In the end, The War Within is the expansion that WoW needed. It finally feels like Blizzard is starting to listen to their players. If you used to be a player and enjoyed the first expansions, I recommend giving this latest addition a try. After years of lacklustre content, I’m overjoyed that what was once one of my favorite games has been returned to a state where playing is fun again.

Charming, comedic, and uplifting. The Plucky Squire tells a fantastic hero's journey that works as both an excellent game and a picture book.

Frostpunk 2 is a worthy successor to the original Frostpunk in every single way. It keeps the systems that made the original great while further expanding on the concept by including new governance mechanics that make the game feel fresh and new. It's a must-play for existing Frostpunk fans and a good entry point into the series for newcomers to the franchise.

All in all, if you love games like Goat Simulator, you’ll certainly have fun with Squirrel With a Gun, although the game does not surpass the legendary series.

Space Marine 2 is the ultimate Warhammer 40K experience. It perfectly captures the essence of 40K and transfers it into the action-adventure format. Its three game modes offer countless hours of gameplay and tons of customization options to look forward to. For Warhammer fans, this game is a must-play, and a perfect entry point for those uninitiated into the lore of 40K.

Overall, The Casting Of Frank Stone is thrilling and engaging as a Dead By Daylight player and as a narrative adventure gamer. The gameplay mechanics are simplistic, but that was to be expected with a narrative game such as this. My only gripe is the lack of a ‘skip scene’ feature when replaying certain chapters. If I could skip every scene where Stan is speaking, I would. The Cutting Room feature makes up for a lot of any small annoyances. though. Any missed Trinkets or Relliks can be uncovered later and there are so many more paths to unlock. I look forward to discovering what other horrors await the film crew in The Casting Of Frank Stone.

If you're searching for a new gaming experience emphasizing teamwork and offering innovative game mechanics, highly responsive controls, and outstanding sound design, then Concord is the perfect choice for you. Despite encountering some negative feedback, Concord stands out as an excellent option for replacing other games, including hero shooters, extraction shooters, and battle royales. Additionally, Concord offers a refreshing change by steering clear of overly aggressive microtransactions.

Cat Quest 3 is a simple but exciting action RPG that forgoes the typical epic scale of the genre to focus on short, unique challenges. But while it’s certainly great for short play sessions, its length (about 10 hours), fun recurring characters, and satisfying player progression make it worthwhile beyond those sprouts of action.

SteamWorld Heist 2 is a superb sequel to the first game, building on its merits and offering a thrilling maritime adventure. For aficionados of the genre, the game offers a distinctive and entertaining experience with its intriguing plot, gorgeous art style, and captivating turn-based combat. I was drawn back for more because of the deeper and more varied gameplay offered by the extended crew and highly imaginative environments. For me, SteamWorld Heist 2 isn't an absolute must-play, but if you love pirate stories or tactical strategy games in general, then you'll definitely love this game.

Playing Dungeons of Hinterberg is a fun experience and a nice break from games with darker themes. The artwork, too, adds levity to the feeling of the game. Luisa is a relatable character, too. She went into a career and lived the way she thought was right, but it led to her realizing that she doesn’t actually enjoy how her life turned out, and she decides that slaying monsters is the break she needs to fight off her burnout. All-in-all, I think this is a game worth trying if you enjoy a mix of dungeon diving, action, and social simulation.

It was incredibly difficult to give this game a score. Especially since FFXIV is among my all-time favorite games. The slow first half can’t be ignored as a downside, but the second half does a lot of work towards making up for most of it. The overall result is an expansion that successfully sets up the next 10 years of adventuring. It has some flaws, but it’s still a fun experience and has its own charm. I look forward to seeing where the MSQ goes in patch content leading to the next expansion. If you’re uncertain about this expansion after Endwalker, then I recommend giving it a chance anyway. There’s plenty to enjoy in FFXIV: Dawntrail.

Riven (2024) confidently reimagines the beloved 1997 point-and-click puzzle game, which both long-time Myst franchise fans and newcomers seeking a challenging yet rewarding experience will love.

If you love narrative adventures, coming-of-age stories, or you simply have a special place in your heart for the complexities of adolescence, Until Then is a game absolutely worth playing. While it might not be the most innovative game of 2024, it’s still one of the most narratively compelling, visually striking, and heart-achingly true to life. Even as the world of Until Then twists and breaks down, it never loses sight of the real, human core of its story or the characters that make its world so worth visiting.

Tavern Talk makes you a side character in a fantasy adventure, and that's surprisingly fun!

All that is to say that if you like Elden Ring even a little bit, even after hundreds of hours or a single playthrough, you should get Shadow of the Erdtree. It takes everything that worked about the main game, improves it, and addresses some of the main complaints players had. It’s still very much more Elden Ring, but also the best version of Elden Ring, free of much of the bloat massive open worlds require, reimagined as a focused experience with a distinct narrative throughline and plenty of smaller but no less important side stories worth enjoying. Shadow of the Erdtree is the complete package, bigger and better built than most full games, and the only way to end the story of Elden Ring is on the highest note imaginable.

Nine Sols is a masterfully crafted 2D Sekiro-like Metroidvania that explores a lore-rich Taoism fantasy setting through science fiction elements.

Survival: Fountain of Youth offers a blend of history and survival that makes for an impactful and challenging experience.

Fabledom provides hours of entertainment, but it suffers from the usual drawbacks of a city builder, such as the slow pace and drop in difficulty when you reach a stable point. Adding romance was an interesting choice, but I feel that aspect is held back by the design of city builders in general. That being said, I had fun running my city in the background and coming back to see how much progress was made. Given its design and visuals, Fabledom would be an amazing mobile game.

Little Kitty, Big City is a casual adventure and exploration game done right. Double Dagger’s love for its four-legged protagonist is evident throughout, blending classic platforming elements with an engrossing open world filled to the brim with colorful characters, quests to solve, and items to collect. To that end, the studio’s multi-platform project is bound to keep players charmed and entertained, if only for an afternoon gaming session.

Stunlock Studios has created a smash hit in V Rising. Not only is it a solid survival game, but it introduces creative mechanics to the genre that often depends on tried and true practices. The narrative is primed with areas the dev team can expand into, which I’m really looking forward to.

A refreshing, light-hearted underwater Soulslike adventure with unique combat mechanics centered around different hermit crab shell abilities.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is an impressively built Metroidvania game that weaves enjoyable gameplay and deep emotional storytelling.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has the nostalgic feel of a '90s JRPG but revitalizes the genre with lovable characters and epic strategy sequences.

Rusty’s Retirement was promised as a relaxing, idle farming sim that allows you to do other things simultaneously, and it proves to be all that. Despite being a straightforward game of steady progression and expansion, it’s an addicting process with satisfying results. As a gamer who multitasks quite often, I enjoyed every aspect of this little game and recommend it to anyone who likes to stay extra busy while completing other tasks.

All in all, I love all that Spirit City: Lofi Sessions represents. It gives you a quiet, aesthetic space to stay focused on your work and track your goals and feelings. I appreciated the interactive twist on productivity tools by giving you options for personalization and a challenge to collect all the Spirits. My only downside is — I want more. More background options, more soundscapes to choose from, and more activities to do with the Spirits. If the developers add more content like this, I think Spirit City: Lofi Sessions could be a 10/10 experience that I would use on a daily basis. Either way, I would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a cozy productivity tool, Lofi music hub, and collection game all in one.

Overall, I found South Park: Snow Day to be an entertaining story with a fun twist on the usual D&D meets dungeon crawler experience. Not to mention, it’s a great option to play with friends. The gameplay was smooth and challenging all the way through, allowing me to change my style by trying different weapons and powers. With all its great features, it becomes instantly replayable. If you’re a South Park fan, it’s a must to try!

I loved Midnight Ghost Hunt, which isn’t surprising because I also liked Prop Hunt a lot in the past. As it is, MGH is a game that’s worth trying out, especially if you’re playing with friends. Since it’s a one-time purchase, I don’t have any issues with playing it, then taking a break and coming back when new content is added. A fair bit of content and patches were added during Early Access, so I expect Midnight Ghost Hunt to continue evolving and improving moving forward.

A sequel done right in the truest sense, improving on everything from epic monster hunting to slaying mechanics while delivering a vast fantasy world.