SwitchArcade Round-Up: 'Escape Lala', 'Baby Storm', 'Go Minimal', Plus Today's Other New Releases and Sales – TouchArcade - Touch Arcade

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for January 21st, 2022. In today's article, we've got a lot of new releases. A lot. There were eight on the schedule when I went to bed last night. There were twenty-four when I woke up. Yikes. We've got summaries of all of them, albeit somewhat brief in some cases. We also have a decent-sized list of new sales, plus the list of expiring discounts. Let's get to it!

New Releases

Escape Lala – Retro Point and Click Adventure ($0.90)

SwitchArcade Highlight!

Ah, so you can set eShop prices lower than $0.99. Informative. So you know what's weird about this one? It's actually really good. It's only playable in handheld mode, and it's quite short. But it's a fun little escape room/adventure game with a lot of neat details to poke at. Definitely worth the meager price it's asking, provided you aren't totally allergic to this genre.

Escape Lala 2 – Retro Point and Click Adventure ($9.99)

SwitchArcade Highlight!

Everything I said about the first game applies here, except it's more substantial and costs more. Give that first one a try, and if you enjoy it I think you can safely drop your ten bucks on this sequel. Handheld only, just like the first game.

Storm Tale 2 ($19.99)

This sequel doesn't seem to change very much from the first game. Once again you're playing matching puzzles to build up your village and defeat evil. There are some bonus minigames to go with the assortment of match-3 puzzles, and some different modes and difficulty levels to customize your experience to an extent. I'll say the same thing now I said back when the first one hit the eShop: you can find tons of these kinds of games for free on your mobile device of choice, and there's nothing here that compels me to recommend you spend twenty bucks on it.

Jack 'n' Hat ($7.99)

This platformer seems to take some cues from Super Mario Odyssey, giving its main character a multi-purpose hat that can be tossed like a boomerang, used to warp around, and more. There are twenty standard levels, and they are on the bigger side as these things go. Each level has a bunch of collectibles, and there are some secret levels to unlock for those who can sniff them out. You'll unlock new abilities as you go, helping to keep the game fresh through its several hours of playtime. Neat.

Sports Car Driver ($11.99)

Another one of these. Same engine as always, this time with a sports car theme. There are ten vehicles to collect and drive, a decent little open area to scoot around in, multiple missions to complete, and a free roam mode if you just want to chill. It will probably be on sale for half price within a month or two.

Baby Storm ($19.99)

Everyone wants to be the next Overcooked!, and Baby Storm seems to be angling at that concept. Up to four players can join in on this one in local multiplayer, and the idea is that you're all babysitters working together to try to take care of a bunch of babies. Those little tots have a variety of wants and needs, and you need to meet them while also keeping them happy and safe. Easier said than done. I'll have to put this one through the paces with my family and see if it has what it takes.

Merek's Market ($19.99)

Here's another stab at the Overcooked! idea, this time with you and up to three other players trying to successfully run a medieval shop. It offers a massive campaign to play through, some scenes where you have to haggle with customers, and boss battles. It doesn't quite hit the mark with all of its gimmicks, but it hangs together well enough that those who have burnt out on Overcooked! may want to cycle it into the party rotation.

Go Minimal ($4.99)

Go doesn't strike me as the kind of game that goes with minimalism, but Hook Games is going to give it the old college try here. It offers the classic board game in a few different modes, with global leaderboards using an Elo rating system. Play against the computer, or challenge a friend locally or online. Seems like a rather nice Go app for a very affordable price to me.

Chef Word Ardee ($7.99)

Smooth title, Digital Game Group. Very smooth. This looks a lot like a template flip, but I'm not sure about that. It's handheld-only, and the gameplay is just a basic "use these letters to make as many words as you can" deal. The letters look like bits of pasta on a plate, though. Maybe that is enough for you.

MonsterFruitAcademy ($32.05)

This game describes itself as a parkour game, and I'm not really sure what that entails in this case. It touts single player and four-player local multiplayer modes. The screenshots seem to show a variety of styles of play, and the description talks about using cards. Oh, and it can't play in handheld mode. That usually means you have to use the unattached Joy-Cons for something. I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say this is a party game of some kind, but even the videos I found didn't completely clear things up.

Horrid Henry's Krazy Karts ($29.99)

That's a little harsh, isn't it? How horrid could it really be? Wait, someone just handed me a note. Oh, I see. The character's name is Horrid Henry. Poor fellow. He looks totally agreeable to me. I assume this is based on a book or a cartoon or something, but I'm not familiar with it. It's a side-scrolling racing game, which is not something you see every day. Pick your favorite character, customize your kart, and make your way through forty levels of racing action set across four different locations. You can play against computer opponents or with up to four players in local multiplayer. I haven't had a chance to play this yet, and I have to admit that I'm somewhat skeptical of how well it works. Perhaps worth investigating for fans of the character?

Dungeons of Shalnor ($9.99)

This is a turn-based technical roguelite where the main gimmick is your ability to turn the camera, manipulating enemies, traps, and other elements of the dungeon. Each run offers up an assortment of random bits that mix things up, and each time you fail you'll earn some currency you can use to unlock permanent upgrades. Not the prettiest or flashiest thing, but it does what it does well enough.

Kinduo ($4.99)

Yes, that's a puzzle-platformer alright. You can play alone or pull in a friend for some local co-op play. There are two characters, each with their own element-based abilities. Lots of block-pushing, some circuit-connecting, that kind of thing. A good example of this sort of affair, even if there's nothing all that revolutionary about it.

The Company Man ($19.99)

This is an action platformer with a rather unusual theme. You play as an office worker who runs, jumps, and keyboard-smashes his way through various environments and enemies with an anti-corporation vibe. The difficulty curve can be a little nasty, but it plays well and has a lot of interesting ideas. It comes off a lot like playing as Zero in the Mega Man games, but the oddness that permeates the whole thing lends it a rather unique feel. Platformer fans who are looking to get away from the usual set-ups should find plenty to dig into with this game.

The Flea Evolution ($6.99)

Of all the things I would have expected to see released on the Switch, a remake/sequel to a 1983 microcomputer game from Spain wasn't one of them. This is a completely new take on a game that went by the name of Bugaboo or The Flea. The original was on the Spectrum, the Commodore 64, the MSX, and the Amstrad CPC. Beyond some obvious changes to the presentation, there are some adjustments to the basic hopping gameplay and the overall design. I haven't had a chance to try this one yet, but the old game was pretty fun. I want to believe this one will be too.

Slingshot Stunt Driver & Sports ($9.99)

Well, that's some truth in advertising right there. Pick your favorite car and then launch it with a slingshot to complete various goals and tasks. You're trying to land in the marked spot, but it's trickier than it looks thanks to all the variables in play. Certainly amusing. I only wish it had some multiplayer modes or something. Try it out for free on your mobile device to see how you like it before picking it up here, though.

Sudoku Zenkai ($4.99)

Yes, it's another sudoku game. There are six different difficulty levels, so you can probably find the right level of challenge for you. It includes a puzzle generator that will keep on spitting out new puzzles for you to play. You also get various themes and other options to enhance your sudoku experience. If you somehow need another sudoku game, this is a nice value for the price.

Survive on Raft ($24.99)

An empty knock-off of the survival game Raft, and nowhere near as good. For whatever reason, they've decided to charge more than double for this Switch version compared to the Steam game. It wasn't worth it for ten bucks, and it's sure as heck not worth it for twenty-five.

Downslope ($4.99)

Here's a cool snowboarding game where you are making your way down a slope, avoiding obstacles and dealing with the occasional ghost. It's relatively simple to play, and that's not a bad thing at all. If you're looking for something a little different to play today, this isn't the worst way to blow a fiver.

Monster Rescue ($3.49)

"Kistler Studios"? Well, la-di-DA. Anyway, Benjamin Kistler is back with what is almost certainly another template flip. Handheld mode only, because Android template. Use your bow and arrow to shoot the rope holding each monster without skewering them. There are thirty-five levels in all.

RichMan 10 ($24.99)

This is a board game that borrows heavily from Monopoly but dresses it up in its own style. It has a few of its own rules to make sure it's not too similar to its source of inspiration as well. Up to four players can play this locally or online, and you can also take on some computer opponents in a campaign mode if you like. Might be something to try if you're already tired of Mario Party.

Troll Patrol ($19.99)

We all remember Dungeon Raid, right? Troll Patrol is a lot like Dungeon Raid. Like, its basic mechanics are almost the same. Make a line to match swords, shields, and so on. Use the swords to attack enemies, and replenish your health and armor with potions and shields. Get coins to buy items. There's an overarching element here where you can earn permanent upgrades that will help you in your next game. It's a little expensive for my liking, but if you don't mind the price and want to scratch your Dungeon Raid itch, this might do it.

Toasted ($7.49)

This is a party game for up to four players via local multiplayer. You control one of six food-themed characters and use vehicles to try to attack each other. There are four different arenas to do battle in, and plenty of hats to customize your character with. It's mainly geared towards multiplayer, but you can battle AI opponents if no one else is around.

BlackJack Math ($3.99)

A very simple puzzle game where each of the fifty stages challenges you to swap around the cards in the mathematical equation such that the result is 21. Playable in handheld mode only, as you'll need to use touch controls.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

That's a large list of new sales, but it's about as expected as it gets. Some newly-launched games with discounts, a wide assortment of Digerati sales, and a lot of the other usual suspects. Nothing much to get excited about in the weekend outbox, but have a look through the list anyway.

Select New Games on Sale

Windjammers 2 ($17.99 from $19.99 until 1/27)
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/27)
Remothered Broken Porcelain ($7.49 from $29.99 until 1/27)
Boom Ball: Boost Edition ($1.99 from $12.99 until 1/27)
Wuppo Definitive Edition ($3.99 from $14.99 until 1/27)
Lost Words: Beyond the Page ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/27)
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince ($5.99 from $29.99 until 1/27)
Little Misfortune ($6.99 from $19.99 until 1/28)
Detective Di Silk Rose Murders ($4.99 from $12.99 until 1/29)
Anima Gate of Memories ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/31)
Anima GoM Arcane Edition ($11.99 from $29.99 until 1/31)
Anima GoM Nameless Chronicles ($4.99 from $19.99 until 1/31)
Timothy vs the Aliens ($6.79 from $16.99 until 1/31)
Naught ($3.99 from $19.99 until 1/31)
Lotus Reverie First Nexus ($7.19 from $15.99 until 1/31)
Flying Soldiers ($2.33 from $17.99 until 1/31)
Heart&Slash ($3.89 from $14.99 until 1/31)
Get Ogre It ($2.39 from $11.99 until 1/31)
Butcher ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/3)
Regalia Of Men and Monarchs ($9.99 from $24.99 until 2/3)

Lichtspeer: Double Speer ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/3)
Darkwood ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Project Warlock ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Warsaw ($7.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Cinders ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
MouseCraft ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/3)
Winds of Change ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Gomoku Let's Go ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/3)
Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Tamashii ($5.39 from $11.99 until 2/3)
Bleed ($2.99 from $11.99 until 2/3)
Bleed 2 ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Underhero ($8.49 from $16.99 until 2/3)
Glass Masquerade ($3.59 from $11.99 until 2/3)
Glass Masquerade 2 ($4.79 from $11.99 until 2/3)
Tower of Time ($14.99 from $24.99 until 2/3)
Signs of the Sojourner ($14.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Apsulov: End of Gods ($25.49 from $29.99 until 2/3)
Way of the Passive Fist ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/3)
My Memory of Us ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/3)

The Procession to Calvary ($11.24 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Unto the End ($16.24 from $24.99 until 2/3)
Omega Strike ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Shikhondo Soul Eater ($4.19 from $13.99 until 2/3)
Aquatic Adv. of the Last Human ($3.24 from $12.99 until 2/3)
Uncanny Valley ($2.49 from $9.99 until 2/3)
1979 Revolution Black Friday ($2.99 from $11.99 until 2/3)
Bonkies ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)
MONOBOT ($11.69 from $12.99 until 2/4)
Boris the Rocket ($10.04 from $14.99 until 2/4)
Monster Energy Supercross 3 ($5.99 from $39.99 until 2/4)
One Dog Story ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/4)
BDSM ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
My Hidden Things ($4.68 from $6.99 until 2/4)
Apple Knight ($2.49 from $7.99 until 2/4)
Mushroom Wars 2 ($5.99 from $19.99 until 2/4)
Princess.Loot.Pixel.Again ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Mainframe Defenders ($8.39 from $11.99 until 2/4)
AVICII Invector ($17.99 from $29.99 until 2/4)
MotoGP 19 ($4.49 from $29.99 until 2/4)

Gnomes Garden ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/4)
Mystery Mine ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/4)
Galaxy Squad ($7.99 from $9.99 until 2/4)
HardCube ($2.10 from $7.00 until 2/4)
Amazing Breaker ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/4)
Vostok Inc ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/4)
GRIP ($5.99 from $39.99 until 2/4)
The Amazing American Circus ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
From Shadows ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/7)
Big Pharma ($4.99 from $29.99 until 2/7)
Help Will Come Tomorrow ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Apocalipsis Wormwood Edition ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/7)
Skyhill ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/7)
Golazo! ($3.99 from $14.99 until 2/7)
Roarr! Jurassic Edition ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/7)
This is the Zodiac Speaking ($3.99 from $12.99 until 2/7)
We. The Revolution ($5.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
May's Mysteries: TSoD ($9.99 from $14.99 until 2/7)
Children of Morta ($8.57 from $21.99 until 2/7)
This War of Mine: CE ($3.59 from $39.99 until 2/7)

Beat Cop ($2.24 from $14.99 until 2/7)
Moonlighter ($6.24 from $24.99 until 2/7)
Effie ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/7)
Castle on the Coast ($11.99 from $14.99 until 2/7)
From Earth to Heaven ($3.49 from $6.99 until 2/8)
Quell Zen ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/8)
Quell Reflect ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/8)
Air Bounce Jump n Run Challenge ($2.99 from $5.99 from 2/8)
My Little Dog Adventure ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/8)
Aery Calm Mind ($4.49 from $8.99 until 2/8)
Aery Broken Memories ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/8)
Life of Fly ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/8)
Murder Diaries ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/8)
Murder Diaries 3 SToB ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/8)
Dragon Question ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/10)
Sky Races ($1.99 from $3.49 until 2/10)
Mahluk Dark Demon ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
A Hole New World ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
The Gardens Between ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/10)

Mail Mole + Expansions Bundle ($11.99 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Flat Heroes ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Old Man's Journey ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Despotism 3k ($2.19 from $10.9 until 2/10)
Goblin Sword ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Pianista ($19.99 from $24.99 until 2/10)
Sudoku Relax ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Here Be Dragons ($5.39 from $17.99 until 2/10)
In Celebration of Violence ($2.59 from $12.99 until 2/10)
Pirate Treasure: Island of Mazes ($1.99 from $2.29 until 2/10)
Ghoul Boy ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Sudoku Classic ($2.49 from $5.99 until 2/10)
Dragon Snakes ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/10)
Soulblight ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Unit 4 ($1.99 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Mini Trains ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/10)
Blazing Beaks ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Super Hero Fight Club ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Gravity Rider Zero ($1.99 from $6.99 until 2/10)
Door Kickers ($3.99 from $11.99 until 2/10)

Timothy & the Mysterious Forest ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
DungeonTop ($3.99 from $13.99 until 2/10)
BIT.TRIP Series, Assorted ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Badland GotY Edition ($2.99 from $5.99 until 2/10)
#RaceDieRun ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Tiny Lands ($2.99 from $5.99 until 2/10)
Good Night, Knight ($3.99 from $11.99 until 2/10)
CHOP ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Epistory: Typing Chronicles ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/10)
Arcane Arts Academy ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Escape Doodland ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Death's Hangover ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Wreckin' Ball Adventure ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Utopia 9 Volatile Vacation ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Zombie Blast Crew ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Akuto Showdown ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Dex ($1.99 from $19.99 until 2/10)
Coffee Crisis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)

Koloro ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Brawl ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Tharsis ($2.99 from $11.99 until 2/10)
One Strike ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/10)
Welcome to Primrose Lake ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Wondershot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/10)
Kid Tripp ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/10)
Space Commander: War & Trade ($5.99 from $9.99 until 2/10)
HyperParasite ($1.99 from $17.99 until 2/10)

Sales Ending This Weekend

.cat Milk ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/22)
Binaries ($2.07 from $12.99 until 1/22)
Cartoon Tower Defense ($2.99 from $3.99 until 1/22)
Clumsy Rush ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/22)
Cyber Protocol ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/22)
Duo Zombies ($4.99 from $7.99 until 1/22)
LocO-SportS ($1.99 from $5.99 until 1/22)
Mind Scanners ($13.59 from $16.99 until 1/22)
Nirvana Pilot Yume ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/22)
OMG Police: Car Chase TV ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/22)
Orbitblazers ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/22)
Quarantine Circular ($2.99 from $5.99 until 1/22)
Sector 781 ($3.95 from $5.99 until 1/22)
SkyScrappers ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/22)
Subsurface Circular ($2.99 from $5.99 until 1/22)
Suicide Guy ($1.99 from $7.99 until 1/22)
Suicide Guy Sleepin Deeply ($1.99 from $5.99 until 1/22)
Superpanda ($2.99 from $3.99 until 1/22)
Ultimate Bumper Cars: Dodgems ($5.99 from $11.99 until 1/22)
Ultimate Racing 2D ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/22)
Azurebreak Heroes ($1.99 from $6.99 until 1/23)

That's all for today and this week, friends. We'll be back next week with – what else? – more games. Stuff like Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, and many more. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!