Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a good game, once you take some time to learn strategy and tactics. The upgrades to your Priests also help a lot in the middle to late game, so although it starts out tough things get better over time. I just wish their were more variety to gameplay and enemies, and I was disappointed that exploration seemed to almost be discouraged by the unfair RNG-generated outcomes of choices. The great writing and characters will appeal to any player, but I think you’d need to be a Warhammer fan to love the dull, grim visuals. Check this one out if you’re looking for a change from XCOM.

NAIRI: Tower of Shirin is a delightful and cozy point-and-click adventure you can feel good about letting your kids play. The puzzles are creative, the dialogue is a little childish but sweet, and the overall presentation is fairly pleasing. It does take a bit for the narrative to pick up but once it does you won’t want to stop playing, however, extended sessions with a soundtrack that is not memorable at best and a lack of voice acting can feel taxing as you stare silently at the screen. It’s an enjoyable experience that, with a few tweaks, would easily be a must-have for the casual gamer that wants to relax.

I can’t say Brushes with Death is essential, but it does add an entertaining new side-story and character to an already richly imagined world. For its modest price, new players get even more KCD2 to discover. Returning players get an excuse to revisit Henry and his world, like playing catch-up with an old friend for a few hours. Brushes with Death definitely makes an already excellent game just a little more interesting.

NASCAR fans should eat this one up but it might be a little too much for the casual racer. If you are up for a challenge and are willing to spend the time to dig deep into what the Career mode has to offer, Inside Line is an enjoyable experience.

The game is jam-packed with content – twenty big levels, a large open-world hub, and plenty of characters to unlock. The multiplayer is pretty good, but I’m hoping TT Games considers online co-op in future games. If you’re a fan of previous LEGO games or a DC comics fan – I highly recommend getting LEGO DC Super-Villains.

Though the framerate can bog down the experience, Warlords offers a fun game to battle with friends and enemies alike. The controls are well designed and the shredding metal soundtrack sits well with the chaotic essence of the game.

Regardless, it’s a charming, laidback, and enjoyable crossover on the 3DS that’ll feed your RPG and farming needs.

A few weeks ago I went hands-on with a few, curated hours of Atomfall. I felt then the same as I feel now after playing the full game. The world is beautiful and thoroughly convincing, the characters are interesting but the combat lacks polish and finesse. I probably missed a lot of secrets or mishandled some leads, but given the game’s mechanics I’m not enthusiastic about filling in the gaps. Atomfall is one of those rare games that excited and disappointed me in equal measure.

With a few small hiccups along the road that can probably be easily ironed out, and as long as you have patience in abundance, The Blackout Club is a good time. With never ending levels and missions to complete, and the interesting Stalker mode, the replay potential is sky high. If you have a small group of friends to play it with, it makes things that much better. Overall The Blackout Club offers a genuinely scary experience that is not only intense, but equally fun. Honestly, this is cooperative gameplay, with a dash of horror, at its absolute finest.

Layers of Fear 2 is a surreal journey packed with fear and existential dread. Everything from the environment to the music, Layers of Fear 2 is an experience that is frightful, thought-provoking, and disorienting (in a good way). Granted, it doesn’t always hit every note; however, the decision to port it over to the Nintendo Switch is certainly a most welcome one.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was a sleeper downloadable hit of 2010. Crystal Dynamics have unquestionably done it again as Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is quite easily one of the best twin stick puzzle solving cooperative action games we have seen on next generation consoles to date.

Backbone tells an enormous story within a tiny runtime, and it never feels like too much. New wonders, new horrors, and fresh plot twists are chucked your way with reckless abandon. Yet, you never feel too lost. A little lost, surely! All the better to capture that sense of dark waters closing overhead. Between the clever mechanics, the compelling narrative, and the gorgeous pixel art, there's a real fire lit beneath you from the very start. If you're looking for a detective story with glistening fangs, glittering eyes, and sharpened hooks, Backbone will be perfect for you.

Gamedec has a lot of interesting ideas and mechanics, and its hardboiled- detective-in-the-22nd-century story is a great premise. Either the developers had ambitions beyond their ability to deliver, or maybe the game just needs a few more passes with the random orbital sander to smooth down the rough edges, but in its present state Gamedec’s flaws definitely detract from an otherwise intriguing experience.

Even if you end up missing the absent depth, the laid-back pace is a rewarding compensation. If only one-half of this mashup premise appeals to you, what you’re looking for may lie elsewhere. But if you’re looking to blend hacking, slashing, and smooching, Boyfriend Dungeon will be a perfect match.

I’ve touched on the art style, but it really is gorgeous and unique, with paper outlines and great visuals. This, combined with the Flexisphere, which understands the limitations of modern gamers’ time better than any game I’ve seen, and with its streamlined mechanics and entertaining deck-building system, Book of Demons is definitely worth checking out. It’s got a few issues to work on, sure, but that’s what the next six games in the Paperverse are for, right?

Most of these games translate well to the Switch, the improved graphics exploding with color. Playing in 4:3 suits some games better than others, so it’s not a perfect fit. The JoyCons are a great control tool, even if a few games struggle (I’m looking at you Sky Kid, you menace) on the Switch. This was a fun little jaunt down memory lane, but it’s really nothing more than another Namco collection in new digs.

A little bit on the pricey side for a DLC expansion, but it does give you a lot of new content – and I think it is worth the purchase for anyone who has been playing the base game consistently and is looking for something new.

The best thing I can say about Portal Knights is that it is an effective off-shoot of the juggernaut that is Minecraft and Microsoft’s hit title could actually learn a thing or two from Keen Games’ effort here.

The aesthetic is beautiful, the new drifting mechanic feels solid, and the game even offers daily challenges to earn a little extra bank. If you enjoy arcade racing this is definitely a title for you, and I am happy to see Need for Speed find some traction again and hopefully it will take off once more.

The campaign for Worldslayer feels uncomfortably chaotic. It has the story beats of a great tale but doesn’t fully tell the story. If it was meant to deliver a sense of urgency there are aspects that could have been cut. I and many others who played see so much potential for it to have rivalled the narrative of the main game and it’s unfortunate that it is so short. Despite its shortcomings, all of the other new content and enhancements easily make up for it. This is Outriders the way it was meant to be. This is the power fantasy we want to feel in gaming.

I really enjoy Throne and Liberty’s colorful world, detailed environments, and engaging combat. Though the story is pretty uninspired, the game is technically polished and that alone is worthy of praise. But as a primarily solo player, the game isn’t for me in the long run. That’s not really a criticism, because being built for groups isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. That was true back at the dawn of MMORPGs and sometimes it’s still true. I think Throne and Liberty has a lot of promise to succeed at launch and grow beyond it.

Matterfall is an absolute gem to play, taking gameplay we know and love and adding just the right nuances to give us something great.

At the end of the day, I love AC3. I know that I’m not the average player, having studied the Marquis de Lafayette at a college level, but I love sinking hours into Ubisoft’s version of colonial America, where the oft-overlooked make the most important choices of all. Also, I can attack as many Redcoats as I want, with the only consequence being a city-wide manhunt. With this fresh coat of paint, Assassin’s Creed III has never been more fun—providing you enjoyed it in the first place.

Point and Clicks aren’t usually my thing. Putting things randomly together, making obscure leaps of logic, and cycling through inventories just gets boring for me. But Sunday Gold offers so much more than most Point and Click games. It’s got JRPG-like combat. There’s the fun mini-games. And it’s excellently voice-acted and it looks gorgeous. Sure, the story won’t blow you away but trust me, Sunday Gold is a big game in a little package and it’s definitely worth a look.

The combat can leave a little something to be desired and these odd bugs for the NPCs break immersion more than a few times, but overall its an emotional investment I’m happy to make. This may not be exactly the RPG you are looking for, but if you are a fan of complex narrative it should definitely be on your radar.

At the right price, Zombi is a worthy purchase for some. Unfortunately, some of its technical shortcomings and painfully repetitive sequences kill much of the enjoyment. Not to mention some of the clumsy combat and dated gameplay makes for an experience that is far more tedious than it needs to be.

Thanks to offering only two factions and a limited number of modes, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector might not be the deepest or most complete strategy game ever made, but it’s definitely one of the best and most authentic uses of the license to date. Challenging strategic battles, appropriately melodramatic voice work, more than decent graphics, and a respectful translation of the tabletop game to a digital format make this a must-have for fans of the franchise, and even appealing for casual strategy fans who are not yet invested in all things Warhammer.

For sheer memorable and engaging gameplay, I recommend The Outer Worlds. It was an absolute delight to play back in 2019, and it still holds up as one of my all-time favorite gaming experiences. I am pleased with the graphical upgrades and enhancements from The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. Although, with less new content and more new bugs, it should have been a free upgrade for returning players.