Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion features a very intricate story, with multiple twists and some memorable characters. I like the fact they don’t shy away from offering many cutscenes, in fact most bosses will have a custscene where they explain their reasoning. It’s also nice to see that they bring in lots of side quests to bring you more lore and introduce different characters. What’s great about Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is that it helps the franchise evolve by introducing a large open world, great customization features and faster-paced combat. The world they made is beautiful, but also scary to live in, and you will hold on for dear life through every combat encounter. Then again, that’s what makes a game like this fun, you always need to be prepared, experiment with weapons/armor and find the best ones to give you an edge in combat.

We’ve seen a lot of horror remakes recently, for Silent Hill or Resident Evil, and it was expected that Fatal Frame will see its remakes at some point. I am very glad that they chose Fatal Frame II, and while I was not accustomed to the series and its gameplay, it certainly managed to grow on me as I played. It’s also nice that the remake is more of a reimagining of the original and not just a remaster. Plus, the great thing is that Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake performs very well, there were no crashes or major bugs. It’s a great release, and the fact that new horror fans get to experience this classic with all these bells and whistles is exciting. The best part is that they added some much-needed quality of life features and new story content, so even veterans will be compelled to try it. Sure, it will take a bit to get used to combat and lore, but it’s a journey worth embarking on.

Neurodeck is an engaging take on the deck-builder genre. The enemies are varied, the cards have cool synergies, the runs in their entirety integrate combat and other activities well. Some difficulty spikes feel unfair. The good news is there are no opponents that cannot be taken down with good card selection and battle strategy. The game does not have the breath or innovation of the best of its class. But the focus on phobia, mental health, and stress make it an interesting experiment. Neurodeck shows how you can create a video game that offers information about the real world without looking preachy while also offering good core mechanics.

Even though its roguelike recipe feels flawed, Returnal's exhilarating gunplay, clever story, and mesmerizing atmosphere elevate it to a higher than average rank. Its addictive gameplay loop, gorgeous visuals, and amazing 3D sound create an immersive atmosphere that is difficult to imitate.

The enticing story and solid characters are definitely the main highlights of Omensight, so if you're looking for a game that has both, Spearhead Games' new title will deliver. On the flip side, the repetitive nature of the time-travel mechanic is one of the game's main downsides, but if you can get passed it, you'll find that Omensight is actually a wonderful gem.

Meatgrinder manages the difficult task of mixing the first-person view with platforming and shooting in equally exciting parts. I died plenty more times from touching from failing to secure a platform but enemies are more than speed bumps and can take out the player if his focus is only on movement. The difficulty level is high but the game rewards good reflexes and solid use of its many special abilities. The lack of story will make it harder for many players to deal with failure and push forward (the game thankfully has difficulty levels) but I like the focus on non-stop action, with nothing else getting in the way. For players who want a first-person shooter with a well-executed twist, Meatgrinder is fast, tough, and rewards quick thinking.

Desktop Dungeons: Rewind’s idea of mixing exploration with health and mana regeneration is great, as are how players can use it. It’s very fun to explore the levels, discover enemies, decide the best way to tackle them, and then, finally, gather enough resources to kill the boss and take the trophy. The rest of the experience, including the kingdom development and the puzzles, is competent but not as impressive. Upgrades should probably cost a little less. But the core gameplay root is so good that Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is the rare game I plan to return to frequently, if only for one or two runs.

I grew quite fond of Endzone 2 and its world, the building design, but also the innate feeling of helplessness that the game brings at times. It’s definitely one of the go-to titles in the strategy-survival genre for me, alongside Frostpunk and Banished.

Blooming Business: Casino is a good tycoon management game and will satisfy gamers who want to create attractive gambling rooms, keep them in tip-top condition, and find the best ways to satisfy customers and VIPs. The title’s mechanics are good and the presentation and narrative offer a laid back atmosphere. Given these strong foundations, I’m a little disappointed that the developers at Homo Ludens didn’t include at least one big twist to the genre. The VIP focus is about half an innovation and I wanted a bigger new idea to work with. Blooming Business: Casino is a perfectly pleasant game with strong core concepts but should have aimed for more.

I always found city builders to be a very relaxing game genre, and ISLANDERS: New Shores is no exception. Granted, you can’t build the city of your dreams, instead you try to create small establishments on lost/forgotten islands. But it’s a lot of fun, and I am sure tons of people will strive to get the highest scores they can. And they should, because the game is engaging, but it can also be something you play on the side, as you wait in queue for your MMO’s dungeon crawls. I think ISLANDERS: New Shores’s main appeal is that it adds a whole lot of new stuff when compared to its predecessor. And it shows, the gameplay has evolved, the boons system is creative and enjoyable, and the sandbox system is exceptional for creatives that want no barriers. It’s the type of game you can enter, play for a few minutes or an hour and never get bored. Plus, the minimalist aesthetic and beautiful graphics serve the game, as it differentiates itself from the predecessor, while also adding some creative elements that make it a worthwhile city builder.

Distant Worlds 2 is a rich space-based, real-time strategy experience that can provide hundreds of hours of fun to a dedicated fan. The writing and narrative aren’t interesting enough but the mechanics more than make-up for this weakness. The automation options are deep and make it easier to focus on certain aspects of the 4X concept, delegating the rest to a decent computer algorithm. But before anyone jumps into Distant Worlds 2, they should set aside time and patience. Make extensive use of the in-game help, read forums if you need to, delegate a lot at first, and only engage with what you like. Code Force has delivered a solid strategy package, which means updates and DLC can only improve it and add accessibility and fun.

The Valiant has a good set of mechanics, although less innovative than they seem initially, and a decent story, hitting all the notes that you expect from the premise and setting. The single-player campaign delivers enjoyable tactical puzzles. Players who love the mechanics have the option to engage in players-versus-player and players-versus-environment matches. But the game never tries to push its idea forward. There’s nothing here that has not been done in other contexts or with slight variations. The Valiant is a good squad-focused strategy title but KITE Games should try to introduce more innovation to their next project.

Endling - Extinction is Forever is a warning signal about humans that should pay more attention to their environment and avoid it being ruined by the pollution born out of greed. At the same time it is also a truly engaging and immersive game with well thought out mechanics. It manages to combine the social message with a fun experience. It is the perfect example of games that challenge your intellect while leaving a lasting impression due to the emotional load they carry. It has both heartwarming and extremely sad moments, the atmosphere of the game accompanying you for some time after you have seen the end credits.

Rhythm Sprout is a good take on the rhythm game adventure genre, with decent mechanics and a world that gives players reasons to push through and master songs. I like the variety of possible tweaks for any level and the Beginner mode. But the music-driven mechanics do not offer too much variety and the difficulty curve ramps up pretty quickly. The entire experience is a good way of introducing players to the rhythm genre, especially if they skew younger. And the game would have benefited greatly from a cooperative mode that allowed a more experienced player to guide a new one. Rhythm Sprout is competent and colorful but never attempts to significantly tweak a familiar formula.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a fun experience that shines when played alone but also with a few friends. Bear in mind that cooperation is key and you might need some time before you get accustomed to the problematic controls.

Live by the Sword: Tactics will be a great experience for gamers who fell in love with the role-playing tactics titles of their youth and are susceptible to the draw of nostalgia. The story mode has solid battles, although the narrative does not impress. Adventure mode puts an interesting new spin on the core mechanics. But the game is unlikely to draw in players who don’t already like what it has to offer. It needs a stronger narrative hook or more innovation and accessibility. Live by the Sword: Tactics is a nice project for a small development team and fulfills its core promise of delivering a good classic tactics RPG experience.

Minutes is an innovative experience that manages to capture your heart through the clever premise. However, it’s way too challenging for its own good and becomes downright punishing as you progress through the levels.

Star Renegades although borrows many elements from other games, manages to feel fresh and entertaining. It offers plenty of content, and though you will have to go through several attempts to crack it, the game manages to avoid feeling repetitive. The deep combat system, the different heroes, the procedurally generated maps, the different difficulty levels all contribute to the high replay value of the game. Star Renegades builds on the nostalgic factor and is targeting mainly the fans of TBT, but it proves to be enjoyable by anyone who decides to try it.

FBC: Firebreak is one of those games that can be hard to describe, yet once you get into it, this game will become very addictive. And it’s easy to see why. Control’s world is amazing, mysterious, and a pleasure to explore. The multiplayer experience is quite impressive here, and they do an amazing job at making the levels feel interesting and a delight to go through. Of course, that doesn’t make FBC: Firebreak perfect. The core gameplay loop, while fun, gets very repetitive due to the lack of randomized elements, and few levels available at launch. Right now, having only 5 levels is an issue, as you have to repeat them over and over, albeit with modifiers and various difficulty levels. I think it’s well worth playing for any team-focused FPS lovers, but keep in mind this is just a foundation. I am sure that Remedy will continue adding more levels and fun stuff for us to unlock and customize our characters with. Yet that will arrive in due time.

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.

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.

Druidstone is pretty great but not without flaws. Fortunately, the unforgiving strategic combat, charming art style and light puzzles sprinkled in between the fights, far exceed the balancing issues. You just need to keep playing it beyond the first 5-6 missions, you'll find that Druidstone is a hidden gem.

Quantum Witch is a short experience that has very good narrative beats. Ren’s adventure starts off a little slow, with many visits to a hint skeleton and some cult interactions. But once she goes magical and visits new worlds, the characters become funnier and the questions bigger, exploring big themes in interesting ways. Unfortunately, the actual gameplay is pretty limited, with only a few situations where the plane-shifting power is engaging to use. The presentation is good but requires some love of the 16-bit look. Quantum Witch is fun but it needs extra mechanical depth and a few more places to visit to appeal to a wider audience.

Yield! Fall of Rome takes familiar gameplay ideas and a well-known historical setting and distills them down into an approachable strategy experience. The entire design emphasizes quick play, with scenarios that can be completed in one sitting. The presentation doesn’t impress, but it also doesn’t hinder gameplay. I would have liked a clearer connection to the historical era and maybe a bigger focus on the leaders and diplomacy. Yield! Fall of Rome is a solid entry point for gamers who do not have much experience with turn-based strategy or want to engage in quick multiplayer sessions with a group of friends.

There are lots of great things to be had in Primal Planet. The time period they base the game on is something we rarely explore in games. On top of that, the pixelated world design is stunning, and I think the world itself looks incredible. The combat is also very good, although sometimes it does enter soulslike territory. And yes, there’s the map design that could get some improvements here and there. Did that deter me from playing? Not at all, I liked the fact that you can start crafting stuff, exploring the map and finding items/resources is always cool, and the animations/small cutscenes they have truly add a lot of character and personality to the game. Yes, there will be some frustration here and there, but in the end, the game is extremely fun, although it can take a bit to get used to some of its elements.

Despite its shortcomings, the story and the oppressing atmosphere of The Sinking City recommend it as one of the best Lovecraft inspired game to date. If you can get past the clunky combat and technical issues, there's much to like in The Sinking City.

Dicealot clearly aims to do for dice throwing what Balatro did for poker. The game mostly succeeds, giving players a simple combat system built around rolling dice that can be broken in a wide variety of ways through store purchases. Luck does play a bigger role than I would like, delivering the worst possible results at the worst moments. Gamers who fall in love with the core loop will have plenty of motivation to try out strategies and unlock new content. Others might struggle because the narrative universe is limited. Dicealot has a solid, unique idea and plenty of variety for those who want to discover the best ways to avoid a Farkle.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a great way to explore the comic book universe, which is also coming to the big screen, and the developers at Zen Studios have managed to create an experience that’s fun in the long term and encourages players to constantly look for ways to improve their overall score.

Guayota is a good puzzle game, as long as players are willing to overlook some issues. The level design is great, and the title knows how to introduce gameplay ideas gradually and to gently ramp up difficulty. The concept of having two versions for all levels and having gamers move between them when their torch runs out is solid. I like that there are no threats in the dark version. But the developers should have offered a clear way to move back to the light level or give players more than one chance at solving it. The game’s narrative might not offer a strong enough hook if frustration sets in. Guayota’s world and puzzles are engaging but the game makes it hard for players to fully enjoy them.

The writing is at its best when a situation escalates from relatively believable situations into absurdity and satire. But there are just as many moments when the results of player choices feel forced or when the game is trying too hard to draw from the real world. SuperPAC clearly understands how to make politics into solid game mechanics, they just need to better calibrate the tone of their world.

Sid Meier's Starships is a good and replayable turn based strategy experience that will certainly appeal to lovers of classic science fiction franchises and to those who appreciate the way the leader of Firaxis managed to make player choices relevant.

Sam and Max Beyond Space and Time Remastered targets the same audience as the Save the World Remaster. The same developers, the same recipe, the same heroes and references. So, there was little chance for things to go off-track. Still, Sam and Max Beyond Space and Time Remastered is a precious lesson in how a remaster should be put together. Without altering too much the original content, the developers managed to make the game feel relevant and modern. Just as the previous remaster, this one is mandatory for the nostalgic and the point and click fans.

I am impressed with the things Islands & Trains manages to achieve, despite being a small game. You have multiple biomes, lots of building tools, a cozy environment and a wonderful railroad-building experience. Yes, it won’t surpass Train Valley or any other train management titles. But it doesn’t even try to do that. Instead, it blends railroad building with a cozy sandbox experience. It’s fun, beautiful in its own right, and with a good soundtrack. There’s no stress, no anxiety, just a cozy place where you can unwind and have a great time. I’ve spent quite a bit of time creating my own railroads over 3 different maps, and I am still coming back to it. Plus, it seems the game will continue getting more updates, and I am keeping my hopes up for a map sharing feature. But despite that, I think it’s one of the better cozy sandbox games, and one that can help cheer you up, while also letting your creativity run loose.

Paper Cut Mansion makes a great first impression, with its original environments and characters. The adventure game mechanics, mostly linked to the NeoCortex, are also well-implemented, although a little more clarity in room layout would have helped. The ideas for the other two dimensions are less interesting but add important variety. The entire experience starts off a little slow but there’s plenty of intrigue to keep players engaged after a few hours. The game’s momentum is limited by its rogue elements. It needs to open up more options faster to keep players interested or to simply make it easier to progress without dying. Paper Cut Mansion has a good mix of ideas with some issues around implementation, delivering a good experience for adventure game fans who want a few twists on the familiar concepts of the genre.

Star Wars: Squadrons is a well-balanced game, that manages to offer quality single-player experience and an immersive multiplayer part. There is still is for some balancing, but the game works pretty well. Every aspect of the game seems to have received the same amount of attention and as the result, the story actually is important, not just an appendix. The multiplayer is not earth-shattering, but it is fun at least for a while. Despite all the initial reservations, Squadrons turned out to be a good game, with intense action, plenty of room to personalize the experience, and lots of fun. Squadrons is not a trap, but a rather pleasant surprise.

I enjoyed my time with Clawpunk, because it’s the type of game where you shut your brain off and just start shooting. It’s fast-paced, it has amazing boss battles, and it does a great job at bringing those classic 90’s titles like Metal Slug back to life. Yes, it might not be perfect, nor does it have to be. Instead, it’s meant to offer us a healthy dose of nostalgia, while also testing our skills over and over. I like a lot of ideas that they added here. The great characters they included and the ability to switch between them as you need to, that came in handy more times than I realized. And not only that but slashing through dozens of enemies felt very satisfying. As you go into boss battles, things become even more hectic, and just as fulfilling. Clawpunk might seem like a weird game at first glance, but it’s one of those indie games that you need to experience for yourself to see how fun it can be.

Hides a very challenging shoot'em up experience under its vibrant visuals and, provided you're willing to brave its perma-death and procedural mechanics, you're in for a compelling experience, especially if you have friends to play with or against.

The Flame in the Flood will impress players during the first few hours with its style and the way its survival mechanics interact with one another, but the game will likely only keep fans of the rogue genre engaged in the long term.

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.

Phoenix Point: Year One Edition is what the game should have been when it was first launched more than one year ago. The development team at Snapshot has listened to the community, delivered a whole lot of free patches, and has managed to create a great strategic experience and a solid tactical one. It’s a shame that many people will not play this new package because of the problems that the title originally had. Phoenix Point is a deeper experience than the new XCOM and a drier one. It rewards careful strategic planning, strictly by the rules tactical executions, and a lack of attachment to individual units. The best way to enjoy the game is in short sessions, maybe two missions at a time, to allow for time to mentally explore possibilities and forget some of the frustrations.

MX vs ATV Legends is a great game, there’s no doubt about it, but on the other hand, it’s pretty clear that it can’t be considered a finished title at this point. In some ways, it feels like a work-in-progress, though most of the time, it can still provide the challenging experience that it promises regardless of the platform. The addition of an open environment is hands down the best idea, as it provides the off-road adventure with a new side that’s more or less based on exploration. At the same time, it feels like it generates a high replayability level, and at the end of the day, this is what helps keep a game alive a long time after its launch.

Rarely have I ever played a JRPG that was so faithful to the source material you felt like watching an anime with brief moments of gameplay. You get to relive the same epic story that has yet to be finished, but this time you see it from the point of view of someone who was actually there, and not just a spectator. As such, if you’re a hardcore Attack on Titan fan, or you want to play something that will ease your introduction into the series, then I recommend Attack on Titan 2 wholeheartedly.

Exodus Borealis is a good mix of genres. It creates tensions by asking gamers to constantly balance priorities and work with limited resources. It introduces quite a bit of complexity with its gems and challenges the player to create a solid tower system that will take down enemies and can be easily expanded. I, personally, didn’t love the choice to make monsters only attack targets in the village, rather than the actual towers. But I understand how it helps balance the experience while increasing the danger level. The main ideas of Exodus Borealis are good and it will be interesting to see whether Smug Marmot Studios will expand on them using the Vupfox or if they plan to use new protagonists for their next project.

Unrest offers a gripping story about hope, failure, action and inaction, fear and security, which feels more like an interactive visual novel than an actual game. And a well-written one, at that. Sort of like A Game of Thrones without endlessly waiting for the dragons to come, the game delivers its quick shot of gripping narrative, challenges you to make a couple of life and death decisions, then leaves you boiling in the karmic print of your choices.

Augmented Empire is a decent experience that doesn’t innovate enough to become truly engaging. The universe, with its noir and science-fiction ideas, is well-designed, with solid character interactions and voice actors that breathe life into them. The tactical combat system works well but combat spaces are too small to make the engagements interesting. The game is forced to make its QTEs more difficult to make sure players have to actually use healing or special character abilities. The graphics do not impress. Augmented Empire needed bigger combat spaces and more enemy variety to make an impression on fans of the turn-based strategy genre.

HELL OF FEAR: Mind Breach successfully manages to bring us the intensity of survival games, along with the horror expected from titles like Dead Space. While it’s clearly an indie game, it delivers a nicely polished experience where you always try to stay alive and fulfill the different missions that appear along the way. The story here is great, but also contained to the base, so you won’t see a variety of environments or anything like that. Despite some minor shortcomings, HELL OF FEAR: Mind Breach is still a great game to play, especially if you are a fan of the horror genre. The survival elements sprinkled in are exciting and won’t deter the experience. The game is adequately priced for what it offers as well, just make sure that you go in with the right expectations.

Despite its shortcomings, Dark Souls Remastered is a welcome release that will hopefully breathe new life into the community and multiplayer activity with both new and old players. It may also be the last souls game release for quite some time, given From Software’s latest endeavours.

Battlefield V changes the way historical FPS games are told, as it puts the human psyche ahead of glory, fame, and frags, or at least it does so until you join a multiplayer match.

John Wick Hex feels like an action flick starring a voiceless Keanu Reeves. It may not go as deep as the movies story-wise, but it's a great adaptation of a successful franchise. I admit that the first few hours were a bit frustrating since the game doesn't tell you to be careful with the bandages, but John Wick Hex is the kind of game that you want to keep playing even when it punishes your every mistake. I admire some of the design choices made by the developer, such as turning John Wick Hex into a strategy game rather than a pure top-down shooter. Even though it's far from being a perfect game, I had a lot of fun playing John Wick Hex.

Just like its characters, Wintermoor Tactics Club has a lot of soul. It is not perfect by any means, but the turn-based combat proves to be fun, the RPG elements are well integrated, while the story is compelling and thoroughly enjoyable. Still, there is no real challenge in the game, no replay value and despite the producer’s best efforts, the encounters can feel somewhat repetitive. WintermoorTcatics Club is an indie game as all indie games should be: it is not flashy, overcomplicated, or very long, but manages to be fun and exciting without the AAA budget. It is a single-player experience that any RPG fan should experience.

Despite being a bit tedious, Blasphemous offers many satisfying moments like being able to find a shortcut or a shrine when you most need it. Some of the quests are really interesting and even if they're not mandatory to finish the game, I would strongly recommend trying to finish as many of them as possible. The way the story is told (or rather discovered), the amazing artwork, and the fast-paced combat are aspects of the game that grabbed me throughout my playthrough. You'll indeed have to do a lot of backtracking if you want to complete as much as the game as possible, but the rewards are worth it.

Outshine is a difficult and unique experience that mixes arcade-style elements with typing-powered combat. The game wants to make the player as comfortable or as challenged as he wants to be. For the player who brushes up on his typing skills and wants to feel the adrenaline of a high-score chase, this is a great title. It also offers a good way for people trying to learn one of the supported languages to improve their skills, especially when played with some of the aids turned on. The sometimes over-cluttered visual space can be frustrating, as is the fact that it’s often hard to make progress without dropping the difficulty. Outshine gets bonus points for its innovative mixing of ideas and will certainly make any player much better at typing after some sustained sessions.

Martha Is Dead lives or dies by its core narrative and ability to immerse the player in it. I like the way it mixes the personal with the historical. I appreciate the care with which the developers have constructed the game world and I even like most of the photography-focused challenges. But, for me, the individual elements do not come together to form a coherent video game. Inconsistencies exist because the narrative needs to move forward. There’s frustration around the mechanics. Martha Is Dead is worth playing for its narrative but I want developers LKA to focus on a more streamlined experience for their next project.

Age of Darkness: Final Stand has solid mechanics that will appeal to gamers who are looking for an experience similar to They Are Billions. It is fun to juggle the dual needs of building a thriving settlement to get all the resources needed to outfit a capable military and build up fortifications that can stand up to hundreds of monsters. There are plenty of heroes and associated strategies for players to mold their playstyle around. The title’s biggest problems are the limited world-building and the drab campaign. Age of Darkness: Final Stand rewards preparation and risk-taking and will satisfy gamers looking for massive and tense battles.

Soccer Story is a good mix of soccer matches and adventure elements, with a world packed with side activities and cute details. It takes a little while to get used to the quick, tackle-driven matches. Playing an upgraded team against a solid computer opponent is both challenging and fun. This football-powered universe might not make a ton of sense but it is interesting to explore. It would work better with a smaller number of side activities. Soccer Story offers an exotic approach to the sport and builds a ton of fun mechanics around the simple act of kicking a ball at a target.

Empire of Sin has the core of a good game that blends three genres in cool ways. I am especially fond of the man-management and the ways the various mobsters work with one another and react during combat. But the current implementation, especially that of the battles, is frustrating. Romero Games needs to make management more important and to bring the characters to the front more. Patches also should include auto-resolve and a big balance update. Empire of Sin needs all of this to begin to realize its clear potential.

Terracotta is a game for players who can appreciate its mix of tough puzzles, unique universe, and two-dimensional mechanics. The game slowly adds more complexity, which is a good thing given its overall difficulty level. It’s not recommended for newcomers but will appeal to anyone who needs a tough action exploration experience. My biggest issue is that there’s no way to deal with the frustration of failure. There’s no choice of difficulty levels and constant death is not a great teaching tool. Terracotta’s gameplay innovations are good but players will need to invest time and energy if they want to experience everything that it has to offer.

While overall Mad Max borrows from past titles like Batman when it comes to combat, or Far Cry when it comes to the design of its open world and its activities, it still manages to stand out through its car combat. The story is also pretty compelling and manages to keep you invested even if some of the missions get repetitive after a while.

The tactical squad-based combat is engaging and has plenty of depth, although there are moments when it also feels a little too long and the various human soldiers seem much too dumb to be the first line of defense against an alien invasion.

Aeon Drive delivers a very focused experience for anyone who loves classic platformer action and wants to test their skills against other players on constantly updated leaderboards. There are a lot of cities to get through and plenty of paths to master using the teledagger. But the game would be much more engaging if it dropped the 30-second limit. It could have attracted hardcore players with achievements and collectibles while making itself more accessible for those with reduced reflexes.

If you like city builders and you want to test yourself as you create the ultimate city, Memoriapolis has it all cut out for you. Yes, there are a few performance issues, and the learning curve is steep at times, but the game is a very competent city builder that carved its own niche, and which (I hope) will continue to grow with more maps, buildings and new features. But even now, with the 1.0 version, the game is totally worth checking out, especially if you enjoy city building and urban planning.

The game is amazing from all stand-points, from the story to the mechanics and visuals, and I have to say that I was pleased that the Re-Mars-tered version did actually feel like a significant improvement, even if it was just a re-release of the same game with better visuals slapped on to it. All in all, Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered is a game I would definitely recommend to anyone, especially if they think too much time has passed since the last Red faction game release.

Stirring Abyss is a very good indie take on the modern XCOM formula that will make tactics fans happy, although it is not really a spiritual successor to Terror from the Deep. The campaign itself, on Normal difficulty, offers a solid challenge by itself and the game also has an Endless mode for even more replayability. Yes, there are difficulty spikes, especially the boss battles, that can frustrate. But the tension between preparedness and speed that the mechanics created is something that more modern tactics focused titles should try to replicate.

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.

Neon Blight has a clear gameplay loop that can become addictive. Kill enemies, explore the wilderness, make progress on some quests, find guns, take them back to the store and see who wants to pay to become the new owners. More depth would have been appreciated but the game mechanics mostly work as they should. Unfortunately, the game really spikes the difficulty when it comes to boss encounters, and constantly dying to their overwhelming abilities isn’t very fun. The developers at Bleeding Tapes channel some cool influences into their title but I feel that a little more balancing work and extra ideas are required to make it stand out from the crowd.

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.

Hard West II, just like the predecessor, is the living proof that there’s life after XCOM too. Although the game could do with a bit more weapons, in between the multiple abilities and poker cards system, it offers enough variation to warrant a full playthrough. If you’re a fan of turn-based strategy games, Hard West II is a no brainer. The game does what it sets out to do, despite lacking deeper RPG elements and some balancing issues. I also loved the voice-acting and the overall presentation of the game. I’d like to see more of the latter in small budget titles, it shouldn’t be that hard to achieve. Play this if you love XCOM, but don’t play it like XCOM!

Colossal Cave is an intriguing experience that might struggle to find an audience. I’m sure that people who played the classic title will like to see how it looks in 3D or VR. It is also clear some of its charm is lost in the transition. Modern gamers might be turned off by the relatively limited mechanics and narrative. A solid dose of nostalgic appreciation is required to keep going after a few good runs.

A solid debut of this spinoff mini-series.

Tyrant's Blessing is an interesting title with clear limitations. The combat mechanics are engrossing and create very cool moments, with the various difficulty levels carefully designed to draw in new players but also to challenge veterans. It’s very fun to think ahead, consider enemy moves, put together a plan and then finish a battle with no damage taken and all objectives accomplished. The rogue elements aren’t as interesting as the tactical battles, but they serve the game well. Unfortunately, neither the universe nor the presentation is good enough to keep players engaged if they fail to connect with the mechanics in a deep way. Tyrant's Blessing is initially charming and delivers good tactics puzzles but might lack staying power.

In the end, Revenge of the Savage Planet doesn’t pretend to be a groundbreaking epic. Instead, it knows exactly what it is — a compact, weird, satirical space romp that pokes fun at genre clichés while delivering a solid gameplay experience. The mechanics are simple but polished, the humor outrageous but purposeful, and the world design vibrant enough to keep you wandering just a little longer than you intended. It may be a “metroidvania lite,” but in a sea of overly complex open-world titles and self-serious sci-fi shooters, Revenge of the Savage Planet stands out by refusing to take itself too seriously — and in doing so, it delivers something genuinely memorable. Not revolutionary, but certainly worth the trip.

Capes is clearly designed to appeal to anyone who has played and liked X-COM and its tactical puzzles. The game successfully moves the action to a universe featuring superheroes. I liked the theme, although the developers don’t do much new with it. Unfortunately, the presentation, especially the graphics, isn’t as good as the mechanics. This is a video game that emphasizes a thorough understanding of one’s team and a desire to execute a mission as well as possible. Revisiting levels to get more skill points is expected. Capes is challenging and complex and offers fans of the tactics space plenty of options to experiment and optimize.

Terra Nil is an optimistic and well-designed reverse city builder. Its gameplay ideas are easy to understand and each scenario poses specific challenges that take attention and care to solve. Gamers will love the feeling of hope that infuses the painstaking process of taking a barren landscape and getting it to a point where flora and fauna are in harmony and no human presence remains. The mix of levels that are procedurally generated with a variety of biomes also keeps the challenge fresh. Greening the levels seems relatively easy at first but there’s a lot of mechanical depth to explore. Terra Nil never reaches the complexity of some of its city builder competitors but has a unique angle and innovative gameplay.

Best Served Cold has engaging mysteries, engaging characters, and limited gameplay. I like the setting, with its mix of historical inspirations and escalating social tension. And all the characters are fun to chat with, even if the killers tend to be a little predictable. This is a good narrative to experience alongside your choice of a cocktail. Unfortunately, actually mixing drinks is not exciting at all and serves most as a short pause for players to consider how they plan on steering dialogue. Still, some of the recipes are interesting enough that players should try mixing them in the real world. Best Served Cold is an enjoyable detective game that neglects its bartending side.

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.

Art of War for Europa Universalis IV feels essential in a way that no other expansion launched so far for the grand strategy title has felt, mostly because of the significant way it improves the map and thereby introduces more choices and variety to the entire experience.

If you don’t mind the lack of direction or storyline, Reassembly can provide many hours of great fun, with rewarding gameplay, a solid atmosphere and great soundtrack. It feels polished, the ship builder is really clean and easy to use, and it scratches that itch that makes you want to build and optimize in an unending cycle.

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.

True Colors is a worthy continuation of the franchise. Releasing all the episodes at the same time was a good call, since you can go through the story in one sitting, offering around 8 hours’ worth of emotional journey. It is not perfect, and it would have deserved a more elaborate ending. It cannot be as emotional as Before the Storm or as important as the first game, but it keeps the best parts of its predecessors and adds some new elements that fit seamlessly in the mix. It is mandatory for all the fans of the series and a must try for those who think video games should be about much more than just shooting and explosions.

Shogun Showdown has one of the most focused designs I’ve recently encountered in the rogue-lite space. It is very easy to understand its movement and tile use mechanics, but it is very hard to master them and get through a location with minimal health losses. Still, there’s enough variety that it rarely feels repetitive. The lack of a proper narrative is only partially compensated for by the character and world design. Unlocks, handled via skills, can feel slow. But Shogun Showdown is impressive enough mechanically to satisfy any fan of its genre and has the potential to draw newcomers to it.

Ark of Charon picks up ideas from a variety of genres and manages to create a coherent experience, with a focus on careful management of resources. The base building, especially because the small space leads to creative solutions, is the most interesting part of the experience but does not take up the most time. Combat is passable, especially once players focus on stockpiling ammo and learn to manually fire one of their guns. But resource gathering can be annoying, especially when the golems don’t seem to do what’s expected of them and the only solution is to spam the prioritize button. Ark of Charon offers an interesting challenge but its mechanics should be improved via patches.

Those who pick it up will experience some interesting moments, but they will also need to be prepared to deal with some frustrating design choices.

The Land Beneath Us is a good game for anyone who likes fast action, quick but thought-out decisions, and a rogue-lite structure. It doesn’t do much to innovate in any of these spaces, but the mechanical implementation is strong. The idea of wielding four weapons, one for each movement and attack direction, creates interesting tactical possibilities. There’s also plenty of variety for both relics and weapons, which keeps runs fresh. The presentation and story are competent, although nothing special when compared to other titles in this space. The Land Beneath Us delivers a fluid and fun experience as long as players don’t mind some runs that simply go nowhere.

The combination of melancholy, frustration, and joy Rival Megagun brings to players mustn’t be underestimated. It’s an almost perfect blend of genres that just might spawn some fantastic sequels.

Hexguardian doesn’t represent a revolution for the tower defence or the rogue-lite genres but its mechanics are polished. The lack of world-building is a little disappointing and the presentation is adequate and not much more. But the title creates that just one more try feeling, based on the wide variety of unlockable tools and upgrades and the many ways in which tile work can affect survival time. The core loop will become repetitive. The game does all it can to spice it up with opportunities to test new strategies and a general sense of progression, but it depends on the players whether they find it meditative or boring. I had fun with Hexguardian’s mix of ideas but I’m unsure how often I will return to them.

Teslagrad 2 is both a rewarding and frustrating experience and how players feel about it will depend a lot on their tolerance for failure and repetition. Most of the movement puzzles look easy but, especially later in the game, take almost perfect execution to solve. Boss fights break up the pace and offer some great moments but also ask players to repeat the same moves to win. It’s often hard to stick with such a demanding game and the relative lack of narrative does not help. The game’s world is intriguing, with its mash-up of Vikings and electric powers. Teslagrad 2's minimalist approach creates a certain purity for gameplay but might make it hard for players to care about Lumina and her journey.

We Are the Caretakers is unique in terms of fictional universe and themes. I know of no other video game that pits players against poachers and puts the preservation of a species so front and center. The experience offers a sense of discovery that I found delightful. The problem lies with the execution, which is affected by limited resources. Presentation never manages to do the world justice. The core mechanics are decent but they tend to become repetitive. We Are the Caretakers is a good strategy and role-playing mix that had the potential for so much more.

If you’re looking for a card battler that looks gorgeous and has a captivating story, Ash of Gods: The Way is a must play. Just make sure you have graduated with a master’s degree in strategic turn-based battles and puzzle-solving.

Bungie has managed to craft plenty of great mechanics for the new game, as well as allow for player expression through the RPG skills and customization system...However, don't expect a touching story and be prepared to endure plenty of repetition in the story missions. The co-op strikes and the random operations break this tedious feel, but you should still expect some lengthy loading screens and a fair amount of unbalanced missions or strikes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Like a Dragon: Ishin!, but I have to say it is a very well put together game that offers plenty of fun. Even on harder difficulty settings you feel like you have a fighting chance, but the farming of materials will take some time, so it will eventually start feeling repetitive. There is plenty of content to keep you entertained, and the game diversifies and adds new gameplay elements up to the end. It might not be the most memorable of the series, but it is a game that is worthy both of the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series.

I was excited to see how a port management and simulation game would look like, and I think that Docked successfully manages to balance both sides of the experience. Adding a narrative into the mix made things even better, because it’s all glued together extremely well, and the experience feels more organic this way. They also manage to add lots of tasks and varied missions for you, so there’s always something to do...Naturally, some tasks will be repetitive, but that’s by design when you play a simulator like this. I was happy to see that you can also manage your port’s finances, upgrade the port and do all kinds of things that other games in the genre don’t cover. There are tons of menus, lots of machines for you to own and use, but also plenty of managerial tasks that you need to check out.

Trek to Yomi makes a great first impression. The black and white, combined with the first uses of the combat system, suggests an experience that will allow players to step into the sandals of a samurai. The story might not be extraordinary but there’s enough sentiment in it to keep players engaged. But combat quickly reveals itself to be repetitive, with little need to experiment or to use all the combos. And the presentation does not enhance the gameplay, even if it delivers good screenshots. Trek to Yomi has some good ideas but never uses them to their full potential, which is a shame given its initial promise.

Revival: Recolonization has quite a few unique ideas and wisely connects them to some fundamental 4X concepts. The capsule concept and the diplomacy system are highlights, although the game could do a better job of explaining how its mechanics interact with one another. The narrative has interesting ideas but is a little under-written. Players who are fans of the turn-based strategy space should appreciate the tweaks Revival: Recolonization makes to the formula. But that requires an investment of time and energy from gamers. The development team needs to deliver updates to slay bugs, helping the title realize its full potential.

It’s rare these days for a survival game to put narrative and resource management mechanics on the same level, and do both very well. Overall, I think The Pale Beyond tells a captivating story while torturing players into finding the best solutions for keeping their crew alive. The first playthroughs will always be frustrating, but that’s because the game doesn’t prepare players for what’s coming. When all is said and done, The Pale Beyond is an enjoyable experience if you love survival games, but if you’re looking for a purely narrative experience, look elsewhere.

In many ways, Gotham Knights is a game that does everything differently from the previous Arkham games, and maybe this is the reason why so many people seem disappointed. An open-world Gotham City, four members of the Batman family to defend civilians, lots of puzzles to solve, and so on, all are part of a package that takes time to discover and which kind of grows on you the more time you give it. Sure, it’s hard to ignore the clunky controls, the performance glitches, and the graphics that need more polishing, but otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll have a lot of fun playing Gotham Knights.

A bit more text would have been nice, as the possibility to maybe study some archives and extract more about the backstory of the game universe would have made the wait for the next installments much more justifiable and pleasant.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is classic and actual at the same time. The new ideas and additions only enhance the typical Crash experience and they for perfectly with the original recipe. The downside is that you have no real surprise and you do not see something truly unexpected. However, the game is a lot of fun, featuring a lot of variety on every level. Also, it breathes a very pleasant and, in some places, a humorous atmosphere, which always keeps you on your toes. Unfortunately, the difficulty will turn away many potential players, and that’s a shame because the developers put a tremendous amount of detail and love into this game. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is not a perfect game by far, it is not revolutionary in any way, but it remains true to its platformer legacy.

Satellite Reign offers a very solid set of mechanics and the four specialists are clearly designed to allow players to approach almost all situations in a variety of ways, able to create big gun battles or to always move without altering anyone to their presence.