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 Castle is a wonderful game; an engrossing story brought to life by well-executed graphics, music, sound effects, interface, and puzzles.

The Talos Principle 2: Road to Elysium successfully expands upon its puzzle elements and provides some of the most challenging puzzles that, for better or worse, push the definition of unorthodox. While the philosophical elements and player agency that made the main game great are mostly missing, the plots and characters make up for the absence of these components. So, if you enjoyed The Talos Principle 2 on launch, you will definitely admire this expansion.

Side-scrolling through a suburban household as a tiny robot in Time Loader provides an immensely satisfying environmental puzzle-platforming experience that more than makes up for the weak endings.

Throughout that time I was both pleased and impressed, as Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy is a solid game with an intriguing story and fun, well-integrated puzzles.

The storytelling is a little vague and lacks emotional punch, but if you’re looking for some innovative mechanics and visual artistry, Moncage’s perspective-based puzzles set in colorful cube vignettes are a marvel to experience.

It’s more of a slicker rehash of its predecessor than a sequel with all-new ideas, but Little Nightmares II successfully delivers big thrills in a game so eerily atmospheric it feels like it could have been ripped straight from the subconscious mind of a terrified child.

You can find faults without too much effort, but I can still say the same thing about this one I said about the first: it's a blast of pure fun, and provides the proper conclusion to a truly enjoyable series of adventures.

Beacon Pines is utterly charming yet wonderfully creepy, with a surprisingly thoughtful narrative despite its cute characters and storybook aesthetic.

Anyone a bit worried after the second episode can welcome the series back with open arms; A Crooked Mile is an intense and violent episode that is fun and over far too quickly.

Though only teasing the series' larger story arc for now, The Journey Down's HD remake is a short but vibrant indie adventure that far exceeds the quality of many full-blown retail games.

It’s over before you know it, but Feria d’Arles is a warm and hilarious throwback full of clever puzzles and wonderful characters in a vibrant, colorful version of Provence.

For those who won’t be deterred by the endless deaths and time-looped backtracking in Outer Wilds, its intriguing mystery and non-linear exploration of an entire solar system will be a novel and deeply engaging experience.

Eternal Hope is a side-scrolling platforming adventure about love, death, and tragedy in a fantasy postapocalyptic land that is as fun as it is gorgeous.

Aspire: Ina’s Tale is a short but varied experience blending puzzle-solving, action-platforming, and mystical metaphors. Beautiful and charming but not overly challenging, its emotional impact and memorable moments make it an escape worth taking.

Though a few artistic and technical blemishes stifle the immersion, Demons Never Lie remains an engaging if not particularly challenging narrative adventure.

The adventure gamer’s platformer, Forgotton Anne’s endearing exploration of lost objects come to life is sure to please all but the most dexterously challenged.

In the cyberpunk world of The Red Strings Club, player agency takes a backseat to a complex story teeming with personality and impactful moments, generating challenge through moral dilemma rather than gameplay.

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.

Little Kite tackles themes of abuse, drug addiction, and childhood trauma in a manner that few others dare, though its content might be a little too bleak for some players.

Evoking the feel of classic Sierra games but without their sudden deaths and dead ends, Sumatra: Fate of Yandi is a fun, enjoyable tale of survival in a lush rainforest, only marginally brought down by a weak ending.

A charming game about two robots surviving the apocalypse, Wanda has a surprising amount of humanity packed into its fairly short playtime.

Whatever the root cause, the story is solid on the whole, and these few foggy moments didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.

With a unique premise, a true understanding of Egyptian history and a love for mysterious revelations, the Toblers have created a monster of a game.

The Shapeshifting Detective is a unique game that provides a solid mystery with a creative twist on the usual means of information gathering.

Though not entirely successful as a broad narrative experience, Road 96 presents a series of compelling individual character studies whose offbeat sense of humor and heart make for a rewarding road trip.

Unusual Findings is a clever tribute to ‘80s pop culture; a fun, creative story brought to life by well-executed graphics, interface, and voice acting.

Dr. Doyle and The Mystery of the Cloche Hat presents a captivating murder mystery with a fantastic old-time aesthetic and an interesting if slow-paced take on standard adventure game staples.