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.

Reveil is a walking simulator, but it is a remarkable one. Yes, the puzzles are simple, but they are balanced by the game world full of things to explore and find. There is no monotonous pace, and the stealth and chase sections are more than just tense or strained, featuring a few truly scary moments. It may be short, but the story with its unexpected twists, the multiple settings and the constant questioning of what is real and what can you believe from what you go through, makes it a worthwhile experience for all the fans of adventure and horror games.

Sixty Four mixes idle and automation mechanics and will capture the attention of players who like the two genres with its focus on digging deep as efficiently as possible. The core design is clean and makes it easy for players to plan expansion or upgrades. Some might even be interested in the weird dialogue that anchors the limited narrative. But the game doesn’t do much with its premise and gameplay becomes repetitive pretty fast once players reach the green cubes. Alt-tabbing to wait for resources to accumulate is not fun. The entire concept is better suited for mobile phones. Sixty Four has some clever ideas but does not engage with the limitations of its genre.

Tamarak Trail’s unique idea is to give players dice to roll while also allowing them to choose exactly what action is on each face. This creates opportunities for interesting interactions, enhanced by the random way the dice bump into each other when thrown. Artifacts that can be slotted into die add to their power. As engaging as combat can be, the rest of the experience is too close to the genre’s standards to be compelling, especially the node structure. The game might also want to be somewhat more generous with its currency. Tamarak Trail does offer something new to veterans of the combat rogue-lite mix but for me, it became too repetitive too quickly.

A Void Hope has a good narrative hook, deviating just enough from the real world to keep players interested. The platforming and puzzle elements are well-designed, with a focus on giving players tools to make progress rather than delivering complex and difficult challenges. Unfortunately, the mechanics do not evolve significantly, and the repetition is not engaging enough. The underdeveloped combat does not help and can be frustrating. A Void Hope is a good indie project that needs more variety to keep players immersed.

As Dusk Falls is fair experience, but compared to the other representatives of its genre, it manages to stand out only as being the closest to a tv series, rather than a videogame. The plentitude of choices creates numerous ramifications that will encourage the fans of the genre to go through multiple playthroughs in order to discover every outcome. Still, compared to other relatively recent games like The Quarry or Detroit: Become Human, As Dusk Falls feels like an indie production that had to cut several corners due to budget restrictions. It is a commendable effort, but there is still a long way to go to reach the level of the best interactive dramas.

TimeMelters has a very good core idea and uses it expertly, finding cool new ways to challenge players while also offering them the tools to come up with interesting solutions. Rewinding when close to death isn’t a bad idea but it’s much more interesting to create a dull loop for a past self and only then move on to another timeline. The game’s fictional universe is decent if not exciting and the presentation doesn’t shine. There are moments when trial-and-error challenge design can generate some frustration. But TimeMelters is mechanically unique and I hope the team at Autoexec Games finds ways to refine it for future projects.

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.

Airhead is based on an original idea and has some clever puzzles and vivid graphics. Yet these qualities are not enough to redeem a short and forgettable experience. Unfortunately, the puzzles can become quite frustrating due to the bugs and glitches the developers failed to remedy. Overall Airhead would be a decent game if it would not be so short. Still if you look past all the shortcomings and you focus on the original idea, a really original world awaits you that can be engaging to explore after some more polishing from the developers.

Cricket Through the Ages is a simple game, played using just one button, that works best for two players who are ready to have some dumb fun for about half an hour. Any longer than that and it becomes clear how limited and repetitive it all really is. Play against the computer and all the silliness isn’t worth very much. The developers understand how to make awkward physics work, but the game really needs more variety in terms of equipment and conditions. Cricket Through the Ages will draw some laughs but is best enjoyed in short bursts before its repetitive mechanic becomes frustrating.

Solium Infernum is an exquisite gamer, with carefully honed mechanics and a lot of freedom. Dominating Hell involves both careful plans and smart reactions to unforeseen events and surprises created by adversaries. The game does ask players to invest time and energy to learn all its mechanics and how they interact with each other. The single player is fun by itself but a willingness to engage in multiplayer unlocks more of the title’s potential. Solium Infernum is a must-have for turn-based fans who want to rule Hell using deceit and strength.

Classified: France '44 delivers a good mix of turn-based tactics, strategic choices, and personnel management. The narrative is familiar, but the characters are well-drawn and there are some touching moments around the campfire. Both the stealth and the morale-centered battles are tense and reward careful planning and good use of weapons and abilities. The strategy layer is the weakest part of the game, and I would have liked extra options to interact with the three Resistance factions. Maybe players should not be in charge of what their commandos wear. But these are minor issues and Classified: France '44 is a great game for anyone who likes killing Nazis using stealth and superior firepower in a variety of scenarios.

Dicefolk puts an interesting twist on classic ideas. Controlling both dice sets in combat creates cool challenges and gives players options to deal with powerful enemies. There’s also plenty of variety, powered by tokens and items, to create personalized strategies and find novel ways of engaging with bosses. While the chimera idea is interesting, the game failed to draw me into its universe. Dicefolk knows the genre it's working in and has the innovation required to draw in veterans looking for new ideas but it might struggle to keep them interesting in the long run.

I fell in love with Tomb Raider the moment I played the first episode on my PC a very long time ago. That is why the ups and downs of the series hit me on a more sensible and emotional level. I was hyped about this remaster, and I have to admit I got what I hoped for: the original three games, with new shiny graphics and controls that are closer to the standards of 2024. But after playing through the remastered trilogy, I have to admit that my memories about the game were romanticized compared to reality. The gameplay and level design that worked over two decades ago, today feel dated and clunky. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is hard to recommend for anyone but the hardcore fans of the series.

Inkulinati is impressive in its ability to marry theme, mechanics, and presentation. The ink-driven combat is exciting and tense, rewarding experimentation and good use of gestures and abilities. The world, inspired by the marginalia of Medieval manuscripts, is beautiful and immersive. The campaign is strong but playing against another human, in local multiplayer, is even more fun, especially if both involved players have learned a few tricks while facing the computer. Inkulinati is incredibly inventive visually and features engaging combat mechanics.

Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions has an emotional premise and some charming character interactions, although the narrative is not very deep. The turn-based combat scenarios move fast, which is great given their repetitive nature. Boss characters are well-designed and create some interesting tactical puzzles. House exploration is disappointing, with very limited interactions that only yield stickers and short comments. The developers should have also found ways to add more innovation to the combat, especially when it comes to character moves. Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions is a fun adventure for anyone who knows and likes the featured companions but has limited appeal for non-fans.

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.

Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance has a good real-time strategy core that is augmented by the mission design and the army management elements. The campaign features interesting situations and complex battles. The tactical pause makes it all accessible even for players who aren’t long-term fans of the RTS genre. The story and presentation do not match the game’s mechanics. Some secondary objectives and narrative choices are unclear until players actually interact with them. But Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance uses the franchise well and delivers engaging battles.

Persona 3 Reload is a complete reimagining of the original. It feels just as modern as Persona 5, although it is less complex it does not feel rushed or less engaging. The developers managed to combine the best elements of the third and fifth episode into a remake that feels completely fresh. Beyond the grindy nature of Tartarus there are no real negative aspects to mention. Persona 3 Reload looks better, works better and plays better than the original, making it a must play for the fans of the series.

Skull and Bones spent seven years in development, but still feels like an unfinished beta version that was released way before it’s time. And while many expect this kind of patchwork from Ubisoft, it is still a reprehensible industry practice that is in no way fair to the players, who despite all the warning signs have waited and hoped for the game’s release. Just as another live service game recently released based on the DC universe, Skull and Bones feels like a cash grab attempt that maybe fixable in the future with many patches and updates but even in its ideal form is far from an AAA title. At best it could be a relaxing and engaging, albeit repetitive activity, but in its current form is a beta version sold at full price.

Ultros major issue is that it isn’t as weird and hallucinatory as it wants to be. Sure, this space burial site that overflows with life offers an interesting setting with some impressive visual touches. The narrative is somewhat obscure, and occult tinged. But neither is enough to keep players engaged in the long run if they don’t already like this mix of exploration, combat, and platforming. And the game offers limited details about many of its systems, with the constant loops adding to the confusion. Ultros requires patience and a significant time investment but it offers an immersive world and good core mechanics.

Taken individually there are some aspects to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League that are enjoyable. The problem is that cloning the same few basic gameplay mechanics seen in most live service games creates a negative overall experience. As a result, even if playing alongside your friends as a full party, you will feel like participating in a chores marathon. The monotonous endgame can be fixed by adding new content, but seeing the already existing one it is hard to believe that we can expect a major improvement. It is a shame that such a fresh and unexpected take on the superhero universe is wasted on a live service model that fails to fix the mistakes of the genre.

War Hospital offers a decent management experience with nice flavor. There aren’t many games that use World War I as a setting and even less than ask fans to actually heal people rather than kill them. The game’s management aspect is well-executed, although the core gameplay loop tends to become repetitive. The development team also delivers a good recreation of the first worldwide conflict, with a focus on the frailty of humanity and the incredibly limited tools doctors and nurses had to save lives. I hope that Brave Lamb Studio takes the best ideas of War Hospital and refines them, either for DLC or a sequel.

Tekken 8 feels like a great game that with a bit more tuning could have been the best fighting game out there. The last fight of the campaign feels unnecessarily long, the Arcade Quest mode could have been made into a better fit with the rest of the game and there are some other aspects that commenting upon almost feels like nitpicking. Tekken 8 remains one of the best fighting games available, but it does not have a secret move to beat Mortal Kombat 1 or Street Fighter 6. There is no clear winner, and it all comes down to personal taste and which universe do you prefer.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is without any doubt the biggest game of the series published so far and arguably the most engaging one. Each and every part denotes the developer’s passion for their craft and the end result is one of the most atmospheric games I have had the chance to play lately. I cannot recommend the game highly enough, despite the controversial decision of putting NewGame+ behind an extra paywall. If you have never played Yakuza before, Infinite Wealth will open up your appetite in the best way possible.

GRAVEN aims for an intriguing combination of exploration, combat, and puzzle solving. All are decent, neither is truly good and the game cannot seem to decide what kind of experience it wants to create. I really wanted to use the spells, especially fire, to kill enemies, without resorting to blades or arrows. It doesn’t help that the fictional world feels derivative, and it is feel a connection to our Orthogonal hero. The game really needs a map. GRAVEN could have offered an interesting update on Hexen but it’s just a sometimes enjoyable mix of combat and puzzle work.

Stargate: Timekeepers delivers a decent core gameplay loop. Working with a variety of characters to move stealthily and eliminate enemies can be fun, especially when players are dealing with the more complex enemy setups. The constant visual reminder about quick saving is a good idea. But the narrative fails to make interesting use of the complex Stargate universe and none of the characters will keep players engaged. There’s little in the game that actually involves the Stargate system itself. Timekeepers is fun for fans of the stealth tactics space who are looking for new challenges and for die-hard fans of Stargate who are looking for another story set in that universe.

Anomaly Agent is a great retro-inspired side-scrolling action title. The combat system has depth and delivers some frantic engagements. Surviving a big fight with just a sliver of health feels great. The presentation is solid, with a special mention for the music, and the narrative, despite its familiar beats, is engaging. There’s one mission that involves kicking someone around that will annoy some players and the platforming has some difficult moments. But the game is inventive and imbued with a sense of coolness. Anomaly Agent is accessible to newcomers but also has plenty of challenges for hardcore fans.

The Cub fits in well with the rest of the games developed by Demagog to showcase the Great Climate Catastrophe story arc. Once again it is a game that carries a deep message, while not failing to entertain as a videogame. The shift in perspective between Golf Club: Nostalgia and The Cub is a fascinating way to present the same story but as two sides of the same coin. The challenge is not trivial, yet not painstaking either, the game being entertaining for newcomers and veterans alike.

Immortality requires patience, plenty of it, and an inquisitive mind. It does not offer instant gratification through frags or victory screens, rather a slow burning mystery that requires you to have the focus of a detective like Poirot. The game refuses to follow current trends and chooses to be an homage to the movie industry by showcasing what is hidden from the viewers. It is not for everyone, especially due to the limited gameplay mechanics it can become monotonous. Yet, there is something fascinating in uncovering what happened to Marissa Marcel.

Lil' Guardsman is a fun game that expertly combines story and gameplay. It’s built around a loveable central character who finds herself at the core of an interesting although familiar narrative. The deduction mechanics require players to pay attention, but the game also smartly gives them a rewind ability if they want to retcon some choices. There are a few rushed moments toward the end and a few choices feel frustrating. But these are small problems given how good everything else is. I love Lil’ Guardsman because it kept me engaged, gave me space to interact with a wide cast of characters and allowed me to rewind time when my teasing didn’t lead to the expected results.

Rising Lords is dedicated to fans of turn-based strategy with a historical element who don’t want to deal with unnecessary complexity. The game’s focus is on the economy and, specifically, the peasant-powered food supply. Small events can have big consequences and it is never easy to always give people full rations. The turn and hex-driven battles are also decent if lacking in surprises. The card system feels under-cooked. Rising Lords also offers players extra game modes, editors, and multiplayer, giving them multiple ways to engage with its core gameplay loops.

Spellbound Survivors is derivative and simple. The main mechanics are fine, although there’s little here that other titles in the genre don’t do better. The Legend Bar idea is interesting but the array of offered options is too small and all of them feel overpowered. The soundtrack is pretty good but there’s no narrative setup to engage with. It could be a nice experience for someone engaging with this type of gameplay for the first time. But it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from the biggest player in the genre. Spellbound Survivors has plenty of characters and upgrades to unlock but limited mechanical variety to enjoy.

Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic may be a casual game, but it offers a hardcore experience for the fans of the hidden-objects genre. It is a puzzle game that has a catchy visual style, it is full of details and offers many hours of fun. The lack of replay value of the basic levels is balanced out by the level editor, that hopefully will be embraced by the community. All in all, Hidden Through Time 2 is a good example of how to implement a simple concept in an engaging way.

The Lost Crown deserves a chance both from new players and old-time fans of the franchise. Yes, you do not play with the prince, but that does not affect the game experience. Ubisoft managed to put together a challenging and very enjoyable experience that mixes elements from different genres into a real good end result. The first big title of 2024 is a pleasant surprise, and while it may not be the sequel many have expected, it is a game that shows the dedication of the team from Montpelier.

Guardians of Holme’s moment-to-moment action is initially fun, as players create complex trap setups and decide the best way to use their own special powers. The game offers plenty of options and upgrade paths, as well as extra characters and a ton of traps to unlock. Both tower-defense genre veterans and newcomers will have fun with it. The big issue is the repetitive nature, which is baked into the core ideas. The narrative is not interesting enough to keep players going. A love of the gameplay is required to get enough gems to unlock the second playable character. Guardians of Holme has a good design but struggles to keep its core loop exciting.

Forest Grove is not the stocking filler I have hoped for. It is a mediocre game at best, that does not offer any real challenge or satisfaction. The game mechanics are way too simple and repetitive, the hardest part being to decern what is relevant for the case and what is not. While I appreciate what the developers tried to build here, I cannot recommend the game as long as there are so many better alternatives out there. You are better off watching your favorite TV series.

Card Detective combines two different concepts in an innovative way. Hazel Gong is the very model of an intrepid reporter, although the story she’s chasing is a bit mundane. And it’s fun to guide her as she chases the truth, either by asking direct questions or by carefully analyzing a subject. The card mechanics work well and there’s enough variety and space to craft decks and strategies. Some extra hints about how to best balance direct approaches and analysis would have been great to keep newcomers to the genre engaged. The title’s biggest weakness is the relatively mundane story and some difficulty spikes. Card Detective shows how the card-battler genre can evolve when combined with new approaches and offers complex card puzzles to solve.

Trinity Fusion is built around a combat system that’s easy to understand but hard to master. I like the focus on picking the best mix of weapons and Amplifiers, creating synergies that make handling both groups and individuals easy. The rogue-lite elements are not very deep, but they offer players extra options to tweak their playstyle. Choice matters and there’s plenty of space for experimentation. The narrative is just interesting enough to keep players engaged in the long term. The apocalyptic theme should have been used to increase the weirdness level of both worlds and enemies. Trinity Fusion has good mechanics and i8t will welcome both newcomers, thanks to the Hyper system, and veterans.

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.

Soul Tolerance: Prologue manages to come close to the classic immersive sim idea of creating a city block filled with characters and mysteries. Sapporo is a good location for this kind of science-fiction story and the premise, built around the meaning of consciousness, is intriguing. Some of the robot characters are interesting, although their backstories need more depth. My biggest issue with the game was the shallow take on the massive problem of consciousness and the difference between inner life and behavior. Soul Tolerance: Prologue has some cool ideas but its future installments need to offer more depth for both narrative and mechanics.

Pixel Cafe might look cozy and warm in the still images, but in reality, it is a challenging experience with a very fast and dynamic gameplay. It reminds me very much of a mobile game and I still believe the control would feel much more natural on a touchscreen than it does on a controller. But overall, Pixel Cafe's journey is an engaging one, with some interesting characters and developments along the way. If you’re up to the frenzy of hectic nights and busy days, you like Chibi style characters and want to see how good you are behind various countertops, Pixel Cafe is right up your alley.

A Highland Song looks good and has plenty of impressive moments. Moira is a great character, able to take her love for her uncle and Scottish legends to imbue the world around her, harsh as it might be, with magic. The combination of mechanics means there’s variety but also leads to limited depth for each. It will probably take players two or three tries to get to the lighthouse and many more to find characters and secrets. A Highland Song is a good exploration-focused game that puts Moira’s spirit and Scottish charm front and center.

Overall Weedcraft Inc. stands out like a lonely bong forgotten on the shelf of a tobacco store. The interesting premise does not translate into an interesting gameplay, the general theme of the game being repetitiveness from gameplay structure to soundtrack. The control scheme is simply horrible and the main reason most players will get tired of this game, even before having the chance to get fed up with the mediocre story and monotonous gameplay. Although developed for PC originally, Weedcraft Inc. feels more like a mobile game, and not one of high quality.

Against the Storm is an engrossing and fun game. Its focus is on moment-to-moment settlement management but with a ton of gameplay ideas that make each new expedition feel unique. I love the unpredictable nature of the glades as well as the many ways to interact with the Queen’s requests and the dangerous ruins. Winning isn’t easy, although it helps a lot to open up city upgrades, but this is the rare game where failure is enjoyable. Against the Storm is compelling from the start, combines lore and mechanics in interesting ways, and offers gamers a lot of depth to explore.

Persona 5 is less an action RPG, and rather a well-executed tactical turn-based game. The gameplay is well thought out with complex systems, the design and visual style follows the legacy of the series with some minor changes to keep things fresh, and as per usual the polis of the game is spotless. Yet somewhere along the way the focus shifted too much towards the battle and had a somewhat negative impact on the pacing, the atmosphere and the player engagement in general. Persona 5 is the most repetitive and monotonous iteration released by Atlus so far.

SteamWorld Build initially looks like a classic city builder with a cute theme and robots instead of humans. But the mine management, especially when they reach the third underground level, has solid new ideas, especially during the frantic moments when you’re dealing with a big enemy assault. Finding and getting all the rocket parts is not easy, mainly because the scientist class gobbles up so many hard to produce products. I like the gradual ramp up in complexity that SteamWorld Build delivers and the game provides an engaging experience for both fans of the franchise and newcomers.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a complex and very open game that will mainly appeal to players who loved Mimimi’s previous entries in the stealth action genre. All the mechanics are refined, and character choices open up a ton of options for each mission. Success requires patience and good planning, but improvisation often creates more memorable moments. The title tries hard to be accessible to newcomers, offering bespoke introductions for each character and solid tutorial missions. But success and progress require careful thinking, good planning, and cautious executions. It takes time and patience to master Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew and the game offers impressive set-pieces and a great sense of accomplishment in return.

Knuckle Sandwich is clearly a love letter to classic 8-bit role-playing games but with a twist. Bright City has some interesting characters and interactions (I particularly love the washing machine save points). The story goes places. And the core mechanics are easy to learn and varied. The biggest issue is how difficult and repetitive combat can be, even with the many mini games thrown in. I genuinely think players should activate the Skip option as soon as they hit a roadblock and then use it liberally. Knuckle Sandwich is weird enough to be worth experiencing, even if its battle sequences aren’t always worth playing through.

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.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name might be the shortest game in the series, a playthrough clocking in around 18 hours. But it does deliver on every promise of the series with a story full of twists, plenty of combat, countless side activities and as a bonus, a lot of familiar faces recognizable by the fans. It is a great game, but does not manage to stand out, and it feels like a great effort to have a proper send-off to the old formula before reconcentrating on the main games and the next Lost Judgement. It is the weakest episode of a very strong series, making it a good game.

The Talos Principle 2 is just as brilliant as the first game was, being larger and more detailed. During the over 30 hours it needs to finish, the fans of the puzzle genre will be delighted and immersed in a world that serves almost as a philosophical lesson. The already great puzzle design is now joined by a brilliant narrative and a pretty good pacing. There is no real replay value, but the content is rich enough to keep you engaged for a long while.

Wizard with a Gun creates an effective mix of action combat, building, resource management, and rogue elements. The narrative has just enough mystery and quirks to keep players engaged but the focus is squarely on exploration and combat, which involve a lot of repetition but remain engaging. I love how player choices feed into the fights and I appreciate the tension introduced by the Chaos timer. The game’s art style enhances its mechanics and makes the world a pleasure to spend time in. Wizard with a Gun is fun both in single-player and when played cooperatively and gives fans of the genre a chance to find a unique playstyle.

Backpack Hero has a unique core mechanic that works. I liked constantly thinking of what I wanted to pick up and how I could create combos by placing items just right. There are a ton of possibilities, even if combat itself often feels limited and repetitive. Story mode adds an interesting twist with town building and management, although the story hooks aren’t that strong. The game is best enjoyed in short sessions, exploring just enough to put down a new building or reach another milestone. Backpack Hero succeeds at creating a fun gameplay loop for a very specific audience.

Worldless shines when players enter battle with a new opponent for the first time, discovering its moves and weaknesses. It’s fun to watch for patterns and create attack combos, with plenty of tension added when trying to perform the Absorption move. Platforming isn’t as complex as combat but adds variety. The mostly abstract world and limited story will be the biggest stumbling block for most players. The game often comes close to pretentiousness without crossing that line. Worldless is not as poetic as it aims to be but offers a carefully crafted set of mechanics that work very well together.

Gunhead is a fast and action-packed experience. There’s plenty of variety when it comes to both mech suits to choose from and weapons and systems to equip them with. The procedurally generated ships are complex. The game constantly asks players to choose between priorities, while taking down one of the name bosses feels exhilarating. I think players should make a few runs on easy to get the money needed to unlock most of the suits. It opens up the game, creating more space to choose the mech that fits a play style. Gunhead doesn’t reinvent any of its mechanics but offers a polished mix of FPS and rogue-lite that will create tons of fun hours for fans of both genres.

If you like walking simulators and deep stories, this game is right up your alley. The atmosphere and the visual style will engulf you completely, making it feel natural to ponder the philosophical questions raised by your trek through Regis III. But I can’t forget or forgive the deliberately snail like pace and cheap shots meant to extend a 4-hour experience into one that take 8 hours to finish. Despite the short length, the experience would have been much more enjoyable if it wouldn’t have been so diluted.

Howl is very good without being too complex. It’s turn-based tactical gameplay has depth, designed to satisfy fans of this genre, but is accessible enough for newcomers. And the narrative elements are strong enough to keep both groups engaged, trying to collect as much confidence and skulls to open up new options. If a battle becomes frustrating, try as many different approaches as possible first but don’t hesitate to activate the Assist mode before frustration sets in. Howl is a great experience because it blends strong narrative and engaging combat in interesting ways.

Despite its outdated graphics and often basic visual style, Achilles: Legends Untold manages to put a spell on you with its atmosphere and well thought out combat system. But it doesn’t take long for the randomly fluctuating difficulty levels, uninspired dialogues and characters, as well as the countless errors to turn you away from the game. This could have been a great game if the developers paid more attention and had thoroughly thought out the game mechanisms. Achilles: Legends Untold ends up feeling truly unfair towards the player, replacing skill with luck and lending cheap shots due to the inability to counter the many issues.

Let’s see what you get if you are willing to pay not just the full price, but also the over-the-top cost of Modern Warfare III: a short and uninspired single player campaign, a solid co-op and multiplayer experience, both relying on recycled maps, and an overwhelming amount of micro and not so “micro” transactions. It is not just the regurgitated and uninspired content that makes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III one of the worst games in the series, but also the absurd pricing scheme that pushes over the edge both the industry professionals and players alike. Ultimately, it’s up to each and every one to decide if the game is worth all the basic and extra costs, but I definitely don’t want to encourage anyone to support these more and more questionable business practices, so wait for a sale if you really want to check this one out.

Slay the Princess takes the adventure game’s classic mechanics, including loads of dialogue and player choices, and uses them in cool new ways. It quickly becomes clear that killing the scion of royal blood is not what the experience is all about. And the story delivers interesting moments, tough choices, and satisfying revelations. These mix with the strong voice acting and engaging visual style to make the experience worth playing despite its limited gameplay. Fewer attempts at jump scares would have made it even easier to focus on the world's strangeness. Slay the Princess should appeal to fans of the uncanny who are interested a good story and solid twists.

For the King II is entertaining for fans of tabletop RPGs who want to play with a group of friends despite not being in the same room. Battles can be difficult and require some solid tactical thinking. This fantasy world won’t win any points for originality but offers a nice space for adventuring. Every mechanic is better when groups play cooperatively. For a solo gamer, gameplay can become repetitive enough to frustrate. For the King II is a good expansion of the first game’s ideas that might need a few updates to deliver on its full potential.

Total War: PHARAOH is a very good strategy experience that explores one of the periods that the genre rarely engages with. After playing a few campaigns, I wanted to know more about the Sea Peoples, the way the Hittites organized their kingdom and the ways armies were mustered during the Bronze Age. I was also willing to spend time understanding the unique approach that each ruler brings to a campaign and how traditions and gods can enhance an advantage or cover a weakness. I’ll certainly simulate many of the battles while enjoying the crucial ones. Total War: PHARAOH is immersive and varied, a good entry in the series for both veterans and new players.

Animal Hospital as a mobile game is mediocre, as a console game is an insult. Why? Because beyond the bare minimum it does not address in any way the transition from a freemium game to a premium one. It asks a console game price for a free mobile game. Sure, the microtransactions have been removed, but no value has been added. While it can be very short fun for kids to kill the time, there are much better games out there focusing on taking care of animals and building a virtual career. Stay away from this one!

Jusant is a bit hard to be included in a genre, but truth to be told it does not really need to. It is a breath of fresh air, an artistic production that is not scared to break away from the norm and the standard to walk its own path. It has its challenges, and the gameplay is simple yet interesting enough to keep you hooked. Jusant’s mysteries are never completely revealed, thus joining a select club of games that stir up an emotional response from their players.

Football Manager 2024 is a great experience for anyone who has played the series in the past 10 years. It refines all the core gameplay, adds some interesting new ideas, and gives players a lot of freedom to engage with the mechanics they like and delegate the rest.

Despite the poorly put together trailers and the lack of experience from Nacon’s side to promote games, Robocop: Rogue City could have been a good game. It has the potential to exceed any kind of expectation, if it launched as a finished game, rather than in this stage that can be described as still in development.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria tries to take a well-known license and connect it with the already classic ideas of the survival crafting genre. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t quite manage to deliver on either. There are some nice callbacks to the books and TV franchise but nothing to keep its fans engaged in the long term.

Space Station Tycoon is a decent construction and management experience that feels somehow incomplete. It’s fun to make money and gather research points, expand the space station, provide power and security, and deal with threats. But there’s limited story to enjoy and man management elements are very limited. Interactions on the solar system level are simple and there’s a hard limit to how much stuff one can attack to the station’s two floors and eight spokes. Space Station Tycoon needed to be more innovative and varied to attract a more diverse fan base.

Growth is a very relaxed but also complex puzzle game that expertly uses a limited number of mechanics to create interesting scenarios. Sending out animals is intuitive, and the game gradually adds new creatures and associated abilities. There’s no narrative to keep players interested, so this is an experience squarely aimed at those who like the mechanics. Growth is a puzzle experience that’s best enjoyed in bite-sized pieces, by gamers who are aiming to chill out and enter a flow state.

Stray Souls is a great example of how hard it is to create a horror-driven experience that manages to marry an interesting narrative with some solid mechanics. The story setup is somewhat intriguing but almost every beat after that is something gamers have already seen better executed in other places. Worse, Daniel and the sister aren’t believable as individuals. And players can’t ignore the story to focus on the gameplay. The puzzles do not impress and there’s no reason to like the combat or exploration aspects. Stray Souls will make for an interesting Halloween game for anyone who has already played the hits and wants more of the genre. But the title simply doesn’t offer enough to keep players engaged.

Mail Time is a lovely little indie adventure game, that tries not just to entertain, but also to gently remind us about being nicer and more accepting of each other. It is a lesson about not being afraid to fail and enjoying every moment of our lives. It is a game that can be finished in a couple of hours, and it has no replay value, yet it is one that is worth experiencing by all who are looking for a cozy adventure game set in a hidden magic world.

Life of Delta, despite its gloomy setting and premise, is a lighthearted story with plenty of humorous moments and pop culture references. The atmosphere and visual style are great, but the story would have needed much more attention to turn the game into a memorable one. Overall, the experience is not bad, but you cannot help but feel that it could have been much more. Despite the modest marketing campaign, I hope enough people will pick up the game, giving the developers the motivation and resources to develop a sequel that will improve on this game.

Ghostrunner 2 managed to evolve while keeping all the fan favorites in place. It is not perfect, and it is not for everyone, but those who can get through the extremely fast paced action will have a very good time parkouring and fighting along the cyberpunk themed levels. It is a must play for fans, and the best way to start the series for those who are curious about the game but were turned down by the high difficulty. search Ghostrunner 2 is just as hard as the original, but at the same time it is more accessible and most of the quirks have been ironed out.

The Troop has a strong mechanical foundation. Its ideas will be instantly recognizable for anyone who has played a World War II tactics-driven title before. But it also introduces nice tweaks that reflect how real-world battles were fought on D-Day. The computer is also smart enough to deliver some nice surprises, especially when it can achieve local superiority. The campaign is the best way to experience its ideas but there’s also plenty of variety in the Skirmish mode. Developers at Giant Flame have created the rare World War II strategy title that is both approachable and deep. The Troop is a great purchase for anyone who likes the Normandy battles and turn-based combat.

Hellboy: Web of Wyrd is a fan letter that suffers from too much enthusiasm and not enough substance. Beyond the undisputed visual style, it lacks originality, creativity, and challenge to keep you pinned in front of the display. The biggest difficulty is conjuring the patience needed to finish the game, which should take around 7-8 hours. The elements needed to make a great game are all there, at least on paper, but it feels like the developers got lost in trying to recreate the visual style and forgot about everything else. As such, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd is even more of a footnote in the franchise’s history than the latest movie.

Haunted House is a very challenging roguelite game, that needs a lot of patience, not just for the gameplay mechanics, but also to stomach the bugs and start all over again if needed. It is a great upgrade over the original game, that emphasizes stealth and a tactical approach, but can feel grindy. If you are looking for a game to entertain you for Halloween or for a roguelite that will test your mettle, Haunted House is a great choice. But if you do not have the patience to try over and over again, many times not because of your fault, you will only experience frustration.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is not just the biggest expansion released by CD Projekt RED, but also one of the best pieces of content. The quality of the storytelling, art direction and level design in Phantom Liberty is incredible, even in comparison with the base game. Instead of getting more of the same, CD Projekt RED created a spy thriller that’s taking place in a dystopian slum, offering both search Cyberpunk fans and newcomers to the universe something to enjoy. Featuring two extremely different endings, which I strongly recommend all players to unlock, Phantom Liberty augments the entire search Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay experience and brings it to a whole new level.

Windy Meadow - A Roadwarden Tale is a short video game designed for players who liked the fictional the main game established. The Ten Cities are only mentioned, and the threats are much smaller but the focus on just three characters allows the game to tell a more emotional story. It has interesting characters and some great moments. But the mechanics are very light and the branching paths for the protagonists are limited. The game manages to create a sense of place and flesh out the village. But, going forward, the franchise needs to take Windy Meadow – A search Roadwarden Tale as a baseline and aim for more ambitious targets, both narratively and in terms of gameplay.

Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova takes the best elements of the initial Epic release and adds plenty of new mechanics. It’s a great space and turn-based strategy experience that will please any fan of the series. All the featured civilizations are interesting and AlienGPT can quickly create more driven by player prompts. It might be a little too complex at first for newcomers but even failure, up to a point, is enjoyable. Don’t be afraid to experiment with galaxy creation and the number of rivals to get very different scenarios. Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova is a strategy game that can deliver hundreds of hours of fun to those willing to invest energy to learn all its systems.

Land of the Vikings is a decent to good city building and survival experience. The narrative elements are not very engaging, and the Nordic theme exists mostly for visual flair. All the gameplay mechanics will be familiar to gamers who have tried other entries in the genre before. But there are some nice touches, like the boat building and the way statues and decorations improve the village and its inhabitants. The game needed more innovative elements for both its core concepts and its story. Land of the Vikings is engaging and creates a nice sense of progression and the developers are saying they are planning to add more ideas in updates, while also squishing bugs.

Airship: Kingdoms Adrift is a good game for anyone who wants a modern twist on classics like Sid Meier’s Pirates. The core story explores pretty familiar ground but it’s fun to simply move through the game’s world, make some money, enter tense battles, and find ways to improve ships and grow one’s fleet. The title’s release was troubled but developers claim that they have now restored all game content that’s supposed to be available, although bugs are still present. Airship: Kingdoms Adrift is an ambitious video game that offers some great moments but really never fully delivers on its promise.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage returns to the roots of the franchise, but doesn’t bring anything new to the table, at least nothing important. This is far from being a bad game, but it’s certainly not a breath of fresh air for an antiquated series. The things that pull Assassin’s Creed Mirage out of the mediocrity pool are the setting, voice acting and soundtrack. Although I had an enjoyable experience playing Mirage, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve already played this game numerous times in the past.

Star Trek: Infinite is a fine science fiction grand strategy experience, designed to appeal to fans of the TV and movie franchise. The development team has tried hard to deliver as many familiar elements as possible and mostly succeeded. The game creates a more focused experience than the New Horizons mod for Stellaris and its mechanics are easier to understand. Some players have been complaining of game-stopping bugs, which have not impacted my campaigns, so it might be a good idea to wait for a patch or two. Some mechanics, like spies and governors, also feel under-backed. But the ability to create stories and play out scenarios makes Star Trek: Infinite a great experience for both veterans and newcomers to the grand strategy space.

Paleo Pines is another cautionary tale about wasted potential: such an enticing premise based on cute dinosaurs would have deserved much better treatment. The junior players might enjoy the game for a short while, but the repetitiveness and lack of originality will bore them quite soon as well. For those looking for a relaxing farming themed game there are plenty of alternatives out there, that do a much better job of entertaining, with a price point similar to Paleo Pines.

MythForce is a great cooperative action experience for gamers who are nostalgic for Saturday morning cartoons and their limited fantasy universes. The overall narrative isn’t very engaging and filled with tropes. The four heroes each come complete with a unique approach to combat and their various abilities create some cool combo moments if players actually work together. The biggest issue is how quickly fun disappears when players take on a dungeon on their own. Characters gain power slowly and moving through the same spaces, battling the same enemies starts to become repetitive. Mythforce will deliver fun moments for players who have a good multiplayer group and like the presentation.

Limerick: Cadence Mansion is a good game for spooky season because it has plenty of familiar mechanics while creating an interesting universe. It’s not horror by any means but there are some effective scary moments. The game creates constant tension between the drive to discover more and the need to run to a Panic room to avoid death and recover. The puzzles aren’t too difficult but contribute variety. Limerick: Cadence Mansion should have leaned harder into its theme but it still offers an interesting take on action horror for players to engage with during the spooky season.

It is difficult to find anything wrong with Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition and you cannot really compare it to modern releases. Every part of the game oozes the passion of the developers for this genre, and this translates into a really engaging experience for those who lived through the glory days of the 90’s shooters, or those who recently fell in love with this genre. Of course, many of the gameplay elements seem somewhat primitive compared to the standards of today’s FPS games. But the Ludicrous Edition is an anachronic experience that does not want to feel modern, rather it brings back a happy part of our childhoods wearing a bargain price tag.

Torn Away is a narrative-focused game that explores some very difficult historical moments through the eyes of a child. Asya is a strong protagonist and the game works hard to give her interesting things to do from a gameplay perspective. Neither the platforming nor the puzzles sequences are hard to complete and most of the mechanics are familiar. Players need to be sure that they are ready to deal with some troubling and difficult moments before they engage with the game. After playing, it might be time to donate to a charity that helps children in danger. Torn Away is a good example of how video games can engage with complex themes and bring a level of engagement that other mediums cannot deliver.

Wargroove 2 is one of the best smallish-scale tactics titles I have played recently, offering a wide variety of cool scenarios in its campaigns as well as extra variety with Conquest. The turn-to-turn action is compelling, and players have space to tweak the difficulty to suit their needs. The title’s presentation is charming while also informative. It might not innovate as much as fans of the original might want, but Wargroove 2 offers tens of hours of tactical fun and gives its player community the tools to create even more.

The developers of Ad Infinitum seem to have spent too much time on developing the atmosphere and the game itself. It is a completely linear experience, with plenty of bugs that often make progress impossible, if things do not happen according to the script. Because of that, it becomes increasingly frustrating to explore the levels in order to puzzle together the story. Also, once you pique behind the curtains and understand the mechanisms that break down so often, the magic is gone. The plenty of bugs and concept errors ruin what could have been a memorable experience.

Overall, Mortal Kombat 1 is an enjoyable experience, that tries to walk a fine line between old and new. Every part of the game shows that the developers tried to put their right foot forward and deliver a polished experience. The only downside is the presence of microtransactions, but those who care enough to completely pimp out their characters will probably be willing to invest the time to do it.

Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles is a complex and engaging dice builder. The universe is interesting, even if the lore is mostly expressed via gameplay and presentation. There are a ton of dice to choose from as players build their own playstyle around their favorite hero. Any combat encounter delivers interesting tactical situations, and the boss fights are suitably difficult. There’s innovation in the dice system and the Corruption and Purification mechanics but I feel the rogue-lite elements are a little classic. Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles has variety, and depth, and will give fans of this genre tens of hours of dice-driven fun.

Days of Doom is a competent combination of rogue-lite elements and turn and tile-driven combat. Battles are tense, especially when bigger and boss enemies arrive, and require players to carefully think about their character’s abilities and positioning...Unfortunately, there’s limited innovation to be found in the engagements and they tend to become repetitive. The grind required to get Renown for upgrades doesn’t help the experience. Days of Doom is a game for to fans of tactics and rogue-lite ideas that want a classic approach for both and don’t mind that the narrative isn’t very engaging.

Gunbrella delivers a great combination of platforming and combat, punctuated by challenging boss fights and plenty of character interactions. The game introduces new ideas and challenges at a good pace and boredom never sets in. The narrative could have used some extra weirdness, but the universe is engaging and offers some cool moments. The game could have used more variety when it comes to battle scenarios and maybe a little less backtracking. Gunbrella implements the core ideas of action platforming well and adds plenty of fun new ideas that will appeal both to newcomers and genre veterans.

AK-xolotl is a solid action rogue-lite mix that might struggle to stand out. Sure, its protagonist is an axolotl, and you get to save young members of the species but there should have been more weirdness to the world. The combat mechanics are good, with a focus on movement, but I wanted more weapon variety. The experience works best as a way to cleanse the gaming palate. Get into a run, try a new approach, and see how well you’ve learned boss patterns. The developers of AK-xolotl understand the genre well and I really want to see what they try to create next.

Even with some of its shortcomings on PS5, Baldur’s Gate III remains one of the best games of our time. Looking at the amazing quantity and quality of the content, you will most likely forgive the developers for the bugs – that most likely will be fixed through patches. No matter if you are a fan of RPGs or not, Baldur’s Gate III is a game that you should experience and let yourself be enveloped in the adventure that will make you feel not just part of it but will actually make you believe that you are living it.

Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty is an enjoyable strategy experience that takes players to one of the less popular theaters of World War II. Both campaigns will test the gamers’ tactical acumen as well as their ability to quickly understand a situation and find a good solution using limited resources. The equipment system adds an interesting layer to the classic mechanics, but the game is otherwise very classic in its approach. Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty is a strategy title that appeals to fans of this genre who really want to test their skills leading Finnish forces against the Russian juggernaut.