Overall, The Red Lantern was a fascinating and unique experience. It feels like a modern version of The Oregon Trail but instead of traveling across a map and dying of dysentery, you ride behind a dog sled and die in a much colder climate. Creating a team of dogs and then sticking with them for every run until credits rolled was both rewarding and allowed me to connect emotionally. The Red Lantern does not provide the most complex inventory management but will almost always have you considering when to use which item. The loop of the game did begin to become predictable near the end, but The Red Lantern always brought me back for one more chance to find the path home.

If the arcade scene is your niche, you've found a surefire winner. Jetboard Joust will likely not find a large audience due to its arcade inspirations, which is evidenced by its mechanics and structure choices. Nevertheless, those looking for a brutal game to harness their skills, there's certainly a lot to like here. Colorful explosions, juicy crunch, and fluid animations will ensure that you'll pay attention for a good while. How much longer will depend entirely on your taste for its overall control and adherence to the retro mantra.

Endless Memories is a great first attempt at a Metroidvania and has plenty of reasons to entice fans of the genre to try it out. While the game drags at certain points and ultimately outstays its welcome. Great combat, beautiful visuals, and an amazing soundtrack made it a worthwhile experience.

Frictional Games titles are as rare as precious and Amnesia: Rebirth is not an exception. It’s a journey filled with mystery and sensational revelations that the Swedish studio offers us, determined to torment our souls one more time. The game manages to combine genres (adventure in Indiana Jones way, pure horror) while covering extremely human and intimate thematics. Far from just being an enjoyable experience, Amnesia: Rebirth leaves a particular taste of sadness and admiration for a team that decided to reach the end of its desires.

Outpost Delta manages to stand out thanks to an enjoyable combination of Metroidvania and Twin-Stick shooter mechanics. Unfortunately, instances of poor design and numerous glitches keep this sci-fi romp from achieving its full potential. At a price point that is significantly higher than comparably better games in the genre, it is difficult to recommend Outpost Delta to anyone other than Metroidvania junkies. That said, if some time can be spent optimizing the issues, I believe Outpost Delta can be a decent addition to the genre.

9 Monkeys of Shaolin should be on every GOTY list for the excellent package the team has put together. The combat feels great, the art style and graphics look fantastic, and the voice acting and storyline were executed wonderfully. If beat 'em ups are your jam, or if you just want to have fun with a game, this should be a must-buy. Do yourself a favor and get into this incredible title.

The conclusion to this is a difficult one, as there are lots of good bits about this game. However, the further you progress, the less the good things shine through, and the more the bad things stand out. It’s marred by scattershot battle-mechanics, an uninteresting storyline, and, of course, very bad dialogue. If the good aspects really draw you in, then maybe it’s worth a shot, but if not it is hard to recommend. For such an imaginative game, it is often very dull.

All in all, 9th Dawn III is a solid RPG adventure, with all the side activities and exploration you could ask for. While the combat difficulty is sometimes poorly balanced, the grind to improve has an almost addictive quality that kept me coming back for more. The visual style, a throwback to a bygone era of open world games, was used well to keep the visuals both simple and exciting. By putting together some of the best parts of hit games, 9th Dawn III succeeds in breaking new ground while tapping into nostalgia for classics.

In its best moments, Noita is a visual treat of interesting physics mechanics, status effects, and weapons that encourage experimentation, explosions, and just a damn good time. It offers hours of amusement and surprises wrapped inside a fairly traditional roguelite offering. What it lacks in actual progression systems, it makes up for with a bewildering amount of exploration and a high skill ceiling for those willing to master it. That difficulty is also its biggest shortcoming, as the ease with which players can die — often unfairly — means a lot of repeating familiar areas and weapons, and the user interface and RNG often get in the way of the better parts of the experience. Noita isn’t a game to sink 50 hours into, but it’s a blast to drop in and experience for its systems, and it 100% lives up the promise that “every pixel is simulated” — often to deadly and hilarious effect.

Hadr is a brilliant title that beats most puzzler genre games fair and square. I would definitely love the addition of new levels if possible, maybe as post-launch additions or even a DLC. Overall, Hadr is a masterpiece and an intelligent game which guarantees a really great time for an hour and a few minutes of the storyline it offers. It had a strong impact on me which I normally don't feel with short and/or one-dimensional games. Maybe it is the concept, maybe the execution. Or maybe, it's a bit of both. Regardless, it offers something no other game can offer and I highly recommend everyone to play and finish this game. You will not be disappointed. Now please excuse me while I go recharge my brain cells.

In the gaming industry today, the multiplayer looter genre is by no means niche. But even with all the money thrown into these projects, most end up being mediocre due to unrealistic scope. Deep Rock Galactic by Ghost Ship Games manages to break the mold by creating a memorable experience in atmosphere, gameplay and cooperation. There are some limitations throughout, namely when it comes to story and graphics, but I never found these to hurt the immersion. The gameplay is addictively deep, while procedural generation and extensive loot keep me coming back for more. If you and your friends are fans of the multiplayer looter genre, or just love dwarves and space mining, you need not look any further than Deep Rock Galactic for your next gaming adventure.

Biomass is a hard game to pin down for me. There were parts of it I thought were executed perfectly. But there were other times when I could see that the game still needs some work. The RPG leveling system, for example, gives a nice feeling of growth throughout the game. But the stats are never explained, and it took me a while to figure out what each one did. The world is huge, and fun to explore, but I often found myself wandering into places I’d already been. A map would have made the game much better. There is an NPC who offers you one, but the price he asks deterred me from using it. The boss battles are excellent, but the difficulty means you’ll die a lot. That wouldn’t be an issue were it not for the tedious journey from the save point back to the fight. This is a game with strong potential, but the lack of clarity drags it down.

Imperfections are just part of something's charm, aren't they? Despite the struggle of consuming a varyingly complete game on multiple occasions, the potential and intent beneath shine through beautifully. Effectively immersive and hits on most parts "fun" and "nostalgic," Prodigal is a feast for those craving a substitute for the long wait created by bigger, more expansive adventure titles. Even with its size, it juggles the question of whether bigger is better by making a relatively short journey one that resonates more deeply. And it has cute girls, if that's more your thing.

Torchlight 3 was bland from the get-go and never picked up in my near 20 hours with the game. It fails to reach the heights of its predecessor in basically every way. Its origins as a free-to-play game shine through and it conveys an overall cheap feeling to the game. Certain aspects like class builds, area design, and combat have been dumbed down in this game. If you're looking for an average ARPG to play with your friends then it may be for you, but with the $40 price tag on its official launch out of Steam Early Access, it will be hard to recommend.

MindSeize will certainly scratch the itch if you’re in the market for a decent Metroidvania game with a focus on challenging combat and enjoyable exploration. While somewhat marred by a clichéd and clumsily-executed story and some occasionally-frustrating gameplay moments, it’s nonetheless a solid offering with beautiful visuals that will appeal to fans of the classics.

POSTAL Redux didn't need to come to Nintendo Switch. But I guess part of what makes a game like this, that puts you in the role of a character hopefully none of us would emulate, is that it doesn't need to do anything. It just needs to let you shoot little guns at things and make the blood go everywhere. If that's what you're into, POSTAL Redux will let you do that from anywhere. But if you prefer a game with any amount of meaningful substance, keep looking elsewhere.

Batbarian was a delightful trip through the deep dark abyss. A huge effort that could have had a lot more problems, it stuck the landing beautifully. With obvious influence from classics of the genre, it does more than just copy what made them great, it continues on their spirit of exploration and puzzle-solving to bring us a unique adventure.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix shows that the developers cared enough about their work to listen to fans. By increasing the character count, expanding the gameplay mechanics with pit crews, and overall increasing the game quality, this game is a secret favorite that is worthy of your time.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest is a great visual novel when you put more emphasis on the novel aspect. Relatable characters, an excellent representation of marginalized communities, and a real-world setting make this a believable game that doesn't hang its entire worth on the supernatural elements. This game is absolutely worth your time.

Gothic Murder: Adventure That Changes Destiny is a great little visual novel with an intriguing story, good gameplay elements, a great style, and a soundtrack for each moment. I would definitely recommend this to anybody who enjoys playing visual novels, or players looking for their next mystery.

Embracelet is a fantastic and emotive coming of age story set in a land steeped with history. With a beautiful art style and interesting characters, if you're looking for an engaging yet relaxing game to sink your teeth into, look no further.

UnderHero is a hidden gem of a game with a brilliant soundtrack, a great cast of characters, and an engaging combat system. However, the game is dragged down slightly due to issues in the game's pacing. Its humour is consistently witty, and its story often emotional and inspired. It is a must-play game for anyone who wants a game similar to the early Paper Mario titles.

Dull, expressionless character art and contrived strategy combat make for a bad impression right off the bat. I can respect what Pendragon tries to accomplish, but for a game that heavily relies on its procedural story telling and replayability, there is barely enough content here to justify a third run. The writing truly shines in the final battle between Arthur and Mordred, but the dialogue during the main chunk of the game is too interchangeable and devoid of personality to be engaging. Ironically, the attempt to tell a different story every time makes every playthrough feel the same.

Ultimately, Spellbreak is clearly still going through its paces; think about the drastic changes we've seen in games like Fornite since its release in 2017. Thus, I do believe this title will age nicely and continue to develop and evolve as time passes. This does seem to be the case, especially as the game has also adopted Fortnite’s successful formula of being free-to-play, as well as containing an in-game cosmetic store. Nowadays, this a tried and tested format for Battle Royale titles, and it works well for Spellbreak, making it accessible and playful, as well as offering dedicated players something to spend their money on.

The original Super Mario Bros. is a game that has been there for me since childhood. It's always been a nostalgic security blanket, the video game equivalent of comfort food. It's nice and familiar, but not especially challenging or exciting. Super Mario Bros. 35 took this classic and truly gave it new life. I feel excited, tense and downright giddy about this game for the first time since I was a child.

Animal Rescuer has a lot to offer and it mostly ticks all the correct boxes, barring a few. The world is incredibly well-detailed. Animals have been given digital lives that makes you wish they were real. A basic storyline does set the premise but I would love for the story to expand in the future. The music is a masterpiece but the text-to-speech dialogues reduce the game's overall appeal. The soon-to-launch Prologue on Steam should definitely help players get an idea of the game and see the game for what it truly is. Animal Rescuer is a truly unique concept and has been wonderfully executed by Turquoise Revival Games.

Projection: First Light might have some issues with shadow mechanics, repetitive gameplay and a short duration, but the combination of visuals, narrative and gameplay are offering a compelling and enjoyable experience. Despite the annoying controls, which may be fixed in the future patches, Projection: First Light is a game worth playing, especially if you are into puzzle platformers. And even if not, its beautiful scenery, charming tale about self-enlightenment through various cultures definitely deserves attention.

You will die. A lot. iota is a game that heeds the call for the challenge enthusiast in many players, employing restrictions that call back to even retro-level difficulty. Whether this appeals to you will be the deciding factor in giving the game a chance, as much else is too bare to provide additional motivation. Difficulty for difficulty's sake, it's a challenge to the world. If not for the pleasant audio/visual presentation, this would be a fantastic game for the hardcore and completely passable to all else.