Featuring wildly creative art, clean UI, witty writing, and, perhaps most impressively, dozens of unique voices expressed through individual writing styles, Tender: Creature Comforts is a one of a kind dating sim that is surprisingly deep and downright addicting.

Hanako: Honor & Blade has some interesting ideas, and the story behind its creation is wonderful. I genuinely like some of the choices the development team made, and I had fun at times. The core of the game, however, needs a lot of work. With poor balance, combat lacking any weight, and matches mostly featuring terrible AI opponents, there’s much the developer needs to do to make this one worth your time. If you get together with some friends and all pick it up, you might get a few entertaining afternoons out of it, but unless the development team keeps working to improve things, don’t expect much more.

Despite its accessible controls and decent space dogfighting action, the mobile roots of Subdivision Infinity DX don’t stand up to scrutiny as a console experience. The bare-bones story and repetitive gameplay loops simply don’t hold up when removed from the platform they were tailor-made for, which ultimately results in a game that is difficult to recommend.

Honestly, a large part of me wonders if Glyph might have been better had it been a 2D platformer instead. As it stands now, it’s just too demanding and unbalanced for me to recommend to most gamers. But if you’re stubborn enough and willing to die repeatedly, you might find something to enjoy here. For everybody else, look for something a little less diabolical.

Teacup was a lovely surprise in so many ways, its careful and quiet protagonist making a big impact in such a simple yet unexpected manner. With aesthetics that feel like a children’s storybook giving players a warm and cozy hug, Teacup is a fantastic little wholesome title that will delight anyone who feels drawn to it. If you’re looking for a bright, cheery game, Teacup is absolutely going to be your cup of chamomile.

Suzerain is a must-play for fans of political games, narrative-based adventures, or for those who want to try an inventive concept executed brilliantly. It’s also a great case study in menu-based PC games and how to port them to console, the controls designed with Switch players in mind throughout every step of development. If you’ve ever thought you could make a country thrive under your rule, Suzerain is a great place to test out theories of any political leaning. Whether it be on PC or on Switch, Suzerain is worthy of your vote.

Weapon of Choice DX is a wild ride with a lot of ambition. While I don’t feel it quite lived up to its potential, and felt that Shoot 1-UP DX was the better game by Super Soul, there’s still a lot here for fans to enjoy. If you miss Contra and want something similar, I’d give Weapon of Choice DX a shot. Just get ready for one insane rollercoaster of a game with a zany plot to match.

You’ll finish Underland relatively quickly, even if some of the late puzzles end up giving you trouble. As I said up front, this is a small game. That’s not inherently a bad thing, though. It’s well priced and provides a few pleasant hours of entertainment. If solving some solid puzzles and helping your astronauts reach the remnants of humanity sounds like a good time, give Underland a try.

Chezzle is a fantastic chess puzzler that provides a learning opportunity for those unfamiliar with chess while simultaneously offering complexity for those wanting a challenge. With its calming aesthetics and quick-burst gameplay, Chezzle is great for five minute sessions or playing while trying to focus on other tasks all day. If you want a classic kind of game that just about anyone can get the hang of and is insanely cheap, choosing Chezzle is a winning strategy.

While I did enjoy Crisis Wing, overall, I was underwhelmed by how shockingly standard it was. I guess I had hoped for some unique hook to grab me, or even an interesting plot. But since the game has neither, it was hard to stay that invested in the game. When you add a final boss that gave me a ton of grief, it’s hard to recommend this to anyone but hardcore shoot-’em-up enthusiasts.

Coffee Noir goes down like a warm cup of coffee — black, of course, no cream or sugar. It builds a coffee-based Post-Warpunk world full of mystery and intrigue, the setting something I’d absolutely love to see explored more in future titles. Its blend of noir mystery and sales/business management is certainly something new, the concepts executed competently with a bold, rich flavor. And, for all the concerned noir fans out there, it does indeed end on a bitter note — just like an espresso. If you love to get lost in a good vintage murder mystery and think you have what it takes to grow a coffee empire, Coffee Noir will provide that caffeinated challenge for you.

Keyword: A Spider’s Thread is an intelligent take on an ancient tale about karmic retribution, asking players to not only save their daughter but redeem their soul… through, of all things, hacking. Which is utterly fascinating, as these seemingly unrelated topics work really well together, especially with this specific narrative and setting. It may have some choices in favor of design over quality of life, but that doesn’t stop Keyword: A Spider’s Thread from being surprisingly elegant and unique. If you love hacking/narrative games like Song of Farca, it doesn’t take a genius detective to surmise that you’ll love Keyword: A Spider’s Thread.

Waifu Discovered 2: Medieval Fantasy isn’t for everyone. But if you’re an adult gamer looking for something silly to pass the time with, I’d highly recommend it. Not only is it much more balanced than the first game (I even managed to beat the Arcade mode here), but the animation overall is higher quality, with better shading and less cartoony artwork. Plus, it allows multiplayer fun and streaming options. So if you’re a Switch owner looking for a new Shmup, look no further than Waifu Discovered 2.

Seeker: My Shadow is not without its issues, and it’s ultimately a fairly short journey, but it’s got adorable little diorama puzzles so full of charm that it’s really hard not to fall in love. If you have a young gamer in the house and want to play family friendly VR titles with them, I’d recommend Seeker: My Shadow right away. If you loved Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker and want to experience the whimsical world of the Seekers, look no further than Seeker: My Shadow.

Ruin Raiders is an attractive adventure featuring adorable animal characters. With surprisingly challenging gameplay and satisfying boss fights, every dungeon you descend into provides a unique challenge. The biggest qualms are that the game can occasionally devolve into a grind-fest and there's a lack of coherent story. However, if you like the sound of a good turn-based strategy title in the spirit of X-Com combined with dungeon-crawling and combat featuring interesting animalistic abilities, you’ll probably enjoy Ruin Raiders.

Inspector Waffles genuinely surprised me. I expected a good pixel art noir, but I didn’t expect to fall in love with a great buddy cop murder mystery. It’s also one of the few point and clicks that felt optimized for the Switch, a rare treat for those who enjoy the genre on this console. Featuring witty writing, a loveable cast, and even a secret ending to sniff out, the only mystery here is why wouldn’t you want to pick up Inspector Waffles?

Aeon Must Die is a complex and sprawling beat ’em up. Even with its initial learning curve, there is no denying that it presents a genuine evolution of the genre and for that, it should be applauded. The beat ’em up genre is one that seldom presents ideas and concepts as fresh and punishing as this, so on that basis alone, Aeon Must Die is something that is definitely worth checking out for those with even a passing interest in the genre.

So what's the verdict for this trip down the synthwave highway? As an avid EDM junkie, this is the sweetest treat for my eclectic earholes, and this review should prove that Klang 2 dares to grab that fated fruit of masterful rhythm combat. The aesthetic is eye-catching, a raver's paradise with a perfect pitch of neon, Tron-lines, and vibrant special effects. While the story does more to present itself than the last game does, it misses a few notes in the depth department and needs a lesson or two in conciseness. Most importantly, though, the difficulty spikes can absolutely set back a casual player that can't catch on to the combat. Fans of EDM should absolutely tune in for the soundtrack bLiNd put together for this, while rhythm game fans should approach with caution if they're not much for electronic music or the bold color choices. For just $15, you're getting a serious bang for your buck here.

If you’re in the mood for an ’80s-inspired sci-fi adventure with solid combat and beautiful, voxel-based visuals, Echo Generation has exactly what you’re looking for.

There’s an audience for YouTubers Life 2, certainly, but due to a series of odd choices, it’s not the same audience that fell in love with YouTubers Life. With the freedom of running around town comes the restriction of what videos you can actually make for your channel, which will frustrate those coming from its predecessor. If you’re in high school, love farming sims, and haven’t played the first title, this could very well be your next gaming obsession; for everyone else, be sure to like, subscribe, and check back later when the bugs have been fleshed out.

I really was hoping I’d love Jack Axe. And while it’s still a good game, the issues I mentioned earlier held it back substantially. That said, if you’re up for a sometimes unfair challenge, the game does let you play with up to 3 friends. Honestly, what Jack Axe does right, it does quite well, glitches and all. Here’s hoping the next game from Keybol Games is a bit more polished and balanced out of the gate. Because I think there’s the potential for something really special next time around.

Tales of the Black Death inserts players directly into the cruel world of 14th century Europe and challenges them to ward off death in its many brutal forms. Featuring beautifully hand drawn characters and environments juxtaposed to an atmospheric soundtrack and, of course, the horrific subject matter, Tales of the Black Death soberly puts into perspective just how lucky we are to live in a world with modern medicine and current creature comforts (with respect to everything that’s happened these past two years). If you’re looking for a historical fiction visual novel where choices really, really matter, Tales of the Black Death awaits those with a curious mind and a strong stomach.

This is a call to all dog lovers and puzzle game fans out there: if you want a casual puzzler that celebrates our canine companions, you better go for a W-A-L-K and come back with Dogs Organized Neatly. You don’t even need to go O-U-T-S-I-D-E to get it, as it’s available on Steam for the insanely cheap price of $2.99. What are you waiting for? Make fetch happen and pick up Dogs Organized Neatly — a fantastic little puzzle game that you’ll surely chew on for hours.

While I had a lot of fun reviewing Sunshine Manor, I don’t feel it quite lived up to the promise of 8-bit survival horror. There are moments of it, certainly, but they’re few and far between. That said, the gameplay is well balanced, and you’ll do a lot of puzzle-platforming in the diverse dungeons. If nothing else, the game kept innovating and showing creativity, which I respect. And though I do have some unanswered questions about the plot, it seems clear the game is going to get a sequel at some future point. If you’re a fan of retro and want something different, I’d definitely check Sunshine Manor out.

It’s hard to believe that The Binding of Isaac has been around for a decade. And in that time, not only hasn’t the spark of creativity diminished, but the game just kept getting bigger and better. And I really believe that with Repentance, we’ve reached the best possible version of the game. Not only is it challenging, but it’s well balanced. This is a love letter for fans, especially considering how cheap the DLC is for those that already own Afterbirth+. If you’re a fan of tight, twin-stick rogue-likes, you can’t miss playing The Binding of Isaac: Repentance.

All in all, would I recommend this slip into the dream world? If you really enjoy this developer’s games, I say go for it for the price it’s sitting at, but even fans of walking simulators might feel cheated out of a decent experience here. Maybe I wasn’t on enough drugs to catch the real meaning behind this. Maybe I just wasn’t the target audience. With a lack of interesting gameplay, visuals, or any sense of thematic cohesion, it’s not worth the time spent. As it stands, I’d say save the $4.00 for something a little more meaningful and a little less slipshod.

Don’t let Alchemist Simulator’s cozy aesthetics fool you — there’s no warm welcome here. Getting your bearings as a fledgling alchemist will take a lot of practice and patience, but once you do, it’s smooth sailing. In fact, some might even find it too smooth, as Alchemist Simulator’s repetitive nature makes it hard to learn but easy to master. A little more communication to the player would have gone a long way in the beginning, and some increased difficulty at the end would have captivated those looking for a challenge. Alchemist Simulator gets warm enough to melt lead, but unfortunately not hot enough to make gold.

Bassmaster Fishing 2022 provides a really in-depth and realistic simulation of fishing at the tournament level, but it is missing a lot of the flair that might have made it more accessible to gamers at large. It’s not a catch that will go down in legend, but for fishing fanatics it’s a hearty haul nonetheless.