Stagepoint Studio in Shildon is one of five organisations to have made the ‘Rising Star’ award shortlist at the UK StartUp Awards for 2026, which recognises entrepreneurs.

Based at the Railway Institute, the school puts on acting classes for adults and youngsters alike and has managed to get onto the shortlist despite just opening in November.

The award ceremony will take place on June 16 at the Everyman Cinema in Leeds.

Reacting to the news, founder Jarone Macklin-Page said: “To be named a finalist for such a massive region so early in our journey is incredibly humbling.

“This isn’t just our achievement; it belongs to the families, local businesses, and organisations in Shildon who believed in us from day one.

“It shows what can happen when a community gets behind an idea.”

As for what comes next, the bosses are hoping to expand and have a total of ten schools across the country within the next three years, eventually creating a world-class school in Shildon.

Sir Craig Reedie, the former chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), has died at the age of 84.

Reedie chaired the BOA between 1992 and 2005, before going on to become the third president of Wada, serving from 2014 to 2019.

As BOA chair he was part of London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and went on to serve as a director of the organising committee for the two events.

He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board between 2009 and 2012 and its vice president between 2012-2016.

“If you have worked in Olympic sport, then it’s highly likely that you would have known Sir Craig Reedie. How lucky we all were,” said Dame Katherine Grainger, the current chair of the BOA.

“Few knew the Olympic movement better and fewer still served it with such distinction. His dedicated service to the BOA, to the IOC and to Wada is notable.

“He always fought hard for Olympic sport, and fought harder still for clean sport. In doing so he saw the good and, inevitably, the bad of our sporting system.

“It was the measure of Craig that it never diminished his love of sport and the Olympic movement in particular.”

In his own statement, Lord Sebastian Coe, the chair of the London 2012 organising committee, said Reedie was “the epitome of a gentleman”.

“Craig was my mentor, wise counsel, passionate advisor, and great friend. He was the distinguished elder statesman with a reservoir of Olympic knowledge and experience which he shared willingly and to great effect,” Coe added.

“Without Craig and his leadership of the British Olympic Association, we may never have won the right to host London 2012.

“Craig was a sportsman at heart, but he had the mind and tenacity of a politician. He was equal parts opinionated, wise, canny and, most of all, loyal to those who legitimately wanted to serve sport.”

Reedie was an international badminton player, representing Great Britain in the 1960s, and subsequently led the Scottish Badminton Union.

In 1981, he was elected International Badminton Federation president, where he led the successful campaign to include badminton at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

He presided over Wada during the revelation of state-sponsored doping by Russia, leading to the country’s athletes being banned from competing under their national flag.

“Sir Craig dedicated his whole life to the service of sport and the Olympic Movement,” said IOC president Kirsty Coventry.

“He was a steadfast guardian of integrity, guiding the global sporting community through some of its most challenging moments with dignity and resolve.

“His contribution to the Olympic Games, to clean sport and to the development of athletes worldwide will endure for generations to come.”

Reedie was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999, knighted as a Knight Bachelor in 2006, and was later elevated to Knight Grand Cross (GBE) in 2018.

The Tuesday letters page recommends Screamer despite the relatively high price, as one reader laments the rising cost of amiibo.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Full Spectrum warrior
Really enjoyed the Reader’s Feature at the weekend about Ant Attack and I agree it was a classic that needs more recognition today. It’s definitely one of the best games on the Spectrum but it had me thinking about what my actual favourite is.

I’d say Elite, Chuckie Egg, Knight Lore, and School Daze are all up there, but I think my favourite might be The Great Escape. Another great isometric game but so complicated for Sir Clive’s tiny little 48K monster.

There’s not really anything like it nowadays, which is probably true for most of the games I’ve listed. I’m still upset there isn’t a modern Elite game on consoles and stuff like Knight Lore… I guess modern action adventures are in the same area but nothing has ever been quite the same since all these old UK developers gave up the ghost.
Franky

Back to front
We wall knew something funny was going on with Resident Evil Requiem’s story and ending and I think it’s just as simple as they were running out of time to make it out for the 30th anniversary. It’s such a shame because for the first six or eight hours of the game are pretty much perfect, then it slowly bleeds out.

It’s not enough to ruin the game or anything but when you get that close to nailing it, it feels really frustrating. I think it’s too much to hope for a director’s cut that retcons things but maybe next time Capcom should consider making the games backwards – starting with the final scenes and boss battles and working back from there.

Also, I cannot believe it’s not relatively easy to find someone in Japan that’s good at making boss battles. There must be ex-Treasure people and the like everywhere. It’s weird that’s been a problem with the series basically from the beginning.
Focus

The Legend of Elden Ring
Video game movies are not something I’d normally get excited about but it looks like Elden Ring could be the one to break the curse. I know they’ve been getting better lately but they’re still not actually good, but I hope that this could be the one, especially if Alex Garland is a fan.

The set footage isn’t much to go on but it does look exactly like the game so that’s got to be worth something, even if it is a fairly easy thing to recreate at that scale. It sounds like it and the Zelda movie might come out at more or less the same time, which is going to be interesting.

I imagine to ordinary movie reviewers they might seem very similar concepts, but I can guess which one is going to come out better – and it’s not the one by Nintendo.
Bluek

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Rising prices
I have just bought the Mario & Luma amiibo, which is my first amiibo I have bought with the new higher prices. I have attached a couple of photos so readers can compare their size with the cheaper amiibo. The Mario & Luma amiibo cost me £24.99 including delivery, the Super Mario amiibo on its own cost £12.99 and the Tom Nook one cost me £10.99.

As you can see, the packaging for the Luma amiibo is quite a bit bigger than the lower priced amiibo. I have included a Switch game in the photo so people have an idea how big the amiibo are. I bought the new amiibo as I am a big fan of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.

I will be more selective of what amiibo I buy in future, because of the new higher prices. I hope the amiibo for Resident Evil Requiem are not £24.99 each, as that will be £50 to own them! Nearly as much as purchasing the game!
Andrew J.

GC: The prices are shocking but we’ve got to admit, that Mario & Luma one is nice.

Too much money
That is very surprising to find that Take-Two has laid off their whole AI team. You would’ve thought they would’ve kept it going just to tick a box when attracting investors, but maybe they really don’t need the money.

If that is the case, and it’s not just that the boss has a pet hate, I wish we’d see this in other things they do. Like wasting money on weird ideas and indie games. But I can’t remember the last time Take-Two published anything that wasn’t just a sports game or something from Rockstar Games.

They might not need an AI department but you always need new and interesting games. Heck, I’d settle for a new Bioshock if nothing else.
Danson

Man attic
After making an obvious and cheap gag about the size of the PS5 Pro yesterday, I felt it only fair to show you can fit these modern consoles in quite easily under the TV and while big don’t quite deserve the reputation they seem to have.

This modest space, an attic conversion, has a PS4 Pro, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, plug tidy box behind the Series X, Switch 2 behind the TV, PlayStation VR 2 in a case behind some classic gaming tat and all the controllers, games and charging leads in the box. The TV stand was £50 five years ago from Argos.

I will say though both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 look better stood up but I can’t imagine that’s the most convenient why for most to store them. So for me make the PlayStation 6 and Nextbox with horizontal as the design focus.
Simundo

Luck of the draw
I don’t know if it’s on sale or if it’s that dynamic pricing but I got Astro Bot off the PlayStation Store on Saturday for £32.99.

It’s as good as everyone says it is. Been a while since I’ve enjoyed a game this much. Holds up very well against Super Mario Odyssey.
Tom Thomas

GC: We think it’s dynamic pricing (which is disgusting) as it’s £42.59 for us, at a 29% discount.

A real scream
I bought Screamer over the weekend, as I love arcade racers and I’ve been loving it. My only issue with gameplay was the twin stick turning, which I just couldn’t get the hang of. But thankfully you can map both sticks just to the left stick and it was a gamechanger, it feels much more natural. So if anyone is put off by the controls you can change them.

There’s a lot of mechanics to learn, which offers strategy to the racing, but another nice touch is in private matches or split-screen you can turn off anything that others feel complicated and just have a standard racer, which is cool.

The biggest problem is the price. £60 is a lot for a racer which is trying something new and I feel it’s putting a lot off. I managed to pay for half of it with Microsoft Points, so it only cost me £30. I think it should have been £40 and it looks like the game is suffering because of it, which is a shame as it’s up there with Split/Second: Velocity and Blur for me.
Rob

GC: We agree entirely. It’s a great game but the price is a big ask for an IP most people have never heard of.

Inbox also-rans
That Jesus: The Journey game has got to be some kind of failed superhero game they found the code for or something. Like you said, I don’t see how this stuff gets on PlayStation Store in the first place. Can I just upload some pirated ROMs and Sony will leave them up for six months until they realise what they are?
Campbell

Never heard of the dude that died but Double Dragon was always a favourite of mine when growing. So kudos to Yoshihisa Kishimoto and shame he went so relatively young.
sniperboy

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

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John McCabe, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce believes the cap, which was lifted today (April 6), will make a “tangible difference to families”.

An estimated 450,000 children will be lifted out of poverty as a result of the scrap – with data revealing that 28 per cent of children across the North East live in deprivation (DWP).

First introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, the policy restricted child tax credit and universal credit (UC) to the first two children in most households.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the cap would be lifted on April 6 when she delivered the budget in November, after months of pressure from Labour backbenchers.

Mr McCabe added: “The abolition of the two-child benefit cap is welcome and will make a tangible difference to families across the North East.

“Our members have long argued that this is one of the most powerful levers available to tackle the unacceptable rates of child poverty across the region.

“As our Unlocking the North East Economy 2025–2027 policy plan makes clear, tackling poverty is fundamental to improving educational outcomes, widening access to opportunity and supporting people into good quality work.

“Every day, I hear from business leaders who need people with the right skills and stability to drive their organisations forward. Reducing child poverty is how we build that pipeline.

“If we want the North East to compete on the global stage, we must start by ensuring every child can thrive.

“We will continue to work with our members to press for meaningful regional and national action to tackle child poverty and its wide-ranging impacts on North East communities and our economy.”

The Prime Minister said lifting the cap was one of a number of steps the Government has taken amid an increased focus on cost-of-living pressures caused by the war in Iran.

Sir Keir Starmer said: “No matter the global uncertainty, my Government will always be on the side of the British people in bearing down on the cost of living.

“I will never lose sight of how restless people are for change, and I am proud that today we are lifting nearly half a million children out of poverty, boosting support for pensioners, and delivering the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.”

He added: “I know families across the country are concerned about the conflict in Iran and what it means for the cost of living.

“We are working closely with international partners to push for a de-escalation in the Middle East and the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“This is the most effective way to ease the pressure on the cost of living.

“I am clear that our response to the current global situation will define us for a generation, which is why we are taking the right long-term decisions now to ensure we emerge from this as a stronger, more secure nation.”

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, the Prime Minister described the raft of measures as “one of the proudest moments of this Labour Government”.

Sir Keir added: “Because it will lift nearly half a million children out of poverty. It means fuller cupboards, less anxiety at the end of the month, and a fairer start in life for children who had no say in the circumstances they were born into.

“And it tells you something fundamental about this Government – when faced with a choice, we act.”

Christina Koch was first to speak after Artemis II emerged from behind the Moon, ending a 40-minute blackout as the mission broke Apollo 13’s 55-year distance record.

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Orion reappeared from behind the Moon as planned and radio contact was restored – bringing an end to a 40-minute blackout that had left Mission Control waiting in silence.

Mission specialist Christina Koch was first to speak.

“Houston, Integrity, comm check,” she said. “It is so great to hear from Earth again.”

With no signal available on the lunar far side, the capsule had been operating entirely independently. Computers aboard Orion fired the engines at exactly the right moment to swing the spacecraft onto a homeward path – a procedure carried out beyond the reach of any ground controller.

When the connection returned, relief swept through Mission Control. Engineers observed data beginning to fill their screens; moments later, Koch’s voice came through.

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Uncertainty is an ever-present factor in crewed spaceflight – regardless of how routine a mission may seem, nothing is guaranteed until the crew is heard from once more. Family members who had gathered to observe spent the communications blackout reviewing briefing documents, deliberately keeping their focus away from the clock.

A backlog of stored information is now being transmitted to Earth, reports the BBC. Everything Orion captured on the far side – sensor readings, flight data, imagery – is being downloaded via NASA’s Deep Space Network, with mission teams set to spend the coming days examining the findings.

Amongst the images already arriving are what seem to be the clearest photographs ever captured of the Moon’s far hemisphere. The crew lost no time in marking the milestone, before swiftly returning to the task at hand.

Prior to the communications blackout, Glover delivered what proved to be a poignant farewell – drawing on the teachings of Jesus, including the call to love your neighbour as yourself, before signing off with words that carried a deeper resonance.

‘We will see you on the other side,’ he said.

The blackout rounded off a mission that has already made history. At 1.57pm ET, Orion carried its crew to 252,757 miles from Earth – a distance no human had ever previously reached.

The record that was broken had belonged to Apollo 13, whose crew was pushed to 248,655 miles from home during their harrowing emergency return in 1970 – a record that had remained unbeaten for 55 years.

“The Cowleys were different as after years of bargain basement managers we actually went out and did the research and found them,” said Whiley.

“The excitement was there and I remember the event where they first met the fans they were cheered into the room.

“We can look at this season and see promotion to the Championship as the best thing the club has done, but those three seasons, two promotions, FA Cup quarter-final, winning a trophy at Wembley. That changed it all.

“They brought a buzz back that we hadn’t seen since Keith, and they were like Keith in that they would find players on the way up, scour non-league and find the future stars.

“The fact is, that even after the Cowleys left to join Huddersfield, the energy stayed.

“It sticks with me that Danny said to me he didn’t want to see kids in Lincoln wearing the shirts of Premier League clubs, he wanted to see them kicking a ball in the park wearing a Lincoln City shirt.

“The success, the work that was done means that is a reality. I see it all the time when I go round the city, people wear their colours with pride.”

While Mark, Leigh and myself have covered parts of Lincoln’s recent history, one man who has been the stalwart has been BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Michael Hortin.

His first game was in 1999, and he was there in the commentary box as Lincoln gained promotion to the Championship.

“This promotion is the culmination of a long-term plan,” said Hortin. “This is about a chairman and board who have been thoughtful with their investment.

“Lincoln’s FA Cup run earned them a lot of money and they did not spend it on players, they spent it on a whole new training set-up.

“The Cowleys were the start of a transition from the old way of doing things, to a set-up that is very much part of the modern game.

“Under them a sporting director was brought in to support recruitment and player development and now we really do have a true ‘head coach’ in Michael Skubala.

“It is about finding those raw players, developing them, selling them, and it is paying off as it has allowed them to secure players on better deals.”

Lincoln have, as Hortin describes, recruited ‘experience’ to the squad. Their head coach, though, is a man who had limited time in the professional game, but Hortin said Skubala’s ability to learn and adapt has been impressive.

“I remember the first game Skubala took was against Stevenage, and it was a bit of a shock, but he was quite cool and his reaction was more ‘huh, this is what it is about’, and he learned,” said Hortin.

“The way the team has adapted and what Skubala has done is create a team that is hard to beat.”

A team that is hard to beat. A club that has been learning, developing, recruiting, all building up to where Lincoln are now. But what next?

Hortin is confident that the club will remain realistic. “The first goal will be survival, but the thing is they had a plan to become an established League One club, and now they will be working on another plan for what comes next.

“The one thing is that new owner Ron Fowler will likely go about it the same as Clive Nates. It will be done in a quiet, steady, thoughtful way. That has become the Lincoln way.”

Peter Reid will host ‘An Evening with Peter Reid’ at the Roker Hotel on Saturday, June 6, two weeks before his 70th birthday.

Reid managed Sunderland AFC from 1995 to 2002, and his transformation of the club in that time has made him one of Wearside’s most treasured figures, and often makes regular visits to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland legend Peter Reid. (Image: GOOFY MEDIA)

After a sell out event last year, marking 30 years since he took charge at Roker Park, Ried is hoping the night will be filled with memories of “magical moments”.

He said: “The fans have been unbelievable to me, and I love my regular visits to be with them and support the current team and team boss Regis Le Bris.

“What we built all those years ago is something really special, and it’s great to see the club continuing to move forward.

“As time evolves, we’re still sharing magical moments and memories, and it will be a joy to be with everyone during my birthday month of celebrations.

“With it falling just ahead of Father’s Day, it promises to be a special night surrounded by special people.”

He added: “We had a wonderful night last June and made loads of memories.

“People such as Bryan Robson, Tony Mowbray, Kevin Phillips and others made it memorable with their lovely tributes, video recollections and recalling great times with the fans—it really was unforgettable.”

During Reid’s time at the helm, the Black Cats were battling relegation in the first division.

Peter Reid with fans at last years event. (Image: GOOFY MEDIA)

But thanks to his leadership, the club stayed up, were crowned the winners of the championship the year after and were promoted to the Premier League.

In 1996, he was even made the subject of a song named ‘Daydream Believer (Cheer Up Peter Reid)’ to the melody of Monkees hit Daydream Believer.

It peaked at 41 in the UK singles and album chart.

Speaking of his connection to the club, Reid added: “I always look forward to getting back up to Sunderland — it means a great deal to me.

“The connection I’ve got with Sunderland AFC and the fans is something I’ll carry with me forever.

“As time passes, it’s a real joy to see Sunderland back in the Premier League — it still gives me a proper buzz watching them, and I couldn’t be prouder of what the club is achieving.”

Tickets are limited and start at £27.

With scores of culinary treasures both inside the walls and beyond, the latest in our ‘Best Of’ competitions for 2026 is sure to whet the appetite.

We’ve counted up your personal choices for favourite places and whittled them down to a shortlist of ten.

York Press readers sent us their favourites at the start of the competition and the top ten shortlist can now be revealed (Image: Newsquest)

Starting tomorrow (Tuesday, April 7) we will feature each of those you’ve selected in a short profile, both online and in the newspaper, alongside a voting slip.

In order to make your mark and select an overall favourite, simply put a cross next to your favourite and sent it off to the address provided before the closing date.

We will announce the overall winner from reader votes in the week beginning April 27.

Over the years, The Press has featured thousands of stories about restaurants and gastro pubs, and our reporters have sampled the food and drink on offer in reviews of what’s on offer.

The culinary experience in York sees independent operators sit alongside big names, giving an impressive range to choose from.

From modern British bistros championing local Yorkshire produce to smart small‑plate spots and relaxed street‑food style venues, there is plenty for diners to explore.

Many former ‘locals’ now serve polished, chef‑led menus while keeping the character of a proper pub, with real ales, good wine lists and Sunday lunches.

Neighbourhood venues beyond the city walls are increasingly matching the quality found in the centre, helping spread the food offer into local communities.

At the same time, York’s long‑standing favourites continue to thrive alongside newer openings, supported by strong visitor trade and loyal local custom.

In alphabetical order, the shortlist of the top ten restaurants or gastro pubs as voted by Press readers is:

• Ate O’Clock Restaurant and Bistro – High Ousegate
• Delrio’s Restaurant – Blossom Street
• JORVINE – Main Street, Fulford
• Karoo Bar and Kitchen – George Hudson Street
• Rustique Restaurant – Castlegate
• The Dawnay Arms – Moor Lane, Newton-on-Ouse
• The Fox Inn – The Village, Stockton on the Forest
• The Knapton Lion – Main Street, Knapton
• The Nag’s Head – Heworth Road
• The Ship Inn, Hauling Lane, Acaster Malbis

However, wet and windy weather will return by the end of the week

After a windy weekend for many parts of Wales due to Storm Dave, the weather is expected to be more settled with temperatures soaring for some days this week. Met Office weather maps show that temperatures could reach up to 23C this week.

Warm days are forecast in parts of Wales on Tuesday and Wednesday will quickly turn by the weekend when wet and windy weather could return. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

The forecast for Tuesday in Wales states: “A sunny start to the day, although high cloud will gradually build in from the west making the sunshine hazy by lunchtime. Feeling warm, especially in the sunshine. Maximum temperature 23 °C.”

Tuesday will be the hottest day this week according to the Met Office weather maps where temperatures will reach 20°C or hotter in many areas including Caernarfon, Carmarthen, Swansea, Cardiff and Llandovery. Wednesday, April 8, will stay dry across Wales with sunny spells like the rest of the UK and cloud only partially covering parts of the west.

Bangor and Aberystywth could see highs of 23C on Tuesday, April 7, Cardiff could be 21C on both Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Met Office.

Swansea would see temperatures between 20C and 21C on both days.

The weather will change throughout the week with the Met Office forecasting the weather for Wednesday to Friday stating: “Staying largely fine and warm on Wednesday, but rain will move in from the west later. Cooler and showery on Thursday. Likely turning wet and windy on Friday.”

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Rain will make its return to Wales on Thursday with showers expected around the early afternoon before clearing in the evening. Temperatures will stay mild, still in the double digits but it will feel much cooler than the start of the week.

Heavy rain will sweep Wales on Friday throughout the day along with windy conditions. Areas along the coast of Wales are expected to see gusts of around 40 to 50mph.

Wet weather is expected to continue into the weekend across the UK with longer spells of rain affecting some regions.

The Met Office UK wide long range forecast for Saturday, April 11, until Monday, April 20, says: “It will likely remain rather changeable during the first part of this period with showers or occasional longer spells of rain affecting many areas.

“Whether this takes the form of successive weather systems pushing in from the Atlantic or a more slowly evolving weather pattern is rather more unclear. Some drier, brighter interludes will also occur and when winds are light, it should feel quite warm, despite temperatures most likely being close to normal for most.

“Beyond mid-month, high pressure may become rather more dominant, bringing more in the way of drier and perhaps warmer weather, though this will be determined by the location and proximity of where any high is positioned relative to the UK.”

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In the tradition of indie classics such as Limbo and Inside, comes a new action adventure starring a cartoon octopus caught up in an alien invasion.

We don’t actually play that many video games that are truly awful, since there’s usually nothing of note about them to make a review worthwhile. There’re occasional exceptions, like the mind-bogglingly terrible Code Violet and the baffling MindsEye, but most of the worst games are just worthless slop of the sort Sony is currently trying to clear out from the PlayStation Store.

The majority of video games aren’t unusually good or bad, they’re somewhere in the middle. And so it can be difficult to know which are worthy of further investigation, given there are dozens of new indie games released every week, even at quiet times of the year.

We’re not familiar with French developer ZDT Studio, since this seems to be their debut game, but since the graphics for Darwin’s Paradox looked good, the publisher is Konami, and octopuses are cool we decided to give it a go. In the end we wish we hadn’t, not because it’s terrible but because it’s so deeply average.

Maybe average isn’t entirely fair. The graphics are really good for an indie game and on paper your octopus powers are all very neat, including the ability to camouflage yourself; shoot out ink to cover your escape; and walk along any surface, including the ceiling, like a spider (which we’re pretty sure octopuses can’t do, but whatever).

Darwin’s Paradox is, rather randomly, named after Charles Darwin’s discovery that tropical seas don’t seem to contain enough nutrients to sustain coral reefs, despite the fact they’re teeming with life. That has nothing to do with the game, other than the octopus you control is called Darwin, whose friend is captured by secret aliens running a food processing company and planning to invade Earth.

What this translates to in gameplay terms is a 2D platformer influenced by the likes of Limbo and Inside, but swapping melancholic mystery for cartoon silliness. Darwin spends a surprising amount of time on dry land but whether he’s hiding from guards or trying not to get eaten by a moray eel everything works in the same general way.

His camouflage ability is basically a cloak of invisibility and as long as you activate it in time you become completely invisible to enemies. Although it does take a while to complete, so you spend a lot of time slowly inching your way across the screen, spending more time going into camouflage than moving or hiding.

Spraying ink is only good for masking your movement underwater but the gob of liquid you shoot out can be aimed quite precisely and so ends up getting used to activate switches and machinery when you’re on land. Although you don’t have any offensive abilities at all.

The climbing on any surface gimmick is used a surprising amount and while it seems quite clever at first it’s fiddly and inconsistent. Not enough to be a total wash but certainly enough to irritate, with sticky and slow movement that makes you constantly wish you could just get back in the water, where you’re much more mobile. The worst thing, though, is the game is filled with trial and error traps that often cannot be foreseen.

The checkpointing is generous enough that you don’t usually have to repeat too much but it’s still frustrating getting caught out by something you couldn’t have anticipated, especially as it happens so often. Even without this, the puzzles just aren’t interesting enough to engage you, as the solution is usually instantly obvious but pushing items where you want them or getting a pixel perfect jump just right is frequently more difficult than it should be.

As the scope of indie gaming begins to grow wider, from tiny games made by a single person to those whose scale begins to rival low-end games from traditional publishers, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to judge how fair their price tags are.

Darwin’s Paradox is relatively expensive and it’s only around six hours long and yet you can see where all the money went, as the cartoonish visuals are excellent and mixed in with almost photorealistic backdrops. That said, it’s never actually funny, no matter how often Darwin’s googly eyes try to emote as he’s being pecked to death by birds or squished by alien machinery.

Despite its attempts to provoke a reaction we found it impossible to hold any strong feelings about Darwin’s Paradox. It’s competently made, very pretty, and almost completely uninteresting. The dull and long-winded puzzles are the biggest problem and give the impression that the whole game was designed around the visuals, with everything seemingly having been worked back from there.

That’s never been a good way to make a video game and while this is an acceptable enough way to waste away a rainy Sunday afternoon, that’s about as positive as we can be about it.

Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Price: £19.99
Publisher: Konami
Developer: ZDT Studio
Release Date: 2nd April 2026
Age Rating: 7

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