Pixel Fun 5-Minute Reviews: Slots & Daggers and Skopje '83

If you read Pixel Fun #4, you’ll know that I was hoping to launch a new series of "5-minute reviews”. I plan for these to be reviews of games that I’ve been playing, although it could expand to other categories depending on what pops up. This is the first attempt, so we’ll find out together.

I plan for these reviews to be aimed more squarely at games from independent outfits rather than the AAA hits that you’ll see elsewhere. They already get plenty of headlines and the eyeballs that go with them. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned recently, it’s that some of the best games come from smaller teams. Teams that you probably aren’t familiar with and, I’d wager, games you might not have heard of.

I want to help change that.

For the first Pixel Fun 5-Minute Review, we have “Slots & Daggers”, a game that takes the familiar roguelike game loop and rubs it all over those slot machines you see in any movie set in Las Vegas.

The second game tries to do the same thing, but with a survivial game in lieu of the slots. "Skopje ‘83" looks great thanks to a cel-shaded aesthetic. But, spoilers, I’m not sure it really works.

Can I explain that in a five-minute review? Let’s find out.

• 🎮️ Slots & Daggers (PC)

  • “Slots & Daggers” — The good

  • “Slots & Daggers” — The bad

  • “Slots & Daggers” — The upshot

• 🎮️ Skopje ‘83 (PC)

  • "Skopje ‘83" — The good

  • "Skopje ‘83" — The bad

  • "Skopje ‘83" — The upshot

• ✍️ Wrap-up

🎮️ Slots & Daggers (PC)

“Slots & Daggers” is part of a new wave of games that take games normally found in arcades and casinos around the globe with video games. In the case of “Slots & Daggers”, you’ll play a familiar slot machine machanic that’s then used to build attacks against your foes.

The whole thing is essentially a roguelike/roguelite RPG in that each run sees you rewarded with upgrades that then help you go further during your next attempt.

And that’s the key, because it gives the game a rhythm that is hard to beat. Once you get used to the weapons that can be selected, you can really rattle through a run. If you’ve ever seen someone playing slots in what seems to be some kind of perpetial motion, you’ll know exactly what I mean. But as soon as you die you can plow your spoils back into the game to buff yourself for the next run. Buffs include adding an extra wheel to the machine, so you can imagine the kind of impact that might have on your ability to win your battles.

The best way to understand “Slots & Daggers” is to watch the trailer above. You’ll choose different weapons and attacks that will then be used at random depending on how the slots spin. Some attacks require a skill check, like pressing a button at the right time for example, and you can buff your defenses to help prolong the battle. All the hallmarks of the roguelite are absolutely present and correct.

“Slots & Daggers” — The good

There’s a lot to like about “Slots & Daggers” and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed by time with the game. It’s a game that really lends itself to being played handheld, so I definitely recommend playing on a Steam Deck if you have one. It just doesn’t feel like a game that you sit at a PC and play. If you’re looking for a reason to pick up “Slots & Daggers”, I have a few.

• A light touch: “Slots & Daggers” is a great game to play while you’re “half doing things. Got a podcast you need to catch up on? Play “Slots & Daggers” and listen. The same goes for half watching YouTube videos and let’s plays that don’t need all of your attention.

• One more try: This is definitey one of those “one more go” games. The kind that you die and then find yourself back in another run without really knowing how it happened. But I bet you won’t quit out when it does.

• The loop: The progression loop is a real key to making “Slots & Daggers” a game that’s difficult to put down. Even when you’re dying, you feel like you’re getting stronger for the next try. And you are.

• It’s deeper than it looks: It’s surprisingly deep. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this was a simple game of chance, but it really isn’t You can stack the deck by choosing the right weapons, the right upgrades, at the right times. There’s a real RPG-like feel if you look for it.

“Slots & Daggers” — The bad

None of this is to say that “Slots & Daggers” is perfect, because it isn’t. No game is. But in the case of this one, the negatives really do just come down to one thing. And I’m not sure there’s much that can be done about it, either.

• Longevity: For as much fun as “Slots & Daggers” is, and for as much as it keeps drawing you in, there’s only so much of it. It isn’t a long game, so you’ll probably finish it in a handful of hours. And when you do, there isn’t all that much of a reason to go back in. Thankfully, that would be more of a problem if this was a game that costs $70. But it isn’t. It’s a game that costs a tenth of that, and at $7, a lack of replayability is easier to forgive.

• Variety: Even before you finish it, there isn’t an awful lot of variety to “Slots & Daggers”. There isn’t a lot of variety to playing slots, either, which is where the game’s developer probably painted themselves into a corner. The game sees you take on a variety of different foes, but they all hit you and you hit them all back in one way or another. Just like the one before it.

“Slots & Daggers” — The upshot

In case it isn’t already clear, I’m a big fan of “Slots & Daggers”. It isn’t the longest of games, and you’re unlikely to go straight back in for round two after beating it. But while it has a hold of you, it’ really has one. I found yourself losing time in the way only a great game can make me do.

Ultimately, I class games like “Slots & Daggers” as “throwaway” purchases. At just £6.79/$6.99, you’ll get a few hours of fun out of it and then you’ll move on. And it’ll be money well spent, too.

🎮️ Skopje ‘83 (PC)

I first became aware of "Skopje ‘83" when a press release about its impending release landed in my inbox a cew weeks ago. It came with a trailer (embedded above) that made it clear this was more than just another survival game. This survival game was a roguelite.

That changes the way the game is played significantly. You’ll die a lot, but that’s to be expected — and you’ll be able to improve your chances of success the next time out thanks to things that persist from one run to another. In the case of "Skopje ‘83", that includes the blueprints for new guns that you come across as you play,

As for the setting, the name probably gives the game away somewhat. You’re stuck in Skopje, the Macedonian capital. The city’s been sealed off after some kind of event took place that left the area inhavited by mutants. Scientists also seem to have been experimenting on theose zombies for good measure.

You, the “Pioneer,” must scavenge your way around the city while uncovering the mystery of what happened. Oh, and you have seven days to do it. After that, a bomb will do what bombs tend to do.

As I said, you’ll die plenty playing "Skopje ‘83", but each run should feel different because enemy and loot locations shuffle each time you’re resurected for one more try. Those weapon blueprints and some upgrades will stick around, though.

All of that sounds right up my street, and the cel-shaded artwork was enough to pique my interest. The trailer’s vibe just sealed the deal. So, disclaimer, I asked publisher PM Studios for a Steam code to take "Skopje ‘83" for a spin.

"Skopje ‘83" — The good

In keeping with the idea of a five-minute review, I’m going to run down what I liked and likes less about "Skopje ‘83" in bullet points. It seems apt in this case, given the game in question.

• Fluid performance: I don’t have a gaming PC to call my own, and asking my oldest to let me use his would mean risking the wrath of a teenager. "Skopje ‘83" run on a Mac, at least not natively. Thankfully, I have a copy of the excellent CrossOver from CodeWeavers. And a Mac that’s way overpowered for writing words for eight hours a do to go with it. Despite the CrossOver magic going on under the hood, I was able to play "Skopje ‘83" with maxed-out settings on my 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro. That machine has 24GB of RAM and a 20-core GPU, so it’s no slouch. But it’s also not a gaming PC, either. If you have one, I can’t imagine you having any issues running this game. It works on the Steam Deck fine, too, albeit with some fiddling of the graphical settings.

• Cel-shaded aesthetic: I’m a sucker for a cel-shaded game, so it’s no surprise that I think "Skopje ‘83" looks stunning. The color palette very much leans on the purple and orangeside of things, but it fits the vibe perfectly.

• The perfect atmosphere: The aesthetic definitely helps, but the game does a great job of creating an atmosphere that feels like what I imagine a mutant-infested Macedonia could feel like in the mid-1980s. You feel isolated, just as you should with this kind of game. The excellent sound work goes a long way to making that happen, too.

"Skopje ‘83" — The bad

Unfortunately, after a few hours spent in the world of "Skopje ‘83", I don’t think I’ll be rushing back in anytime soon. That’s thanks in part to the sheer number of games I’m juggling at the moment. But it’s also because I’m just not enjoying the game like I expected to. And I think there are a couple of reasons for that.

• A lack of direction: If there is one big negative that I would level at "Skopje ‘83", it’s that I never really feel like I know what I’m supposed to be doing. I know that I’m meant to be finding some towers and disabling them for reasons. But that might entail doing x, y, and z first. Unfortunately, it isn’t always clear what those things are. Or where they are. Or how you do it when you get there. That might be a plus point for some. But it left me feeling lost and confused. And I just don’t need that from my video games.

• Repetition: Now, I get it. A roguelike (or roguelite) is all about repetition. But the best examples of the genre make the repetition fun. "Skopje ‘83" never quite managed that during my play time. That feeling of chronic déjà vu also applies to the environment. If you’ve been inside one skysraper, you’ve been inside them all — despite the developer’s attempt mix things up by litereally mirroring the layout from one room to the next. For a game that relies on exploration and scavenging, it really made me not want to explorer or scavenge. And that’s a problem.

• Just let me pause: When I open a map, I want the game to essentially pause behind it. This is a pet peave of mine, and "Skopje ‘83" is one of the all-too-many games that don’t do that. The same goes for the inventory screen, for that matter. If you make games and you’re reading this, just stop it. Just. Stop. It.

"Skopje ‘83" — The upshot

So, having said all of that, would I recommend you buying “Skopje ‘83"? Well, I’m not one for telling you whether or not you should buy a game. I prefer that people read what I have to say and then make a buying decision for themselves.

That being said, you can try “Skopje ‘82” for free, right now. There’s a demo available for download in Steam. Give it a try, it’s well worth a download. You’ve nothing to lose.

If you do decide that “Skopje ‘83” is for you, it’s available via Steam for £12.79/$14.99 at the time of writing.

✍️ Wrap-up

OK, so those reviews might have taken more than five minutes, but I think the format works enough to be a good jumping off point.

For now, I’ll be playing some more games and I’ll have two more reviews ready to go soon enough.

Until then 👋🏻