The Atelier Marie remake is the surprisingly strong return of a game that could have too easily been lost among the 24 other instalments. This might be one of the coziest 'cozy games' in years. It's nice to see especially the origin of the Atelier series stand out in such a positive way, and with an excellent revamp on the Switch that the West is thankfully no longer deprived of.

Shadow Gambit shines with its well thought-out systems, the multitude of characters and possibilities, and offers you significantly more options and even more reasons to seriously think about your approach and experiment. That's exactly what such games are all about, and it's outstandingly implemented here. If you liked Shadow Tactics and / or Desperados 3, don't think twice and get Shadow Gambit, you won't regret it.

Very entertaining action adventure with extremely likeable characters. However, its launch on the PC is not flawless.

Rarely have I experienced such a thrilling rush of action and acrobatics, and if you're even remotely in the mood for that, don't miss Turbo Overkill.

Moving Out might lack Overcooked's distinct charm and character. But fulfilling the various challenges and time goals is definitely incentive enough to plunge into the levels several times. If you feel like new co-op adventures or are looking for the next party fun, Moving Out 2 is definitely a suitable candidate for that.

Larian promised a game experience like at the role-playing table that would not be inferior to the old classics. Surprisingly, the only promise they didn't keep is a release on Stadia. Well, we'll get over it.

Improved and expanded compared to its predecessor. In some areas not yet the absolute top class that it could be.

Clash of Heroes' optics and audio are rather sobering, but its narrative and its extremely refined gameplay still make for a unique turn-based tactics game.

Unfortunately, the game itself is too simplistic and hardly challenging, but the concept is incredibly fascinating from start to finish.

Cute, charming, flexible: Pikmin 4 skillfully combines the qualities of its predecessors into a varied, elegant package, and I'm quite taken with Ochin. It's a bit of a pity that it doesn't reveal its best tricks a tad earlier.

Exoprimal is a relaxed cooperative PvE action that generates a lot of momentum through indirect competition with an opposing team. Especially when you coordinate with up to four friends, it's surprisingly entertaining - much more entertaining than the pictures and videos with thousands of dinosaurs in front of rather functional backdrops would suggest.

One of the tactics greats finally found its way to people who understand what the series was all about. Despite the weak onboarding and the cliché laden narrative, an engaging, exciting strategy game that challenges on many levels. Good news, seems you can finally uninstall Jagged Alliance 2!

Suspenseful mystery thriller that's a bit too straightforward and doesn't quite live up to its narrative potential. However, it convinces with its lively dialogue.

On the outside, charming time travel with some nice ideas, but also a lot of boredom and some frustrating moments.

A great power fantasy that invites the creation of strong cinematic moments, but is also never quite pushed to its limits in terms of content and playfulness.

You'd be better off watching a TV test pattern from the Nineties for an hour.

The Ghost Trick Remaster is a neat fan package and, despite some outdated decisions, makes for a great puzzle adventure thanks to exciting ideas and a well-crafted (if somewhat unfinished) storyline.

Solid multiplayer fun for short and entertaining matches, but with only one game mode, the long-term appeal currently leaves something to be desired.

And the prize for the 'Most Game 2023' goes to South Korea: Dave the Diver tirelessly surprises with new ideas and keeps its catchy basic elements as fresh as good sushi. One of the year's most addictive games.

Crashing shooter strikingly reminiscent of F.E.A.R. - a fast-paced mix of quick sneaking, inventive melee combat and explosive bullet-time.

Final Fantasy has a habit of reinventing itself. That's why the series, with all its ups and its few downs, has remained relevant to this day. Final Fantasy 16 is no exception. Who knows how long the series will remain this straightforward a story and action-experience. For now and for this game, anyway, it works wonderfully. And not because its combat is particularly outstanding or the story changes the way we'll look at fantasy in the future, but because Final Fantasy has always been more than the sum of its parts. That has rarely been more true than for Part 16.

The undercooked strategy layer notwithstanding, nothing quite compares the Aliens: Dark Descent. With its open, persistent maps and tactics that oscillate nicely between quietly menacing exploration and gun-blazing battles, this one has a pull of its own that's hard to resist. It lacks polish, no question, but this game has heart, brains, and a takes great delight in making your heart go faster. An imperfect favorite of mine this year, and at just 40 bucks, fans of the series are going to have a blast with this one.

Actually, it's a damn good jump & run that awakens nostalgic feelings in a successful way. Unfortunately, the structure of many levels is frustrating for several reasons.

Park Beyond is a solid theme park simulation with little depth, but one where you can build in a relaxed and varied way. While it's fun to play, it doesn't offer very much that similar games haven't done before, or anything that will leave a lasting impression on the genre.

Nocturnal has got its problems. Locking you out of areas you feel you haven't completely cleared yet, being the main one. I still did enjoy myself playing this, however. To me, it was the right game at the right time, managing to simultaneously be a taster and a alternative draft for Ubisoft's upcoming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. So, if you have 5 hours to kill, you'll find a (mostly refreshingly) bare-bones, tight and mostly well-made indie title that loves the old 2D Prince of Persias as much as you do. Worth a look.

F1 23 builds on its solid foundation and significantly improves both the controls and feedback of the cars, while the returning story-mode Braking Point continues to have its weak points.

Of course, it's not a grand adventure with an epic story and powerful character development. Shredding your way through the snazzy dioramas - always careful not to lose valuable experience points, and soon so nimble that you bravely duel bosses yourself - is much more engaging than it might look on pictures, though. No wonder, then, that it had to be Devolver, who snatched up this gem. You'd best do the same!

Not quite finished light-simulation with notable performance problems. For occasional sightseeing, this one's just about okay.