Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is the product of a small team trying to do too much and, ultimately, falling flat. It pains me to say it, because I saw the potential in Shiness way back when it was a fledgling Kickstarter upstart, but this is one of the worst gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time and I cannot recommend it to anyone that likes fun.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy feels like a mixed bag. While there’s the promise of a fun adventure in the Marvel universe with a likable group of characters, it’s hampered by the same problems of nearly every Telltale game in the last few years, plus a few new ones. It’s not terrible, but I’d wait to see what the other episodes look like before picking it up.

Interkosmos is a short virtual reality experience which places you in the hot seat of a space capsule returning to Earth during the Cold War. Combining an incredibly high pressure situation with a great deal of humor, Ovid Works has crafted a truly unique, narrative-driven experience. While the game is only around 30 minutes long, it has branching storylines, two successful endings, and makes death incredibly fun with a whole host of ways for you to perish. It’s highly interactive, it makes incredibly satisfying clicky noises when pressing buttons and flipping switches, and it’s over the top, colorful, retro graphics make it a unique and fun experience. Climb into the Interkosmos cockpit, make history, and show the world that Major Tom has nothing on you.

Majotori has some very good ideas with how to handle a unique trivia game, but unfortunately botches them in execution. While it’s good for a playthrough or two, in the end you’ll feel a bit disappointed at the whole affair.

There’s absolutely nothing new to push Virtual Reality and roomspace VR forward in Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality, and it is painfully short with little replay value. Those indictments aside, it’s a must-have for anyone who enjoys the dark humor of the show. Perhaps we can Get Schwifty with another run at VR with a longer run time and harder puzzles in the future.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe plays exceptionally well and its pick-up-and-play nature feels right at home on Nintendo Switch. There may not be any game-changing additions, but new items and characters, as well as an insanely fun Battle mode, help round out an already-impressive package.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a perfect blend of both Puyo Puyo and Tetris and gives us our first Puyo Puyo game in over ten years and while some of its modes aren’t as thrilling, the new modes offer an exciting new take on the competitive puzzle genre.

Though the graphics and soundtrack showcase the superb effort to update the original game for hardcore series fans, frustrating gameplay mechanics and archaic design keep Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap from rising above anything but average.

Bye-Bye Box Boy! is a fitting farewell to a beloved sleeper hit. Its minimalist charm and some great puzzle mechanics grant a feeling of excitement for which all puzzle games should strive. I would love to see Qbby star on the Switch, but until then, this game marks the end of an amazing series.

Out of the Park Baseball 18 is just another fantastic entrant into the game’s series and is perhaps the best-received new release in years. Clean, sleek, accurate, and easy to learn and navigate, OOTP 18 gives players ultimate control over their team, in any form, year, or league they choose. The inclusion of new leagues, new features, and the all-new Challenge Mode enhances a game I already consider the capstone of the genre. A must-own for any sport simulation fans.

Night in the Woods is a fantastic narrative with a beautiful artstyle, theme and plenty of small touches occupying a wonderful world full of loving characters covering a sinister story underneath.

Beat Cop is meant to be a tribute to cop shows from the 1980s, complete with snarky dialogue and questionable characters. When it comes down to it, however, it’s a stressful sim that’s heavy on time management and largely unforgiving. There are multiple endings you could discover, but after several hours with the game it’s hard to muster the patience for even one.

Persona 5 brings to light modern issues in a powerful, symbolic story of youthful rebellion. Outfitted with a stylish aesthetic and complex systems, it confidently pulls off moments of grandeur and intimate moments of character growth to create a remarkable experience.

MLB The Show 17 is another solid entry into an increasingly solid franchise. It slips a bit with the new additions like a tweaked Road to the Show and Critical Situations, but it succeeds in a silly, wholly enjoyable retro mode. But even with the negatives, the MLB The Show series is enjoyable enough to mask those bumps and bruises. MLB The Show 17 is another bullet-point in a historically successful sports franchise.

Miko Mole is a disaster. Someone would have to pay me to play it again. Antiquated graphics, annoying sound effects, forgettable soundtrack, poor level design, iffy controls, and a complete lack of story make this not a last hurrah for the Wii U but rather a dying gasp.

Graceful Explosion Machine is the perfect arcade style shooter, and one of the best Switch games available right now. Its fluid, addictive gameplay and flashy yet minimal visuals pair well with a variety of challenging enemies, and it’s great for sessions lasting for a few minutes or a couple hours.

Thimbleweed Park is a game that was created with a specific audience in mind, and that audience is adults who grew up on classic LucasArts adventure games. If you’re part of that audience, you owe it to yourself to check it out. If you aren’t, there really isn’t much for you here.

LEGO City Undercover, like many games exclusive to the Wii U, is an undiscovered gem. I’m happy Warner Bros. and TT Fusion decided to update it for a new audience. The story is laugh-out-loud funny, full of witty one-liners and fantastic movie references for kids and adults (“Compupers!”). While the co-op feels very tacked-on, and the loading requires a bit of patience, it’s a worthy addition to the LEGO universe.

Yooka-Laylee is a fun platformer, despite some technical issues and outdated mechanics. If platforming wasn’t your thing in the ‘90s, there’s little here to change your mind now, but fans of the genre – and the Kickstarter backers that brought it back to life – can rest assured that they’re getting exactly what they wanted.

As unmemorable as it was disappointing, Vikings—Wolves of Midgard misses the mark. With a flat story, uninteresting combat made worse by the game’s annoying exposure system, and a boring environment to boot, this title doesn’t compare to its many well-liked peers within the ARPG genre.

Narcosis is a survival horror game that provides so much more than a few gimmicky jump-scares. This is a beautifully written, immersive psychological thriller which tells a compelling, tragic story, demands observation, planning and problem solving, and yes, also throws a few shriek-worthy jump-scares into the mix. It leaves you questioning reality and explores just what a person and the human mind can handle when pushed to the limit. Solid voice acting and narration makes this an incredibly personal story, and while it’s not entirely free of motion sickness, being aware of where your head and body are can help you avoid the worst of it. Odds are, you’ll be so full of adrenaline that you probably won’t fully register the motion sickness until you take off the headgear. Narcosis is a shining example of a virtual reality psychological thriller done right, and a is must play for any horror junkie.

Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition brings an incredible list of improvements to one of the most enduring and unique RPGs ever written. Simply put, Planescape: Torment is not like anything that came before it or since, and this Enhanced Edition has updated it nicely.

It is still as unique and hilarious as ever, and with the improvements to its visuals, Bulletstorm now has some beauty to go with its blood.

Snake Pass is a weird, wacky, and wonderful platformer with rewarding controls and great atmosphere. While there are a few minor issues holding it back, the game is a great throwback to the 3D platformers of the 90s, and a great indie title for the Switch.

The Franz Kafka Videogame is a unique adventure game experience, filled with unique art style and accessible puzzles. However, a baffling story that goes nowhere and a dreadfully short length make the game simply adequate rather than surreal.

It’s nice to know that one of the biggest complaints with the previous two episodes has been addressed: “Above the Law” is significantly longer than the earlier installments. Also, for those wondering about Clem, she gets plenty of screentime here, especially in the latter half, and we get a few more hints as to what happened to her between seasons. While her flashback scene is as short as ever, I have a feeling that, given this episode’s ending, we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in the near future.

The first simulation title for the Switch, New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers is a mixed effort with a barnyard full of blusters. It’s a decently priced romp at $9.99, but its lack of customization and odd control scheme may turn off those who want a quality farming game.

Fated: the Silent Oath didn’t allow me to become the Viking that I dreamed of being, but there is a decent experience mixed in with the game’s poor gameplay elements and innovative controls. While I might have been able to feel a connection with the characters, the constant lack of immersion dampened what could have a been much more satisfying game.