This is a game that, on every level, is built around reaching out to the player and making sure they’re having a good time. The developers have tuned every part of it to put power in the player’s hands, as long as they’re willing to learn. No, it doesn’t play like anything else out there – it’s not supposed to, because it’s something better.

The Darkest Files doesn’t simply retread expected courtroom cliché — it asks hard questions, demands patience, and treats its players with the respect they deserve. Putting a few minor mechanical shortcomings aside, The Darkest Files succeeds by refusing to sanitize history and doesn’t oversimplify the complexities of justice and the human spirit.

Wander Stars is one of — if not the best — games I’ve played this year. It is equal parts hilarious, touching, exciting, and clever. The interactions between characters and even the enemies is consistently moving or delightful, the combat is sharp and challenging, and the art style is top-notch. It’s a must-play, but just be prepared for a bit of a grind and know that it might be tough to find exactly the right words to do the job.

A lot of management titles can have a sort of Excellian abstractness to them — a whiff of spreadsheet seeping out around their ostensible settings. Not so with News Tower. No, it evokes the golden age of paper news across its entire mechanical suite, bolstered further by an absolutely wonderful, period-appropriate live jazz soundtrack from Dutch ensemble New Cool Collective. To quote legendary schlock-peddler, Xanadu denizen, and all around freak William Randolph Hearst — it’s immersive as hell. And from me? It’s an enthusiastic recommend.

I had a lovely time with Constance. It’s not a lore-intensive metroidvania, it’s not particularly difficult unless the player wishes to test themselves, and it never outstayed its welcome. Among the titanic release of Silksong and other metroidvanias, Constance still managed to make an impression on me. Don’t let this one pass you by.

Maybe after the devs squash the bugs and make a few other changes I’ll want to come back and dig some more, but in its current state, Mole Maiden doesn’t feel like it’s quite ready to surface.

For lovers of supernatural mysteries, Irish folklore or even just a good old comic book, I am happy to give The Séance of Blake Manor an enthusiastic recommendation. I greatly enjoyed getting to know the characters and revealing their dark secrets, and ultimately unearthing the mystery of Ms. Deane’s disappearance. If this mystery looks even remotely appealing, my guess is that the experience will be enjoyed.

It’s great to finally have Everybody’s Golf on PC, and even though this entry fails to meet the series’ usual high standards, it still offers a fine walk out on the links. That said, it’s impossible to shake the feeling that it’s only achieved the absolute minimum here. Until the various bugs and other issues are patched out, I simply can’t recommend Everybody’s Golf in its current state. No matter how good the general golfing experience is, it’s impossible to ignore the wonky physics and overall lack of ambition. What should have been a near-effortless hole in one is perilously close to becoming a triple bogey instead.

I have a love/hate relationship with Death Howl. If I have a few bad combats, I’ll curse the game out and shut it off. When I come back a day later and have a better run, it’s easier to appreciate what the developers are doing. While I don’t exactly care for the progression and penalties tied to the cards, the symbolism and use of grief here is strong, and the sharp tactical combat is notable.

The Zone feels fully realized, with improved gameplay mechanics and a blend of beauty, horror, and mystique that was irresistible. The engaging story gave me plenty of interesting plot threads to pull at, and allowed me to alter the progression of the story in fascinating ways. The PS5 version has great features, and a year of updates has made HoC better for all players. In my opinion, this is the definitive way for new and veteran stalkers alike to explore the mysteries of the Zone.

It’s tough to shake the feeling that Ninja Gaiden 4 parallels Yakumo himself. Extremely competent in its own right, but overshadowed and outmatched by a legend it doesn’t manage to live up to. It’s crazy that the first mainline series entry in over a decade is somehow only the third best Ninja Gaiden title to come out this year… but that’s how it is.

Siegecaster is an intentionally difficult game built by and for the hardest of the hardcore — and this feels like a bit of a tragedy to me. It’s rare that I’ll review a game without completing it, but after a dozen hours I decided to stop banging my head against the eighth level and call it quits. While I don’t doubt that this is the experience that the developers intended to craft, I can’t help but feel that a few quality-of-life changes could have made this an innovative tower defense classic, rather than what feels like a dispatch from an alternate timeline where arcade-style quarter-snatching difficulty levels remained the norm in videogame design…

While it may not rewrite the rules of mascot platforming, Pac-Ma World 2 Re-Pac understands the formula of the genre. It’s a bubbly, colorful, and entertaining ride that will satisfy both fans of the original and anyone who has a deep nostalgia for the era of gaming when action like this ruled.

I haven’t even scratched the surface of what the slot machine has to offer in terms of winning strategies or clever tricks, as there are countless items to unlock, game modifiers to equip, and just more to play. In a decade where certain titles toe the line between gambling and games, CloverPit performs that dance beautifully and produces an unforgettable roguelite experience as a result — it’s a delight, and one of the most delightfully frustrating things I’ve played this year.

There is clear care put into this expansion and it’s easy to see the vision Ironwood Studios had, it just didn’t land with me. However, I do hope they continue trying to experiment because I would love this studio to create a new experience as much as I love the original Pacific Drive.

Becastled is certainly a game a person could spend hours playing, but in a genre crowded with unique and fascinating takes on the concept, I can’t think of a reason why one should put time into a title with so many annoyances and so little to recommend it.

While my memories of playing it in the past weren’t great, the masterful music and visual presence combined in Lumines: Arise really turned me around on the series. It’s not one to miss!

Blood West won’t be for everyone, but those willing to go along with its demanding play and deliberate pacing will find an engaging experience that celebrates the player’s wits as much as reflexes. I won’t soon forget the feeling of being low on ammo, even lower on health and deep behind enemy lines, knowing I should turn back, but forging ahead anyway, intoxicated by what treasure could be around the next corner – because more than likely, it’s worth it.

Little Nightmares 3 might be the least of the trilogy so far, but anyone who wants to have a new experience in its horribly bleak and oppressive world will still find this a great opportunity to do so — it just doesn’t come together as darkly perfect as it should.

Ultimately, Slime Rancher 2 is a strange beast. On paper it has everything the original does, and more. More slimes, more unlocks and more imaginative environments. Sadly, the frustrations overshadowed many of those positives for me, as many of the new additions actively work against the tone of the experience. Quicker access to fast travel or unlimited stamina would go a long way to easing these complaints, and make me feel less like my time was being wasted. I’ve been rather negative on its latter sections, but for those who enjoyed the original Slime Rancher, it manages to hit many of the same pleasant notes — but maybe have a guide handy to minimize the travel and grinding.

Tempest Rising is what I would call a neo-classic RTS — and it’s something we need and hunger for in the modern gaming landscape. The story, gameplay mechanics, and strategic diversity of engagement scenarios make it one of the best RTS titles of the past few years, yet, the lack of balance and problematic AI behaviors prevent it from becoming a perfect experience for avid RTS fans. However, with such a promising debut, I’m excited to see more from this developer in the form of DLC and stand-alone titles the future.

Real talk, this entry won’t convert anyone tiring of EA’s approach to the world’s favorite sport, and longtime fans will likely feel the same frustrations they’ve felt for years. However, for anyone who still finds joy in a well-timed through ball or a diving header in extra time, it can deliver a good experience. It captures enough of football’s rhythm to be a good purchase for dedicated fans, but the execution just isn’t as sharp as I expected at this point.

Ultimately, Voyagers lands in a weird place for me as far as recommending it goes, and also with who I would recommend it for. The simplicity and repetition of the experience means it’s hard to recommend to older players who might be looking for a little more meat on the bone. On the other hand, it might not be right for a younger audience due to the execution issues with some of the puzzles. Despite landing in this mixed middle ground, I did have an enjoyable time with my wife, and we walked away with fond memories of it, so for me Lego Voyagers gets 6.5 stuck together bricks out of 10.

For players who want the deepiest, crunchiest, most byzantine and flexible factory builder out there without any distractions, Little Rocket Lab will disappoint. But for people who have tried the big names in this genre and found them daunting or chilly, and who are still looking for their entry point into the conveyor-belt and throughput analysis lifestyle, Little Rocket Lab may be the one. It’s a really good game that I personally didn’t like very much, but I think — and kind of hope — I’m in the minority.

I generally enjoyed Shinobi: Art of Vengeance just fine. On the upside, the combat engine is fluid and satisfying to experiment with, and for the most part Shinobi: Art of Vengeance generally offers a reasonably good time. However, as a longtime series fan I expected an absolutely awesome outing, and it never quite hit the heights I was hoping for.

While not quite matching its previous heights, Axis Football 2026 has made marked improvements over the last incarnation and shows that it’s still a title worthy of taking the field. With the right bug fixes and continued improvement, it could once again become a solid contender in the increasingly-crowded football market. Axis Football 2026 is worth the time and the price of admission, but there’s definitely room for this franchise to tighten things up.

No Sleep has its faults, but I can’t say that I was disappointed revisiting the series, even if trying something new didn’t end up working in its favor. Thankfully, the runtime is half the length of the other two, so it’s not as much of a commitment and the missteps are slightly more excusable as there’s less of them than there would be otherwise. Ultimately though, I would only recommend playing No Sleep if series fans have already been through the other two and are desperate for a fix.

Minor quibbles aside, Absolum is an excellent beat-’em-up full of cool combos, neat build variations, random events and enjoyable roguelike power evolution spearheaded by a team that Absolumetely knows what they’re doing when it comes to crafting quality content. For fans of roguelikes or side-scrollers, this is one to check out.