REVIEW: Super Arcade Soccer 2026 (2026 Video Game) - on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

Super Arcade Soccer 2026 arrives with a wonderfully simple idea. Take the fast, accessible football games of the 1990s, mix in modern physics and a colourful cartoon presentation, and create something that captures the pick-up-and-play appeal of classics such as Sensible Soccer, Kick Off and Super Sidekicks. On paper, it sounds almost impossible to get wrong.

Unfortunately, the reality is very different.

Super Arcade Soccer 2026 is one of those games where the concept is considerably more enjoyable than the finished product. There is plenty here that sounds appealing, from the extensive selection of teams and players to the various game modes and local multiplayer options, but actually playing the game quickly becomes an exercise in frustration.

The presentation is one of the stronger aspects. The cartoon-style graphics are decent without trying to be overly complicated, and the overall look suits the arcade approach. The sound effects are also good, while the music does its job nicely in the background. It certainly looks and sounds like a game that understands the sort of experience it is trying to recreate.

The developers have also done a reasonably entertaining job of getting around the lack of official football licences. You obviously do not get the real names of the clubs and players, but rather than simply making everything completely unrecognisable, the game takes the old-fashioned approach of altering names just enough to make it obvious who everyone is supposed to represent.

So, instead of Liverpool FC, you get The Kop FC. Players receive similarly amusing variations on their real names, with Mohammed Salah becoming Mohemed Seleh, for example. I have always had a soft spot for this sort of thing in unlicensed football games, and there is something nostalgic about seeing it here. It feels like a throwback to an era when developers had to be rather more creative.

There is also plenty of content on paper. The game features 48 qualifying national teams, more than 100 clubs and over 1,800 players inspired by real-life stars. There are Quick Matches, Cups and Leagues, International Showdown, local Showdowns and multiplayer for up to four players. You can also customise teams, alter line-ups and formations, adjust tactics and customise players.

That is a lot of football for a relatively straightforward arcade game.

The problem is that none of it matters very much when the fundamental act of playing football is not enjoyable.

The controls are the biggest issue by some distance. For a game that is supposed to be about simple, responsive arcade football, the controls frequently feel anything but responsive. The players are painfully slow unless you are constantly holding down the sprint button, and this makes the matches feel sluggish rather than fast and exciting.

That is particularly frustrating because speed should be one of the easiest things for an arcade football game to get right. You should be able to pick up the controller, immediately understand what your player can do and start enjoying yourself. Instead, Super Arcade Soccer 2026 constantly gets in the way.

Passing is another major problem. The ball regularly fails to go where you expect it to, making what should be a simple pass feel unpredictable. Arcade football can absolutely have exaggerated physics and unusual behaviour, but there still needs to be a clear connection between what you ask the player to do and what happens on screen.

Shooting is perhaps the strangest example.

Tap the shoot button and the ball can simply travel about a metre in front of your player. There is very little satisfaction in pressing a button to shoot only to watch the ball barely leave your feet. Instead, you find yourself having to hold the button down just to produce anything resembling a proper shot.

That completely undermines the supposed simplicity of the controls. A game inspired by classic arcade football should make shooting immediately understandable and enjoyable. You should be able to hammer the button and launch ridiculous shots towards goal. Instead, Super Arcade Soccer 2026 makes you think about how long you need to hold a button before the game will actually let you kick the ball properly.

This is where the game's ambitions become particularly frustrating. The developers talk about curl, swerve, knuckleballs, volleys, headers, lobs, finesse shots and sliding tackles, alongside full player ragdolls and realistic ball physics. There is clearly a lot going on beneath the surface.

But more does not necessarily mean better.

The game needed to get the basics absolutely right before worrying about whether goal nets stretch and snap back or whether every player fall looks different. When passing and shooting do not feel right, those more elaborate features become almost irrelevant.

The strange thing is that this should be such an easy formula to understand. Give players responsive controls, make the football fast, make scoring satisfying and then throw in ridiculous shots, entertaining tackles and plenty of chaos. That is the appeal of arcade football.

Instead, Super Arcade Soccer 2026 feels like a game that has concentrated on recreating the appearance and feature list of an arcade football game without capturing what actually made those games fun.

The local multiplayer options are potentially one of the game's biggest strengths. Supporting one to four players, with both competitive and co-operative play and Remote Play Together, gives Super Arcade Soccer 2026 the sort of structure that could have made it a brilliant game for playing with friends.

Unfortunately, even multiplayer cannot solve the fundamental control problems. If the football itself does not feel good, having more people involved simply means more people experiencing the same frustrations.

There is a good idea buried inside Super Arcade Soccer 2026. In fact, there may be a very good game buried inside it. The combination of classic arcade football, modern physics, exaggerated presentation, lots of teams and players and four-player local multiplayer sounds exactly like the sort of football game I would love to spend hours playing.

That makes the current state of the game all the more disappointing.

Super Arcade Soccer 2026 feels like it needed considerably more development and testing before being released. The problems are not minor imperfections that can simply be overlooked. They affect the basic controls and therefore the entire experience. It needs more than a little polishing. The core gameplay needs serious attention.

I genuinely wanted to like this game. The idea of a modern arcade football game that forgets about realism and simply concentrates on being fast, ridiculous and fun is something I would welcome with open arms. Why can't we have a simple arcade football game with the responsive controls of FIFA / EAFC, combined with arcade-style fun, ridiculous long-range shots, dumb tackles and fast gameplay?

After playing Super Arcade Soccer 2026, I found myself thinking that I could probably go back in time, find a random football arcade game from the 1980s and have more fun with it.

That is an incredibly frustrating conclusion to reach, because Super Arcade Soccer 2026 should have been such an easy win.

For me, this is probably the most disappointing video game I have played this year. There is a decent presentation, plenty of content and a genuinely appealing concept, but the controls and basic gameplay make it extremely difficult to recommend.

Super Arcade Soccer 2026 is a Super disappointing 3/10.

Out Now on Steam for £7.45. Perhaps wait for a few updates before considering it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4653510/Super_Arcade_Soccer_2026/

REVIEW: Piroker (2026 Video Game) - on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

Piroker is certainly trying something different. This colourful PC game combines poker, roguelike auto battler mechanics and pirate-themed naval combat, putting eight players into a chaotic battle for survival. On paper, it sounds like an intriguing combination.

Unfortunately, playing it is a far more confusing experience.

The biggest problem is that despite the heavy emphasis on poker, you don't actually play poker. There is no choosing cards, no applying poker knowledge and no meaningful bluffing. Instead, you collect relics, fish, pirates and other bonuses that generate coins, multipliers and other effects, with those eventually contributing to your score.

The game simply doesn't explain this system well enough. There is no proper tutorial, so you are thrown into a match against seven opponents and left to work things out. Even after several hours, I still couldn't confidently explain why I had won one game and lost another.

That makes it very difficult to find the strategy. Piroker talks about reading opponents, bluffing and finding clever combinations, but I never felt I was actually doing any of those things. I was mostly experimenting with the various options available and hoping I had somehow put together a winning combination.

There are some positives. Piroker is colourful, the pirate presentation works well and the sound effects are good. The basic idea of combining poker hands with an auto battler is also genuinely different, and there is clearly a lot of content here, with numerous pirates, skills, relics and fish offering plenty of potential combinations.

The problem is that none of this matters much if the player cannot understand the underlying mechanics.

Piroker is still in playtest, so there is time for the developers to address these issues. However, this feels like something that needs considerably more than balancing or polishing. The core gameplay needs to be reconsidered and, most importantly, properly explained.

There is potentially a fun game buried somewhere within Piroker, but right now it left me confused and disappointed rather than challenged or entertained.

For now, Piroker gets a baffling 2 out of 10.

Wishlist it on Steam at

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4517160/Piroker/

REVIEW: Tilt It! Golf (2026 Video Game) - on PC Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

Tilt It! Golf from Untold Tales is a 2026 physics-based mini golf game on PC via Steam that attempts to shake up the genre by removing the traditional swing entirely. Instead of striking a ball, players tilt the entire course, guiding it through gravity, momentum and precision-based movement towards the hole. With 300 levels spread across 15 distinct biomes, each introducing small twists and increasing challenge, it is built around quick retries, instant restarts and chasing near-perfect runs across bite-sized stages.

On paper, there is plenty to enjoy. The core idea is fun in short bursts, with the physics system doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of entertainment. The game looks clean and appealing, and the sheer number of courses gives it a sense of scale that suits its replay-focused structure. With 300 holes and a steady rise in difficulty, there is a consistent stream of new obstacles, trick shots and hazard-based puzzles to work through. It is also clearly designed for accessibility and quick play sessions, with instant restarts making it easy to jump straight back in after a failed attempt without any friction.

Where it starts to struggle is the platform shift. This feels very much like a mobile-style experience brought over to PC, and that mismatch becomes hard to ignore. The tilt controls, which would likely feel intuitive on a phone, do not translate smoothly to keyboard input on a screen. 

Instead of feeling natural, it becomes awkward and slightly disconnected from the action. That disconnect is made worse by the visual motion, which in this case quickly triggered motion sickness after only a few minutes of play. What should be a relaxing, pick-up-and-play puzzle experience instead becomes difficult to sustain for long sessions on PC.

There is still an interesting idea buried in the design. The concept of tilting entire environments to guide a ball through carefully crafted obstacle courses has clear potential, and the structure of 300 levels across 15 biomes shows ambition in keeping players engaged over time. But on PC, the control scheme and sensory experience undermine what the game is trying to achieve. It is easy to imagine this working far better on a phone, where touch and tilt inputs would feel more natural and immediate.

Tilt It! Golf is ultimately a game caught between platforms. As a PC release, it feels compromised, not quite comfortable to play and, for some, difficult to tolerate for long. As a mobile experience, it is easier to picture it landing more successfully. On Steam, however, it struggles to justify extended play despite its content-rich design and low price. Score on PC: 5 out of 10.

Out Now

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4733610/Tilt_It_Golf/

REVIEW: All Hail the Orb (2026 Video Game) - on PC Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

All Hail The Orb arrives on PC via Steam as a deliberately small-scale, slightly odd clicker game. It drops you into a pixel-art dungeon with a single purpose, keep the Orb powered. At first that means plenty of manual clicking, but it does not take long before the systems begin to unfold. Cultists arrive, automation creeps in, and what starts as a simple loop gradually turns into a lightly managed, self-sustaining machine. It never becomes complicated for the sake of it, which feels like a conscious decision rather than a limitation.

The game leans heavily into its tone. It is playful, a bit strange, and never overly serious. Ducks appear, not as a throwaway joke, but as part of a wider system in the Quackpot, where merging them grants passive bonuses. It is silly, but it works. The humour sits in the background rather than demanding attention, which helps the overall flow. Visually, the pixel art is clean and easy to read. The dungeon layout is clear even when things start to fill up, and the ability to zoom in and out keeps everything manageable. There is a polished feel to the presentation that makes the simplicity feel intentional rather than bare.

Progression is where the game really finds its rhythm. New mechanics arrive at a steady pace, whether that is unlocking rooms, placing cultists into zones, or managing their automatic routines. It never throws too much at you in one go. Instead, it builds layer by layer, letting you settle into each system before introducing the next. That makes it approachable, even for players who might not usually spend time with clicker or incremental games. There is also a clear distinction here, this is not an idle game. When you step away, progress pauses. You return to exactly where you left things, which gives your input a bit more weight.

There is a satisfying sense of growth as your single altar expands into a multi-room dungeon. Each new area adds something slightly different, which keeps the loop from going stale. Watching automation take over tasks you once handled manually is quietly rewarding. It becomes less about frantic clicking and more about light management, adjusting placements and keeping everything ticking along smoothly. It is addictive in that low-key way where you always feel like one more small improvement is just within reach.

That said, a few rough edges do show. There are occasional bugs when loading into the game, with some cultists losing their assigned roles and needing to be placed again. It is not game-breaking, but it does interrupt the flow. Performance can also dip towards the later stages when the dungeon is busy and effects are stacking up on screen. Disabling particle effects helps, though it does feel like a workaround rather than a full solution.

The other sticking point is something that will divide opinion. The game has a defined ending. On one hand, it gives the experience shape and a sense of completion that many clickers lack. On the other, if you enjoy letting these kinds of systems run endlessly, it can feel like it stops just as you are getting fully invested. It leaves you wanting more, which is both a compliment and a frustration.

All Hail The Orb succeeds because it understands its scope. It offers a focused, five-hour experience that can stretch a little longer if you aim for everything, like 100% achievements. It is easy to pick up, hard to put down, and consistently engaging without becoming overwhelming. At around five pounds, it earns its place through simple, well-paced design and a tone that keeps things light. It might not last forever, but while it does, it is one of the more enjoyable examples of the genre. An easy recommendation for anyone with a soft spot for clickers, and a solid 8.5 out of 10.

Out Now on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/4262310/_All_Hail_the_Orb/

REVIEW: Noir Mafia Simulator 1960s American Crime (2026 Video Game) - on PC (steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

There is a clear sense of ambition running through Noir Mafia Simulator, even in its current Early Access form. Set against the smoky backdrop of 1960s America, the game drops you into a criminal underworld built on risk, improvisation, and split second decisions. It promises freedom in how you approach each job, and to its credit, that part mostly holds up.

The core loop revolves around planning and executing heists across a mix of locations, from banks to museums and even police stations. Each environment presents its own layout and set of risks, which gives the game a welcome bit of variety early on. The choice between stealth and outright aggression is always there. You can creep through corridors with lockpicks and forged documents, or walk in armed and deal with resistance as it comes. That flexibility is one of the game’s stronger points, even if the systems behind it feel a little thin.

One small highlight is the lockpicking. It is not reinventing anything, and feels very familiar, almost lifted from other games in the genre, but it works. It is simple, responsive, and adds just enough tension in the moment. It is the sort of mechanic you do not think too much about, which in this case is a good thing.

The ability to take hostages adds another layer. It is a straightforward system, but it creates moments where you can control a situation that might otherwise spiral. Moving through an area with a hostage in tow, knowing it is the only thing stopping you from being shot on sight, brings a bit of edge to proceedings. It is one of the few mechanics that genuinely changes how you think in the moment.

Where things begin to fall apart is in the presentation and overall feel. The visuals are a real sticking point. For a game releasing in 2026, even in Early Access, it looks dated to the point of distraction. Character models, environments, and animations all feel like they belong to a much older generation. It makes the world harder to invest in, especially given the strong theme it is aiming for.

Controls are another issue. The lack of gamepad support is difficult to overlook. For a third person action game, it feels like a basic expectation, and its absence makes the experience more awkward than it should be. It is the kind of omission that stands out immediately and never quite stops being noticeable.

Combat does not help matters. Shooting lacks impact and precision, and the decision to require multiple shots for something as simple as a headshot undermines the feel of the gunplay. It turns what should be tense encounters into slightly clumsy exchanges, where the mechanics never quite match the stakes.

The planning side, which should arguably be the backbone of a heist game, also feels underdeveloped. There is the outline of something interesting, but in practice it does not go far enough. You are given options, but they rarely feel deep or meaningful enough to fully support the idea of carefully orchestrated jobs.

Even so, there is a sense that something better could emerge over time. The variety of missions and the basic structure are in place, and there are moments where the game hints at what it could become with more polish and depth. Right now though, it struggles to hold attention for long.

As it stands, Noir Mafia Simulator feels like an early build in the truest sense. There is potential, but it is buried under dated visuals, limited systems, and a lack of refinement. A score of 5 out of 10 feels fair at this stage. It is a game worth revisiting if development continues, but in its current form it falls short of what it is trying to be.

Released on Early Access from April 21st

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4457110/Noir_Mafia_Simulator_1960s_American_Crime/

REVIEW: Black Jacket (2026 Video Game) - on Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

There is something inherently comforting about blackjack. It is simple, recognisable, and built on tension that anyone can grasp within seconds. Black Jacket takes that foundation and drags it somewhere far stranger. This is a rogue lite deckbuilder set in a hellish afterlife, where the cards bend the rules, the opponents have stories, and every hand is played for your chance at freedom. This review is based on an early demo and playtest, not the finished game, but there is already plenty here to talk about.

At its core, Black Jacket is still blackjack. You are playing against restless souls, winning their Soul coins, and trying to earn enough to bribe the ferryman and escape. The twist is that the deck no longer plays fair. Cards can force opponents to overcommit, alter card values, swap hands, let you peek into decks, or unlock hidden combinations that completely change how a hand unfolds. In practice, this works far better than it sounds on paper. There are moments where victory feels impossible, only for a carefully timed card to flip the entire table in your favour. Pulling a win out of nowhere is deeply satisfying, especially when the game has convinced you that you are already beaten.

The rogue lite structure gives each run a sense of possibility. Artifacts, card suits and curses gradually stack up, opening near endless combinations and strategies. No two runs feel quite the same, even within the limited scope of the demo. The added mechanics never feel random for the sake of it. Instead, they encourage you to think a few steps ahead, not just about the current hand, but about how your deck is evolving and what tricks you might unlock later.

Visually, the game is clean and readable, which is exactly what a card focused experience needs. Cards are easy to distinguish, extra abilities are clearly communicated, and the table never feels cluttered. Even when the rules begin to twist and bend, it remains easy to follow what is happening and why. That clarity is crucial, because without it the more complex mechanics would quickly become overwhelming.

The opponents are another interesting touch. You never see their faces, only their hands, which suits the afterlife setting and keeps the focus on play rather than spectacle. As you encounter them repeatedly, their playstyles and curses become familiar, and fragments of their stories unfold. There is a quiet ambition here to tie narrative and mechanics together, encouraging you to learn not just how they play, but who they are, and how breaking the cycle might require more than just winning hands.

That said, the demo is not without its frustrations. The unskippable tutorial is an immediate annoyance. Blackjack is one of the most widely understood card games in the world, and being forced through basic explanations feels unnecessary, especially for players drawn to the game precisely because they enjoy card games. A simple option to skip would go a long way.

There is also the lingering question of longevity. For all the clever twists and added systems, this is still blackjack at heart. The new mechanics are fun and often genuinely clever, but it is hard not to wonder how long they can sustain interest on their own. Sometimes adding too many layers to a very simple formula risks working against it, rather than enhancing it. The demo hints at depth, but it also raises doubts about whether that depth will be enough to keep players coming back run after run.

In its current form, Black Jacket is an enjoyable and intriguing experiment. The idea of giving cards extra powers and letting players bend the rules works, and when it clicks, it really clicks. As a demo, it leaves a positive impression, even if it does not yet feel essential. There is a solid foundation here, but it feels like it needs more modes, more variety, or a stronger hook to truly elevate it beyond an interesting take on a classic. So far, so good. The final release will need to push harder if Black Jacket wants to deal itself a winning hand.

Wishlist on Steam at

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3100370/Black_Jacket/

REVIEW: Speed Rivals (2025 Video Game) - on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

Speed Rivals takes the old slot car idea that so many of us grew up with and turns it into a digital toybox with a lot of charm. It brings that familiar Scalextric feeling back to life on your PC, only with sharper effects and a livelier sense of pace. The result is a racer that knows exactly what it is trying to be, and for the most part it hits the mark.

The strongest part of the game is how it captures that classic slot car rhythm. You only control your speed, so every lap becomes a small battle with the track rather than a test of steering skill. Ease off too late and you pop off the rail. Feather the throttle at the right moment and you glide through the bend with a bit of style. It feels simple, which is exactly the point. Anyone who grew up fiddling with Scalextric pieces on the living room floor will settle in quickly, and the game leans into that feeling with a nostalgic grin.

The short bursts of racing work nicely. You drop in, try to set a clean lap, fail, swear, retry, then nail it. 

The track editor itself deserves a bit of praise since it opens up a whole second layer of play. Building a circuit is good fun, and sharing your tracks online gives the whole thing a sense of community that helps a relatively small game feel much bigger.

The trouble starts when you veer away from the nostalgia. Players who have never touched a slot car in their life might find the lack of steering quite odd. It goes against everything you expect from a racing game, and that first hour can feel quite restricted. The bigger problem, though, is the camera work. None of the options feel fully comfortable. The top down view is the most workable, although you still end up sliding the camera about just to keep your car in sight. First person made me feel a bit queasy, and the other angles make it too hard to judge how fast you should be taking each corner. It gets in the way of the flow, which is a shame because the core loop is otherwise very smooth.

Speed Rivals is a good time if you already have a soft spot for slot car racing. It offers a bright set of tracks, lively time attack challenges, a hefty track editor and a community focus that should help it grow. It is still in early access, so there is room for improvement, especially with the cameras, but there is enough here already to keep fans entertained.

Right now it is a fun, slightly limited racer. A solid 7 out of 10.

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3389390/Speed_Rivals__Build_Race__Share_Tracks/