Lost in Blue has its appeal, especially to those folks who enjoy the Harvest Moon series, or those who enjoyed Survival Kids on the GBC. There is comfort in repetition, and it's really not all that bad once you get the story rolling.

At the end of each character’s storyline is an “Inevitable Dialogue” between the character and someone involved in their traumatic past. As you select the right answers to the questions asked, the characters talk through their experiences and steel their newfound resolve to move forward. The importance placed here on communication only serves to drive the point home: it’s not just what you say but how you say it that determines if the message lands or not. Unfortunately, not all of Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo‘s interesting ideas always land.

For undying JRPG fans, SoD might be another great experience, but overall, it is another meal for Mediocrity.

Goodbye Deponia succeeds as the weakest entry in the franchise, with moments that rival the best. In many ways, this third entry has taken some tumbles, with neither puzzles nor characters as imaginative and challenging as the watermark left by its predecessor.

As the cold nights draw in, playing Ikenfell is like huddling round a little cauldron of warmth. It makes important steps in queer representation that I wish more games would do, and discusses mental health in worthwhile ways. It does all of this under a pleasant, charming veneer with fun combat and cute visuals, and while the game never does anything spectacular, the tone and addictive gameplay will definitely cast a spell on you.

Does Mages have me back with Anonymous;Code? I think so. That might be a surprising answer given everything I’ve said above, but I can see the bones of what the developer wanted to pull off here. There are some fun moments, and I enjoyed my time with it, but that outline of something better makes it clear that this game doesn’t live up to what it could have been. So, I once again live in hope, hope that the next time I load into a Science Adventure game, I can see their full ambitions realized.

Give this one a chance, especially if you're into this unique brand of games. If you were surprised by the quality of the new Pokémon games, or if you're a long-time Digimon fan, this might be a game worth playing.

After just one chapter, I'm not sure I'd put The Journey Down in the realm of classics like Grim Fandango, or with the best of its episodic contemporaries like The Walking Dead and Back to the Future. But it's worth the purchase price, and I will definitely keep an eye out for the next episode's release.

For anyone after a great little throwback to the glory days of point-and-click games, The Little Acre might just be your thing. I enjoyed my time with the game but came out disappointed due to its short playtime. I would've been happier had this game been a little bit longer, but this doesn't affect the quality of what's already present. If anything, The Little Acre is a fantastic starting point for Pewter Games Studios. If this is what they can do with a 60-minute game, then I can't wait to see what they can do with more.

I would love to say that Game of Thrones is a great introduction to George R. R. Martin's world, but that simply isn't the truth. There are quite a few references to A Song of Ice and Fire and only those who are already fans of the series will get a significant amount of joy out of this title. Solid combat and interesting gameplay systems prevent it from being a licensed throwaway, but don't expect a gaming masterpiece if you're not already rooting for one of the lords of the Seven Kingdoms.

Despite Pioneers of Olive Town’s blemishes, simply farming is as fun and rewarding as it’s always been. There’s no question as to why Story of Seasons has seen 25 years of success, and there’s no doubt that the series is making positive strides forward in allowing players the freedom such simulation games should offer. With the most robust customization system the series has seen to date, the freedom to marry whomever of the marriage candidates you like, and countless crops and animals to care for, Pioneers of Olive Town is a solid entry in the series. But I’m also left wondering why Pioneers of Olive Town excludes features from previous entries that could have alleviated some of its most glaring issues, such as Trio of Towns allowing you to pause time when reorganizing your farm and letting you move barns with the animals inside.

A competent, if unspectacular, RPG for your Vita.

It improves in some ways on things that were already good without really remedying the things that weren't working, but at its heart, there's plenty of fun to be found in this game, and as long as you find the fun, Fable III's flaws aren't too big to be forgiven.

It’s too bad the journey can feel so aimless and disjointed at times with the mixed storytelling and the cumbersome mechanics that stick each component of gameplay together. It can be occasionally exhausting to navigate through the menus, swapping in different spells and items constantly as you beat on your foe for a good 30 minutes. I really wish Square Enix would give it the fair shake it deserves with modern conveniences, instead of dredging up dated gameplay mechanics that overshadow a wonderful, mystical little world. Still, getting to play a family-friendly tale with my daughter does make up for a lot of this, and if you can get some friends together, it could be the same for you.

Final Chapter Prologue is a great game for series veterans, but it's severely lacking in content compared to previous collections.

Kingdom of Night is a dark tale, steeped in nostalgia for its setting and story inspirations, as well as its action-oriented combat. While it won’t earn accolades for originality or deep character stories, the combat remains satisfying, capturing that “git gud” feeling of progress and mastery—especially when you combine abilities or play a class in ways its progression encourages. Kingdom of Night can be frustrating at times, particularly with inventory management and quest tracking, as the UI struggles to keep up with growing loot piles and multiple active quests. If you enjoy wandering through nightmare-infested small-town Americana at night, this is a realm worth visiting. If not, there are certainly stranger things to explore elsewhere.

The core of Roll Player is beautiful in its accessibility, but like any well-designed game, the nuance and player interaction make it a cozy experience to chew on. Rest assured, this is not a complex or deep game by any stretch of the imagination, but if you have twenty or so minutes to burn while socializing with friends, this fits the mold exceptionally well. Unfortunately, this being an online game of little repute, finding a game can be a bit of a challenge, but that’s where apps like Discord come in handy (there’s even an official Roll Player Discord server). The game’s online features allow for active games and play-by-mail sorts of ventures, though I wish there was a notification system baked in so that I know when someone has taken their turn; otherwise, I’m just opening the app to guess when it’s my turn. If you have a friend to play with, local multiplayer is always an option. I can see myself returning to Roll Player for years to come when the urge to roll some dice strikes.

Death Come True won't blow anybody away, but it's a solid, short FMV game that can easily be completed in a single evening. It doesn't take any major risks, but a strong cast and good production values show that a lot of love has gone into this title. It's also refreshing to see Kodaka step away from the themes and style that made Danganronpa so great, and even though the results aren't groundbreaking, this can happily sit amongst the other games that have been released during this FMV renaissance.

There's nothing special about Ash II. It has no glaring flaws – just a few foibles that are somewhat annoying – but by that same token, there is nothing really special about it, either.

It’s a little bit tough to discern where Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate lands. It delivers on replicating much of the Hades experience game in the TMNT universe, to the point where it’d be surprising if Marvel? Disney? Star Wars? other huge IPs aren’t looking into producing their own. But it also feels like Splintered Fate falls short, teasing so much that it doesn’t follow through on.

A noble attempt to do something unique in the strategy RPG space that won't appeal to most players.

It may not be quite the package we were hoping for, but this port is still the best way to experience these two charming classics.

I will end my review the same way I started it: Kentucky Route Zero is a very strange game. Although I did not enjoy it very much, I can see how it is a compelling piece of software. It is very artsy, very avant-garde, very surreal, and a very acquired taste.

An excellent opportunity for those who loved the original to play it again, but newbies will need the patience of a saint to survive the complexity of its gameplay.

In a way, Etrange Overlord is exactly what many of us hope for from smaller titles. It has flair, it is not some object forced out by cookie-cutter conformism, and most of all, it is experimental, reaching for something larger studios would be afraid to touch. It’s also compact, with play times unlikely to greatly exceed 16 hours, except for the most avid completionists. The end result does not quite achieve celestial perfection, falling some way short of the mark, but as a famous fallen angel once said, “It’s better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.”

I enjoyed my time in Rainy Woods, but I wish The Good Life would have given me more reasons to stick around longer. It’s a refreshing experience that encourages you to slow down for a minute and take the time to smell whatever it is that grows out there. And for SWERY fans, The Good Life feels like his most polished effort to date and probably a greater realization of what he had attempted to do with Deadly Premonition, at least in terms of free, exploratory gameplay.

Broken Pieces is an odd, disjointed game with unnecessary combat, tedious back-and-forth exploration, and frustrating puzzle designs. And yet, I found myself wanting to explore Saint-Exil with Elise to figure out its mysteries despite those flaws, to the point that I was honestly a bit disappointed at the game’s relatively weak ending. Anyone looking for an exploration adventure game that harks back to the genre’s past and doesn’t take a ton of time to complete should give Broken Pieces a try. Just don’t expect the vase you assemble from all of the game’s pieces to necessarily come together thoroughly enough to hold water.

Under the Island falters in its combat and storytelling, but more than makes up for those shortcomings with engaging world design, clever puzzles, and creative boss encounters. Link’s boots are admittedly difficult to fill, but Under the Island has enough good ideas to set itself apart from its inspiration. The journey is a short one at only eight to ten hours, but I enjoyed my time with the game. It’s no Link’s Awakening, but in its best moments, it gets close enough to scratch the old-school Zelda itch.