Focusing more on the story than the spooks (though the spooks are good when they materialize!), An English Haunting is a solid, user-friendly paranormal tale with strong production values, even if it lacks the compelling characters and dialogue of the best horror fiction.

Everything works effectively to build tension over the course of s.p.l.i.t’s grim hour-long campaign, though the learning curve in the role of a rogue hacker may be a bit much to ask for some gamers.

It may have a few minor malfunctions, but Between Horizons launches players on an exciting and branching interstellar detective journey, looking for clues, questioning suspects, and maybe saving the remnants of humanity in the process.

Though it doesn’t quite reach the heights it aspires to, Jusant is a lovely mountaineering adventure that makes for a refreshing change from the norm in both axis and pace.

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.

Its unrelenting vagueness surely won’t be for everyone, but with TR-49 inkle expands on the growing investigative deduction subgenre with another polished and rewarding title, its added audio component providing a particularly compelling extra layer of intrigue.

A Highland Song is a beautifully frustrating journey into the Highlands, Scottish history, and the life of a troubled teenager. Showcasing both the marvels and the menace of that rugged land, it offers a powerful sense of place, memorable tales, and a big heart.

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.

Based on Tove Jansson’s popular book series, Snufkin is a cozy, beautifully presented adventure that’s fairly short and light on challenge, but will surely please fans and newcomers alike who are eager to take a pleasant stroll among the natural wonders and quirky characters of Moominvalley.

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.

Expelled! excels at transferring its spiritual predecessor Overboard!’s charm, replayability and depth of choice to a boarding school setting, though its report card says it must try harder at putting its new morality mechanic into practice.

Its obstacles may not put up much of a fight, but Rosewater’s sharpshooting lies with its wonderful production value and freedom of choice in this character-driven Western, earning itself a big “Yeehaw!” for fun and replayability.

Backfirewall_ is a unique and interesting look at the anthropomorphized inner workings of a phone, with fun gameplay, humorous dialogue and bright, colorful environments.

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.

While Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip could’ve given players a bit more to do, its uniquely whimsical style and wacky sensibilities make it a memorable and fun cartoon platforming adventure.

Its emphasis on mini-games over traditional puzzles may not appeal to everyone, but Apopia: Sugar Coated Tale is a delightful and surprisingly poignant journey of self-discovery that isn’t always as sweet as it looks.

Even without this small wish list of things I would have preferred to see implemented, Botany Manor packs a powerful punch as an exploration of its protagonist’s life, coupled with some engaging and well-designed puzzles along the way that even the most gardening-averse in real life can master. Best of all, it manages to deliver all of this with a gentle, light touch, with beautiful sights and sounds you can relax to even as you solve its conundrums. It’s not the most aggressively difficult puzzler out there, nor is it the longest, but it certainly makes a great case for quality over quantity. It seems like a true passion project that reminds us that, sometimes, it’s important to slow down in our busy lives to stop and smell the roses.

Leila is not a conventional graphic adventure but is quite polished in its narrative approach, as well as in its diverse puzzles, fostering real emotion and connection to its character.

Our hopes for a wonderful sequel have come true, as Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer balances a great dialogue-based serial killer mystery with entertaining puzzles in another sublime point-and-click pixel art adventure game.

Lil’ Guardsman is a silly, high-fantasy take on Papers, Please that mixes deductive gameplay with goblins and wizards – what more could you want? Well, a tighter story with more consistent quality would have been great, but the end result is still very much worth playing for comedy fans.

Even with a bit of open exploration, Saltsea Chronicles is essentially a visual novel – a character-driven, story you read on screens of charmingly beautiful backgrounds. It’s a stress-free piece of interactive media that invites players to help write the unfolding tale, but those looking for deeper gameplay won’t find any swashbuckling, seafaring action in these calm seas.

Don’t let its delightfully cartoonish appearance fool you: Elroy and the Aliens is a wonderfully heartfelt point-and-click journey across time and space, about family connections and the lengths we’ll go to reunite with our loved ones.

Bold, beautiful, brilliant. Lee Petty and Double Fine have done it again. It’s a keeper, all right.

If you are an animal lover who doesn’t mind a little jumping, climbing and lighthearted cat fighting, you will surely fall in love with the Disney-esque short but beautiful Stars in the Trash.

As the final installment of the Immortal John Triptych, Death of the Reprobate provides more of the same fun Monty Python-esque humor, signature Renaissance-era aesthetic, and enjoyable puzzles that Joe Richardson fans have come to expect, even if some aspects are starting to wear thin the third time around.

Full to bursting with cover-ups, conspiracies, pranks, and wisecracks, 3 Minutes to Midnight is set in a gorgeous cartoon world packed with childishly entertaining puzzles. Like its heroine, it’s a little unfocused and easily distracted at times, but it’s still a rocking good time.

Take our word for it: Great God Grove takes a fresh dialogue-based puzzle concept and places it in an imaginative world filled with unforgettable characters. It may not be particularly challenging, but the strong writing and gorgeous presentation make this a heavenly game of Telephone well worth picking up.

PRIM delves into the underworld and brings back the soul of classic point-and-click adventure games with an endearing creepy-cute story, loveable characters, fantastic production values and plenty of fun puzzling.