Nanotale - Typing Chronicles raises the bar for typing games across the board. This is a title that proves teaching tools can make entertaining games as well. The version of the game I played will need some patches before release, but after the bug fixes, I have no qualms recommending it to anyone looking to brush up on their keyboard skills.

Is Samantha worth finding? Or was it really the friends we made along the way? (It wasn't.) Where's Samantha? may whet the appetite of hardcore platformer fanatics with its lovely aesthetic and intriguing manner of puzzle-solving. Though what it gains in intrigue, it loses in untapped potential. Best served as passable entertainment for a pleasant day of gaming, it doesn't quite hit the highs it wishes to through its star cameo and distinct visual style. In-between the extremes of either objective direction, it maintains a feeling of pleasant monotony—never moving, never ending.

In a world where fighting games are associated with intricate combos and complex systems, Samurai Shodown thrives in its simplicity. With its focus on defense, a seemingly simple change makes it stand out in a way that makes it feel like a cut above other fighters on the market. Its biggest shortcomings lie in the lack of modes, some characters that feel too much alike and dead online. But with some brilliant gameplay mechanics and approachable combat, this showdown belongs in your fighting game rotation, especially if you can play with a couple of friends.

It's an inspired folk horror experience. Whilst it's a bit clunky in its mechanics surrounding combat, it’s still brimming with the surreal and the mythological and, above all, is presented with impeccable style and heart.

Adios is a quietly emotional little game that will draw you in with a narrative that’s compelling and heartbreaking in equal measure. If walking sims aren’t your usual cup of tea then you might not immediately click with it, but if you’re willing to give the excellent writing and award-worthy voice acting the scant couple of hours it demands of you, it might just surprise you. And even if not, you’ll learn some cool things about American chestnut trees, so there’s that!

Magic Twins is a cute puzzle game that’s fun for all ages. It uses basic controls, but your skills improve as you gain confidence in how to cast your attacks. The art style is adorable and cheerful, and the music really fits well and makes the game stand out. Although it starts out enjoyable, it does become increasingly frustrating in single-player mode, as the CPU’s skill level is well below what it should be. However, Magic Twins is a great option for when you want to play a fun two-player game that requires plenty of communication.

Journey of the Broken Circle succeeds in creating a beautiful and heartfelt narrative that will touch players struggling with loneliness. Though there are some heavy-handed moments, the effective use of gameplay and storytelling made it clear how the game won a narrative award. While the gameplay is simple, the game is a well-produced and thoughtful package - perfect for any gamers looking for a calm and cozy experience.

All in all, WRC 9 is the best rally experience you can have on the Switch, and up there with the best racing games. With a generous career mode, countless rallies, and great driving, it’s pretty hard to fault its core. But every visual concession made to get it onto the Switch means that every race is much harder. Trees flickering and shadows dropping right out of nowhere make it hard to actually see what’s going on. And that’s pretty important when you’re travelling at speed.

Signs of the Sojourner is a unique deck-building experience that is inviting to begin, but depending on your style, is finicky to finish. The overall tight production value is a joy to immerse yourself in, and the heartrending story and gameplay balance to present this reality even further. Perfectionists beware, as this game will have you endure as many failures as there are triumphs – but isn’t that the beauty of traveling and connecting with strangers?

Remnant: From the Ashes is a brilliant game that will undoubtedly satisfy the masochistic urges of all those Souls-Like (really can't apologise enough) fanatics out there that need their next fix of brutal punishment in the form of a video game. The game is let down by a few minor faults and won't provide the same amount of gameplay that the majority of Souls games deliver to players, but the positives of this game far outweigh its negatives and the ability to replay it and take it on with friends negate the admittedly short standard campaign time.

There are times when a bundle of titles is a quick cash-in or the mark of an anniversary. In this instance, Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited is a masterfully crafted offering of two incredible dungeon-crawling adventures. This is a series that feels right at home on Nintendo Switch and hopefully is an indication that more titles from the NIS catalog are on the way.

Gnosia will be a confusing, frustrating, enlightening, but overall rewarding experience. The unique approach to storytelling, as well as the charming cast of characters, engross players in the futuristic horror of the game's universe. A single round provides addicting entertainment; however, the gameplay can become tiring, and the story, long-drawn-out. Overall, Gnosia is an ideal game for people who love flexing their deduction skills and those who enjoy immersing themselves in interesting game worlds.

Sir Lovelot is a great 2D platformer. While it does nothing new, what it offers is some tight platforming, a decent challenge, and some gorgeous visuals. Since the game is short, its lack of innovation doesn't stand out, and at a cheap price, it's worth a buy for any fans of Celeste or Super Meat Boy.

You know, I still don’t get how Lovecraft is included in this. The only connection I’ve spotted was the shape of a man’s nose on the loading screen. If the developers didn’t claim such credit, everything would be so much better. One cannot help but view this as a means to draw attention to a mediocre game. Such a pity, since it’s got great flow. A nice parody could be made, as I stated before. But alas, the developers are as serious as ever. I never thought that I would complain about that.

From a storytelling standpoint, there are few games that have affected me as much as this did. The themes explored are heavy but the game has a nice balance of optimism and dread. Music is used perfectly to elevate the emotional impact of the game. Where it falls short however is its gameplay. It's basic, but slightly sluggish controls and frame drops make it a bit of a mixed bag from a gameplay perspective.

I enjoyed Asdivine Cross more than expected. Against other recent titles from this publisher, this title shows that we’re getting steadily closer to a true home run from KEMCO. There are still some things to work on, and some rough edges to sand down, but this is a great option for a lower-cost RPG that honors your time and still provides you with a good experience.

Cyanide & Happiness - Freakpocalypse embodies all the series has to offer. The M rating is well earned, but if you’re of an appropriate age, the humor is excellent. Despite the short main story, this is a game I’d recommend if you’re in the mood for a laugh. It saw great support from its early days on kickstarter, and is likely to see more support in the future.

Blind Drive is a masterpiece. I haven't come across many games which can take your breath away in the first few minutes as this one did. I had a single session of almost 2 hours playing this bad boy before I even realised how much time had passed. Blind is very addicting and it's almost impossible to find any flaws with it. I played it on the Easy mode and I'm definitely going all the way to Blindfold mode to claim moral victory over the game. I highly recommend you to go show some love to Blind Drive and the devs behind this beauty.

Mortal Shell is a bold reinterpretation of what a Soulslike can be and a wonderful debut from Cold Symmetry. It contains lip-biting combat and interesting characters that bring the world to life. While enemy and environmental diversity is lacking, there are still many great bosses and challenges for players to face and conquer.

The first half of Maquette is close to flawless, with its puzzles and narrative sharing a symbiotic relationship that whilst brilliant, makes the flaws of the second half glaringly obvious. Full of character, ambition and love, Maquette is a unique experience. If you enjoy story-driven games, Maquette is a must. Maquette is a wondrous exploration of human relationships and packs an emotional weight that will leave a lasting impression on its players and it'll be interesting to see what Graceful Decay does next.

Breathedge has a lot of potential, both in its gameplay and its writing, but ultimately it falls short in its current form. 'Subnautica…in SPACE!' feels like it should have been a slam-dunk, but frustrating gameplay loops, tired jokes and some questionable design decisions in the late game result in a distinctly average experience at best. Hopefully the team will be able to address some of the issues in future updates, but some of it may be beyond help.

This game blew me away. I have never played a visual novel, but now I want more. Every single choice is meaningful, often having rippling effects that you could not anticipate. I was constantly kept on my toes, having to truly think about my choices. Very few video games achieve this, but The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante absolutely knock it out of the park in this regard.

Stronghold Warlords takes the winning formula of the series and returns to the original's near-perfect form while improving on almost all aspects of the game. The newly added warlords mechanic didn't strike my fancy in the way I suppose the developers would have wanted, but that's not because it's a bad addition, just that it needs some tweaking to make it a more integral part of the game.

This is absolutely a quality game, you won't miss your $20, but is it high art to be revered among the greats? Probably not. It's a fun, stylized roguelike with just enough variety to get by, but lacks the substance it needs to make a lasting impression. Most will probably get about 25 hours out of it and move on to something else. Great value for the price, but likely not something you'll come back to time and again.

Room to Grow is a game with a simple concept but an astonishing amount of depth. With over 100 levels, many of which really are wonderfully challenging, and a well-rounded collection of anti-frustration features, this is a puzzle game you can keep coming back to whenever you need to lose yourself in the moment for a little while.

Persona 5 Strikers manages to blend the warriors' gameplay and its brilliant source material into something new and exciting. While some of the great systems and quirks of Persona 5/Royal aren't around for this entry, this more streamlined and linear entry into the series has plenty of the Persona goodness still intact. With a great story, characters, and depth to combat, it's a definite must for fans of the source material. It may not have been the game we expected, but it's well worth your time.

All in all, Littlewood is certainly worth picking up if you’re in the market for a peaceful, relaxing and charming game that doesn’t demand too much of you, especially now that it’s available on the ever-portable Switch. You can certainly get out the spreadsheets and graph paper to try and optimise every aspect of your playthrough, but it’s arguably more enjoyable to just take each day as it comes, do a bit here and there, and see how things go. A bit like life, really.

Pumpkin Jack succeeds in capturing the essence of older action-platformers while adding its own new innovations in a way that keeps the overall experience fresh. With excellent cartoon visual style and a well-put-together soundtrack, my biggest gripe with the game is that it is not a few hours longer.