The whole experience ended up being a few hours long. The likelihood is that this is a one--and-done playthrough, as once you’ve figured out the puzzles there really isn’t a reason to play again unless you’d like to go back and look for clues to figure out the back story. I wouldn’t say it’s the best puzzle-platform title available, but it’s unique and was worth the short time investment.

All said, for the price of admission, Red Game Without a Great Name has more to offer than its lacking title would imply. With the likely frustration factor as you get further in it seems mostly suited to playing in shorter bursts, the levels are generally very quick to either complete or fail at before it takes you right back into the action again. If you enjoy some challenge and undoubtedly some aggravation in your gaming, it’s not a bad budget title to check out.

Plantera DX is simple, generally serene, has steady progression, and provides some simple satisfaction of watching your little sort of farm grow from nothing into something more elaborate. It lacks any sort of complexity but that’s also a big part of its charm for the right audience. If you’re looking for something to just help you relax, or perhaps want to get a game that could probably be played and enjoyed by people of just about any age, Plantera is a chilled out match.

When I first picked up Hammerwatch I was expecting it to scratch the Diablo itch, but it ended up scratching an itch I didn’t even realize I had. The wonderfully crafted campaigns present both fun and challenging tasks that can be tackled in a number of different ways depending on which of the seven classes you choose. It’s likely that the game will run thin before really messing around with all the classes, but the soon to launch online mode could help elevate that feeling. Even with a few blemishes with the music and a couple of crashes, the hook of exploration and monster slaying kept me crawling back for more.

Overall though, Pic-a-Pix Deluxe is a grand time. The puzzles are incredibly fair and it helps that the unique twists are actually really clever. The UI can sometimes be clumsy, but those problems disappear with familiarity. The sharp and crafty puzzles are appealing and worth the hurdle of the interface. It is really the biggest compliment I can give.

As a local multiplayer title, Crawl stands out amongst other roguelikes. It’s fun and simple gameplay is easy to pick-up for pretty much any level of gamer. However, without friends to play it with, this is not a game worth playing. Alone, Crawl runs at a pace that lives up to its name.

At the end of day, Heart&Slash had good intentions and could've been so much better. I love the concept of the game so very much, but it is such a harsh mistress. The first number of rounds that wasted my time, the multiple crashes and camera problems are just too big to overlook. It is such a shame, because the arsenal and action feels so grand. Maybe in time, and with an update, Heart&Slash is something I could adore.

In true arcade fashion, the game is unforgiving: deplete your shields and your craft will blow up as a giant Game Over page appears. If you’ve saved up enough credits (quarters, anyone?) you can buy a new life, otherwise it’s all the way back to the first region. The only thing this game is seriously lacking is an online leaderboard so you can compare scores with your friends. Currently there is only the option to rank yourself against other users on the same Switch. Otherwise this is a gem of a game, perfect to play for a few minutes, but easy to play for longer as you try to get through as many levels as you possibly can.

Despite hearing great things, I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Style Savvy: Styling Star the way that I did. I wasn’t prepared to get sucked into a fashion simulator, literally spending dozens and dozens of hours matching the colors of a bag to a customer’s dress. I certainly didn’t expect to find characters whose success I was even remotely interested in. It’s a fantastic boutique sim that is fun to play, even if you don’t know a thing about fashion. I certainly didn’t, but I’d be hard-pressed to show you a game I was more addicted to than this one over the last year.

For a one-man indie studio, ACORN Tactics is impressive. The amount of polish that went in and the lack of bugs that can often plague titles developed by small teams truly demands applause. The issue though is that a single person development team isn’t capable of matching the same quality of similar titles like Mario + Rabbids that are developed by a large team. Had ACORN come out prior to Ubisoft’s release, I think it would have been a nice preview to the tactical RPG genre on Switch, but trying to play it now just reminds me of how good Kingdom Battle was and that you would be better suited to investing your money into a big budget game that will provide better gameplay and much more replayability.

Like most kids, I grew up playing and absolutely adoring classic Zelda games. Blossom Tales successfully accomplishes it’s goal of recreating the tried and true simplistic gameplay found in the classic action/adventure genre, but also adds a bit of its own personality as well. By adapting new mechanics for a more fluid experience and combining that with the charming story-telling narrative, Castle Pixel has created an elegant love letter to one of Nintendo’s most cherished and beloved titles. So if you yearn for a polished Zelda experience, look no further - Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is a beautiful homage.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a very enjoyable puzzle platformer. The game often surprises you with the solutions to different puzzles and overall is a very rewarding experience. Those seeking out an interesting twist on the platforming genre will find a lot to love in Max’s latest adventure.

While Puzzle Box Maker isn't executed well in every way, it delights more than it disappoints. Sure, your creations may not always work for all modes, but the results are funny to witness nonetheless. The bigger problem is the Claw mode, and the random placement of certain objects. It loses some of the polish found in other places of this collection. Overall though, alone or with a friend, Puzzle Box Maker offers hours of content for those willing to jump in.

Romancing SaGa 2 has a certain old school charm that invites any old school RPG fan to give it a shot. I don’t think it’s as polished as Square Enix’s other titles that came out during this ’90s era, but it’s something worth investing in if you want a different take on the standard RPG formula. It’s not for everybody, but Romancing SaGa has enough good qualities to give it a go if you’ve never played it before.

With five difficulty levels and randomly generated ships, I can honestly recommend SteamWorld Heist to anyone. The world is rich, the combat is engaging and the portability of the Switch pairs perfectly with the short missions (even if the game is beautiful on a big TV). Plug in your headphones and play this game.

The Deer God is a tough sell, its visuals and music can’t help make this game any less frustrating. If you have a lot of time and more importantly a lot of patience maybe this game is good for you, but as it stands, I would stay clear.

Overall, it’s a game that feels explicitly made for fans of a very specific series in a very specific genre. If you don’t like Advance Wars, you almost certainly won’t like this. If you like Advance Wars and come into Tiny Metal with slightly measured expectations, you will find a good strategy RPG that borrows unashamedly yet reverently.

Bleed mostly does a good job of making the most out of its relatively simple design, with the time slowing mechanic resulting in a unique feel that sets it apart from other run and gun games. The checkpoints and upgrades, as well as variable difficulty settings, make it very accessible in a way you don’t always see in this genre. Bleed is yet another compelling indie experience on the Switch eShop.

Slain: Back from Hell is not a game that everyone will enjoy. It’s difficult and requires a lot of patience to see it through to the end. It’s also not a very long game. My first playthrough clocked in at around seven hours, though better players could certainly finish it more quickly. There’s also nothing new to do once you’ve slain Vroll. But if you have a thing for the difficult platformers of yore, Slain: Back from Hell is a satisfying blend of what made those games great.

For a smaller title, Kid Tripp is actually quite enjoyable. The game isn't exactly a thrill ride, but it is an enjoyable venture. The 20 levels are challenging and can be played on a whim, making them highly replayable. Kid Tripp looks nice as well. It doesn't stand out, but the grassy plains do their trick well enough. Above all, the title just feels nice to toy around with. It is why I will go back and better my runs a couple times down the line!

While the short length is somewhat disappointing, Gorogoa is still a breathtaking experience. The gorgeous art and engaging puzzles fuse together for something otherworldly. I don’t know if I’ll revisit Gorogoa, except to maybe show friends, but the focused, impressive design will stick with me for a long time.

While Brawlout won’t become a staple of my local multiplayer hangouts, it’s a fun game that apes the Smash Bros. experience as well as any other competitor has. Being the best Smash Bros. clone might not add up to much, but Brawlout is very much that. It’s unfortunately bogged down by a dearth of single-player material and ultimately, this game is doomed by the fact that it stakes so much in online play that doesn’t run well. If the online was workable, Brawlout would be much better. As it stands, it’s not, and this is a highly flawed experience.

Poly Bridge takes an interesting gameplay concept and pairs it with a simply charming presentation. With all the building blocks in place, it seems like we’d have a great physics based puzzle game that allows freedom and creativity on our hands. However a rushed port with horrendous controls and a game altering bug turn this into an utterly frustrating experience on the Switch. It’s almost impossible to recommend in its current state, but with promised patches coming, all hope might not be lost. Keep your eyes out for our thoughts on future patches/updates as they release.​

Lumo succeeds as a new entry into a genre that had been lost in time. It delivers an experience that feels retro while including the option for modern gaming conveniences to take a genre that would likely be unapproachable for newcomers to a worthwhile experience for anyone who is willing to try something challenging and new.

While there certainly will be a market of people that will enjoy Yodanji I think that selection of people will be fairly narrow. In a year that has seen dozen of roguelikes becoming increasingly popular, one from a text based era may have some issues finding a following. For me personally, although I have enjoyed many of the recently released permadeath titles, the prospect of the collection of yokai just wasn’t enough to overlook the minimalist gameplay and 80s inspired graphic design.

At the end of the day, The Next Penelope isn't a racing game. It is an adventure game that happens to use racing as one of its core mechanics. There are many little things that you need to keep in mind to nail down a challenge. Strategy is the magical word here, and you shouldn't forget when the game throws you yet another curve. The journey is over before you know, which is a slight shame, as I was hoping for it skew a bit longer. Of course, it comes down to what a game does with its running time. In that respect, I couldn't be happier.

Overall One More Dungeon is an interesting take on how to make a roguelike dungeon crawler that has a look and feel all its own. I appreciate what it is trying to do, and some aspects of the design were unexpected. Unfortunately as a whole there are also elements that feel unrefined and not necessarily complete. With a patch or two I think it could still have room for improvement but as it is I’d say it is likely an acquired taste, even for roguelike fans.

No deep experience hides in Mom Hid My Game, but it’s an absolutely joyous romp. This is absurdist video game comedy and that’s awesome and unique.