Naiad is an immersive and accessible adventure that’s unabashedly sweet and delightfully simple.

State of Decay is still, without a doubt, one of the better zombie games available today. Despite not having all the polish and AAA bells and whistles of a big budget title, it has an original concept, a lot of depth, and a genuine tension evoked by its “no one is ever safe,” atmosphere.

You might come to Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle for Double Dragon and River City Ransom, but you’ll likely stay for the sheer variety of mayhem and play experiences that it has to offer.

It’s not a Final Fantasy 7 style remake, but the Definitive Edition comes closer to a remake than a simple remaster can, and that goes a long way to making the game enjoyable for the modern gaming audience.

Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen doesn’t get away from its roots to focus on being a game, and that’s exactly why it works. It’s a tiny burst of playful charm that understands the vibe of the phenomenon that is Bluey.

Beyond Galaxy takes the fundamentals of classic RPGs and expands on them to create a unique experience that’s wholly its own.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a both a refreshing, lighthearted take on Firaxis Games’ XCOM formula as well as a shining example of how to faithfully adapt Marvel properties to new game genres that sit outside of the typical action-adventure wheelhouse, propped up by great writing, dialogue, and stellar voice-acting befitting the source material.

Little Rocket Lab combines engaging, methodical Factory Sim elements with cozy farming sim aesthetics for an incredibly satisfying experience.

Infinity Nikki is a genuinely enjoyable game about exploring, forging friends and making pretty dresses, let down by an abundance of predatory monetization and unnecessary mobile design choices.

Think Limbo, but more haunting and with better controls, and you'll have a basic idea of what Rain World is about.

Nier: Automata – 3C3C1D119440927 is a short but sweet addition to what is arguably the year’s finest game, and definitely something fans and newcomers alike will enjoy.

Total Chaos is rough, strange, and stubborn in all the right ways. It’s the kind of horror game that lingers because it feels genuinely lived-in, and If you’re willing to meet it on its own terms, it gets under your skin and stays there.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom takes the best things from its Switch counterparts—and a few of the bad ones—and creates an incredible unique free-form top-down experience.

Turnip Boy Robs A Bank is a charmingly ridiculous roguelite that packs a lot of humor and gunplay in its short length.

Destroy All Humans! keeps the best parts of its 2005 game in mind while rebooting the series with a short, but engaging story and addictive alien destruction.

A Knight to Remember manages to capture the spirit of its predecessors without ever feeling like an empty exercise in nostalgia.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is not for newcomers, but provides plenty of great action for series veterans.

Monster Hunter Stories is an admirable glow up of the 3DS classic that will please fans and newcomers alike.

A sheer work of art with some archaic design choices, Banner Saga still dazzles now as much as it did during its release.

Metal: Hellsinger is a scream come true for metal music FPS fans and could make anyone a fan of The Metal.

Wishblossom Ranch shakes up Disney Dreamlight Valley with its invaluable Mounts, while only addressing one or two of the overall game's major flaws.

More than an Animal Crossing clone or South Park joke, Hello Kitty Island Adventure offers one of the more fulfilling exclusives for Apple Arcade.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure's City Town DLC is a massive infusion of content, putting the "expansion" in "expansion pack."

This is an excellent representation of what made these games so beloved and enjoyed, not to mention frustrating for gamers.

Another excellent addition to the Switch’s expansive library of quality platformers.

Lucky’s Tale serves its purpose and demonstrates how well third person view games can work in virtual reality.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is an incredible strategy title for the Nintendo Switch. While the gameplay can be monotonous at times, changing up how you play can easily absolve those issues.

A re-inventive MOBA that isn't perfect, especially with its free-to-play scheme, but still rises above the pack.

A Plague Tale: Requiem finishes the brutal and often forlorn story of the De Rune children in a sequel that feels imperative to fans of the original but adds little to those not convinced by Asobo Studio's first entry into the series.

The game is a brilliant and complete version of Dark Souls 2, with enough fresh content and tweaks to encourage veterans.

MachineGames’ latest take on Wolfenstein is a very good shooter that is only a few missteps away from being, like its predecessor, a truly great one.

City Tales - Medieval Era offers a fresh new take on the genre, but might lean a bit more cozy than challenging.

Last Epoch is a must play ARPG for fans of the genre, and can be considered an excellent starting point for newcomers.

Trails of Cold Steel III marches the long-running series ever closer to an explosive climax with satisfying combat, characters, and music.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty doesn't reinvent the wheel, but what it does, it does right and continues Team Ninja's trend of delivering well-polished action games that reward their player base for sticking with it when things get tough.

Cavern of Dreams is a short but sweet puzzle platformer that feels like a hidden gem from the bygone era of early 3D platformers.

This hack-and-slash romp is as good as it was in 2014, but remains fundamentally the same game, making it best suited for those yet to experience Hyrule Warriors whatsoever.

Open Roads is a heartfelt and captivating journey made more interesting by its mother-daughter leads.

Though its roster isn’t as cohesive as past Warhammer factions, Total War: Warhammer III - Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs is a welcome addition to the franchise, thanks to its excellent campaign mechanics.

Total War: Rome Remastered is a top quality remaster of what remains an engaging strategy game. While I can’t directly compare from experience, the modernization of many of its gameplay aspects, the introduction of a host of new playable factions, and the strength of the existing systems allow it to stand alongside more recent editions of the franchise without any trouble. If you haven’t experienced Rome: Total War before, I recommend playing this remaster.

The Banner Saga's strong narrative, exquisite visual design and distinctive thematic approach to RPGs coupled with its insistence on making every decision and conversation have an impact on player experience make it a must-buy for Strategy-RPG fans.

Strong writing and design makes Scene Investigators well worth playing, even if some of the logic and questions don’t pass the smell test.

Final Vendetta is a love letter to the late 80’s and early 90’s era of arcade and home console brawlers that fans of Final Fight, Streets of Rage 2 and SNK’s Neo-Geo console, will immediately appreciate, though the high level of difficulty, lack of continues and no online play might make it a hard sell to newcomers.

If you’re a fan of Story of Seasons, I think you’re definitely going to love all-of this game...get it?

One Step From Eden clearly wants remind players of the long forgotten Mega Man Battle Network games, but it is absolutely more than some petty imitation. This is a thoughtful and strategic deck-building action game that is looking to make you scream in frustration and come back for more.

Monster Hunter Rise brings an already great game and improves it thanks to the power of more capable hardware, ultimately making it more accessible to a broader audience of players.

In the end, this scratches my Necromancer itch pretty nicely. You feel like you’re raising the people of a nation to serve you as undead, and becoming an immortal god-mage in the process.

Promenade is a wholesome, well-crafted and consistently surprising platformer that puts fun and creativity front and center.

For those intimidated by the complexity of RTS games, 8-Bit Armies is a great place to start.

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters: Daybreak Special Gigs is a refined version of the original, while still maintaining the signature weirdness that made the initial release so charming.

The definitive way to play Days Gone—regardless of the issues that come with the game.

Toys for Bob comes up with one of their most ambitious plays yet, the ability to create Skylanders from scratch.

Europa Universalis V ushers in what will likely be a new golden age for this grand strategy franchise, even if it currently needs some fine-tuning.

Kirby Star Allies is by far the easiest and shallowest game in the series, but is still an enjoyable experience, especially when played with friends.

While there are some uncharacteristic interface and game play issues for Q-Games, the overall effect is another terrifically original take on a variety of genres.

With just enough added to keep things fresh, MLB The Show 24 is a fine entry to the yearly sports franchise.

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1+2 is a great buy for any Nintendo Switch owner who wants to explore the origin and evolution of the Mega Man franchise.

The Lonesome Guild may be a bit simple in its combat and puzzles, but its world and meta-narrative are incredibly touching and deeply captivating.

Tales of Berseria is proof that with a more thoughtful approach to design, the series still has what it takes to stand tall among its RPG contemporaries.

If you want to be a troublemaking, superpowered criminal with little resistance, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is unparalleled in what it gives you.

Yuppie Psycho is a solid adventure game that plays rough with first-timers, but offers enough hidden content to make exploring worthwhile.

The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road is a testament to good MMO development, and proves ESO is here to stay. A must play for Elder Scrolls lore fans, online and offline.

Moss Book II by Polyarc draws too much on familiar tropes to stand out, but further showcases some of VR's most creative levels masked with an immersive fantasy adventure Quest 2 players don't want to miss out on.

While it may feel like a step back from Luigi’s Mansion 3, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is an excellent glow-up of an excellent 3DS game.

Even if you've played the original release, Arizona Sunshine Remake is worth checking out if you have a PSVR2 or a modern gaming PC capable of running newer VR titles.

Hellboy Web of Wyrd cleverly uses the roguelike genre to its benefit in creating a game true to the comics while still being fun to play for fans of the genre.

It may be over 20-years-old, but Blood has aged nicely into a gory red wine that remains highly replayable to this day.

Altdeus Beyond Chronos might feel like a big change for VR gamers as a visual novel but pays off with a worthwhile sci-fi mech story with plenty of anime energy.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is a great return to form for the series, the gameplay is less bloated and more focused on the minute to minute fun.

It’s better than the previous two in every way that matters. It feels bigger, more fun, and more engaging.

Little Kitty, Big City is a cozy adventure truly worthy of its feline namesake, which could have benefitted from more commitment to its chaotic side.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe brings 2013’s Wii U classic to Nintendo’s latest console, bringing with it, all of its DLCs and a brand-new co-op mode.

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is a solid throwback to the glory days of 2000s action games.

Final Fantasy XVI Complete Edition is easily the definitive way to experience Square's latest epic for those who can push the game to its limits on PC.

While a little simple, Rita’s Rewind brings back the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for a thrilling jaunt into the past, capturing the hype of the source material.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an impressive port on Nintendo Switch 2—maintaining the fun and excitement of the films, and the impressive qualities of its console brethren.

This vertical scrolling shoot’em up adds a number of modern refinements to the genre’s common conventions; that said your personal enjoyment of the game might depend more on your opinion of the genre as a whole.

While Patapon 1+2 Replay is a pretty straightforward rerelease of its PSP counterparts, it remains an incredibly unique and deeply engaging set of games.

Through the Woods is a sad, haunting tale that manages to scare without being cheap or easy, and one of this year’s best horror games.

Scarlet Hollow proves not all horror games need jump scares or hyper violent animations for them to work. Its execution in a horror visual novel works well through old-school mysteries and slow buildup in its short time.

It’s a fun little distraction that doesn’t require too much attention to enjoy.

It knows what it does well and does that extremely well. There are games that I play when I just want to decompress and enjoy myself, and this is one of them. Fans of baseball and sports game enthusiasts alike will find something to enjoy with this title, and I will be playing it as much as I can.

While Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is incredibly fun as a straightforward shooter, its more guided nature and excessive handholding may deter hardcore fans of the series and genre.

The Jackbox Naughty Pack delivers on its M rating and gives you a new way to play a classic party game with your friends, but prudes need not join in.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm makes Civilization VI feel complete, thanks mostly to the great new civs and small quality of life improvements.

Wildgate is as chaotic as it is focused and consistently an engaging and fun experience.

People will call Donut County an indie darling, and those people will be right.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster resurrects the dusty but intact bones of the original, revitalizing them with a new lease on life.

Whether you are a fan of their previous games or you just want a light tycoon-style sim, it’s hard to go wrong with Two Point Museum.

Smelter takes a handful of conventions and turns them into a near-masterpiece of the action-platformer genre, but like the retro games that inspired it, it doesn’t pull any punches.

Episode Three fulfills all the promises it needs to for fans of the Game of Thrones TV series, even if it doesn’t necessarily give old school adventure game fans much to actually do in terms of interactivity.

Through taking the classic formula and supercharging it, Mega Man 11 offers a welcome return to our sapphire hero, one that will keep dragging players back in.

It’s a little early to say if Ninjala will stand up with the likes of Fortnite or Splatoon, but it’s a creative, fun, and charming game that we should be keeping an eye on.

WWE 2K23 is a solid improvement on its predecessor, is an easy entry to start with for new players, and adds just enough to make players return for a polished round two.

Jackbox Party Pack Vol. 9 returns the series to form with an overall great selection of new games, and further refinement of the core software settings.

A hacking simulator that's actually not silly, and makes good use of VR.

The one thing that Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions nails is its balance between not only being a worthy tribute to its source material, but a competent and fun game. As someone who isn’t a fan of sports titles, I never would’ve believed that I could have as much fun as I did with this game or that I’d become so interested in checking out the Captain Tsubasa series. I already feel like I’ve become a fan of the series and now that I’ve played Rise of the New Champions, I would love to see other sports anime titles get similar treatment in the future.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes all the elements that made Arceus fun and refreshing and elevates them to new heights with the introduction of its real-time battle system.