Newsletter 78

We usually feature free casual games that are fun and challenging, but we’ll be mixing things up this time!

Every gamer, even casual gamers, has heard tell of Dark Souls. Most of the world knows it as a challenging game, equally full of action and frustration. But even with how infamous it is, it’s now become a mainstream game that has spawned so many copies and even made its own genre.

So what draws people to it? Why do people have so much fun getting beat up in games like it?

You can find out for yourself by grabbing a free copy of Mortal Shell via the Epic Games platform. Better hurry, it’s only free for a week!

Five game insights we think will pique your interest!

Alright, maybe your system isn’t strong enough to handle a AAA release like Mortal Shell, but you still want to experience the vibe and gameplay of a Dark Souls game. Don't worry; there’s a more accessible yet fully challenging equivalent you can try for yourself: Salt and Sanctuary.

The Steam version is currently on sale for about two bucks, and the Switch version is available for full price. You can play it single-player or co-op, but frankly, it doesn’t matter as the game is fully intact and enjoyable either way, the choice is always yours.

Back to free, fun and quirky casual games! Old-school gamers know that classic slogan: “Sega does what Nintendon’t!” and it mostly holds up today since Sega is fine with ROM hacks and fan games as long as they’re not heavily monetized, just like this one! 

Interestingly, Sega doubled down on fan creations and even made Sonic Mania, headed by a prominent fan in the Sonic community.

Nintendo, on the other hand, is not very keen on fan-made games and activities and is well-known for being very diligent in shutting them down.

We featured this game last year, but for those who haven’t tried it, Jumblie is a really fun word search game you should try out at least once! We sure got hooked when we first gave it a spin, and we’ve actually interviewed its creator too

No, this isn’t an A-ha! music video, it’s an artistic puzzle game known as rocks and ravens. Inspired by haiku and Japanese puzzle games like sudoku and others, it’s short, beautiful and full of Zen—perfect for a quick break.

From free fan games to discounted creations full of passion, you can always count on the fact that there are interesting games available at every corner. All you have to do is keep an open mind and try them out for yourself!

We always want you to be relaxed so you can continue doing your best, and try to provide that through our games, and to that, we share this quote from Francesca Hayward, a Kenyan-born British ballet dancer and actress:

“Finding ways to unwind and switch off is just as important as working very hard.”

We’re excited to release our next podcast episode! Stay tuned for more of our upcoming content through YouTube, LinkedIn and X!

If you want to learn more about what we’re up to at Hey, Good Game, you can find out more about us here.

That’s all for this week. See you next Friday!

The Hey, Good Game Team