Minit might not last that long, but it is a memorable experience that cuts out fluff and just delivers clever puzzles and concepts. You might not spend a lot of time with it, but playing through it once is as insightful a meditation on 2D Zelda-style gameplay as any game multiple times its length.

If Found… really resonated with me. Not because the story was recognizable for me personally, but due to the nostalgic feeling it invokes in its use of the setting, characters and events. It’s a tale of looking back on your younger days, where life is a blur and every day can feel like an adventure. When you could still make bad decisions without consequences, but also from a perspective that shows growth, acceptance and change as a natural part of life. Where in the moment it feels as if the world is falling apart, but in the end there will always be a brighter day somewhere down the road. Maybe this story was something that I just really needed. Knowing that even now, in a year where everything feels like a hazy wave of terrible events, sadness and darkness, we can strive towards making a brighter future. It might’ve been a short experience, but If Found… made me experience something that I have missed over the last few months. For that I can only be grateful.

Signs of the Sojourner is a refreshing game, succeeding largely in how well it takes eternally relatable ideas like talking to other people and transforming them into a very sensical card game that has a surprising amount of depth despite a straightforward presentation. The way playing cards represents conversations is genius, making this a standout for how unique it feels.

Chess Ultra makes a terrific first impression with its strong visual presentation and continues to dazzle throughout. What resonated with me the most was just how accessible it is to players of all skill levels. For newcomers, tutorials and novice level computers help to ease you into the game. And for veterans, challenge modes and difficulty up to Grandmaster will certainly be a test of your skill. While I found some set pieces to be unusable and wish there was an online option for a continuous game, these were merely minor complaints in an otherwise outstanding offering from developer Ripstone.

NBA Jam is a very faithful revival of a long-lost favorite.

Indivisible is a game unlike many others. While combining both platforming and exploration with a real-time RPG combat system didn’t always keep my interest, the game has an unique style and engaging characters that did keep me coming back. I do feel that this game is more for those looking for an RPG rather than a Metroidvania, due to its slower pace and its ‘interrupting’ combat system. But it’s the characters, music, art-style and worldbuilding that make it truly stand out from other RPG’s. Whether it will become a classic like RPG’s of old remains to be seen. But Lab Zero Games has shown that they are more than capable of bringing their unique talents to genres other than 2D-fighters and I cannot wait to see what is coming next.

Ultimately, Other M doesn't get good until you slog through the over-baked story; if you can handle that, you'll be in for a real treat of a game.

Apart from those complaints--which are minor in the grand scheme of things--Seven Sirens is a wonderful game and might well be the equal of Pirate’s Curse, which is no small feat. The game does feature several ending screens for completing the game in various ways and a second game mode that’s akin to Risky’s Revenge: Director’s Cut instead of Half-Genie Hero. There’s also a nice movie viewer if you want to sample the Studio Trigger cutscenes. Like I said, if you’re itching for a good Metroidvania or just like Shantae games generally, Seven Sirens is a lock.

Much of Devil Survivor 2 is a close replication of a handful of solid concepts. Losing time in its fundamentals and the sheer amount of subsequent content-a package structured across dozens of hours-is as easy as it is rewarding, but enjoyment of that concept will likely vary depending on how long and how many times you've traveled that road.

I would recommend Waking Violet to anyone interested in puzzlers. Its mechanics provide enough unique challenges to get a couple hours of mind-bending game play. That, plus the artwork and design makes this game well worth it.

As we come to the end of another card-filled yarn, my final impression is a positive one. Both Voice of Cards entries present an accessible RPG form for newcomers and enough meat on the bones for veterans. While I was left wanting a bit more length for the first game, The Forsaken Maiden simply feels like an experiment that didn't fully hit the mark. Part of that could also be blamed on a new voice for the narrator/GM, which sounds younger and less weathered or seasoned. Dividing the focus into multiple smaller stories may have hurt the overarching narrative, but this is still an RPG worth playing, with secrets and replay value for intrepid card sharks. I'll be interested to see how, and how quickly, Square Enix follows up with another Voice of Cards title. It seems like this series won't soon be silenced, and that's a good thing.

Detention is a complicated package. Everything outside of its gameplay is top-notch. Its story, visuals, and sound flawlessly accomplishes what (I think) the game is trying to convey. At the same time, these things are experienced through slow, somewhat dull adventure gameplay.

Slayaway Camp is a smart, well-crafted puzzle game that transcends its niche trappings in such a way that even if horror movies aren’t your bag, you should still keep an eye out on this excellent game.

Some elements of these mystery dungeon-type games will always be inscrutable, but Tangledeep does the best job I’ve seen at making it playable for everyone. The Switch version might not be ideal thanks to the clumsy interface, but it’s worth figuring it out because underneath the difficulty and few crusty layers lies a beautiful game with a ton of enjoyable RPG variety.

If you are prepared to deal with many annoyances but seek an original and mostly enjoyable play experience, you'll be well served by Scribblenauts.

Gonner presents a stiff challenge that might not be for everyone, but if the potential oddities of this disquieting adventure seem up your alley, it’s well worth trying to figure out; just be prepared to maybe look up a few things for clarification. It’s not quite the tops of this take on the roguelike genre, but Gonner definitely earns its spot at the table.

Despite the good presentation and fun aspects of the game, the underlying poor design dirties up the game.

Despite my difficulties connecting to people online, Dead or Alive Dimensions is an excellent and entertaining game.

Café Enchanté doesn’t break a lot of new ground in its genre, but it’s a well-told romantic story and would be a great way to wile away an upcoming long weekend.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve now reviewed eleven games from the same developer in the last two years, but I’d really like to see them take some more risks with the endings in these romance games. Variable Barricade seemed like it would be the time, but the ending did leave me feeling a bit baited. But I accept that I’m part of a very small minority compared to the rest of the audience, and if you’re looking for romantic hijinx with a side of gritted teeth then climb over the barricade.

There are certainly sections of Reborn that made me question how much fun I was actually having, but in truth I was largely enjoying myself. I wish Arcade Mode had a better and/or better explained save system, and it’s entirely too easy to get overwhelmed with enemies and environmental hazards, but if tough as nails combat platformers are your thing, Shadow of the Ninja Reborn is a good time. And it’s just so pretty.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, while short, has a lot to offer thematically. It doesn’t show anything mind-blowingly new, but rather comes across like a beautiful amalgamation of the greatest hits from dark fairytale. It only scratches the surface of its own potential, but the beautiful scenery, music, themes, and interesting take on gameplay make it a definite title to check out.

If you’re into unique and creative takes on platforming, Pepper Grinder is well worth jumping (or rather, drilling) into. I’m not the biggest fan of the boss fights (especially the one that currently glitches out), but overall, this is a good grind from start to finish. I’d love to see more takes on drill-based platforming along these lines, though the tight package developer Ahr Ech has put together is a concentrated blast of fun.

Even the moments of relative calm are intense.

The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is a competent and satisfying experience that benefits from two-player co-op and online leaderboards. However, in being a remake of the 1987 and 1994 versions, it also fails to bring anything too interesting or unique to the table. It’s a fairly easy recommendation to brawler fans, but I think a wider audience would be better off with the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle, given its much stronger value proposition. Not that it needs saving, but Return of the Warriors isn’t quite the savior of the brawler genre.

With its retro ‘80s aesthetic and multiple different settings and dangers to deal with, Stories Untold is a very well put together horror game, despite its flaws. Every story is short, clocking in at just around 30-45 minutes each, which makes this the perfect game to pop on during an evening get together where your main goal is to spook your friends. The voice acting is also a high point, as each performance felt believable and different in a way that truly made me sink into each small world as I went. It’s not a perfect game or even a perfect port, all things considered, but if you like a good atmosphere and a well-told series of stories, then you should probably go and contradict this game’s title when you have the chance.

Still an incredibly polished and fun beat ‘em up that has truly stood the test of time. While it’s slightly annoying that playing with the other characters requires you to replay entire levels and that the online features and a full playable fighter are currently locked behind Ubisoft’s ridiculous server sign-in, in the end this is still a great title deserving of its re-release. The combat is quick and fluid, the soundtrack is truly incredible and the multiplayer mode with friends makes the game even more fun.

When all is said and done and you've cleared the main story, which altogether should take you 8-10 hours depending on your skill level, online time trial leaderboards present another way to tackle each stage. With that and unearthing the game's secret levels, there's a lot of content to be found in Kaze and the Wild Masks. It’s a wonderful homage to games I loved in the past and came at a perfect time in my life, helping me get used to my new surroundings. I won't soon be forgetting my time spent with Kaze. If you're in the market for a new 2D platformer, you can't go wrong with harvesting the fruits of PixelHive and Soedesco’s labor, but maybe avoid the sinister-looking carrots.