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.