Pronty is a fun underwater metroidvania, with a sprawling map sprinkled with fun yet unforgiving bosses and a unique combat system. Its story is simple, but has a clear environmental message that resonates without being laid on too thick.

Even with an inconveniently designed save system, Lunark is a game I’ll look back fondly on for reaching the highest of highs. It’s easily one of my favorite titles in recent years, one I’ll undoubtedly revisit. A must-play for cinematic platformer fans, Lunark’s full of surprises, bound to leave lasting positive impressions with players. If this is indie studio Canari Games’ first release, I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC is an absolute triumph that everyone should play. It’s one of the few times we get a DLC to a modern game that absolutely nails the classic gaming franchise it took inspiration from. The game looks, sounds, and absolutely plays like a classic Castlevania adventure. The soundtrack will leave you jamming in your head for hours at iconic Castlevania tunes. Its overall shorter game length will ultimately disappoint you, as the DLC is so good you wish it didn’t end as soon as it does.

The price may be a bit high for a cartoonish card game, but Pirates Outlaws is fun and light-hearted. Better, it has good playability and re-playability with its numerous locations and different heroes to engage in epic battles.

Mayhem in Single Valley has the potential to be more than what it is. The premise is clever, but the execution didn’t work for me. However, the graphics and music are certainly up to par.

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.

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.

Pupperazzi is just as cute as it sounds. Taking photos of dogs is easy and fun, though its simplicity may result in a lack of follow-through. Still, there’s something endearing and relaxing about snapping pics of happy pooches.

POST VOID takes you on a nightmare-ish trip (wink) to a place where violence is the answer. This addicting and adrenaline-pumping game is a solid addition to Nintendo’s FPS library. It is short yet offers plenty of replayability as void jumping takes a lot of determination, skill and speed. It is a nod at shooters reminiscent of titles from the ‘80s and scratches that itch for something to play in bursts or put in the time to speed through in one go without the need to gamble all of your spare quarters.

The horror adventure game, Bramble: The Mountain King, effectively contrasts terrifying imagery with the pastoral scenery of its Nordic setting. Horror isn’t generally my thing, but the compelling story and captivating music were more than enough to carry me through this dark tale.

Kraino Origins is a brief platforming game that allows plenty of room for replayability. It’s challenging enough to keep going without wanting to rage quit. The graphics are charming, the music is fun, and the controls are simple and smooth.

Gripper combines adrenaline-pumping race sections with top-down boss fights. The high difficulty provides a challenge, though the gameplay sometimes works against itself to make it a little too difficult. The impressive soundtrack stands out, however this title is unlikely to have you coming back to after your umpteenth deathstroke.

Flame Keepers fast paced combat system is the best part about this game. I really enjoyed running around and testing out all of my new skills and abilities on the various monsters lurking around. The downside is, it can feel repetitive at times which may cause players to lose interest, especially if they find the game to be difficult.

Curse of the Sea Rats is a 2D platformer adventure game in which you fight enemies and upgrade your abilities while searching for the evil pirate witch who turned your party into rats. Exploring new areas and defeating the witch’s crew is fun throughout the course of the game, and is definitely worth a play-through for those patient enough to deal with its difficulty.

My gaming acumen recognizes Rakuen: Deluxe Edition as a high-quality release that checks most of the right boxes. At the same time, this is a title I simply never want to play again and am anxious to forget. Its heavy-handed final act is unpleasantly predictable, making a game that felt fresh feel paradoxically clichéd. People grieve differently, and many will meld with this finished product. But I’m left saying it’s a good game that’s not for me: too bitter without enough sweetness to offset it.

Remnant: From The Ashes is a unique take on the Souls-like genre, blending 3rd-person shooting gameplay with the challenging combat of a Dark Souls game. It surprisingly works and offers something new to the endless Souls-like games that are out there. The issue with Remnant: From The Ashes is that if you don’t like Souls-like games, this isn’t the game to change your mind. Plus, the Switch port is rough to look at and harder to play due to technical issues. If you absolutely want a unique Souls-like experience and only own a Switch, Remnant: From The Ashes could be worth checking out.

Metal Slug 2 is a classic run-and-gun game with plenty of action. It’s a tough game, but that’s the point, and you’ll certainly have fun wading through hordes of soldiers and trying new weapons, especially with a buddy in co-op mode.

The action in Kung Fury: Street Rage – Ultimate Edition is as basic as can be for an ’80s-inspired arcade brawler, but it captures the tone of the source material (not to mention many of the characters) in a manner that’ll please fans of the original short film.

Kana Quest is a cute, friendly game that aims to teach you kana character recognition as you work through its numerous match-em puzzles. Some may be put off by the unfamiliar Japanese alphabet, but those who are willing to learn (or just want an additional challenge) should have fun picking up the basics of kana recognition and pronunciation.

Overall, the gameplay in DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos got repetitive, and the lack of multiplayer in the story mode was a bummer. However, this title is a solid beat-’em-up with amazing voice acting and comical script writing.

Perseverance is a dark visual novel capturing three stories in one release. The typos and glitches are distracting, but the solid story and neat visuals will keep you entertained. A few more options would also go a long way.

Heirs of the Kings plays everything a little too safely. It moves from one retro JRPG trope to the next, but doesn’t provide the player with much incentive to do so beyond checking the boxes along the way.

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is a short but sweet point-and-click horror adventure that uses the setting, style and folklore of Victorian Britain to immerse you in a distinctly creepy plot.

There’s a great game waiting to be checked out from The Library of Babel, but it’s currently buried under platforming puzzles that are too annoying to be fun. It’s a beautiful game with a compelling story, but it needs some difficulty adjustments to let the fun parts save the day.

Ib is a surprising experience people should check out if they want a pixel-art title with an extremely creepy atmosphere. Ib makes you feel uncomfortable around every corner and builds tension whenever you go near any painting. The puzzles, the main “meat and potatoes” of Ib are also quite clever, even if a few of them lose the cleverness for a trial-and-error approach. That said, Ib is an extremely short game that feels like it was made for a specific audience. If you hear pixel-art, horror-like titles and are excited by the sound of Ib, you may enjoy Ib. If those words don’t immediately get you intrigued, then you might be best to look somewhere else for your next game.

The tactical RPG Redemption Reapers doesn’t have any serious issues, but it does suffer from the little death of a thousand paper cuts. With a few minor adjustments, this could be a really good game. As it stands, it’s just an OK game with a very good soundtrack.

Elderand offers what you expect from a metroidvania. It is an addition to the genre offering no more or less of a solid experience.

Papertris is solid for its budget price. While I would’ve liked more options (and a consistent challenge), it’s a game built off classics. Local and online leaderboards help, too.