Game Journal: Oct 2025
A list of games I played on my PC, steam deck or switch 2 in October with 2-3 line comments
Every month I collate the games I played that are new to me, or I haven’t played in a long time and revisited.
As part of Good Game Lobby Monthly Gaming Club we were playing A Short Hike.
Next month we are playing Toem. Join us if you fancy playing along or just want to chat games.
A Short Hike
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
This game had been on my backlog for a while and it was the perfect before bed time game. It ran smoothly on the steam deck and gave me the escape from a stressful time I needed. My review can be found below.
Reviews: A Short Hike
At Margot Plays, I review games that I have played focused on my experience, which is evolving as I play more games. In general the games’ story will have been completed, on easy mode if applicable and unless stated otherwise played on the steam deck OLED.
Palworld
Fight, farm, build and work alongside mysterious creatures called “Pals” in this completely new multiplayer, open world survival and crafting game!
When I first got my steam deck in 2024 I spoke to a friend about it and he was getting a Rog Ally at the time to play Palworld and use it as his on the go computer.
I then looked into Palworld a bit but was put off by the Pokemon rip off conversation around the game. However as I played more games over the last 18 months and started to understand what could be a rip off and what is inspiration and also just re-interpretation of similar concepts I decided to give it a go. While it is definitely a creature collector, I think the base building and survival aspect make it quite different from a Pokémon game. I do however think some monsters could be more original and the poses the characters make with their version of a poke-ball are also very similar to Pokémon. Nevertheless I enjoyed this. I mostly played it on my PC but it also works well on the steam deck with some settings turned down.
Steam Next fest demos
I also played a few demos for steam next fest. I have never really played demos much before. I do like to play demos at actual events and give feedback and speak to the devs there and then, so I was never that interested in steam next fest. But this time I gave it a go and had a blast. You can find what I played on the steam deck below.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Discover an urban Pokémon adventure in a vibrant city full of Pokémon and possibilities in Pokémon Legends: Z-A on Nintendo Switch! Explore Lumiose City, unravel its secrets, discover Mega-Evolved Pokémon and face off against Trainers in real-time, dynamic battles.
I have a soft spot for Pokémon with Red being the first one I played way back when. (1998/99). I tended to buy the next generation Nintendo handheld with new pokemon games. :D So it felt a bit nostalgic to get this game during release week. I was also lucky to have played the demo of the new combat during Gamescom and loved it. Hence I knew I would play this quite happily. I am also glad it isn’t completely open world as I get really lost. So far I am having a great time.
Wow 2 months left of 2025!? Do you have some games left you are looking forward to or want to finish before the year is out? I wanted to give the Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 a go. Let’s see if I still start these.
I’m trying to finish Outer Wilds.. I’m so close now, on the very last bit but just need to get all the timing just right to actually complete the thing! And then on my list is Dark Souls (which I’m a little terrified of and wonder if I’ll get any distance at all) and Witcher 3, but there’s also the Outer Wilds DLC.. so many games, so little time 😂
A Short Hike was recommended to me a while ago. I need to try that one. I'm still rocking Ghost of Yotei, but it's not often that I play the newest games so I'm enjoying my time.