Lost In Random: The Eternal Die is a slightly more accessible entry into the Roguelike genre that's a blast to play and rewards you with meaningful progression after each and every run. The charm of the original Lost In Random's gothic storybook meets Tim Burton movie is alive and well in The Eternal Die, though the narrative never really reaches anything special or poignant. Ultimately, however, this is still a pretty addictive and extremely replayable Roguelike that manages to bring fresh and interesting ideas to the party, and I always had a very good time with it.

Camper Van: Make it Home shares a main principle overarching in all video games: losing yourself in something. But the no-stress approach means that although it still requires concentration and effort, it's something you really want to do rather than something you have to do. In that context, the visual design is excellent, and the audio is almost perfection. Have a go, and like me, you might be surprised how quickly the outside world drowns out - and thus, in its own context, how fantastic of a game it is.

Overall, I really enjoyed the 15 hours it took to finish Dragon Is Dead. With more chapters, characters, equipment, and difficulties promised with V1.0 and beyond, I’m looking forward to continuing my adventure. If they can just sort the writing out, then this game could rival the great Roguelikes of Hades and Dead Cells thanks to such an addictive gameplay loop. If you feel like you're going to bounce off of the game in the first couple of hours, I beg you to keep going. It should all click eventually, and the extra effort is worth it.

Overall, if the main objective of a puzzle game is to provide you with ‘eureka’ moments as you work out the puzzle, this game succeeds about 50% of the time. Other times, I’ll complete a level, still not entirely sure how I did, or having to have a break from the next level, as I don’t want to do the manual scout work at the beginning of the level in order to get my bearings. There are moments of a good game here, but it's all underneath a frustrating layer of bugs, mediocre puzzles, and design choices that I would have taken another look at during testing.

Although the separate gameplay elements have notable flaws, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma deftly weaves them together into an addictively fun loop. This game is so, so close to being a spectacular RPG. It's a truly impressive example of "the whole is greater than its parts." For me, it's a brilliant weekend RPG—a laid-back game that will keep you playing "just one more day" for hours. If Zelda plus Stardew Valley sounds fun, I recommend Guardians of Azuma. If that combo doesn't excite you, give it a pass.

Elden Ring Nightreign is a game that's likely going to split FromSoftware players in a way we haven't seen before. In addition to being a clear departure from what fans expect from the studio, it's also a title that 100% hinges on the team you experience it with. Play with Elden Ring pros, and it can be a blast. Play with average Nightfarers or casual matchmakers, and it can turn into a slog. This leaves the game in a little bit of a No Man's Land, too punishing and brutally tuned for the mass audience the new genre format wants to attract, and perhaps too much of a departure for some of the longtime fanbase. Nightreign can be really fun once you adjust to it, when everything clicks, when you have the perfect team of three, when the RNG is friendly, and when you have a lot of time on your hands to chip away at final bosses with ridiculous amounts of HP. Sadly, the repetitive nature and balancing issues also can make it feel like a series of the world's longest Soulslike runbacks ever—over, and over, and over.

Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time is a lovingly crafted and well-deserved glow up for one of the shining stars of the 3DS era. The visuals, score and overall presentation have been elevated beyond recognition, and yet, the things that made the original great remain intact. The abundance of gameplay mechanics and variety via the different islands and time periods is a standout feature that makes the endless grind paletable, and while every action in the game borders on basic, it never crosses the threshold to be considered boring. It's a quintessentially cozy game that deserves its flowers, and for those who have long wished for a true Animal Crossing competitor to wriggle from Nintendo's grasp, it seems your wish has finally been granted.

EA Sports and Codemasters have conjured what is the best Formula 1 game to date. The problem here is that they do this every other year, without error. F1 25 has beautiful graphics, a bombastic presentation that sometimes overshadows the actual racing, and handling improvements that finally do away with half a decade of bad habits in the series. If you are chasing a realistic Formula 1 racing experience and sink over a hundred hours into this game yearly, these changes are enough to justify the price. However, for most players, especially those running controllers or with multiple assists on, this is just $59.99 to have a slightly more polished experience than F1 24. Here's hoping the 2026 regulations bring the change that both virtual and real series need.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an adventure to behold, especially for those who are fans of Oblivion and Skyrim. With endless build variety, a beautiful dark fantasy world, an interesting story, and satisfying combat that feels weighty, this game is a great choice for RPG enthusiasts. While the game can feel like it's still in early access in some ways, specifically with its enemy AI, outdated character models, and a world that can feel too empty in parts, none of these issues take away from what makes Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon so special. It's a project where passion is on full display and I can't wait to see what Questline does next.

Throes of the Watchmaker feels like a love letter from Sabotage Studios to all the players and fans who believed in, funded, and engaged with Sea of Stars. The DLC doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and despite introducing new features, the essence and gameplay loop are the same as the base game. The highlight of the DLC is how it tries to give more personality to the protagonists, Zale and Valere. While it succeeds in doing so in isolation, it still feels like sugarcoating an unfixable problem. If you miss Sea of Stars, try Throes of the Watchmaker. Otherwise, it might not be worth your time.

No matter your preferred playstyle, the myriad gimmicks and game plans provided by Monster Train 2 will keep things fresh as you fight your way through the legions of Heaven. While I enjoyed my time with the original, Monster Train 2 is an improvement in every imaginable way. I can't wait to see what the Shiny Shoe team ends up adding as they continue to support the game. They've officially put themselves on my radar as a talented indie team to keep an eye on.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master provides a very linear open world experience that only becomes fun after a few hours, and even then, will continue to provide missions that are either frustratingly specific or boringly easy. It may appeal to the hardcore racing game enthusiasts with a full racing sim setup, but for people who play these games on a controller and sit down to have a fun time, this game will feel mind-numbing at times. It has moments that shine through, and the arcade controls feel pretty satisfying, but it doesn't make for a great game.

La Quimera would have benefitted from a few more months in the oven to smooth out some of the issues I found during my playthrough, but it also has a solid technical base that it could build on. The weapons, setting and world are outstanding, and while the combat feels like a chore in a lot of levels, it's nothing that a balancing pass cannot fix in future updates. I don't know what Reburn's plans for the game in the future are, and while I can understand if they are ready to move onto the next project, it would be great to capitalize a little more on the strong points of La Quimera. New levels that make the story not feel as aggressively short would go a long way toward making it feel like a fully realized game. For now, this project has given us a taste of what Reburn is capable of, and I'm waiting for the company's future endeavors to incorporate lessons learned from La Quimera's failings. Hopefully, by then we won't have to factor a war into the development process.

Kulebra And The Souls Of Limbo wears its heart on its sleeve for the entirety of its 10-hour runtime. The Paper Mario-style artwork is a treat, and the Latin American-inspired representation of the afterlife is a beautiful and refreshing setting. As an Adventure game, most of the puzzles and quests are pretty basic, but that doesn't stop the charming characters and emotional, lore-filled story beats from shining through. It's mechanically highlighted by some creative no-combat boss battles and cute puzzles, though the moment-to-moment gameplay isn't always the most exciting thing in the world. Still, there is a lot to like here, and Kulebra will have no trouble winning most players over who are onboard to discover a thoughtful indie gem with plenty of endearing dialogue.

During my entire playthrough of The Precinct, the things that bothered me the most were rarely the base game, but the elements layered over it. This could have been a great, unassuming game about checking parking meters and occasionally trading shots, but the need to add more bombastic elements waters down the parts where The Precinct actually excels. In an ideal world, Fallen Tree Games drops some patches focusing on the quality of features rather than quantity. The Precinct is a lukewarm dish served after waiting for 2 hours. I don't hate it, and I'll still eat it because I'm hungry, but every bite reminds me of how good it could have been if they'd just done it right. As it is now, you're better off chasing your cop fix elsewhere.

All in all, Cubic Odyssey is a good game that gets a little bogged down by its own complexities, like character abilities and battery power. It's a solid game thanks to all the quality-of-life changes it brings to the genre, along with the strong atmosphere and interesting visuals. While it probably isn't a game that I'll add to my repertoire, I think it will certainly make a name for itself in the industry. If you really enjoy survival exploration games, then this will be a game you can sink countless hours into. Cubic Odyssey is a solid game that simply gets dragged down by some odd design choices that clearly serve to add difficulty, but that difficulty ends up becoming inconsequential at a certain point. Still, it is enjoyable, and all the things the game does right make it a meaningful addition to the genre as a whole.

Drop Duchy is a fantastic addition to the deck-building genre, with a Tetris hybridisation that works slickly with all the other systems in the game. If you like relaxing but challenging games where you look at the clock and it’s suddenly 2am, Drop Duchy should definitely be on your radar. I’m looking forward to seeing what this team does next.

Doom: The Dark Age improves on the more polarizing elements of its predecessor, with its defensive gear offering an exciting twist on the familiar Doom formula. The level designs are overly drab, and the vehicle sections wear out their welcome, but the actual battles against hordes of demons are as fun as ever, and you’re given tons of awesome tools and toys to unleash on them.

The Midnight Walk is my favorite game on the PSVR2, and a true proof of concept for the platform if you still need one. Not since my first time playing Journey has a title struck as strong an emotional chord with my very soul. The claymation world is absolutely beautiful yet terrifying, the soundtrack is hauntingly gorgeous, and the gameplay is full of wildly unique and creative ideas that I've never experienced before. Most importantly, the narrative combines an approachable storybook style with very deep themes and symbolism that are sure to tug at your heartstrings by the game's truly amazing conclusion. Each character and story beat has insane levels of charm. It's a title you really should play in VR if you can, despite a couple of very minor design inconveniences. Still, outside of VR, the 4 or 5 hour runtime may feel short, but what's here is amazing and worth experiencing regardless. Pardon me as I Google if the PSVR2 warranty covers tears shed within the headset.

Empyreal is a solid action RPG with soft rogue-like elements that manages to swing above its weight where it counts, but still suffers from some noticeable jank. The game still plays well and offers plenty of replayability, including a secret ending only accessible in a New Game Plus run. At the end of the day, Empyreal is a solid first showing by Silent Games, a team who clearly knows what they want to create. If you live for games where you can maximize the strengths of your playstyle while minimizing the weaknesses, Empyreal is for you. I see a second climb in my near future. Here's to hoping you'll catch some of what I've left behind.

Spirit of the North 2 has its moments in its beautiful landscapes, relaxing music, and overall cozy vibes. Unfortunately, everything else is pretty underwhelming. The open world has nothing special to discover and mostly feels like a chore to navigate through, which is a shame considering the game forces the player to search the map for necessary items to progress. Even worse, the game has a ton of bugs that are downright frustrating, such as a boss refusing to attack, audio cutting out, lighting issues in some areas that make it nearly impossible to see, and environments refusing to spawn. Spirit of the North 2 isn't a bad game, and some dungeons are a ton of fun, but it's clear the game needed more time in the oven and would have benefited in a linear format.

I had a blast playing Revenge Of The Savage Planet. The varied planets are gorgeous, the goofy creatures are charming, and the absurdist Rick And Morty meets Tim And Eric humor lands more often than not. Exploring vibrant new worlds and cataloging all the flora and capturable fauna scratches an itch for any sci-fi fan that wishes they lived in a timeline where space exploration was possible. Unfortunately, while combat does bring some interesting things to the table with elemental synergies at play, the gunplay is pretty basic despite being a frequent and expected part of your expedition. It's serviceable, but never truly exciting. Some fairly pervasive framerate issues and a co-op mode that feels more like an afterthought also don't do the game any favors. Still, the game is definitely fun at the end of the day, and I'm going to stick around for the post-game content to continue cleaning up some quests after rolling credits. It doesn't soar quite as high as I might've hoped, but it's still a deep-space voyage worth embarking on.

MotoGP 25 is a great entry point into the series for any new players and makes a great alternative to four-wheel racing games. Returning players who have a lot of experience in the series may find the incremental changes aren't dramatic enough, but the arrival of additional new race types and the full junior seasons is nothing to frown at. In terms of gameplay and visuals, MotoGP 25 does pull a gap on its predecessors even if it doesn't lap them entirely. Though it's not without its faults, MotoGP 25 is easily the definitive motorcycle racing title out there today and brings with it the high levels of authenticity that we have come to expect from its developer.

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a decent 2.5D action RPG with a beautiful world. However, the game has some serious design and balance issues that prevent the experience from reaching its full potential. Heavily focused on artificial difficulties, such as boss fights mostly reliant on gimmicks, annoyingly placed enemies through its levels, and exhausting runbacks after failed boss attempts, Mandragora sometimes forgets the whole reason people come to play these types of games — to have fun. Despite these apparent issues in its design, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is still an enjoyable time for the most part, thanks to its great build variety and Metroidvania-style map. Still, the bad feels like it outweighs the good, so I don't think I'll play it again anytime soon.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has exceeded every one of my expectations. Sandfall Interactive's debut title is one of the greatest accomplishments in gaming, delivering a well-paced, polished, and unforgettable experience. From the incredibly impactful and deeply emotional narrative to the enjoyable, challenging, and rewarding combat, Expedition 33 delivers on all fronts. I wanted an old-school RPG that sticks true to its roots while taking advantage of modern game design. I got that and so much more. Four months into the year, this is the clubhouse leader for Game of the Year, and honestly, it's not even close. Do not miss out.

Bionic Bay is a truly special platformer that is wildly creative and endlessly smart. Each new section of gameplay is a mini-puzzle that utilizes the game's movement and powers extraordinarily intuitively, leading to continuous rewarding solutions that encourage players to think outside the box and bend the world's mechanics to their will. It's a challenging side-scroller that will result in many do-overs, but checkpointing is perfectly placed to make each new attempt exciting and instantaneous instead of frustrating. Playing Bionic Bay is full of constant "Aha!" moments to the extent I haven't experienced since my first time playing Portal in 2007. The pixel art is breathtaking, and the world is full of ominous sci-fi mystery. Any fan of platformers that craves a game to push them to their limits will have plenty to love with Bionic Bay, and then can test their skills with a fun online component as well. It's a must-play that left me wanting more, and is deserving of a spot on the list of best modern platformers.

Rusty Rabbit isn't a bad game at all, but it is extremely simple for the genre it slots into. It fails at having any sort of real challenge, memorable bosses, interesting puzzles, or rewarding routing. The story is surprisingly lore-filled, intriguing, and emotional by the conclusion, and the cast of cute rabbit characters do lend a nice level of charm to the game as you occasionally reach a flow state of map clearing, dungeon-crawling, mindless fun. Still, the game overstays its welcome by the end of its 20+ hour runtime, and there are better options if you're looking for a more accessible take on the Steamworld Dig-meets-Metroidvania formula. The entry cost is low, however, so it's not one to completely write-off if you're looking for a breezy side-scroller to sink some free time into.

Dice 'n Goblins is a fun, cute RPG dungeon crawler that suffers from an extreme lack of polish, gameplay that doesn't shake things up enough, and some questionable mechanics. The style is adorable and looks quite good, but it lacks animation and has a low number of drawings for characters. With a good story and great illustrations, it still felt like a worthwhile romp, but it ends up being mind-numbing or frustrating in most other aspects. It's a victim of incredible ideas with half-hearted or poor execution, and had me wishing it was so much more.