REVIEW: Gecko Gods (2026 Video Game) - on Nintendo Switch

By Jon Donnis

Gecko Gods is a straightforward puzzle adventure that puts players in control of a small gecko exploring a forgotten archipelago filled with ancient ruins, puzzles, hidden relics and collectables. Built around exploration and movement, the game offers a relaxing experience that encourages players to take their time, search every corner and uncover the many secrets hidden across its islands.

The biggest strength of Gecko Gods is simply how enjoyable it is to play. Controlling the gecko feels fun throughout the adventure, helped greatly by the freedom of movement. The ability to climb almost every surface allows exploration to feel natural and rewarding, whether scaling walls, traversing ceilings or searching for hidden areas. The game constantly encourages curiosity, and there is always the feeling that something interesting might be waiting just out of sight.

The scenery is another major highlight. Gecko Gods presents a vibrant and attractive world that is enjoyable to spend time in. Exploring the various islands, ruins and caves is consistently engaging, and the world itself feels interesting from start to finish. Sailing between islands on a small wooden boat helps break up the gameplay and provides access to new locations filled with secrets to discover.

Collectables play a significant role in the experience. Relics can be found hidden throughout secret areas across the islands, while insects can be collected by dashing into them and adding them to a growing collection. Players can also smash objects with a dash attack to earn currency, which can then be spent on cosmetic options. These additional activities give players plenty of reasons to thoroughly explore every location.

The puzzle design deserves praise as well. This is a solid little puzzle adventure that understands how to challenge players without becoming frustrating. The puzzles are just difficult enough to require some thought, but never so demanding that progress becomes irritating. As a result, solving them remains satisfying throughout the game's relatively short running time.

There are also some nice visual touches. As the gecko takes damage, its colour changes to reflect its condition. Take too much damage and its tail can even fall off. Thankfully, the tail regenerates over time, keeping the mechanic light-hearted and in keeping with the game's charming presentation.

While Gecko Gods gets a lot right, it does have a few issues. The biggest problem comes from the climbing system. Because the gecko can move across so many different surfaces, controls can sometimes become confusing. Depending on the surface being climbed and the angle of the third-person camera, movement can feel inverted, making certain sections more awkward than they should be.

Navigation can also become a challenge for the wrong reasons. Although the environments are vibrant and visually appealing, many of the structures and landscape features look quite similar. This makes it easy to get turned around while exploring and can occasionally make it difficult to remember where you have already been.

The game's length may also disappoint some players. The main story can be completed in around four to six hours, with full completion taking a little over seven hours. While the adventure remains enjoyable throughout, there is not a great deal of replayability once everything has been found and completed. At around £16.75 on Nintendo Switch, the price feels a little high for the amount of content available.

Gecko Gods is a fun, straightforward puzzle adventure with an adorable main character, enjoyable exploration, challenging but fair puzzles and nice clear graphics. Despite some occasional control frustrations, similar-looking environments and a lack of replayability once completed, it remains an entertaining experience that is easy to recommend to fans of relaxed exploration games.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Out Now on Switch

https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Gecko-Gods-2480777.html

REVIEW: Gobliiins Collection (2026 Video Game) - on Nintendo Switch

Review by Jon Donnis

Gobliiins Collection arrives on Nintendo Switch in 2026 as a sizeable archive of puzzle adventure history, bringing together the first five entries in the long running series originally released on PC between 1991 and 2023. It presents itself less as a modern remake and more as a carefully preserved museum piece, and in that respect it largely succeeds.

What stands out immediately is how faithful the collection feels to the originals. These are not reinterpretations or softened reworks, but direct reproductions of the classic games, including multiple versions of the early entries such as MS DOS, CD-ROM and Macintosh builds. For anyone who remembers the series from its early days, there is a clear sense that the developers have tried to preserve the odd, slightly chaotic identity that defined Gobliiins from the start. The humour is intact, the tone remains stubbornly peculiar, and the puzzles still demand patience and lateral thinking in equal measure.

There is also a surprising amount of extra material included, which goes some way to broadening the appeal beyond nostalgia alone. The music player draws from all five games and offers a simple but effective way to revisit the series’ distinctive audio identity. The inclusion of 3D models of original packaging and a gallery of design documents adds a layer of archival interest that feels genuinely thoughtful rather than decorative. The documentary mini series, featuring a new interview with Pierre Gilhodes, co creator of Gobliiins, gives the package a human anchor that helps explain why these games still matter to a small but loyal audience.

On Switch, the games themselves translate reasonably well to console play. Point and click design has always been a tricky fit outside of a mouse driven environment, but the adaptation is serviceable enough that it rarely becomes a barrier. The underlying challenge remains intact, which will please long time players. These puzzles are still uncompromising, sometimes almost wilfully obscure, and that difficulty curve has not been softened for a modern audience. There is a charm in that stubbornness, even if it occasionally tips into frustration.

That said, the collection is not without its shortcomings. The omission of Gobliins 6: The Madmen of the Year 1000, released earlier in the same year, feels like a glaring gap in what is otherwise marketed as a comprehensive set. It is difficult not to see this as an oversight, particularly given the emphasis on completeness elsewhere in the package. There is also the simple reality that these games remain extremely tough by contemporary standards. What once felt like playful experimentation can now feel opaque, and not every player will have the patience to push through its more punishing moments.

Taken as a whole, Gobliiins Collection is best understood as a preservation project aimed squarely at returning fans and puzzle enthusiasts rather than newcomers. It captures the spirit of the original games with care, supports them with meaningful archival extras, and presents them in a convenient modern format. At the same time, it does little to smooth their rough edges or address the long standing difficulty spikes that defined the series from the beginning.

Gobliiins Collection ultimately feels like a well curated time capsule rather than a reinvention. For those who grew up with the series, it is an easy recommendation, even with its gaps and frustrations. For everyone else, it is a curious, often demanding glimpse into a very particular corner of puzzle game history. A solid 7 out of 10 still feels about right, balancing preservation, nostalgia and the occasional reminder that these games were never interested in being easy.

Out Now on Nintendo Switch

https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Gobliiins-Collection-3108751.html

REVIEW: Oldest Golden Treasure (2025 VR Video Game) - Released on MetaQuest

Review by Jon Donnis

Oldest Golden Treasure is a 2025 VR escape room style adventure game for MetaQuest that places you in the role of a detective investigating the sudden disappearance of a colleague. From the opening moments it leans hard into atmosphere, pulling you into a world of puzzles, hidden clues and shifting locations that immediately spark curiosity. It starts out feeling very much like a traditional escape room, but it does not stay there for long.

The game's biggest strength lies in its puzzle design. The challenges are clever without being punishing, striking a balance that encourages careful observation and logical thinking rather than trial and error. Nothing feels insultingly simple, yet very little drifts into the kind of obscurity that breaks immersion. Solving each puzzle feels earned, and that sense of steady progress keeps the experience moving at a comfortable pace.

As the story unfolds, the environments continue to change, which helps avoid the staleness that can creep into VR puzzle games. Underground tunnels, ruins and secret hideouts all add variety, and each new space brings a slightly different flavour to the gameplay. There is a genuine urge to keep pushing forward, driven by a quiet but persistent need to understand what actually happened to your missing colleague.

A particularly welcome touch is the way the game weaves real historical elements into its narrative. Inspired by the Varna Necropolis and the oldest known gold treasure in the world, Oldest Golden Treasure feeds you factual snippets as part of the story rather than dumping them awkwardly on top. It gives the mystery a grounding that feels thoughtful rather than gimmicky.

Technically, the game performs very well for an indie VR title. Movement is smooth, interactions are reliable, and the overall presentation holds together nicely inside the headset. While the graphics are not cutting edge, they are more than adequate for the task and never distract from the puzzles or the story being told.

Once the main adventure is complete, SpeedRun Mode unlocks, offering a very different way to engage with the game. This mode is clearly aimed at competitive players, encouraging repeated playthroughs to optimise movement and puzzle solutions. With lap times and global leaderboards, it adds a layer of replay value that goes beyond simply revisiting the story.

That said, the experience does feel a little short. Just as the mechanics and ideas fully settle in, the credits roll, leaving a sense that there is room for more. There are also a few minor bugs scattered throughout, although it is worth noting that the solo developer is actively releasing updates to address these issues.

Oldest Golden Treasure may not be a sprawling epic, but it is a confident and engaging VR puzzle adventure. It delivers a strong atmosphere, smart puzzle design and a surprising historical angle, even if it leaves you wanting more by the end. For fans of escape rooms and narrative driven VR mysteries, it earns its place in a Meta Quest library.

I score Oldest Golden Treasure a solid 8.5 out of 10.

Out Now on MetaQuest

https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/oldest-golden-treasure/9132129896885275/