Mailanka's reviews on GOG.com

Created on 28 September, 2026 20:19

Updated on 28 September, 2026 20:20

This game is peak

This is a wonderful, multi-player gem that's an absolute blast to play. I play it with my kids, but it would also be a great game to play with your friends (and some pizza and a couple of beers). While generally fun as a multiplayer lark, it's also genuinely challenging as you get to the higher levels. It's really got something for everyone. I absolutely recommend. It's 100% as fun as it looks.

Created on 14 June, 2026 20:20

Solid, if repetitive, SF Adventure

Wavering between a 4 and a 5 on this one. This is a rogue-like adventure where you command squadrons of fighters in combat, or make resource management adventuring choices. Inevitably, someone will compare it to FTL, but I would argue that aside from "Go to system, ahead of enemies, and make some choices" the gameplay loop is quite different. It's pretty punishingly difficult... until you figure it out, and then it's actually pretty forgiving. Then the fact that you have to effectively beat the game from scratch 5 times in a row starts to wear out its welcome a bit. At that point, what keeps you engaged is the story and the story is solid enough! I've played about 15 to 20 hours, and I find it's outstaying is welcome, but I'm still playing it, so that tells you something about the value of the game. Full price on a pure dollar/hour rating is a bit close, but I don't feel like I overpaid, but when it's on sale, it's a no-brainer if you're interested in the genre. I can think of SF games of this type that are better, but it's pretty high up there. If you're even here looking at the reivews, thinking about it, the answer is "Yes," you'll enjoy it.

Created on 11 June, 2026 11:15

The DLC to Not Play A Wizard

So the point of this DLC is to play as a wizard, right? LOL no. It's to invest heavily in everything else, because the endless ENDLESS quest to become a wizard requires total mastery of all other parts of the game. I bought the game and the DLC to play a wizard. To play a wizard, you have to be at least level 5 and complete a series of quests, which involve endless grinding for components because the game doesn't function properly, and even when all of that is said and done and I'm still level 15+, 10 levels higher than I expected, I'm still not good enough for the game. You need to invest heavily in all the non-wizard skills to have a chance to become a wizard, and that's not what I signed up for. Is the Wizard class any good? I have no idea. I've dumped 6.5 hours just trying to get the game to let me be a wizard and it still won't let me. I'd probably be happier playing anything else, which means this DLC was a total waste of my money. I'm done. It's not that I lack patience, but you shouldn't need this level of patience to even GET STARTED with your class. Nonsense. I'm out.

6 gamers found this review helpful

Created on 08 March, 2026 18:12

Broken

This basically a text-based adventure: you read some text, and you get items, and use them on things. Classic. I have two problems with it. First, it has very obscure mysteries so you end up going to the guide a lot, and the obscurity is not "Oh I'm dumb" but often "But why would you do that?" The second problem is I've run into game breaking bugs several times. This first time, I just restarted because it was pretty early in the game, but this latest one, after the Saturn door, means I'd have to replay the entire game to fix it, with no guarantee it would fix it. I'll revisit this review if the fix it, but it's an alright game, but the bugs means I cannot recommend it. Without the bugs, maybe 3 or 4 stars?

9 gamers found this review helpful

Created on 14 February, 2026 21:12

Can't get it to run

It looks beautiful, and what I can play seems nice, but it has a game-breaking bug as soon as you get out of the tutorial. I've found workarounds only to run into further bugs. It turns out these are known issues and some people just can't get past them. Wasted my money, I'm afraid.

Created on 21 January, 2026 10:26

A Hidden Gem

A tight, fun puzzle game that doesn't overstay its welcome. It ran smoothly for me, and only rarely became frustrating (some interactables aren't obvious). The only real downsides I can think of is its story is hardly earthshaking and I don't think you'll be left with a deep desire to play this game over and over again, but it isn't priced like a forever game, so it's definitely a worthy addition to your library.

1 gamers found this review helpful

Created on 25 July, 2025 20:43

Updated on 25 July, 2025 20:48

The Classic Approachable Conlang Gaming

Conlang games are pretty niche, and it's hard to explain to people why one might want to play such a game. Puzzling through a strange language, piecing together not just the vocabulary, but also the grammar, is unexpectedly satisfying! But most such games are either obscure or difficult to get into. Chants of Sennaar is very approachable, easy to play, and set in a evocative world with subtle, "show don't tell" world building. It's an absolute must have for anyone who likes the idea of conlangs or who loves puzzle games, but it's also great for people interested in exploring this genre. Absolutely worth a try, even at full price.

38 gamers found this review helpful

Created on 24 June, 2025 09:12

Updated on 18 September, 2025 12:50

(Nonfunctional) Cottage Cozy for Adults

I bought this game for my kids and it is definitely not for kids. It is not for kids. It is full of complex text like "apprentice alchemist" and "effervescent" and complex "Where's the guide?" mechanics which is fine for a young adult, but they're too busy proving they're cool and edgy to play a game this twee, and little kids are left confused. This sort of game seems mostly aimed at grownups who want to revisit a simpler charm, and for that, it seems fine. It's cute, it's easy enough to control, and the circumstances are non-confrontational, and there's even a third gender or the option for facial hair on ladies, for the sort of adults that feel more comfortable with a game like that. Setting aside that this game wasn't suited for my children, it also wasn't suited for my computer. It burns up the graphics card to the point where the computer shuts off, even though this computer has no trouble handling the typical AAA game. So optimization is sufficiently bad that what should play on a potato makes a high end computer struggle. So I'm not really sure who the target audience for this game is? Millennials who like gardening but also have $5000 computers? I'd ask for a refund, but I got it on such a deep discount that it feels like more hassle than its worth. My kids are better off with Minecraft.

8 gamers found this review helpful

Created on 07 June, 2025 21:01

Updated on 07 June, 2025 21:56

Created on 28 April, 2025 15:27

Updated on 28 April, 2025 15:30

Cute, Flirtatious Metroidvania

If I could give this 3.5 stars, I would. As Metroidvania's go, this is... fine. It's more level-like than it really should be, and the exploration options are pretty limited, but it isn't tediously bad either. It's certainly no Hollow Knight, but I've definitely played worse. But you're probably here because it's Shantae, and I am too! I've been interested in trying to franchise out, and most of them didn't land with me, but this one has held my interest. It feels like a good introduction to Shantae, and I enjoy it, especially collecting monster cards and the dance mechanics. I certainly wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but I felt like it was worth my money. Definitely worth it on a sale, or full price if you really like Shantae.