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Chore Core, a term I think we coined on the show, is in a weird place right now. There are plenty of games out there featuring the gamification of mundane tasks, ranging from power washing to lawn mowing to automotive repair, to name just a few.

If you’ve been paying attention lately, you’ve likely noticed a new challenger in the mix, and a lot of it: the “Tidy Up” sub-genre.

You could argue things technically got started with Unpacking in 2021. Taking your pixel art keepsakes out of pixel art boxes to fill shelves and surfaces was a mellow escape, coated in a nostalgic, thoughtful, unspoken story wrapper.

But the real Tidy Up phenomenon seemed to pop off proper with the release of Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library! The game came out of nowhere and quickly nabbed players’ attention with addictive and satisfying organization loops, with ability progression baked in for good measure.

No one predicted people would be this into putting hundreds of scattered magical books back where they belong. But they did. And now, a ton of titles like this are hitting digital stores every week.

I’ve tried to figure out what the main dopamine dispenser is in these games, and it kind of boils down to a combination of tactile visuals and clicky sound work, with a great sense of flourish when things snap into place. It’s a very addictive and relaxing sensory experience.

Great recent examples include Dino Bones and Shelves & Sorcery, among others. But there’s a problem, folks: a load of these pouring out every week are simple asset flips and Gen-AI gunk, offering very little outside the basic established gameplay loop.

Because the games are cheap, it’s easy to get tricked into buying a few that aren’t up to standard, especially if you’ve already spent time with the better ones. It’s a real “sort-’em-up” shovelware nightmare if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.

After some thought, I think what makes the good ones work is the “control vs. chaos” structure of it all. We all have work to do in the real world that we are definitely not in the mood for. But in these games, total order is guaranteed, achievable, and completely within the player’s control. That’s not always true in meatspace.

That, and the low-stakes fail states. No health bars, less reliance on timers, and zero stress over penalties, just “do-it-at-your-own-pace” environments with “save-anywhere” functionality built right in.

Like many indie trends before it, we’ll probably see more Tidy Up games before we see fewer, and overall I think that’s a good thing. But like the Vampire Survivors-likes before them, there will come a time when the novelty wears a little thin. And hell, by then, something new will be there to take its place anyway.

If you can weather the influx of unpolished clones and ugly Gen-AI attempts, there’s going to be some really fun iteration and innovation to mine in future titles.

Now someone just needs to make a tidy-up game about how to tidy up all your tidy-up games. - Scott

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I’m about five hours into Potion Craft on Steam, and I have to say it again, this is some damned fine Chore Core. (I talked about this game on the show some time back, but lately it has my attention again.)

If you’ve been looking for a cozy, tactile simulator to sink some time into, this might just be your next favorite obsession. It’s a few years old no…

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Hey all, Scott here. Talked about this game at length on this week’s show, but in case you’d like quick written edition, here you go.

When Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun released, it was a big hit for retro FPS fans. Dropping players into the heavy, ceramite-clad boots of a Space Marine with chunky sprite work and explosive weaponry scratched an itch that mod…

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If you spend any time in retro gaming or preservation circles, you’ve likely felt the thrill of the modern “decompilation” and source-port movement. Fans and archivists are pulling apart classic codebases line by line, reassembling them into native ports, adding quality-of-life features, and keeping history alive in ways we never thought possible. It’s …

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When Dead Cells launched into Early Access back in 2017, the roguelite genre was already in a golden era. We had the tight-knit synergy of The Binding of Isaac, the punishing tactical precision of Spelunky, and the brisk dungeon crawling of Enter the Gungeon. Yet, Motion Twin managed to carve out something entirely distinct, a masterpiece marrying Metro…

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RetroSpace is an immersive sim that wears its influences proudly on its sleeve. Developed by The Wild Gentlemen, this disco-punk space station thriller draws heavily from genre classics like System Shock 2, BioShock, and Prey. And for the most part, it succeeds in capturing what made those games so memorable. Also has late 90’s Half-Life vibes too. Mostly graphically.

You play as a cleaner aboard the Aurora 5 space station. Your relatively mundane existence is upended when a sentient black hole begins consuming the station, reality starts to fracture, and strange biological hybrids begin roaming the corridors. What follows is a survival story that blends horror, dark humor, and a wild level of player agency.

The game’s greatest strength is its commitment to immersive sim principles. The Aurora 5 is a interconnected, open-ended space station that rewards exploration. You’ll discover shortcuts, hidden passages, and secrets that loop back to a central hub area. The level design is reminiscent of classic Metroidvania structure, with new abilities and knowledge opening up previously inaccessible routes. It’s a satisfying loop that encourages thorough investigation rather than rushing from objective to objective.

Combat and stealth are both cool ways to approach things, and the game genuinely supports multiple play-styles. You can sneak past enemies, hack turrets to fight for you, set traps, create distractions, or engage in direct combat. The flexibility is refreshing for sure, and the game rarely forces you into situations where only one approach works. Enemy variety keeps things interesting, with each type requiring different tactics to overcome. Learning their behaviors and weaknesses is essential to survival.

This is a good place to mention I don’t always love the structure of the ‘immersive sim’ genre. They often feel like games for people with more free time. But this one works for me.

Just remember to keep track of your mustache. (Not kidding about that btw.)

The Mutamods system adds a compelling risk-reward layer to character progression. These genetic modifications grant powerful abilities. Like enhanced combat skills, stealth tweaks, and unusual powers like mind control or shadow traversal. However, each mod carries potential side effects, some of which are permanent and unpredictable. This creates meaningful decisions about how much power you’re willing to risk. It’s a smart system that prevents players from simply becoming overpowered. Though, be warned, choice paralysis is a threat here for those prone to it.

Death and resurrection are handled in an unusual way. You re-spawn as a clone, but with degradation. You’re encouraged to retrieve equipment from your previous corpse, which adds tension to each death without being overly punishing. The system ties into the game’s narrative themes and encourages careful play without becoming too frustrating.

I’m a big fan of the style here. The low-poly art evokes retro-futuristic aesthetics while maintaining modern visual clarity. The 1970s-inspired setting is consistent and well-realized, from the station’s architecture to the character design. The soundtrack complements the atmosphere effectively, blending disco influences with more ominous tones when appropriate. (And there are many of these appropriate times.) The writing balances dark themes with decent humor, and the story features more depth and twists than the premise initially suggests.

Performance has been great on PC, and runs quite well on Steamdeck as well. It’s also verified for it, so that never hurts. That’s where I play most of it.

Is RetroSpace without flaws? No. The stealth mechanics can feel inconsistent, and the combat occasionally lacks precision. The degradation system, while thematically interesting, will frustrate some players. These issues don’t diminish what the game does well, but they’re worth noting. I’m not totally done with the game, but I can say it’s way more in the good column than the bad.

What RetroSpace understands is that immersive sims work best when they trust the player. It doesn’t hold your hand or funnel you toward a single correct solution. It presents problems and gives you the tools to solve them however you see fit. That philosophy, combined with strong world-building and a genuinely interesting setting, makes this an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

RetroSpace is available now on Steam for $19.99 USD. A Deluxe Edition and bundle options with System Shock 2 and Void Bastards are also available. It has a “Very Positive” rating from over 400 user reviews. (This is not an ad by the way, I’ve been just having a great time with it, and with all the other big releases it’s hard to get to everything on CORE each week.)

If you’ve been waiting for a new immersive sim that respects the legacy of the classics while forging its own identity, this is worth your time. Just remember to keep track of your mustache. (Not kidding about that btw.) - Scott

You guys, I have a problem.

I’m hopelessly, unapologetically hooked on old-school traditional roguelikes. Yeah, you heard me right, in this year of banger modern releases, I am obsessed with some old business. There’s just something about descending into a hostile crudely drawn, randomized …

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The AI disclosure debate on Steam is getting weird again. Epic’s Tim Sweeney has called Steam’s AI label “really irresponsible.“ But the player data tells a more complicated story.

Player version is real, but not totally dominant

GameDiscoverCo surveyed roughly 3,800 Steam users in July 2026.…

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Five days. That’s how long it took.

Five days after a project hit GitHub, that essentially let people create “Passthrough Mods”, the internet was already watching Spider-Man swing through Arkham City, Mario hop through the Lands Between, and a dwarf ride a skateboard through World of Warcraft doing Tony Hawk flips. Not …

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We had a great conversation on the CORE/Grinding Gear crossover episode this week. Felt like it could have a bit more breathing room here as well.

For twenty-two years, World of Warcraft has operated on a simple, reliable rhythm: new expansion, new continent, new level cap, old content abandoned/deemphasized. Players grind …

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