Endling: Extinction is Forever is a good game for survival fans and another reminder that humans suck. The story evokes a lot of emotion and tough choices. Overall this is a bitter-sweet game. The story is bitter, and the gameplay is sweet.

If you’re looking for the ultimate cozy game, Tiny Bookshop is definitely one to check out. It’s slow-paced, but has wonderful visual aesthetics and easy-to-manage gameplay mechanics.

I still enjoyed this game for the way it offered some youthful nostalgia. It delivers a definite challenge. But LA-MULANA 2 is cut from the same cloth and does very little that’s different from the first. While that doesn’t make the game bad, it does make it frustrating.

While hardly the most exciting package, Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics is big on quantity. Unfortunately, the quality can’t always match, with multiplayer restrictions and online lag being among the most sizable concerns. Solo Players probably won’t find this one long-lasting, but families will fare better. Even if this won’t be your first choice for gatherings, a decent time should still ensue.

If you’re a genre fan, Unravel Two would be a very good choice, even more so if you have someone to enjoy its puzzles with via co-op. While some of its choices didn’t quite hit the bullseye – much of the folk music clashes with the on-screen action – it offers a solid amount of high-quality content. And again, Unravel Two will leave you thinking, which is another plus.

Arcade Paradise—a mashup business sim / retro arcade throwback—is one of those indie gems you look forward to telling other people about. If you’re a fan of the ’80s laser and chrome aesthetic, put on your puffy jacket and download it today.

Overall, Fuga: Melodies of Steel is a charming, beautiful, and challenging game that shows just how determined a child can be in the face of seemingly impossible odds. The love these children have for their parents is truly unstoppable.

Shatter Remastered Deluxe takes the simple block-breaking concept and adds its own twist. With many modes, a fun mechanic, and varied level design, this addictive score chaser is worth a visit.

Is this 22-year-old game worth your time? Absolutely. There’s a reason why it’s being re-released for cutting-edge systems, and if you’re willing to engage with its idiosyncrasies, old-school mechanics and graphics, and interface oddities, there’s a frankly wonderful story that will grab you while also allowing you to understand how many other games it has influenced.

Monomals may look like a sleeper from an indie studio, but it hits a lot of the right notes for gamers looking for some action platformer fun with a musical twist. You get good game play, plenty of time and replay, and an outlet for your creative side.

But even with a couple of missteps, I’m still scoring Crow Country highly. The story engrosses, and the puzzles challenge without being too ridiculous. The game is long enough to be rewarding but not so long as to make replay intimidating. And the retro horror may even make you jump a couple of times, in teen-rated fashion. The Snipperclips devs have done considerably good work here, and anyone who predicted otherwise can eat crow.

Those with no interest in the Japanese idol industry may be alienated by how deeply Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE: Encore digs into it (I’m sure I missed a lot of jokes), but I can’t imagine there are Nintendo gamers out there who aren’t interested in Japanese entertainment. Don’t seek this one out specifically as a Fire Emblem game, but fans of Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, or JRPGs in general should love it.

Paradise Killer offers more style than substance, but that’s not necessarily a fault. It’s a choice. The game’s unique characters and story are open throughout gameplay and beyond completion, tasking you with solving a gory murder through low-pressure investigations and…well, hoping you were right.

Aviary Attorney: Definitive Edition is very replayable, with many branching dialogue chains and three different endings. Its 19th-century world and characters are too charming to not want to see again.

If you’ve never heard of Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams, that’s no reason to ignore Cotton Reboot! You need not be a retro gamer to appreciate this shoot ’em up’s excellent arcade/action gameplay, you just need to be a fan of cute, upbeat fun.

Overall, Tevi is a beautiful-looking side-scrolling metroidvania with bullet hell and RPG elements. A heavy load of dialogue slows things down initially, but there’s a deep game hiding beneath the surface with satisfying action and gameplay.

Capcom delivers an aesthetically pleasing world that’s fun to explore in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. Whether riding your monster, scaling cliffs, swimming, or digging, the game offers variety that keeps you busily exploring. The plot and some gameplay systems can feel slower-paced at times. But a likable cast and entertaining side quests bring balance.

Darkest Dungeon II provides an extremely challenging, roguelike adventure for fans turn-based combat games. The difficulty will turn away some players, but those who stick with it will be rewarded by fun gameplay and a compelling story set in an astoundingly designed world.

Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile translates its ’70s setting into a fun audio-visual package. The mysterious characters (fully voiced) are well-developed, giving the game a page-turning quality. You’ll want to see them reach their conclusions, no matter the outcome. A few well-meaning but ultimately unfortunate choices knock the game down from great to just good, and I suspect this will fare less positively with Christie purists, given some of the liberties. But I think most players will get their money’s worth at $39.99, and the game’s replay value only sweetens the deal. The overall experience delivers an uneven, albeit high-quality, memorable mystery adventure.

The Legend of Tianding is a beautiful sidescrolling beat ’em up that deserves to receive more attention than it’s getting. Its comic book art style carries through from the story to the gameplay. The action is fast-paced, the level designs well thought out, and the boss battles are challenging but fun. If you’re a fan of kung fu movies, you need to add The Legend of Tianding to your library.

Wunderling is a challenging and fun puzzle platformer. With smooth controls and unique level designs, it’s hard not to say, “one more try.”

To do today: get up, brush teeth, follow strange dream about a deer and head off to the cursed castle to see what happens. Sounds like a plan, so what could possibly go wrong? Well, we all know the answer to that question, don’t we? In Operencia, you take off on a journey of exploration, adventure, and heroic deeds—not to mention monsters and mayhem. If you enjoy turn based RPGs, this one is worth checking out.

Might & Magic – Clash of Heroes: Definitive Edition’s nearly perfect combination of puzzle and RPG elements make for engrossing gameplay that’s only occasionally hampered by frustration with the components that involve random luck. Whether this is your first playthrough or a double (or even triple) dip, it’s not to be missed.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak takes a while to get moving, but is otherwise as J as JRPGs can get. A new cast of characters and the new settings make it more accessible than previous Trails releases on the Switch, and gameplay tweaks will please those who don’t enjoy the grind of turn-based combat and complex party management.

Fly TOGETHER! is a chaotic puzzle game to play with friends in various ways. The controls are responsive, but the game gets repetitive after a little while.

As a whole, the Nintendo Switch version of Sifu is very good. The action fighting game has a reliable theme, good visual elements, interesting combat with smooth mechanics, a decent challenge level with a multitude of controls/moves, and a solid story.

I had a blast from my day to day activities and my time spent with it didn’t feel like nearly enough. I will be playing this long after reviewing it. Rune Factory enthusiasts, as well as newcomers, should certainly give this a go.

Overall, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar is a faithful remake with great music and fun gameplay. This Nintendo Switch 2 Edition addresses stuttering seen on the original Switch when things are too busy on screen, and the framerate improvements make the game run much better and smoother. It’s like going from a DVD to Blu-ray, albeit at $10 more, as it’s priced at $59.99 on Switch 2. I’d still recommend this game (on either platform) to all STORY OF SEASONS fans, and highly recommend it to fans of Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar, as it is a well-done remake that carries the spirit of the original.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is massive. It’s massively fun and massively rewarding. Fans of JRPGs can get delightfully lost in its deep story, its numerous characters, and its battle system that provides a ridiculous amount of options for customization. Just make sure you’ve played Trails of Cold Steel III (and have at least read up on I and II).

When compared with the plentiful amount of action-RPGs already on the Nintendo Switch Torchlight II can seem like a bit of an afterthought. But while its story has a poor endgame, it offers a cute aesthetic with plenty of charm. Panic Button has done a great job once again with porting, and those new to the genre will find plenty to entertain at a fair price.

With over 100 levels to battle through, plenty of loot to collect, numerous bosses to take down and even some prisoners to rescue, Barbearian will keep even the most seasoned of adventurers very busy and highly entertained for quite some time. Besides, who doesn’t like hacking at sword-wielding skeletons?

Although the improv gameplay of What the Dub?! is somewhat basic and repetitive, it presents numerous opportunities for MST3K-style hilarity. You don’t need to be a fan of movies to enjoy this party game; you just need to be quick-witted (or have funny friends).

Okinawa Rush is a fun albeit repetitive game whose nonstop fighting action shows why the SNES era was so great. Fantastic retro vibes in terms of music, too.

If you’re looking for something that’s creepy without being violent are gory, the puzzle game Smile for Me is for you. It effectively uses its low-fi graphics and video to create a point-and-click adventure that unnerves you without resorting to jump scares and violence.

The visuals and roguelike elements of World of Horror combine to create a wholly unique experience for Switch users. The gameplay loop does become repetitive rather quickly, but the short gaming sessions and changing relationship between events make this a successful and scary diversion from the norm.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma’s greatest accomplishment is its ability to pile so many gameplay elements into one big adventure, and to make all of them feel integral and organic. Whether you’re farming, fighting, exploring, or romancing, every task—like the game itself—feels like it’s worth completing.

For fans of Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, and a host of platforming classics, it’s hard not to recommend Berserk Boy. The plot may not turn heads, but the fluid controls and presentation should. Will this game make you “Go Berserk?” Perhaps. Here’s hoping for an 8-bit demake to follow.

BAKERU is a light-hearted action game that’s as vibrant and boisterous as the festival you’re tasked with quelling. The combat can feel repetitive across the game’s 50+ levels, but there’s enough to learn and do to keep players pushing ahead in this rollicking adventure through fairy tale Japan.

Arranger is a creative outing with a perfectly balanced sense of adventure. The light-hearted tone is coupled with the unique sliding mechanic to present something different and, most importantly, fun. This is a title worth checking out.

If you already own some of these, or if crafting isn’t your cup of tea, that’s something to consider. But if you’re an RPG fan, the Atelier Dusk Trilogy Deluxe Pack is well worth the time and money spent, and will be enjoyed.

There is plenty to do and see in this game that justifies the price of entry. However, Black Book’s most valuable asset is the rich setting and lore that it showcases with pride.

For history buffs, especially the military history wonks, Company of Heroes Collection falls in “must-have” territory. The game has multiple difficulty levels so you can ease your way into it and replay for a while to test your skills, and the Switch control system doesn’t get in the way as much as you might expect. If you like a good RTS or you like a good WWII game, this is a very good title to have in your Switch library.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD gives a misunderstood title in Nintendo’s celebrated franchise a well-earned second shot. If motion controls and lack of polish turned you off this game the first go around, now’s your chance to give this adventure a try. Like all great remakes, it’s got some serious QoL upgrades and not an insignificant amount of graphic upgrades as well.

Embracelet is a beautiful and emotional puzzle game with a focus on a story that explores maturity, identity and responsibility, both as an individual and as a global community.

Littlewood is so gosh darn cozy. From the charming characters to the low-stakes RPG fun, there’s plenty to love in this interesting entry in the farm-sim genre. It may be the only game of its kind that is truly “pick up and play.” Or, like me, you can sink in plenty of hours and get lost in all that cuteness.

Penko Park is an adventure game that combines creepy and cute. You visit an abandoned wildlife park where you must get photos of the creatures who live there. The game is super fun and comforting, providing a great way to help pass some free time.

While it has some needless gore and pacing baggage, MO: Astray is a success on the whole. The gameplay’s unique and varied, the world’s intriguing and fully realized, the bosses are memorable, and the challenge is addictive. Impressive stuff.

Despite its pitfalls, Dicefolk was one of the more fun roguelikes I’ve played. It successfully tantalized me with the idea that this might be the time that I managed to pull a team together, after crushing me again and again.

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom The Prince’s Edition is a complete package for any JRPG fan. The world is fleshed out, its genuine joy to experience, the characters are interesting but Ni No Kuni II’s biggest strength is the gameplay. It constantly keeps on giving, but it never overwhelms.

Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid provides a gaming adventure as cozy as its name. Its stakes may be low, but it packs in plenty to accomplish and will have players feeling nostalgic for a time they may have never even experienced.

Tin Hearts offers puzzle gamers a touching story and plenty of challenges across its 40+ levels, some of which are quite lengthy and rewarding. However, user interface issues, inconsistent graphics, and a few odd development decisions make toy time a little less fun than it could have been.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is a fun, addictive experience, provided you have the time and patience for it. If you’re a fan of the original games or world building games in general, this is definitely one to add to your list.

Arise: A Simple Story should be recognised as a beautiful and touching story, no matter its short length. It’s a heartwarming and truly captivating journey – providing you allow yourself to be immersed in the narrative. With the stop/start nature of the loading screens and the long-winded gameplay, this can be hard but definitely worth pushing through.

It is a shame Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy doesn’t do anything special for today’s age of gaming, but everything that is done, is flawless. The graphics aren’t anything special, but they are crisp and get the job done. While I wish more were added, such as rotational storytelling, the franchise itself might need a possible reboot to better fit in with modern-day elements. Perhaps an open world-based game with visual storytelling elements like text at the bottom?

Nowhere Prophet combines a well-structured card battler with an intense story and a gorgeous art style to create a deck-building roguelike with genuine depth.

In the visual novel adventure Winds of Change, you play as a hero who is meant to save your land. Throughout the game, you must make difficult decisions, explore your surroundings, discover secrets, and build relationships with those around you. With an interesting story with lots to interact with, this game is definitely one to play.

Game Dev Tycoon is the business simulation strategy game you never knew you needed, providing smooth controls, well-balanced management, and fun gameplay.

While not a fully deep experience for those familiar to the genre, Image & Form’s first attempt at a card-based RPG still pays off in spades with a satisfying gameplay hook and journey that oozes with colorful charm.

Dawn of the Monsters should be on your list if you’re looking for a great co-op kaiju beat ’em up. The beautiful artwork and range of different characters and abilities will have you changing up who you pick until you find the one that fits your play style. Boss battles are tough but manageable, but they will require you to customize your character with the different augments best suited to the fight. I’ve been playing solo and with my kids, who absolutely love playing as a giant beast, smashing through the landscape, and taking out the monsters. And frankly, who wouldn’t love that?

Ray’z Arcade Chronology does what it should as a shmup. Lots of things shoot at you and you shoot at lots of things as you learn the required patterns. There’s desperation and frustration to overcome as you deal with the copious dying. And it all leads to the thrill of finally taking out the boss. While not every aspect of the game is stellar for what it contributes, this is a fun collection that’s worthy of a spot in your Switch library.

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! is an enjoyable and adorable game. It has charm, and plenty of content, and features. I would say its price at $9.99 to be a fine deal and worth getting if you enjoy puzzle platformers.

Catherine: Full Body is a fun and unique puzzle game with a story that is fine if you don’t interrogate it too closely.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes carries enough of Three Houses to appeal to that game’s fans even if they’re not into the hack-and-slash of Musou games. Warriors fans should like it, too. If your Fire Emblem fandom reaches further back than the 3DS, however, you’ll once again have to grin and bear all the fluff.

Even though The Red Strings Club is in a pixelated genre which is oversaturated, the story all but makes up for it. I would recommend this despite its controls for anyone on a budget looking for a great story-telling game, and for all sci-fi/cyberpunk fans.

Fire Emblem: Engage will be welcomed by longtime fans who’ve felt disenfranchised by the direction of recent Fire Emblem games. The battlefields are clever and challenging, the visuals are outstanding, and the social stuff—although mostly unnecessary—isn’t so invasive as to bog down gameplay. The story may be perfunctory, but it’s hard to care when you’re having so much fun unleashing Twin Strike on your enemies.

Dungeons of Dreadrock is a fun tribute to the earliest generation of dungeon crawler puzzle games that combines fun puzzles with a cute rescue story.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza & the Lost Demon is a charming action/puzzle game. Hardcore Bayonetta fans may not have much interest in seeing their heroine during her formative early years, but their loss is the gain of anyone seeking a wonderfully presented and consistently clever adventure.

Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled is an awesome remake I would love to have played more of…if I were able to. I’m really hoping for an update or some word from Activision support so I can really get into the game and play some online matches.

While Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream does nothing totally different as a sequel, the streamlined crafting and simplified combat system allow players to be more invested in the story without becoming bogged down in complex game mechanics. For long-time fans, however, those mechanics are still available.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon bends and cracks under the weight of what it must carry as we begin the final chapters of this massive story. But its components—familiar and new—hold up well enough to entertain those who have followed the series so far.

Vitamin Connection is pretty much a unique concept, so if you’re looking for a game that’s hard to compare to others, this one should be near the top of your wishlist. Just keep in mind that, much like actual vitamins, this game is best in small doses. Also, if you’re a solo player, be mindful that backtracking and encountering difficulty spikes through maze-like bodies is best when tackled as a pair.

Nuclear Blaze is an absolute blast. The 2D platforming and fire-based puzzles keep you on your toes while unraveling a mystery. There’s something satisfying about clearing a room of flames, not to mention rescuing cute kittens. Despite its short runtime, this one comes highly recommended.

Overall, Promenade is a deceptively simple-looking title that’s full of things to do. There’s plenty of variety to keep you hooked, with challenging puzzles and platforming elements to conquer. It’s a sweet outing that’s super-satisfying to play.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince may be the best of the Trine series, and it certainly deserves your consideration. If it’s been a while since you’ve played Trine 1 or 2, by all means, dig in. But if you’re just now getting into the series via any of the multiple packages available, you may start to feel burnt out before finishing this particular chapter.

Stray is a post-apocalyptic story told from a feline’s perspective. It couples creepiness with tenderness, featuring many interesting characters and puzzles as you unravel the mystery of this dying world. The visuals and audio are delightful, and the story is satisfying to see through to completion. Well done!

Freedom Planet 2 is an enjoyable, creative, and pretty release overall. With a bit more polish and fleshing out in the writing, I feel it could be a truly amazing game. But as is, it’s definitely more expanded than the more simplistic first title.

Crown Trick is a cute dungeon crawler with a great sense of humour, lovely animation and plenty to discover to keep you coming back to take on the chaos.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a combination 2D side-scrolling combat game and 3D farming sim, and both elements are strong enough to stand on their own. You’ll need to master each to be successful, and you’ll have a fun time on both sides once you figure them out.

Revolgear Zero goes beyond the token shoot’ em up in many ways. Its weapon system has depth, and what it lacks in length, it makes up for in replayability. It’s a fun game to play solo, and even more fun in co-op. I’ll keep an eye on Bikkuri Software and hope their next Nintendo release will have its glitches ironed out.

There are some aspects of Pokémon Sword and Shield that feel like they’ll reach their full potential in the next generation, but overall the game is fun, pretty and has a universality to its appeal that is genuinely impressive.

There are some aspects of Pokémon Sword and Shield that feel like they’ll reach their full potential in the next generation, but overall the game is fun, pretty and has a universality to its appeal that is genuinely impressive.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War might be one of the most technically impressive games to come to Nintendo Switch in quite some time. With all the action on screen, the game manages to maintain a smooth and consistent experience regardless of how many enemies or online players are present. It’s a goofy, campy title that knows it’s goofy and steers into that goofiness throughout your adventure. It’s also unique in that it’s as much fun to play by yourself as it is to play with friends, although I have to admit playing with friends makes the experience a little more hysterical. While the character movement is too janky for its own good, this doesn’t ruin the experience at all. Put simply, if you’re looking for a good zombie shooter to play by yourself or with friends, then Zombie Army 4 must absolutely be at the top of your list.

Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited carry aspects of their age with them, but this bundle of two somewhat obscure RPGs still provides a deep, detailed, dungeon-crawling experience that is well-suited to the Switch handheld.

While DOOM Eternal is rated M for its gore and violence, there’s a lot about the gaming experience that makes it safer to play for teen and young adult audiences than the average, multiplayer competitors of its genre. And if there’s ever a day I need to just chainsaw through some demons, I know where I can turn.

Blazing Beaks has a great combination of challenge and humour, with an adorable art style and plenty of surprises.

BIT.TRIP FLUX is the game Pong would have become if better parents had raised it. This challenging arcade action rhythm game should be one of the first you get in the BIT.TRIP series, although there’s no real point in going back to BEAT if you do.

A Little Golf Journey oversells its “stunning” courses and struggles to stay fresh with a mostly safe approach, regardless of plot attempts. It’s the sort of game that did enough to make me want to keep going for a few hours, but not enough to finish, let alone 100% it. Lacking diversity, both aesthetically and gameplay-wise, it pales when compared to many other Switch golf titles. But, even with a subpar camera, the secrets are quite a bit of fun. Assuredly not $19.99 fun, though. The content is there, but the enjoyment and polish aren’t as much. Wishlist this one for a sale while you browse other relaxing games on the eShop, and wait for an improved follow-up.

Stilstand is an interactive graphic novel that accurately captures the minutiae of despair and loneliness through a darkly funny and absurdist story.

Basically an officially licensed version of What the Dub?!, RiffTrax: The Game succeeds as a creative/comedy party game by adding the familiar voices of the RiffTrax crew. A few gameplay tweaks improve the dialogue riffing formula, but more movie clips and some variation in the game’s rounds would keep the fun running longer.

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is an interactive novel featuring well-written dialogue and varied pathways, coupled with simple RPG elements. Much like a good book, this is one game that’s hard to put down.

Rytmos is a fun puzzle game. Regenerating the different planets, and making songs give the player a satisfying feeling. A little more of a challenge or maybe some different modes would have been great. But overall Rytmos is a great addition to any puzzle fans library.

A Tiny Sticker Tale is a cute game in which you play as a little donkey who explores new areas, collects many stickers, and helps people along the way. The explorative puzzle/adventure gameplay is super fun, and not too challenging; its simple style makes it easy to complete, leaving you feeling accomplished and happy.

As someone who grew up with NES platformers, Gimmick 2! feels like having a favorite dish at a new restaurant where they’ve tweaked the recipe by adding one or two new ingredients. I know I’ve had better, but it’s still tasty. While this challenging game doesn’t earn the broad recommendation I hoped for, it’s worth a long look for skilled platformer enthusiasts.

Winter Burrow is easily one of the cutest survival games out right now, expertly combining the tension of enduring a harsh environment with a cosy sense of home. The art is adorable, the characters are wholesome and the story is well-written and moving.

Overall, Time Flies is a unique adventure full of surprises. Don’t let the simple aesthetics and short runtime put you off; this is one of the most creative outings of the year.

There are some aspects of Pokémon Sword and Shield that feel like they’ll reach their full potential in the next generation, but overall the game is fun, pretty and has a universality to its appeal that is genuinely impressive.

Scott Pilgrim EX offers plenty of lighthearted fun, fast-paced fighting, character variety, and replay value. Any negatives are very minimal, and usually revolve around varying personal preferences. This is a worthy addition to your adventure/brawler library.

Players looking for a decent co-op or party game should be pleased. Urban Flow is rather enjoyable in co-op. However, players looking for a single-player game should look elsewhere.