Solium Infernum is an exquisite gamer, with carefully honed mechanics and a lot of freedom. Dominating Hell involves both careful plans and smart reactions to unforeseen events and surprises created by adversaries. The game does ask players to invest time and energy to learn all its mechanics and how they interact with each other. The single player is fun by itself but a willingness to engage in multiplayer unlocks more of the title’s potential. Solium Infernum is a must-have for turn-based fans who want to rule Hell using deceit and strength.

Meg’s Monster is an emotional journey with a lot of depth, a twisty narrative, and some great character moments. I loved spending time with Meg, Roy, and Golan. Combat isn’t very challenging but still generates tension. I actually wished that the game offered more to do because I wanted more time in its universe, even if I think it’s perfectly paced to deliver its payload of feelings. Some fans of the role-playing genre might be disappointed with the relatively thin mechanics. Others might find some situations a little manipulative. Every player should give this game a try, regardless of whether they have a connection to its genre or not. Meg’s Monster is a perfect example of how video games can be great vehicles for stories because of their interactivity.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a unique game. It starts with a Faustian bargain and constantly adds fun and surprising ideas. I liked all the many witches I encountered and their stories, as well as the larger ethical questions gamers have to engage with. Crafting cards is a surprisingly fun process with a lot of variety. The pace of the game's final, more political section felt a little off. But the main narrative is very good, with complex choices and some tense divination moments. I liked how The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood created immersion, explored relationships, and forced me to make some tough decisions.

Jusant is a bit hard to be included in a genre, but truth to be told it does not really need to. It is a breath of fresh air, an artistic production that is not scared to break away from the norm and the standard to walk its own path. It has its challenges, and the gameplay is simple yet interesting enough to keep you hooked. Jusant’s mysteries are never completely revealed, thus joining a select club of games that stir up an emotional response from their players.

Technotopia is an atypical city builder that understands what makes the genre appealing. It is turn-based and built around cards, but it manages to give players freedom while making it clear the pressures of constant development. The narrative framing is good, although the characters do not shine, and the presentation is impressive. Its run-based structure keeps things interesting, although I would have liked a slightly faster pace of unlock for new buildings. A clear list of everything players can get and hints about how they can reach their aims is also needed. Despite these small issues, Technotopia is a very good game that should attract a wide audience.

I’ve had a lot of fun exploring Silent Hill F’s stunning town and story, and I am glad to say that this is by far my favorite Silent Hill game to date. After playing the Silent Hill 2 remake, I thought that would be the epitome of the series, but this new one is even better. It retains the aura and style of the series, while adding more combat to it, and exploring an entirely new location. It’s not a very long game, but it’s intense and visceral at times, not to mention profound and extremely immersive.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a great game for anyone who appreciates a complex science-fiction universe, well-rounded characters, and existential musings. The new Sleeper is a great protagonist and the rest of the cast, even those with small roles, are well-written. The dice-focused gameplay has been enhanced with new mechanics, some designed to increase the challenge level, that sometimes feel unnecessary. Players annoyed by the dice rolls and the peril associated with them should play on easy and enjoy the narrative. The game, especially when players aren’t focused on one of the major drives, uniquely mixes story, tension, and a sense of discovery. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector doesn’t offer massive innovation but perfects an already effective combination of narrative and gameplay.

Valkyria Chronicles is an interesting title that certainly takes some of the core ideas of the Japanese role-playing game genre and twists them in innovative ways, but the whole package has not managed to fully capture my attention.

There’s no doubt that Nioh 3 is the best game in the series. Even though everything has been streamlined and made easier and more fun, it’s hard to make a Nioh game easy for a newcomer to the series. There are two things that will help new players from having an easier time in Nioh 3. One of them is reading each of the dedicated tutorials in the game. The second one is simply practicing everything that the game teaches you. If you’re on the fence about the game’s difficulty, don’t be. Nioh 3 offers so many ways of defeating every challenge in the game that it would be a pity to lose on so much fun just because of a misconception. Nioh 3 has everything that a fan of the franchise had dreamed of and more. I don’t think I need to recommend this to those who loved the previous titles, but as fan who developed an obsession for the series, let me just say that Nioh 3 absolutely blew my mind.

Despite some shortcomings, Octopath Traveler II is one of the best JRPGs of the year. It’s nice to know that developers have took all feedback to heart and addressed the main issues with the original game, while adding new mechanics and improvements across the board. The semi-open world is alive as long as you spend most of the time in cities, whereas the wilderness and dungeons feel rather empty. Also, even though the pacing is better than in the first game, Octopath Traveler II is still a little too slow by today’s standards. I wholeheartedly recommend Octopath Traveler II to anyone who is even just mildly interested in JRPGs. It’s very close to the masterpiece status and you don’t even have to play the original. In fact, I would strongly suggest you skip the first game and play this one instead.

Zenzizenzic is a fantastic bullet hell experience that manages not only to delight longtime genre fans, through its Classic mode, but also to add innovation with its Macro experience.

Football Manager 2022 is a great take on the most popular sport of the world. It provides ways for both casual and obsessive fans to get more involved with their favorite club or almost any other team they want. The new animation system changes the experience quite a lot, both visually and tactically. Some transfer action might feel a little unreal and the game still generates new players that sometimes make little sense. But this is a solid game with a lot of options and plenty of incredible moments.

Torn Away is a narrative-focused game that explores some very difficult historical moments through the eyes of a child. Asya is a strong protagonist and the game works hard to give her interesting things to do from a gameplay perspective. Neither the platforming nor the puzzles sequences are hard to complete and most of the mechanics are familiar. Players need to be sure that they are ready to deal with some troubling and difficult moments before they engage with the game. After playing, it might be time to donate to a charity that helps children in danger. Torn Away is a good example of how video games can engage with complex themes and bring a level of engagement that other mediums cannot deliver.

Death’s Door has good core mechanics but does not introduce the one big innovation that could make it stand out. I enjoy the battles, especially the bigger ones, but I feel that the puzzles are average, as is the exploration. Some players might draw comparisons to Hades but this is a very different experience that does not aim for the same narrative depth. It’s linear, there are no rogue elements, and the variety in encounters is more limited.

Although Destiny 2 requires quite a lot of grinding, the whole process doesn't really feel like a chore since there are so many varied activities that you'll rarely do the same thing twice in a month (unless it's a weekly activity, or you really want to). First and foremost, Destiny 2 does not frustrate players by placing parts of the end game under hard to achieve power level requirements. There's plenty of loot to gain and, more importantly, you're actually having fun while obtaining it.

The Forgotten City would have been a good game, if the developers would have remained in the lane of adventure games. The action scenes are more of a miss, since the whole game was built on the idea of observing and solving puzzles. Although you have other means at your disposal, the strongest suit of The Forgotten City remains its slower gameplay focused on problem solving. For a small group of people, putting together The Forgotten City is no small feat, and they deserve the praise.

The Alters brings you an amazing story, interesting survival mechanics, and stunning visuals. 11-Bit Studios did a masterful job creating this game, since it truly is a breath of fresh air. Anyone that enjoys sci-fi media will have a blast exploring this world they created, making choices and dealing with the consequences of their own actions. I think the main appeal for the game stems from creating alters, learning their stories and making you think about what choices you would change in their lives. There are some enemies you face on the planet, but combat is light and certainly not the game’s forte. Instead, The Alters shines when it comes to its world, great characters and the pressure that comes from pleasing your team and moving onto this planet, which can easily become your resting place.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is a big step forward for the series and manages to show the complexity and the beauty of football while also emphasizing the hard work that's required from a team looking to put together a string of victories.

The Rise of the Golden Idol is a great sequel and will give all fans of the original plenty of new interesting and violent scenarios to solve. The game’s mechanics are easy to pick up, even for newcomers, with a solid raft of quality-of-life improvements to make it easier to gather clues and find solutions. It would be lovely if the various windows could be resized. The title can cause some frustration when it comes to the big end of the chapter narratives, mainly because of wording that lacks a certain precision. When that happens, do not hesitate to breathe in and out and use the hint system. The Rise of the Golden Idol is good enough that it makes sense to play one or two scenes per session, savoring the many details and the joy associated with some clever deductions.

As someone that loved Platypus and its sequel, I was not sure what to expect from the Platypus Reclayed version. But now that I played and finished it, I am happy to say that this is the definitive version for all Platypus players. It has enough improvements that even the older players will play this one many times to get that high score. Yet at the same time, they also added some new weapons and updated the visuals. The new power-ups don’t appear very often, but when they do, they feel like a game-changer. Also, the music is excellent, as always, and the visuals make it feel like an entirely new game. I think the 4K update is excellent, and the game didn’t have any glitches or technical problems while I was playing, either. Platypus always had great variety when it came to levels and combining that with mod support makes Platypus Reclayed the best version of this title. I am eagerly waiting for new Platypus Reclayed content from the devs, while also looking forward to new levels, weapons and other wacky stuff that the community will come up with.

Worldless shines when players enter battle with a new opponent for the first time, discovering its moves and weaknesses. It’s fun to watch for patterns and create attack combos, with plenty of tension added when trying to perform the Absorption move. Platforming isn’t as complex as combat but adds variety. The mostly abstract world and limited story will be the biggest stumbling block for most players. The game often comes close to pretentiousness without crossing that line. Worldless is not as poetic as it aims to be but offers a carefully crafted set of mechanics that work very well together.

Europa Universalis V is big, varied, and engrossing. Playing France is very different from starting as the Golden Horde, which poses a whole other set of challenges than guiding a Native American tribe or China through history. The game’s systems constantly challenge players to make big choices, even when they don’t engage with a dynamic events chain or ponder how to get out of a disaster. Simply managing internal politics and economics, from developing provinces to balancing the demands of the estates, is a game in itself. Diplomacy, trading, and warfare add layers of possibility and challenge. Europa Universalis V will give grand strategy fans hundreds of hours of fun, but might be difficult for newcomers to fully enjoy at first.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a great new entry in the series. It offers plenty of things for all players, as the Adventure mode draws in new fans, the Classic mode appeals to veterans, and the leaderboards manage to fuel their competitive natures.

Ratchet & Clank is not an entirely new video game, but it is neither part of the epidemic of remasters for older titles that fail to add anything interesting to the package. Insomniac Games has done a great job of taking the best elements of the original while upgrading both the gameplay and the graphics in order to appeal to modern players.

Football Manager 2021 is a very good management game. It offers more options than before, takes up more time than ever, delivers such an accurate take on the real-world sport that it is sometimes unnerving. It also makes it a little harder to create truly alternate worlds, like one where Wrexhman wins the Premier League. For those who want something that moves faster and is more focused on just tactics, the Touch version of the game is a better choice. I love the depth that the series has been adding and I don’t mind playing at the most 3 or 4 seasons in one run. But for those who want 20 year-long attempts at greatness, with plenty of regens and takeovers, delegation and quick matches are the right way to go. Football Manager 2021 is a game best enjoyed a few virtual matches a night, preferably with some real-world football in the background, wondering whether you can get Fulham out of that bind (maybe, in a season or three) or if you can be the one to lead 1. FC Koln to greatness (it might take a decade).

An exquisite combination of deep storytelling and refined card game combat mechanics, Thronebreaker delivers an exceptional RPG experience that not many developers can achieve these days. It's a pity that Geralt's saga has ended after just three games, but Thronebreaker is definitely going to quench your thirst for anything The Witcher related, at least for a while.

Far Cry 4 is a stunning iteration in the series that manages to bring forth great gameplay, superb visuals, and a pretty good story with a fabulous villain. While the competitive multiplayer may not feel all that great and there are some lackluster story missions, overall you'll have a great time with the first-person shooter.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a complex and very open game that will mainly appeal to players who loved Mimimi’s previous entries in the stealth action genre. All the mechanics are refined, and character choices open up a ton of options for each mission. Success requires patience and good planning, but improvisation often creates more memorable moments. The title tries hard to be accessible to newcomers, offering bespoke introductions for each character and solid tutorial missions. But success and progress require careful thinking, good planning, and cautious executions. It takes time and patience to master Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew and the game offers impressive set-pieces and a great sense of accomplishment in return.