STASIS: BONE TOTEM is a frightfully entertaining adventure with a story that carefully blends sacred elements with a dreadful atmosphere while drawing the player into challenges that are not overly difficult. If you are a horror fan or an open-minded gamer curious about the game’s unusual themes, this is an easy recommendation.

The Last Door opens up another suspenseful, extremely retro-styled exploration of Victorian England and the occult with a second season even better than the first.

The game box touts 20+ hours of gameplay; for their target audience of preteen girls, I am sure this is true, but experienced gamers will finish it in significantly less time. Aside from that though, this game was still very enjoyable to play.

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.

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.

Papers, Please is anything but a standard adventure, but beneath the seemingly unappealing premise of bureaucratic drudgery and human misery lies a fascinating game of choices, surprises, and intrigue.

A slightly above average sci-fi adventure; recommended for those who don't mind slideshow adventures.

Starved for Help more than fulfills the high expectations set for it, maintaining the tense immersion and bold story development of its predecessor.

Without question, Rakuen is an ambitious indie endeavor and I admired many aspects of it—the Boy’s authentic child-like wonder in the face of real human tragedy, the funny and endearing inhabitants of Morizora Forest, and the mystery surrounding the Boy’s hospital stay, to name a few. But my dissatisfaction with the puzzles and ending make the game difficult to wholeheartedly recommend. It really comes down to what kind of game you’re in the mood for. If you want a game that’s mostly story, then the number and type of puzzles in Rakuen will likely turn you off. If you’re looking for more of a story-puzzle balance regardless of how well the two are integrated, you’ll probably have a better time with Rakuen than I did. And if you’re in the mood for a game to make you cry—well, this one will, I guarantee it. I just can’t promise it’ll be the catharsis you’re looking for.

In The Case of the Golden Idol, the mystery-solving is quite engaging up to a point. But overall, the narrative is frustratingly executed and the presentation is unremarkable.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1 is a beautiful story with characters who are easy to care for. It’s a promising start to an adventure that already feels unique, yet unfortunately isn’t willing to challenge the emotions of its players.

Gorogoa is a clever, well-balanced tile-based puzzler that shines through its visual illusions. If you’re seeking an innovative game with unique brain-teasers and gorgeous graphics, this game is for you.

Its limitations still show, but with a longer, funnier, and even wackier story, Time Gentlemen, Please! is an admirable follow-up to its freeware predecessor and well worth the small fee for people who've played the first game.

Stacking mixes inventive gameplay with a charming visual style to produce an outstanding puzzle-adventure.

Either way, for puzzle fans it’s a brilliant way to spend your time, and so long as you’re playing, that’s really all that matters.

The Bulb Boy’s brief but brilliant battle to reclaim his home from the hideous monsters of the night underscores the proverbial victory of light over darkness, and quality over quantity.

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is an unforgettable adventure. Its compelling graphics and evocative music provide a backdrop for a powerful World War II narrative, which builds to an unusually suspenseful finale.

Lair of Clockwork God blends adventure and platforming to mixed effect, but it’s a very accomplished game overall, bursting with enough variety, style and humour to keep you surprised and entertained throughout its surprisingly generous play time.

SOMA is both great horror and great science fiction that stands above the competition in a crowded genre.

An engrossing tale rooted in superb writing, The Night is Grey brings thrills and chills to life with plausible, well-integrated puzzles, evocative music and ominously compelling visuals.

Whilst Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a great visual improvement on the original, an unequivocal recommendation for what is essentially a graphical update doesn’t really fit our rating system – especially not when certain other areas of the game could have been improved upon.

With the same charming aesthetic and just as many laughs and quirky paranormal phenomena as the first season, The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is definitely worth playing for the comedically inclined.

Though the inclusion of repetitive mini-games is anything but evolutionary, this game is well worth a look for those who can handle some reflex action in their adventures.

In Grim Fandango Remastered, one of the best games of all time has been resurrected for modern audiences. It’s still a classic, and it absolutely belongs on every gamer’s (digital) shelf.

An incredible game that takes all the best parts of how classic adventures used to be made and then adds so much more to ensure it stands up to today’s standards. Thimbleweed Park is a gem that will be remembered for at least another 30 years.

With classic zaniness and puzzle solving and updated production values, Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space marries the best of the old with the new in this modern remaster.

A grander take on Her Story‘s FMV database search idea, Telling Lies proves Sam Barlow is still the master of the carefully crafted reveal, even if at times this particular web of deceit unravels a little too slowly.

It’s been a crazy up-and-down season, but the conclusion of The Wolf Among Us is a visceral, stylishly violent adventure in Bill Willingham’s brilliant Fabletown at heart, with some great storytelling aptitude to close things out.