Game of Thrones Episode 4 starts putting the series on the final straight in terms of action and packs quite a few interesting situations. There are a few of glitches and some choices end up with a game over screen but it's still a pretty enjoyable experience.

Overall, Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is a great experience. It shows the care that went into polishing the original episodes to bring out their whacky qualities so they can shine as a classic adventure game with some truly inventive elements. This release also marks the end of an era, and inevitably raises the question of what is next in store for Sam and Max, as well as the other loveable characters of the franchise. Hopefully, the franchise will continue to live by adding new adventures to what’s been a crazy ride for decades.

Pax Augusta is a unique take on Roman-era city building, with a focus on slow development and modularity. The effort to come as close to actual history as possible, when it comes to both buildings and citizen needs, is laudable. The fact that one developer created this entire video game is even more impressive. The cities look good, even if citizens tend to behave in relatively weird ways. But the game does need to improve performance and find better ways to deliver feedback, especially when it comes to building restrictions. Any fan of classics like Caesar or more titles like Manor Lords will have fun with Pax Augusta as long as he gives the game time and attention.

Sonic may be the fastest hedgehog alive, but the game is called Team Sonic Racing for a reason, and if you want to experience what it is like to put aside your ego and see how it is to win a race as a team, then this is your go-to game. This title blasts all naysayers out of the way with the impeccable gameplay, the fantastic graphics and the all familiar Sonic the Hedgehog feel you get throughout each race.

Loopmancer is a good game for gamers who want a very specific experience: a mix of action and rogue ideas that tells a cyberpunk-themed detective story. The combat mechanics require time to master and there are solid challenges to engage with. The rogue aspects are a little underdeveloped and it feels like unlocking weapons requires too much money. But the game never tries to innovate in any of the spaces it is working in. It has no ambition other than to deliver a good mix of ideas that can keep players engaged. I wanted to see a cool twist on the cyberpunk future or combat mechanics that expands genres. Loopmancer is a solid experience that never becomes more than its parts.

Roguebook is a competent game, both a good and a bad thing to be in the crowded rogue and card game spaces. For a newcomer, this is a solid entry-point, with engaging battles, a good long-term progression, and an interesting way to explore. For someone who has played the obvious inspirations the ink-linked ideas are not innovative enough. The team at Abrakam was too conservative in its approach. The game needs more weirdness and more tweaks to the battle formula to stand out. If they get the chance to create another Roguebook experience they need to take the good bones of this game and then push the entire genre forward in some way.

Despite its shortcomings, Heaven's Vault is a delightful experience that's meant to discover your inner archaeologist. Even though it brings forward a repetitive puzzle system that encourages you to translate as many inscriptions as you can get your hands on, the loop remains fresh until the end of the game, and quite addictive I might add.

Shao Jun's story is interesting but the chance to see the Templar vs. Assassins conflict in a new historical setting is even better. Unfortunately, the emphasis on stealth and some of the tough stages in terms of enemy patterns and behavior force players into a trial and error approach.

If I were to make a list of games that people should play, the remake of System Shock would definitely be on that list. The folks at Nightdive Studios did an excellent job at breathing new life into the cult game, so if you’ve been holding back from playing System Shock due to outdated graphics, check out the remake. Despite the fact that some mechanics have been modernized, I believe that the presentation, new visuals, as well as the quality-of-life improvements fully make up for it. The blend of modern and retro graphics in the cutscenes and some of the environments are absolutely gorgeous.

Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a laudable effort that despite its merits annoys me. First and foremost because it’s part of the remaster trends that keep plaguing this generation. Secondly, because it made me realize that one of my childhood’s iconic games was a much more special experience in my memories. There’s nothing really wrong with this remaster, but unlike Full Throttle or Grim Fandango, it shattered some illusions I was holding onto regarding the golden age of point and click adventure games.

Last Time I Saw You is a gem of an indie game that combines heartfelt storytelling, beautiful visuals, and a touch of the supernatural. Its blend of folklore, exploration, and character-driven narrative makes it a standout title in the side-scrolling adventure genre. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it offers a leisurely stroll through a magical place. For anyone looking to immerse themselves in a serene yet compelling adventure, this game is well worth the journey. Whether you’re a fan of Japanese culture, atmospheric storytelling, or simply want a break from the ordinary, Last Time I Saw You is worth a try.

Icewind Dale isn’t a perfect game, but it’s one of the best RPGs of all times. Obviously, the Enhanced Edition is also among the best in the genre, but it only brings minor improvements into the mix.

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a good update for a classic real-time strategy experience. Players can experience an updated take on the core content as well as new campaigns and trails, all designed to appeal mainly to those who already know and love the core gameplay. The game offers a variety of modes and plenty of challenges to master. The game looks good, given it’s 20 years old at this point, and the historical campaigns are good jumping-off points to learn more about the period. Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a great package for fans who want to play the best version of a classic and a good one for newcomers who like real-time strategy. It also shows that the series needs a modern installment with new approaches to its classic ideas, a better user interface, and improved graphics.

Warhammer is the sort of universe that fits well with 4X games, and I wish there were more of it. Even if I never played the board game version, I was still able to enjoy it. And let’s not forget that it’s well optimized and has low system requirements, so it should be ideal to play on slower hardware, such as laptops, for example.

I want to say what type of game it is, but Man of Medan doesn’t fit into a particular genre. At its core, it’s a cinematic experience, but that doesn’t explain much. I could say that it’s a horror adventure game, and I would be a little bit closer to the truth. The alternative is that The Dark Pictures Anthology is part of a new genre, for which we don’t have a proper name yet, even if it’s not exactly the first one in the series. With that said, I can only recommend The Dark Pictures Anthology, despite the control problems. The way the games makes people feel when playing is worth it, even if you’re always talking with the characters, trying to keep them on a straight path through the levels. And the best part is that Man of Medan has so many choices that I can go back, and play something completely different.

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.

Plan B: Terraform offers an automation and terraforming experience that doesn’t overwhelm. The complexity level increases gradually as more products are needed by the cities and the quest to create an atmosphere and oceans. The mechanics allow players to create quick and dirty solutions while also making it simple to go back and rebuild entire systems in the name of optimization. Unfortunately, the core design will struggle to draw in players who don’t love the automation and supply chain genre. Extra lore elements, or maybe a chance to interact with citizens in the cities, could have helped. Plan B: Terraform is complex but relaxed and will offer tens of hours of optimization action for anyone who likes the idea.

Those who want precision and control should stay away, but Chaos Reborn will be a good fit for players who appreciate planning but also want to be surprised during a battle.

War, the Game is a title that all strategy lovers should try out at least once in order to see how smaller teams can innovate by taking the classic concepts of the genre and turning them into something new.

Sublevel Zero is a really good take on the genre pioneered by Descent. The roguelike mechanics are a bit punishing, but the gorgeous visuals and the procedurally generated levels manage to keep things fresh and get you to come back.

Railroad Corporation 2 has a lot of interesting ideas, and as a package, I think it delivers on its promise. As a tycoon game, it has enough content to satisfy players in the long run, along with the scenario editor that can give you endless different maps to go through. The mechanics are solid, and while the tasks you’ll do become repetitive pretty fast, the game always throws some new ideas and mechanics in front of you, and you have to figure out how to make the most out of them. What’s interesting is that Railroad Corporation 2 has a great coop/multiplayer experience, and one where your allies can use your own tracks, which I found quite different to many other games in the genre. Playing multiplayer was fun, but single-player is just as engaging, albeit rather buggy a lot of the time. It’s a viable option for those that have already played Railway Tycoon 3 or Transport Fever and want a different style of gameplay, which is just as satisfying and focused on management and innovation.

Aragami: Shadow Edition is a welcome addition to any Switch owner's library thanks to the great gameplay opportunities it offers, as well as the DLC included in the package. You get to move around the environment undetected, or go all out and kill your enemies in so many ways it is almost impossible to keep count. However, if you want to experience the game in all of its visual majesty, you should greatly consider buying it on any of the other available platforms because, at least from a visual point of view, the Switch version seems like a shadow of its former self (pun intended).

FAR: Changing Tides even when it's at its best feels like the game world itself: empty. It feels a bit that the game aspect was less important than the experience part. I believe FAR: Lone Sails offers a much more dynamic experience than the sequel. Yet, despite its shortcomings, FAR: Changing Tides is just as recommendable, especially if you liked the first game in the series. It has a kind of magic that is worth experiencing at least once, even if the replay value is quite thin. Is it for everyone? Definitely not! But those who look for their games off the beaten path, FAR: Changing Tides won't disappoint.

Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow is part of a very crowded genre, that of the action platformer driven by the relationship between two unlikely characters. There are some interesting narrative bears and the presentation is decent if not spectacular. Most of the featured mechanics are good, with some challenging puzzle designs. But nothing in the experience aims to push the limits and deliver something entirely new. I wanted Griffin to have more ways to engage with the world. Using Birly should have been easier. Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow isn’t polished or innovative enough to become a classic of its genre but will engage anyone interested in the premise of the core mechanics.

SUMMERHOUSE is a small building game that isn’t interested in scores, sprawling cities, or complex zoning. It just gives players the tools to create homes using a relatively varied array of parts, with some unlocks. It’s a relaxed approach that makes it equally fun to create weird buildings that cannot exist in the real world or to try and replicate memories of places one really visited during the summer. The lack of structure will be immersive for many gamers, but others might have problems staying engaged. The city-building genre offers a ton of options for anyone who wants deep systems and complexity. SUMMERHOUSE, a title created by a solo developer, is for anyone who just wants to put pieces together and build something in serene landscapes.

It's a Wrap! combines two types of gameplay into a neat little package, which shows how far one unique idea can go in the indie space. The narrative elements aren’t extraordinary, and the presentation is decent. But it’s the mix of puzzle and platforming gameplay that will draw in players and keep them engaged. The game features three movies for Johnny to act his way through but it could have used more variety in terms of scene design. It’s a Wrap! is challenging and satisfying and I hope the developers explore the full potential of their ideas in a sequel.

Those who’ve been playing the recent releases will find NBA 2K23 more of an update to the previous version rather than a completely new iteration of a popular franchise. And they wouldn’t be wrong. 2K has tried to polish the best parts of the game, while also reducing the focus on the ones that don’t seem to be praised as much as others. Eventually, NBA 2K23 is a game that will still keep you entertained for some time, though the lack of a more massive overhaul will probably upset way too many fans of the franchise.

October Night Games has a cool premise but suffers a bit when it comes to executions. The mix of Lovecraftian horrors, rituals, alchemy, and spooky characters works well in the context. But the game needs to have more information available to players, especially when they play against the A.I., to allow them to make clear decisions and reach their goals. The team at Octobear Knight Games is promising tutorials and manuals are coming, which is great. In the meantime, gamers need to be armed with quite a bit of patience to navigate the world and learn all the mechanics. Make sure to play the tutorial campaign at least once. The deduction, dice-based combat, horror powered rituals, and weirdness at the core of October Night Games work well in single player and would be even more engaging with friends.

Last Round is a good re-release of the original experience on the PS4. It manages to keep the trademark low barrier of entry and complexity, but it still offers plenty of depth for fighting game fans. Even if it advertises its DLC a lot, and the titillating physics aren't to everyone's taste, you can have a lot of fun with the new title.

Death Ray Manta SE is the definitive edition of the already good twin-stick shooter. Its sharp visuals, responsive gameplay, and nifty soundtrack, not to mention the low price, make it an instant classic, even if there are a few annoyances.

The Havoc add-on for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare offers a pretty compelling package to fans of the shooter. While the competitive maps are interesting and varied, by far the most impressive aspect is the Exo Zombies mode that makes the investment more than worth it for co-op fans.

Ascendance brings plenty of good new elements to Advanced Warfare. While most maps are fun, Chop Shop is by far the least interesting and most generic. Fortunately, the Exo Grapple ability and playlist make up for it.

Lunar Lander: Beyond is difficult, the kind of video game that appeals to players who believe repeated failure means more opportunities to learn and who get a rush when finally conquering a challenge. The game evokes the classic Atari title but updates its mechanics in neat ways. I didn’t expect to have to deal with my pilot’s mental health and actually feel bad for getting them back in the cockpit. The core challenge of exerting control over the lander is well-implemented. Some of its purity is undermined by the unlockable upgrades and some of the level design. Lunar Lander: Beyond offers an interesting modern take on a classic but its audience might be limited by the focus on difficulty.

SCHiM is an indie gem that is both simple in concept, but also bursting of creativity and originality. The gameplay itself might be a bit too simplistic for those looking for an adrenaline rush or instant gratification, but those who love this kind of puzzle 3D platformers will truly appreciate the effort behind it. The end result is an endearing experience, that has a few gameplay issues but overall becomes a memorable game thanks to its atmosphere and innocent approach to life.

Armello shows a lot of promise and its mechanics work well in a virtual environment while still keeping their tabletop feel. However, the lengthy AI turns, not to mention the sometimes-unfair RNG and erratic AI behavior, weigh it down.

Hitman GO: Definitive Edition is a bold puzzle experience that takes the established franchise and simplifies its mechanics while retaining the complexity of the actual design. While its progression may not be all that great and some stages don’t leave a lot of room to experiment, the mechanics are easy to comprehend, and the challenges are still satisfying.

But the gameplay seems too limited after one episode and the story has failed to deliver anything truly engaging, other than a vision of a tornado, which I still hope is metaphorical rather than real.

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.

MotoGP 26 continues to refine the series, and it has some notable additions. It’s more of an incremental upgrade rather than a massive new entry, but that’s fine. You get the latest tracks and riders from the real MotoGP, along with a great career mode, the exciting arcade control system and even Ride Off, which I found to be quite fun to mess around with. With that in mind, the fact that you’re only getting a new track when compared to the MotoGP 25 version might keep some people away. However, with yearly releases, you always want to have the latest riders and teams, so this is the superior version from that perspective. The best way to get into MotoGP 26 is to expect it as a yearly update of the roster and a new track, along with great visuals. Also, I think this is the better version for people who are into arcade racing, while also respecting veterans and offering them a pro-level control system, too.

Zombie Vikings is a solid title for those who love the core concepts that power it and have good memories of Streets of Rage or Golden Axe and also offers a good entry point for those who want to see what a modern take on the brawler looks and plays like.

Achilles: Survivor adopts a relatively safe approach, adopting most elements of the survival action genre with no tweaks and adding one big new concept. The idea of gathering stone to set up turrets is interesting and creates some cool tactical possibilities. Depending on their chosen hero, players can create a variety of builds and then deploy turrets to keep the monster hordes at bay. But this new idea isn’t enough to make the rest of the mechanics less repetitive. It doesn’t help that the fictional universe doesn’t do anything interesting with its Greek inspiration. Achilles: Survivor will give fans of its genre hours of combat fun, but might struggle to appeal to anyone who hasn’t played Vampire Survivors or its many clones.

Artist Life Simulator is one of the most evocative titles I have played in the past few years. It does not try to re-create a historical period but manages to talk about art, inspiration, pain, and more. The gameplay has clearly defined rules that offer variety of interactions and outcomes. Even if you never create a masterpiece, make sure to at least try and unlock all the emotions. The title takes a subject that can be dry and boring and infuses it with humanity and fun moments. Despite the heavy themes and uncertain results, it also manages to be relaxing, a good way to cap a night of gaming. Artist Life Simulator is a fun video game that will make plenty of players think about how they can explore their own creative side.

Firmament is clearly designed to appeal to players who loved the concept of Myst, showing them how impressive such a narrative-driven puzzle experience can be when built using modern tech. Stepping out into the three realms creates a powerful sense of wonder and there are plenty of moments when the world impresses with its scale and beauty. But these feelings do not last forever and the core gameplay loop struggles to keep players pushing forward. There’s some clever puzzle design to wrap one’s head around but there’s too much friction when it comes to the implementation of the solutions. I wanted Firmament to be more ambitious, with more twists to its narrative and puzzles that require less grunt work and more exploration of its gorgeous levels.

Abra-Cooking-Dabra is a fantastic deckbuilder with a wonderful spin on the genre. If you enjoy cooking, you’ll find this game quite therapeutic. It’s easy to learn how to play, and while some tasks can get tedious, it certainly feels fulfilling to help customers, complete recipes and so on. Yes, it can get quite challenging at times, but overall, it’s one of those games that will keep you happy for a long time. While there were some minor bugs here and there, Abra-Cooking-Dabra had great performance overall, it looks great, and it truly makes you think like a chef in a major restaurant. There will be times when you forget about ingredients, but also times when you’re pressured by multiple clients to prepare all kinds of dishes. It mimics real life, while also adding some interesting twists and a cute, albeit judgmental cat to sweeten the experience. As a whole, I think it brings some great ideas to the table, it encapsulates what we all love in deckbuilders, but in a new, fresh package.

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.

Hearthstone: Rise of Shadows doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does bring some fun to those looking for some single-player action. I had fun trying out many new decks, especially the Thief Rogue archetype, but playing against the same decks on ladder becomes boring after several weeks.

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.

Jagged Alliance: Rage! is the type of game that will surely bring back memories of the golden age of gaming, and for those of you that haven't lived through those days, this game will probably bring back memories you never had. Although it could use some tweaking here and there and the graphics are a dead giveaway for the limited budget the company had, the game is fun nonetheless, and you'll be spending a good couple of hours finishing all the missions with your first pair of mercenaries, and maybe a few extra hours with another pair.

Tin Hearts has clever puzzle design, interesting ways to interact with the environment, and a good ramp-up for its difficulty level. The time manipulation system makes it easy to try out new ideas and see how they play out. There are no difficulty spikes and the level of frustration is kept to a minimum. The title’s presentation works well with the mechanics but the narrative never made an impact. The focus on toys makes the game well-suited for younger gamers, even if they might need help when it comes to figuring out solutions. Tin Hearts is a carefully calibrated puzzle experience and offers a great way to unwind.

Mighty Goose is a very good experience for a clearly defined set of players. One needs to love old-school arcade action to love it. An interest in wacky characters helps, as does a focus on gameplay and an interest in trying to best one’s old scores. The game knows what it can deliver and offers a very pure experience for those who know what they want from it. The problem is that the developers do not push the limits of the space they settled in. The companions and the special powers are attempts at this but limited ones. After three or four levels even the idea of battling new bosses failed to excite me about the game. Mighty Goose is another title that needs more than very good execution of core concepts to stand out.

Citizen Sleeper creates a strong universe and gives the main character an engaging story with plenty of choices. Erlin’s Eye feels like a small part of a well-designed narrative space that can support more exploration. The visual design fits in with the wider themes of the game and the characters never become preachy. The problem is that the developer also cares about gameplay and the concept of investing for a result. The dice system is adequate enough, but everything takes so long and requires too many clicks. Citizen Sleeper would have probably worked better as a more classic visual novel, with the resources assigned to mechanics re-routed to deliver more story.

Trash Goblin is a very interesting game, I am not exactly into shopkeeping games, but it piqued my interest early on. I like the game’s cartoony style, the character design, along with the gameplay loop they created here. On top of that, uncovering gifts and trying to repair stuff feels like Christmas morning over and over. Is Trash Goblin a game for everyone? Realistically, we all like a cozy, fun game that helps us unwind and relax. I feel that Trash Goblin does that very well, and it feels very satisfying to unearth and clean items in this game. Yes, it can get repetitive, and that’s the pet-peeve for this game. Yet thanks to randomly generated items and customers, you can get dozens of hours of fun from the game and even uncover new stuff often.

The only downside is that Nuclear Blaze ends very fast. It’s like a very short SCP novel that you read while commuting. It took me less than two hours to finish it, but I had a lot of fun. Get this if you’re looking for a good platformer.

A welcome entry in the series. It takes things to new heights in terms of story, while adding a few impressive gameplay mechanics, such as the flight one.

Lost Judgment is more of the same with some fine tuning, but there are no revolutionary updates. There are more activities than ever, but the interface is the very same. There is a more fluid a spectacular combat system, but the AI is just the same. The analysis of the environment for clues still feels underdeveloped, and the tailing of people is still clunky, despite the new mechanics. If you liked the first episode, you’ll love this one, despite the high school drama. If you did not play Judgment you can start with the new game to see how well it suits your tastes, since it can be enjoyed without knowing past events. All in all, it is a good sequel to a promising franchise.

The new Ant-Man table for Zen Pinball shows that the development team at Zen Studios can deliver great work when it is dealing with the intellectual property of other companies and Marvel seems to have made a particularly good partner.

Game of Thrones Episode 5: A Nest of Vipers does a pretty good job of giving players a set of satisfying experience with the main characters, while alternating pretty well between intense conversations and hectic fight scenes.

Strange Antiquities was a lot of fun for me, and I think it’s a great sequel to Strange Horticulture. The occult and spooky aspect fits the game very well, the item and store design are excellent, and the story is amazing, especially since you get many endings. Even if some of the puzzles feel challenging at times, you can go with trial and error to figure out the right solution. Strange Antiquities is one of those interesting puzzle games that will keep you hooked from beginning and up until the end. It’s fun to play, the mysteries are great to solve, and the music score is also fitting for this eerie experience. My favorite part: those Eureka moments where you get to solve complex puzzles. And rest assured there’s a lot of that to be had in Strange Antiquities.

It does have numerous tiny flaws, the biggest of which being its casual, loose design, but the fact that it's one of the only Star Trek tourist trap simulators out there more than makes up for any minor shortcomings.

Nelly Cootalot remains the same jolly sailor, and she will deliver the same point and click experience fans fell in love with years ago, and she never fails to deliver the laughs whenever you need her. That being said, as long as you remember to use the Switch's touchscreen instead of the joysticks, and given how popular the title was when it was first launched on PC, I see now reason why it should fare just as well now. With that being said, get ready to get a few laughs and prepare to push your brain gears into overdrive because you 'll be in for some fun couple of hours.

Luckslinger is a charming platformer that puts luck in center stages and backs it up with some pretty good secondary mechanics. While it takes a bit of time to get used to its innovative features, it's certainly worth it.

Even though Greymoor adds about 20 hours of story content, depending on how many side quests you're willing to take on, the expansion keeps to the same formula. Instead of bringing meaningful changes to the world of ESO, Greymoor piggybacks on the previous installments to find new audiences. That being said, I do recommend the new expansion, just don't expect any mind-blowing improvements.

Kainga: Seeds of Civilization has an interesting core idea, with its mix of classic city builder and rogue-lite structure. It offers an entirely new way of looking at simple actions, like picking techs or thinking about victory conditions. The game also has a well-defined style and is welcoming to newcomers. Make sure to consult the encyclopedia to see all the unlocks and how they can fit into different strategies. But I like its ideas more than their implementation. I love city building when it’s big, complex, time-consuming and Kainga: Seeds of Civilization simply has too many limitations to keep me engaged. But its short episodes and focus on opening up new areas and new thinkers will certainly appeal to gamers who want a new take on a classic genre.

Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery is a short and fun adventure. It’s not a full role-playing game but it’s not just a visual novel. It understands the RPG genre and critiques its many issues but the team at eNVy softworks uses its title as a way to show it might be improved. The experience centers relationships and shows how a small group can work together to embody a fictional universe with a certain magic. The title’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t fully use its universe. A few extra combat encounters, perhaps to underline how they can be handled creatively, and a few more nights around the campfire were needed. Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery is a good proof-of-concept and I hope that its developers get a chance to revisit this universe and expand on their good ideas.

Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator has a good idea and some decent gameplay mechanics. It’s somewhat fun to discover the techniques associated with a new dish and then aim to create a perfect take on it, complete with a radical and interesting plating that will revolutionize the fine-dining world. The entire experience suffers because of its highly repetitive nature and uninspired presentation. The finished dishes need to look spectacular and they do not. Cooking the same thing over and over again becomes annoying. Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator might try to capture the frantic nature of a commercial kitchen but those who like what it has to offer might be better served by cooking some fun real-world dishes that can actually satisfy their hunger.

Midnight Protocol is one of the best experiences in the newly ascendant hacking simulation category. Its biggest asset is the simple, yet solid set of mechanics and the way success can only be achieved by carefully balancing aggressiveness and planning, with some guessing thrown in for good measure. The narrative also works well, sketching an immersive world while delivering twists and revelations. Plenty of players will have issues with the decision to only control the game using the keyboard. It feels annoying at first but adds to the immersion and it’s relatively easy to learn. The development team at LuGus knows how to blend mechanics and story in cool ways and Midnight Protocol is the kind of hacker-centered experience that no other medium can deliver.

Wasteland 2 is a game which appeals to a rather narrowly-defined set of gamers, but seems to deliver all the features and concepts that role-playing post-apocalyptic fans are interested in, which means that it can provide them with hundreds of hours of enjoyment.

Overall the game is a great indie production and one that will enchant the people who are into games revolving around questions about the meaning of our existence. It is a beautifully crafted walking simulator, with a unique atmosphere and some memorable moments, but no replay value at all.

Defense Grid 2 is a stellar tower defense game that manages to bring back the great recipe of its predecessor, while adding plenty of elements to make it more complex.

Steel Rats comes like a breath of fresh air in the platformer genre thanks to the vehicle combat elements mixed in, which boost the game's intensity to a level any hardcore gamer dreams of. While you may start off cursing at how you control your bike, a few hours into the game you'll be going faster and faster, chopping through bots, dodging falling debris and speed running through levels like you've been born doing it.

My Lovely Empress offers an interesting mix of mechanics. Making sure the empire is growing and all classes are satisfied is pretty hard, even when bonds with the Yaoguai are strong. On top of that players need to woo neighboring rulers and decide how to best go about the complex task of bringing the empress back to life. I like the variety, but I would have liked some extra depth, especially for the title’s management side. But I suspect the balance is carefully crafted to appeal to long-term franchise fans. My Lovely Empress has strong mechanics, an interesting universe, and ten Yaoguai to interact with, a good package for anyone who likes both management and relationships.

Affogato mixes two ideas that don’t normally belong together. The puzzle-style, card-driven reverse tower defense is pretty unique as an idea but suffers from a lack of variety and some difficulty spikes. The developers need to consider a sequel that focuses on this side of the game to explore its potential. Unfortunately, the coffee-making fails to deliver the same excitement level. All the character moments and conversations could have existed without the drink-making part. The game’s story doesn’t have many surprises but the relationship between Affogato and Mephista has enough charm to power the game.

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.

Persona 4 Golden remains a very good JRPG, but the most important virtue of this re-release is that it makes you appreciate even more Persona 5 and the later entries. Unfortunately, this remaster will not make the list of best practices. In particular, the graphics are underwhelming, so only those with nostalgia for the PS2 era will probably be able to enjoy it fully. The rest of the players will tolerate it together with other quirks of the game, in order see through the great story, while focusing on the gameplay experience. With some more effort and budget invested, we could have gotten a true remaster, which could have elevated the entire game and make it memorable for new audiences.

Star Wars Outlaws is not a masterpiece or a major innovation, but it is a fun experience, and it shows that it was developed by people passionate about the Star Wars universe. It is a somewhat typical Ubisoft game that was better put together than most of the productions we have seen from them in a while. It is not perfect, but it is entertaining and immersive, with an overwhelming amount of content. Some of it can feel tedious and is repetitive, but it is up to you of much you want to grind. There are plenty of ways to earn credits, and the game allows different gameplay styles. The only major problem at the moment are the bugs that need to be fixed ASAP to be able to fully enjoy this experience.

Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is not a perfect game, but there aren't too many things that I would change. Its biggest flaw is the generic story, but there are some balancing issues as well. Also, some game system are thoroughly explained, so I strongly recommend reading the help page or the PDF manual that comes with the game.

Broken Roads is a video game that shows how quickly the ambitions of a development team can outrun its ability to deliver. The Outback setting is great, but the narrative threads can interact in weird ways. The Moral Compass is impressive as a concept but can feel restrictive in practice. Combat is just stiff enough to feel like a chore. Bugs and glitches sometimes interfere with quest progress. I love the sections where the focus is on talking to people, clicking on the environment for some extra lore, and thinking about where to source things people need to improve their lives. The narrator greatly enhances emotional moments. Broken Roads has heart and good systems. Players who like the setting and the RPG genre should play it if they are comfortable with some jank, while others should wait for a few patches before buying it.

If not for some annoying technical issues and the generic plot, Shadows: Awakening would have probably been one of the best aRPGs launched this year. Still, there are a lot of good things that I've experienced during my playthrough, such as the innovative combat system that offers lots of tactical options, the smooth switching between characters, as well as the eye candy landscapes. Heretic Kingdoms remains a franchise with great potential, so I'm very curious to see where developers are going to go from here. Obviously, there's room to improve the formula, but I'd like to see something new as well.

Fortified is a solid mix of tower defense and action third-person shooting. Its design may not be all that original, but its execution is great and should entertain you, as well as your friends, via the cooperative mode.

NeonXSZ is a solid experience that combines an array of good gameplay mechanics into a cohesive and addictive experience. Intense combat, lots of loot, not to mention plenty of freedom when it comes to moving around the huge battlefield make this game very easy to recommend to a lot of people. Things may seem very confusing at first, but it rewards dedication.

Rise of Industry 2 is a good industrial builder that emphasizes the role of personal relationships and strong management in the long-term success of corporations. Players will be challenged to find the best layout for their mining and manufacturing complexes. Mastering one type of industry doesn’t guarantee success when an investor requires expansion into another. The game’s narrative moments are decently written but sometimes seem separated from the circumstances, which limit immersion. The game’s look fits well with the 80s theme. Rise of Industry 2 creates fun challenges for city building and resource chain creation veterans, but it will not be easy to get into for newcomers.

I didn’t expect to revisit/replay Syberia in 2025, but I am happy I did. The game’s story is unaltered in the remaster, and it’s just as charming as it once was. What changed with the Syberia – Remastered version, however, is the overall presentation, collectibles, puzzles and a whole lot of other things. There are still improvements to be made, but as a whole, Syberia – Remastered is certainly worth exploring once again, especially if you love this amazing world and always wanted a reason to come back.

The Operator will attract anyone who likes a good mystery with some very contemporary themes and does not care too much about complex gameplay. The story moves at a good pace, the characters have personalities, and the general atmosphere of paranoia works well. But the mechanics are built around a computer screen, a few apps, and plenty of reading. It can become repetitive, even with its cleverly designed puzzles. But the game nails the atmosphere, the heady mix of paranoia and dark secrets, and will capture the attention of players willing to suspend their disbelief at the start. The Operator does a lot with limited resources and creates a good level of immersion while delivering a strong story.

Decade is impressive in its ambition, especially for a video game created by a solo developer. It aims to create a complex take on our future, complete with new philosophies, new political systems, a range of larger-than-life characters, and an innovative take on time travel. It doesn’t fully deliver on its promise but is still a fun experience. Quite a bit of reading is required to enjoy it all, with conversations and descriptions that are sometimes too verbose for their own good. The structure of the time travel limits what players can influence. Decade shines when it reveals new and weird takes on how the future might unfold but sometimes struggles to fully connect its narrative and its gameplay.

Tembo the Badass Elephant succeeds as a game about momentum but fails to make the overall package as solid as it could be.

A Little Golf Journey is a solid little puzzle experience that needs a little more narrative or immersion to keep players interested. The puzzle element works well, especially given the assists available to prevent frustration. I liked the mechanics best when I focused on doing as well as possible on two or three holes in one sitting, before giving my brain some space to think about other ideas to try out in the future. The developer understands what makes a physics-driven puzzle experience work for players. But they need to find more ways to draw gamers into the worlds they create. A Little Golf Journey is a great snack of a video game that is just a little too happy to push players to replay holes.

Honey, I Joined a Cult is an enjoyable game, as long as players know what to expect from this kind of management experience. The mechanics work well, there’s a constant sense of forward momentum, and the player is constantly busy contemplating how to increase experience and get the most out of his cult members. The game needs a higher top speed, as well as extra variety in the mission department. But the game does not deliver on any of the innovation and new ideas that the cult concept can support. The experience is well suited for newcomers to the genre but makes little effort to tweak its core ideas. Honey, I Joined a Cult makes it clear that Sole Survivor Games are good at creating a competent management title, but I really want to see them try to add a twist to the formula in coming projects.

Galak-Z is clearly designed for players who enjoy a challenge, and it offers an impressive mix of frantic combat, long-term planning, tactical planning and anime-inspired looks that will appeal to a lot of fans of the rogue-like genre.

Anno 2205 is good city builder with an interesting take on the future of humanity and with plenty of humanity, the kind of video game that a player can spend tens of hours with as long as he is interested in making all his cities run at peak efficiency all of the time.

Super Galaxy Squadron is a solid shoot'em up/bullet hell hybrid that manages to feel welcoming to newcomers but also challenging to veterans. The variety of ships, the great endless mode, and the interesting story campaign make its downsides fade away.

God of Rock’s big idea, to mix fighting game and classic music concepts, is a very good one. I love how it manages to evoke stardom when I hit the notes at just the right time, groove to the music, and watch my favorite fighter pummeling an opponent. It’s easy to understand the mix of mechanics but it’s not easy to master them. The soundtrack is also great, both in terms of quality and variety. The game does need to improve its interface layout to accommodate more players. For anyone looking for innovation in the fighting game genre, God of Rock offers a good mix of mechanics as long as players have a few friends to battle against.

The game might be too gory and violent for some players but it is rarely gratuitous and playing through it is a great way to get a scared, explore a cool story and then sit back and think about how one might react when a cryosleep trip turns into a nightmare.

The gameplay is addictive and innovative, while the controls are simple and tight. Perhaps the game needed a few more tunes, but the pixel art is very well done. There’s no voice-acting, but there’s a little bit of an unconventional story to discover if you’re a fan of mysteries. The only downside is that Nuclear Blaze ends very fast. It’s like a very short SCP novel that you read while commuting. It took me less than two hours to finish it, but I had a lot of fun. Get this if you’re looking for a good platformer.

It has plenty of high-speed and high-stakes action, it moves pretty fast at times, but it also gives you the time to plan your next move between objectives, and to select the ones you feel most familiar with.

Considered on its own, Pro Cycling Manager 2023 is a good cycling management simulation. It’s fun to create a custom team, fill it with youngsters, and try to dominate the sport in 3 to 5 years. Playing the official stages of this year’s Tour de France with any team in the peloton creates interesting situations and challenges. But the title fails to offer enough innovation when compared to last year’s installment. Anyone who still plays PCM 2022 should stick with that game until their favorite mod is updated. Pro Cycling Manager 2023 has solid core mechanics but the franchise needs to be more innovative going forward.

Tour de France 2023 captures the atmosphere of real-world cycling, which is crucial for this kind of sports simulation. It feels good to control some of the best riders of the moment, think about the strategy that best suits them, and then try to use limited energy resources at just the right time to secure a prestigious win. The game allows players to create some impressive narrative around their own created cyclist, taking them from humble beginnings to prestigious victories. But Tour de France 2023 is targeted squarely at fans of the sport and other gamers might struggle to fully engage with its mechanics and presentation.

Luckily, many aspects of the game are well above average, such as the anime artwork and the story. If you can get past the somewhat clunky combat and boring world, Code Vein can be appealing more often than not.

Starcom: Unknown Space isn’t a complex game with deep space combat mechanics. It’s more interested in conjuring the feeling of discovery that the best space-based fictional works create. Players will meet aliens and fight hostiles while improving tech and adding modules to their own spaceship. The narrative beats are derivative, and the game’s presentation isn’t top-notch. Starcom: Unknown Space understands why space exploration is such a great fantasy and wants players to get lost among the stars.