Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a cinematic masterpiece that raises the bar of narrative games.

Demon Slayer Sweep the Board is the prime board game iteration of the series for fans. While it won’t be as welcome an experience for newcomers, it is an excellent departure from the core series. The boards are varied in stellar ways, while the minigames have great controls. The non-linear nature of the missions mean it works well no matter how you play. Whether you have a party of friends to play with or just want to compete against the CPU, it all works better than I expected. It’s just a shame the characters lack so much detail visually.

If all this sounds very negative, let me re-clarify that I actually really like the game. Again, the paper cut-out art style is adorable and the way the dragon and its effects use a completely different style works excellently. The world of Gatherac is full of funny little guys and, despite the child-friendly nature of the game, it also contains little comments on things like labor, misinformation, and even market regulation. I can even see what I think the developers were going for with the way you explore the world with friends, doing quests and helping each other out, but it all just doesn’t come together at the end.

Library of Runia is a fantastic game. The voice acting is top notch, the story is intriguing enough to entice players who otherwise may not be interested in deck building games to give it a shot, and it forces the player to engage with its systems to meet each challenge. However, this means that it won’t be for everyone. Those that have gotten tired of fiddling around with the same deck builders for hours on end may find Library of Runia enticing, especially with its heavy emphasis on story. Overall, I had a blast with the game, even if I’m still figuring out just how to optimize my deck some thirty hours in.

This is one of those games that I’ll think about even after I finish it. As of the time of writing, I still have quite a few mysteries to uncover, as there are some puzzles that just well and truly stumped me. The world it presents is a cryptic one, reminding me of old conspiracy theories from before my time, but it keeps you coming back for more, hankering to pull back the curtains and unlock the doors to discover the secrets behind them.

Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is rather boring. There’s no adrenaline rush when I manage to make it into the final groups of players. The cosmetics are fine, but I didn’t feel a drive to unlock specific maze designs or items for my Pac-Man. While it is designed to feel competitive, it seemed like more people I faced were more concerned with dealing with the ghosts and eating pellets, rather than gunning for the top spot in any way. I honestly had the most fun when I’d play through Elimination or Ranked like I would any other Pac-Man game, without engaging in maze invasions, which probably defeated the point of a battle royale.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver is worth the wait. As you play through it, you can see why it took Midboss so much time to craft the adventure, its characters, and its world. As I went through different people’s memories and delved into the mystery, it constantly felt like a labor of love for everyone involved.

Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution is a mixed bag. If you want a charming story with plenty of nerdy goofs about consoles from the 90s, you’ll find something to enjoy here. If you want interesting and in-depth mechanics, then you’d be better off looking elsewhere. One for the established fanbase that’s unlikely to win over many newcomers.

Animal Well is a minimalistic experience that is about taking in the things you see around you. Yes, there’s platforming. You definitely need to keep roaming around and experimenting to find out which way you should go and where helpful items to progress may be. If the idea of being plopped in a foreign place that is ominous with no explanation and residents that may or may not want you there sounds appealing, Animal Well will prove an interesting trip and reward you with secrets to uncover.

Umurangi Generation is a game that was never subtle about its message and always conveyed information via the experience well, but playing it in VR on a Meta Quest 3 makes everything more effective. Firsthand exploring the world and encountering both its beauty and horrors is incredible. Especially since the transition from the original game to VR worked so well and came without downsides like motion sickness. I loved the approach and feel like it’s a necessary Meta Quest experience.

Crow Country is one of those games that answer all of my needs for an old-school survival horror title. The game isn’t shy about its inspirations and it is a clear homage to PS1 survival horror games. While it is a somewhat short experience, Crow Country shows that sometimes less is more. And I want more of this.

Little Kitty, Big City makes me happy. It isn’t the most addictive game I played in 2024. (That’s Balatro.) It isn’t the one I spent the most time exploring. (FFVII Rebirthtakes that title.) What it did do is bring me a sense of solace and joy as I savored the antics of an extremely personable cat and their friends. So much so that my greatest wish is an expansion that opens up even more of the city to explore and additional animal encounters.

Solo Leveling: Arise is one of the most impressive mobile games I’ve ever played. Unlike most anime mobile games, it adapts the series smartly in a welcome way. The action RPG combat is lightning fast, requires immense skill, and, most importantly, feels fun to use. Though the story moves a little too fast and it plays awkwardly with a touchscreen, the stellar presentation is leaps and bounds above most mobile games these days. Any fan of the series needs to give this a shot on mobile or PC.

V Rising felt like an enjoyable survival crafting experience on controller once I got into the groove of it. Its fascinating blend of Diablo style action-RPG elements with deep progression, crafting, and building all work in tandem. While the world often feels empty at times due to the lack of NPCs to talk to, whether playing alone or with others, and there is no meaningful story of note, its gameplay hooks and vampire theme make this worth a look in its long-awaited 1.0 release.

In a way, I’m still shocked at how absolutely delightful Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya is, and I’m so pleased at the prospect that a Switch release might garner more attention for every version of the game. It’s so much better than I anticipated, and the pacing and nature of it make it a perfect cozy game for someone who wants to sit back, make some friends, and run a restaurant. While the idea of it being a Touhou Project doujin game might be a bit daunting, it’s worth a chance if you love the life sim and restaurant management genres or just want to build up your library of cozy games. There’s more to it than you’d expect.

Endless Ocean Luminous lacks heart. It’s a shallow take on a franchise with a lot of potential to be special, especially on a handheld console like the Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking for a chill way to pass the time or if you have a child who is interested in learning about marine life, I’d recommend trying it out. But you may be disappointed if you’re looking for anything more than that.

Terra Memoria was a wonderful way to pass the time after a long day at work. I’d curl up with it before bed, discovering new recipes to make or creating a cute pond in my town just because I wanted to. The story was also satisfying due to how wonderful the cast of characters are, and they all felt believable in spire of their individual quirks and familiar character tropes.

I suppose it all comes down to The Exit 8 being a surprisingly comfortable game, especially on the Switch, even though it will get you if you let your guard down. I really like how it works and what it accomplishes with so little. It’s an entertaining diversion with great atmosphere that will be fun for a few runs. But I also expect that once you’ve played it enough times, you’ll have done it all and have no reason to return. If you’re a weirdo like me though, you might still come back a few times because you find it oddly relaxing to take a walk and pick out the “mistakes.”

Sand Land shows what can be done with licensed manga and games. The game is a great vehicular action-RPG, and easily one of the best anime and manga games available. Despite some early pacing issues, the game is at its best when introducing a vast and engrossing world, accompanied by the beautiful visuals and great story penned by the late Akira Toriyama.

Thankfully, Stellar Blade was worth the wait, as it's one of the best action-RPGs released since NieR: Automata.

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.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a beautiful little game. Fun platforming and a setting we rarely see in games both support a genuinely moving story of grief. While it is a game about the acceptance of death, it’s also about the joys of life. And just like life, it’s a little rough around the edges and can be frustrating, but ultimately worth it.

On a PC, I imagine Eiyuden Chronicle might generally be fine, but on the Switch it is a mess.

Touch Detective 3 is a missing piece of a puzzle that is just as delightful as the previous two games, and it’s great to have the full collection of all three games easily accessible on the Switch as Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files. There is a downside to the release, however. The port doesn’t feel optimized for the console, both when it comes to its graphics and the control scheme.

I wanted to like Biomorph more than I did. Despite good visuals and a strong start, it eventually neglects its most interesting mechanic and becomes tedious. In the end, despite its best efforts, it ends up being just an average attempt at an already crowded genre.

Rose & Camellia Collection is one of those collections of gimmick games that are way better than they have any right to be. There are some downsides to it, such as only offering touch or motion control scheme options and locking games behind the completion of other titles. It is incredibly silly though, and quite a fun title to play alone or with friends.

Harold Halibut looks beautiful on the outside, and it is even more beautiful once you dive into it. The visuals are an undeniable technical achievement. Its gameplay is undemanding, making the game accessible for many people, even those who are not familiar with the medium of video games. The story and narrative are easy to follow, and depict a modern fable about finding your own home, connecting with others, sharing your perspective, and finding what you want from life.

C-Smash VRS is a really admirable take on Cosmic Smash that is so much fun on the Meta Quest 3, due to it being a really enjoyable VR tennis that also combines Breakout elements to make more of an arcade experience if you’re playing alone. Likewise, it’s quite enjoyable with others or an opponent. Just make sure you get used to your limits and boundaries before trying to get competitive.