Though not as memorable as its acclaimed puzzle-platforming inspirations, Stela manages to carve out an identity of its own and is worth playing for its interesting world, atmosphere and excellent music.

Embracelet doesn’t offer much challenge, it’s a welcome change of pace from the norm, and the simplicity of its gameplay and beautiful low-poly presentation nicely serve an elegantly told, astoundingly good story.

While the overly convoluted plot devolves into a straight visual novel near the end, until then you’ll be drawn in by the intuitive gameplay, vibrant side-scrolling world and the intriguing mystery that make Evan’s Remains such a satisfying puzzle platformer.

This game is wildly implausible and absurdly melodramatic—you already know if that appeals to you or not, and if so, Fire Escape is a very fun way to spend an hour or more of voyeuristic spying.

The Revenge of Johnny Bonasera is buoyed by its colorful cartoonish art, evolving story, and excellent puzzle design across its four distinct episodes, but it’s hindered throughout by a lack of depth and nihilistic toilet humor.

Beautiful and bittersweet, When the Past Was Around is a brief but touching point-and-click adventure with simple puzzles that tells a tale of loss and love through gorgeous hand-drawn graphics and elegant, memorable music.

The inherent weirdness of exploring a person’s memories and an ever-evolving mystery help make up for some obtuse gameplay and a lack of proper resolution in The Signifier.

Short on challenge but full of moments that can make you laugh or cry, Welcome to Elk is an intense and memorable narrative experience about a group of people dealing with the hardships of life.

There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension takes the rulebook for what a game can and should do and sets it on fire, practically reinventing the entire medium in the process. Unceasingly hilarious, ludicrously entertaining, and utterly unique, it will remind you why you play games while forcing you to reconsider every aspect of what that means.

Investi-Gator and the Case of the Big Crime is a short but sweetly entertaining romp that lightly pokes fun at the tropes associated with classic mystery stories. While it doesn’t require any critical thinking and there is a distinct lack of puzzles, it’ll be a welcome diversion for those wishing to take a break from more serious fare and have a few laughs at the same time.

Although a little more polish to the unique medieval-themed art style wouldn’t be unwelcome, the Monty Python-inspired Lancelot’s Hangover is a charming, fun and delightfully bonkers point-and-click comic adventure.

The production values place Erica in good company as an FMV psychological thriller, but with a near total absence of gameplay and a plot that struggles to consistently thrill, what’s left is an underwhelming choose-your-own-adventure tale that leaves a poor lingering impression.

From simple magnetism and gravity mechanics springs the fiendishly challenging Relicta, a highly polished environmental puzzler through a lunar space station with your every move being watched.

The Last Campfire is a wonderful way to while away a few evenings, pondering your own mortality while having a fun time doing it by solving puzzles in a lovely fantasy world.

A positive late-game change in design ethos and cute atmospheric graphics can’t save Tales of the Neon Sea from a lack of story coherency, tedious gameplay, and poor writing.

Despite some technical issues, Boreal Tenebrae constructs a thoughtful narrative via solid writing and retro horror art design that remains entertaining throughout, though its abrupt ending leaves us without any closure.

While falling slightly short of its full interactive potential, A Fisherman’s Tale is a unique experience, lovingly and charmingly crafted with a clever premise, solid puzzles and the poignant feel of a Pixar movie.

A potentially interesting exploration of depression let down by poor storytelling and dearth of gameplay, Into A Dream is more likely to put you to sleep than rivet you.

Despite a poorly conceived save system and a sense of aimlessness in seeking out multiple endings, the debut installment of Pamali: Indonesian Folklore Horror is a unique choice-driven horror experience with an impressive amount of educational and replay value and an unexpectedly strong narrative core.

Its polished presentation and unusual premise make for a promising start to Metamorphosis, but the shallow gameplay and increasingly abstract direction prove to be something of a buzzkill.

Despite some promising elements, Seven Doors offers only the merest illusion of depth with its dull and dusty environment, overly simple puzzles and sometimes frustrating design issues.

The Dreamcatcher is a mysterious and at times thrilling stroll through gorgeous scenery with a lot of passing ideas that may stimulate your imagination, though don’t expect this surreal exploration of the subconscious to always make a lot of sense or offer much to do along the way.

The FMV mystery Jessika supplies a thought-provoking if uncomfortable story, though a number of flaws in the interface and to a lesser extent the English translation take focus away from the tale it’s trying to tell.

Football Game’s dark tale makes up for its short play time and lack of graphical polish with a satisfying and well-crafted story and creepy vibes throughout.

A visually appealing futuristic adventure, the debut installment of Mad Cat’s World is unfortunately heavily hindered by its bland script and poor localization.

Returning visitors to Rusty Lake’s particular brand of quirkiness will find The White Door to be a more focused and serious game than previous outings, while newcomers are welcome to jump right into a standalone adventure that strikes an even balance between psychologically interesting and weirdly off-putting.

Ourea offers a tantalizing glimpse into the mysteries of a fallen civilization, but it’s so short that you’ll have little time to enjoy anything except the thought of what might have been.

Cheeky thrills and the occasional picturesque vista can’t mask the fact that Museum: Volumes I and II feel more like incomplete sketches of a game, and not a complete picture. Each can be diverting for the very short time they last, but neither ever really fulfills the promise of what could have been.

Cheeky thrills and the occasional picturesque vista can’t mask the fact that Museum: Volumes I and II feel more like incomplete sketches of a game, and not a complete picture. Each can be diverting for the very short time they last, but neither ever really fulfills the promise of what could have been.

A short but satisfying adventure in a surreal and creative world, Caetano’s Slice is a terrific entry in the Off-Peak series and a promising first volume of a new anthology.

Return of the Phantom presents an intriguing encounter with the Phantom of the Opera, and is fascinating to experience with modern sensibilities nearly thirty years after its debut.

Twilight Path offers a wonderful but far too brief VR experience of being the magical savior of a kingdom in ruins, solving lots of puzzles along the way. Unfortunately, we will need to wait for the next chapter to (hopefully) see how things turn out.

The idea behind The Pillar works when done well, as we’ve seen before, but a bit more substance is needed to make both the beautiful world and its gameplay click better here. As it stands, it must settle for being a decent, if imperfect, puzzler.

Managing six different detachable body parts takes some getting used to, but Helheim Hassle is a consistently fun, creative blend of narrative adventure and puzzle-platformer with an amusing spin on Norse mythology.

Florence is a moving and emotional tale of love gained and lost, and the trials of finding oneself in early adulthood. While a very short experience and light on actual gameplay, the charming presentation and strong narrative will leave a lasting impression.

Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town’s mystery fizzles with a rushed ending, but it’s perky and pretty and packed with puzzles and peculiar characters.

A surreal trip through an Alice in Wonderland-like dreamscape, Superliminal delights and surprises with level after level of inventive, bizarre puzzles.

An action-laced side-scrolling puzzler with just a hint of enigmatic story, 7th Sector’s clever and varied challenges are more fun than not, but it can be artificially difficult to reach an ending that still doesn’t provide many answers.

Indie French developer Coutal Games have created a unique world with charming characters in Suli: Fallen Harmony, but a lack of polish and a few puzzle problems mean that, like its flightless bird protagonist, it is unable to truly take off.

Down the Rabbit Hole faithfully and vividly recreates the roller-coaster feeling of bouncing through Wonderland’s zany environments in VR, even solving some engaging puzzles along the way. Unfortunately, it’s let down somewhat by a lackluster narrative and weak character interactions that could have made the whole experience far more memorable.

“Planet of Aping Better Movies” might be a better title for Last Frontier, a beautiful but barely interactive “us vs. them” tale whose simplistic choices negate the benefit of experiencing the conflict from both sides.

Later Alligator may turn off some adventure fans with its minigame-heavy gameplay, but those willing to try something different will find a beautifully animated, wonderfully replayable and often hilarious experience.

Though its intentionally abstract story may leave you in the dark, Heal oozes with spooky atmosphere and uses old age and memory loss as a compelling context in which to solve engaging puzzles.

On its surface, Röki delightfully explores a rarely visited branch of Scandinavian folklore, but delve deeper into this thoroughly charming fantasy adventure and you’ll find a beautifully told, emotionally engaging narrative that’s sure to resonate with players of all ages.

Despite its lack of polish and hard-to-listen-to voiced characters, if you are a fan of pure point-and-click adventures and/or detective mysteries, you will likely enjoy the replayable Falcon City.

The House of Da Vinci 2 challenges you to match wits with the master in this sequel that, despite a few hiccups, builds upon the fun recipe of puzzles and mechanical systems that the first game established so well.

The thoroughly unique Paper Beast can be a real monster to get through with its whip-like controls and occasional difficulty spike, but those who welcome unique gameplay experiences and value memorable moments over a detailed narrative are encouraged to give it a try.

Though it doesn’t explore its heavy themes as deeply as it could, and the needlessly small environments are overly restrictive, The Almost Gone is an enjoyable isometric puzzle game with an engaging, sensitively explored narrative.

With its five episodes now complete, Song of Horror’s obtuse puzzles, meandering story and frustratingly unintuitive gameplay result in an experience that’s rarely scary but often exasperating.

Creaks has beauty, creativity and invention to spare, but don’t let its flighty facade fool you: there’s challenge aplenty here too.

It’s not a perfect game, but Beyond a Steel Sky is a perfectly joyful experience and a faithful sequel for anyone who loved the original game, while bearing the standard for what a modern science fiction adventure should look and sound like in 2020.

Come Back has potential, but a compelling theme and pleasing art style can’t save this first episode from feeling a little unsatisfying, both as a game and a narrative.

Mutazione is a feel-good narrative adventure that will remind you of the importance of love and family, though with minimal gameplay to master, the experience will appeal mainly to those looking for a poignant, character-driven story.

Combining smooth gameplay and solid level design, the pieces in Phantom Path click together to form a puzzle game that is easy to pick up but hard to put down.

A great premise tarnished by underdeveloped ideas, Nubla’s puzzle-platforming tour of the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum neither educates nor entertains.

Delightfully creepy and packed with content, Someday You’ll Return will keep you on the edge of your seat with its exploration of a dark forest and darker forces and leave you pondering what it all means when it’s finally over.

Spirit of the North may look as nice as it sounds, but it’s largely disappointing and unforgivably boring, offering only a superficial story and sorely lacking interesting exploration.

The Academy can be frustratingly clunky and limited at times, but at its best it’s energetic, likable and packed with puzzling goodness.

Shapik: The Moon Quest ticks almost every checkbox for lovers of charming, atmospheric puzzle adventures. What it lacks in narrative depth it more than makes up for with fun gameplay and impressive production values.

With a focus on old-school, high-quality puzzling and an intriguing stand-alone story, Boïnihi: The K’i Codex comes with an unhesitating recommendation for both newcomers to the Black Cube shared universe and series veterans alike.

Old Gods Rising provides a spirited boost to those who prize spectacular scenery, a gripping mystery, and slow-burn horror without mind-bending puzzles to stall the journey.

The complexity and weighty subject matter of the complete seven-part Pendula Swing threaten to get the better of it at times, but the end result is unique and uplifting, offering a timely social history lesson wrapped up in jazzy fantasy flair.

While The Grimsworth Reports: Woodfall lacks refinement and is clearly limited by its budget, it is a solid mystery adventure with a strong atmosphere and true repercussions for the choices you make.

Though it never really rises above its simple premise, the gorgeously immersive Beyond Blue may just be as close to deep-sea diving as you can get without a wetsuit (or the stress).

Debonair, aggressive, honest, deceiving—whatever your spy style, Over the Alps is a wonderful visual novel with a really fun mechanic. Picking this game up, with the promise of similar games still to come, is a choice no story lover will regret.

In Other Waters guides players through the visualization of an alien oceanic ecosystem and invites them to share in the exhilaration of discovering new life, all while telling a complex, original story with memorable characters through the medium of a diving suit’s display monitor.

There were moments early on when I began to feel a sense of missed opportunity from VirtuaVerse, but as with any good slow burn sci-fi, the stakes ramp up with the action in a much more satisfying second half to complete a beautiful, challenging point-and-click adventure.

Eclipse: Edge of Light makes the most out of its humble mobile beginnings, making exploration visually and aurally entertaining. Deeper gameplay and a bigger focus on narrative would have pushed the game to the next level, but being able to ride a jetpack for a few hours is a winning mechanic right from the start.

In spite of some technical hiccups and a half-baked plot, great pacing and puzzle design make Veritas an easy recommendation for veterans of the puzzle-adventure genre.

Interactivity is a short but well-executed meta-story adventure that stands on the shoulders of games like The Stanley Parable but has enough of its own identity to make it worth checking out.

A huge city in a state of entropic decay to explore, a diverse and memorable cast to meet, and an engaging new spin on adventure game navigation make for a highly compelling sci-fi experience in Cloudpunk.

The Secrets of Jesus has a great premise for parody of a topic that few people would be game enough to attempt, but the execution is awful in delivering a wordy mess that makes little sense and, more importantly, is just plain uninteresting and a labour to play.

From Beyond’s designers do a formidable job recreating a nostalgic MacVenture feel while avoiding most retro pitfalls. But until we get a more substantial entry in the series, there simply isn’t enough here to be satisfied just yet, no matter how well it all works.

Night Lights is a cute side-scroller with a quick pace and unique gameplay that unfortunately is a bit too buggy and ends way too soon to stand among the better puzzle-platforming adventures.

While lighter on adventure elements than earlier games in the series, the gameplay is as innovative and fun as ever (with one or two exceptions), and the story of The Craftsman is advanced in an interesting way. If you have the proper hardware and enjoy puzzles, The Room VR is a must-have for your collection.

Short but very sweet, A Fold Apart is a hug in game form that’s sure to warm even the hardest of hearts.

Mazovian Adventure’s rough localization and glitchiness aren’t enough to stop the occasional sparkle of fun from shining through in this throwback to Sierra-inspired comic medieval adventuring.

The Gateway Trilogy is sometimes too mysterious for its own good, but it’s nonetheless an entertaining collection of well-designed puzzles presented alongside accessible and entertaining commentary from its developer.

With its Monty Python-inspired silliness, cleverly recycled art and music, plenty of fun objectives and appropriately zany tasks to complete, The Procession to Calvary gives fans of Four Last Things more of what made the first game great.

Investigating a murder mystery tinged with political corruption from a balcony makes for a compelling concept, but the passive gameplay, slow pace and poor animation prevents The Flower Collectors from ever fully blooming.

Summit of the Wolf tells an emotionally heavy story that tackles difficult issues in an honest, unflinching way, but it’s hurt by the many production corners it seems to have cut along the way.

Arise uses creative level design, gorgeous visuals and challenging environmental puzzles to explore the length and breadth of a full lifetime. A few presentation issues aside, it’s a moving, thought-provoking experience that tells a complete story with scarcely a word.

To forgive is divine, but The Unholy Society comes up sinfully short in too many areas to deserve a full redemption without further acts of contrition in future installments.

Murder by Numbers combines the unlikely trio of maths, melodrama and murder in a stylishly animated equation that is somewhat unbalanced by its repetitive Picross puzzles.

After two freeware warm-ups, Nick Bounty returns for his first commercial outing, this time picking up a sidekick to help him solve a baffling murder. Don’t expect much in the way of challenge, but the comedy and production values make for an entertaining couple of hours.

More illustrated e-book than game, Mira is a trip through beautifully painted Slavic myths and legends that’s let down by a lack of gameplay and poor localization.

The side-scrolling Creepy Tale offers a captivating journey through the dark woods of imagination, but a short playtime and an overly-derivative visual style make it hard to enjoy fully.

Joyfess is a pleasant series introduction on the surface, with compelling artwork and a nicely designed world, but its lacklustre game mechanics and story delivery make it hard to endorse for now as an unfinished product.

Emphasizing style over substance, Weakless provides plenty of gorgeous views to appreciate but little else to leave a lasting impression.

A murder mystery set in a rich, fictional setting, Disco Elysium is told with sweeping profundity and hilarious absurdity. With no combat to impede story progression, this is a choice-driven role-playing adventure that deftly raises the bar of quality for the medium.

Despite some excessive backtracking, the Reversion series finale ups the ante with much more to see and do, and its well-paced plot development ties up the loose ends left over from the earlier chapters.

The genre-bending Nauticrawl successfully turns intentionally confusing submarine controls into an immersive journey of discovery where understanding leads to incremental progression and exploration is key to your survival. It’s by no means perfect, and feels like it could have been more, but it’s nevertheless an unforgettable experience.

Though definitely not aimed at impatient or directionally challenged gamers, Woven’s splendidly fashioned locales, likeable heroes and amusing transformations are tailor-made for a unique experience.

Once The Complex enters full-on thriller mode, this compelling choice-driven tale of a trapped scientist facing terrorists and moral decisions doesn’t let up and even provides enough prompting and interesting options to weather multiple plays.

Planet RIX-13 doesn’t offer much from either a puzzle or narrative perspective, but it does provide a constant sense of progress while exploring an interesting alien setting. It’s the kind of casual game that could perhaps best be described as a guilty pleasure, though with its short runtime, there’s actually very little to even feel guilty about.

The Blind Prophet has an appealing graphic novel aesthetic and an interesting premise, but it’s not enough to compensate for a poor translation and bland, frustrating gameplay.

Once you have mastered the interface and worked your way through some design issues, Cutish will treat you to a fun if challenging experience that will definitely scratch your Myst-style game itch.

Interrogation: You will be deceived ambitiously marries adventure, RPG and strategy elements with a dark edge that will even have you asking questions of yourself.