the concept of gaming started to spread. It did not take long for Arcades to become a common hangout spot. In this age and the following console age, the main target demographic was children. Around 70-80 years later, children being the main target is still very much true.

While many titles, both in Indie and Triple A, are heavily geared towards the older demographic with their 16+ and 18+, the majority of the market still relies on kids and more so, their parents’ money.

With Nintendo Switch 2 on its way and the recent successes of Astro Bot, the bar is high.

We can say that the market for children’s attention is very crowded, and so, mediocrity shall not be accepted.

My point?

Well, it is simple…

When Mario, Spyro, Astro, Crash, Ray, Sonic, Link, Kirby, Donkey, Diddy, Spider-Man, and many more exist, why on earth would you release a bargain bin, Match the Card Memory game?

A Boring Memory Adventure in the Jungle

So, to summarise my thoughts:

It’s a stale, uninspired card-matching game that feels like it was thrown together as an afterthought.

In a market where children have access to some of the most imaginative, fun, and polished games ever made, this game is a hard pass. The jungle theme feels tacked on, the gameplay is repetitive to the point of frustration, and there’s just nothing here that stands out as remotely exciting.

Sure, it works, but that’s about the highest praise I can give it. With games like Mario, Spyro, and Astro Bot out there, why on earth would anyone choose to play this?

This game doesn’t just fail to compete; it doesn’t even try. It’s an uninspired cash grab at best, offering nothing of value for either kids or parents.

Memory Adventure in the Jungle is about as exciting as watching paint dry. It deserves to be left in the past where it belongs.

Review: Reignbreaker

Josh Blackburn

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Apr 3, 2025

0

Come on now, Reignbreaker. Medievalpunk?! It was only last week that I was getting confused by -punk phrases, now we’re going back in time. I suppose it makes sense. We are, quite literally, fighting authority. Still, I have to wonder where it ends. Will we eventually reach Neanderthalpunk? Perhaps one day, we’ll play as a caveman, with a mohawk, hunting down a giant mechanical mammoth with a brightly painted bone club. Actually, that sounds pretty sweet. So carry on, I guess.

Anyway, strange fantasies aside, I found myself warming to Reignbreaker almost from the get-go. Games can make a variety of good first impressions. Some do it through gorgeous visuals, others through a story hook. Reignbreaker did it through gameplay. It just feels great. There’s nothing spectacularly revolutionary, but the movement, controls and general feel is tighter than a queen’s corset. The progression, however, is decidedly strange.

Short Live The Queen

The title, Reignbreaker, suggests what the plot might be about. There’s something reigning over the land, and it’s our job to shove its crown where the sun don’t shine. Specifically, we’re after the Queen of Keys, a mysterious figure broadcasting a strange signal that brings people under her influence. When that doesn’t work, there’s always cash. She’s also obsessed with keys, to the point of designing robots around them. Our hero, Clef, breaks free of this signal and proceeds to hunt down the queen. A nice little touch is that the game labels her the ‘antagonist’, ’cause that’s what she is to the brainwashed.

Reignbreaker‘s reign breaking takes the form of an isometric action-RPG roguelike. The standard trappings apply. We can punch, dodge and launch a long-ranged attack. Reignbreaker works hard to make each of these fun. Punching and dodging feel almost thought-controlled. Taking damage is almost always our fault. Then there’s the long-ranged attack, courtesy of a motorised javelin. There are a variety of different javelins, with different effects, keeping things interesting. I grew fond of one that stuck sticky bombs to enemies, so that I’d always be inflicting damage.

The core combat is modified by trinkets that we nick from vaults belonging to brainwashed figures. To unlock them, you need to fight in little gauntlets called ‘lockdowns’. These trinkets can drastically change things. For example, there’s one that allows you to pull in enemies with a slam move, so you can then blast them apart. There are four different types of vault, with different focuses, and they’re randomised run-by-run. That usually results in you needing to think on your feet, as you cobble together what upgrades you can get. It adds enough spice to help individual runs stand out.

Anti-Monarchy

Speaking of Reignbreaker‘s vaults, interacting with each one starts a chat with the owner. Each owner feels quite different. The queen’s surgeon, for instance, is desperate for her attention, even as he gets none. The writing is okay in the broad strokes, but it does descend into smug quipping a bit too often for my taste. Still, the visual design on the characters is great, and the reveal of the true nature of the queen is well done. Enemy design is solid too. I’m not usually too hot on robots as enemies, but there are constant new designs that unfold as you play.

The general look and feel of Reignbreaker is great. In true ‘-punk’ fashion, bright colours are splashed everywhere. Clef herself is one of the main sources of colour, which ties neatly into the themes of anti-authoritarianism. Soundtrack’s a hit too, with the music being appropriately fast paced to keep you in the mood for destruction. I do think the level design is a touch drab, though. It doesn’t really change as you progress, making everything feel very similar, which isn’t great for roguelikes.

Then there’s that progression. Reignbreaker does something very strange. Whenever you beat a boss for the first time, the run just ends. You need to start again from scratch and beat them – or their fellows – again. I’m honestly not sure why. It kills that ‘this run could go right to the end’ feel that’s integral to roguelikes. Whenever a really promising run got cut off, I felt cheated. Especially as not much changes between bosses. New enemy types creep in, true, but we’re still fighting in the same arenas. It feels strangely artificial. Like Reignbreaker doesn’t want me reading ahead, so it just snaps the book closed.

Reignbreaker – Stylish, Rebellious Fun

Still, it didn’t stop me coming back. For example, I usually aim to stop playing review games at about eight, so I can relax before bed. Well, eight came and went when playing Reignbreaker. I always needed to clear one more room. It’s due to the combat, I reckon. Chaining together a storm of attacks and dodges feels great. The boss fights make the most of it too. It’s just good, old-fashioned fun, helped along by a plethora of neat touches, like the solid music.

It’s not a particularly long game, mind. I beat it in about six and a half hours, which is pretty slim for a roguelike. It was about the right length, though. Any longer and I feel the progression gating and identical looking rooms would have begun to grate. As it is, Reignbreaker is a stylish and very enjoyable way of putting your boot up the backside of royalty.

(Reignbreaker‘s Steam Page)

Review: Potionomics

Daniel Waite

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Apr 2, 2025

0

Potionomics is a hectic game about balancing your time, flirting with the locals, and successfully running a shop. This may sound overbearing, but strangely, it isn’t. Everything runs smoothly and organising your life is much easier than you’d imagine. However, this doesn’t mean that it’ll all be plain sailing, as there are plenty of hurdles to overcome and weirdness in this fantasy game.

This magical shop simulator was developed by Voracious Games and published by XSEED Games. Moreover, it is a beautiful single-player game that has some incredible animations. If you love wacky characters and plenty of twists and turns, this is the game for you. Think of Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, and your favourite puzzle and dating sim games and mix them all. The likely result would be Potionomics!

Potionomics is a game about a tainted start.

The passing of a loved one is a tough time. Yet, if you chuck in the odd curse and mountains of debt, things take a miserable turn for the worse. This is exactly what happens in Potionomics. The hero has inherited a shop from her potion-loving uncle. However, he has no heir and hands the reins to you. This sounds like a bargain, but his shop is laden with debt. Moreover, a witch holds all of the cards, and you must appease her or feel her wrath.

The story is a little absurd, and the financial pressure is somewhat unfair, but you quickly forget about these issues. Instead, you focus on the zany characters you meet and the potion-brewing competitions that unfold. Each of these events moves you closer to financial freedom and the accolades that come with it. As such, you must spin many plates as you search for new ingredients and master new potions.

A simple concept.

There is plenty going on and loads to keep you busy. However, Potionomics has a simple core concept. Each day is broken down into chunks of time. Every activity takes a small chunk of your day, and you must choose your tasks wisely. Do you spend time brewing potions or haggling with your customers? Alternatively, do you shmooze with the NPCs and improve your relationships? Either way, you mustn’t forget the end goal of winning the competition.

The shop element revolves around potions of different qualities and contents and a deck-building battle. You must way up your customer’s patience, defence, and desire to buy your product. As you interact with each NPC, you discover new cards to help you on your way. With limited AP to use, you must decide the best approach and cash out before it is too late.

Explore the world.

Though the shop element is key, there are plenty of ways to skin a cat. As such, you can get cosy with the heroes’ guild and be rewarded with plenty of rare and expensive resources. On the other hand, you can keep things simple and buy basic ingredients to keep your shop stocked up. Either way, you must balance your money and your goods if you wish to succeed.

Keeping each NPC happy was an enjoyable albeit challenging task. It was tricky to spend time with your favourite people, and time disappeared far too quickly. Consequently, you must decide whom you wish to impress and stick with a solid game plan.

Potionomics looks amazing.

Visually, “sim” games are somewhat lacking. Though Potionomics isn’t a simulation experience per se, the shop-keeping element is the core concept. Accordingly, I was blown away by the striking colours, exceptional character models, and impressive 3D animation. Additionally, the world is fun, unique, and interesting to explore.

The audio has a sense of mischief and naughtiness. This fantasy edge was great to listen to. What’s more, I loved the nonsense of the bartering system and the silly accompanying sound bites.