Game Reviews, Software and Hardware Tests by Zap Zockt

Zap Zockt Game Tests and Hardware Reviews – FAQ

Hi there, thank you for your interest in my reviews and tests. This post informs you about my testing methods and collects the previously published posts from the categories Game Reviews, Software, and Hardware Reviews.

First of all, I would like to tell you a bit about what my philosophy looks like in testing and review writing. I think if you better understand how I am thinking, you may be able to better assess how to grade my tests and reviews. If you have any questions about my testing process or other related topics, feel free to ask them in the comments.

Tests and Reviews by Zap Zockt – FAQ

What kind of game reviews and hardware reviews and tests are there?

I mostly create game previews, reviews, game tests, and analysis texts for new releases in the gaming area, sometimes also hardware or other software is reviewed. Mostly these are tests and reviews that I do because these games and products just interest me personally. Sometimes I also get free samples provided.

But free test samples get no free ticket for a good rating or special bonus rating. If something is not good, that is honestly mentioned, and a rating is always created from the point of view, how would I feel if I had paid the full price for it? More information about me can you read on the “About Zap Zockt” page.

All tests, game reviews, and other posts can always be found on my various channels, which you can look up on my

Zap zockt – Who is this?

(Video with German Voice Over and subtitles in many different languages)

I’ve been a gamer since about 1980, and have been playing ever since. I have been using computers for almost all my life. Starting with Atari console, C16, C64, Amiga, and the first 286 and 386 PCs, up to the latest machines. But consoles were never my thing.

Not only did I play all the time, but I also worked as a programmer. I was several years in training as a system and network administrator, and have working practice for several more years in that field.

As a gamer, I probably played more than 1000 games during this time and spent tens of thousands of hours playing computer games, but also board games, tabletop games, LARP, and everything else in the field of games. So I’m a full-time nerd, geek, and freak, the way you imagine.

I try to incorporate this experience in my tests and reviews but without the “formerly everything was better” approach. I am a human of the now, today is the best day for me. Not only that, but I do not complain about the past and rarely dream about a better future, but I always try to make the best of today.

How do you test and rate? Do bad things really get beaten hard?

My approach is more that I mostly just don’t touch the really bad stuff. I do not even write reports, tests, or reviews about something really bad. That’s because I really only want to make content about things that I enjoy myself as well. If I had to force myself to test something because the theme or the technical state of the game or product would simply not appeal to me, I would not enjoy testing. And you probably will not enjoy reading this test or watching the video or listening to the podcast afterward.

The old saying that my grandmother always said to me (until I understood it): “If you can not say anything good about a topic, do not say anything about it”.

And Grandma was absolutely right. Because every report is somehow an increase in outreach and relevance to a topic, and if you talk about it, write, or make videos, then the thing is upgraded, even if you would speak badly of it in the end. So the worst rating that you can give is, in my opinion, to not make any rating and to not mention the product at all.

How do you create Game Reviews?

My reviews are always a mix of presentation and testing, all the important parts of the game are considered, shown, and explained. I try to look at the products as comprehensively as possible without wearing out the patience of the audience. So in each test, there is also a reasonable number of hours that I spent with it. I do not create “look an hour and then rate” tests, as some press/websites sometimes do. I also try to avoid reading or looking at other tests before creating my own test. It just seduces you to take the opinion of others, and I do not want that.

And finally, there is also my opinion about it, but it doesn’t have to be the right one for you. Even though, I hope that it will fit for you as often as possible. In any case, I always try to analyze and present a product so comprehensively that you as a reader or viewer can get an idea of whether a product is suitable for you or not. This is an important aspect for me. My opinion does not have to be the right one for you. But at least you should get all the information you need to form your own opinion in my review.

More soon. I hope you will like my reviews. If there are any further questions, feel free to ask, for first-contacts best use email (see imprint), via social media, or a bit more personally on my discord server.

I am working for a publisher/developer/tech company. Can I send you my game or tech product to be reviewed on zapzockt.de?

Sure, I would appreciate any review sample, that you want to send to me. My contact email and my physical address can both be found in the imprint of this website. I am happy about every mailing and every key.

But be aware, I do not promise you a review or any content. If your product is not matching my minimum quality rates or is simply not in context with my site or is in a technical state that is not recommendable, I maybe will not do any content about your product. But in most cases I will do at least a written article, video reviews are reserved for products, that really catch my interest, bring me some special entertainment, or that I find extraordinarily helpful.

Zap, do you also do QA Testing or Feedback reports or similar for games or tech products?

If you have a new game or product that is still in development or relatively fresh to the market, and you are looking for detailed and professional feedback, I can help you as well. Having several decades of experience with software and hardware, I have knowledge as both a programmer and a hardware engineer. I will certainly respect any NDA or other agreement, test your game or product and give you very detailed feedback, bug reports, user experience analysis, or whatever you are looking for.

I have been active as a tester for several years for smaller indie developers as well as several larger and globally active gaming companies. In total, the number of tests I’ve participated in is now in triple digits.

Feel free to contact me via email (see imprint). If the time investment is less than an hour or your game/product is very interesting for me, it can even be a free consultation, otherwise, we can discuss the financial side personally.

And if your QA department still needs external reinforcement, go ahead, for such a job I’m available anytime, no matter if hourly, temporary or with permanent employment, just get in touch, and we’ll surely find an agreement.

Previous Game Reviews:

Spacebourne 2 Review – Space Action Strategy RPG – Freelancer Meets Civilization in this Test

Free Mankind from Bondage in this Dark Space Epic – Spacebourne 2 offers a very interesting mix of Action-Combat, Role-Playing, and 4X Strategy – Read all about it in this Game Test and Game Review

SpaceBourne 2 is a space-open-world sandbox, with lots of spaceship combat, but also action as a soldier on stations and planets. It offers an extensive story around the liberation of mankind from slavery and a complex space conquest part that offers long-term motivation in the style of a 4X strategy with combat, diplomacy, and sophisticated battles.

Forspoken Review – Save a Strange World Full of Light and Shadow – Test

In the action role-playing game Forspoken from Square Enix, we travel with Frey to a fantasy world and learn fantastic magic and parkour skills to defeat chaos and find a way home

In this Forspoken Test / Review (no Let’s Play) you will get everything you need to know about the Action RPG with Open World Gameplay. There have already been a lot of uproars, and I’ll tell you my opinion after more than 30 hours of play. Forspoken came out with a release date of 01/24/2023 for PlayStation PS5 and PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Tortuga A Pirate’s Tale Review – Pirates 2023 or Port Royale the Other Way Around – Review

Tortuga Delivers Turn-Based Pirate Strategy and 3D Ship Cruising Across the Caribbean Sea

In Tortuga (Gameplay Test – Let’s Play Game Review) we play a pirate in the Caribbean, similar to Pirates. We fight in turn-based ship battles against merchants, pirate hunters, and other pirates and try to build an empire that will eventually be strong enough to plunder the legendary Spanish treasure fleet. Tortuga hit the Epic Games Store with a release date of Jan. 19, 2023, for PlayStation PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with a Steam version likely to follow later.

Aquatico Test – 1000 Miles Under the Sea – Fancy City Building Sim in Review

The City Builder Strategy Game Aquatico Lets Us Build a City in the Sea – A Special City Builder with Relaxation Factor due to Aquarium Feeling

The underwater build-up game Aquatico in the gameplay test with review video – The earth is sinking in the chaos of the climate catastrophe, and we are building a new home for mankind deep in the sea. Complex city builder strategy with aquarium charm.

Ixion Review – Save Humanity – City Builder in Space (Test)

Mankind Sets Off to New Worlds – Build-Up Strategy on a Space Station – Sci Fi Survival Town Builder in Review – Ixion Test

In Bulwark Studios’ new build-up strategy game Ixion, you’ll lead the construction and journey of a space station into the future of humanity. It’s a mix of survival city builder, mayor simulation, and real-time strategy, and this is spiced up with a strong story and tough decisions. The release date for Ixion is 07.12.2022 and it will be released for PC on Steam.

City Bus Manager Review – Become a Bus Tycoon in Your City

The New Economic Sim City Bus Manager in Review/Test – Become a Bus Tycoon in Any City You Like

In the new Bus Tycoon game City Bus Manager you build up your own bus company and as a special highlight, you can do this in any city in the world thanks to the OpenStreetMap connection. Build a depot, look for employees, buy buses, and off you go with our own public transport provider. City Bus Manager has a release date of November 10th, 2022, and will be available for PC on Steam.

Batora Lost Haven Review – Girl Power in SciFi Space Action Adventure

In the Batora Lost Haven Review / Test you can Find out Everything About the New, Exciting Sci-Fi Adventure with Isometric Action Combat and a Lot of Story

The story-driven ARPG Batora is an indie game with a release date of Oct 20th, 2022, for Xbox, PlayStation PS4 / PS5, and for PC on Steam, a Nintendo version is also planned. In the Batora review PC gameplay is shown in German, RPG mixed with hack and slash, female protagonist, and all from an indie dev team.

The Ascent Cyber Heist – Back to the Beautifully Filthy Arcology

With The Ascent Cyber Heist, the cyberpunk ARPG gets a story DLC and plenty of updates make the visually impressive game even more interesting today

Farthest Frontier Review – Medieval Survival Village Building Strategy in the Test

Become the Mayor of a Medieval Village and Protect Your Inhabitants from Frost, Disease, Hunger, Wild Animals, and Raiders – All in the Farthest Frontier Test

Farthest Frontier offers village building strategy mixed with survival and a very accurate simulation of the inhabitants. With very fancy graphics, we can use almost 60 buildings and 26 other construction elements to build a comfortable home for our dwellers and protect them from frost, diseases, hunger, wild animals, and raiders.

Sweet Transit Review – Hardcore Railroad Transportation & Construction Strategy Game in the Test

A Complex mix of town builder strategy and railroad simulation with a lot of production and goods flow

Sweet Transit offers a comprehensive mix of games like Railroad Tycoon, Railway Empires, Transport Tycoon, Satisfactory, Factorio, and a bit of Anno 1800 – In this world, everything is done by train, and few games have ever offered such complex train simulation and such a model railroad feel.

In this Sweet Transit review, you’ll see the gameplay of the new city-building simulation with plenty of trains, tracks, and railroad flair. A mix of village building strategy, transportation, and goods organization, and everything is done by rail. All details about the new economic simulation, after more than 30 hours in the game – With this Indie game, a special Railroad Simulator and Trains Tycoon starts in Early Access on Steam. The release date of the strategy game was July 28, 2022, the publisher is Team17.

Clanfolk Review – Rimworld-like Build-up Strategy in Medieval Scotland – Test

In Clanfolk we are responsible for the survival of a family clan in the Highlands of Scotland – A Colony Sim similar to RimWorld in Review/Test

Clanfolk is a village-building simulation set in ancient 14th-century Scotland. We manage a family clan and learn to survive in the harsh wilderness. The game mixes survival, building strategy, and village simulation in minimalistic 2D graphics.

My Time At Sandrock Review – Cute, Smart, Good – Builder RPG as Portia Sequel Tested

The New Sandbox Crafting RPG from Portia Makers in Review – My Time at Sandrock Sends Us on a New Adventure, More Beautiful, More Extensive, and More Sandy

My Time at Sandrock is the sequel to My Time at Portia. We are the craftsmen of a village in the desert in a post-apocalyptic world. We supply our fellow villagers with items, repair things and get raw materials from the environment and from the caves and dungeons in the surroundings, where we also have to fight against monsters, robots, and crooks.

Holomento – fresh roguelite 3D Adventure RPG – Early Access (p)Review – Test

Holomento is a Permadeath Roguelite RPG in Which we Gradually Rebuild the World Over Several Characters

Holomento was released on Steam and GOG in Early Access on April 27th, 2022. What kind of game is Holomento, how far is the game in development, and most importantly, is it fun to play? I’ll tell you in this short preview of the Early Access version. Holomento is being developed by Indie Solo Dev Sean Weech, with a little help from the German studio Deck13 (known for The Surge).

Songs of Conquest Review – Exciting Heroes of Might and Magic Remake in Pixelart Style

In the Songs of Conquest Test There Are Old, Popular Game Mechanics Like in Heroes of Might and Magic Reinterpreted in a Modern Way, but Trimmed to Retro by Pixelart

Songs of Conquest attempts to revive the old fantasy role-playing strategy brand Heroes of Might and Magic. Explore a map with heroes, gather resources, train units, expand cities, and ultimately conquer the world.

Dune Spice Wars Review – 4X Real-Time Strategy gem Found in the Desert Sands (Test – 2022)

Real-time Strategy Meets 4X Simulation in the Sands of the Desert Planet Arrakis – The Dune Spice Wars Test

Dune: Spice Wars offers a completely new interpretation of the wars around the desert planet Dune. Here, the real-time strategy is mixed with 4X elements, so Age of Empires meets Civilization. Besides building and fighting, we take care of trade, diplomacy, politics, espionage, and sabotage and keep an eye on more than 10 different resources.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Review – Wacky Tabletop RPG in Borderlands 3.5 in the Test

In this test of the Loot Shooter Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, guns and magic mix to create an action game of a special kind.

The Borderlands series from Gearbox is very well known and promises the finest loot shooter gameplay. How well does the pen & paper fantasy and tabletop role-playing game approach fit into the proven Borderlands concept? Find out in this Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands review with PC gameplay in the video (German, subtitles).

The action-packed shoot ’em up Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands in a detailed review – Is the mix of fantasy RPG and action RPG successful? Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands was released on March 25th, 2022, for PlayStation PS4 and PS5, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X & S, and also for PC in the Epic Games Store, a release date for Steam is planned but not yet known.

Highrise City Review – Smart City Builder and Management Mix in the Test

In the Highrise City Test, we see a City-building Simulation Like in Cities Skylines, Combined With Build-up Strategy à la Anno 1800

In Highrise City we build cities like in SimCity or Cities: Skyline, but with resource management and trade, like in Anno. This new city builder mixes construction games with trade simulation and mayor management.

Submerged Hidden Depths Review – Chilled Post-Apocalyptic Adventure In The Test

In the peaceful and relaxing 3D adventure game Submerged Hidden Depths, two siblings try to save their post-apocalyptic world from a dark threat.

In Submerged: Hidden Depths, we play the girl Miku and her little brother, who together try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. Their environment is completely flooded, with only remnants of the old civilization still sticking out of the water. They explore the mystery of the dark mass that has caused the surrounding plants to overgrow everything.

Achilles Legends Untold – Action RPG Adventure in Ancient Greece – Beta Preview

In the action RPG Achilles: Legends Untold, you can relive history from Ancient Greece with Achilles

In Achilles Legends Untold, we play Achilles, the hero from Homer’s Illiad saga, and fight for ancient Troy. In this action RPG adventure, there is Ancient Greece mixed with ARPG gaming like in Titan Quest, but it also resembles RPGs like Diablo or even Dark Souls.

The Gunk Review – Science Fiction Adventures With Vacuum Power Tested

The Gunk Test – a colorful vacuum cleaner adventure in a dirty outer space – Game Review

In the action adventure game The Gunk from the Steamworld developers Image and Form, we save a sci-fi world from terrifying dirt and goo. In this review I show The Gunk gameplay, we solve puzzles and jump and run passages.

Recipe For Disaster Review – Chaotic Restaurant Tycoon Sim In The Test

Testing this time: The new restaurant manager simulation Recipe for Disaster

In this Recipe for Disaster review (with test gameplay) you can see the new restaurant management business simulation that went into Early Access on Steam in November 2021. In this tycoon-style manager game, we create recipes, hire employees, buy tables, chairs, decor, and kitchen equipment, and try to make real business. This Cooking Tycoon simulation game has it all. While the customer’s mouth is burning, the stove is burning in the kitchen, and we are responsible for everything.

Sphere Flying Cities – Early Access (p)Review

The salvation of mankind is up in the clouds, and we are creating it in the new build-up strategy game Sphere Flying Cities

In this Sphere Flying Cities strategy game review, I’ll show you the new survival city builder game from the German developers Hexagon Sphere. In Sphere: Flying Cities, we build a city on a flying cloud of earth in the sky after a meteorite shattered the moon and made the earth uninhabitable. Under the most difficult conditions, our inhabitants work to give humanity a last chance. A building simulation with a very special approach. The new indie building strategy game was released in Early Access in October 2021 for PC on Steam.

Encased Review – Post-Apocalyptic Retro RPG In The Test

Text-heavy, isometric, post-apocalyptic – Encased, a new RPG that sounds and looks like Fallout 1, plays like it too

In the new role-playing game Encased, we play in an alternate universe of a 70s Earth and enter a strange dome, created by an ancient culture or by aliens, it’s not really known. Encased is an isometric retro role-playing game, like in its predecessors Fallout 1 and 2, Arcanum or Neverwinter Nights, we travel through the world, talk to many NPCs, customize our character with numerous stats, collect equipment and solve the mystery of the strange dome and its origin.

Dice Legacy Review – strategic builder sim with dice in test

Very hard build-up strategy game Dice Legacy in the test – Save the dice world

In this Dice Legacy review, I’ll show you the new build-up strategy game that requires a lot of brainpower and some luck when rolling the dice. On a ringworld, we build a Dice Legacy with our dice underlings. The game was just released for Nintendo Switch and for PC on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store.

Farmer’s Life Review – Dirty Survival Farm Sim In Test

Farmer’s Life shows us the life on a farm in the 1940s in Eastern Europe, vegetables, animals, lumbering, and a lot of trade paired with Survival

In this Farmer’s Life Review, I show you how the new farm sim with survival elements from Freemind Games performs. Kasimir, the ever-drunk ex-soldier, comes back to his parents’ farm after WW2. The family is dead, he is addicted to alcohol and the farm is run down. Can you turn his life around, or ruin everything forever? Farmer’s Life was released on Steam for PC with a release date of August 2021.

Big Farm Story – Introducing the cheerful farm sim [sponsored Article]

Big Farm Story offers farm life with fields, animals, neighborhood, and many stories #AD #Advertising

In this Big Farm Story gameplay presentation, I’ll show you what the game is about and how to play it. The farm simulation Big Farm Story by GoodGame Studios lets us experience farm life as a game and shows educational things about animals, plants, and also many social skills. Helping, being nice, playing is interwoven here.

The Ascent Test – Badass Cyberpunk Action RPG Shooter in Review

In the super stylish cyberpunk action RPG The Ascent there are stark contrasts between rich and poor, light and shadow, great gameplay and many bugs – My The Ascent Test

In this The Ascent review I show you in detail how the new cyberpunk RPG shooter plays, if it’s fun and how well the game plays. The Ascent is released on July the 27th, 2021 on Xbox Game Pass and Steam for PC and also for PlayStation (PS4+PS5) and XBox.

Dream Engines Nomad Cities Review – Steampunk Survival Build-up Strategy in Test

Will this be an interesting mix? – Post-apocalyptic city builder with steampunk vibes, roguelite, RTS elements, and a dash of Factorio.

In this Dream Engines Nomad Cities review, I’ll show you how the new post-apocalyptic city-builder building game plays with elements of real-time strategy, Factorio automation, and Roguelite elements, whether it’s fun and how well it already works in Early Access. Dream Engines Nomad Cities is available in Early Access on the Epic Game Store and on Steam since July 14, 2021.

Going Medieval Review – Village building strategy with RPG and survival in the test

Going Medieval is a build-up strategy in the Middle Ages with survival, Sims-like social simulation, construction mode, and fending off attacks.

In this Going Medieval Review (Gameplay PC) I’ll show you the new medieval colony builder game with survival and RPG elements. Castle building and defense in 3D with very detailed simulation, seasons, and all kinds of dangers for the settlers. Going Medieval will be released for PC in June 2021 on Steam, Epic Store, and GOG in Early Access.

Swords of Legends Online Review – pretty Asia Story MMORPG in Test

In the new Chinese MMORPG Swords of Legends Online we become immortal to take up the fight against demons and ancient evil dragons

In the Swords of Legends Online Review (PC Gameplay) you get all the info about the new theme park MMORPG from Gameforge, which has a release date in summer 2021 & looks really nice. All details about the combat system, character creation, classes, skills, crafting, housing, quests, story, item store, Pay2Win, translation, and much more.

Distant Kingdoms Review – Fantasy Strategy RPG City-Builder in Test

Distant Kingdoms offers city building in a fantasy realm, very close to Anno, but with hero parties, dungeons, orcs, elves, and dwarves.

In this Distant Kingdoms review, you’ll get all the info about the new fantasy building strategy game with city builder elements, RPG heroes, and adventures.

The Tenants Review – test of the funny landlord simulation

The Tenants Test – Rough landlords, a lot of furniture and rats, and much more in the new economic sim strategy game

In The Tenants, we play an interior designer, real estate agent and landlord, we furnish apartments, we take care of tenants’ worries and we kick them out when they don’t pay enough.

Evil Genius 2 Review – Test – a nasty grinning villain base-building sim

In the build-up strategy game Evil Genius 2: World Domination we build a villain base on a secret island and conquer the world with our minions.

In Evil Genius 2 we build a secret underground base with our nasty villain genius and try to seize world domination (the same thing we do every night, Pinky). We train our henchmen, steal riches, research secret rogue techniques and use all this to cheat the secret services of the “good” world and get the world under our control.

Pascal’s Wager Definitive Edition – Review – Soulslike RPG in Test

With Pascal’s Wager, a souls-like action RPG comes from the mobile market to the PC – and that’s not as bad as it sounds

In this Pascal’s Wager: Definitive Edition review, you’ll get an idea of how the new dark fantasy action RPG looks, performs, and whether the port from mobile (Android & iOS) to PC (Steam) was successful. In the dark role-playing game Pascal’s Wager we play four heroes who try to save their world from dark forces, the game would like to follow in the footsteps of Darksouls, Ghost of Tsushima, Nioh, or Bloodborne.

Stronghold Warlords Review – Test – Real-time strategy in ancient Asia

With Stronghold Warlords, the real-time strategy tradition series Stronghold celebrates its 20th birthday.

In this Stronghold Warlords review, you get a little insight into the gameplay of the new real-time strategy game with building and castle siege in ancient Asia. Stronghold Warlords was released in March 2021 for PC on Steam, which offers single-player, multiplayer, skirmish, and a build mode as well as a map editor.

The Protagonist Ex-1 Review – Test – Sci-Fi RPG inside an alien spaceship

In this The Protagonist EX-1 review I present the classic role-playing game with turn-based battles in a sci-fi world

In this The Protagonist EX-1 review, I’ll show you this turn-based sci-fi role-playing game as we fight our way out of an alien spaceship. The game offers party RPG a la Baldur’s Gate or Neverwinter Nights with tactical combat, many switch puzzles, and secret rooms blocking our way out of the alien spaceship.

Ranch Simulator Review – The backwoods farm in test

In the review of the simulation game Ranch Simulator, we talk about animals, a little business, and a lot of rain

In the Early Access game Ranch Simulator, we build our own little farm in the middle of nowhere, and that even with multiplayer gameplay. In the Ranch Simulator review, I show you if it’s fun, what the game’s condition is like & how well it works.

Lemon Cake Review – Sugary Sweets Bakery Simulation in Test

Does Lemon Cake’s recipe of action gameplay mixed with some business simulation and flavored with hand-drawn graphics work?

Lemon Cake is a mix of soft economic sim in a bakery with action gameplay. We rebuild an old pastry shop, learn recipes, renovate and grow ingredients, and each piece of confectionery is hand-made by us. At the same time, the game features 3D graphics, but the models have hand-drawn textures, so everything looks not just cute, but more like a picture book.

Becastled Review – Charming real-time strategy with sun & shadow sides in the test

In the real-time strategy game Becastled, we build villages and castles in a fantasy medieval world – Review / Test

In my Becastled review, I introduce you to this RTS Early Access title and test the cute real-time strategy game with castle building, city builder strategy, and sieges.

Genshin Impact PC Review – Test – Anime Open World RPG with Coop Multiplayer

The ZapZockt Genshin Impact (PC German) Review / Test.
In the Free to Play (F2P) anime open-world role-playing game Genshin Impact, four heroes play through an extensive story in a highly detailed world. It is available as a Free Download for PC, PS4, Android & iOS. We explore, research, solve quests and puzzles. Genshin Impact is a single-player game, in co-op mode, you can invite friends to your world.

No Place Like Home Game – Quick Review – Test

Save the world from waste – quickly ZAPped in to No Place Like Home – 3min Short Test – Review

In this post, I present to you the indie game No Place Like Home. In this new Early Access title, we play a young woman in an apocalyptic steampunk world that has been abandoned by most of its inhabitants after it was completely cluttered with trash.

Malmyr Review – Test – Puzzle City Builder Game with Gumption

The indie game Malmyr combines building strategy with puzzle gameplay and goods transport optimization in a very clever way.

Malmyr is a genre mix of build-up strategy, goods transport automation with strong puzzle tasks. This mixture makes the game special and the high difficulty level challenges you as a player to use your brain a bit.

Haven Review – Test

Lovely SciFi Action RPG in the test – Haven Pc Review

Haven is a strongly story-based action-adventure game with light JRPG and survival elements in a very own fantasy science fiction world. It will be released in 2020 for PC, PS5, Xbox, and in 2021 also for Switch. In Haven, the lovers Yu and Kay are stranded on the planet Source after fleeing from the dictatorship of their home country. In the SciFi Space Action RPG, we steer the two through a fragmented world that is infested with a strange pollution called rust. My Haven Review (PC, English – German) – Indie Games 2020

Bless Unleashed Review – Test

Bless Unleashed Review – Asia Story MMORPG with Action Combat in Test

In the Free to Play MMORPG Bless Unleashed, scheduled for release in spring 2021 for PC and already available for PS4 and XBox One, we play our character through a coherent story. In Bless Unleashed we have Gameplay with Action Combat, good graphics & a good translation that makes it easy for us to get started, but is that enough for a good game feeling?

Kingdoms Reborn Review – Great city builder strategy with multiplayer in test

Kingdoms Reborn Review with gameplay test and complete analysis, video, screenshots, presentation of all features and rating

In Kingdoms Reborn we build a settlement after an ice age and build our own kingdom. Food, housing, clothing, warmth, health, trade, diplomacy, all these things shape the lives of our little villagers. Kingdoms Reborn is a complex City Builder simulation. Kingdoms Reborn extends the well-known system of Banished to the Ages Systems of Civilization and adds some card game ideas. And the special highlight is that it offers a very well working multiplayer part.

Hammerting Review – Test of the dwarf clan building strategy game

Hammerting Review with gameplay, video, screenshots, analysis, and rating

My Hammerting Review & Test with gameplay. We build up our own dwarf clan, dig deeper and deeper into the mountain & build our own dwarf city in this building strategy game. Digging deep tunnels, collecting ores, building workshops, finding treasures & beating up nasty monsters, all this can be found in Hammerting.

Drone Swarm – 32.000 drones in real-time strategy combat – Review – Test

In the real-time strategy game Drone Swarm we send 32,000 drones to fight against our opponents. All info about the game in this Drone Swarm Review – Test

The real-time strategy game Drone Swarm (German) with 32,000 drones in test. How do you control thousands of flight units and is it fun? What is the challenge and how extensive is the game? All information about the Drone Swarm PC version with gameplay in 1440p60 in this article. Will Drone Swarm be a hit in the field of real-time strategy 2020 ?

Mafia Definitive Edition Review – Test of the great Mafia 1 remake

With the new Mafia 1 remake, Hangar13 has refreshed a classical of the gangster game genre. How good is the Mafia Definitive Edition?

In this Mafia Definitive Edition Review, I show you everything you need to know about the Mafia 1 remake from 2020 for PC, Xbox, and PS4. I show you how good it turned out and if I had fun in the Mafia Gangster epic. Is the mix of shooter, chase sequences, sneak & thrash gameplay, and movie-like cutscenes working well?

The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos Review

The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is a story-focused and turn-based tactical RPG with lots of humor and satire about role-playing clichés.

High-quality voice acting and lovingly handmade dungeons offer a sophisticated role-playing atmosphere. This turn-based tactical role-playing game with comic graphics, some strategy, a lot of humor, and role-playing satire is released for PlayStation PS4, Xbox One, Mac OS, and PC by Steam, GOG and Epic Games.

As Far As The Eye Review

The Caravan Building Strategy Game As Far As The Eye in Gameplay Test

As Far As the Eye is a build-up strategy game in round mode where you have to save a tribe of cute little pupils from the flood. What looks so cute at first turns out to be a complex and not so easy strategy game with many small details.

Dungeons Of Edera Test – Review of the 3D roguelike Indie Dungeon-Crawler RPG

The Indie Game Dungeons of Edera was released on August 28th on Steam in Early Access, in this review, you get all the info

In the Indie Game Dungeons of Edera, we travel through randomly generated dungeons and save our homeland from an invasion. In this Dungeons of Edera Test Review, I introduce the game in detail. Dungeons of Edera is a roguelike Dungeon Crawler RPG with 3D graphics. All information about roleplaying, quality, state of the early access game, procedurally generated maps, loot, loot, and again loot can be found in the Dungeons of Edera Review.

New World Review – Test of the beta gameplay for PvE players

New World is the new action MMORPG from Amazon Games. All info in the New World PvE Beta Test Review

What does New Word, the new MMORPG from Amazon Games offer PvE players? All info & complete analysis in the New World Review, more about New World PvE gameplay, events, raids, dungeons, characters, character creation, skills, open world, world design, crafting, story, fun, etc.

Edge of Eternity Review – Test

Edge of Eternity is a fantasy role-playing game with open world gameplay and is based on JRPGs like Final Fantasy.

In a world threatened with war by aliens and additionally afflicted by a terrible disease, two siblings try to save everyone, but especially their mother. The game is developed by the Indie Game Dev Team Midgar Studios from France and offers in many areas a quality that is far above the normal Indie Game Level.

Imperiums Greek Wars – Civ-style 4X turn-based strategy in Greece

With Imperiums Greek Wars a strong turn-based strategy game is released on Steam, which lets us relive Ancient Greece and its conflicts.

Golftopia Review – Test

SciFi Golfers in colorful – SimGolf or Golf Tycoon ? – Golf Topia Review Test

Golftopia is a golf course simulation game, create golf courses, earn money, level golf club, and all this with a funny SciFi ambiance. In my Golftopia Review, I present you this unusual golf tycoon business simulation, is it a SimGolf or rather a theme golf park in crazy?

Disintegration Review English – Test of the Sci-fi Shooter + real-time strategy mix

Disintegration: A 3D first-person shooter with some RTS mechanics, a dark robot future, and a halo – masterchief developer, what comes out of mixing this?

Disintegration is a mix of 3D FPS First-Person Shooter and RTS real-time strategy that was released for Playstation PS4, XBox One and PC (Steam). In a dystopian future, humanity almost died out due to a destroyed nature and a plague, and they decided to digitalize their brains and put them into robots, a process called integration.

Desperados 3 Review – Test – terrific wild-west stealth strategy festival

Desperados 3 Review – a sneak tactics real-time strategy game in a western setting.

In this article, I’ll show you everything about Desperados 3, the new real-time strategy game with Spaghetti Western feeling, lots of fancy characters, and wacky missions. Desperados 3 is released for Playstation PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam). In this Desperados 3 Review, you get all information, analysis of the game, and my rating for the new Schleich strategy game Hit by Mimimi and THQ Nordic.

Summer in Mara Review – Test

Relaxed survival adventure with anime graphics in a tropical atmosphere, suitable for children but not childish, all information in the summer in Mara Review

In this article I’ll show you all the information & gameplay of Summer in Mara, which will be released on June 16, 2020 on Steam for PC, on PS4, XBox One and Nintendo Switch. In Summer in Mara we play the little Koa, who lives alone on her own beautiful Caribbean island. We are self-sufficient and live from farming and crafting, but many inhabitants of the other islands need our help in this anime adventure.

Spacebase Startopia Beta Preview

All information about the Spacebase Startopia closed beta, release date, gameplay, state of the game, first impression and more

My Spacebase Startopia Beta Preview of the Spacebase Startopia Closed Beta version. Spacebase Startopia is a remake of the classic Startopia from 2001. The game was released in early closed beta and will be available for PC, PS4, and XBox, later also for Nintendo Switch. You manage a space station, provide aliens with all the necessary things, and enough entertainment, and in competition, with other administrators, you earn your money and expand your station.

Warframe 2020 Review

Warframe 2020 Review / Test of the Free2Play Koop MMO – 7 years and not a bit boring

Warframe 2020 – A Koop MMO that was already released in 2013 and was only moderately successful back then, is not only still on the market today, but more popular than ever. What is so special about Warframe? What made the free-to-play game in space sci-fi setting with Ninja Ambiente so popular? And is it more fun today than back then? All current information about the Koop Loot shooter with Hack’n’Slash and some Parkour here in the Warframe 2020 Review.

Good Company Review – Test

Good Company Review – Testing the Factory Tycoon PC Game in Early Access

My test of the PC Games Good Company, a business simulation in which you become a factory tycoon and build up a high-tech company. – In this article I introduce you to the game Good Company. You get all details and information about the factory-building and economic simulator building game from the German IndieDev Studio Chasing Carrots from Stuttgart. Is it a shining pearl of the Tycoon Game Genre, or more a flat click orgy like many mobile games? Have a look at the review and find out more.

Port Royale 4 Beta Preview

Port Royale 4 in the pre-order Beta Preview – JoHo and a Bottle of Rum – All information and my first impressions

In this article I show you all currently available information about the Port Royale 4 Pre-Order Beta Version. What’s in it, how does it play, how far is the development and is it worth to pre-order to be able to play the Port Royale 4 Beta right now?

Fort Triumph Review / Test

Fantasy XCOM meets Heroes of Might and Magic in the new turn-based tactical strategy game Fort Triumph

The Zap Zockt Fort Triumph Review (English) – In this review I introduce the indie strategy roleplaying game Fort Triumph. It is a turn-based tactical fantasy roleplaying game that mixes elements from XCOM with Heroes of Might and Magic RPG, turn-based tactics and board game elements.

Planet Zoo South America DLC Pack Review / Test

Planet Zoo gets plenty of new content with the South America Pack DLC

The new Planet Zoo South America Pack has arrived and I’m showing what’s inside, all the animals and many of the objects to look at beforehand so you can decide if the Planet Zoo South America Pack could be something for you.

Two Point Hospital Off the Grid Review – Test

New Two Point Hospital DLC Off The Grid brings hippies and ecology to the hospital

At Two Point Hospital, the eco-DLC Off The Grid is all about nature-based living, vegan nutrition, ecological power supply and life off the grid in general. In my Two Point Hospital Off The Grid Review, I’ll show you everything that’s in the new DLC and tell you if it could be worth your while.

Iron Danger Review – Test

Iron Danger – fancy tactical story RPG with a time loop

Iron Danger is a tactical RPG in a fantasy world, lets us play a heroine who controls not only magic but also time. The game is released for PC, PS4, XBox, Linux, and Mac. In this review, you will be introduced to everything you need to know about Iron Danger, get a complete overview of all features & an analysis of the game.

Conglomerate 451 Review – Test

The Roguelike Dungeoncrawler Conglomerate 451 Review – Cyberpunk Round Tactics Roleplay

Zap Zockt Conglomerate 451 Review and Test – Conglomerate 451 brings the roguelike dungeon-crawler RPG genre into the future. In the year 2099 in a dystopian cyberpunk world, we send out DNA-enhanced clone agents to defeat the gangs of sinister corporations. Cyberware, armor, weapons need to be researched and our base, reputation, and sphere of influence need to be expanded.

Through the Darkest of Times Test / Review

In the Through the darkest of Times Test and Review, I show the important details of the historic turn-based strategy Pearl

The Zap Zockt Through the darkest of Times Review / Test – Through the Darkest of Times is a 3rd Reich strategy game in which you lead a resistance group against the Nazi regime. In a turn-based strategy and with a lot of historical background, you are introduced very emotionally into the events and the thinking of different groups of the time. In the analysis, I show you how the game is played, how it feels and give you all the information you need to decide whether the game could be interesting for you or not.

Empires in Ruins Review / Test

Empires in Ruins, the turn-based 4X strategy and real-time strategy tower defense crossover in the Dark Ages in test/review

Zap Zockt Empires in Ruins Review / Test – In this post I test the humorous medieval 4X Strategy Tower-Defense Indie game Empires in Ruins by Hammer & Ravens from Estonia. Turn-based strategy, empire management and tower defense mixed with a lot of rough humor and dark ambiance.

A Long Way Down Game Review / Test

Turn-based Strategy Dungeon with Cards

A Long Way Down is a mix of a dungeon crawler and a deck-building card game, with a little board game and roguelike elements and a lot of turn-based strategy. If this sounds interesting to you, then you’ve come to the right place. If you didn’t understand the meaning of the terms, I will explain it in more detail in a moment.

Tropico 6 DLC Review – The Llama of Wall Street

The Zap zockt Review of the Tropico 6 DLC The Llama of Wall Street

In this article, I show you all the info and details about the new Tropico 6 DLC called The Llama of Wall Street and some new features for the popular economic strategy game around a Caribbean island dictatorship and the famous dictator El Presidente and his assistant Penultimo.

Tropico Mobile Test – Review

Tropico Mobile Test – One Tropico 3 to go, please… – Review – The Tropico Game App for iOS and Android

The Tropico Mobile Test – The Tropico Mobile Game App for Android and iOS in Review (German/English, Video with many subtitles). Feral Interactive has converted Tropico 3 for mobile devices like mobile phones and tablets, iPhone and iPad. In this video we watch the app, I introduce the game and tell you something about my opinion.

Crossroads Inn Review

Crossroads Inn Review – The RPG economic simulation in the test

Zap zockt Crossroads Inn Review (English – German, many subtitles) The Medieval Tavern Crossroads Inn is our new home. In the economic simulation with role-playing elements we guide our hostel, build and manage us through difficult business times and at the same time have to enlighten intrigues and betrayals around the murder of the king. I introduce the game and show Crossroads Inn PC gameplay in German.

Little Big Workshop Review – Test

Little Big Workshop Review – Test the hardcore economic simulation in cute

Zap Zockt Little Big Workshop Review (English / German) – Little Big Workshop is a tangible and complex business simulation in which you build your own production factory. The gameplay and graphics look cute, but you should not be fooled. Everything worth knowing about the game, detailed analysis, and evaluation you get in the following.

Pine Review

Pine Review – Test of the Open World Action Adventures with dynamic tribes

The ZapZockt.de Pine Review. In this post, I would like to introduce you to the game Pine. Pine is an action-adventure for single players in a 3D Open World. You play a fixed character, the young Hue, who is a member of a small human tribe in a fantasy world. Everything worth knowing about the game, detailed analysis, and evaluation you get in the following.

Legend of Keepers Prologue (p)Review

Legend of Keepers Prologue (p)Review [English] Pixelart Dungeon-RPG Strategy Test

Legend of Keepers Review English – Legend of Keepers Career of a Dungeon Master Prologue is a role-playing tactical strategy mix with turn-based fighting and dungeon management. Shown is Legend of Keepers Gameplay German for PC (Steam). Designed in pixel style, it features tactical strategy game depth, chic animated monsters, and recreates the life of a wicked dungeon lord.

Two Point Hospital DLC Test-Review

Two Point Hospital DLC Test (Review Deutsch) Bigfoot – Pebberley Island – Close Encounters

In this post, I introduce the three big Two Point Hospital DLCs Bigfoot, Pebberley Island, and Close Encounters. All information and details in the Two Point Hospital DLC Test and Review. We travel to the tropics, into the winter to the Yeti and into the desert to the aliens.

Die Young Review/Test [English]

Die Young Review PC Game [English-German] Survival Parkour Action Adventure in Test

Zap zockt Die Young (Review German / English) – In Die Young we play a young woman who was kidnapped and abandoned on a desert island. A rough world that threatens our life and we need to find out why we were kidnapped and how we can escape. The test shows Die Young Gameplay in German and English.

Founders Fortune Review / Test

Founders Fortune Test (Deutsch/English) The fun Survival Build Sims Mix in Review

Zap Zockt Founder’s Fortune (Test / Review, German / English) Founders’ Fortune is a building strategy Siedel mix with some sims and a bit of survival in the blood. We build a colony on a foreign island. We must survive, gather resources, build a home, and build a new home through research, trade, diplomacy, and possibly even war against the locals.

Decay of Logos Review

Decay of Logos Review (Deutsch/English) – Action RPG with Zelda and Souls elements in the test

Zap Zockt Decay of Logos (English) A singleplayer action roleplaying game with dark soul elements (soulslike) & a touch of Zelda, it will be released for PC, PS4 & Xbox. I show you how smart the ARPG is, how well it plays & helps you in your decision, buy or not?

Immortal Realms: Vampire War Beta (p)Review

Zap Zockt Immortal Realms Vampire Wars English (Beta Preview)- Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars is a tactical strategy game featuring turn-based combat in the vampire setting. The new strategy game will be released for PC (Steam), PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch. It offers bloodsuckers and medieval bloodthirsty kind of very special mix.

Tech Corp Review

Tech Corp Review – Test – We are building up a company like Apple, Microsoft, Sony – Management Wirtschaftssim

TechCorp is an economic simulation in which the technical development of a hardware and software company is replayed. Roughly speaking, it’s sort of like the pretty popular Game Dev Tycoon.

The Cycle Review Deutsch (Alpha) Is the upcoming Free2Play shooter worth a play – pure zapped & playtested

Zap Zockt The Cycle Review English (Alpha) – Yager’s new multiplayer shooter The Cycle is in the Open Alpha Test at Epic Store. I’ve tested the game for you and collected all the info and here’s my opinion on the sci-fi shooter.

The game is a 20-player map-based shooter. In a 20-minute round, 20 players compete to see who has survived and gained the most resources in the end. This can get in the way of a monster, but you can also form a squad with up to 4 players and collect and fight as a team.

Link to the Test of The Cycle

Esports Life Tycoon Deutsch/English Review – The MOBA ESL team manager game in the test [Gameplay German]

Zap Zockt eSports Life Tycoon English (Review) – The eSports MOBA Team Manager Tycoon in the test. Build your team, manage player house & training, solve all problems with players, sponsors, opponents, and fans & victories in the ESL competition. If that works well, I’ll tell you in the test

Link to the Test of eSports Life Tycoon

Conan Unconquered Review ( Deutsch-English) Barbarische Echtzeitstrategie im Test

Zap taps Conan Unconquered Review (English / German) – In this test episode, I introduce the real-time strategy game Conan Unconquered, with all the strengths and weaknesses, tell you my opinion and give a rating for who the game is and for whom not.

Link to the Test of Conan Unconquered

Rescue HQ – The Tycoon / Rescue HQ Review Deutsch / English

Zap Zockt Rescue HQ -The Tycoon – My Rescue HQ Review (German / English) – Rescue HQ is an economic simulation of a rescue station that simultaneously houses the police, fire and rescue services. I’ll show you the game and tell you my opinion.

Link to the Test of Rescue HQ – The Tycoon

CryoFall Review Deutsch / English

Zap zockt CryoFall Review (English) – What is CryoFall? The game is still in early access. I introduce CryoFall and tell you my opinion. CryoFall is a 2D survival MMORPG in a post-apocalyptic world. It offers PvE & PvP worlds as well as extensive crafting.

Link to the CryoFall Test

Anno 1800 Review – Beta

This review is based on the beta, but my positive impression has not changed. 2 of my criticisms were even fixed in the final version. There is also an Anno 1800 Tips & Tricks video for a very funny Anno 1800 Easteregg

Link to the Anno 1800 (Beta) Test

Swag And Sorcery Review (Deutsch-English) Test of the Pixelart Retro Hero Simulator + Explanation + Tips

Swap and Sorcery Review (Deutsch/English) – Swag and Sorcery is the new game by Uroboros Games & Lazy Bear Games, successor to Punch Club & Graveyard Keeper. In Swag and Sorcery, we build a village, train heroes & send them on adventures to save the kingdom.

Link to the Swag and Sorcery Test

Anthem Review – VIP Demo (Closed Beta)

Special Approach: How much is Anthem still a Bioware game and how does it affect fans of recent BioWare titles like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Neverwinter or Baldur’s Gate?

Link to the Anthem (VIP Demo) Test

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Review:

I created this test and the associated game review as a non-division 1 player. This opens up a slightly different perspective than many tests, reviews, and reports that compare it steadily with its predecessor. Among other things, there is a very popular division 2 tips and tricks post to this title.

Link to the Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Test

Railway Empire DLC – The Great Andes / Über die Anden

A Game Review on a free trial that I kindly received from Kalypso Media. I played the main game and other DLCs for more than 100 hours. I also created a detailed Let’s Play series for the main game, the Great Lakes DLC, and a comprehensive Tips & Tricks video.

Link to the Railway Empire DLC The Great Andes / Über die Anden Test

Volcanoids Review (German-Deutsch) Steampunk Survival in Early Access Test

Steampunk Survival of a special kind. Volcanoids takes us to an island with steampunk robots and we try to conquer our homeland again. But the volcano is constantly erupting, can we defeat the robots and calm the volcano?

Link to the Volcanoids Test

World War Z Review [Deutsch – English] – 3rd person co-op shooter with swarm zombies in test

A World War Z Review (German – English) – The new 3rd person co-op shooter from Saber Interactive in the test. I’ll show some World War Z gameplay English and tell you how the game feels, whether it’s fun and whether you should buy World War Z (Xbox, PS4, PC).

Link to the World War Z Test

App and Software Reviews

Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office Review – Test

Acronis has been very well known for their excellent backup solutions for many years.

With Acronis True Image, you always had a reliable partner for backups, system images, and recovery media on CD/DVD/USB sticks. Now, the successor of True Image was released with the name “Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office”.

Hexometer – Website Health Monitor and SEO Tool – Introduction and Review

The online service hexometer in a detailed test, which capabilities does the Website Health Monitor with SEO analysis offer?

Hexometer is an online service that monitors and analyzes your website and sends warnings if problems occur, but also wants to help you with search engine optimization (SEO) and other problems. There are a free version and different subscription packages that offer different services.

Link to the Hexometer Test – Review

Hardware Reviews

Western Digital WD_Black Gaming SN750 SE Review and Test

The new M.2 NVME SSD from Western Digital with the product name WD_Black Gaming SN 750 SE is a high-speed SSD that is supposed to speed up the normal operation of your PC. It doesn’t really matter whether Windows, Linux or MacOS is used, but Western Digital has especially targeted gamers with Windows PCs as customers for this device. All details about these drives and the SN750 SE, in particular, can be found in this WD_Black SN750 SE review.

DeepCool DQ850-M-V2L Review – High-quality PC power supply in test

In this review, I introduce the Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L 850W power supply, test the product’s scope of delivery and quality, and rate it.

Patriot Viper Gaming SSD VPR100 – super fast NVME SSD in Test / Review

Test report of the Patriot Viper Gaming SSD VPR100 RGB 512 GB SSD – Fast SSD with RGB and heat sink

In this Patriot Viper Gaming SSD Review, I would like to introduce this new high speed SSD drive with RGB lighting.

Benq Screenbar e-Reading Lamp Review – USB Lamp Dimmable
Let there be light – product presentation and test

Almost everyone knows the problem: You are sitting at home in the evening, in the dark in front of the monitor, and then have to quickly read a note, read a password from the note, or type in the e-mail address of the authority from the letter from the office. Oh dear, the big room lighting is far away. And when you turn it on, there is also a big shadow, because the lamp is usually placed behind you. And the normal desk lamp always hides so much that you can not see anything on the monitor at all. Good would be a USB lamp, dimmable and flexible, without much space.

Benq Screenbar e-Reading USB Lamp dimmable – Review

to be continued….