Crude, salacious, yet surprisingly beautiful, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is a fun short story for those who enjoy a fantastical take on dark romance. However, I sometimes wish it would veer a lot more into the themes and ideas it brings up.

SaGa: Emerald Beyond often feels like a solid, if not occasionally uneven and awkward, Saturday morning cartoon due to its variety, goofy writing, constant action, and lovable characters.

So far though, I’ve liked what I’ve seen in Wildfrost. I’m a big fan of how cute the art is in this otherwise brutal game. Plus, it was really easy to just pick up and play. But I wish that the game allowed me to refresh my options in the beginning or made expanding Snowdwell feel a bit more rewarding. I enjoyed unlocking new cards, but there was never much fanfare. I also wished I could use leftover bling instead of accomplishments to add more cards to the hub. You really needed to get lucky with RNG to get the necessary cards. Nonetheless, Wildfrost is a game as beautiful, cruel, and cold as its sunless environment. Players going in will have to prepare to sink hours into building their dream deck… and punching their pillow.

Still, there’s something soothing about being an observer decorating in Sumikkogurashi Create a Wonderful Sumikko Island. The San-X mascots are adorable, and it’s easy to check in the in-game index to learn about them or jump to focus on them. There are a substantial number of decorations, and we’re encouraged to use a variety due to requests. There are some frustrations here, especially when it comes to gathering or needing to suit the seasons. Still, it’s quite a pleasant, relaxing, and cozy little decorating game that I think fans of the characters or cute mascots in general will appreciate.

I was absolutely fascinated by My Lovely Empress during my first run, when I tried to avoid as much bloodshed as possible and search for a healthy ending. I was shocked the second time around when things got much darker. It can be intriguing, even when it starts to get repetitive, and I appreciated the new approach GameChanger Studio took with the My Lovely series this time around.

Ys X: Nordics is a solid addition to the Ys series, but it should have stayed docked. The ship combat, which should have been a thrilling new addition, ultimately feels bland. Despite this, the game more than makes up for it with its land-based exploration and fast-paced, duo-driven combat. Fans of the series will no doubt want to pick it up for the continuation of Adol’s story and the exciting new setting. And if you’re new to the Ys franchise, this isn’t a bad place to start.

Time is this game’s worst enemy. It truly does not fare well for long play periods. Maybe that’s the point, though. Maybe it really is just meant to be the game you pick up for a quick hour of fun before going to bed or getting back to the real world. That may bother some. For me, that realization shifted my perspective and shifted how I truly feel about games such as this. It’s marketed as an easy game for tired people, and it works as that. It doesn’t have complex mechanics or deep world-building. Here Comes Niko provides you with just enough to enjoy the time you have with it and move on.

It took us some real adjustment to accept Mario & Luigi: Brothership for what it is, but once you do, there’s genuine enjoyment to be found here. You have to learn to follow its pace and accept its shortcomings, because it won’t change its ways and blossom into a top-tier Mario RPG. Still, the ride will be worth it for some to experience its bright points.

Pocket Bravery is an impressive fighter that shows some wonderful detail with its combat motions. The varied characters and their vast movelists give you many options on how to mangle foes, and you’ll need to use them skillfully if you’re to hope to win. An Accessible mode goes a long way to making that possible, although it unfortunately does not do much for the empty online modes at this time. It’s a great game that is finding its feet right now, so if you can get past the character art style (or if it doesn’t bug you), then you’ll want to get in on the ground floor with this sharp title.

It won’t be the most challenging game you’ll play, but Disney Villains Cursed Cafe will delight fans of the stories and baddies starring in it. It’s a very relaxed experience. You never need to worry about the consequences. It’s about enjoying the moment with over-the-top personalities and potentially affecting the course of their adventures in the process. That said, the ease of it and focus on prior knowledge of the enemies within mean that, unlike similar games Coffee Talk and Tavern Talk, you do need a level of knowledge or investment to get the most enjoyment out of it.

Sword Art Online Last Recollection is a great action RPG with accessible combat that makes every encounter exciting. While some players may have an issue with the game’s more linear-level designs, the game stays anchored by an emotionally charged story with a likable cast of characters. Overall, SAO manages to streamline the best systems from its MMO origins while integrating them into an action-packed adventure title.

I do wish that it gave people more changes to really connect with the larger cast and experience more side-stories. Roy, Meg, and to a lesser extent Golan are the main focuses here. There are occasional moments when a green exclamation point will appear on the map, allowing someone to pop in and briefly take part in an exchange with other NPCs. However, these tend to be quite brief and even ones with side quest elements to them, such as preparing a hamburger, don’t involve too much thought or offer any reward other than talking to other monsters for a while.

Cris Tales is an incredibly creative game with its own distinct identity. There are times when it can feel like it drags on a bit. It feels like something special. But it also feels like a game that, at least at the moment, needs a little bit more work. The Cris Tales Switch version feels like it is constantly loading for the smallest reasons and might occasionally crash. If Dreams Uncorporated and Syck can fix those issues. it will eventually be a must-play game.

WarioWare: Move It is an absolute blast to play and is the perfect mix of chaotic gameplay and bizarre humor. However, the game’s heavy reliance on motion controls and strict minigame requirements may be a dealbreaker for some players. Ultimately, Nintendo’s decision to go all in on the Joy-Con mostly pays off as WarioWare: Move It has some of the series’ most innovative and bizarre minigames to date. If you can get past the hurdles, this is one of the best party titles on the Nintendo Switch and is a perfect love letter to the long-running franchise.

I really loved playing Picontier on the Switch! It’s a lot of fun, and it does a lot of streamlining that makes farming and exploring feel different than other life sims like Stardew Valley, Rune Factory, and Story of Seasons. The ambiance is interesting, as is knowing that something is off and “happened” while Pico was napping. The pacing could have been a bit different and equipment durability changed, but it’s still worth people’s time and attention.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is a great way to revisit a visual novel that made quite a splash. For newcomers, it’s easy to hop into and enjoy, even offering the PC “workarounds.” For people who’ve joined the club before, the extra stories and media are enjoyable. The sole downside is that, with all its accessibility, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is difficult to read on the Switch and has an unfriendly UI. It also lacks easy one-button controls for things like auto-advancing or checking the history, as its contemporaries do. Still, it’s a fascinating read and story.

Ogre Tale is a great side scrolling beat-em-up, especially for those looking to play something with incredible visual charm and style. With a charming story and cute character designs, along with full Japanese voice acting, this will be a must for those who enjoyed titles like Murasama: The Demon Blade. However, the systems in the game may be more limited than most players would like and it is hindered by the lack of proper PC controls.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Isekai Chronicles is one of those anime games that I’d say is more than serviceable, but isn’t extraordinary. People who like TenSura a lot will definitely get more out of the game than someone who is completely unfamiliar with it. I’d even say for the right price, someone who enjoys the Tales of combat system might even want to consider it. That really is the draw of the title, and it’s fun to take advantage of characters’ unique traits. While it isn’t trendsetting or amazing, it’s perfectly fine.

Dance of Cards, overall, is a strong Poker and narrative game that went all-out with its gambling theme, aiming to make the player feel the same fear and exhilaration as its in-game characters. I really came to this game expecting very little, but instead got an experience that drew me into the lives of its characters and had me experiencing a hint of their own terror and the rush of a deadly risk. While I have my problems with the ending and some of the game’s problems, it’s still an impressive game that has a lot to offer if you’re willing to give yourself over to its quirks.

Giraffe and Annika is also the sort of ephemeral, effortless, and enjoyable activity that might make someone smile for a while. It might be exactly the right sort of next step for someone new to the Switch who picked up the console for Animal Crossing: New Horizons or inexperienced with games.

Blue Reflection: Second Light is pretty much exactly what I expected Blue Reflection 2 to be. It’s a very relaxed sort of RPG. Even though there are mysteries to solve and danger, I didn’t feel pressured. Rather, I felt encouraged to talk with people around me and take my time as I crafted, explored, and fought through its world. But also, I feel like I came into it with the best mindset. I played the original game and watched Blue Reflection Ray. People who aren’t as into Gust games and everything they entail—which can involve crafting, gathering, and perhaps sometimes a slower pace than other RPGs—might not be as into it. But those familiar with Gust’s work or perhaps looking for a new adventure after Atelier Ryza might want to, at the very least, check out the demo.

Norn9: Var Commons is one of those otome games that shows Idea Factory isn’t afraid to try things, and the Switch release is the best version of it. However, while it is enjoyable, it also happens to be a game that can be a bit scattered due to how much it attempts to do. Some of the routes can be really enjoyable and the whole of the story is fun if you don’t get too bogged down in the details. However, know going in that if you want all the answers, you’ll eventually need to basically fall in love with everyone.

I’ve got to tell you, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life feels like a game that arrived right when I needed it most. This is a game about redefining what matters to you. First, it’s about settling into a new community and forming bonds with your new neighbors. One of them being romantic. Then it’s about supporting your growing family both emotionally and via working hard on the farm. As time passes, you get to see how that influences things. It’s like you are building a life while farming, rather than working a farm and taking “you” time to be social when you can.

Book Bound is one of those simple shop management games that doesn’t need to go over the top with details to be enjoyable. It isn’t overly complex or filled with major challenges. Rather, it’s a more relaxed game that feels like it’s about taking your time and gradually building up the bookshop of your dreams, rather than min-maxing your way to commercial success. It’s so pleasant that I found it easy to forgive its occasional clunkiness.

Ultimately, it feels like the game could have benefited from a smaller scope or a more linear structure. Focus on the duels could have created a more engrossing product, especially if it honed in on the narrative for a more concise and cinematic experience. But as it stands, Ghost of Tsushima is another AAA open world title and doesn’t seek to define itself as anything other than that.

What you get out of Remnant 2 will ultimately depend on how much you can put into it, and how many friends you have around to play with you. A strictly solo player may find the game frustrating, even hostile in places, whereas with a posse of friends it can become a loot-chasing romp through science-fantasy worlds.

I feel like the more I play Pokemon Friends and unlock higher difficulty levels of its puzzles, the more I enjoy it. It’s absolutely simple. Also, imagery aside, some of its puzzles have little to do with the series or characters. Not to mention getting the best scores means playing in handheld mode and switching between touchscreen and standard controls for maximum efficiency. But it is charming, in its way, and I find I had fun with it when I’d play for about 15 minutes each day.

Kabuto Park feels like the type of game you play for about 15-20 minutes every day for a week when you need to take a minute to relax. It’s never taxing. The challenge is minimal. The bugs are cute. I doubt anyone will spend longer than a few hours 100%-ing it, but it’s enjoyable in moderation.