Viewfinder’s shining achievement is its brilliantly executed set of reality-bending mechanics that are such fun to play with that its tenuous story and relatively simple puzzles are easy to overlook.

You can’t help but feel like a true conspiracy theorist exploring the beautifully eerie pixel art world of Mythargia with all its mysterious supernatural elements. As a journalist in search of clues about secret human experiments, a bit more control over how to compile the evidence into your article would’ve been welcome, but collecting it all feels very rewarding along the way.

The idea behind this quirky anthology of four very distinct anecdotes is commendable, but its blink-and-you-missed-it brevity does not pair well with its already limited chill factor, leaving The Creepy Syndrome feeling not particularly worthwhile.

Ashina: The Red Witch isn’t an ambitious game, but as a short and simple retro-styled narrative adventure, it is fun and functional enough for a mild recommendation to those who enjoy this style of anime fantasy.

Those who fondly remember cracking conundrums in The 7th Guest’s Stauf Mansion or feel nostalgic for the early 3D graphics of Resident Evil’s Spencer Mansion will feel right at home in The Tartarus Key, with its plethora of engaging puzzles and well-written cast that’ll welcome you in and make your stay a memorable one.

In celebrating a love of music, Blue Wednesday is less a full-fledged adventure than a casual version of “Piano Hero” with some dialogue, exploration and other mini-games mixed in, all wrapped in a cutesy-looking but uncomfortable story about whether it’s worthwhile chasing your dreams.

Roadwarden is a highly compelling, vividly realized text-based expedition into a dynamic fantasy setting, with a deep and layered story that allows players to experience as much or as little as they choose while deciding what kind of role they want to play in its deceptively vast world.

Torn Away is a beautifully produced narrative adventure with various gameplay elements that hits you hard in the feels as you guide a ten-year-old child back home to her family across a continent ravaged by war.

While it doesn’t quite reach the allegorical heights it aspires to, if you like text adventures or simply enjoy games that subvert the role of the player, then [I] doesn’t exist should keep you solidly entertained for a few hours.

The otherwise moving narrative of Under the Waves misses out on some lost opportunities, but if you have an affinity for collecting, exploration and ocean preservation, you’ll effortlessly immerse yourself for hours in this enchanting, beautiful underwater adventure.

Like an interactive multi-episode spinoff of the TV show, The Expanse leaves room for improvement but offers a solid sci-fi experience in which time seems to fly by.

Toning down the puzzles this time around wasn’t the best idea, but otherwise Lifeless Moon delivers more of what made its predecessor enjoyable for the most part, gorgeously presenting its well-told story of a scientific experiment gone wrong, and the peril and promise of the unknown.

Perhaps the next closest thing to a real-world ghost-hunting expedition, Incubus offers plenty of paranormal phenomena to keep you busy and satisfy your fears and fantasies.

Hercule Poirot: The London Case is a mixed bag for fans of Agatha Christie and adventure games. They will be thrilled to put the little Belgian detective through his paces once again, but the mystery itself doesn’t fully satisfy.

At first the unusual art style and uncanny hand-animated world of The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo feels uniquely captivating, but delve a little deeper and its raw mechanics and unclear puzzle design make for a gameplay experience as fragmented as its protagonist.

With a new storyline and new tweaks to the series’ co-op gameplay, We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip is an excellent start to this multi-part franchise installment.

Valiant Heart: Coming Home’s limited release strategy is a self-inflicted wound, but this beautiful WWI side-scrolling sequel is a fairly fun, lightly educational little three-hour engagement free to those equipped to play it.

Live the life of a starving student or investigate dark occult secrets. It’s your choice in Dreams in the Witch House, a roleplaying/resource management/point-and-click adventure hybrid that makes for a very challenging, occasionally frustrating but often fun balancing act.

Gameplay and player agency may be limited, but as an interactive storybook, Beacon Pines is a charming, intriguing mystery with a great cast, gorgeous art, and a fun branching path mechanic.

Laughs are at the forefront of Repella Fella, a crude, gory, and yet occasionally earnest adventure. Ease of play allows the jokes to come fast and furious, and despite some issues with the pace of storytelling, this game is sure to provide hours of delight to its intended audience.

Its length – or rather its extreme lack of it – is difficult to overlook, but Beyond the Wall is a cute and charming little adventure in the same style as many of the classic Amanita games.

Killer Frequency is a compelling choice-driven, non-action-oriented survival horror game that demands you keep your wits about you. If you really want to become the hero, you’ll enjoy every tense minute of it. Fail or consciously turn to the dark side, however, and you’re awarded with funny deaths and dark humor. Either way, it’s well worth giving it a spin.

SEASON is a beautiful and thoughtful art piece of a game whose only challenge may stem from being overly ponderous at times, but it shines with its gorgeous landscapes, interesting characters, and imaginative worldbuilding and will reward those who come into it ready for some creative introspection.

Its compelling narrative and sci-fi environment make Fort Solis a welcome addition to the portfolio of thrillers that have sent us into outer space, even if this particular journey punches a little below the best in terms of emotional payoff and scare factor.

While not as deep as it could be, Return to Grace’s discussion of the role of AI in people’s lives – with those very AIs themselves – is a pleasant accompaniment to the wonderful sites discovered aboard an abandoned space base of the future.

With its loveable cast of characters, just-right level of challenge, and compelling plot, Lucy Dreaming is a complete win for Tall Story Games and adventure game players alike. The puzzle difficulty ramps up beautifully, just as the plot becomes progressively more compelling until it reaches its incredibly satisfying payoff. I would encourage seeing this one through to the end, but I don’t think I have to: you’ll be hooked from the moment you press Play until the moment the credits roll.

The steampunk-styled world of Verne: The Shape of Fantasy provides a fun way to ease lovers of written fiction into interactive storytelling. It could have been written by Jules Verne himself, and although never very challenging, it is intriguing enough to keep more experienced gamers glued to the screen as well.

Though let down somewhat by its graphical limitations, its well-written pirate story and a variety of nicely balanced puzzles make Cleo: A Pirate’s Tale an enjoyable experience overall.

Paws of Coal is a cute and fun little animal detective mystery, featuring some intriguing deduction puzzles and a whole lot of brilliant writing to read, though it is difficult to overlook the fact that it is just a prelude to a larger adventure and not a complete game on its own.

DE-EXIT is an ambitious and mostly well-crafted adventure, with great puzzle design, charming visuals, and an immersive cinematic flair. Not all of its ideas play out equally well, and a slow first half combined with minor technical issues make it a bit hard to break into, but those who stick with it until the end won’t regret the effort.

The gritty, realistic urban setting is stunning, but the story of The Safe Place is so drearily centered on poverty, crime and abuse that succeeding in cracking the more difficult inventory puzzles becomes more of a struggle than a pleasure just to progress and see more misery unfold.

The Bookwalker isn’t about inventing new wheels but combining familiar concepts in intriguing ways, ably marrying point-and-click adventuring and turn-based combat to provide a dark world to explore, filled with surprises that are ultimately more intriguing than its grand finale.

Bigger and better than its predecessor in some ways, more bloated and less focused in others, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is an intriguing sequel for those on the right wavelength for this kind of gameplay-lite narrative experience.

Intruder in Antiquonia‘s pleasing aesthetic and rural charm with flashes of something deeper aren’t quite enough to compensate for the hurried storytelling and pedestrian puzzles.

This expansion to our 2022 Game of the Year proves that The Case of the Golden Idol was no fluke, making an undeniable argument for even further explorations into its addicting, vocabulary-themed approach to detective gameplay.

Being a feline makes Cats and the Other Lives a fun and playful game for the most part, though the storyline you uncover along the way gets darker and darker, and all the more compelling because of it.

Rendezvous offers cyberpunk with a distinctive Indonesian flavour. Its awkward combat and simple puzzles may soon be forgotten, but its gritty story and pungent atmosphere will stay with you.

Don’t Nod’s visual novel Harmony is an awkwardly balanced mix of gorgeous but limited production values, clumsy choice mechanic, and an intriguing story whose best parts you never get to experience yourself.

It may not be the most polished or user-friendly game, but Delirium’s zany night at home with two teens and a talking stuffed bunny proves to be a fair bit of fun.

There’s no real challenge and very little gameplay in this craftily created 3D visual novel, but The Wreck’s main character’s personal story will pull you in and leave you feeling fully invested in seeing her through the worst – and perhaps last – day of her life.

A little too unrefined with a bare-bones narrative, After You is nevertheless packed with engaging and demanding puzzles, some of which inspire creative thinking.

Unless you are either a die-hard fan of puzzles or analog horror, and really don’t mind a lackluster and increasingly tiresome version of both, there are far better and spookier games out there than Amanda the Adventurer.

Combining several gameplay styles with a protagonist-switching, fourth-wall-breaking story makes RE:CALL feel almost experimental at times. But since its disparate elements ultimately work reasonably well together, it’s an experiment in storytelling that could be worth checking out.

With The Bunker, Frictional has boiled the series’ gameplay formula down to its most salient and effective horror elements while trimming any excessive fat. For fans of horror, only three words are necessary: go play it!

Dordogne takes you on a stunning watercolor journey through the past and present of rural southern France. There isn’t anything much in the way of challenge, but it’s a charming interactive storybook that will remind you of the really important things in life.

With a gorgeous setting full of incredible architecture and nicely varied puzzles, Firmament is another confident and cerebral showcase from the legendary artists at Cyan.

With its limited interaction, Know by heart… may have worked better as a book or film, but it’s a beautiful game with a touching personal story that never loses its focus on the people of a quiet town in crisis.

While non-Trekkies and puzzle lovers may find Star Trek: Resurgence less appealing, franchise fans looking to simply dive into another fine story in this expansive universe will not be disappointed.

It’s a shame there isn’t more opportunity to explore the world at large, but Gamedec is a rewarding and immersive role-playing adventure that offers a satisfying amount of player agency in the direction of this cyberpunk detective mystery.

Though cracks are visible in its impressive facade by the time the credits roll, Stasis: Bone Totem is a wildly ambitious follow-up that builds effectively on the macabre promise of its predecessors.

Planet of Lana breaks no new ground, but it’s a beautiful and frequently captivating sci-fi puzzle-platforming experience.

An artfully made take on the familiar story of an alien invasion, Somerville’s visual design and interesting scenarios form an engaging experience, though some confusing puzzle design and a plot that holds the player at arm’s length keep it from truly being out of this world.

Loretta is a pleasingly chaotic and entertaining romp through the best tropes of film noir – but it’s the player who decides just how dark things get.

With a sharp narrative focus, engaging gameplay, and a fresh take on its characters as younger men, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened functions as both a stellar remake and a compelling sequel to Chapter One.

Full of gorgeous art, delightful jazz, and a very light amount of challenge, The Forest Quartet turns a story about death and grief into a fun, lively, cathartic memorial romp.

Wavetale’s forgiving platforming and trivial combat arguably make the game a bit too easy, but its thoughtful narrative and gorgeous world will keep you happily glued to the screen throughout the entirety of its brief duration.

It’s a bit too short for its own good, but when you get used to the wonky camera controls, KAPIA is a beautiful and charming game, serving up a colourful cast and fun puzzles.

While Supermassive’s formula is starting to need a bit of a punch-up, and the H. H. Holmes Murder Castle is surprisingly less compelling than the earlier anthology settings, The Devil in Me is still a solid slasher story for horror fans to enjoy.

Summer Daze: Tilly’s Tale is a pleasant but undemanding little visual novel. Fans of Quest for Glory and Hero-U will enjoy spending time in the Coles’ universe again, but those who want the same kind of intricate gameplay might be disappointed.

Amusingly written and simply enjoyable to play, this isn’t just an adventure for heavy rock fans. Rock ‘n’ Roll Will Never Die! may have a few flaws, but it’s a wild ride that should appeal to any adventure game fan looking for a light and engaging story.

It may have a bare-bones story and some wonky gameplay mechanics, but Life of Delta is a visually beautiful journey packed full of enjoyable puzzles with a sublime soundtrack to go with it. Although it didn’t completely live up to my expectations, its charming robot protagonist did his best to keep me entertained for the short time we shared together.

Path of Ra is a fun little ancient Egypt-themed tile-swapper that provides a decent challenge for puzzle fans looking for an atmospheric diversion, though a lackluster story that provides little more than a basic framework seems like a lost opportunity.

While Unwording succeeds in creatively introducing the mental health concepts of cognitive distortions using wordplay, the surrounding game is simply too short and too shallow to make a lasting impact.

While a few questionable design choices and derivative character art keep it from achieving true greatness, Creepy Tale 3: Ingrid Penance is nonetheless a solidly eerie, atmospheric and challenging adventure.

Tape: Unveil the Memories is a creative indie adventure that does its best to appeal to suspense lovers whether they prefer stealth or story, but a middling narrative and inconsistent puzzles make it feel like more of a chore than a thrill.

Although hampered slightly by lackluster environments and overly repetitive randomized replays to unlock the story in full, Murderous Muses is another impressively written and performed FMV mystery game by D’Avekki Studios, centered around dynamic characters and an unforgettable setting.

The stylish Jennifer Wilde: Unlikely Revolutionaries will grab you at first but the pace quickly slows, as will your interest, feeling like a missed opportunity.

Punctuated by a few big scares, Paper Ghost Stories: 7PM is captivating in its quieter moments, too, with an understated slice-of-life narrative, cultural authenticity, an underrepresented setting, and just the right amount of foreboding. The experience is heightened by a sensible sound design, an effectively eerie score, and an infinitely appealing paper cut-out visual style pulled off to near perfection. A few decisions that lead to unique content make it worth playing again as you fully absorb the detail and charm on offer, especially when a single playthrough is so short. Overall, this unassuming little ghost story adventure does just about everything right. It’s bite-sized indeed, but I truly enjoyed my brief introduction, and I can’t wait to see how this style of game plays out in long-form in the upcoming, full-length Third Eye Open sequel.

There’s nothing about Edengate: The Edge of Life that’s inherently broken or neglected: the voiced dialogue is serviceable, the music fades into its atmospheric background, and navigating the town of Edengate works well enough despite having so little to do. It’s more a case of a game that desperately needed one of its core elements – be it story, puzzles, or creepy mood – to take charge and step into the foreground, putting a definitive stamp onto the overall experience. Instead, everything is accounted for but nothing makes any waves, so the game ultimately just fizzles out and fades away in a forgettable thud rather than a memorable bang.

Pentiment is a captivating Renaissance adventure that challenges players to unravel both a murder mystery and the many enigmas of history.

Finally localized in English after being released in Dutch and French over a decade ago, Mozart Requiem is so unpolished it’s still not ready for prime time release, seriously undermining its fine protagonist and a story full of intrigue and adventure.

Rocco’s Island: Ring to End the Pain gets points for having an interesting story, colorful characters, and beautiful artwork that would have made a great animated movie. Unfortunately, it fails on pretty much every possible level as a game that doesn’t know quite how to be what it wants to be.

If you can withstand a slow and meandering beginning, A Space for the Unbound will reward you with one of the more emotionally earnest and moving stories to be found in an adventure game.

A sequel that’s put in the work to expand its predecessor’s horizons is commendable, but for Deliver Us Mars this doesn’t always work out perfectly. Still, it offers another thrilling adventure for deep-space explorers, with welcome character moments that make it a little less solitary this time around.