A few super easy games on the menu this week. A Visual Novel from EastAsiaSoft and a triple stack 30 minute completion from Desert Water Games. Ratalaika Games keeps em coming this week with Deathchron and QUByte Interactive is bringing a puzzle game to the table.
True Colours – A Date With Deception (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5)
Estimated Completion Time: 15 minutes
Publisher: EastAsiaSoft
Developers: Borealis, EastAsiaSoft
Release Date: July 10, 2024
Xbox Store Links: Xbox
Playstation Store Links: PS4/PS5
One achievement list available on Xbox. A stack on PlayStation between the PS4 & PS5 versions along with cross-buy.
True Colours – A Date With Deception involves a bit of a twisted take on romance. The game is a visual novel and puts you in the role of a gender neutral protagonist. Let’s just say … your character can have a bit of the dark side in them.
To complete the game you’ll have to do three full playthroughs along with a few partial ones. There are not a ton of dialogue options, so if you make strategic saves before selecting a path you can reload and choose the other options to get a pretty easy completion. Without any kind of guide I was through this game in less than 15 minutes with skipping text and text speed and transition sliders on max in the options menu.
Deathchron (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5)
Estimated Completion Time: 1-2 hours
Publisher: Ratalaika Games
Developers: Crescent Moon Games
Release Date: July 12, 2024
Xbox Store Links: Xbox
Playstation Store Links: PS4/PS5
Just the one achievement list available on Xbox at this time. Stack available on PlayStation along with cross-buy.
Deathchron is a classic action platformer where you control a kid who receives an urgent television transmission, summoning a battle mech called Deathchron to their doorstep. Throughout the game, you’ll alternate between playing as the kid and piloting the robot. Some levels require you to exit Deathchron to progress further. The kid possesses hacking skills to manipulate terminals, open gates, and overcome obstacles.
To fully complete the game, you need to finish the first four levels and part of the fifth. Your objective is to get the kid onto the spaceship in the fifth level for achievement completion. Players can make the game easier by strategically using save points near gear pickups. By collecting multiple pickups in a spot and respawning after death, you can accumulate health pickups to enhance survivability.
Currently, two achievements, ‘Buy TriShot’ and ‘Increase Health’, are glitched, but Ratalaika is actively working on a patch to address these issues.
Busway Islands – Puzzle (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4)
Estimated Completion Time: 2-3 Hours
Publisher: QUByte Interactive
Developers: Rising Moon Games
Release Date: July 10, 2024
Xbox Store Links: Xbox
Playstation Store Links: PS4
Just the one achievement list available on Xbox. On PlayStation there’s also only one version available for PS4.
Busway Islands is a puzzle game where your objective is to repair roads and rails on each level to establish a safe and efficient route between bus stations, ensuring all passengers are picked up along the way.
Each level presents a jumble of pieces that must be arranged correctly. You’ll need to strategically place railroad crossings and traffic lights to prevent collisions, especially as later levels introduce directional curves that add complexity. If you’re stuck on a level, you can simulate your actions to identify necessary corrections.
One helpful tip I discovered too late is how to rotate the map: on Xbox, hold X to rotate around a point, which facilitates finding pieces during gameplay. The game lacks a tutorial for controls, so discovering this feature independently can aid in navigation.
Completing the game typically takes around 2-3 hours with a guide, though without one, it may require more time depending on your puzzle-solving abilities.
Cosmic Mirage (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5)
Estimated Completion Time: 30 minutes
Publisher: Desert Water Games
Developers: HugePixel
Release Date: July 12, 2024
Xbox Store Links: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows
Xbox Store Bundle Link: Xbox/Windows Bundle
Playstation Store Links: PS4/PS5
Triple Stack available on Xbox as well as a bundle purchase option along with the individual options. PS4/PS5 stack available on PlayStation along with a cross-buy option.
Cosmic Mirage is a super quick completion. It’s a side-scrolling shooter where accessing the settings menu allows you to enable various accessibility options: Infinite Health, More Exp, Easier Bosses, and Infinite Bullets. Activating these makes the game a cake walk"”all you have to do is continuously press fire to finish the levels.
At the game’s conclusion, after defeating the initial version of the final boss, you’re presented with two choices. Opting to join the dark side leads to the bad ending. Restart the final boss fight and choose the alternative option for the good ending, completing the game once more.
This approach ensures a rapid completion, providing both endings with minimal effort.
