Goodbye World is an important game development story for gamers and developers alike. It has interesting characters, fantastic art design, and pacing that kept me engrossed in the narrative from start to finish. Unfortunately, its game within a game will polarize players, who will either love its retro-inspired platforming or loathe its stop-go positioning within the story. Goodbye World is a must-play experience for the story alone, so if you find yourself with an hour or two to kill and $12 to spare, Goodbye World says “hi!”

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow was a pleasant surprise for me — a fantastic game in its own right, but one whose story doesn’t deserve to end here. I absolutely need a book, film, or TV adaptation of this story, and the great thing is you wouldn’t have to change much for it to be ready for consumption in other media. Although I did find myself struggling to make sense of the ending, I suspect a second playthrough is all I’d need to clear up any questions I still have. The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is truly a pixel art masterpiece — one that definitely deserves a deep dig.

If you enjoyed Fatshark’s previous projects on Vermintide and its sequel, or you’re just an overall Warhammer 40K fan, then you will feel right at home with Darktide. As long as you can dig past the rough state the game is in right now with unfinished content and performance issues, then there’s truly an addictive and satisfying cooperative horde shooter lying underneath all those corpses.

The Forest Quartet will get you into the swing of things. While I do wish The Forest Quartet would’ve pushed itself just a bit farther in the gameplay department, and the whole experience winds up on the criminally short side, it doesn’t fail to impress with what is there. With likeable and interesting characters, a soft but smooth graphical design, and a superbly soulful soundtrack, this is a short but sweet tale well worth saving for that rainy afternoon when you need a little comfort game.

River City Girls 2 does a lot right. With fantastic presentation, an incredibly exciting soundtrack, and tons of creativity and variety, all of the elements are here for a classic beat ‘em up. Poor performance, though, really brings the experience down, being an almost constant thorn in your side. It’s by no means unplayable, and I still had a fair amount of fun along the way, but this feels like a game that wasn’t ready to release yet. Hopefully, after a few patches, we’ll be talking about it being the great game it could be, but for now, know what you’re getting yourself into.

Kukoos: Lost Pets may look simple, but its puzzle elements provide some perplexing moments that’ll satisfy veterans for a weekend and newcomers for much, much longer. If you’re looking for something that’s cute on the surface but a little more complex in its core, the island of Kukoos: Lost Pets beckons.

Front Mission 1st: Remake often feels old but that’s no huge surprise. It is after all an old game. It released nearly 28 years ago. That it still mostly holds up as an excellent strategy RPG with an excellent story, interesting customization, and strategic combat, is impressive. While it may fall a bit short of what we’d hope for in a true remake, it remains a strong game worth the time of fans of the genre.

Despite some strange choices around online play and a story that failed to grab my interest, however, I had a great time with The Rumble Fish 2. It’s easy to pick up and play with fast-paced fights that are exactly what I look for in a fighting game. With interesting mechanics and a varied cast of interesting fighters, fans of the genre should absolutely give this throwback a shot.

Square Enix and Tose have done a phenomenal job bringing Zack’s origin story to life again after being buried away for so long. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is everything fans want and expect it to be, with rehauled graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, a new arranged soundtrack, and fully voiced dialogue. If you somehow missed your chance to play this back on the PlayStation Portable back in 2007, then this is the definitive way to experience one of the best prequel stories. It feels like a nostalgic dream to be able to step into the shoes of Zack Fair once again, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

At times the story of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo can be interesting, but it never fully comes together. Succeeding neither as an homage to a great director’s work or on its own terms, it might be better served if it didn’t have the expectations its name provides, but that wouldn’t make it a great game. There are simply better adventure games more worth your time available this year.

Like the older but wiser cast of characters, the puzzling gameplay has matured, taxing your wits, but not your patience, never leaving you so bogged down with frustration that you can’t enjoy the comedy. Some gaming franchises age like milk, some age like wine, but Return to Monkey Island has aged like the finest bottle o’ rum.

While playing EDENGATE: The Edge of Life has plenty of issues, I still enjoyed my couple of hours with it. Mia is an interesting protagonist, the atmosphere is strong, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. This is a case where a game being short plays to its advantage. Considering the game’s low price, I’d recommend anyone interested in it give it a try.

RWBY: Arrowfell is the definition of a mixed bag. Rewarding and fast-paced exploration does provide some satisfaction, but the combat, which makes up the majority of the game, fails to impress through the awkward way in which character progression has been implemented. If you’re willing to overlook that, then RWBY: Arrowfell serves as a perfectly fine distraction that I feel does just enough right with its narrative, presentation, and exploration to make it worth a look for action platformer fans.

Shadows Over Loathing may be part of the Loathing franchise and reflect that silly yet deep gameplay we’ve come to know and love, but there’s something deeper to this world that we’ve yet to uncover. Although there’s plenty of laughs to be had here, there’s a bit more of a serious vibe to the third installment with some Lovecraftian overtones; it’s best to go into this one with a sense of curiosity instead of just waiting to be entertained.

When it’s firing on all cylinders, the weird and wonderful world of Heidelberg 1693 provides an exhilarating challenge that evokes the glory days of the genre, all punctuated by fantastic and imaginative boss design. If you’re willing to look past the frustrations that present themselves at times in the form of uneven balancing, then Heidelberg 1693 will provide a few hours of horrendous fun that genre fans will lap up.

I spent a lot of my time with Sonic Frontiers having a ton of fun, even if there were just as many moments where I was frustrated and ready to be done with it. This isn’t a great game, but it’s one that should satisfy Sonic fans desperate for an interesting game starring their favorite blue blur, and for the first time in a long time, it feels like the series may have a sense of direction. There’s still work to be done to make it more than that, but this is a big step in the right direction.

Even with those gripes, however, there is nothing here that would stop me from recommending Sophstar to shmup fans. It takes a familiar genre, nails the fundamentals, and then builds upon those with unrivaled ship variety and its teleportation mechanic that is so core to the experience and blows the genre wide open to the extent that I’m not sure I want to ever play another shmup that doesn’t have this feature. If you’re not put off by the lack of progression and are up for the immense challenge presented by Sophstar, then I would encourage you to not let this little gem pass you by.

It’s without a doubt that Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered comes with very little hand-holding and a steep learning curve that may be off-putting in today’s limelight. However, its unique approach to non-linear gameplay and storytelling, in addition to its impeccable art direction and soundtrack, combine to create an exceptional adventure. 

Tactics Ogre: Reborn makes some changes to a classic, which meet with mixed success. Qualify of life changes like rewind and simplified class changes are very welcome, but the newly balanced battle system slows down battles that already felt on the slow side. Don’t be mistaken, though, the core game here is still one of the better strategy RPGs of its era, and it holds up in 2022. If you’re a fan of the genre and haven’t gotten the chance to check it out in the past, there’s no need to wait. Pick up Tactics Ogre: Reborn and get ready to lose fifty hours of your life.

Despite a few rough edges in terms of stage design and enemy variety, Evil West is a must-own experience for fans of the character action game genre. With a deep and engaging combat system, a meaty campaign, and a killer sense of style, it’ll leave you glued to your controller until the credits roll. If you’re a fan of Flying Wild Hogs’ brand of gory, in-your-face action, Evil West is a non-stop thrill ride through the freaky frontier that you won’t want to miss.

I don’t have too many complaints about The Witch’s House MV. Yes, the game is short, and sure, the story is lacking. But when this game is on point, it’s really on point. The Witch’s House MV expertly utilizes its creepy atmosphere, unsettling sound effects, and delightful jump scares to ensure at least a few moments of increased adrenaline. While I wish the game was longer, there is a decent amount of replayability, with the newly added difficulty mode offering different puzzle solutions and an ending you’ll definitely want to obtain. For such a short and simple game, it was certainly a memorable experience.

I’ve never been a big fan of games that require you to invest huge amounts of time before they get good. Our time is valuable and while Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord does eventually get good, the uninteresting grind along the way and lifeless world didn’t do much to pull me back. Fans of the series will still have a great time and if you are willing to invest your time you’ll definitely be rewarded for it, but its frustrating to see so much potential for an even better game left unrealized.

McPixel 3 is an intensely fast and fun time. It’s that point and click adventure game that us 80s/90s kids would have talked about on the playground alongside Mortal Kombat, swapping stories about potential fatalities and gags to discover and giggling at the crude humor. I’m struggling to think of who this game wouldn’t appeal to — a labor of love that just about anyone will find interesting (or at least funny). If you’re ready to save the day — or die, die again trying — the titular hero in McPixel 3 could certainly use the help (before he explodes… again).

Super Woden GP pretty much delivered everything I wanted from it. An addictive gameplay hook, fantastic track design, and a simple yet challenging-to-master handling system all contribute to a retro racing experience that delivers fun in spades, all while looking stunning in action. The difficulty wall that the early hours present may be off putting to some and it is undoubtedly frustrating early on, but those that battle through it will find one of the most charming and rewarding racing experiences that Nintendo’s hybrid has to offer.

Games like I Was a Teenage Exocolonist are few and far between. The aesthetics are stunning, featuring eye-popping colors and gorgeous music. The story is intense, keeping you on the edge of your seat for hours on end. And the replayability factor is massive, with at least two playthroughs required for optimal understanding of the world and its inhabitants. I fell in love with every last character, their strengths and flaws often making them endearing — or, in the very least, human. If you want to live a multitude of lifetimes exploring a whole new world each and every time, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist invites you to become part of theirs.

I don’t know what happened with Crossroads Inn. I don’t know why, in the 3 years that have passed since the original release on PC, Crossroads Inn is still a confusing, buggy mess. I don’t know who thought Crossroads Inn was ready for the extremely small Switch screen in its current state. I typically pride myself in being a reviewer that can see the positive in any game and find the audience a title was made for, but when it comes to Crossroads Inn, I find I’m at a loss. If you must get this game, try it out on PC first to get a better feel for the controls and UI; if you only have a Switch, I can’t in good conscience recommend this game to you.

Valkyrie Elysium could have been something great, with its excellent narrative backdrop built on the basis of Norse mythology. As per usual with Square Enix titles, the art direction and soundtrack are outstanding and leave me wanting more. The fast, fluid, and satisfying combat system is what carries an otherwise mediocre title bogged down by washed out visuals and uninspired level design.

Despite its issues, Somerville manages to offer a mostly enjoyable experience. The family bond forged in an opening scene, which is easily the highlight of Somerville, simply works and drove me through the game. I wanted to figure out what happened to my character’s family and see them together again, and that kept me going through a relatively short game.