Waiting any day now for my wife to give birth (she's due tomorrow!) - so we've been passing the time with daily Binding of Isaac games! No boardgame in our house has ever gotten quite as much use as this. No doubt we'll be playing it with our daughter one day. 🥰

As somebody who has sunk 1000+ hours into The Binding of Isaac and Enter the Gungeon, how have I never played Nuclear Throne before today!? 🤯

Set in fantasy England, Mistonia is a tale of revenge, and how a heroine navigates love laced with retribution. Rather than dazzling with constant twists or dramatic declarations like many Otome games, its story is shaped by memory, regret, and hoping again. www.qualbert.com/reviews/mist...

Games Completed in 2026 #1 - Firewatch I've been meaning to play Firewatch for years now, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. It's a deeply human story that went in directions I never would have expected. Beautiful storytelling and absolutely perfect use of strong colour in its design.

Only just discovered Slay the Spire: Downfall, a free community-made expansion that adds a tonne of extra content, including a new playable character! Honestly, damn impressed that some game communities are able to make their own content that's just as good as the original game.

Hello to all you new followers! 👋 We're Qualbert.com, an Australian independent games outlet with a focus on Australian indie games. Just this year we featured over 200 on our website! If you want to find out what's being made down under, take a look and join our Discord to chat with our team.

guys really live in apartments like this and have no issue

2025 was brutal for games media, but I'm seeing some glimmers of hope as worker-owned sites like @aftermath.site, @rascal.news, and @giantbomb.bsky.social have carved out vital spaces in the games community. Earlier this year, I made a huge Indie Games Media starter pack for y'all. Let's celebrate.

What better time to share a review of a game all about eating disorders than in the post-Christmas gluttony when you feel like an absolute slob. Bite into a sweet game with a dark centre and sink your teeth into our review for Consume Me. 🍬 www.qualbert.com/reviews/cons... #Indiegame #IndieDev

What better time to share a review of a game all about eating disorders than in the post-Christmas gluttony when you feel like an absolute slob. Bite into a sweet game with a dark centre and sink your teeth into our review for Consume Me. 🍬 www.qualbert.com/reviews/cons... #Indiegame #IndieDev

Merry Christmas from the Qualbert team! 🎄🎁 Must've done some sweet talking to Santa this year to get a Steam Deck under the tree. Definitely expect more indie game reviews next year thanks to this thing. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and plenty of great games over the holidays. ♥️

While elements of Beyond stay true to the series, much strays from what makes Metroid great. Linear level design, unnecessary hand-holding, and a bland hub world that rudely inserts itself into an otherwise decent game all make for the weakest Metroid to date. www.qualbert.com/reviews/metr...

Simply Having A wonderful

There's a Christmas surprise on your Nintendo Switch right now! 🎁

I missed out on playing Silent Hill f earlier this year as I was already busy with several other games. But now that I've cleared my schedule, I can confidently say this is one of the best horror games in years. Dripping in atmosphere! Only a few hours in, but already incredibly impressed.

After a busy year, sometimes all you need during the holidays is a chance to slow down and unwind. 😌 Leave behind the hustle and bustle of life and take things at your own pace on Luma Island. Review by @scree.bsky.social: www.qualbert.com/reviews/luma... #IndieGame #IndieDev #LumaIsland

One of this year's best indies just launched on Switch/Switch 2, and its made right here in Australia! Sit back, cast a line, and find out why @wombatbrawler.com will have you hooked. 🎣 www.qualbert.com/reviews/cast... #Indiegame #IndieDev #Cozy #NintendoSwitch

Sharpen your quills and unroll your scrolls in this map-making competitive tabletop triumph! 🗺️ Construct a world of your own and venture forth with @riorobayo.bsky.social into Fantasy Map Maker. www.qualbert.com/reviews/fant... #Tabletop #TabletopGaming #Indiegame #IndieDev

As an ex-veterinarian, I highly appreciate the accuracy of Dogpile by @folly.studio. For example, friendly dogs act like magnets, cool dogs wear sunglasses, and getting a vet bill immediately sets your money to $0.

My final game review of 2025 is now up on @qualbert.com! I take a venture into Skate Story (@skatestory.com) to see if it was worth a trip into the underworld to devour the Seven Moons. But was it worth the grind? Check it out here! @devolverdigital.com www.qualbert.com/reviews/skat...

Once a titan of multiplayer, the glory days of the Battlefield series have long since passed. We take a look down the scope to see if we can set our sights on why Battlefield 6 feels like a hollow shell of a game. www.qualbert.com/reviews/batt...

At the end of Metroid Prime 4, and it pains me to say that this is one of the most bland games Nintendo has published. So much of the series DNA is gone. Atrocious world design, frustrating hand-holding, and linear, uninspired maps. As a lifelong Metroid fan, this is going to be tough to review.

This year has been our biggest yet! 🙌 With more reviews than ever before, coverage for hundreds of Australian and New Zealand indie games, and over 150,000 unique readers throughout 2025. None of this would have been possible without our incredible community. Thank you for supporting Qualbert.com!

Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails) and Cory Davis (Spec Ops: The Line) unite to create a sleep-deprived horror that invites the player into surreal encounters. 👁️ Does this psychedelic trip keep you wide awake, or doze off? Find out in our SLEEP AWAKE review. www.qualbert.com/reviews/slee...

I'm looking for concept artists or illustrators working in gamedev who would like to share thoughts or comments (anonymous or attributed) regarding the use of GenAI as a reference tool in their process. If that's you, DM or email me! Details in bio.

No better time to re-share this article. If you're a highly-respected game developer, there's no faster way to ruin your reputation than through the use of genAI.

Bits & Bops is a bite-sized, beautifully animated celebration of everything that makes rhythm games special. @tempolab.games' songs will remain in your head forever, not merely from their tuneage, but from the creative imagery that unfolds with every beat. 🎶 www.qualbert.com/reviews/bits...

Larian just dropped a FREE Nintendo Switch 2 update for owners of Divinity: Original Sin 2 with improved resolution and framerate. This is a top notch port of an absolutely incredible RPG that every fan of Baldur's Gate 3 should play! Legendary devs.

If you told me when I was a kid that one day I'd get a Christmas card directly from Nintendo themselves, I never would have believed you. So even though it's a bit of cardboard, this is pretty special.

In Echo Zero - resource management plays a big role in your survival. So we finally got our Scrap Farm structure and animations ready🤩🛠 #gamedev #madewithunity #indiegame #basebuilding Go Wishlist #echozero on Steam! It really helps our tiny team make this game a reality👇

Australia is the country with the highest gambling losses per capita. It’s ever-present on our screens and in our culture. CloverPit is harmless fun with a harmful habit, and it doesn’t shy away from touching on the obvious issues that plague the gambling industry. www.qualbert.com/reviews/clov...

Real talk: what's your favourite game of the year that's NOT Clair Obscur? Mine is a quirky little indie game called "Gnomes" made right here in Brisbane. Possibly the best tower defense game I've ever played!

Cozy cleaning games have seen a huge rise in popularity among indies. There's something so satisfying about cleaning when it's done virtually! Undusted is the latest in the genre, transporting you through memories as you dust off your most cherished possessions. ♥️ www.qualbert.com/reviews/undu...

Going to be on ABC TV tomorrow chatting about The Game Awards and Silksong being up for Game of the Year! 🏆 Although I'm 99% certain Clair Obscur will take out the top spot, I'm eager to see how the rest of the categories play out. Will share the segment when it goes live. Super excited!

With a capital F for Fun, SpongeBob's latest aquatic adventure is filled with returning characters and call outs from the show and movies. So if you enjoy chill platformers with early 2000s vibes, then sit back and soak this one up. www.qualbert.com/reviews/spon...

From the moment you boot up Tingus Goose, you'll be struck with a cavalcade of body horror involving stick figures and geese. But once the initial shock wears off, you’ll grow accustomed to the ever-expanding goose and its bewildering bouncing baby blossoms. www.qualbert.com/reviews/ting...

Despite playing several of this year's heavy hitters, my favourite game I played on PlayStation was definitely Disco Elysium. One of the most compelling worlds I've ever had the pleasure of drunkenly stumbling across. A narrative masterpiece.

BITS & BOPS IS OUT NOW! 🎶 🎮 Over 20 original rhythm mini-games! 🎵 Catchy music! ⚡ Snappy gameplay! ✨ Gorgeous 2D animation! PLAY IT NOW ON STEAM! 💕

Legitimately the cutest trailer in the world. That voiceover (voiced by the dev's 2-year-old son!) is pure heartwarming perfection. ❤️

🪱🪱🪱Wirm is out right now!!!🪱🪱🪱 Please enjoy this new trailer voiced by my 2-year-old son, then go buy the game on Steam! store.steampowered.com/app/1934870/...

☁️🌊 TOROA: SKYCALL 🌊☁️ 🐥 OUT NOW ON STEAM! 🐥 Unravel the fate of the ocean and glide across an ever changing seascape in the hopes of reuniting Toroa with their family 💙 After 5 years of hard mahi, love and dedication, we're so excited to share our first game with you all 🥹 Mauri ora e te whānau!

Slept in and didn't catch the showcase live? Missed out because you thought it was AEST and not AEDT like half of the Queensland folks on our Discord server? We'll that's okay, you can wishlist all the games in the Frosty Mini Steam event. 👇

Time to get frosty with indies from ANZ! ❄️ Tune in for the @frostygamesfest.com mini showcase right now on YouTube. #Indiegame #IndieDev

My newest article is up on @qualbert.com focusing on the @rmitgames.bsky.social graduate showcase that was held at @acmimuseum.bsky.social at the end of November and there were a lot of neat graduate pieces that showed a lot of talent! Have a read here: www.qualbert.com/acmi-rmit-gr...

Tune in and cool down tomorrow to catch some of the best indies from across Australia and Aotearoa! ❄️ I've had a sneak peek at some of the reveals and you'll definitely want to catch this one. Perfect way to end a huge year for local indie games!

Saw TOOL last night and legit half of their visuals looked like they were lifted from PS1 era cutscene. Suspect they probably haven't been updated for 20+ years.

GIVEAWAY: Silent Hill f Thanks to our mates at Five Star Games, we've got 5 copies of Silent Hill f for PlayStation 5 to give away to 5 lucky Aussies! Enter Here: checkpointgaming.net/features/202... #silenthillf

Definitive in name alone - Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is not only a messy port, but also a decade too late. Littered with gameplay-hindering bugs and compromises to visuals, you're better off getting your Tomb Raider fix elsewhere. www.qualbert.com/reviews/tomb...

Want a relaxing summer job over the holiday season without leaving the comfort of your own home? Find out why blowing feels so good in our review for the latest indie job sim, Leaf Blower Co. 🍃 www.qualbert.com/reviews/leaf... #Indiegame #IndieDev

New Zealand indies are flourishing, with successes like DREDGE, Path of Exile, and Biotic Factor played by millions. So earlier this year at PAX, I made it my mission to play and speak with every Aotearoan dev on the showfloor. See what's being made by Kiwi devs: www.qualbert.com/new-zealand-...