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

Bloomtown: A different story is a wonderful JRPG, with western inspired themes, beautiful pixel art graphics and a challenging yet immersive gameplay. Sometimes it can become overwhelming, but the diabolical black humor tends to give you the necessary jolt to continue. It might not be as polished as a Persona game, but it is coherent and exciting, being a great choice for the fans of RPGs that you can lose yourself in. There are some weak points, where I wish the game could have been a bit more mature, but overall, it is great fun.

All in all, Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure is a game that no self-proclaimed point-and -click fan should overlook, as it will definitely find a place in your gaming library, comedy movie collection, and finally, your heart.

Earth Must Die is dedicated to fans of classic adventure video games. It is also accessible enough for players who want to see what the genre has to offer. The story feels like a fun and weird science fiction short story, more focused on launching joke salvos than being entirely coherent. The characters and the associated voice work make it worth seeing through. The mechanics are easy to pick up, while the puzzles aren’t egregiously illogical. This is an experience best enjoyed in sessions of around two hours, or shorter if the puzzles become annoying. Earth Must Die is proof that decent writing paired with classic gameplay is still a good combination for modern adventure games.

Mordheim: City of the Damned is the kind of game that can occupy tens of hours for a player who quickly understands its core mechanics and is prepared to accept that missed attacks, failed battles, and bankrupt mercenary companies are just temporary obstacles in the quest for wyrdstones and greatness.

Oceanhorn: Master of Uncharted Seas is a pretty enjoyable action adventure experience. Yes, it's a Zelda clone, but it pulls it off very well and, while some aspects, like the sea fairing mechanic, weigh it down, it's still quite a treat to play.

WRC Generations is unfortunately a game that leaves a lot to be desired, and in many ways, this will disappoint quite a lot of fans of the franchise out there. While it does come with intriguing improvements, such as the addition of hybrid cars, it fails to impress in the areas that you’d expect it to shine, such as the graphics. The DualSense integration feels nice, but this should no longer be something to praise a game for given it’s already 2022 and the PlayStation 5 has been around for a while. Should you buy WRC Generations? This depends on your expectations. If you’re a WRC fan like I am, you’ll probably end up having some fun with it, but otherwise, you’ll notice every little shortcoming from the moment you fire it up the first time.

Despite some repetitive missions and cutscenes, there's a massive and complex plot waiting to be discovered in Phantom Doctrine. Although it might not feel that way at first, the game offers a mix of tactical and strategic decisions way more complex than any of the XCOM games. I also think the game perfectly catches the Cold War atmosphere of the early 80s, and delivers it in the form of a tactical stealth turn-based formula. Phantom Doctrine tackles a sensible but fascinating subject, the Cold War, and does a damn good job at it.

If not for the interesting cast of characters and beautiful cyberpunk world, Soul Hackers 2 would truly be just a poor man’s Persona game. If you hate grinding in JRPGs, stay away from this one, but if you absolutely love fusing Personas … uh Demons until you find the perfect party, Soul Hackers 2 is quite serviceable in that aspect.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a fun experience but it would've benefited more if it had embraced the whole Justice League theme. What's more, its puzzles need a bit of tuning, as some are really tricky to figure out, which can grow frustrating even for experienced Lego fans. Still, you'll find quite a lot of amusing moments and a pretty fun story, once you get past the opening stages.

If not for the solid core gameplay, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide would be just another cash grab. There are so many things unfinished in this game that you can’t help but wonder if this is another case of “publisher forces developer to launch the game.” With Fatshark’s pedigree, this could have been an amazing game, especially if everything that was promised prior to release would actually be in the game. It feels like developers planned to add many of the missing features after release, but it might already be too late. Players pool is already dwindling, so by the time the game is fixed, there might not be too many people to play it. That’s such a shame because Warhammer 40,000: Darktide had so much potential.

Another aspect that might not fly well is the fact that the game is overly reliant on peer approval, making it seem like more of a Kim Kardashian fan club than a crowdsourced mystery investigation from time to time, where everyone is saying something just to be a part of the discussions.

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

Ceres has plenty of potential, but the development team at Jotunn needs to continue to deliver updates for it to make sure that all the core features work as they should and do not push players to abandon the experience because of frustration.

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

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.

Still Wakes the Deep has an interesting premise for a walking simulator mixing the mundane and ugly with the supernatural and deadly beautiful. Unfortunately, the whole project just creaks at the joints and fails to deliver a memorable experience. The linear gameplay is not counterbalanced but the story, rather they go hand in hand towards a very simplistic approach. The entire game lacks coherence and that “something” that would turn the originality of the basic idea into an outstanding game.

Forgive Me Father is a good first-person shooter that, despite embracing the retro concept, does not rely on nostalgia to draw players in. I played it relatively cautiously, conserving ammo when I could, and I didn’t feel like the madness system worked against me. But the game is at its best in the big arena fights, with big groups of enemies, a shredding soundtrack, and no option but to take the fight to them. The limited narrative works well for it, mostly because players can focus on the combat and on how they can improve their performance. The game should deliver more combat arenas and fewer jumping puzzles, but overall Forgive Me Father is one of the best retro FPS experiences of the moment.

If you like 80’s horror movies there are high chances that you will enjoy The Quarry. But, if you have played Until Dawn and you start this game with the same expectations chances are you will be disappointed. It rises up to the promise of a summer flick, but it is far from the best production of Supermassive Games. The replay value is affected by the structure of the game, The Quarry coming across as a needy teen that fails to captivate you after you given them the attention they seek. It can be a breezy and light experience for a hot summer weekend.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a great story with minimalistic gameplay. It feels that through the entire game the developers focused mainly on the diary, Estoria being more of an afterthought. Still, overall, the magic is there and the game is worth a playthrough especially by young adults. There are some original and innovative ideas in the game, but in the end, is a very casual experience. Those who love a good story will love Lost Words: Beyond the Page. But those who are looking for deep gameplay, have nothing to see here.

It's not running for the game of the year, but it's fun to play and will bring you back to the golden times of gaming.

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.

As a prequel to the upcoming Eiyuden Chronicle – Hundred Heroes, Rising does a really good job at introducing players to the universe. Its simple, tight combat mechanics and smart level design elevate it from other side-scrolling action-adventure games. Although exploration is quite limited and combat is very basic (at least in the beginning), Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising stands on its own despite the fact that it was released as a prequel to one of the most anticipated JRPGs of 2023. I strongly recommend playing this if you’re into side-scrolling action-adventure games, even if you don’t plan to pick up Rabbit & Bear Studios’ Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes next year.

Children of Silentown applies the same formula to the traditional point & click adventure genre but augments it with some interesting elements like a unique art style and some really interesting puzzles. Although it does manage to be intriguing and keep you engaged till the end, it fails to deliver the conclusion of an otherwise enjoyable journey. Ultimately, there’s enough content to keep you entertained for 8-10 hours and fans of the genre will find the journey a fulfilling one. The characters, soundtrack, story and clever puzzles make Children of Silentown a compelling adventure well worth the time.

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.

Despite being short, Darwin's Paradox is a game that has a lot of heart. It’s very fun to play, intense at times, and very emotional. The traversal options and various octopus’ abilities are very exciting to use, and the best part is that you have a plethora of different platforming challenges and puzzles along the way. The game’s ending was a standout for me, but the entire experience feels great and it’s really well polished. I’ve always enjoyed cinematic platform games, and Darwin's Paradox is certainly one of the standouts in this genre. It’s very well-made, it has excellent attention to detail, and the environmental comedy is strong in this one, too. Hopefully we’ll see more of Darwin, because this story feels like the beginning of a potentially long series of adventures. I’m in if that’s the case, because I like the world and characters, and I want to see more of it.

The Red Solstice offers a solid combination of mechanics and some impressive battle moments and can be a title that cooperative enthusiasts with solid friend lists will embrace in the long run.

The game can be frustrating when it takes 2 hours and 20 reloads to take care of a group of 4 enemies that were blocking access to an objective. Experimentation and observation are engaging initially but it’s hard to remain enthusiastic when just one bad move scuttles a whole plan. This is an issue with the entire stealth-action genre that no title has entirely solved. Despite this Partisans 1941 has good mission design, a nice synergy between characters, and the outside the mission variety that makes it a good recommendation for those who like this style of game and the World War II setting.