Deathstate captures the wonder and horror of Lovecraft as well as a shooter possibly could, throwing aside existential dread for overwhelming strangeness. This isn’t a genre pairing that I would have anticipated, but once again Lovecraftian horror has proven that it can work anywhere, so long as it’s produced by developers who understand and care about it.

In around an hour, I managed to complete Bucket Detective with two endings, and the developer smartly added the ability to load any section of the game I wanted so that I could go back and play for the others. I guess the fact that I want to see more of it makes it a ‘good’ title, but to be honest, I’m not sure I’d ever recommend it to anybody.

Gunworld 2 is a pleasure to play, and a retro experience in all the best ways. Unlike Double Dragon 4, which preserved the worst parts of that franchise, Gunworld has looked at Zelda 2 and the Mega Man series, carefully decided which parts still feel worthwhile and will work best together, and transformed them into a new experience that captures the 8-bit feel without being beholden to its limitations.

It’s cute, and it’s strange, and it’s certainly got a solid ruleset, but there’s just not enough to Acorn Assault. The main campaign is twenty-five levels of repetitive combat, and the multiplayer mode is strangely handicapped, leaving it an oddity without much to recommend it. Unless, of course, one was curious about the events which inevitably led to the rise of Squirrel Napoleon…

Snowflake’s Chance looks incredible, and the work that’s been poured into its conception of hell is some of the best sadistic platforming I’ve ever encountered — I just wish I’d had a fair chance to play it. Games designed to challenge and punish their players can get away with a lot, but they can never skimp on the controls. Sadly, Snowflake’s Chance just isn’t as tight as it needs to be. Hopefully this gets repaired at some point in the future, because other than this one key flaw, it has all the makings of a minor classic in the realm of cruelty.

The Campaign, Dark Zone and Incursions are enjoyable while they last, but players looking for meaty, long lasting, end-game content would do well to make sure that at least one of the Gold Edition’s included DLCs seems like a good fit for the long haul – to reiterate, Underground is for those who like gear for the sake of gear in co-op, Survival doubles down on the main game’s oppressive, stark environment, and The Last Stand is for those that want to flaunt their set-ups and create gear envy in others. For those who take the plunge, The Division’s updated and inclusive Gold Edition is better and more fully featured than the previous iteration, and it’s heartening to see Ubisoft sticking by this game and continuing to tweak it. Even better news? It’s already been announced that Season 2 will be free. What this entails we’ll have to see, but with this season ending so positively, I’m optimistic.

Romance Of The Three Kingdoms XIII is a deep, highly rewarding strategy title that insists on persistence, patience, and a high commitment. I’m unable to speak on behalf of ROTK die-hards, but as someone who came in completely bereft of knowledge of the franchise, this thirteenth entry does a solid job to bring in new players, which, considering how damn intricate it can be, is commendable.

While The Deer God is a title that I think everyone should play, the PS Vita version stumbles at a couple of points — not enough so that handheld owners will feel shortchanged, but they should know it isn’t the optimal way to experience this work.

Mechrunner has a unique setting for an infinite runner and the combat usually works great, but there are just too many design mistakes to overlook. For an infinite runner to be successful, it has to feel like a game of pure skill. Players have to be able to see the threats coming, and be able to react with precise controls. Mechrunner just can’t offer that kind of experience, and it fails as a result.

Blissful Sleep is inexpensive, and Beholder’s core mechanics are solid enough that I enjoyed having an excuse to return to the game. But despite how rich the concept is, this DLC does frustratingly little to expand on the groundwork. It’s just… more of the same.

Unfortunately, there’s not much to Crossout besides basic car combat and one humdinger of a car-making mode. A single-player campaign with some easy-to-get rewards would have been quite welcome, as would some personality enhancing its generic post-apocalyptic style, but it is what it is, and I got out early. Crossout has the beginnings of being an amazing game, but it’s just one more example of free-to-play design souring something that should have been sweet.

If the developers had managed to tie the idle and construction mechanics to the twin-stick gameplay, Vostok, Inc. might have been something special. Unfortunately, this violent clash of systems renders it a near-failure despite the winning sense of humour and engaging action. Although ‘half the game is bad, but luckily you don’t have to play it‘ may be the most damning-with-faint-praise statement I’ve ever made, I’m still going to make it here.

Cloudbase Prime is light, funny, accessible, and does a great job of offering puzzles in the sweet spot of obliqueness where players might be stumped for a little while, but then feel very clever for having solved them. It’s a pity that the over-represented and underwhelming combat is such a focus, as it keeps this title from reaching the heights it might have otherwise managed.

As the game progressed, the boss battles I enjoyed turned into chores, and while it’s possible to replay levels to earn resources and improve the ship, this type of grinding isn’t something I want in a shmup. Ultimately Defenders of Ekron just didn’t do enough to keep me interested despite great artistic direction and strong beats early on. My desire to defend Ekron ended well before the republic could be saved.

Darkest Dungeon: Crimson Edition is a great version of a great game for those who haven’t already experienced it, and fortunately, specific elements of the DLC can be turned on or off to allow new players to ease their way into the new material of the added DLC after becoming familiar with the base game. For those who enjoy a challenge, Darkest Dungeon delivers.

Controls are just too important to overlook in a game, and Astral Traveler’s result in frustrating play. Add in questionable level designs that slow down the ship too often, and the result is that any potential enjoyment is sucked away. My younger self would have been disappointed, but would have kept playing. My adult self knows better, and has moved on to more enjoyable endeavors.

Despite papering over some of the cracks that threatened its original incarnation, Warzone doesn’t quite fix the problems of EVE Valkyrie, and its value as a space game will, in some ways, depend on a player’s available hardware. Players who own VR headsets will find the definitive edition of one of the medium’s most accomplished titles, while players without VR will find a competent, fast-paced space shooter that (at least on PlayStation) doesn’t have much in the way of strong competition.

Glo treats its one unique feature – navigating a darkened world as a square capable of producing light – with equal parts playfulness and disinterest. At times, I controlled Glo through a battalion of boxes that exploded in a dazzling display of fireworks. Using the light created, I planned my next move as I descended downward into unknown depths. Other times – far too often – a mistimed jump sent me back to the beginning of a stage that I had grown too familiar with to enjoy any longer. While some players may enjoy the steep difficulty, little else makes Glo stand out.

Skipper certainly made me think outside the box. I usually feel confident in my puzzle-solving skills, but I was gnashing my teeth in frustration, not that the difficulty took anything away from my enjoyment. The learning curve is steep but rewarding, and while the devs don’t hand out medals for the effort, the relief of finally solving a situation is enough. It’s certainly a game that begs for one more minute, and I found myself going back often, especially as friends got involved over my shoulder. We’d collectively groan at each other’s mistakes, or share high fives when we’d snagged the answer. Playing together gave the game an extra layer of joy, but it kept my focus when playing solo as well. Skipper is a pleasant — if short lived — minimalistic puzzler.

With its simple gameplay and great style, Boss 101 would have been a perfectly serviceable ‘light’ bullet hell shooter. The fact that it has endlessly diverse bosses and a huge wealth of bonus content is just gravy. I’m always happy to see developers attempting to revitalize genres and bring them to new audiences, and this is a perfect example of devs going above and beyond to deliver far more game than they needed to, aimed at a larger audience than I would have thought possible.

Factotum 90’s brevity and evenly-paced momentum ensure that Noel and Barbara do not wear out their welcome, though part of me wishes they would have stayed longer. Just as I was beginning to warm up, Factotum 90 ends and there’s little reason to crabwalk through the ship again the campaign ends. I suppose desiring more of a game can (and should) be read as a compliment, but for a title that takes place in a futuristic ship adrift in the vastness of space, opportunities seem missed. Factotum 90 joyously breezes by, but leaves little to chew on.

Manifest 99’s mechanics showcase how effective VR can be at eliciting emotional responses in a player. Although the title is very short, it’s dense and wastes little time in building to its conclusion. When all was said and done, I found myself thinking about my time on the train and reflecting on how I actually felt, rather than about the story and characters I was shown. That might sound like a bad thing, but I can only imagine that this result in an experiment like Manifest 99 means it was a successful one.

My hope is that the final expansion will right the ship and highlight what makes Little Nightmares unique. However, for the time being, the Maw’s dirtiest secret is that it’s not actually hiding anything interesting.

For those who are in search of a good puzzler wrapped up in bloody homage, Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut is a great way to go.

Well O’Neill is clearly a smart man and a sharply observant writer, but this is a case where some restraint and a shorter running time would’ve made Little Red Lie a more tolerable, or perhaps even an enlightening experience. Instead, it’s an interminable slog through a world of misery starring terrible people, and I left it feeling worse for wear.

It may not offer all of the answers I crave, but it manages to improve on the main game’s already well-crafted mechanics, and also builds an intriguing story that ties in beautifully with the existing plot.

Paratopic‘s unique approach to storytelling and its unsettling content come together in a lo-fi, short experience that left me wanting more of this world and this story. But seriously, don’t watch the tapes.

It’s possible that Play With Me gets fantastic further in, and the developers certainly show a thorough understanding of the SAW franchise – this is a much better implementation than the official adaptation. Still, the experience is just too user-unfriendly to be worth spending time on. There’s some hope, however – they already noticed and fixed the match issue. Perhaps future patches will address some of the other myriad problems. Until then, however, I won’t be playing with them.

Symmetry is a beautiful and deadly puzzle of survival that successfully emphasizes the loneliness and tension in this most dire of situations. However, the collision issues that affect the player’s controls and text notifications that are too difficult to read can turn this gripping experience into something intensely frustrating in an instant. For those willing to push through these rough edges, Symmetry is a unique experience that should not be missed.

Being a text-based political game, Shape of America probably has fairly limited appeal at best, but it’s great to see developers taking risks on unique ideas like this and delivering them in a package of solid design and storytelling. I’m looking forward to episode two.

When I got over the controls I dug into the season, gradually evolving the skill of my team’s characters was well done, and improving my standing was addictive. I’d even say that winning a match of Thetaball is as gratifying as its peers like Rocket League or #IDARB. Perseverance will reward with Thetaball. It’s got a bigger hump to get over than most other games of its kind, but its base is solid — the dev just needs to zero in on the best parts of the game and start iterating.

While Time Carnage has little in the way of innovation or originality, it nails the fundamentals so well that it’s a pleasure to jump in. There are plenty of other games that let players grab a couple of guns and blast away at zombies, robots, and dinosaurs, but the ones that manage all three and do it in this kind of style are few and far between.

Sadly, while I enjoyed coming back to Raiders, checking out the new character and playing through the new levels once, my original assessment still stands — the multiplayer/replay premise of the game doesn’t make a lot of sense, and I can’t help but feel that the IP would be better served by recycling the assets into a different project. People who’ve put the time in, know what to expect and want more content will get it with Hades Betrayal, but it’s tough to recommend it to anyone.

In its current state, Survive! Mr. Cube doesn’t have enough juice to be a solid recommendation to roguelike fans. More than anything, it feels like a beta that still needs six more months. I don’t want to sound too harsh, though – this small team of devs is 100% on the right track, and with more resources, more polish and a little more depth, I could easily see this one becoming a favorite. I hope they keep at it.

While the action can be lackluster and story events can come out of left field, there’s just something about 3030 Deathwar Redux – A Space Odyssey that triggers that just one more mission feeling while exuding an effortless charm which often makes up for its flaws.

Ultimately, Lily’s Epic Quest for Gems feels like it was built without much consideration for its new home on consoles. While there’s enough here to justify the price of entry, the limited usability and general lack of polish is disappointing.

While I can see Atomic Heist appealing to the truly hardcore roguelike fans who wallow in the cruel agony of random number generation until the unlocks finally get good, I can’t see that the effort would be worth it for anyone else. I eventually made it to the third area, and when I found another set of new enemies with new immunities and new weapons I’d be forced to unlock, I finally called it quits. There just isn’t enough good here to warrant the time and effort it takes to see it all.

Though uneven at times, it’s clear that Snowcastle Games have gotten it mostly right in their attempt to evoke the JRPGs from the turn of the century… It’s just a bit disappointing that this focus on bringing back old conventions hasn’t resulted in an experience that feels like it does anything new.

Overall, Please Knock on My Door is a unique, effective experience that raises darker themes of life such as social anxiety and depression. While difficult to discuss in reality, the thoughts and feelings of the character connected. I was motivated to help turn its sad existence into a happier one, and I couldn’t help but empathize – this indie had an effect on me.

If Blacksea Odyssey worked the way it should, its deadly monsters with complex attack patterns and abilities would pose a significant, enjoyable challenge. Unfortunately, the current level of challenge comes from severe camera issues, poor design and too many bugs. Stick a harpoon in it and toss the corpse out into the void of space.

With puzzles that hit more often than they miss and an art style that had me eagerly anticipating how they’d render each new setting and creature, Pool Panic is a brilliantly strange experience that’s worth playing just to be able to say that one waded into its madness and came back whole. If only it offered a slightly clearer structure and a little bit of guidance, it would be more than just a fascinating experiment in seeing how far the concept of playing pool can be mangled while still retaining its basic appeal.

Wheelspin is slightly improved in multiplayer, but that requires having at least one enthusiastic person with a good sense of humor in the same room. Even so, this title is short on features, short on consistent gameplay and short on charm. Wheelspin Frenzy should be avoided.

Stay Safe‘s rankings are all about speed, which is unfortunate considering the questionable collision and shoddy controls. As such, I found that getting the top time for each level was seemingly impossible, and without doing that, the true ending remained locked away – Stay Safe‘s final insult, apparently. There’s an interesting concept and some cool art design on offer, but, but the level of dedication required to see it through isn’t worth the effort.

There’s nothing here that rises above serviceable. Omega Strike offers tight controls, satisfying platforming and combat, and one of the most forgettable metroidvania worlds I’ve ever encountered. It’s cute and I’ve played worse, but it never manages to rise above the crowd.

Alter Army is an amusing romp that can easily kill time as players go deeper into the world and uncover its mysteries. The current level of bugginess is disappointing, but I’d still say it’s a solid choice from a brand-new studio, even if it ends a bit earlier than I was expecting.

Despite its limited ambitions, Citrouille manages to nail the basics, and that’s worth noting. The controls are tight, the systems all work together perfectly, and other than those damned salamanders, when players fail it feels like a lapse in skill rather than unfair design. It may be inessential, but it’s inessential in a winning way.

Ambiguity aside, The Midnight Sanctuary was thought-provoking and enjoyable, and a gem to look at. It won’t be for everyone, but for those who enjoy visual novels or similar fare, I’d urge them to set aside a couple of hours for it. And maybe a drink to go with it, too.

Putting the requirement for a controller aside, 428: Shibuya Scramble is a thoroughly unique offering in the visual novel space, and well worth picking up for any player interested in game narrative, the uniqueness of Japanese adventures, or those who just want to get some reading done.

Assault Spy is entertaining, but it’s highly flawed. I’d be hard-pressed to pay full price for it, but the laughs alone make it worth tracking down once it goes on sale.

So, is The Long Journey Home worth it? Overall I’d say yes, the moments of discovery and dealing with alien races makes the experience worth engaging in. My only hope is that the developers introduce a difficulty setting that allows players to dial back the drudgery of resource collection. The good outweighs the bad here, but there’s a much better experience waiting to be discovered underneath the busywork and failure.

Depth of Extinction has a solid concept but suffers from repeated assets, uninspiring combat and questionable mechanics. With all the other tactics options on the market, I find it impossible to recommend this one.

Skyhill is a decently short game that can be played in bursts, and despite the inconsistencies and annoying interface, I enjoyed it and was curious enough to see it through to the end. (And there are multiple endings.) However, the ‘survival’ aspect feels nonexistent — my runs were either doomed from the beginning or flawless victories, and I can’t wholeheartedly recommend something so unbalanced from one run to the next.

Sanctus Mortem isn’t perfect, but the flaws can be overlooked in favor of characters I cared about, engaging action, and a story that kept me hooked the entire time I was exploring Kisareth’s universe.

Almost There provides exactly the kind of challenge I want from my sadistic platformers, but the controls drove me away before finishing it, and I can’t imagine ever going back unless it’s fixed – without perfect and intuitive controls, it goes from sadistic to unfair, and no one deserves that.

It took me only fifteen hours to get into the third act of the game’s main quest, less than the some 20-25 hours to play through all the DLC. While these new quests fail because they’re so battle-heavy, the stories in Beasts and The Forgotten Sanctum are still complex and engrossing.

There’s nothing inherently special about the platforming, so if it plans to lean heavily on visual nostalgia, it needs to do it well. Awesome Pea isn’t a bad game, but it’s probably best suited for players who want to re-embrace childhood after their Mom sold their Game Boy for $5 at a yard sale back in ’97. For everyone else, I’d suggest a pass on this one.

I can’t overstate how much every aspect of Where the Bees Make Honey feels like a student project, from the way it looks to its frequent lack of sound effects, to the banality of its dialogue and the painfully earnest diction with which Sunny’s voice actress delivers it. The fact that it doesn’t work properly, often locking up when I tried to navigate its menus with a mouse cursor, further underlines that this effort has no business being sold for actual money.

Aside from the occasional lack of communication and visual blurriness, I enjoyed my time in the arena. It’s refreshing to see an action title where the choices players make have a significant effect, and each playthrough brings new interactions and scenarios for players to test their skills. It might not be The Price is Right, but Bow to Blood: Last Captain Standing is a virtual competition worth entering.

While Dark Quest 2 holds an extra level of appeal for people who played HeroQuest back in the day, it’s still a wonderfully compact package perfect for those who enjoy virtual boardgames or bite-sized adventures on the go. I actually kept playing once I’d rolled credits, and for me, that’s just about the highest praise I can give.

Even without seeing the secret ending, I was fully satisfied with my experience playing Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets. It’s as clever and well-constructed a puzzle game as I’ve seen, and the fact that it manages to tell an interesting story through those puzzles elevates it to a whole new level. This is a great accomplishment, and deserves the attention of anyone who wants their brain teased.

Frustrating puppet mechanics aside, Shadow Fencer Theatre is enjoyable for an afternoon thanks to its unique premise and visual novelty, but after putting my time in, I’ll forget it exists until the next time I have friends over.

I played Refunct on a day when I was falling apart from an overload of the chaos and hate in America, and retreating just for a few minutes into this serene, danger-free experience removed from news feeds, shouting politicians and burgeoning hate was much-needed balm for the soul. I heartily recommend it to anyone who is in need of same.

The first half of War Tech Fighters is a light, silly ‘blow everything up and look cool’ sort of thing, but the second half is weighed down by developers who apparently felt the need to offer a ‘real challenge’ that wasn’t necessary or welcome.

When Muse Dash works well, I felt the same sort of accomplishment as I might when nailing a fighting game combo. However, I don’t fall into the target demographic and the grind-heavy progression turned things more tedious than necessary. There’s a solid base of something great here, but it would be an easier recommendation if it offered some content for those outside its niche.

At the end of the day, Ashes of Oahu is rough around the edges and could use a bit of work, but it remains a beautiful world to explore and the hawaiian folklore elements offer something new in the well-stocked post-apocalyptic genre. Those things alone may not be enough to keep some players in, but those who may want a bit of sun and sand with their questing and skill trees might want to check it out.

While its gameplay might be ancient by videogame standards, Driven Out proves that a perfectly executed concept is timeless. No matter how insurmountable a foe appeared, I knew that if I put in the work, I’d always manage to overcome it. Driven Out is hell on the fingers and it stretched my reflexes to their absolute limit, but the joy of victory was absolutely worth the agony of 500 defeats.

What bothers me the most about the gameplay in Bear With Me is the overall lack of direction — it just didn’t feel like there was any reason to play. The script evolves into a predictable cartoonish melodrama and the case basically solves itself without challenging the player to come up with their own theories along the way. There’s no morally grey culprit or alternative outcomes. There’s only one way to play through Bear and unfortunately, it’s not one that kept my attention.

As long as players are happy to hang out with a likable cast of characters and watch some cute flirting, Rio Reincarnation is a success. It’s a pleasant diversion even for someone completely unfamiliar with the source material, and as smoothly playable a visual novel as I’ve ever encountered.

If Fit for a King‘s narrative was brimming with historical or pop culture references, or maybe if it had a deeper underlying message to discover, I might’ve been able to look past the tedium of gold gathering. As it stands, there’s novelty in making crazy decisions as a monarch and finding a few neat nods, but that novelty wears off quickly.

Both of these tables are a joy to play and the Universal Monsters Pack is a solid addition to the Pinball FX3 library. It’s a slight shame the pack includes only two tables, but the price still beats buying a pair of working machines.

So, with the fixes now applied to the pre-release version, is Logos worth playing? It’s a solid experience with plenty of beautiful environments to see, but the repetitive nature of combat punctuated with unfairness puts a damper on the whole experience, as if the disastrous launch month hadn’t made it damp enough already.

Like the Patriots in 2007, Axis Football 2019 isn’t perfect, but I enjoy it for what it is. So long as prospective players bring a lot of patience, the on-the-field play and deep franchise mode should keep them coming back for more. Second tier championship, here I come!

When comparing The Executioner‘s frustrations to its merits, the negatives outweigh the developers’ intentions. This title seems like it plans to do and say a lot about morality within a cruel society, but its stat-based design feels like it’s going to need a huge overhaul before the statements it wants to make can come out clearly.

I wanted to like Mistover. While I initially came to it hoping to find something that delivered on its obvious promise of being similar to Darkest Dungeon, what I got was more like a poorly-balanced work-in-progress. With annoying encounters and dull dungeons, it falls far short of the game it was so clearly inspired by.

Guildmaster Story doesn’t have a subtle bone in its body, but that’s for the best. Every part of this experience is crafted to get players to open their eyes and see the systems of exploitation all around them. Including — and especially — the one in their hands.

Straimium Immortaly is the second title I’ve tried from Caiysware (the other being Skelly Selest, also on Switch) and I see unreached potential in this work. Both offer good ideas and a few nice moments, but neither has the level of polish or balance needed to deliver an engaging challenge. That said, I do feel like the dev is on the cusp of greatness and I’ll be curious to see their next attempt.

Playing Draw Chilly isn’t complicated, but it has just enough nuance to keep it interesting. The story isn’t particularly deep, but absolutely no one will be able to predict the bizarre zigs and zags the script takes. The graphics are bursting with humor and charm, and even now after rolling credits, I’m still pleasantly confounded by this nearly inexplicable project. There were a few moments between unlocks when slaughtering monkeys lost some shine and a couple of bosses had me pulling my hair out (PROTIP: upgrade worm milk capacity ASAP) but I couldn’t stop playing Draw Chilly once I started, and as soon as I finished it, I bought the developer’s previous game. If that’s not a solid recommendation, then I don’t know what is.

On a non-VR platform, Eclipse would likely come across as empty-feeling and slight, but between the smart implementation of motion controls and a visual style that’s conscious of its limits, Eclipse makes enough of the right decisions to be worth a look for anyone who owns a headset. I continue to root for this technology, and I savor opportunities that transport me to the sorts of bizarre worlds that games like Eclipse can.

Heaven Dust is an oddity — it’s a game that can’t simply be dismissed as a rip-off of Resident Evil because the developers have made no attempt to hide what they’re doing. This isn’t simply ‘inspired by’ RE, it’s a literal recreation of Capcom’s seminal work in everything but name and a couple of minor plot details. It’s clearly a labor of love from people with a deep fondness for the franchise. I’m not surehow it will land for people who have no nostalgia for the original, but as someone who’s spent untold hours inside Spencer Mansion, I found it to be a delightful bite-sized homage.

I love pirate games so much that I would have stuck with Tempest right to the end if it hadn’t locked me out of completing one of the main quests. In order to research krakens, I was told to go to an island and buy some of their ink. I obeyed and headed straight there, only to find the resource couldn’t be purchased. I had plenty of money and space in my hold, and the ‘buy’ button was lit up, but no matter what I tried, the game wouldn’t let me complete the objective. I tried to meet Tempest more than halfway. I was willing to meet it 99% of the way, but in the end, it couldn’t even do that much for me.

My sense is that Azur Lane: Crosswave will appeal to established fans of the ‘moe’ subgenre of anime who will happily forgive the myriad problems, boredoms and irritations that will rise to the surface for everyone else. For those who aren’t ready to devote themselves to a seafaring waifu, Crosswave runs aground as soon as it sets sail.

Tortuga Team is the real deal when it comes to turn-based tactics, and this entry is a perfect fit for the Switch — I loved every minute of it.

I finished Later Daters in less than two hours and wasn’t sure that I experienced the entire game. After doing some follow-up research I discovered that this release is only the first half of the full experience. It’s good to know more is coming later, but this content is just too brief and the chapters offered don’t come to any strong conclusions. Unfortunately, this brevity hurts Later Daters in its current iteration. I suspect a full review of the entire game would be positive, but this ambitious visual novel simply feels incomplete at the moment — I suggest anyone interested wait until later this year when they’re able to experience the narrative in its entirety.

Overall, Construction Simulator 3: Console Edition is clearly meant for those who enjoy sims of this caliber. Myself? As a first-timer to this genre, I found it to be enjoyable, if a bit lacking. The moments where I was essentially role-playing as a construction worker were exhilarating, and the moment-to-moment gameplay kept me hooked. Unfortunately, the visuals hold it back and a little more polish on little things would go a long way. For now, though, I’m not quitting my day job to join a construction crew…

While the graphics are on the simple side and getting someone excited about the petroleum industry is a hard sell when we’re concerned with global warming and the future of the planet, I still found a great deal to like about Turmoil: the Heat is On. I appreciated its approachability, it led to a few good conversations about economics with my son, and it also helped that the oil I was drilling was just pretend — with no ecological damage being done, I could just relax and enjoy the systems.

Book of Demons isn’t likely to hold the attention of hardcore dungeon crawl enthusiasts or those who don’t care for loot-heavy titles like this one. However, players who are new to this style of game or those looking for something on the simpler side would be well-served to check this one out.

While the central quest in Boot Hill Bounties may have been cliche and the gameplay slightly disappointing, the time spent with my crew made it worthwhile. This Western yarn might not be a consistently excellent experience, but it still reminded me of how much I love the Wild West.

There’s very little to recommend BE-A Walker. The control concept just doesn’t work, and the design of the levels and encounters is abysmal. The core of its problems is due to choosing to focus on a colonial Goliath rather than an aboriginal David, but even on its own terms almost every aspect of BE-A Walker misses the mark.

Help Will Come Tomorrow is rich with nuance and content, and it often doesn’t end well, but those looking for a survival game with focus on dialogue or those wanting to get a taste of an interesting period of Russian history should check into it with no hesitation.

As experiments go, The Dread X Collection is a complete success. Out of ten games I found four to be legitimately wonderful, and I only regret loading up two. That’s an incredible ratio for a game jam, and the highs more than justify the paltry purchase price. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see expanded versions of any of these works, but I’m happy that I got to see developers going hog-wild and coming up with truly unique experiences.

There’s plenty to appreciate for turn-based tactics fans willing to look past the terrible virtual cover art and learn the nuances of Depth of Extinction‘s combat, or for fans looking for something a bit different than the usual XCOM combat — just keep in mind that it might be difficult to find just the right amount of challenge.

Little Town Hero looks great and the combat has a nice puzzle-like quality, but it’s hurt significantly by random elements punishing the player and battles dragging out for so long. It’s got a quirky charm that a certain kind of player will love, but that kind of player is not me.

The eye candy is appealing, it’s LGBTQ-conscious, the writing is on point and the gameplay is just engaging enough to keep a player’s clicking finger busy on the quest to reclaim their fortune. Spending time on the spicier side was exactly the change of pace I needed, and I’m 100% on board with whatever these developers cook up next.

I want to be charitable towards DreamBack since it’s clear that a lot of work went into building these detailed environments, but Come Over Gaming didn’t populate them with anything of substance, and the resulting product feels like an old-school Resident Evil game with everything removed except the key-hunting. A flat version of this title would be the dullest thing imaginable, and the VR format only slightly elevates it.

I did manage to beat Elden, and I’m still not entirely sure what was going on. There was a forest, a desert, a mountain, and then some caves. I killed the same handful of monsters over and over again, then got stunlocked to oblivion by bosses that shoot immobilizing gloop. If it was longer than it is, I probably wouldn’t have bothered finishing and I can’t say what I played was worth it — whether it was a crutch or an intentional choice, the whole thing wraps up just as bafflingly as it began.

Rogue Summoner advertises itself as a roguelike strategy title, but it feels more like a puzzle game that I had to brute-force until I found the one correct solution to each challenge. It’s currently still in development with regular updates coming, but I can’t help but feel that it’s misrepresenting the kind of experience that it is, and I’m not sure that patches are going to change that.

As a way to quickly level up a new character’s combat abilities while working towards weapons to help them with the main campaign, Hellraid is successful enough. Unfortunately, there’s no real depth to it, and after a few times through I felt like I’d seen everything it had to offer. There are worse ways to spend a few hours, but this content is probably best enjoyed by die-hards looking for an excuse to boot up Dying Light one more time before the sequel drops.

A more serious issue is the way Faeria handles losing connection to its servers. It was fine on an excellent connection, but on a weaker service I lost connection almost once per game. In some cases it recovered and I was able to return to play, but there were multiple times when my controls stopped working and I was only able to forfeit the match. This is a technical stumbling block that needs to be addressed. Those issues aside, Faeria is a complete package likely to please both casuals and more serious deckbuilders alike. However, Faeria as an online service isn’t stable without an excellent connection, so buyers approaching it from that angle should beware.