Aphelion is a fine action-adventure game. I use “action” loosely here as there isn’t that much action, but there is more than we are used to in a Don’t Nod title. With a solid enough story there is enough to get invested in here. But with game play mechanics that faulter more than they work, and a final third of the game that drags on far too long, it’s hard to recommend Aphelion to anyone other than the die hard Don’t Nod fans.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake indicates that there is still a lot of potential in the series’ unique flavour of occult paranormal J-horror. Unfortunately, this experience is marred by tedious combat encounters, inconsistent pacing, and technical issues that keep it from reaching the heights of its modern horror remake contemporaries.

Perfect for a single afternoon of gaming, or even a daily commute, Echo Isle is a short, nostalgic experience that looks and feels like the titles it is clearly inspired by, but ultimately offers little more. Aside from the deliberate time/size limitations, Echo Isle doesn’t iterate on what came before, making it difficult to even call it an homage. Charming, polished, and very familiar, I enjoyed my single hour playing Echo Isle, but I wish I had seen some new ideas brought to this little world.

Though I admit, the fatigue is really starting to set in and it might be time for a temporary break. Additions like painting or creating images with stamps aren’t going to entertain anyone for more than a few minutes. Cats & Seek: Tokyo is worth your time for a snack size hidden object game, and if you like the cats, there’s more here for you.

The Wilds of Dacrima is a fun and good humoured puzzling platformer. It embraces its potion ’em up exploration well with smart design choices and satisfying gameplay. For Antler Studios’ debut game, it is an impressive feat, one that is slightly marred by some bugs, and finicky controls. Perhaps a little longer over the bunsen burner was needed.

Outbound is a game that, if given enough time, could be good in the future. It has a wonderful world that can be filled with things and people to interact with. A wonderful building system that can be improved with better delivery of blueprints. And a road-trip experience that can be improved with sound. Unfortunately, much like its world, right now it’s a game with a shallow gameplay loop that is difficult to stay interested in. Maybe it’s more fun with friends?

Much like Aeta

Should Clue: Murder By Death ever add in some quality of life basics, even just labeling the rooms, or allowing you add markers, this could be a wonderful mystery. For now, unfortunately, it's one where it feels fine to leave quite a few stones unturned.

While I admire what Daisuke Ishiwatari and his team set out to achieve with DAMON and BABY, the resulting work is weighed down heavily by poorly designed levels and unsatisfying combat. There are fleeting moments of charm to be found within its story and cute art style, but they are just as quickly diminished by a myriad of mechanics that fail to cohesively coalesce.

I can confidently say that while I did to a certain extent enjoy my time with Whisker Wanderlust: Unwritten Chapter, the amount of flaws that were present ultimately won out. Between the minimal gameplay time, the audio issues, and what I see as accessibility issues, I really cannot recommend this title, outside of those who are really into these types of games.

It’s a campy, playable game. A game one can enjoy in a several sittings, when you have disposable time and money to spend. And perhaps a much lower price point.

Visually satisfying and a very cosy soundtrack mask the frustrations I had with the fundamental gameplay of Find My Frogs. The frogs themselves were fun to find, but the secret items would have been bordering impossible had it not been for the infinite hint tool.

As a seasoned connoisseur of cat hunting games, it is the smaller titles like Cats Around Us: Giant that are starting to wilt my interest the genre. It would be too far to say this is a cash-grab for fans who lap up any and all of these games, particularly for easy trophies / achievements, though this game adds nothing. I would rather the developers of the games spend more time releasing more polished titles with interesting settings such as anime inspired Hidden Cats in Tokyo or the colour-rich Rio de Janeiro, perhaps on a less frequent cadence.