As a package, Rebel Engine does a great job at offering you intense, fast-paced FPS gameplay. The game has a lot of heart poured into it, and you can see that from the visual style to the overall design, music and intense gameplay. They did a great job when it comes to the enemy variety as well, along with the boss design. It’s one of those experiences that can feel cringe at times, but it also pushes the boundaries when it comes to gameplay intensity and attention to detail. Although it’s by no means perfect and it has its fair share of minor issues, I think everyone who loves FPS games should try Rebel Engine. It’s an ode to a long-lost era, it’s a great, albeit short experience, and the game continually pushes the boundaries with even crazier boss battles and encounters. Yes, it might not be very long, and it has its downsides, but for the most part it does its job as intended, and you will have a blast with it, which is what matters the most.

The Last Hero of Nostalgaia will be a solid experience for any gamer who has a passion for the souls-like genre. The core mechanics as very close to From Software’s finest and there are plenty of challenging boss fights to go around. Fans might also appreciate the newly introduced concepts, even if they don’t revolutionize the genre. But the entire experience stays so close to its inspirations that it leaves limited room for newcomers. The story is not interesting enough or ironic enough to draw players in. The presentation only works fully for fans who accept the premise and like the mechanics. The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is a good game designed for a limited group of players.

Strictly speaking about the game, I enjoyed the atmosphere quite a lot, and the unique blend of medieval, steampunk and modern elements made the game seem quite unique. The zombie waves and the gameplay in general are extremely engaging, and combat can keep you on the edge of your seat at times, especially when you underestimate enemy forces. All in all, They are Billions is a game that definitely deserves praise, but playing it with anything other than a mouse and keyboard can be literally gamer’s Hell.

Despite the relative lack of graphical imagery, I can understand why some players might be turned off by the premise and the way it is implemented. The humor helps, as does that its mechanics are not focused on actual dismemberment but on choices and optimization. I like the weird mix of premise and gameplay of Organs Please and the feeling of accomplishment mixed with slight terror it can deliver.

Becastled is a very fun city builder and survival game. It manages to seamlessly blend the two genres, while also conveying its own unique challenges. Yes, it’s very fun to play as well, and it’s one of those games where you will find yourself playing for hours and hours without stopping. You can also change the difficulty to continually challenge yourself, if you want. But the thing that I like the most about Becastled is how they allow you to expand all the time, while also testing you at every corner. The upgrade path is great, and the game doesn’t shy away from showing that you need to improve as a player. And that’s what matters, it’s exciting to play, yet you continue finding new ways to test your skills. It certainly has a lot of longevity, especially with variety of map styles and enemies, and it’s already getting many updates even after launch.

Curse of the Sea Rats has a familiar approach to gameplay, with platforming pushing exploration and combat that can be tricky but satisfying in victory. Players will die a lot but even boss fights are mostly fair as long as players are willing to observe and learn. The narrative offers a decent if not impressive scaffolding for the action. Metroidvania has become a very popular genre. Curse of the Sea Rats understands that and executes on its ideas well but with limited innovation.

YOLKED – The Egg Game is quite a challenging experience that manages to keep frustration relatively low via the solid placing of checkpoints. It is extremely easy to understand the dual-hand movement mechanics but very hard to master them. And the world is interesting enough to keep players engaged when playing the same sequence again and again. Endless mode adds even more difficulty and is well-suited for competitive players. Experimentation is rewarded but the game could have used a few extra narrative beats. YOLKED is extra fun with an audience that’s ready to cheer on daring leaps and fast reflexes. But it can also be a relaxing way to end a gaming session when ingested in small doses.

Sons of Valhalla is fun but can become repetitive. Thorald is a good fighter, and the game makes him powerful enough, especially with a well-chosen set of runes on his belt, to tangle solo with big enemy groups. But teamwork and good use of the shield wall are crucial when taking on opponents hiding behind fortifications. But combat never evolves beyond that and the settlement development system is equally limited. The getting-back-the-kidnapped-princess narrative is decent but doesn’t do anything new. Sons of Valhalla is pleasant in short bursts but greater depth for all its mechanics are needed to make it engaging for long periods.

Without reinventing the recipe, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened offers a compelling gameplay experience even if you’re not a good detective. The wide variety of environments in each location that you can explore and the many characters that you meet along the way make this a very enjoyable ride.

Born of Bread is joyful, designed to appeal to a wider range of audiences, with a quirky narrative that can draw some laughs and mechanics that are easy to understand. The story holds few surprises, but I liked the characters, even the background ones. I can’t say the same about battles. The idea of audience participation is intriguing but doesn’t mesh well with the rest of its systems. And the cycle of attacking and defending will quickly become repetitive. Born of Bread has a host of good ideas and will deliver hours of fun for players who click with all of them.

Pro Cycling Manager 2014 is a solid experience for all fans of the sport who want to recreate history and try to win Le Tour de France with their favorite riders, but it might be a little too complex at first for newcomers who are looking to explore the simulation genre...But all should probably wait until the noticeable crashes are eliminated via patch.

Star Stuff isn’t actually about programming, although creating command sequences for robots is an important part of gameplay. The game wants players to consider what actions need to happen and then work backward to create a solution that takes into account number of commands and robot capabilities. The universe isn’t as fleshed out as it could be and zooming in when Mija takes a drink from a vending machine isn’t a good idea. But for anyone who loves puzzles and wants to solve well-designed ones using a constantly expanding set of tools, Star Stuff is a great choice.

It still has technical issues and the story may not be for everyone, but its multiplayer mode is a blast and, so far, isn't suffering from the many technical problems that affected past titles.

Matchmaker Agency is a cute game that is easy to get into both for fans of the management space and for newcomers who are attracted by the idea of getting people to fall in love with each other. The mystical powers element is a little weird, but the mechanics built around it mostly work, although there are moments when the events and their effects don’t fully make sense. The core character selection is good, as is the variety of people coming to the agency for help. Over time, the selection of date locations starts to feel limited, and it becomes annoying to see repeated situations. Matchmaker Agency could have used some extra polish but still delivers the satisfaction of creating new couples via the magic of a carefully considered match.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is another example of how remasters should be put together. Unlike the latest Tomb Raider remaster, the loving tale of the two brothers aged well and remained just as impressive as it was in 2013, serving a tale full of emotion. It is a brilliant story that combined with simple gameplay makes it accessible also to those who do not play video games on a regular basis. It is an experience that is worth playing through for the first time or relieving it with the updated graphics.

Beyond is an impressive achievement and I don’t really want to think how long it would take a player to see all the more than 1,400 featured cards. The structure makes it easy to get a full-blown weird adventure in under 10 minutes. Stop after death, consider your choices, do something else, and return for another dose after a few hours.

It’s hard to imagine what else they could have done to make this a great multiplayer game, but that’s not in dispute. Treyarch still knows how to make things happen. As for the single-player experience, I doubt that many people will remember it by the time the next game is released.

orbit.industries is a good management experience that will appeal to anyone who has ever sketched a space station in a notebook or thought about the complexities of building in orbit. Its three core systems might not seem too deep, taken individually, but they interact to create satisfying complexity. It is hard but cool to put together a space station that functions as close to optimal as possible and also looks suitably sci-fi. But the game doesn’t seem to aim to expand to audiences that don't already loves this genre. The presentation is functional but never pushes past that. There’s little world-building to create a sense of immersion. orbit.industries is a clear sign that LAB132 know their mechanics but they need to work on their ability to create a sense of wonder to attract a wider slate of players.

I enjoyed my time with The Crazy Hyper-Dungeon Chronicles, it’s a very fun game that you can play as you take a break from multiplayer games or very serious RPGs. The story is fun, and the gameplay is rather unique, especially when it comes to combat. Granted, it won’t surpass the genre’s greats, but it’s an enjoyable dungeon crawler with interesting twists. It’s worth considering if you want to test your skills exploring dungeons, finding amazing loot, and testing your skills against surprisingly powerful enemies. It’s also priced surprisingly fair, which makes for an accessible RPG.

You can expect Bloodroots to be frustrating, but also very satisfying. It may remind you of the movies made by Tarantino or of Hotline Miami, but it stands on its own, being an immersive experience. Although the story is short, you will feel pleasantly compelled to revisit the levels and try to improve your scores. Bloodroots is very stylish, very fast, very fun and extremely bloody mayhem.

TIEBREAK: Official game of the ATP and WTA is a good experience for anyone who likes tennis and really wants to control his favorite player. After learning the mechanics and how to best exploit computer-controlled opponents it is quite fun to dominate even the Grand Slams. The title’s presentation helps, with well-modeled players and animations. Individual matches can be thrilling. But there are gaps in the mechanics, like the lack of player morale, and the career mode lacks depth. Tiebreak is a good foundation and its developers need to squash bugs and improve gameplay to make it a good sports sim.

If you don't mind the simplified graphics and you just want a game that will help you relax and get annoyed at the same time, you'll find that Bridge Constructor is more than able to provide that experience.

All in all, Nocturnal remains a good indie platformer that offers enough innovations to make it worth a playthrough. Despite some uninspired mechanics, the overall gameplay experience is enjoyable and in no way frustrating.

Batora: Lost Haven is a competent and mostly enjoyable action game. It has one big idea, the two natures of both Avril and her enemies, but never uses it in any truly unique ways. After a few hours, only the boss battles manage to break up the monotony. The puzzle element of the game is mostly filler. Avril and Mira make a good pair of protagonists but the rest of the narrative is not as exciting. Batora: Lost Haven needs to be more daring with its unique idea when it comes to both combat and puzzles.

EcoGnomix is easy to learn and has a satisfying main gameplay loop. Players have to constantly think about how their gnome workers can be positioned to extract resources, preferably a lot of them while dealing with threats. It takes careful planning and a dose of luck to get deep into the caves and get a chance to tangle with the boss. The surface town development elements are simple and there’s not much in the way of a narrative hook. The biggest problem is the limited control that players have, mainly when it comes to upgrades. EcoGnomix’s mix of ideas is engaging and the title successfully delivers the “one more run” feeling but it needs a patch or two to fully deliver on its potential.

At the end of the day, Session: Skate Sim is either a brilliant release or a frustrating game to try. It all depends on where you are when it comes to a realistic skateboarding experience and your expectations towards a digital version of it. If you’re not a professional skater and just want to try out a new game, there’s absolutely no doubt Session: Skate Sim isn’t for you.

Although Destiny 2 requires quite a lot of grinding, the whole process doesn't really feel like a chore since there are so many varied activities that you'll rarely do the same thing twice in a month (unless it's a weekly activity, or you really want to). First and foremost, Destiny 2 does not frustrate players by placing parts of the end game under hard to achieve power level requirements. There's plenty of loot to gain and, more importantly, you're actually having fun while obtaining it.

SOULVARS is a complex video game dedicated to fans of classic Japanese role-playing games and, especially, to those who love their deep combat systems. Newcomers might find combat hard to comprehend but the game does offer the resources to understand the mechanics and use them in cool ways. Because exploration isn’t very engaging and the narrative can be a little hard to follow, players need to really love the combat to remain engaged. SOULVARS is clearly a labor of love but it will mainly appeal to those who appreciate the same classic titles as the developer.

Overall, One Piece: World Seeker captures the entire spirit of the franchise and compresses it into a new and unique story, on an island that you'll enjoy exploring and with characters some of you may have even grown up with.

Balatro is fast and addictive, a game that takes familiar ideas and adds enough twists and turns to keep players engaged. Take a look at the Collection to see how many potential jokers, booster packs, tags, and more can influence a run. Each run generates a sense of excitement and possibility, even if it ends quickly after a run of bad card draws. And I love it when a strategy comes together, getting just the right cards to activate the strong multiplier to defeat a boss on the last hand. The feeling of achievement, even if luck is a big element in every run, is something that many games struggle to deliver. Balatro has a great rogue-lite concept executed with care and I plan to play at least one run a day for the foreseeable future.

As a complete package, I think that Occlude is a pretty interesting game. It’s definitely a variation of Solitaire, but it has its own ideas, and the occult/ritual-like focus makes it stand out quite a bit. Those elements also enhance the gameplay quite a lot, while also offering you plenty of room to experiment and try out new stuff. On top of that, you have the great narrative and different rituals that help add plenty of depth to the gameplay itself. Yes, it might not be the most complex card game out there, but it certainly differentiates itself from deck builders and all the other similar titles in this niche. I think the occult theme suits the game very nicely, and every ritual is well-made, which further adds to the intricate story and character development.

Generation Zero could probably be best described as an unpolished gem. If a second part is going to be made (and I sincerely hope that’s happening), I’m sure that it’s going to be much better and better focused. Until then, if you're playing Generation Zero in a single player or with other people, you’re in for a treat. You’re going to experience something unique, and that in itself is valuable.

Forsaker: DingDing & Blade takes two quite different genres and mashes them together. The fact that players can experience the entire narrative in normal visual novel fashion, without fighting any card battle, is a clear sign that the mix doesn’t fully work. Combat is easy to pick up, but its systems don’t aim for innovation, and repetition sets in quickly. But I think it’s worth trying a few runs just to see how the systems work. Then switch to the classic visual novel approach and give Forsaker: DingDing & Blade time to tell a good story about corruption, power, rivalry, and what it means to be human.

The game is positively gorgeous, the music is extremely engaging, and while not everyone might like the slow pace of this game genre, those of you who do will take part in an adventure that will leave you staring into nothingness, to the point where you may experience memories you never actually thought you had. All in all, it is definitely a game that deserves a place in any adventurous gamer's digital library.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a memorable game, maybe the best produced so far by Frogwares. It is not a classical adventure game, rather an open world Victorian tour de force in the early days of the most famous detective. As such it is not easy, mainly because the developers decided to let players figure out how a detective’s mind works. You must have patience and pay attention in order to figure out the Holmes family secret. But it is a rewarding journey, one that will make you feel invested in it. It might not be a perfect game, nor a AAA title, but it is fun and well crafted.

Chicken Police is not the most innovative or complex adventure game, but it is one of the most atmospheric ones. It is immersive and fun, with an excellent soundtrack and stellar voice acting. The puzzles are a bit simple and limited in number, but you will not miss them so much thanks to the excellent story and well-written dialogues. The noir atmosphere is the most important element of the recipe, Chicken Police charming you from the very first minutes and guiding you gently to the end by fueling your sense of accomplishment with new discoveries. It is not perfect, but it is an experience you will not regret.

Anima Gate of Memories: I & II Remastered is the ultimate way of experiencing these 2 games, and it’s definitely a great idea to get them, especially if you enjoy anime content and RPGs. The highlight of these games is certainly their combat, but the story is also serviceable, and the RPG elements enrich the overall experience. It’s also great to see that the game doesn’t require a lot of resources on PC either, so even if you have an older computer, you should be more than ok playing it. If you’re into Nier-style games and want an excuse to spend a few dozen hours in a wonderful fantasy world with quirky bosses and enemies, this is definitely something to consider. It’s more of an indie action RPG, but one with a lot of heart, excellent combat and engaging RPG elements. I enjoyed the game world, the characters, interactions, but also enemy encounters and bosses. Yes, it has some caveats, but if you want to experience these now-classics, the remastered pack is the best way to do it.

Verses of Enchantment is a competent card-driven battler with one unique core twist, that A.I. generates verses based on the cards the two opponents use. The poetry that emerges ranges in quality from decent to very bad and has a limited impact on gameplay. The core mechanics are good, with some cool card interactions and a focus on specialized decks. Verses of Enchantment offers interesting duels and plenty of poems to read but never builds a detailed enough world around them to keep players engaged.

Still Joking is an interactive novel experience with a good cast and a great protagonist. Iris is bewildered and fiery, determined to find out what happened to her real-world counterpart while also finding the best way to move past her trauma. The game’s writing works well with the theme, although there are conversations that feel much too long. The developers claim that there are more than 1,000 unique choices to make, so there’s a ton of space for multiple playthroughs. Sure, gameplay is as limited. The game has style, but immersion is negatively affected by the limited sound design. The entire experience is designed for players who already know and appreciate this genre. Still Joking does not innovate much but executes on its premise well and takes players through some wild narrative moments.

Blades of Fire might not revolutionize the genre, but it doesn’t need to. What it offers is a polished, confident, and deeply satisfying action experience grounded in clear design principles and executed with purpose. By drawing inspiration from giants of the genre and combining those ideas into a streamlined, compelling whole, MercurySteam has crafted a surprise that deserves attention. Whether you come for the satisfying weapon crafting, the intense yet accessible combat, or the story of rebellion and divine legacy, Blades of Fire delivers a memorable journey. It’s not bloated, it's not pretentious, it’s just good game design, executed with passion.

Overall, I found the new Shadow of the Colossus a pleasant journey peppered with some frustrating moments, especially when battling the colossi. If you can get passed that, Shadow of the Colossus can offer some epic moments and a beautiful world to explore.

Reverie Knights Tactics is a solid experience for anyone looking for a tactical battle title with a classic look and plot. There are no major innovations, but all the core systems work well, offering plenty of ways to deal with the combat puzzles at its core. Aurora is a solid protagonist, and the rest of the cast is likable. But everything moves too slowly for the full experience to be fun. During combat, I watched the same animations hundreds of times, more if I wanted to hit all the listed goals. On the world map, I had to move from one non-descript area to another. The developer at 40 Giants Entertainment had good ideas for Reverie Knights Tactics but they needed better implementation to keep me engaged in the long term.

AIPD provides a solid twin-stick shooter experience, with plenty of variety thanks to the customization elements for your ship, the gameplay, or the mode. Fun in small doses in single-player and adequately chaotic when more people are involved, you can’t go wrong with this indie title.

Layers of Fear is an excellent remake, adding quite a few hours of new content that fits the original story like a glove. It is scarry, depressing and marvelously dark, and it is a must for all the fans of the genre, no matter if they played the original game or not. The bugs are extremely annoying, and they break the immersion, but they can easily be fixed through a patch. The over 12 hours of total gameplay and the replay value granted by multiple playthroughs needed in order to figure out the multiple endings more than justify the price of the game. The new Layers of Fear is a well thought out horror game, that with the mandatory facelift manages to be more impressive and memorable than the original one.

Overall, while it’s still mostly the same as previous titles in the Lego series, Lego DC Super-Villains offers some much needed twist in terms of story, shining a light on the life of the bad guys and girls in the comic book universe. Add in the superb voice acting, the many different powers that you get to wield as the villains, as well as the huge amount of activities scattered throughout its open world and you’re bound to have a good time being bad.

The shooting is fun, the low gravity and oxygen ideas are nice, the story still does not impress in many ways, but overall the experience is engaging and a good way to get the adrenaline flowing.

Gameplay is as captivating as ever, and the couple of improvements manage to fit quite well into the established recipe. However, there are some noticeable downsides relating to the voice “acting” not to mention the design of some specific stages that feel rushed or confusing.

Overall, the mind-bending puzzles, unique gameplay mechanics and the fact that it is all wrapped up in an intense and heart-warming emotional story make it the go-to game for those who love romance, puzzle solving, and romancing while puzzle solving.

Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson is one of those games that might seem weird to some, but as soon as you start playing, it will get you hooked. The vibrant, stunning pixel art will grab you into this weird, yet beautiful world, and you’ll stay in there for the creative combat and grueling combo attacks. Even more so, the game is continually offering you new ways to play with all kinds of guitar types, and it’s not afraid to take chances. I am a huge fan of the boss battles they added here and there, but make no mistake, all the other enemies are fun to tackle, even if the game can feel quite easy especially in the beginning. But as a whole, Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson feels like a complete RPG experience, with amazing music and fun quests to boot. I didn’t know what to expect from Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson, but I am glad I played it, as it was a great ride.

AI LIMIT does an excellent job when it comes to focusing on exploration and exhilarating, visually appealing battles. Its game world is excellently made, and the story, while not incredible, is serviceable. Throughout playing AI LIMIT, I always felt a part of this post-apocalyptic world and found myself in Arrisa’s shoes, trying to survive. If you like soulslike games, you’ll find this one to be very interesting, especially since it offers a fresh take on the genre with its sync rate and innovative bosses. You can’t go wrong with it, even if the game isn’t as long as others in the genre, as you’ll find mostly everything in roughly 30 hours. It has a great art style, and it comes with some explosives battles that make it well worth a shot!

Rather than offering answers, the game poses difficult, open-ended questions. What does it mean to understand someone from another world? Can we truly listen without threatening our own sense of self? And is it possible to embrace change without perceiving it as loss? These are not the questions most video games dare to ask, let alone explore meaningfully. In the end, Two Falls is more a storybook than a game, one that takes your hand and guides youthfully through a conversation between cultures with deliberate but slow steps. It may not win over those seeking adrenaline or challenge, but for players open to introspection and narrative depth, it delivers something rare: a story that respects intelligence, honors emotion, and celebrates the uneasy beauty of meeting someone halfway.

Nobody Saves the World is a fun game, where the story, the quests and every other gameplay element are in the service of the character and evolution system. There are no armours or weapons or potions, it all comes down to the forms that work as classes and mixing their abilities. Sure, it can become a tad repetitive, and the humour has its ups and downs just as the level design, but overall, the experience is a memorable and enjoyable one. Nobody Saves the World has a lot of soul and quite a few flickers of originality, worth to be experienced since it is part of the Game Pass Ultimate catalogue.

Wall World offers a competent mix of ideas. Mining is pretty boring but combat sequences are exciting and tense, with a big ramp-up when the boss shows up. The rogue-lite structure works but the prices on most things are high enough that pure grinding is required. The narrative has an interesting premise but it’s too slow to build on it. The entire experience works best in short sessions, one or two runs at a time, to limit the impact of its repetitive elements. Wall World’s core is good and it would benefit from some tweaked values and expanded variety.

Insurmountable gains a new gameplay layer with the 2.0 update, which gives the experience a clearer structure and players more clear goals to aim for. Climbing peaks, with limited resources and careful planning, continues to be compelling. There are plenty of strategies to try out, many events to deal with, some mysteries to untangle. The problem is that there’s not enough variety, even with the newly added campaign structure. After 5 or 6 climbs, nothing is surprising. The player can try new synergies or new ideas, but the mountains remain largely the same. Insurmountable has a great concept and some solid mechanics but can struggle to entice players to reach more than one summit.

Agatha Christie - Death on the Nile is a good addition to the modern Hercule Poirot canon and will appeal to anyone who likes the author’s approach to detective stories and the core mechanics of the adventure game. Royce's addition and other narrative elements mostly work to create a sense of escalation toward a grand finale. Unfortunately, the game struggles to deliver an engaging presentation, although the soundtrack is great. Puzzle quality varies a lot, while conversations are little more than robotic clue extractions. Agatha Christie - Death on the Nile never delivers on its potential but can conjure enjoyable deduction sequences.

All in all, I think that Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr should provide more than a satisfactory experience. Just don’t look too much under the hood or try to find the reasons behind some of the developer’s decisions. It’s a decent exploration of the Warhammer universe, and it’s more than capable of gobbling up your hours, if you’re not careful.

Overall, it's among the best indie role-playing game experiences ever crafted, and if low-fi visuals and reading don't scare you, it's well worth the purchase, especially since there is just so much content to enjoy, as well as added value through replayability.

Once Upon a Puppet is a game of contrasts. Its world is imaginative, its narrative has heart, and its characters are full of potential. Yet it’s held back by technical shortcomings, awkward design choices, and a general lack of polish. It feels like a beautiful puppet show where the strings get tangled too often, pulling you out of the illusion. If you’re a die-hard fan of narrative-driven indie platformers, or if the puppet theater aesthetic deeply appeals to you, this title may still be worth a try—especially during a sale. There’s magic here, but you’ll need patience—and a forgiving mindset—to find it.

Assassin's Creed: Origins is far from being a bad game, but fails to achieve greatness as well. If Ubisoft would have cut half of the low-quality content, I think we would have gotten a much better game. While there's definitely room for improvement, I strongly believe that the Assassin's Creed franchise took a turn in the right direction.

I enjoyed my time with Through the Nightmares, even if it came with lots of level restarts and challenges. The game’s world is charming, visually impressive, and they do an excellent job at introducing new ideas and mechanics very often. I will say some of the levels, especially in the beginning, tend to feel very similar. But that thing slowly wears off as you enter the latter part of the first world, and as you delve into the other 2 worlds. If you’re new to platformers, maybe Through the Nightmares is not for you. I found this game is better for those grizzled veterans that are always on the lookout for a challenge. The overarching story is great, the gameplay is immersive, albeit frustrating at times. But as a complete package, Through the Nightmares is a wonderful experience and you’ll have a blast going through all these handcrafted levels. However, you need to arm yourself with a lot of patience.

Devolver often delivers weird games that take familiar ideas or mechanics and deliver cool twists on them. Loop Hero is a very good example of how this approach can succeed. Sludge Life has good tunes and a new presentation style but it needed more in the way of either gameplay or narrative to deliver a truly cool experience.

Tower of Guns is a pretty fun rogue-like first-person shooter that manages to blend these two different genres together for an entertaining experience. However, it's best served as a palate cleanser between different games, as going through the title too often brings into question its repetitive gameplay and level design.

This Bed We Made is a pleasant crime mystery game, maybe a bit short and not as polished as it could be, but a solid experience overall. The atmosphere and the story are great, and I encourage every fan of adventure games to try it. It is refreshing to see that we can still meet story driven games that do not get complacent offering a walking experience with minimum puzzle content. And this time around you can see the real outcome of your choices, without reaching the same inevitable conclusion.

Alien Creeps TD is a pretty fun yet quite difficult tower defense experience. While it doesn't break the mold in terms of features, it still manages to execute a good balance between strategy and fun. The in-app purchases, while not that obnoxious early on, become pretty necessary so bear that in mind while trying out the free-to-play game.

Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide is a solid package, and in many ways, this is how the game should have been delivered when it first arrived last year.

Elemental: Reforged is a decent attempt to make a game that was too ambitious for 2010 relevant for a modern audience. It looks better than it did back then, but not by much, and its attempt at world building is hampered by the limited presentation. The core 4X mechanics are strong if a little traditional, and the game features an extensive array of customization and choices, ensuring that no two games will play out the same. Gamers who liked any of the older Elemental titles will be happy with the modern version. There’s enough variety to enjoy hundreds of hours of strategic moves and tactical battles. But Elemental: Reforged doesn’t feature any big innovation and will struggle to keep newcomers interested.

In the end, the looney atmosphere is what makes the game feel unique, and if you’re a fan of comedy where nothing makes sense, then you shouldn’t think twice about trying this title.

Legends of Kingdom Rush is a competent if unimaginative experience. The universe has some quirks, but most players will be able to instantly tell the inspiration for each character or enemy. The mechanics are decent and deliver some tense battle moments, but there’s nothing inherently new to engage with. The gamer looks pretty good and makes sure players have all the details they need to make the best tactical choice but there’s not much personality for characters or bosses. The genre Legends of Kingdom Rush is working in is a very crowded one and, while fans of the series will certainly appreciate what the title has to offer, the lack of innovation means that other players don’t have too many reasons to play it.

Unity is a good step in the series, managing to successfully overhaul most of the core mechanics. However, a lot of polishing is needed in terms of freerunning or stealth to make it all work as intended. The co-op is pretty fun, but be careful of the pretty common frame drops, errors, and annoying missions, as they can really pull you out of the experience.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a pretty good entry in the series from Capcom. While the actual horror elements, barring some jump scares, aren't that common, you'll still feel a bit spooked out in various moments of the story. For those that want action, however, the Raid mode is by far the star of the package.

Hammerting is a good example of how solid individual mechanics sometimes fail to offer more than the sum of their parts in terms of gameplay. The development team has put together an interesting dwarf clan simulation and management title. It has even created an engaging if derivative universe for the player to interact with. But playing Hammerting often feels like a chore. Make sure that you check all characters to remember their stats and best use in the colony. Deal with all the supply chain issues. Then maybe dig a little deeper to see what the mountain throws at you. Warpzone needs to streamline its gameplay formula a little while increasing the immersion factor to make its future titles more attractive.

It's a pity that all these great changes are overshadowing the core content of the Shadowkeep expansion, but I can't say I'm surprised. For newcomers to the universe, Destiny 2 will be quite overwhelming, while veterans of the series might not find enough reasons to buy the new Shadowkeep expansion unless they really want to check out the new raid and all the gear it drops. But I'm leaning towards “wait for sale.”

It's a mediocre game for all intents and purposes, but if Gothic and the former installments in the series floated your boat, then you're in for a pretty good time.

Ambition: A Minuet in Power aims to be a graphical novel with a difference and comes very close to realizing its goal. The problem is that the game does not manage to keep up the quality of its writing or make its encounters unique enough. The developers do have good ideas. I like the fact that players can start to explore a historical situation (or a big political incident or the state of a country) through the mechanics of this genre. I appreciate the mix of serious subject matter and sometimes silly romance encounters. But Ambition: A Minuet in Power needed a little more focus to convince me to play through it more than one time, even if I appreciate what it is trying to achieve.

Punch Club is yet another example of how small teams that focus on gameplay that's engaging can offer interesting long-term experiences even if they do not feature impressive graphics or stories.

Neversong is a beautiful game, which manages to create a rarely seen atmosphere by putting in limelight heavy topics like mourning and the nightmares plaguing kids. While the story is interesting and the puzzles are immersive, the clunky fights, the imprecise control scheme, and the lack of consistency make it hard to keep players engaged. Artistically it is a beautiful, yet short escape into a horror realm, but gameplay-wise it is lacking depth and polish. Although visually charming and despite the unique atmosphere, the game world feels somehow empty. Most of the gameplay relies on the same simple ideas which are repeated from start to end. Although it requires precision from the player, Neversong does not offer the control scheme to support such a need.

Somber is a cute and small experience with good presentation and mechanics. It constantly adds movement options and delivers some interesting puzzles to then engage with. But there’s nothing entirely new in terms of gameplay and the beauty of the world can feel a little empty. This is especially weird given that the game is also pretty short. This is a game that’s best suited for newcomers to the action platforming genre or for younger gamers who are discovering its ideas. Somber has good quality for a title created by a team of three and I am interested in seeing if their next experience can be more innovative when it comes to mechanic

Despite the fact that I’m not a big fan of the Adventure Time series, I enjoyed the game. It has some flaws, and there is way too much grinding, but it’s a nice change from what we usually play. If you enjoy some witty conversations and a little bit of mindless gameplay, then you should give Adventure Time Pirates of the Enchiridion a try.

I’ve always wanted to play a tactical Viking-focused game, and NORSE: Oath of Blood manages to bring that idea to life. Creating a Viking settlement, embarking on missions and slowly expanding the story are all things that the game does very well. The same thing is valid when it comes to combat. The battles are engaging, there’s plenty of tactical depth, and you also have enemy variety as well. It’s not as long as many other turn-based titles, and it’s more story-focused, which can be a great upside for many players. Unfortunately, at least at launch, NORSE: Oath of Blood suffers from performance problems, including cutscene stuttering and issues like pop-in. Hopefully, these issues will be fixed soon, because the game shows a lot of promise.

The Dark Eye: Memoria is the best reason to play Chains of Satinav, not just to fully comprehend the story, but also to appreciate the evolution of the series. With memorable characters, interesting gameplay elements, and attention to detail turns Memoria into a pretty good adventure game. Yes, in some places the story feels a bit rushed and Geron is just as gray as ever, but the adventures of Sadja bring life into the game. The ending feels right and the fact that you have a choice finally plays into the overall theme of breaking free from the chains of faith.

A rich turn-based strategy experience that allows for deep customization, intense battles, and lots of replayability. Bear in mind that the learning curve is steep and the visual presentation is a bit underwhelming, by today's standards. Even so, fans can find lots of things to love in this indie title.

If you can get past the fact that you need to craft rather than combat your way to the finish line, Smoke and Sacrifice is a pleasant experience that will keep you occupied for 15-20 hours.

The best part of the game remains the atmosphere, every element of the game being purposefully conceived to contribute to the gloomy feel, that will grow heavier as you advance through the narrative. We cannot say that Rebirth is revolutionary, despite bringing several new gameplay elements, but it is still a solid horror game, recommended for both old-time fans and newcomers alike.

Krut: The Mythic Wings is a competent game that never manages to become more than the sum of its parts. The gameplay loop is decent but fails to develop in any interesting way. The narrative is solid enough to push players forward but never impresses. The game does look good, especially during boss engagements. But the decision to use the same currency to get upgrades and unlocks checkpoints adds a layer of difficulty that was not required (always go for the save point). And the combat fails to grow in complexity or coolness as the game progresses. Krut: The Mythic Wings is worth playing for fans of the action platformer space but does not manage to innovate in any significant way.

The only thing that I don’t like about the game is the DLC policy, meaning that a lot of the interesting stuff can be bought through DLCs, including two entire maps. Otherwise, if I had the time, I would probably lose entire days hunting virtual animals, and having an inexplicable feeling of accomplishment.

Starship Troopers: Terran Command shows how hard it can be to use a cult status intellectual property and make a good video game out of it. The core mechanics are solid, but the narrative is mediocre, and the presentation fails to impress. There’s fun in finding new ways to kill bugs but there’s not enough variety. The game lacks multiplayer. The development team at The Artistocrats played it too safe. The idea that unit positioning is crucial should have been explored in greater depth, alongside the combined arms elements. Terran Command offers a solid strategy experience but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not a fan of Starship Troopers.

All in all, Soulcalibur VI is fun, despite all of its problems, and I think it’s all that matters in a fighting game. If we also take into account the developer’s propensity to bring in characters from other games, such as The Witcher or Sonic, it moves the game to another meta-level. And that’s definitely something that players will want.

Gemini: Heroes Reborn is a pretty compelling first-person adventure that manages to borrow from bigger titles like BioShock, Mirror’s Edge, or PsiOps to deliver a mix that can delight gamers in general, not just fans of the Heroes universe. Its adventure isn’t the lengthiest, and the replayability factor isn’t all that great, but you’ll certainly enjoy bending time and flinging objects with your mind in this title.

UnderRail shows that classic ideas and mechanics can deliver impressive gameplay results even in an age when even the RPG space tends to lose its identity under the assault of improved graphics and the need to make combat the best way to solve every situation.

The combat is beautiful and flashy enough to make any fighting game or JRPG fan feel satisfied and while the graphics may seem a bit stiff, none of that matters during the fast-paced matches where you'll probably pay more attention to the ratio between your HP bar and your enemy's. Jump force allows players to finally answer those age-old questions, such as Who would win in a fight between Goku and Naruto Uzumaki?, which have been the subject of debates in forum discussions, memes or video commentaries, and that alone should be enough of a reason to make fans of the genre interested in the game.

The Last Worker could have created some complex problems and interesting situations using its gravity gun and extensive player mobility options. And there are a few game sections that are both immersive and tense. But most of the experience involves following other characters in tight spaces, with more focus on their conversations than on gameplay. The constant attempt to create real-world parallels feels forced. The experience has little space for the companions to have a relationship with the protagonist and there’s very little sense that this adventure has massive stakes. Maybe the narrative and gameplay mix works better in virtual reality. But The Last Worker has an intriguing premise and some decent mechanics and never makes either actually interesting to interact with.

Despite a few bumps along the way, Become the Moon is a standout entry in 2025’s crowded deckbuilding scene. Feldspar Games has taken a bold swing by fusing roguelike mechanics with auto-battler gameplay, and while it doesn’t always stick the landing, the game’s charm, strategic depth, and addictive loop more than make up for its flaws. With a generous selection of cards, meaningful leader choices, and a streamlined interface, Become the Moon is perfect for short bursts or hours-long marathons. It may not dethrone genre titans like Slay the Spire or Balatro, but it absolutely deserves a spot in any card-game fan’s library.

Ceres has plenty of potential, but the development team at Jotunn needs to continue to deliver updates for it to make sure that all the core features work as they should and do not push players to abandon the experience because of frustration.

Bloomtown: A different story is a wonderful JRPG, with western inspired themes, beautiful pixel art graphics and a challenging yet immersive gameplay. Sometimes it can become overwhelming, but the diabolical black humor tends to give you the necessary jolt to continue. It might not be as polished as a Persona game, but it is coherent and exciting, being a great choice for the fans of RPGs that you can lose yourself in. There are some weak points, where I wish the game could have been a bit more mature, but overall, it is great fun.

Beholder 3 has a few good ideas that fail to shine through the limited and repetitive mechanics. Some conversations, especially some with family members, elicit emotion and create genuine dilemmas. But I never was interested in the tenants, their problems, or my co-workers, and always played Frank as a survivor who can’t and won’t try to make the world a better place. I like how this actually fits well into the totalitarian framework of the game’s world. But much of my detachment is also linked to the mechanics, repetitive and lacking imagination, which eliminated emotion. Beholder 3 delivers a world worth exploring but fails to give the players the means to get engaging moments from it.

Tennis Manager 2022 is a solid entry into the sports management genre, but it needs to refine its mechanics to become a good fantasy fulfillment vehicle for tennis fans. The development team has put in the effort to gather and present information in useful ways, giving gamers plenty of ways to tweak tactics and motivate their players. Tournaments are well simulated, with stars reacting naturally when they hit a good or bad streak.

It's a pretty good game with a handful of hindrances that prevent it from being great. It's solid for an indie game but feels a bit flimsy somehow, as more depth would have greatly improved the experience.

In so many ways, calling this new release a “definitive edition” creates expectations that could eventually lead to more frustration from diehard Shadow Warrior fans. If anything, getting the definitive edition is something that first-time Shadow Warrior 3 players should do, as otherwise, the new title doesn’t bring too many exciting upgrades. The replayability barely exists, and if you’ve already completed the campaign, it’s hard to believe you’d ever start it again. Maybe the hardcore difficulty could make things a little bit more challenging, especially for those who fell in love with Shadow Warrior. But when it comes to missions and content, I can’t help but end this review in the same exact same way I started it. This new release has me hoping for more.