Card Shark has a few things going for it, not the least of which is unique gameplay. I've never played anything like this. The watercolor style looks great. But the story feels like an afterthought; it never felt important or drove the actual game anywhere. The card playing part of Card Shark is nonexistent, instead focusing on the tricks you are trying to pull. While the tricking is fun, there is a lot to remember, and some of the tricks feel silly to perform. This might not be Devolver Digital’s biggest game to date, but it does have that feel that most Devolver Digital games give off - a unique game with a unique look and feel. Card Shark doesn’t fit into a genre, which is something to admire.

Barn Finders is a surprisingly good time for a game as janky and weird as it is. Exploring spaces for weird treasure is a lot of fun, selling it back at your shop maybe less so. While the game does little to explain itself, its sense of humor carries it further than it might deserve. Go in expecting to struggle a bit with controls and menus, and you’ll be rewarded with a unique experience unlike any other in VR.

There isn’t much that sets Souldiers apart from other Metroidvanias. A big map to explore, secrets to discover, and plenty of upgrades. But limiting players to one of three unique classes does not make me want to play Souldiers all over again a second, let alone, third time. Dying is a struggle, and loading back in after a minute to die all over again is not rewarding. Puzzles that frustrated me to no end were common enough to keep me away. Souldiers will only appeal to those who are gluttons for punishment with little reward.

This War of Mine is a triumph of organic storytelling. It can be frustrating to get started and there is much about the game and how it operates that is not introduced well, but make it past that first hurdle and there is a compelling and emotional investment that pays large dividends. Spend a bit of time reading a play guide or two before you get started, because there are no spoilers to accidentally trip over. The narrative you will eventually craft will be one by your own choices made in the game against the desperate circumstances that force them. If you've never experienced this game there is not a better time than right now.

Wildcat Gun Machine is an interesting take on roguelike and bullet hell games, but the roguelike aspects feel a bit lacking, especially the story. The game looks and sounds great, but a lot of the time I kind of felt like I was just going room to room, fighting enemies, and then going back to the checkpoint, which mitigates a bit of the challenge. Still, Wildcat Gun Machine is enjoyable, but if you’re specifically looking for a roguelike game to keep you busy, you might find things a bit lacking here.

Good puzzle games make you see the pathways in your mind before they show up in the game. Mini Motorways does this, and does it well. At its heart, Mini Motorways is about failure. Or your attempt to push failure back as long as possible, just like my parents' marriage. Eventually your city will collapse under its own pressure. But if you need a half hour to kill Mini Motorways is a great choice.

Riftbound is a total nailbiter of a game. Barrel Smash Studios takes the Plants Vs. Zombies model and elevates it to something that requires speed, strategy, and precision at its highest levels, ultimately showing what heights this neglected genre can achieve. Show up for the casual fun, stay for the hardcore gameplay and irresistible addiction.

Salt and Sacrifice to Salt and Sanctuary is like Dark Souls 2 to Dark Souls 1. It diverges a lot from the original, with some ideas that work well and some that don't. All in all, it's still an excellent 2-D Souls-like Metroidvania that brilliantly infuses Monster Hunter elements with challenging combat. Despite some poor design choices and questionable difficulty spikes, it's still astonishing to think this game was created by a team of just two people.

Evil Dead: The Game brings a lot to the table within the realm of asymmetrical multiplayer horror experiences, with its cast of iconic characters, locations, and dialogue. It is an absolute blast to play as Ash Williams - voiced by Bruce Campbell himself - against the Forces of Darkness. There's even a solo mission mode that pays homage to famous scenes from the movies and tv series. Unfortunately, there's a slight lack of content due to repetitive objectives, and many quality of life concerns that the developers need to address if they want to prolong the longevity of their passion project.

I had a lot of high expectations for Dolmen, considering the premise and gameplay genre. Unfortunately, it botches just about every aspect of being a Souls-like game. There were many concerns that I could look past in the demo, but are inexcusable in a full release. Not only are the technical mechanics poorly implemented with inaccurate hitbox detection and animations, the artificial difficulty and long spans of nothingness make the game frustrating for all the wrong reasons.

Eternal Threads is a narrative driven, time manipulation game that ends up being nothing more than a walking simulator and cutscene watcher. If you're into making some binary decisions to alter some future events on the timeline, then I recommend checking out the demo first. This game is much better watched, because it's just not fun to play.

While the visuals and voice acting didn’t sell me, there was plenty else to sink my fangs into. Choices. So many different, split second choices that made me feel that what I did mattered. A story that kept me searching out clues to find what was really afoot, and great RPG elements too. I was a bit unsure how a game would handle three main characters, and while they’re all kinda jerks in their own ways, they’re my jerks. I was able to overlook any issues I had without having to sacrifice much to do so.

I really enjoyed Dungeons of Dreadrock, because it's a game that knows exactly the experience it is trying to deliver and does so expertly. There are 100 levels of puzzles, all unique, with mechanics and solutions that ramp as your character progresses deeper and deeper into the mountain, while delivering on a cute storyline with clever 32-bit animation. There is an action element, but that is mostly a timing component to drive the mental aspect of solving the puzzles. It's hard to put down, but each level gives ample opportunity to do just that, so you can binge through as many as you like, then leave it to pick right back up again easily enough. The only drawback is once you're traversed all 100 levels, your time is done - but it was time well spent.

Trek To Yomi is graphically and audibly amazing. The story is rich and full with a lot of history. If you want to sink a few hours into a beat-em-up with a lot of depth and lots to do, you should definitely play this. I hope you choose the right path for you on your Trek to Yomi, but you definitely shouldn't pass up this amazing experience.

Eiyuden Chronicle is a quick and frothy good time - exactly the introduction to the Eiyuden universe that was needed to get players excited for the next game. Cool, lighting-fast combat, fun characters, and non-stop progression all combine to make this a title worth exploring. Consider my appetite for more from this universe to be fully engaged.

RiffTrax: The Game almost entirely relies on the quick wit of the people playing it; play with a bunch of duds and you will have a dire evening. But if you have funny friends, you can have a pretty decent time playing the "Write a Riff" mode for a few rounds. Just stay far away from the "Pick a Riff" mode, and understand that the appeal here is very limited to those that enjoy this form of entertainment already.

Loot River has a lot of good features. Controls, artwork, music are all very nice. The combat, while not bad, does nothing to move the genre forward. The unique Tetris-like platform moving is enjoyable, but nowhere near the complexity or difficulty of Tetris. I can see the potential for a great experience, but it just isn’t quite there. Occasional difficulty spikes that knock me for a loop and put me out of the mood to make another run leaves Loot River as a good, not great, game.

I’m not sure what I thought I was going to get with Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition. I thought I would be swept away in the story and taken on an adventure I wouldn’t forget. What I got was a game that feels like it is trapped in 1995. Some of that is good, solid combat, old-school CG cutscenes, excellent music. If you are new to Chrono Cross this edition is the one you want. It is beyond welcoming to new players. But there was too much holding the game back for me to make it a great game. A cast list so massive I felt bothered by it, and a story that is a bit bonkers was too much for me. Chrono Cross had to crawl so modern JRPGs could run, but it doesn’t fit in with JRPGs of today.

The Last Friend is going to keep you busy. You'll say "aww" a LOT, because the dogs are so cute. If you have an itch for a fantastic tower defense game, and a beat 'em up, rolled into one cool adventure, this is the game for you. At 14.99, you don't have much to lose. It gets a little "ruff" at times, but not enough to turn it off. Well worth it.

White Shadows tackles heavy themes with some wonderful storytelling. The gameplay itself is competent, and there is enough variety level to level to make the experience fresh throughout. Through stark visuals and a well placed soundtrack it presents its tale artfully, but unfortunately runs its course in only a few hours. It's hard to squeeze a great deal of game from the experience, but what is there is splendid.

Counterplay Games did a commendable job enhancing, tweaking, and extending Godfall into one complete package. The core issues are still there though, with poorly implemented combat, boring narrative, and endless grind. But for the amount of content you are getting at a finally reasonable price-point, it's worth a try for those that are into the looter genre. At least it's pretty.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed can take you back to 2008, with all the good and mediocrity that comes with it. Do you need to play this if you like Star Wars? I think so. It’s a story that feels right at home with the original trilogy, some plot is good, some goofy, it’s certainly Star Wars. Some shortcomings like basic level design, targeting, and boss mini games. But using your force lightning to attack clone troops is satisfying. Not a perfect game, but darn near close to a perfect Star Wars game.

Atari shows you how to mix a colorful, laid back vibe with an intense challenge. This gem takes everything you know about puzzles, and platformers, and throws it in the compactor, or should we say, the Kombiner. Win if you must, fail because you will. To quote an old video game show host, "Good Luck! You'll need it".

No Place Like Home offers a unique take of the farm simulation genre by placing you on a near desolate Earth. Unfortunately it is also void of memorable NPCs and contains little story to sink into. While the addition of a sci-fi element is welcome, the overall gameplay feels like it came from a farm sim made fifteen years ago. There is plenty to enjoy, especially if you want to stick to farming and cleaning up. But since No Place Like Home feels like it is missing modern mechanics that have become mainstays in the genre I’m not sure it’s for everyone.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is impressive in every sense. From the tight, scripted story gameplay to the sprawling open world, every piece of this game feels lovingly crafted. While the Switch version feels a bit dated, that’s not the fault of the developer, which squeezed an impressive performance from Nintendo’s handheld. This is a game with enough fresh content to keep players coming back for years to come.

Bush League Hockey got just about everything right except for the actual Hockey part, which is a shame because this is a charming arcade-style game but it's not something that I can see a lot of people wanting to play over long periods of time.

Weird West is a fun not-quite-RPG that feels like the beginning of a great new franchise. Perfectly enjoyable to play, this first iteration lays a lot of groundwork towards what will likely become an ongoing series. Darkly funny and surprising, each character's story arc is unique and rewarding. While a system of branching choices impacting the game's story feels like a natural evolution from what is here, what is presented is very enjoyable. Weird West creates a universe I don't want to leave. When it was over, I just wanted more - which is the biggest hurdle a new franchise can overcome.

I am at a loss for words when it comes to Rune Factory 5. I had a lot of fun, but it comes at a price. In order to truly enjoy the game I have to get over the horrible optimization. It’s not game breaking, but frustrating doesn’t begin to cover it. The RPG mechanics are fun, so is the farming. While not the update to the series I was hoping for, there is still fun to be had for the die hard fans who simply have to play it. Everyone else might want to enter with care.