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

As a fan of the cartoon and someone who already played Cosmic Shake, the Patrick Star game and the other previous 3D games in the series, I was looking forward to SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide. And the game does not disappoint. It delivers the best platforming gameplay in the series until this point, and the world design is excellent. That SpongeBob SquarePants music is very memorable, too, and it’s stuck in my head already. While the game’s story has an awkward pacing at times and some cutscenes feel forced, that didn’t deter me from the overall experience. The game promises great platforming and a funny story, and for me, it delivered on those fronts. You can also unlock a lot of costumes and even find lots of collectibles. It might be on the shorter side, but SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is an excellent 3D platformer, especially for kids or families.

Night Swarm takes a familiar set of mechanics and adds just enough innovation to make them feel engaging again. The actual missions are quick, with quests thrown in to add variety and plenty of abilities to mix and match. The randomized runs cannot fully compensate for the repetitive action gameplay, but they come close. The title’s biggest weakness is that it gives players a few too many resources to juggle. Boss battles also fail to shine. Night Swarm is a good Vampire Survivors-like that shows there’s still plenty of space for the genre to try out new ideas.

Fall of Porcupine is a nice slice-of-life adventure experience. The main story moves a little slowly but the main attraction here is the anthropomorphized animal characters. Finley interacts with plenty of them and they slowly reveal personalities and quirks, while often behaving in unexpected ways. The medical-focused mechanics are also pretty charming at first when the player is healing a tortoise by playing a short rhythm game. Their increasing variety is not enough to keep them engaged as players experience new days in the town. Fall of Porcupine offers an original take on the narrative adventure genre and has enough cool character moments to compensate for the repetitive gameplay.

Geometry Dash is a really good and extremely challenging game. While it can get a bit frustrating sometimes, you can always complete the stages using the practice mode and then jump into the many different user-generated levels.

Ten Dates is a very classic full-motion video experience. It has a clear theme and manages to make the dating elements, especially for the initial speedy encounters, feel fleshed out. There are some interactions that feel forced and a few changes of tone that miss the mark. But this is a competent romantic narrative with light gameplay. The game wisely allows players to skip the sequences they have already seen, which makes it easy to explore most if not all the story branches. I did wish for the characters to comment a little more on the speed dating concept itself. For gamers who like the FMV approach, Ten Dates is a well-put-together title that’s great to play with friends, commenting on choices and romantic possibilities.

Ultimately, if you liked the first game, you will most certainly enjoy the sequel. It offers a much more solid RPG experience with lots of options for almost any type of playthrough. The writing is superior, the character progression system makes a lot more sense, and the level design is top notch too, along with voice acting.

Terraformers is an engaging game that can deliver that “one more turn” feeling that strategy fans crave. The interplay between resources, cards, leaders, and terraforming efforts requires careful thinking and asks players to make difficult choices. There’s a lot of variety both when it comes to scenario objectives and the planet setup. The card flow might be too random for some players but I find the uncertainty it creates a good way to keep tension and difficulty up. After a while, there’s also a sense that leader abilities repeat a little too often. But these are minor issues with a very good strategy and resource management game. Terraformers captures and translates into gameplay the lofty ideals of Mars-focused science fiction.

World-building is pretty good, and the presentation adds to it with its striking black-and-white. Only the combat can sometimes feel like a chore, especially when enemies with long names start showing up. I never got tired of listening closely for bug sounds but some players might. Cryptmaster is a perfect example of how wonderful an indie title with a strong innovative mechanic can be and it should find as wide an audience as possible.

Grotto is an interesting experience that might lose many of its players around halfway through the first play-through. The idea of telling a small number of characters what to do, from the small to the big questions, is an intriguing one. The universe that the developers create is intriguing. I like the way the game moves towards a deeper plot and begins to show the player something deeper than the first few interactions. But everything is too repetitive, and the core narrative needs more variety. I truly wanted to be as careful as possible for each interaction, getting just the right constellation for a supplicant’s needs. But I found myself losing patience at times and simply moving as fast as possible to get to new story bits. Grotto has a solid core concept that never delivers on its promise but I still think that everyone who picks it up should play through it once to see what it has to offer.

Wealth of Nations adds quite a bit of both major and minor changes to the grand strategy experience and can make the game feel fresh for even the most experienced long-term fan, which makes it a worthwhile investment, especially for those who have already sunk around 100 hours into the game.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a good mainstream real-time strategy title that offers a solid prequel story and shows that the core ideas of the series can easily be adapted for planet-based warfare.

Radiolight is an interesting game, certainly great for anyone who enjoys compact, creative and very engaging stories. If you liked Firewatch and other similar games, but you wanted a horror component, I think Radiolight fits right in. The radio mechanics are unique, and they actually matter in the game’s world. Not only that, but the fact that this game is made by a solo developer raises things up to the next level. It certainly feels like a game made by a small team, that’s for sure. Aside from the story and atmosphere, I am also a fan of how cohesive the dialog is, and the fact that you have plenty of stuff to explore. When we talk about solo-dev games, a lot of the time they need to cut corners due to a lack of resources. It doesn’t seem to be the case here. You do get to have someone to connect with as you play, the story is fun enough to keep you entertained and interested, but at the same time, there are spooky moments as well. It’s a nice change of pace from regular walking sims, while retaining the great atmosphere and gameplay that these titles are known for.

Anomaly Defenders is a good final hurrah for the tower defense series from 11 Bit Studios. It has gorgeous maps, fun and hectic gameplay, and a lot of strategic opportunities via the deployable powers and the complex tech tree. What's more, the difficulty modes that affect the layout of the maps are quite impressive.

Even if Orbyss is not a very long game, it’s definitely intense at times. There are puzzles that will make you scratch your head, until you realize the rather obvious answer. I had a great time playing and I think it’s one of the better ball-themed puzzle games. It looks great, it’s not imposing a massive difficulty right off the bat, and in the end, it removes a lot of the frustration that many games like this tend to have. It's rare to see a game that’s simple, yet well-designed and which knows exactly what it wants to be. Orbyss doesn’t bit more than it can chew, instead it offers you the puzzle experience you’re looking for, and it certainly puts your brain to work, maybe even more than you might expect. The entire world the dev created is beautiful, and a delight to go through. Yes, you will have some obstacles along the way, but the entire journey is amazing, and the puzzles you will solve will certainly require all your wits and attention.

News Tower is an innovative management video game that uses the journalism theme well. The 1930s setting is a great choice, as is the fact that many of the bigger stories players will report are based on real-world events. The editor role, focused on deciding which stories to chase based on what can attract the most readers and create a solid newspaper profile, means gamers constantly make choices and quickly see their results. The building and employee management systems don’t have much depth but serve the concept. News Tower won’t teach players about journalism, but it delivers fun and tense weeks of management and printing.

Golden Realms packs everything that you would want to have added to the base game: a better late gameplay experience, quests that offer milestones as the game progresses, letting you know how everyone fares, some truly interesting spells, and a unique new faction to pilot.

Zen Studios seems to have an almost uncanny ability to understand what makes big franchises tick and appeal to large numbers of gamers, and then take the concepts and create impressive tables based around them.

Pony Island is a small game that will never manage to get the audience of an AAA release but in many ways, this game is more engaging than plenty of the big launches of last fall because it features some truly innovative moments and can deliver a narrative that it's disturbing and interesting to the end.

Wildwood Down is a fun adventure game with a retro look that’s designed to appeal to players who like the core ideas of the genre and aren’t afraid to try weird ideas out to solve puzzles. Protagonist Daniel‘s Down syndrome is not at the core of the story, but it does make the entire experience unique. The solid hint system makes it easy to play through and experience the narrative, even for players who don’t have a ton of patience. I struggled with the graphics at first, but they become more tolerable when night falls over the boardwalk. And players do have to accept that logic doesn’t always work when looking for solutions. Wildwood Down doesn’t try to reinvent the adventure game template but delivers fun moments, solid puzzles, and clear ways to make progress for fans of this genre and newcomers.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is a masterclass in how to evolve a classic franchise without losing its identity. It’s still the frenzied demon-slaying bloodbath fans adore, but now it’s wrapped in a darker, more atmospheric package that respects both gameplay and story. With creative new weapons, a cinematic presentation, massive set pieces, and deeper lore, this is more than just another DOOM game—it’s a celebration of everything the franchise can be. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the series, if you crave high-octane action, heavy metal carnage, and just the right touch of fantasy madness, The Dark Ages demands your attention. DOOM has once again reinvented itself—and somehow, it still rips and tears.

Gamedec is ambitious and fun for the adventure game fan who is willing to put up with some issues. I like the variety of the cases and the way the main character has options when it comes to dealing with NPCs. I enjoyed the mysteries, despite the sometimes convoluted way that leads to an answer. The future it envisions is also a pretty plausible and weird one. I wanted the developer to have the resources to deliver the amount and quality of writing to match their ambitious universe. But for players looking for a smart cyberpunk narrative and willing to overlook some problems, Gamedec is a good way to spend 10 or so hours.

Ultimately, Near-Mage is a likable game that doesn’t quite realize its full potential. The foundations are solid: the magical setting is imaginative, the art is appealing, and the premise holds promise. But much like Gibbous, it’s a case of style over substance. The narrative unfolds slowly and lacks urgency early on, the gameplay rarely challenges, and the moral choices — while present — lack meaningful weight. This leaves Near-Mage feeling more like an interactive storybook than a deep or dynamic adventure. Still, if you enjoy whimsical fantasy worlds, Eastern European folklore, or just want a light magical journey with a touch of humor, Near-Mage is worth the trip. Especially if Gibbous didn’t fully click with you, this spiritual successor presents a very different flavor of storytelling and world. Even if you may find yourself briefly enchanted, don’t expect it to cast a lasting spell.

Knights of Pen and Paper 2 will certainly appeal to those who liked the original and are looking for another trek through its trope driven world that packs some interesting surprises and a new set of characters and abilities for the combat scenarios.

Say No! More is an example of what a small team with a clear message and design direction can deliver. Studio Fizbin has crafted a short but happy game that explains why uttering a certain word is necessary and makes players feel powerful while saying it. I felt like a better human being after I finished it, even if it might not actually lead to more instances of “No” in my own life. There’s a little bit too much earnestness in the writing at times, especially during the final third, but once one buys into the premise it is easy to get past it. Say No! More talks about the importance of choice and self-expression and curious players should ignore its thesis and say “Yes” to this narrative-driven experience.

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

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.

Might & Magic Heroes VII is probably the best entry in the series since the original trilogy, an experience that understands what makes the series great and delivers slightly updated takes on the core mechanics without any revolutionary features.