Duck Side of the Moon is a cozy, bite-sized space adventure that leans on charm and variety more than depth. As Doug the duck, you’ll bounce between floating asteroids, help quirky rock-dwelling locals, and dip into a steady rotation of mini-games that give the small world plenty of personality. A flexible movement system keeps traversal smooth and exploration rewarding, but its shallow progression, occasional navigation frustrations, and a handful of bugs hold it back from reaching its full potential. It’s an easygoing throwback to classic family-friendly adventure games—pleasant and full of ideas, but ultimately light on impact.

From top to bottom, Saros exudes triple-A excellence with stunning visuals, expert sound design, and some of the most tightly-crafted third-person action gameplay in recent memory.

Gambonanza is a charming but extremely limited chess-and-gambling roguelike that fails to produce a compelling challenge or an experience with any sort of staying power.

Invincible VS is a decent spin-off of the Prime Video series based on comics and a solid-enough fighting game, but it's barebones in enough areas to make it feel like a big missed chance for meaningful expansion of the IP.

Vampire Survivors' addicting, screen-filling, dopamine rush gameplay lives on in Vampire Crawlers, where the perspective is now first-person and fights are card-based, but the roguelite itch is scratched just as well as ever.

Color graded in black and white, don't be fooled by its noir film aesthetic—this FPS is vibrant. A true passion project that's pure entertainment from start to finish, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is an impressive and unpredictably wild rollercoaster ride of high octane action, witty dialogue, and innovative fun. Side effects from playing MOUSE: P.I. For Hire may include: Humming to the main theme when completing ordinary tasks, making cheese puns in conversation, seeing the world in black and white, wishing Call of Duty had animated bullets, and adding detective experience onto your resume. Be warned, you'll want all future games to be as detailed as this, I certainly do.

REPLACED is a visually stunning and narratively gripping cyberpunk adventure that’s hard to look away from, even when it stumbles. Its gorgeous 2.5D world, compelling story, and thoughtful character work make it stand out, but frustrating readability issues in both platforming and combat occasionally impede the experience. Despite these shortcomings, REPLACED’s style and substance shine through, making it an easy recommendation for fans of cinematic platformers and dystopian thrillers.

Pragmata is Capcom's first original IP after years of sequels and probably its best. With characters you genuinely grow to love and understand, and an incredibly innovative gameplay loop, Capcom has truly outdone itself.

People of Note is a whimsical and lighthearted turn-based RPG made by music nerds, for music nerds. Every facet exudes charm and silly humor, which varies between cringy and cute, as you make your way through its adventures. It's a short-lived tale that I wish were a bit deeper, but still an enjoyable experience for anyone who has played or loved music and the connections it can help forge.

With a charming aesthetic, innovative mechanics, and action-packed gameplay, Darwin's Paradox is an ambitious little game with quite a lot of heart, much like its eight-armed hero. Unfortunately, that ambition sometimes outpaces its technical performance. But if you can look past occasional frame drops and stutters, you'll find a clever platformer swimming beneath the surface.

Everything about Marathon has been polarizing from the start, including its very existence as another live-service game alongside Bungie's Destiny 2. But in spite of its faults and struggles, the studio has managed to ship a great yet niche extraction shooter, even with its high barrier of entry and existing flaws. It's absolutely not for everyone, but if it's for you, it may be your next addiction.

Crimson Desert features a fantastic, content-rich open world where player freedom is the number one priority. There's so much to do and so many places to go to that it's easy to get lost among its ancient ruins, mystical forests, and snowy mountains. A lack of polish breeds frustration, but nothing can shake up the firm foundations of this incredible title.

With engaging gameplay that offers a learning curve throughout, puzzles that'll surely satisfy, and moments packed with action and emotion; Planet of Lana 2 is a true upgrade to its predecessor and another indie gem onto Wishfully Studios' belt. An emotional weight carried by its beautiful scenery and soundtrack gives Novo a voice that should never be silenced. There's harmony in its themes of greed, hope, and preservation of a place we like to call home through its fantastic storytelling and engaging, thoughtful, and innovative puzzle-platforming to craft a beautiful tale that grows more relevant each passing day.

Packing Life offers a simple and satisfying premise: packing oddly shaped items into boxes. But its awkward story mode, clunky camera movement, and frustrating placement restrictions constantly get in the way of what could've otherwise been relaxing organization gameplay. It scratches the packing itch for a short time, but the jank makes it hard to recommend.

Defiance remastered is a triumph, even if an obvious one. Unlike the Angel of Darkness remaster, a game so broken that no amount of rework could turn it fully playable, Defiance was always the simplest and most obvious of vision tweaks away from brilliance. One can only imagine how much of a splash it could’ve made way back in ‘03 if released in proper form. Here’s hoping this excellent rework will find enough of a new player base to get the wheel of fate turning in its favor once more.

Fans of Bryan Lee O'Malley's comics or the star-studded 2010 Edgar Wright film will find all of their favorites and more in Scott Pilgrim EX, the latest licensed collab from Tribute Games. The beat-em-up is enjoyable to play, but difficulty and connection issues can hamper the short-lived experience.

Resident Evil Requiem is an exceptionally well-made nostalgia romp that elevates everything special about the series, showcasing the pinnacle of both survival horror and action horror in a package that has a little bit of everything but executes it all well.

As a cute little taster of the RAGE experience, Mutant Bash TV is certainly a good idea. The price point is perfect, and even tough the controls are annoying, it's worth picking up just to experience a terrific looking shooter set in a promisingly gruesome world.

Under the Island is a charming, old-school adventure that rewards curiosity with clever puzzles, playful humor, and a beautiful island packed with secrets. Its sense of freedom and discovery shines far brighter than its modest combat, making Seashell Island a place you’ll want to fully explore.

REANIMAL is an incredibly short experience, but it's worth every tense minute in solo or co-op play. If you've got four hours and a friend to play with, you should check it out and get lost in the terror.

With clear inspirations from predecessors in the genre, Crisol: Theater of Idols is a solid debut from Vermila Studios under Blumhouse Games. While it doesn't quite reach its max potential in the end, it's absolutely worth your time for a weekend playthrough.

With a new set of gameplay mechanics, additional characters, and updated graphics for the Switch 2, Mario Tennis Fever appeals to longtime fans of the franchise, as well as those who may have never even considered picking up a tennis racket. Though the game’s Adventure mode leaves much to be desired, its diverse modes and fun gameplay loop make it a title to get lost in for hours at a time.

Nioh 3 refines the soulslike concept in almost every way, morphing all frustrations into pure fun. It's an innovation the genre desperately needs, learning from other games and turning that into the most universal soulslike experience to date.

Hermit and Pig is a cozy turn-based RPG that lacks in its story, but packs humor in its quirky dialogue and entertainment in its arcade-like combat. The gameplay switches up every so often that it never gets tired—an absolute must for its six to eight hour runtime. Hermit and Pig offers a satisfying and fun run for those looking for a chill adventure that at times, feels like a grounded social anxiety sim.

MIO: Memories in Orbit is a gorgeous, exploration-driven platformer that thrives on your curiosity. What starts as a dark, confusing journey slowly unfurls into a vibrant world packed with secrets, hidden bosses, and environmental storytelling that rewards thorough exploration. While combat mechanics remain simple, fluid movement, challenging boss fights, and a richly atmospheric ship make uncovering the Vessel’s mysteries consistently satisfying—for players willing to get lost along the way.

Death Howl elegantly blends deckbuilding with soulslike elements all while telling an emotional tale of a mother’s guilt and her desperate attempt to save her son. This title, though not for the faint of heart, is an absolutely gorgeous experience with rewarding exploration, slow-drip storytelling, and punishing gameplay. If you're a fan of either deckbuilders or soulslikes, this game is a must-buy.

Ultimately, The Fancy Pants Adventures is a chill, stylish platformer that is both fulfilling and satisfying... when its touch controls aren't giving you the business. If you can get over that really, really, really obstinate roadblock, you'll be just dandy.

Skate Story is a visual masterpiece that blends great storytelling with intense skating action. The different layers of the Underworld serve as your hunting grounds where you aim to swallow the moon and make your grand escape.