Games reviews roundup: Behold the Kickmen; Aporia – Beyond the Valley; Aven Colony

Taking its lead from a frivolous

premise, Behold the Kickmen is a lesson in how far the most unlikely idea can be taken. Here is a football game by a developer who – by appearing not to like or fully understand football – has produced a gleeful, unique take on the genre.

Beneath the intentionally misused jargon and parody of football culture, this is a snappy, distinct homage to classic 2D soccer games, albeit with a few of the sport’s conventions deliberately doctored. The result is a game that is hilarious to play, not just because of the writing, but because the gameplay mechanisms exist as jokes told as interactions. All of which would count for nothing if the game within Behold the Kickmen were but a novelty. Fortunately that aspect is rock solid and the tongue-in-cheek attitude and mechanical silliness serve as a brilliant mantle to a title that is both original and unexpectedly nuanced. WF