Latest news with #LuckBeALandlord
The Verge
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
In a year full of giant games, some little mice stand out
There have been a lot of big games this year that have felt all-consuming, like Monster Hunter Wilds or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Maze Mice offers something different: a small, pick-up-and-play experience that takes a bunch of ideas from some classics and adds a clever twist. The game, from Luck Be a Landlord developer TrampolineTales, mixes elements of Pac-Man, Vampire Survivors, and even the classic Snake. As an adorable, pixelated mouse, you zip around a maze to get blue experience gems that are guarded by cats. When you pass by the cats, they'll wake up and start chasing you, sometimes creating a hilariously long line of felines. (Cute ghost cats will also appear and inconveniently float right into your path.) All the action takes place on one screen, so it's easy to see where everything is at any given time. When you get enough gems, you can pick from a selection of three power-ups. The upgrades are often a little silly, like knitting needles that fly through the air to attack the cats pursuing you, but as with Vampire Survivors, it's fun to experiment with different abilities to create interesting builds. Maze Mice 's most interesting feature is that time only moves when you move, like in Superhot. When you inch forward, the enemy cats inch forward right behind you, but when you're not moving, they're frozen, too. Your abilities are all on cooldowns, and the time on those cooldowns also only advances when you move forward. It all means that instead of the growing sense of being overwhelmed that you might get while dodging ghosts in Pac-Man or fighting hordes of monsters in Vampire Survivors, Maze Mice gives you time to sit and think about where you want to go next — even if you have 10 cats on your tail. I really like how it all works. You're still dealing with lots of enemies, but instead of the anxiety of having to fend them off in real time like in other games, it's all much much more laid-back. The charming atmosphere and catchy music help make the experience feel more welcoming than stressful, too. After runs, you'll unlock new upgrades and characters for future runs based on your score. I'm a big fan of a mine weapon that blows up when I get the cats following me to walk over it. And my favorite character so far is a mouse named Jazz with sunglasses and a saxophone — who starts with a saxophone weapon. Such a cool little guy! Maze Mice is in early access, so it should get more content down the line. It seems like there's a generous amount to play with already; TrampolineTales launched the game this month with 30 characters and 63 upgrades, meaning there's a lot to dig into. But the thing I love most about it is that I can play for a few minutes after an hourlong Doom: The Dark Ages level and feel like I actually accomplished something – even when those pesky cats eventually catch up to me.
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Balatro: 18+ age rating overturned by PEGI
One of 2024's most successful video games has had its 18+ age rating game Balatro encourages players to build poker hands but allows them to modify decks and use special joker cards to boost their classification body PEGI slapped the highest rating on the game, but its anonymous creator LocalThunk argued that it doesn't allow players to bet or even spend money within will now be reclassified as a 12+. Another game, Luck Be A Landlord, has also been which works in the UK and across Europe, says it will now review its policies around gambling across all games. Shuffling the deck Balatro was one of 2024's breakout hits, made on a small budget but winning Best Indie Game at the Golden Joysticks and Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards. Its creator argued that the age rating rules it faced were not consistent or fair and called out PEGI's policies around loot lucky-dip style items contain new outfits, power-ups or other bonuses and can be bought with real argue that they amount to a form of gambling because players don't know what's inside when they buy 2018, Belgium banned loot boxes on the basis that they violated the country's gambling laws but they don't currently affect a game's PEGI age rating. One of the world's most popular video games, EA FC, a title specifically called out by LocalThunk, is rated 3+.It is often mentioned in discussions about loot boxes because of its popular Ultimate Team mode, which involves buying packs of virtual trading disagree that it counts as gambling because it's not possible to "cash out" or win money back from the game. PEGI said in a statement it will accept the decision of its Complaints Board, and that it "continuously evolves in line with cultural expectations, and the guidance of independent experts". New rules will mean gambling themes do not automatically lead to an 18+ rating. Instead, it will be limited to games that simulate casinos and betting a post on X after the decision, LocalThunk said "This is a good step from PEGI, bringing nuance to their ratings criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
