Olija is a god game built for a specific audience. If you loved classic exploration and combat titles on the PC from the ’80s, then this experience has plenty to offer. The graphical style will be charming, the gameplay challenging enough but not impossible to master. The narrative is not too engaging but it will keep players interested. Unfortunately, there’s little to bring in those who simply lack those gaming memories. The pixelated look can easily be judged as hard to understand, stifling experimentation and making it hard to enjoy the exploration. The harpoon mechanics are solid but they cannot sustain the game on their own. More care to make it accessible for a wider range of players would have made the entire experience more attractive.

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.

SpellForce: Conquest of Eo has an interesting structure and does a great job of mixing map-driven strategy and tactical engagements. Each of the three wizard archetypes plays very differently and there’s a ton of content to engage with. The world of Eo is beautifully represented, although it’s pretty standard when it comes to fantasy universes. I would have liked for the three core wizard types to offer even more variety in strategic and tactical situations. But campaigns offer a lot of variety, especially if players are ready to try out new approaches. SpellForce: Conquest of Eo is a solid entry in the franchise that should have aimed for more innovative mechanics.

The Smurfs Dreams is the perfect game to enjoy alongside family, or alone, as a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Thanks to its charming art direction, clever mechanics, and endearing characters it is a memorable experience, that offers plenty of replay value for completionists. It is a platformer that appeals to both nostalgic fans of the Smurfs and a younger generation of players, and arguably one of the best jump-n-run games published by Microids so far. I believe The Smurfs – Dreams is a nice surprise, which thanks to its friendly price tag can be an excellent gift for the holidays.

Herdling is a great experience for any players who enjoyed the two Far titles created by Okomotive. When the Calicorns stampede across a lush meadow, plowing through flowers, with the mountains close, as the music enhances immersion, the game manages to create some unique and emotional moments. Guiding the herd around through puzzles is also pretty fun. But I never cared about the Calicorns, even as I made sure that they were healthy, and the title’s limited narrative means it’s hard to engage with its mechanics. Herdling has a solid core idea and creates impressive moments, but struggles to make the moment-to-moment gameplay engaging.

Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition is a solid package that feels designed to bring a classic experience to a new generation of gamers. The three titles and their unique combat system can provide tens of hours of tactical fun as players move through the world, find the best combination of powers and equipment, and engage with both normal enemies and bosses. Repeatedly failing to make progress will become frustrating, so lower the difficulty after the first loss. The game also fails to impress when it comes to writing or graphics. But the match-3 system is solid enough that Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition is worth playing, even for those who don’t feel any kind of nostalgia toward the series.

The Spirit Lift is a joyous and easy-to-play mix of runs and card combat. It uses familiar mechanics well, giving players multiple ways to engage with a solid group of enemies with unique designs. Its characters and their unique sets of cards can be mixed and matched in varied ways while players uncover more of the narrative. The exploration elements don’t add much, and the game needs more events and choices. But the characters and the atmosphere fit well with most of the gameplay. The Spirit Lift doesn’t try to revolutionize the genre but finds smart ways to stand out.

Riders Republic is an action-packed game that’s not only exciting to play but also very fun to discover, pretty much because depending on the route you choose, everything feels new and fresh even if you’re not playing it for the first time.

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.

Crimson Desert is one of those games that manages to seamlessly combine elements from our favorite RPGs and open world games. While you can see some of its original MMO roots in the quest design and side activities, it’s clearly meant to be a wonderful, immersive and engaging action RPG focused on exploration and with a good, emotional story to boot. The game features satisfying combat that rewards mastery, but which can be very punishing, especially when it comes to bosses. And it has so many great activities and side content that, along with the main game, it will take you over 200 hours to complete everything, especially if you want 100% achievements. Crimson Desert makes the most out of its massive scope and even if a few of its parts are undercooked, it’s still one of the most impressive open world experiences released in recent years.

Fabledomis a relaxed city builder that doesn’t introduce revolutionary new mechanics but executes classic ideas very well. I loved spending time zoomed in, looking at my peasants and commoners as they worked and walked. It’s equally fun to find the way to another ruler’s heart by sending truckloads of tulips and running missions. The laid-back nature means the challenge level isn’t very high, even when some of the more annoying random events pop up. And the military aspect feels like a weird fit for an experience where making sure that everyone is happy and getting along is the natural approach. Fabledom’s gameplay and setting work well together and will satisfy any city-builder fan who likes a fantasy setting.

For fans of the originals, this is a chance to revisit a beloved classic in HD. For newcomers, it’s an opportunity to explore a piece of gaming history that continues to inspire and captivate. If you’re prepared to brave the depths of Nosgoth and confront its haunting mysteries, while curbing your expectations somewhat, the Soul Reaver remasters are an experience you won’t regret.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers sets itself apart from other soulslike games through some unique features like the weapon upgrading system. Thanks to a very solid combat system and smooth traversal between areas, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers makes the journey more entertaining than usual. Not tying players to a single weapon for an entire playthrough and letting them choose which weapon to use when facing a specific boss is not only a bold design decision, but also one that elevates Wuchang: Fallen Feathers above some of the best games in the genre.

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.

The best feature of the entire experience is the skirmish mode and the way it allows players to customize the coming battle to their expectations.

The Ascent is far from perfect. It has so many issues that normally I would not give it a second look. Despite all the issues and the fact that the gameplay is pretty basic, the story completely forgettable and it lacks any depth, I had fun with it and once I started playing it I was lost to the rest of the world. It is more a twin stick shooter adorned tackily with superfluous RPG elements. It is raw, unrefined and basic, but the atmosphere and the overall experience recommends The Ascent as a game that is worth a shot after a few patches and a serious discount.

When I started playing MakeRoom, I had no idea what to expect from it. The sandbox nature of the game might seem difficult to deal with at first. But rest assured, the game doesn’t add a lot of pressure, it’s very fun to play, and you’ll find yourself enjoying the experience all the time. You can spend 10 minutes or 10 hours on a build, if you want. And, of course, you can easily save it and even share it with other people online. I was excited to get back to MakeRoom and play many times, just because I know the game is something special. The fact that it allows my creativity to run wild on a blank canvas and I am able to create anything I want is always fun. Granted, it can feel overwhelming for a newcomer. Thankfully, the tools and items provided are easy to understand, and there’s always the trial-and-error approach. Regardless, if you want to decorate a room, boat or van in any way you want, you may want to test MakeRoom’s excellent toolkit.

Vultures - Scavengers of Death is a throwback, a game that’s does not shy from telling players that both its universe and its gameplay are inspired by Resident Evil. The shift to a turn-based combat system adds to the complexity, while limited ammo and health create a solid challenge level. The narrative and world-building are forgettable. The presentation plays on nostalgia, but the PlayStation 1 era graphics made it harder for me to enjoy combat. Vultures - Scavengers of Death will deliver great fun for a very specific audience and will struggle to appeal to a wider set of players.

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale is a clear departure from the King Arthur titles that Neocore Games is known for. It’s not just the new setting, but also the combat mechanics and the management aspect of your base of operations that makes the game very engaging. Although I’d hoped King Arthur: Knight’s Tale would be something different than what we’re used to, I certainly didn’t expect it to be so good. If you’re a fan of turn-based strategy games and love a compelling, yet dark story, I can’t recommend King Arthur: Knight’s Tale enough, it’s an exceptional game.

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!

Despite coming with its very own set of cons, Sniper Elite 5 is still brilliantly glorious. It’s indeed repetitive if you want to always take the fastest route to complete a mission, but at the end of the day, the more time you spend doing everything right, the more Sniper Elite impresses. Rebellion has clearly improved the parts that fans have been asking for, so you’re getting not only larger maps, but also more varied levels, better equipment, more troops, more vehicles, more weapon customization options, and so on. The new invasion mode also makes missions more challenging by allowing human players to enter your game and take the role of an Axis sniper, though you can obviously disable this mode if you just want to stick with single-player action. So overall, Sniper Elite 5 has a little bit of everything, eventually creating one of the most solid gameplays of the year so far.

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.

Souldiers has interesting core mechanics and the sort of art style that will certainly attract fans of the Metroidvania genre or those looking to activate their nostalgia. But the story is mostly there as a reason for the action and combat can quickly become overwhelming in terms of difficulty. The game also has significant problems with the camera and there are plenty of reports of corrupted saves. The developers at Retro Forge are promising to deliver fixes but anyone interested in the title should wait and check back later to see if they deal with the reported problems. And even then, the combat means that the title is best suited for someone who likes a stiff challenge. Souldiers is a good game for anyone willing to engage with it on its terms and doesn’t mind slow progress.

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.

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.

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

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

Tchia has heart, a beautiful world, and some cool gameplay concepts. The story is filled with emotion but also grounded. Exploration is easy and rewarding, with a lot of great sights to see and interesting characters to interact with. Even the ukulele mini-game associated with musical numbers works. I liked this New Caledonia-inspired universe enough that I actually wanted more of it, a few extra islands, a few chests hidden for me to discover. The developers' commitment to making it all as accessible as possible is also worth praising. Get Tchia and then spent time seeing the world and make sure to pet then take over all the animals you encounter.