October2019
Review Anthill - Image & Form's Pre-Steamworld Strategy Epic Gets A Second Chance On Switch
Swarming good fun
Before finding success with the Steamworld series, Image & Form launched a little game called Anthill on mobile devices. You might not have even heard of it before now, but the studio claims it to be one of their finest games, without which they wouldn’t have had the courage to move onto the Steamworld series. They’re...
April2019
Grind those gears
Image & Form Games has done very well to branch out from its charming subterranean platforming series SteamWorld Dig into other genres. 2015’s SteamWorld Heist took the aesthetic and amusing writing of that steampunk fantasy universe (which started out, lest we forget, with SteamWorld Tower Defence on DSiWare) and transposed...
February2018
Review SteamWorld Dig 2 (3DS eShop)
Diggin’ up a treat
Image & Form’s SteamWorld franchise has become somewhat of a household name among the Nintendo eShops as of late, with games spread across Switch, 3DS, and Wii U gathering almost nothing but praise from players and critics alike. SteamWorld Dig 2, which is perhaps unsurprisingly the sequel to the rather wonderful...
Review SteamWorld Dig (Switch eShop)
Time to dig in once more
SteamWorld Dig hardly needs any introduction; Image & Form’s 2013 Metroidvania-platformer has cemented itself as part of a much beloved series of games that brightly shine with polish and pedigree. With SteamWorld Dig 2 recently strutting its stuff on Switch, it makes a lot of sense that the developer has decided to...
December2017
Review SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition (Switch eShop)
I love it when a plan comes together
After releasing the sublime SteamWorld Dig, many expected Image & Form to go the safe route of producing a follow up that more or less built on that foundation. Though we would eventually receive SteamWorld Dig 2, the company chose to defy expectations and make SteamWorld Heist, a game which belongs to...
September2017
Review SteamWorld Dig 2 (Switch eShop)
Full steam ahead
As Image & Form often reminds us, its now-familiar core IP began with SteamWorld: Tower Defense on DSiWare, a thoroughly decent tower defence game. It was SteamWorld Dig that was transformative for the studio, however, achieving well-earned success on the 3DS and a range of other platforms. That allowed the team to up the ante...
October2016
Review SteamWorld Heist (Wii U eShop)
Now in steamy HD
Though Image & Form's most notable sales and critical breakthroughs have been on the 3DS, its games often cry out to be played in HD. The SteamWorld titles evoke an utterly charming steampunk aesthetic, with clunky and scrappy robots shining at full resolution on a TV. SteamWorld Heist was another hit for the studio on 3DS, but...
December2015
Review SteamWorld Heist (3DS eShop)
You feelin' lucky, steampunk?
When a studio has a surprise hit such as SteamWorld Dig, it would likely be forgiven if a straightforward sequel rapidly followed. That doesn't seem to be the norm on the eShop, however, and Image & Form has produced an ambitious follow-up in the form of a turn-based strategy game with a twist, placing trick shots...
August2014
Review SteamWorld Dig (Wii U eShop)
Groundbreaking!
The two hottest properties in indie gaming right now are Sweden and spelunking. From Amnesia to Hotline Miami to Goat Simulator to that DotA song, a hugely disproportionate number of big independent releases the last few years have come from Swedes; whether it's Cave Story, Shovel Knight,
August2013
Review SteamWorld Dig (3DS eShop)
A gem to discover
At its best, the 3DS eShop is host to titles with a simple, well-formed idea that's executed with care and skill. SteamWorld Dig, the second in the SteamWorld franchise from developer Image & Form, fits into that mould, incorporating puzzle platforming mechanics within a continuous process of digging and resource management...
July2010
Review SteamWorld: Tower Defense (DSiWare)
Your head will be steaming
There’s no doubt that you'll know if SteamWorld: Tower Defense is for you upon asking yourself one simple question – do you like tower defence games? Not only is SteamWorld the essence of this sub-genre, it doesn’t try to pull anything crazy, either. If you’ve never played this type of game before, they’re quite...
