I’m still conflicted with how I feel about Baldur’s Gate III, and I probably will be for a while. While it carries on the legacy of perhaps one of the most influential CRPGs of all time, I’m not sure if it’s better than the first two games that preceded it. It is a different story by a different team and, while it’s deeply connected to those first two games, it is a promising start to more new adventures set in a familiar world that I’ve always loved.

Armored Core VI may be the best game FromSoftware has made to date, building upon already solid foundations from Sekiro and Dark Souls and further innovating on the punishing combat the developer is known for.

There’s a lot to like about Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening. It’s an overall solid strategy game where all your tactical decisions really feel like they have an impact, good or bad. The systems feel smooth and the connections between them feel natural. It really makes you feel like you have to stretch your brain, especially in the early stages. But there’s almost too much going on, which can get very confusing, especially when more urgent matters come up. And with so much to do, a controller is a suboptimal input device. Fortunately, there’s no real punishment for taking some time to get to the menu you want to be in, but figuring out how to get there can be frustrating.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is an intimate story about overcoming isolation, rebuilding your future, and finding community that will resonate with many. The game’s card creating mechanics will be perfect for the artistically inclined, and are welcoming to those lacking the skill. Deconstructeam surprised me with the variety of outcomes that the card divination sections offer, and I’m looking forward to jumping into the game again and spending more time with Fortuna and Ábramar.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed is not a game that has aged well. Its combat is repetitive, its map is too restrictive and its dialogue sometimes leans into the worst tropes too sincerely to be called parody. However, it’s clear that there is an audience for this out there, or it wouldn’t have gotten this remaster. If you can put up with the game’s many issues, it may be possible to lose yourself in the absurdity of its concept and enjoy its more successful satirical moments.

Flutter Away is a short, guided trip through the rainforest to spend a little time chasing after and photographing butterflies. It’s good at what it does. It’s brief, letting you enjoy the moment, then head off to go into the more stressful real world. I do wish it offered a little more freedom or excuse to return to it, but it’s good at what it does.

Pets & Purrs Pet Shop is not a shockingly detailed store management simulation, but it also isn’t a mediocre minigame collection. There’s actual thought put into it, with the Story Mode being a genuinely pleasant and even cozy opportunity to care for cute animals and find them homes. It pleasantly surprised me. So while not every minigame is going to be great, they’re often so swift that it doesn’t matter and you can focus on the enjoyable elements.

When stripped down to its bare essentials, Exoprimal can be a really fun time. However, its strange monetization choices, locked content, repetitive mission types, and rather sparse options on release ends up adding more tedium than fun to an otherwise refreshing experience.

Arcadian Atlas is fine. It’s not revolutionary or remarkable, but it’s entertaining enough. Especially if you’re looking for a tactical title that looks and feels a little like Final Fantasy Tactics, albeit is a bit simpler and less of a challenge. It isn’t going to really challenge you, and odds are you’ll find a team that helps you “break” the game pretty quickly. But it has its moments.

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.

Venba is so good that it leaves you wanting more. Even if I could have my wish and the game could be twice as long, I suspect even that wouldn’t be enough for me. Visai Games offers such small, delightful slices of these family members’ lives, and I just wish I could get to know more about them and their culture during the game.

While Let’s School is a lot of fun and has a lot of cute ideas, its implementation can sometimes be rough. It definitely feels more for people who want to play a business simulator, rather than a more hands-on one. Though easy to pick up, it can turn monotonous fairly quickly, even after you unlock new mechanics such as talking to other schools or exploring the regions around you. There are victory conditions you can work towards. However, you can go about it passively since all three of them are so linked to the way the game naturally encourages you to play. Let’s School does not feel like a game you can enjoy for hours on end, but you’ll certainly have a good time while you’re in the early stages. In that sense, it feels more like being a student than being a headmaster.

It doesn’t have the depth of some similar simulations and I’m not sure it will have the staying power of an Animal Crossing game. It’s definitely a pleasant, simple simulation.

Disney Illusion Island is a game where I can remember specific quips from characters and story beats, but actual adventuring runs together. It entertaining and well-paced, but doesn’t stick with me in the way something like Rayman Origins or Kirby Star Allies did. It is clever in its way though, and someone who runs through it alone or with friends will definitely have a pleasant time being a “hero” with Mickey and his friends. Especially since it’s more challenging than I expected in a good way, even if some enemies do get in some cheap hits in certain situations.

The Double Dragon brothers return in this fresh addition to the iconic beat 'em up franchise. With roguelite elements, every playthrough is a chance at new action. Tag in with 2 of 4 starter characters or unlock 9 additional characters, each with their own special moves and unique playstyles.

For people who love otome games, especially on the Switch, I can’t help but feel Radiant Tale could be a must-play. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s really entertaining to see the cast of characters interact with the heroine and one another. Seeing their adventures and backgrounds, it’s almost like you can’t help but root for them and their love stories with Tifalia.

Touhou: New World is an experiment in trying to create a mixture of bullet hell and action RPG that undercooks both sides of that equation. The boss fights may have some charm, but they’re not worth the rest of the tedium that makes up everything else. Players who enjoyed Scarlet Curiosity might find something to love here. However, the challenge isn’t there to recommend it for fans of Touhou’s difficulty and it’s so under-designed as an action RPG that I can’t recommend it to fans of the genre either.

Lakeburg Legacies is an unconventional approach to a city management simulation, and it’s one that works quite well if you’re the sort who can get invested in virtual characters’ lives. What matters here is keeping an eye on characters, pairing them up, finding the perfect jobs for them, and essentially being an incredibly nosy neighbor. The actual simulation element isn’t as taxing, unless you choose high difficulty modifiers, with resources arriving at a steady pace. Instead, the fun comes from seeing how these people interact with each other and watching how the matches you make and townsfolk you select for certain relationships or responsibilities end up.

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.

Still, that aside, Pikmin 4 is an extraordinary experience. It’s the coziest installment in the series, especially since some of the new features eliminate the deadline pressure and other stressors from past installments.

Those looking for a solid tactical RPG to dig their teeth into will find it with Jagged Alliance 3. But while you may acclimate to the slightly unhelpful UI, the combat barks and general writing can be more difficult to ignore. There’s going to be a good amount of replay value in different builds, trying different options and choices, and of course different combinations of the 36-odd mercenary characters. But whether you want to spend more time in this setting will depend entirely on how much you can listen to a Ice Williams talk about popping caps in people.

Sticky Business is genuinely a perfect outlet. While the sticker part options are a bit restricted and I hope DLC or updates add to the library, it’s such a relaxing time sink. I had so much fun setting things up just so, knowing that no matter how it looked my virtual customers would love it. It’s quite a relaxing and validating experience.

While Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg comes with new music, a fresh graphical redesign, and modern features like a Photo Mode, it’s the simplicity of the gameplay loop combined with the pressure of the time constraints that cause it to show its age. It feels like you’re playing a 1997 title, even though it’s been remade over 25 years later. It’s clear that Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg has been made to satisfy fans of the original and doesn’t do much to draw in newcomers who are curious about where the Atelier series got its start. It feels very rooted in nostalgia, and if you don’t have that, it might be a struggle to fully enjoy everything it has to offer.

Oxenfree 2 is a follow-up that has been worth the wait. If you were a fan of the first game, and I certainly was, this will give you more of what you loved. Like the first game, it asks complex questions about the choices we make in life and the direction they can take us, all wrapped up in some creepy analog horror effects. If you’re in need of a narrative adventure game focused on time in more ways than one, Oxenfree 2 is essential.

Crime O’Clock is a novel take on a hidden object game. The idea is sound. It can get a bit repetitive, but then someone could argue that is a general flaw inherent in the genre and not necessarily a huge issue here. I really appreciated the design direction and artistic approach, even if the minigames felt a little unnecessary or simple when tossed in. Crime O’Clock is generally a lot of fun, especially for a quick timesink on the Switch.

Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island is a very pleasant experience. Especially if you enjoy the idea of customizing a whole area and games with relaxed farming elements. It doesn’t always offer the depth of an Animal Crossing installment, but there’s a novelty to going through some tasks, waiting a 15-30 minutes, then gradually building up and decorating Carrot Isle.

Jack Jeanne is an absolute delight. It’s one of my favorite games of 2023. I’d easily consider it my favorite Switch otome game, in the same way Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 3rd Story stole my heart on the 3DS. It’s so well-executed. Anyone who enjoys visual novels, even if they normally don’t go for ones that are dating sims, should give it a chance.

Its unique combination of action RPG with puzzle solving works to provide a really fun and mentally stimulating experience. However, it being in between these two genres can be unsatisfying for certain players.