Devil’s Dare is a dedicated return to arcade beat ‘em ups of ages past full of familiar-feeling characters, opponents and music. It provides difficult and skill-based combat and a constant stream of challenging encounters that will prevent you from losing interest.

Yes, Petz Beach is a game that Dateline could use to lure prospective predators. And yes, it looks like its been dipped in a vat of acid. But for all its faults, Petz Beach offers some of the same relaxing screen-tapping you’d find in Animal Crossing or Disney Magical World.

Unfortunately, Defenders of Time isn’t the fresh breath of air the tower defense genre needed, instead washing into the ocean of its never-ending entries.

As long as you come in with the expectation of a short, non-linear storytelling experience then you won’t be let down by The Moon Sliver. It’s a bit creepy, sad and ultimately quite compelling.

Its inspirations are pure, and give birth to some solid if all-too-familiar mechanics, but it’s ultimately a disappointing adventure that squanders source material that remains begging for a true video game adaptation.

This isn’t just an expansion, it’s a revolution.

An extra layer of polish and a difficulty level above extra-easy would have been nice, but Flyhunter Origins just barely manages to rise above its problems and become a charming, creative treat of platforming action.

Ultraworld is a seriously distinctive game that deserves credit for its beautiful, if sometimes bizarre, world design. The story’s delivery also happens to be quite unique and offers a few cool twists before completion. It’s a shame, then, that there have to be technical startup issues with the Steam release.

The best word to describe Fork Parker’s Holiday Profit Hike is “finicky.” Collision detection is imprecise and inconsistent, and the controls feel overly slippery, even for a game largely about running around on ice.

It has an interesting premise, but it’s let down by padded, disjointed plotting and awful character writing.

Others might be mad knowing they’ve missed out on some scenes due to Steam’s restrictions on adult content. Still, NEKOPARA is a light and fluffy visual novel that fans of catgirls will enjoy their time with.

Still, the cost isn’t that bad when you consider Nameless ~The one thing you must recall~ is in the top tier of English-released otome games out there today.

Subdued visuals, a mysterious storyline with strange characters and nearly ten endings make Train of Afterlife a commendable visual novel effort.

Sakura Angels is short, seemingly robbed of an exciting ending, and tries to stifle its positive strides with copious CGs.

Forward to the Sky may have wanted to reach for the skies, but it needed to dig out of the ground first.

HuniePop is pornography – darn fine pornography at that – but it’s also a shockingly good puzzle game. Occasionally those two identities feel at odds with each other, but for the most part they work in concert to show you a good time.

At the moment, the Steam release of Goats on a Bridge simply isn’t ready for prime time.

So in essence, if the still free SanctuaryRPG: Classic satisfied you, then chances are that the new content won’t give you that urgency to purchase SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition any time soon. But if you’re a purist who really delved into the intricacies of SanctuaryRPG: Classic and would have loved more, then it’s worthwhile to fork over a few dollars for improvements that you’re likely to appreciate in SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition.

If you can take the heat of its difficulty, Isbarah is a unique twist on bullet hell shooters, one that turns repeated defeat into a captivating and surprisingly fun experience.

The game provides a brief, enjoyable taste of something that deserved to be fleshed out further rather than cut short.

Lovers of the hidden object realm might be disappointed by a lack of sequences, but in either case, Mystery of Neuschwanstein offers about 3 hours of gameplay with its unique historically-tinged tale and setting.

And that’s kind of the story of Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball in a nutshell: it’s easily one of the best, most fun, well-crafted multiplayer games available right now, making it all the more impressive that it was designed entirely by one person, but no one is playing it.

Its cel-shaded, low-poly art style is perfectly suited to bringing its lovable cast of characters to life and painting a cute yet macabre world reminiscent of Caroline and Okage: Shadow King. Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure will make you grin like you’re a kid again from beginning to end.

Littlewitch Romanesque is a gorgeous, enthralling visual novel. Not only is the magical storyline interesting but the cast of distinct characters really bring the world to life. This is counterbalanced by a surprisingly addictive gameplay system which pairs luck with strategy in order to take on tons of quests.

Cosmochoria is a fun, clever, adorable game that’s bursting with humor and personality, plenty of fast shooting action and enough secrets and extras to keep you playing long after your first encounter with the final boss.

If you do opt for the Steam release you get extra commentary from Kitty Powers herself. In any case, Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker provides a solid casual title for those looking to play cupid.

Will Fight For Food is a charming mix of an RPG, a point and click adventure and a belt-scrolling brawler.

Sky Force Anniversary does a fantastic job of bringing what had already been a good shooter to the PC, and it’s great to see it become the fully-featured game it always had the potential to be.

The Reject Demon: Toko Chapter 0 – Prelude is an excellent start for an episodic visual novel series. It sets up an intriguing, unique storyline and fills it with engaging characters.

Love at First Sight subverts expectations with its genuine tale of high school friendship and romance.

While Pixel Star has its issues, it also has a fantastic feeling of playability. The ship is a zippy little thing, capable of fast and nimble maneuvers but also flailing into trouble if you aren’t careful of controlling its speed.

Mostly, this is a purchase for those who are willing to show their support for doujin creators. Tobari and the Night of the Curious Moon is a mouthful of a title that isn’t as magical as desired.

The release of Sakura Fantasy Chapter 1 feels a bit exploitative, however, in that it costs the same amount as previous titles while offering much less from a length standpoint.

Kung Fury: Street Rage doesn’t do much, but what it does is done well.

The combination of a horribly slow pace and a lack of any true puzzle difficulty makes the entire three-hour campaign feel like one massive fetch quest, only there isn’t a grand payoff once said quest is complete.

ROGUS – Kingdom of Lost Souls teases with grandeur promise, but devolves into a barebones running action platformer as lacking in gameplay variety as it is in visual and presentation variety.

How to Take Off Your Mask provides a mostly sweet storytelling experience with its diverse, engaging cast.

Ame no Marginal -Rain Marginal- tells an interesting story in a short period of time. There’s not really a reason to replay the title either, unless you find yourself so moved by what it has to offer.

Coffin Dodgers is a heavily flawed game that winds up being ever-so-slightly greater than the sum of its parts.

Common Sense is a great buy and a great reason for another playthrough — or three — to enjoy these new mechanics and unique country/religion flavors.

At the end of the day, SlashDash doesn’t go beyond being just a neat little idea that’s fun for a couple of sittings.

Episode.02 improves on Episode.01 in basically every way possible. It reunites us with characters who have grown over the past four years into truly intriguing protagonists, rather than one dimensional annoyances.

If you’re looking for a shorter RPG and don’t care particularly about the storyline then Machina of the Planet Tree -Planet Ruler- will serve up some enjoyable gameplay, if little else, for seven to ten hours.

Visual novel fans should experience it, while those not typically into the genre may also be able to appreciate the somber experience thanks to its brief, well-written and visually stunning nature.

If you are a devoted fan of Nekopara Vol. 1 then there’s little reason not to buy Nekopara Vol. 0. Not only is it far cheaper at the price of $2.99, but it also gives you nearly an hour more with a cast of colorful cat girls. Those brand new to the Nekopara world, or folks who only found the previous game to be okay, shouldn’t bother.

Gathering Sky is exactly what it wants to be — a lovely journey in the skies of a sprawling world, guiding a flock of birds through passages and over wind currents to their eventual resting place.

Void Invaders is a fun little snack of a shooter, quick and pleasant and sugary, but you’ll be hungry for more than it has to offer fairly quickly.

Billy Murray would agree that Garfield belongs stuck on a car window, not behind the steering wheel.

fault milestone two side:above teases fans with a taste of what’s to come but in the end doesn’t provide enough for long-term satisfaction.

Sakura Swim Club is a visual novel for people who don’t really care about visual novels.

Eschatos merges the classic vertical shooter with a modern style of action while avoiding bullet hell, making for a fast, accessible and incredibly fun dose of pure arcade goodness.

This game really is only for the most patient, be that because death is frequent and sometimes unfair or because grinding is the path to victory, Evil Hazard is only for players with a tolerance (or love) of titles that are complete jerks.

Death Ray Manta is pure ’80s arcade, but the way we’d like to remember it rather than how it actually was.

The biggest determinant of whether you will enjoy A Kiss For The Petals – Remembering How We Met or not is if you are a fan of cute, vignette-style storytelling.

Orion packs a strong, unique narrative into a small span of time. It also brings with it a fair bit of polish, though not enough to immediately stand out against some of its more known contemporaries. Even so, for the first release from Cylight Studios, it’s a striking effort.

At the moment of this writing, There Was A Caveman can be recommended for fans of nostalgia laden platformers, but there are some major caveats.

DeltaZeal deserved better than to be lost in shooter history, and is an easy recommendation for anyone who’s ever enjoyed flying up the screen maxed out on firepower but only a single bullet away from death.

While this could have resulted in a confusing gaggle of goofiness, Eternal Step is a worthy experience.

This is a port of a mobile game that came to fruition via crowdfunding; one with a Google Play page that is loaded with accolades. It is at this point where the final piece of evidence must be introduced: the overuse of tired memes.

This is one of the top visual novel releases on Steam this year, and an excellent horror experience in general.

It’s a long and dangerous road out of the realms between worlds, but with enough shooting and a nice selection of helpful new internal organs, you might just get strong enough to escape.

Hypserspace Invaders II: Pixel Edition fuses an intense arcade shooter with eye-searing effects laid over chunky-pixel art, perfectly fused with its fantastic electronic soundtrack, as much a music album as a shooter and with both parts making each other all the better by contrast.

The Men of Yoshiwara: Kikuya may be worth a purchase on Steam for those who haven’t played it, but there are definite issues with the release. The biggest of these is the iffy translation and editing work done to the text, harming its ability to entertain.

Those looking for an engaging story to keep them reading for hours on end will want to pick up The Devil on G-String.

Dragon Fin Soup is a great game trapped in a terrible game’s code.

Pitting the player’s wit against a changing set of circumstances is a fun and exhilarating experience on paper, but ROOT makes too many wrong decisions in executing this mechanic that it’s hard not to see the majority of its level-by-level progression as anything but malnourished of some much-needed player-support.

Thanks to these problems, a visually charming and potentially enjoyable — if thoroughly unoriginal — tower defense game becomes much harder to recommend. Of course, grinding to earn upgrade points is always an option, but the levels aren’t that charming.

Prominence hearkens back to the glory days of first-person point and click adventure games. Its intriguing story will keep you digging through terminals to find out more. Not only does it look like a classic game, but it plays like one too. It’s a nice modern addition to our libraries full of old favorites.

As far as thrillers are concerned, few video games make it anywhere near the skillful story weaving present within the Higurashi series. Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Ch.2 Watanagashi is yet another look into the Watanagashi mystery and makes us want to know even more.

Not an especially charming or friendly take on the genre, FortressCraft Evolved has a lot of depth and potential for the dedicated player.

The quest to find and create a new homeworld has plenty of room for disaster to strike, but it’s also a lovely journey through a vibrant night sky.

If you played and enjoyed Knee Deep, Act 1: Wonderland then there’s little doubt you will also dig this latest release. Just don’t expect to learn much more about the whole situation before this episode wraps up.

It isn’t the most beautiful or artistically consistent game in the world, with an art style that could be charitably described as generic high-fantasy. On the other hand, it is a free-to-play game that rarely reminds the player that they could or should be paying real money.

A little more variety in victory conditions or evolving complexity through the campaign or in skirmishes would give the game a better chance at a longer life on the hard drive.

In its current state, it’s impossible to enjoy.

Unfortunately, after the initial seconds, Tennis in the Face completely fails at being enjoyable. It’s physics can be erratic, levels seem untested and the quirky humor gets old fast. The sound effects go a long way towards making this game remotely tolerable, and occasionally a wry grin can be had at a pile of donuts showering the screen.

Platformer and puzzle game fans who pick this up will have a good time, but everybody else can pass on Color Symphony 2.

For a game that has such an incredibly interesting premise, 1000 Heads Among the Trees is utterly woeful in execution.

Although it doesn’t look like much, Conquest of Elysium 4 packs a ton of depth beneath its pixelated surface.

No matter how you play it, you’ll be in for quite a time as MetaHuman’s totally unprepared CEO.

Whatever cheap thrills this visual novel does include aren’t worth sitting through incredibly flat writing and a lack of substance for. If you’re looking for shiny anime mammaries, hit the rest of the internet instead.

All in all, Go! Go! Nippon! 2015 does a lot to revitalize Overdrive’s aging visual novel. The biggest boosts are the addition of new events, locales and Google Maps functionality.

Pale Echoes manages to be a pleasant surprise. Not only does the story intrigue, it does so with an interesting battle system.

Good level design and challenging gameplay sadly end up getting hindered by cheap shots, questionable controls and an underdeveloped premise.

Ultimately, what’s disappointing about Herding Dog is that its aspirations, demands, tasks and ideas are simply too small scale.

Cossacks fixes the diplomacy system in a way that was sorely needed.

There’s nothing wrong with a fluffy, simplistic story, but it’s a shame that it rarely manages to actually capture genuine interest because of how it plays so closely to trope conventions.

If the story is nonsensical, the fighting and platforming are great fun.

It has an interesting cast of characters, but proscribes our interactions with them and too often crucially frames relationships as a series of tasks or gifts. On a second thought, that might be true to life, too.

As is, No One But You is a game with some intriguing moments and great artwork but overall feels too disjointed.

If only it was a little longer and more fleshed out, Rise of the Tomb Raider’s Baba Yaga would have been something special, but alas, it ends up being only a solid, albeit dry, in the middle deviation from the main campaign.

Sickness is not a visual novel for the faint of heart or those looking for a good, comedic romp with adorable anime characters. While you will find anime-style art, it is hardly attributed to anything adorable or sweet for long.

Starward Rogue is easily the best arcade roguelike since Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and while it doesn’t stray too far from its inspiration’s influence, it makes up for this by executing its formula incredibly well.

While I want desperately to share yuri goodness with gamers, Sacrament of the Sheep: The Confused Sheep and the Tamed Wolf is not going to receive my recommendation.

The game looks fantastic and feels like it was designed specifically for the PS Vita. Capturing the essence of what Digimon is, Cyber Sleuth is the Digimon game fans have been waiting for.

There are an increasing amount of yuri visual novels on Steam these days, but you’ll be extremely hard-pressed to find something more heartfelt than Kindred Spirits on the Roof.

The atmosphere and bits of story can easily help keep one hooked to it, so you may want to give this one a chance if you’re up for a good puzzler. Just don’t blame yourself if you pull the occasional hair out because your character has a lead foot.

The sloppy translations and awkward English are not what brings the game down, but rather the structure of the missions, the lack of character development, and most critically, the uninteresting, spectator sport combat.