This is about as casual as a tower defense game gets and seems to have been designed for the individual that found Plants Vs. Zombies too complex. However, while this is a fairly basic and simple tower defense game, sometimes you can find brilliance in simplicity, and Castle Doombad comes very close to achieving just that.

New Tales from the Borderlands doesn’t top the amazement of the original game. That still doesn’t stop it from delivering an impressive adventure game in its own right, however, filled with an enjoyable story about family, a lot of great bits of comedy, a deeper look into different parts of the Borderlands universe, and of course, the sheer joy that is L0U13.

Pentiment is a short but sweet adventure from Obsidian, one that plays to their strengths when it comes to dialogue and gives players enjoyable mysteries to figure out. While there are hiccups at times with the story structure and the climax, it’s still a captivating journey through a rather tense period in history, but one that also seems oddly calming thanks to its likeable characters and visual flairs that bring Tassing to life.

Part Time UFO is a wonderful puzzle title that’s worth picking up for anyone looking for a unique and sometimes bizarre creative challenge.

Fans of Disney, Star Wars, Tron, Pixar and just plain fun are going to have a blast in Disney Infinity 3.0.

Doomblade is an incredible action-fest through a lively but broken underground world, and while one of its final major encounters is almost painfully non-fun, the journey there is irresistibly engaging from start to almost-finish.

Shapez 2 is an automation game with just about all the rough edges sanded off, built to make creating what look like incredibly complicated layouts as simple as possible. It may take a little effort to sort out the best way to, for example, create a platform that maximizes stacking two items, completely handling two sets of four belts with no backing up, but then you save it as a blueprint and the tangle of conveyors and stackers is now another tool in the menu that can be laid down with a mouse click. White paint needs three different paints mixed together, two at a time, but create a single paint-mixing platform handling two fluids running at top speed, copy it to let the output of the first combine with the third color, then copy both platforms together and stack them three high, save as blueprint, and done! Handy as that is, though, the randomness of the shape deposits means you'll probably need to poke around hand-crafting solutions every bit as often as relying on your blueprints, and there's always a new challenge that requires retooling what you know. And then building bigger, as the little factory clustered around the entrance to the void grows to meet its ever-escalating needs.

Giga Wrecker has the attractive presentation and unique blend of genres that make for a cult classic, with only a few slip-ups getting in the way of true greatness. But even as is, it’s a terrific game with some clever ideas that also puts up just enough of a fight in every area to end up both challenging and fun in perfect amounts.

Instead of a frilly samurai epic, it’s a monster fantasy that steeps itself in Japanese lore and historical politics. It sidesteps its marketing to be a title that anyone looking for a good story can enjoy.

The Falconers: Moonlight is an awesome debut for developer Bionic Penguin. Sure, it does show its indie status at times with a small intermittent soundtrack and lack of voice acting, but the pitch perfect writing, scenario and visuals pull things together in spite of a few missteps. From start to finish players will find themselves hungry to uncover what’s going on. Cassie and the rest of the crew ensure that there’s never a dull moment in the story. The heavy amount of player choice in such a short game also ensures that even non-visual novel fans can have fun playing. If you have a few hours free and are looking for a good story, check out The Falconers: Moonlight.

The Shrouded Isle is a perfect game if looking for something quick and easy to play. With simple mechanics that only require the pointing and clicking of a mouse, a narrative that is heavy handed but deeply satirical, it’s easy to get on board. The Shrouded Isle doesn’t ask a lot from the player because it knows it’s delivering a finite ending. The beauty is that each game is relatively quick and the longest it takes to close out the three years is a little over half an hour. It would be nice if it was accompanied by a few more menus or ways to look back on certain stats but it doesn’t hinder the game. Who knew being the High Priest of a sacrificial cult could be so fun?

The Last Tinker: City of Colors is a throwback to a simpler time in gaming. Complex, harrowing storylines can be absolutely fantastic, but sometimes it’s nice to relax into a charming tale.

It’s clear, beyond the obvious limitation with resolution and frame-rate, that DOOM for Switch has had to make some restrictions. Even so, for those who haven’t yet experienced one of last year’s finest, most surprising releases, DOOM even now represents one of the genre’s finest moments for some time. Clearly those who already own the game on another platform will have to think long and hard over the novel value of having a game of this caliber on the go. And while the visual blemishes and rough edges do detract on occasion and are clear to spot, playing DOOM on the Nintendo Switch still conjures that same jubilant energy that id Software’s behemoth has long been praised for. Tainted in its visuals it might be, the heart, soul and demon-crushing ferocity of its gameplay, in the end, shines through regardless.

Considering the efforts passionate fans went through to see this franchise have another entry, it comes off as surprising and unfortunate that Wayforward did not decide to take more risks by adding new characters and mechanics. By taking the product as what it is and not what it should be, however, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero ends up as one of this year’s strongest platformers, packed to the brim with secrets, clever writing and a stellar soundtrack.

If you’re looking to spend some more time with the Wright Anything Agency, and maybe feeling a little nostalgic for some of the series wackier moments, Turnabout Reclaimed is well worth a look. It has some great characters and bright, funny writing. It may not be the best mystery, but it’s thoroughly entertaining. It’s also, you know, a case where you defend an orca in court. That should tell you all you need to make an informed decision.

With a wide assortment of characters to consider and a brilliantly-integrated soundtrack to match, though some tasks can feel like unwanted busywork, for those patient and willing enough to invest the time and effort, Vampyr is undoubtedly another rewarding and impressive feat of gameplay and narrative fusion that Dontnod have treated us to.

Tyranny: Bastard’s Wound is an impressive piece of DLC as it takes the choice-heavy gameplay of Tyranny and seamlessly weaves it into the previously-made choices by the player. Whether or not this content is essential depends on how much someone enjoyed Tyranny and if they want more of it.

Aside from sub-par sound design, Gear.Club Unlimited offers up an outstanding racing experience for Switch. It straddles the line nicely between offering up a sim-infused experience while keeping the on-track action fast and exciting. The amount of racing types available is impressive and the sense of progression makes it easy for a quick play session to turn into a marathon. GCU is a flawed experience but winds up being greater than the sum of its few flaws thanks to it providing a lot of fun on the track in all of its racing styles. Off the track, it’s fun to expand and customize. It’s a great-looking game and a fine showcase of what can be done with the Switch for racing games — even at an early stage in its lifespan.

Life Is Strange does suffer from different technical issues — much like its console counterpart in 2015 — but it’s not enough to detract newcomers from experiencing its riveting narrative in full effect. With the addition of features like Photo Mode and bonuses like the iMessage stickers, Life Is Strange reiterates why fans need to rewind time and once again step into the shoes of Max.

The Silver Case was a seminal example of an incredibly influential game creator’s early days while he is finding his creative footing. It still remains a flawed, but genius, masterwork.

As seriously as Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings takes the sport, it’s still a fun video game first and foremost.

There’s a lot to like about Seven Days. The best aspects are the intriguing storyline which takes the start of a story many people know and turns it on its head. Then there’s the writing which is great at getting players involved with each spirit and her specific plight. Unfortunately, not every spirit gets equal amounts of attention. Some feel like they’re more of a side story than a main plot point. Perhaps the writers felt it was necessary to break things up with lighthearted chapters when other chapters bring readers to tears. Those looking for a bittersweet tale instead of scary ghost story will find Seven Days hits that mark.

Etrange Overlord is a funny and unique title that has a simple base but manages to offer variety in its stage construction. At the core of the experience, there’s a villainess main character whose single-minded nature is endearing and cleverly explored to give her depth and unpredictability in a quirky world. There are elements here and there that could have been better planned to offer more fluid and enjoyable combat, but it’s a good first step for SuperNiche.

Cassette Beasts is one of the best and most entertaining monster-collecting games outside of Pokémon. Not since Monster Tale on the DS have I had so much fun capturing monsters and this being a blend of a Pokémon formula with a more grounded, realistic slice of life anime puts enough of a twist on the formula to make it feel fresh. It plays like a dream and is a ton of fun even for those burned out on recent Pokémon games hurting the format. A lot of those have felt overburdened with gimmicks or too many long quests, while Cassette Beasts streamlines things to take out all the fat. It’s the “all killer, no filler” of monster-catching games.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 is an excellent take on the Dynasty Warriors formula, and easily the best One Piece game so far.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is an exercise in pure Americana filtered through the cheesiest anime imaginable.

Combat remains exquisitely satisfying, the sound and visual departments have upped their game, the multiplayer is once more highly addicting and the lore of the world has never been so compelling. Gears 5 doesn’t quite reinvent the genre, but instead acts as a stepping stone for a better future.

Dice & Fold is a casual, yet challenging, foray into the dungeon crawler genre. With a deceptively cute and simplistic art style, the game pushes players to strategize, use their decks to their advantage and make the enemies fold. What the game lacks in narrative is made up for through the ability to customize how you fight, who you bring as a companion and what you carry in your inventory. So hurry up, grab your backpack and let's get to slaying some monsters!