While InKonbini: One Store Many Stories is pleasant, I wish there was more impact associated with some of my actions. It is very much about the vibes of working at a desolate convenience store in a small town filled with warm people. However, I’m not sure if it was tied to bugs or the idea of ensuring every shift is comfortable, but it seemed actions made during my shift often didn’t matter or like knowledge I had and certain situations never took effect in certain situations. I suppose I would have liked a little more agency, not to mention more time engaging in certain sorts of assignments in that role.

Whereas Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley felt like you got to experience a new story in Moomin lore, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is closer to an interactive storybook game. It puts its own spin on a beloved story while maintaining the original spirit of Tove Jansson’s work, making it a delight for fans regardless of familiarity. I’m not sure if Hyper Games will continue the series, but I would be interested to see what it comes up with next.

The thing is, I can think of ways Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy could be fixed. Give everyone immediate access to all characters, and make the Character Tickets unlock the additional costumes. Fine, have the Abilities on the gacha banner, but perhaps offer an option to outright buy the four unique skills for each character in the shop. Instead of making the story feel so reliant on going through multiplayer battles, instead tie them to the Challenge mode so we don’t need to wait around for a full party or invest in a competitive mode we might not enjoy. Focus on making it enjoyable and not so reliant on other people and RNG to succeed. Of course, the amount of retooling means we’ll probably see the title fail, rather than get adjusted and relaunched as something that feels far less greedy. But hey, at least we got some great music and fantastic character designs!

Darwin’s Paradox can be a lot of fun, but how much you enjoy it depends on how much you enjoy stealth games where dangerous enemies chase you. It’s short and sweet, saying all it needs to in its brief runtime. It can be exceptionally clever, especially in its first half. However, after the halfway point there are some absolutely obnoxious sequences with some real baddies chasing Darwin and a few particularly annoying stealth segments in certain chapters.

The idea behind Dosa Divas is sound and I like Amani and Samara as individuals, but the overall experience is so uneven. The narrative structure feels off, with poor pacing and an odd way of trying to tell the story and foster connections. The QTEs for combat and cooking can get demanding in some situations, though in others they sort of exist and always feel the same. By the end of it, I found myself wondering if maybe it would have all worked better as a graphic novel that could have better told the tale instead.

I think I’d have appreciated A Storied Life: Tabitha more if it was only about packing things up and didn’t include the jumbled narrative. It being a puzzle game, rather than a simulation, is absolutely fine and not the issue. What category pieces fall into is very clear. The thing is that the story doesn’t end up feeling satisfying due to that Mad Libs element. The words you get result in some really boring takes on Kettlewell’s life. And if you do go in initially not completely committing to one direction or genre, then the ending is atrociously bad and unfulfilling.

I love the idea behind Volontes and think the character designs are gorgeous, but it isn’t a strong otome game. The focus feels much more on the lore and mysteries surrounding Ombrelle and its Moon Witch. Combine that with a localization that sometimes reads a bit awkwardly, short paths, and an overall presentation that sometimes feels like it was thrown together in Ren’Py with little fanfare, and it is a bit disappointing.

How much you enjoy Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike will depend on how you feel about luck determining the course of every run instead of skill. It is a roguelike, but the influence of RNG in so many ways can make it feel like it’s all up to chance instead. Because even though you are gradually unlocking new characters, coins, prizes, and such via hitting milestones, the very nature of it means that builds might end up feeling meaningless unless factors outside of your control align. It will still be fun, but it means accepting how little influence you can exert over each run.

Easy Delivery Co might not be for everyone, but it can be a surprisingly soothing and occasionally unsettling driving delivery diversion. It can be a very tedious game, for sure. And the way the story is told might not hook everyone. But some folks might find it relaxing, and the design choices are handled well. If it clicks with you, I bet you’ll spend a good week with it.

Bubblegum Galaxy is a bright delight of a game with a distinct design direction and captivating storyline. The characters all look fantastic. There’s a fun script, complete with some positive messages. I relished getting to explore the office and take in the character and environmental models. The actual tile-based planet-building is pleasant enough too, though I didn’t find it as challenging or memorable as contemporaries like Dorfromantik. It’s a solid and relaxed puzzle experience that can feel quite cozy.

While Otome Daoshi: Fighting for Love’s story isn’t as exciting as I expected a martial arts otome game to be, there are some romantic routes here. Playing it safe isn’t a bad thing, though it does mean it might feel a little more predictable than other titles in the genre. I wish it featured some quality of life titles from other Otomate titles. However, the way it does go with the theme and include the same sort of ambiance and elements as martial arts anime and manga is a nice touch.

Etrange Overlord is packed with personality, with a story and songs that show love for the shojo trope where the villainess is actually the good guy. Etrange herself is a standout, and it’s silly and over-the-top without being ridiculous. But as delightful and refreshing as the narrative and soundtrack can be, the battles get boring fast. It’s incredibly repetitive! But at least those stages tend to be short, so you can race through them and get back to the campy story.

In a way, there’s a charm that comes from starting a Metroidvania like Ariana and the Elder Codex, knowing it’s a fine, solid experience. It’s not earth shattering. It doesn’t redefine the genre. You’ll clearly see what you need to do and know what’s coming. Still, it’s entertaining for what it is and while it lasts, and that’s okay.

It’s hard for me to say this, because I like Tales of Berseria a lot, but as a remaster, it’s not bringing a lot to the table. In fact, between the censorship and the audio mixing issues, I’d go as far as to say that it’s taking away from the table. The saving grace here is that it’s ten dollars cheaper than the original (at least on Steam), despite it coming with DLC. While I do still recommend playing it if you haven’t tried it before and you like JRPGs, people who have already played Berseria might as well just boot up the copy they already own.

I applaud the fact that Voltage does preserve its mobile otome games with Switch ports like Court of Darkness: Temptation’s Kiss, but wish there was more to this one. It’s a really fun story involving magic and school life, and the heroine actually has a personality and speaks up so she isn’t a total blank slate. The love interests included are interesting too. Unfortunate, we aren’t even halfway into each of the routes for the characters who are present, and people need to head to another source and potentially spend more money to find out what happens next.

WiZmans World Re;Try isn’t the most exciting JRPG, but it is great we finally get to experience it after about 16 years. The Anima Fusion system is interesting, and there’s some pretty intricate spritework involved for some characters. The game is something of a grind though, so be prepared to work for your best combinations and to take down some bosses that appear in later dungeons.

Cupiclaw turned out to be the type of roguelike you can pick away at in 15-30 minute intervals as a palate cleanser. It’s not too deep. It’s pretty easy to figure out the path to success. Admittedly, it can feel frustrating when many of your runs end because luck wasn’t on your side and you did everything right otherwise. But playthroughs of it tend to be quite pleasant.

Calamity Angels: Special Delivery isn’t bad, but it can be a tedious game and the sugoroku don’t enhance the JRPG. Instead, it can feel like it drags it out more in a way that doesn’t add anything to the experience. It’s not bad, but quickly falls into a somewhat boring and unexpectedly bland routine even with the board game and inventory management elements.

I admire the fact that Tribute Games embraced the River City style with Scott Pilgrim EX, as it really makes this beat’em up more of an adventure. The artistic direction and soundtrack are perfect too, and the combat flows well. I do wish the story were stronger and some of my favorite characters from the previous game had been playable, and the presence of launch bugs that can affect multiplayer is a downer. But at the very least, after a patch or two, those gameplay issues should be fixed.

BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a generally sound roguelike with lots of references to the fighting game series. The story could be better, but at least this time around it feels more directly tied to BlazBlue. I did encounter some issues on the Switch, but they also seemed like problems that could be patched out along the way. If you’re into games like Dead Cells and Astral Ascent, it’s certainly worth a look.

Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land succeeds at keeping the Game Boy Color RPG vibe alive. It offers a lot to do while staying within certain limitations. However, those boundaries also mean it can sometimes be difficult to discern your next steps or running into fights you just can’t win at that point. Still, it’s a cute game and Exquisite Laundry Pet embraces that Halloween and GBC aesthetic.

Pleasant and fluffy are great ways to describe Hakuoki SSL: Sweet School Life, as it is a light otome building on the characters we know and love. This does mean that Otomate and Idea Factory go in assuming you know everyone, so some character and relationship development is omitted. But if you do know about this series, it is absolutely worth it to get this missing piece of the puzzle and get to enjoy romances with love interests knowing it isn’t going to go as tragically as the historical Shinsengumi tale did.

Decollate Decoration exemplifies the idea of style and substance, though it isn’t the most meaty horror story. It tells its tale in a brief, effective manner. That’s coupled with some lovely pixel art that uses effective color choices. KANEKODO’s tale is quite short, however, and people might want more interactions or details out of their unsettling stories.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is generally fine, but I found it a less exciting remake than the ones for Yakuza 1 and 2. There are certain narrative and design decision elements that left me feeling the remaster of this could be more enjoyable sometimes. And while the Yoshitaka Mine storyline does offer some insights, the enjoyment someone would get out of it is really dependent on how much the player likes that particular character. In short, it’s a situation in which the remake does offer some benefits like quality of life combat adjustments and greater reach, but doesn’t totally replace the original game or remaster.

La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia Rinato is such a dynamic, thrilling, and even funny otome game from HuneX and Dramatic Create.

Little Corners is like an opportunity to return to the times of playing with Colorforms and sticker books to decorate a room. There aren’t customization features, in terms of things like resizing or recoloring. There aren’t tons of interactions. But it is very relaxing to go through the eight different areas and arrange things to your liking. And when you do happen upon a special combination of stickers to unlock something, it can feel pretty special. I just wish there was a little bit more to it.

Forestrike features an interesting concept and aesthetic I appreciate, but can feel unbalanced. I happened upon many situations where I felt like I couldn’t win, which was even why it took longer to prepare this review. I like the story and the way some of the martial arts movesets work. I just wish it didn’t often feel like chance so heavily affected my odds of success.

Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons has its moments, but the inclusion of Bubble Symphony helps it feel worth the try. The base game itself is fine, and I had fun with the castle portions. The repetitious colors and stage layouts coupled with the dungeon difficulty is a bit much.