Overall, Date Everything is a charming little package that staves off its inherent repetitiveness with some great writing and an excellent cast of voice performers. The sheer variety of characters here nearly guarantees that there will be at least a handful that connect with everyone. Some of the character design is a bit too busy, though, and tracking down every Dateable can become a lesson in frustration if you have difficulty thinking outside the box. If you’re a VA geek, Date Everything is an absolute must-play; I don’t think we’ll ever see another game with this many high-profile performers together in one package. Recognizing the voices of the Dateables you find is a core part of the fun here, in my opinion. But even if you’re not well versed in modern voice performers, this game is still a fun and often hilarious romp.

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is a clever and creepy indie game that isn’t afraid to show how much love they have for this style of storytelling. It may not be the kind of game that will please everyone, but it will satisfy those looking for an old-school experience wrapped up in eldritch horror. Switch owners looking to expand their adventure game library will find a solid experience here, and the low price point will work in its favor. Thomasina’s misadventure is a story worth playing, so long as you go in ready to tussle with the old-school quirks of the genre.

Dwerve is a difficult game to put down. It incorporates the strategic aspects of tower defense with the reactive dodging of action games and fully reaps the benefits of both elements. Having to approach each of the varied combat encounters with tactical and mechanical skill creates a layer of engagement that not every game can reach, urging you to keep playing and tinker with your approach all the way up to its conclusion. Despite its somewhat lacking storyline, Dwerve is a fun, challenging trek through dangerous dungeons and dwarven history that carries itself with aplomb.

Even with the heavy hitter Dragon’s Trap missing from this selection, Wonder Boy Collection is still a great option if you want to experience a more obscure retro franchise for the first time, or go back and revel in nostalgia. Also, with the prices the original Monster World IV goes for at the time of writing, this is probably the best way to play through that game without blowing up your wallet.

While it’s hard to ignore some of the gameplay issues (some of which EA has promised to address as of this writing), the overall experience of EA Sports PGA Tour is very impressive as far as golf games go. The graphics and audio are top notch, as is the golfer creation and the wide range of options available. This game is a sim and not a super easy game, but the developers clearly wanted a wide range of players to be able to enjoy it with the assistance features, and it does a pretty good job of that. Combine this with the huge amount of content and the many ways you can use it, and you have an experience that, despite some stumbles, is near the top of its class. If you’re looking for an immersive golf experience, look no further.

Overall, Disc Room is a simple game at its core. It almost feels like it could be a web-based Flash game at times. Between the steady challenge and constant addition of new quirks and twists, though, the game becomes more than a simple time waster. Disc Room is short and sweet, with an interesting aesthetic and some intriguing character building. Unfortunately the latter is hidden in menus, so there’s a chance not all players will get to see what is, in my opinion, one of the best parts of the game. As a quick glimpse into a new kind of madness, this is a game worth a look. Just don’t lose your mind on the way.

All in all, I have to say that, while brutally difficult for me, Monster Supercross 4 was still a lot of fun to play because of the overall quality and completeness of the experience. The game is a thrill, that much is certain. I imagine fans from the previous entries and people who real know their Supercross are past the learning curve and will get into this game instantly. While the experience is epic, even for a total noob at realistic sports games like me, I have to dock points for the rough on-boarding experience in this otherwise excellent title. A persistent beginner will have the game grow on them and potentially make them an even bigger Supercross fan. But if you’re totally new and curious about the sport, the weak tutorial and lack of explanation of terms in the sport is a significant barrier.

This is a really fun, elegant, and well-observed game that I might feel is a bit slower to start than that title was, but it does feel like a lot of fun from start to finish. I had a fun time playing the game, and every time I fired it up again I found myself having fun all over again. If you have memories of old beat-em-ups or just want a new Marvel game in your life, this is going to be a fun title, and it can easily be an all-time winner for party games even with your friends who don’t play regular video games. Which means that it deserves the most Marvel-possible send-off for the whole affair. It’s a magnificent Marvel menagerie of superior, striking, and sensational super-heroes clashing on cosmic canvas against invading insects in insidious incidents. ‘Nuff said!

Scarlet Nexus is an excellent way to get your JRPG fix. It’s stylish, has an evolving storyline, unique characters, and a wicked fun battle system. It does try to do a lot, and in doing so falls a little short at times, but this is something that will only bog you down if you let it. The game has a lot to offer and boredom is the last thing you’ll feel when you’re running around swinging buses at enemies. If you’ve ever wondered what can be done when truly using the power of the mind, this title offer you a fresh perspective.

If you’re looking for a fun trip to Toronto, this game is as solid now as it was back in 2010. Just be sure to get a few friends together for maximum enjoyment.

The fact that this is from a small team is itself amazing, and if you enjoy anything from the gorgeous art to the description of the mechanics to even just the feel of being the family head trying to whip your clan into a fighting force? I think you’ll find something to love in Dice Gambit. I sure as heck did. I took a chance I didn’t expect to, and I feel it was well worth it.

In short, The Plucky Squire is a triumph, and if it looks fun to you and you don’t mind the slightly shorter runtime, you will find it to be delightful. And you will, I am certain, want to see how Jot’s adventure plays out. It’s a simple trick done without shame but with genuine warmth, and in the end, what more can you ask for from any video game?

It’s smaller than its inspiration, a bit simpler in some ways, and I am very deliberately leaving out some of the places it goes simply on the basis that it’s worth seeing it for yourself. If you’re like me and have been looking for more FFT for the past two decades, this game will not sate your hunger completely, but it’ll be damn filling. You will walk away satisfied. That is high praise, and a testament to how good the game actually is.

Scarf is an endearing experience. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve and doesn’t shatter the genre’s conventions with innovative ideas, but still finds enough sure footing to set itself apart from its contemporaries. Moreover, an unsurprising story and a few instances of intentional time-wasters in puzzles aren’t enough to lessen the benefits of its brisk pace and variety of gorgeous environments. It may not hit the highest highs of the genre, but if you’re in the mood for an atmospheric puzzle platformer, you could do much worse.

Soulstice absolutely works as a love letter to action games of the bygone PlayStation 2 era. Vitally, however, it does so without losing a clear identity of its own. Its combat system is unique in the way it asks players to actively monitor mechanics while also avoiding enemy attacks and dishing out flashy combos in true character action game fashion. Its boss battles leave quite a bit to be desired, and the level design may be a bit too narrow at points, but Soulstice manages to make up for these shortcomings with an emotional story and a unique brand of observation-based gameplay that ensures its status as a confident addition to the genre.

If there’s anything wrong with Drop Duchy as a game, it’s really just the timing of its release. The gaming world has a lot of stuff to play right now, a lot of big titles that demand you sink a lot of time and energy into them. I’ve been playing some of them myself. It would be easy to overlook this particular one because it is a slight thing, a lunch break sort of game. But when you consider the asking price and the fun of the game, that slightness works in its favor. Maybe you don’t have a couple of hours to make serious progress on the big RPGs that are out right now. Maybe what you have is 30 minutes to play some Tetris and also build yourself a merry little kingdom. And Drop Duchy is positioned perfectly for that. Lean in, enjoy some dropping and some management, and give the screen a thumbs-up in celebration of your latest acquisitions of land. So yeah, this is just mashing together existing pieces, but that mashing really works. Exquisite!

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is an odd game that you will either really like and have a lot of fun with or it is going to frustrate the heck out of you, but I think ultimately I have to err on the side of it trying new things even if I don’t think it totally sticks the landing. Take that with the appropriate header.

Overall, Gleylancer isn’t some kind of boundary pushing or standard setting entry in the shmup genre. And it doesn’t have to be. What it does, it does well. The difficulty curve is a bit wonky, but even at its hardest it never feels impossible. Putting the options to use was a ton of fun, even if my method of using them ended up a bit…uncomfortable for my thumb. At its budget price ($6.99 at the time of writing), this game is an absolute no-brainer for shmup fans. I would argue that it’s a great option for genre newcomers as well, with its relatively easy opening levels before the difficulty really ramps up. As I continue my exploration of retro shmups, I’m glad this one fell into my hands.

I honestly can’t tell you the specific thing about Arcadia Fallen that made me fall in love with it, but I can promise you that it’s a good time. The lively cast will guide you through a grand adventure, where you will feel like an active participant rather than just an observer, and by the end, you will most likely be sad to see your journey end. The art style might feel outdated, but if you can look past that, you will be treated to excellent voice-acting and some fun, yet simple puzzles. There’s also plenty of content here, since you get four romance routes to try out and the opportunity to replay the game with different MC personality types, making it a whole new experience.

Whether you’ve always been a medieval combat fanatic, or you love games like the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises but wished for them to go back in time a few centuries, it’s hard to go too far wrong with Chivalry II. Just be mindful of that bloodthirsty knight that spawned right next to you!

GRIDbeat! has all the components of an excellent rhythm game: A unique aesthetic, addictive gameplay, a respectable difficulty curve, and (of course) a positively bumpin’ soundtrack. All of these qualities make it a relatively easy recommendation for fans of this genre, but each of them also has a depreciating caveat that lessens the experience. Somewhat samey level designs can occasionally cause visuals to lose their luster, a lack of meaningful change in the core gameplay loop, and very predictable difficulty spikes in each level are all snags that will come and go in different points throughout GRIDbeat! Everything mostly works the way it’s intended to, but it’s hard to ignore the missed potential. There’s no caveat for how enjoyable the soundtrack is, though. It’s just damn good.

Ocean’s Heart is a love letter to its genre, and I feel like it’s one that does it justice. I really enjoyed this game and all it had to offer. The main story, as well as the side-quests, keep you interested and immersed in the world you’re exploring, the visuals are full of color and charm, and the gameplay, while basic, is elevated by constant puzzle-solving and exploration, making it harder to get bored. If you have it in you to ignore the clunky controls (which I did) then you will find a lot to enjoy about this game.

Ultimately, it’d be wrong to say that Defender’s Quest II feels like more of the same; in visuals it’s very different and everything else feels like a distinct evolution from its original form. But it does feel like it has been made with the same sort of attention to detail and care as the first one. It carries all of the charm and memorability, and it also has that same addictive feeling of inspiring you to take on just one more round. In other words, basically everything I liked about the first game has been either preserved or expanded, and there’s just not much to criticize. This is an amazing package, every bit as good as its predecessor, and if you never heard of that game that means you have two great games to play. Go try it out, because if the idea of a tower defense RPG sounds like a great concept, I assure you that this one nails it just as well as the first game.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a beloved tribute to a cherished franchise in video game form. It easily stands alongside some of the more standout titles that have emerged in the genre as of late, and everyone involved shows their reverence for MMPR in every frame. Anyone worried about the quality of this game can rest easy, as this is something I can happily point to as a great example of a good beat-em-up. I had a morphenomenal time with Rita’s Rewind, and I’m sure anyone fires this up will feel the same way. This game is far from a headache, so go-go give this one a shot.

The Tartarus Key is the rare game that’s able to faithfully recreate an older, chunky 3D aesthetic while still establishing a unique voice of its own. Its brainteasers won’t pose much of a challenge to seasoned puzzlers and its endings are rather abrupt, but the intriguing mystery, variety of puzzle types, and brisk pace work together—much like the characters trapped in the mansion themselves—to ensure a ride worth taking.

Part of me kinda wanted for Romeo Is A Dead Man to let me in on a joke. There’s a sense throughout the game that I’m missing a comment or two, that if I just had the right combination I could get a sense of what Suda51 really wants to say, and it would make the whole product feel even better or more coherent. And I can’t quite get there. But that’s part of the fun, and it’s what makes the game not just unique but compelling in the way that a more coherent title probably couldn’t manage. Some people are going to give this game a shot and bounce off it hard, and I think that’s valid. But I think that if you enjoy the game it’s going to be something you keep coming back to, and it’s definitely a game I would encourage people to buy on Steam because if you decide it’s not for you, hey, you can figure that out within the refund window. It’s either going to be very much not for you or very much for you, and I think some people are going to realize that this is their game in a way they wouldn’t have if it hadn’t sort of swept in from nowhere. The moral of the story is that Romeo Is A Dead Man has something to say, but what it’s saying is more about a feeling than anything. That is the lesson.

Despite an overly lean narrative and an overlong middle section, Bionic Bay’s particular blend of fluid platforming, physics-focused puzzles, and gorgeously surreal aesthetic results in a highly engaging experience. More than that, it’s tight pacing and interest in surprising the player keeps things feeling fresh throughout. If you’re on the lookout for a new puzzle-platformer, it’s well worth your time to run and jump your way through it.

What the Dub?! knows what it wants to be, and it does it well, straight-forward and with very little frills. If you have a friend group that already enjoys the Jackbox series and other quick and easy party games, there’s little reason not to add this one to your rotation.