Honey*Honey*Honey! doesn’t make the most of its premise, and the tacked-on bonus scenes don’t make up for a rushed plot. Still, the over-the-top comedy and quality artwork make it an enjoyable enough read for lighthearted high school romance fans.

Trap Genesis is a forgettable and bland experience of making peace and love with a Chaos Goddess. This is an excellent way to revisit the world and celebrate the franchise’s anniversary for people who are already fans of the previous games. But for anyone else, this is not the game that should change their minds about giving the series a try.

If you desire a qualitative, hardcore platformer that demands unquestionable skill, then this is the game for you. While not possessing any particular traits that make it stand out from the hotbed of its genre, Lumione is still a joyous experience that should not be overlooked.

Parquet is a great visual novel with an engaging sci-fi setting and memorable character interaction. It’s honestly an impressive first release for the Yuzusoft Sour imprint and a game I loved playing despite my minor gripes with the translation consistency. So those who are interested in diving into a unique sci-fi narrative look no further.

Melty Blood: TYPE LUMINA is an incredibly enjoyable fighting game that you will have a good time playing online, even on the Switch. The updates offered in this version make it an even more competitive fighter as it introduces high skill-level mechanics along with accessible options for players looking to play as their favorite characters.

The concept behind Evertried is compelling as an idea. You get to strategically fight your way to determine what becomes of your afterlife. In addition, you can maybe learn about what happened to you in your past life as a warrior. But the gameplay and execution leave much to be desired. The art style and music shine, but the combat mechanics are limited in nature, and there aren’t many reasons for me to click “Ascend” and replay the game.

There was a lot of love put into crafting this Lovecraftian visual novel. I felt the need to keep reading, wondering just what supernatural influence was affecting the city this time. The exceptional writing brings out the geek in me that I never knew I had when it comes to this kind of mythology. The dark and gritty atmosphere, combined with the pleasing visuals and soundtrack, engrossed me into the bizarre life of this bookstore owner. He can’t leave Hermitage, and I didn’t want to either.

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi might be the best dungeon-crawling RPG from Experience yet. It takes sound genre fundamentals to perfection and then implements novel concepts that add further depth to the gameplay variety and design. To help matters, there are numerous quality-of-life features to welcome modern RPG fans into the fold. Granted, it does look dated from a presentation standpoint, and it demands a great deal of grind and backtracking, but this is proof of how this genre can still evolve with modern systems.

Black Widow: Recharged is a welcome return of an Atari classic that kind of got lost in time. The original game was already an addictive and sublime twin-stick shooter, to begin with, and the visual and gameplay facelift in this release turns it up several notches. You can’t go wrong here, especially if you’re after an excellent shooter with great controls. The techno style and various challenges add to the replay value, and there’s always the appeal to burn a few minutes in arcade mode, especially if you’re going to have a place on the leaderboards. If you’re a fan of old-school gaming or have been picking up these Atari remakes anyway, then Black Widow: Recharged is a no-brainer as arguably the best release in the series yet.

Abaddon: Princess of the Decay can be a frustrating experience if you’re not looking for a challenging RPG for your next romp into the eroge horror genre. However, it’s an interesting experience that I can’t say I’ve had in a while. The game manages to provide moments of tension and real stakes for these characters but requires a lot of player investment to see see the nightmares it has to share.

HaremKingdom has some of the best comedic writing of any moege available. It takes familiar tropes and presents them in a hysterical way that only a group of writers who truly understand their audience can produce. The loser protagonist angle does hurt this experience, but this is undoubtedly the ultimate fanservice for those who need the legendary harem route to be the entire game.

Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut is a must-play Metroidvania that boasts an enjoyable gameplay loop of continual discovery, well-designed enemies, and a charming presentation. If you haven’t managed to play this version via its other release platforms, this is an opportune time to do so. You can’t ever go wrong with Shantae, and hopefully, many more gamers come to appreciate the infectiously exuberant splendor that this game radiates.

Where Cards Fall is full of surprises as it has the presentation of a simplistic puzzle game but offers so much more in terms of story beats, beautifully crafted environments, and unique puzzle mechanics. This labor of love has become a memorable gaming experience to me that doesn’t push metaphorical ideals onto the player to figure out during table discussions. Instead, we have an emotional adventure following a character’s life that you don’t have to relate to to feel connected to their journey.

Tales of Luminaria would have benefited from a beta period where the development team could have heard and addressed concerns before launch, but they seem to be listening. The bigger issue is that you only get one first impression, and while the scope of this project for its platform is notably impressive, it’s just not much to write home about right now. Tales of Luminaria will be getting weekly episode updates, which is sorely needed because of the lack of launch content. Ultimately, it needs more polish and genuine care to shine as best as it can.

Ninki Seiyuu: How to Make a Pop Voice Actress is an interesting visual novel based in reality to provide readers with a look at the behind-the-scenes trials that some voice actors could encounter. The characters and situations are relatable, but there’s still a sense of coincidence to sell the romance and plot. The routes themselves are largely uninteresting, but the characters and supporting cast really carry this experience, which is only made better by the beautiful designs.

The Oath of the Dark Magic Queen serves as a competent visual novel for those looking for a cliche fantasy narrative with lewd interactions. There’s a low price of entry for a quick read, but this one won’t last long in your memory bank. There’s a lack of world-building and a substantial plot that makes this all about Omaylas’ assets, but I feel that that’s why any would read this in the first place.

Kimagure Temptation is a surprisingly solid title that offers not only erotic antics but also a compelling mystery, golden pieces of humor, and cute interactions. This is a complete package that, despite its short length, was rather enjoyable. It may only have one heroine, but Anneliese plays the role valiantly and becomes all one needs, but perhaps I’m just under her spell. Oh, well.

Castle of Shikigami 2 has always been an obscure title in the shmup genre, but this new release shows it at its best. I enjoyed the added modes that go beyond a simple Arcade Mode, and the updated localization makes it easier to take this title seriously. Of course, the challenge is high in the later levels, but this is one shmup that I’m glad to see thriving in this new generation.

Love Flute‘s gameplay is dull, and the lack of connection between a story about music and the music in the story feels like a missed opportunity. Taken purely as a visual novel, though, the good balance of slice-of-life comedy to heartfelt dramatic moments, driven by skillfully voiced characters, does make for an enjoyable short read.

While I do enjoy a good romance, the lack of visual flair combined with Miracle Snack Shop’s inability to pull out any sort of immersive writing had me bouncing off this title hard. I’m sure some people would like it for its low-stress setup and waifu elements, but ultimately, I never felt like it had the writing chops to get people invested in its cast or narrative.

Re;Lord 2 ~The witch of Cologne and black cat~ is a terrific erotic visual novel excelling in engaging storytelling coupled with standout, compelling characterization. Further, the appealing sound design and simple yet addictive combat solidify the quality of this experience. Even with potential monotony that may arise during the mindless gameplay loop, it’s damn enjoyable. Still, playing the first game is highly advised to get the most out of this sequel, so be sure to check that out first if Re;Lord 2 interests you.

The Kids We Were is an adorable adventure about family, friendship, and personal growth. The game sophisticatedly fuses the supernatural tales with real-world events where each chapter feels like an episode of an anime. It’s brief in some aspects, which highlights its minimalist presentation. And, sure, the story becomes almost insanely haphazard and heavy-handed through its science fiction-based narrative dumps, but it comes together nicely as a package.

The Humbling of a Holy Maiden is an explicit, niche, kinky visual novel through and through. While the writing is somewhat bearable, it’s later eroded to adjectives and fleshy nouns. This becomes a rather messy Nukige, where it’s tough to connect to the characters. Sure, it hits a lot of different kinks, but it mostly feels like it’s just checking off the boxes then attempting any natural flow for its narrative.

I find Rewrite+ to be a masterful visual novel through and through. From its charming characters, tense narrative, and quality sound design. Any fan of the genre should experience this title. Even when taking the western release version into account, patches will surely fix the issues, but that doesn’t limit the pure joy this game offers...Hopefully, Harvest Festa releases sooner rather than later and is in a polished state.

Hashihime of the Old Book Town Append is a game that deserves its cult following, offering an intriguing mystery story with multiple layers of interpretation. Though not all routes are as well developed, this is a visual novel that all BL fans should give a try. Now that it’s available on the Switch, there’s more reason to head down the rabbit hole of this mysterious adventure.

For whatever flaws are apparent in Democracy 4’s base game, it is the only game out there that depicts the densely interconnected system of mechanics that influence our political system. It fulfills a fantasy you can’t get anywhere else in video games — and certainly nowhere else in life. This is why no matter how many criticisms I can list for Democracy 4, I find myself returning to it over and over. That doesn’t necessarily make it a good game, but if it’s the type of game you’d enjoy, there’s simply nothing else like it.

The VII Enigma‘s unusual time travel mechanics should please fans of the genre, but it doesn’t make the best use of its format, and the bland writing and frontloaded info-dumping don’t do a great job of drawing the reader into the story. Instead, it feels a bit like a prototype of a more interesting visual novel — a disappointing experience that nevertheless left me wanting more.

Drifting: Weight of Feathers is not a horrid experience everybody should avoid at all costs. It’s clearly not backed by a substantial budget or team, so it’s worth keeping that in mind. Still, those seeking fulfilling puzzle parkour experiences should find their fill elsewhere, as this title is really only meant for those who are desperately searching for something new. The lack of music, questionable story implementation, and awkward presentation don’t help matters either.