Roki

If you already played Roki, there's nothing to bring you back in. But if you missed before, then it's absolutely worth getting lost in.

Röki is an easy recommend and goes some way towards exemplifying why indie games still hold an important place in the industry amongst the big-budget blockbusters.

Overall, Roki was a big win in my book. Initially, I found its family-friendly focus to be a detriment to my enjoyment in my first sitting with it. In my second, I began to appreciate more of what it was going for, and in my third sitting, I played for 5 hours without even realizing it. Roki has a lot going for it, including a unique story, well-done but straightforward mechanics, and a simply beautiful art style. Don’t let this one slip past you like a tomte hiding in his hat.

The only downside to this Roki PS5 port is that it fails to use any of the new technology available to it via the DualSense. I would have loved to hear the crunch of snow come via the controller instead of my TV, and maybe let me use the touchpad to select/drag/combine items from Tove’s backpack—things that would have enhanced the experience and made it stand out from Roki‘s other releases. That said, this is a solid puzzle game and one I highly recommend devoting an afternoon or two to.

Röki is a title you don't want to miss, especially if you have any love for the rare adventure games of this genre.

With a compact, but dense world to navigate – most of the game takes place in one sprawling interconnected area – you’ll learn your way around in no time. This is aided by the game’s clever fast travel system, which cuts down on pointless back and forth greatly.