Overall, I genuinely enjoyed my time with Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Cafe, and I would recommend it, especially to players who love cosy games with lots of room for creativity. The standout feature here is absolutely the huge range of customisation options, both in the items you make and in decorating your cafe. Being able to design your own pixel art, experiment with styles, and really make the space feel personal gives the game a unique charm and keeps the experience fresh.

StarRupture is fun, and I’m likely to keep playing it once it gets a few QoL fixes and becomes a bit more well-rounded. The ore systems are addictive, the world is huge, and the core ideas are strong. But it was far from ready to be released in its current state, even in Early Access. [Early Access Provisional Score = 60]

Retro Relics isn’t a game that shouts for your attention. It gently invites you in, hands you a metal detector, and lets you decide what kind of adventure you want to have. Whether you follow your grandfather’s clues right away, focus on making money, or simply wander in search of interesting relics, the experience is calm, reflective, and surprisingly engaging.

It’s great for nostalgia. It just doesn’t quite have the depth to keep you long-term. Still, as a cross-generational game, especially one with a physical edition rather than just a virtual release, it does something special: Parents who grew up with Neopets can share that with their kids, and that matters. That’s where this game shines the most.

If this kind of deliberate deckbuilder, one where you constantly have to adapt rather than simply optimize, speaks to you, Bloodletter is worth playing even now. Otherwise, you may want to look elsewhere. [Early Access Score = 75]

Overall, it’s a great game for casual puzzle players who want something fun but not too challenging.

The gameplay lacks depth, the systems need clearer guidance, and the overall package feels too early, even for an early access release. The timing feels off, too; a winter launch could have helped this land with more impact, but releasing it in spring makes it harder for players to connect with its vibe. [Early Access Score = 60]

It still needs work in some areas. Tutorials need expanding, the collectables need clearer visibility, and a few systems could communicate information better. But those problems feel fixable because the foundation underneath them is already solid. More than anything, my Dead as Disco review comes down to how memorable the game feels. It is stylish without feeling hollow, angry without feeling preachy, and difficult without becoming unfair (most of the time, it needs some tweaks). This isn’t my one perfect 10/10 game for the year, but it gets super close, and I genuinely think the full release could end up being something special. [Early Access Score = 90]

Despite a handful of frustrations, I still had a fun time with Duck Side of the Moon. Its charming world, adorable characters, and relaxing gameplay loop make it an easy game to enjoy. Especially if you like cosy exploration games with a bit of humour mixed in. The deeper themes about burnout and slowing down also helped give the adventure a little more emotional weight beneath all the space duck chaos. That said, the game’s short length and technical issues do make the price tag feel slightly steep, especially on the original Nintendo Switch. Between the grainy visuals, clipping problems, and occasional gameplay frustrations, the experience sometimes felt rough around the edges. Still, the game’s personality and charm managed to carry me through those issues more often than not. If you enjoy cosy indie adventures, this is still one worth keeping an eye on alongside all the other cosy titles releasing this year.

If you’re looking for a management game that offers something a little different from the usual city-building formula, this is an easy recommendation. Its blend of strategy, environmental restoration, and relaxing presentation makes for an engaging experience that stands out in a crowded genre. Whether you’re a longtime fan of management games or simply looking for something with a unique premise, this underwater adventure is well worth diving into.

Humour and horror are great partners, and Letter Lost balances both incredibly well. One moment you’re losing a finger to a shredder, and the next you’re mocking a customer for centering their entire personality around riddles and moles. When Liv isn’t vague and secretive, she’s fun to joke around with, and peeking into people’s letters reveals amusing discussions. Fun quips and light-hearted moments cut through the oozing tension of Kharnym Post and solidify this game as an entertaining rollercoaster of emotions. Letter Lost has overall been an incredibly enjoyable experience for me, and I thoroughly recommend it as a game to try your hand at. (Though hopefully you can get through without losing quite so many fingers as I did).