While other games like Tiller’s Overland Campaign are more detailed and accurate, games like Civil War 1864 fill two essential roles for the gaming industry. First, the seemingly simple nature of play serves as an introduction to new gamers by providing them with the feel of an era and giving them insight into the mechanics of a period’s combat. For all of its tap and go feel, this game does a fine representation of what went on during the most bloody summer of the American Civil War. Secondly, this game genre provides relief for veteran gamers from drawn-out and detail-heavy games. We need to get back once in a while to that just one more turn feel. Hexwar’s games does both of these tasks in very accessible fashion. No historical gamer should fall for the trap that, just because the mechanics are the same, every Hexwar game is the same. A look at their Civil War series shows that maps and objectives are sculpted to faithfully represent the situation for each year. Given the limitation of the engine, this approach represents an accomplishment we can all appreciate.

Getting the Phantom Thieves back together for some fast-paced Musou-style combat is incredibly fun. And while it doesn’t quite scratch the turn-based itch, Strikers excels in other aspects.

An engaging game of space exploration, but the theme/humour are an acquired taste.

Cavern of Dreams is the game Spyro fans have been waiting for. It’s an adorable game that throws you back to the N64 and PlayStation era for games, featuring a simple but sweet story, fun platforming segments, and cute world design.

Bézier Games have an innovative approach to allocating development resources, with an engaging campaign but no online multiplayer in this adaptation of the highly-regarded tabletop successor to Suburbia.

If you can weather Six Ages' raw approach to immersion, you will find yourself taking one of the most thrilling narrative & strategy journeys on mobile.

Inmost is a short yet powerful adventure that tackles difficult themes in a delicate manner, through a haunting story about pain and loss. The pixelated graphics lend themselves to an unsettling atmosphere, while the sound design complements the gameplay and surroundings quite nicely.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is an outstanding life sim with in-depth farming aspects, adorable romance options, and gorgeous ferrets. However, the fiddly controls and backtracking can be tedious.

Temtem offers a monster-taming title that has enough to tear us away from the king of the genre, with an attention to detail across all elements from monster design to competitive online battles. With a little more charm, and a few quality-of-life improvements to the solo experience and the MMO aspect, this could be the closest the Pokémon series has ever come to a real challenge to its monster-taming monopoly.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel delivers what all duellists have been waiting for, as well as a surprise standout solo mode that relieves itself from the shackles of the anime. With quality deck-building mechanics, intuitive duelling, and an impressive roster of available cards, it’s only the test of time that this free-to-play game still has to ace.

Sushi Go! could be a bit more feature rich, but this is a very satisfying and visually pleasing adaptation of the card game for which there isn’t currently much comparison in the app store.

SRPGs don’t generally have very strong or interesting AI, but Templar Battleforce is trying to be a deeply tactical SRPG, and the one-trick AI can break one’s sense of immersion even as it presents a rough-edged challenge. Even so, the varied maps, missions, foes, and extensive character customization keep things interesting throughout the extensive campaign.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an impressive Nintendo Switch 2 port, with glorious visuals in docked mode and solid handheld performance. I’ve got a couple of quibbles with the gameplay itself, especially in the early stealth-oriented missions, and there are a few rough moments in transitions between cutscenes and gameplay. However, I’d still recommend this version to anyone looking for a quest that lives up to the legacy of this iconic franchise.

The game starts feeling like a traditional adventure game, but its conversation trees are mostly for flavor (like obvious influence Kentucky Route Zero) and its puzzles all revolve around amateur botany. It’s occasionally awkward to control, especially the lengthy plant encyclopedia that is inexplicably indexless. But for players looking for a unique interactive story, Mutazione should be your first stop on Arcade.

A heartwarming story of love against all odds. Traversal can be tedious, but Haven makes up for it with some charming characters and an adorable lizard companion.

This mobile gem offers all basketball fans the optimal NBA experience. It looks just as good as any console version, and plays so smoothly, that scoring three-pointers has never felt so satisfying.

Fishing Vacation is a fine throwback to the videogame days of old, with a short yet full run time and three endings, you get your money’s worth. Whatsmore, the game is charming, offers a foreboding atmosphere, and has a story that’s sure to keep even the most seasoned horror fans intrigued.

Any fan of either Puzzle Quest or Magic: The Gathering would do well to check the game out.

Ultimately, we think Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a fantastic festive gift for a younger audience; particularly if you and your fellow parent friends can group up to get karts for your four kids. It’s a game that sparkles with creativity, and kids will easily lose hours to this while creating ever more outrageous courses.

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter finds a rightful place on the Nintendo Switch with a welcome update to its once-awful control scheme, vibrant visual sheen, and an engaging story for hardcore fans and newcomers alike.

If you’ve played through the previous installments, picking up the fourth is a no-brainer. You’ll bump into characters you’ve met along your journey and use items you nabbed way back in the Shamutanti Hills. If you’re a newbie, it’s still worth the price of admission, but I would recommend picking up the entire series and starting from scratch to get the most out of it. Otherwise, it’s a bit like reading about the Battle of the Pelennor Fields without having sat through the Council of Elrond (spoilers?).

Marvel Snap is a solid CCG that features great gameplay with satisfying deck building, and a heap of heroes and villains that can make a real difference on the battlefield.

An accomplished multiplayer experience that feels a little directionless when playing alone.

Wylde Flowers is a wonderfully witchy farming life sim with an enchanting story to tell. Soak up the chill vibes and relaxing atmosphere of Fairhaven, as you get close to its residents, get a handle on your own magic powers, and reveal the secrets of this sunny seaside town.

Star Realms follow-up Cthulhu Realms brings a zany take on dark summonings and evil magic to the deck-building genre. It's not exactly chocolate and peanut butter, but if pineapple and ham pizza can be good, so can this.

Tomb Raider 2013 is a joy to play on iOS, with it running really well on my iPhone 13. It features various graphics presets to suit your preferences, and has touch controls that are truly accessible thanks to comprehensive customization options.

Though its puzzles can be quick to complete, Inked is an amazing story of love and loss that questions what people are willing to do for the ones they care about.

An impressive port that struggles with performance issues towards the end of the game, Wild Hearts S delivers an action-packed twist on this sub-genre of ARPGs, and the brilliant Karakuri adds a great element of strategy to the tried-and-true monster hunting fun.