If you’re looking to slow down and experience a visual novel game that leaves a strong impression not by dramatic twists, but rather slice of life relatable nostalgia, Nook Fall: West Town is the one to play.

Under Par Golf Architect brought me back to my childhood days of SimGolf in all the right ways. While they could do a bit more in terms of making the management side of the game having more of an impact, everything else hit like a perfect drive.

If Artefacts can flesh out some of the new mechanics to have even more variety and get the combat to require just a bit more strategy they truly have something here. As is Disciples: Domination is a very good RPG that should be worth a look to anyone into turn based RPGs.

I mostly enjoyed my time with Project Songbird. The narrative is handled with care and earns its emotional weight without being spoiled here. The sound design and music deserves a lot of praise, and the voice cast and performances really sell the story being told here. However resource balance; bullets, painkillers, melee durability, occasionally tips toward overwhelming rather than tense. Some enemy encounters shift from scary into frustrating rather than maintaining dread. If you’re a scaredy cat like me, I’m sure you’ll also enjoy the roughly 5 hour journey into grief in the Appalachian mountains, and horror veterans might not get scared but are sure to get some fun out of trying to grab the no healing achievement as they stumble past mannequins and statues.

If controller user experience is important to you, Trash Goblin may slightly sour your experience. It’s unfortunate when a port doesn’t fully execute their game their new demographic. Things like this ends up leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Luckily, throughout its year of release on Steam, Spilt Milk Studios supported the game well, providing 4 significant content updates. Therefore, it’s likely that this can easily be patched.

Docked is a solid next step in the sim category for Saber Interactive. I loved every second learning about all the new machinery and how best to use it. The introduction of a story was a nice touch that a lot of simulation games don’t have. The few performance issues didn’t take away from the fun I had with Docked. However, the lack of continuing to play after I finished was a bit of a letdown. Working so hard to get my port fully upgraded, and not being able to really use it.

Reimagined is overall a good game. However, it certainly doesn’t feel like a game created for those who grew up with Dragon Quest. This is because we’ve grown, and Dragon Quest 7’s gameplay is still, in its own way, very much stuck in the past. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as now, this is a game I would love my kids to play, so they can fall in love with Dragon Quest and JRPGs in general.

With some welcome quality of life improvements and some of the best designed levels from Hidden Cats, this is one of the best in the series. I do wonder when the bubble will burst on this genre, but if Nukearts can continue to create charming levels then me and the Cats community will keep coming back for a monthly fix.

I enjoyed my 5 hour playthrough of Call of the Elder Gods. The puzzles, environments, and voice acting were all fantastic and that’s all you really need for a fun weekend chomp of a title. However, the move from one island to jet setting across the globe in those five hours didn’t do the pacing of the story any favours. There’s a lot going on, and the game rattles through some of it’s reveals at a fair clip, losing a lot of the intrigue that made the first game so compelling. When it comes to facing the Cosmic Entities at the end of the world; I think I’d have preferred a little less movie conspiracy, and a little more actual mystery.

With 7 unique districts to unlock, 18 customizable buses, and the ability to make Emberville your own. Creating routes and learning how the city changes throughout the day, Bus Bound has so much content to keep me entertained for hours.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss presents itself as a homage to one of the greatest horror authors of the 20th century. Even with some minor performance issues, the derelict locations you explore as Noah are some of the most beautifully crafted renditions of Lovecraft’s mythos that have ever been put to a screen.

GreedFall: The Dying World is a game that built upon the potential of its predecessor, and in many ways, it succeeded in this. They created a game that many RPG fans have been aching for: storytelling, choices, and world. Unfortunately, the tactical experience, while good, was lacking in finesse. The game spent 18 months in early access, and I believe it was time well spent, on PC. The console experience had much to be desired, but nothing a few patches can’t fix, I hope.

If you’re willing to tolerate performance issues (or you’re lucky enough to land on a hardware configuration that plays it smoothly), and if you enjoyed the first GRIME or are just interested in weird, artistic soulslike metroidvanias, it’s absolutely worth playing. The game respects your intelligence and your ability to learn systems, and there’s a real sense of progression as you absorb more Molds and unlock new areas. But go in knowing that there’s parts of the game that may frustrate you – intentionally or not.

Darwin’s Paradox is a strong debut from ZDT Studio, cleverly utilizing cinematic platforming genre staples to create a fun, well paced 5-hour adventure. That being said, an abrupt ending unfortunately robs the game of a satisfying conclusion, and it’s clear that the Nintendo Switch 2 version needed more time in the oven to properly utilize the hardware.

Although Invincible Vs has some rough spots, it overall succeeds where it needs to in a fighting game. The gameplay is fun, the netcode is good overall and the roster is a blast to play with along with solid presentation. While some character omissions are lamentable… The fact that Quarter Up made me want to try Dupli-Kate out makes up for it and thankfully we’re in the age where bugs can be fixed rather quickly.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance may not be the triumphant return that long-time fans have hoped for, but it is a confident step toward bringing the series back into the spotlight. Its moody pixel art, stellar voice performances, and thunderous industrial-orchestral soundtrack capture the gothic soul of Nosgoth remarkably well, even in a new 2D form. While the straightforward combat and brief runtime keep it from reaching the heights of the series’ best entries, the game still delivers an entertaining slice of dark fantasy that respects the lore and legacy that came before it.

Sons of Sparta can and will bring in fans of the IP even if they are unfamiliar with the genre in order to experience part of Kratos’ beginnings. However, the way the game presents itself; its visuals, mechanics, and pacing could easily work against keeping these subset of gamers entertained long enough to enjoy and complete it.

Only Up Rush is a bananas game that does what too few games aim to do this generation – be basic, dumb fun. The ascent to the stars will test you and in a couple of sections, potentially temporarily break you. But the journey, is definitely worth the budget price of admission. And if you get stuck on this eclectic climb, you could always listen to Yazz to remind yourself of the only way to go.

If you’re familiar with the survivor genre, you’ll likely get some enjoyment out of this, as the games difficulty will hold your attention, especially with the sheer amount of unlocks the game has. However, if you’re looking for a more fun and relaxing game you can check out of and just play, there’s easier, and better, games in the genre out there to try.

Hank: Drowning on Dry Land provided a very unique take on the time-travel puzzle genre and managed to couch it in its own unique world that is ripe for expansion. But does the game have extensive replayability? Not really. It’ll be a game that you play once, maybe twice, and will more than likely never revisit. This is not to belittle the work that went into this project – it’s just my honest take-away. That being said, though, at a price point of $2.99, and what I laid out interests you, give it a shot! My sincere hope is that we eventually see more of these titles released as part of a series. I think, to my dismay though, that it will be some time until we see this.

If you happen to both love management-type games and deckbuilders, but are also a massive football fan, then I do think that this is the title for you! If you’re anyone like myself, give it a try – you won’t immediately become a fan of Arsenal, but maybe you’ll be curious to check out more of what football has to offer.

Double Fine has created a fun multiplayer experience. Creating your own pots is enjoyable and easy and the gameplay is simple yet effective. Unfortunately the game has very little content at launch with only 1 game mode and 5 maps. Without much reason to progress beyond new cosmetics, the team will need to quickly add content for Kiln to have any staying power. With how fun the game is, here’s hoping they can.

Sudden Strike 5 is a solid, if unspectacular RTS experience. It feels authentic and immersive as a WWII strategy game, and really makes you focus on the strategy part of that in order to succeed. It’s clunky controls on console and lack of teaching the player the game hold it back from being great, but any RTS fan should find the experience enjoyable.

Clockwork Ambrosia is a solid Metroidvania with some interesting and well-executed ideas, and while it hits its target with a satisfying bang, it lands wide of the bullseye.

While its tight controls and emergent mechanics create a strong and satisfying blend of 3D platforming and involved, reactive game design, Big Hops’ structure feels at odds with itself. Its narrative focus limits the scope of its open-ended ambitions, resulting in an experience that makes some hops that are certainly big, but don’t always stick the landing.

While I did enjoy my time with Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Cafe, I don’t ever see myself returning to it. The design aspects may be something that reels in other cozy gamers, but if you’re looking for more gameplay beyond simple rhythm games, I would look elsewhere. If you’re an interior decorator in another life, though, then this game might be right up your alley.

For returning fans, this is easily the definitive way to experience Kain and Raziel’s intertwined fate. For newcomers who are willing to wade into the deep lore, it’s a fascinating, if sometimes stubborn, relic of a different era. Imperfect, dramatic, and unapologetically gothic, Defiance still has fangs, even if they’re a little worn.

At its best, Chico’s Rebound captures the addictive satisfaction that made block-breaker games a classic arcade staple. The clever stage design, creative boss fights, and charming pixel presentation make every successful run feel rewarding, even when luck occasionally plays a role. However, the repetitive tower exploration and occasionally demanding score requirements can slow the momentum and turn triumph into frustration. Despite these bumps, the core gameplay remains engaging enough to carry the experience, making Chico’s Rebound a fun, if slightly uneven, climb up the Celestial Tower.