ANTHEM#9 feels like a small-scale game overloaded with too many good ideas at once. It’s undeniably fun to play, and its audiovisual presentation is impressively polished—but why is there a turn timer or an oversized UI that often fills more than half the screen with text? Thankfully, though, everything else carries it to greatness.

Despite its modest score, Dolls Nest is a standout experience that goes far beyond what the numbers suggest. Its gameplay offers surprising depth beneath a straightforward surface, while the bold visual style and haunting atmosphere create a world that's as fascinating as it is unforgiving. It’s a game that refuses to follow a formula—and that’s exactly what makes it so memorable.

SCUM is a solid immersive open-world survival game that definitely takes the survival up a notch with its complex systems and engaging gameplay. While a little intimidating for the average player, seasoned survival game enthusiasts will have a blast going through its world and challenging themselves to survive for as long as they can. There is a steep learning curve and bits of clunky combat gameplay, but it's definitely something to try out.

Wanderstop’s structure is divided into five chapters, with each chapter bringing in new visitors, shifting the environment, and subtly altering the tea shop’s surroundings. Through a mix of simple yet engaging mechanics—tea crafting, gardening, and shopkeeping—players uncover Alta’s past, interact with a diverse cast of NPCs, and gradually piece together the unspoken rules of the world around them. While it embraces a cozy aesthetic, Wanderstop isn’t afraid to dive into emotionally heavy territory, balancing moments of warmth with introspection and melancholy. It’s a game that asks players to slow down, reflect, and immerse themselves in the quiet beauty of everyday rituals.

In terms of comfort in gameplay, holoVillage sits snugly where most of its peers rest. There’s no urgency to anything, allowing you to tackle its content at any pace you like. Unfortunately, it’s not very memorable, which is a quality that many of the genre’s greats have despite their inherent lack of climactic events, and it’s not very replayable either. It thankfully has a lot of content to devour, though, so it manages to salvage itself from obscurity.

Rogue: Genesia is a hypnotic bullet hell roguelite that’ll have you saying, “Just one more run…” for hours. While the challenge fades as you grow stronger, the thrill never does.

Set across two timelines—1995 and 2022—Lost Records: Bloom and Rage follows a group of friends as they navigate one unforgettable summer and the unresolved secrets that come back to haunt them decades later. With a unique recording mechanic, emotionally driven dialogue choices, and a nostalgic and sometimes eerie atmosphere, the game immerses players in a deeply personal story about memory, friendship, and the consequences of the past.

Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 offers the full scoundrel package but it’s undeniably a step down from other platforms. Visuals take a hit, performance is capped, and smaller frustrations like restrictive saves feel more pronounced here. Still, the heart of the game remains intact: tense stealth, shootouts, dogfights, and the bond between Kay and Nix. If you have access to PC, PlayStation, or Xbox, those versions deliver a sharper and smoother experience. But for players limited to the Switch 2, this port is a serviceable—if not definitive—way to live out your outlaw dreams.

Ruffy and the Riverside is definitely worth a play, with its intriguing story, charming cast of characters, engaging gameplay, and hours of content to go through. While it has its weaknesses like a UI that is hard to read at times or an overly excitable main character (terribly lovable though), they’re pretty minor gripes to what otherwise is a great, solid 3D action-adventure platformer for all ages.

Super Robot Wars Y is a crossover that works more often than it doesn’t. It thrives less on its tactical RPG mechanics and more on the joy of watching decades of mecha anime crash together in one giant spectacle. The story is good if a little dry in its delivery, but the crossover event and battle animations more than make up for it. For every stretch of jargon-filled dialogue I zoned out to, there was an explosive robot finisher waiting to pull me right back in. It’s a little uneven, but it never stopped being fun.

High on Life 2 is Squanch Games’ second chaotic ride, and it’s as wild as it is messy. Stellar voice acting and striking visuals shine, but middling gameplay and rough optimization hold it back. It’s a mixed bag of highs and lows, and if that chaos appeals to you, we won’t judge, though your guns might.

NeverGrave: The Witch and the Curse has highs and lows of its own, but Dead Cells is unmistakably in its DNA. From the parasitic true protagonist inhabiting bodies to the dramatic door slams after each clear, fans of one will recognize the appeal of the other. Still, NeverGrave falls short in audio and storytelling, even as its original ideas help keep things feeling fresh, but a mere copy, it is not.

BLEACH: Rebirth of Souls is a true love letter to fans, letting them step into the shoes of their favorite characters with exhilarating and distinct playstyles. The combat is deep and rewarding, but the absence of ranked mode, crossplay, and a lackluster story keep it from reaching its full potential. Even so, it stands as the number one BLEACH game, shining bright for everyone.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 feels like a prematurely released game that could have been truly great. It’s got everything from the series’ signature monster collecting mechanics, the gritty turn-based combat, and much, much better audiovisuals than its predecessors. Unfortunately, beyond the bloat of grinding for stronger monsters and watching filler, there’s not much content to actually engage in.

Chained Echoes: Ashes of Elrant is a DLC made for fans of the game, especially for those who enjoyed the gameplay. It mostly expands on certain characters’ backstories and builds on top of its existing gameplay systems, which is what the game is known for. That being said, the DLC feels like it's a few years too late, as it solves issues that exist within the base game. The additions are welcome, but most of them don’t feel as impactful or as massive as initially advertised. Also, don’t expect any resolutions to many of the story’s plot holes here, as it mainly serves to support the worldbuilding and add context rather than answer many of the questions.

Super Meat Boy 3D is much more than just a 3D retelling of a beloved title; it’s an exercise of mastery of platforming design, made in the image of a cube. Though far from accessible (despite its best efforts) and still somewhat similar to its predecessor, the inclusion of Dark World Levels and the design space opened by an entire new dimension of space gives it a platform to stand on. Best you load up on controllers, because Meat Boy’s back on the menu.

UNBEATABLE is an unapologetically stylish and vibrant rhythm narrative-adventure game that combines engaging rhythm gameplay, stunning audio-visual presentation, and a colorful cast to meet. However, it's clearly unpolished with its number of technical and visual issues, unfortunately lending itself to a dampened gameplay experience, as well as a painfully slow paced narrative that can scare off other intrigued players. Nevertheless, with a bit more shine, it will become an UNBEATABLE gem in the rhythm scene in its own right.

Deliver At All Costs is a chaotic action game that thrives on unfiltered insanity and destruction, letting you wreak havoc with little to no consequences—all in the name of delivering at all costs. It’s ridiculously fun and silly, complemented by charming retro visuals, while also hiding an interesting story of ambition and the reality of an ever-changing world. The controls and the physics engine may not always be on your side, but Deliver At All Costs definitely delivers a solid gameplay experience.

Etrange Overlord is a classic case of a game hiding its true value between its surface level qualities. It has the developers’ trademark humor and audiovisuals, coupled with some very basic controls. It’s dragged down by some very rough camerawork and first impressions, though. But beyond that, it offers an incredibly diverse experience and a memorable story; easily another gem for Nippon Ichi’s already star-studded lineup.

POPUCOM is an engaging and innovative co-op game popping with color and fun. With its blend of different gameplay elements such as 3D platforming, puzzles, Match-3, and gunplay, it's surely an experience that will test your teamwork with your player two to the nth level. While there is no singleplayer mode as its mechanics are designed for two players or more, everything is best experienced the more the merrier.

The Weeping Swan is a great linear visual that offers a complete audiovisual and genre experience at a cheap price. And though it does have a set of eyebrow-raising endings, questionable character development, and a number of translation and technical issues on launch, you’ll still be hard-pressed to find a visual novel of its quality without spending more money. So, if you’re the type who values the journey more than the destination, you’ll find that this is a work worth your cash.

Gamble With Your Friends is exactly what the title describes and what it sounds like. While it can be brutal in its progression, its charming visuals, variety of mini-games, and immersive gameplay elements make it one of the more enjoyable multiplayer games for short play sessions with friends to laugh and occasionally crash out about. It’s a game that lets you enjoy the thrill of gambling without the real-world consequences—unless you don’t meet the quota and have to lose a body part or two.

If you're looking for a cheap action roguelike with outstanding build variety, look no further than SealChain: Call of Blood. While its audio is forgettable and its mob behavior can border on exasperating, when it comes to player expression, it stands comfortably above much of its competition.

Discounty is a charming & "cozy" supermarket management simulator with an intriguing narrative, simple but fun gameplay and a colorful cast of characters. There are a few bugs and glitches here and there as well as some controller issues, but overall it’s a decent story-driven supermarket management title that brings more to the table beyond just simply running a shop.

Nice Day for Fishing is a game with a charmingly absurd premise, surprisingly fun fishing-based combat, and a world that feels handcrafted for laughs and lighthearted discovery. But while the first impression is strong, the pacing falters. Progression can feel like a slow trudge, with repetitive quests and a late-arriving fast travel system that adds unnecessary friction. It’s delightful in bursts, but not consistently engaging throughout.

Cyanide Studios created a third game that makes stealth feel even more rewarding in Styx: Blades of Greed. While the nine-year wait doesn’t make it seem much bigger at a glance, the new open-world design places greater emphasis on traversal and exploration, for better or worse.

Abyssus is a thrilling and addictive roguelite FPS that shines brightest when played with friends, as the chaos and challenge ramp up the deeper you venture into the ancient civilization hidden beneath the dark sea.

Mecha BREAK has tons of potential, with fast-paced gameplay, stunning visuals, and diverse mecha classes—though a few systems feel clunky and the audio underdelivers. Its biggest drawback is aggressive, overpriced monetization, but thankfully, none of it is required to enjoy the core experience.