While there is some good gameplay to be found in Foregone, you’ll spend a lot of your playtime with it wishing you were playing some of the inspirations it appears to be pulling from. That’s a real shame, because there are some highlights in Foregones playtime, but they don’t stand out enough for me to properly recommend it to anybody.

I enjoyed my short time with Sparklite but I’ve been left wanting more. It will be a good fit if you’re after a game to dip in and out of over time, especially on the Switch. Red Blue Games have achieved everything they’ve set out to do. Next time, they should shoot for the stars.

It is always tense and captivating and there’s a human story behind the curtain of the initial premise. The constant claustrophobic foreboding, the terrific blend of styles and its thought-provoking storytelling make this a cerebral, artisanal horror experience filled with suspense and, surprisingly, beauty.

Hyper Jam is a great game, but it’s a shame that more creative game modes aren’t included here. The one mode that is included is quite robust, but it’s almost as if Bit Dragon put all their eggs into one basket. I can’t wait to play Hyper Jam at our next game night, but there’s perhaps not enough here to keep me coming back beyond that.

Maquette is a sort of sketch of a finished sculpture, or an architectural model… is the game saying this relationship was a sketch of better times, a process to go through in order to reach some future ideal? If so, it’s a well-worn narrative, and nothing is added by its puzzles. It ends up feeling like a clumsy mash-up of Synecdoche, New York and 500 Days of Summer, but without the introspection of either. At the very least, its puzzles and environments are captivating, but unlike its lateral thinking solutions, it never brings a new angle to its central narrative.

EarthNight is a resolutely non-conformist auto-runner. Its artistry is second-to-none, with creativity and soul that are worth the price of admission alone. Sometimes its eagerness to cram as much as possible into a typically simple genre can frustrate and overwhelm, but its boldness should be celebrated.

Maneater may not be as enthralling as the Nelly Furtado song, but it’ll certainly make you work hard and make you want all her love because the game’s snarky personality does make you want to continue playing all the same. I’d personally wait until it goes on sale, but whenever you do purchase Maneater, I’m certain you’ll have a whale of a time.

Coteries of New York does offer a glimpse into intriguing lore, and I can envision it as a companion to the Bloodlines 2 release for new players if it adds some much-needed basic features seen in most visual novels. It introduces the ideas, societies and cultures of World of Darkness adequately but its short length might leave fledglings and die-hard fans hungry for blood.

In a sea of seemingly endless Metroidvanias, combat-heavy roguelikes and general run-and-gunners, the tranquil pacing and puzzle focus of Degrees of Separation feels like a welcome respite. The gameplay is easy enough to figure out with almost no prompting, the story is charming, and the presentation is lovely. So, by all means, play it with someone you love!

For something intended to be played many times, Error Unknown has a tendency to drag on. It would have benefitted from tightening up, each ‘run’ lasting fewer days in order to maximise novelty and minimise repetition. But despite having more than a few bugs in its execution, Tech Support: Error Unknown just about qualifies as a minimum viable product. Ticket completed.

Minecraft Dungeons is a lot of fun, but it’s a little lacking in depth, and it’s rather short to boot. It’s almost exactly what you’d expect from a game looking to fuse the cute world of Minecraft with the gameplay of Diablo, but it sadly never really reaches the potential of either. As I said though, it is good fun. It is replayable too, but it’s hard to really commit to doing so unless you’re helping along someone who is less familiar with games, say a younger sibling or your own kids. This puts it in an important bracket of gaming, where its perfect as an introduction to the genre, but it’s not going to offer much more than a distraction for anyone used to ARPGs.

Iris.Fall only takes a few hours to complete, and this feels just right. From start to finish it’s an engaging and well-polished experience that finishes on a high, before the demands of its tricky puzzling take too much of a toll. While the easily frustrated may wish to steer clear, this is a stylish brain-teasing trip worth taking.

Graphically, there’s no real style; at least, nothing you’d expect from a high-octane mountain biking game. Sam Pilgrim looks like a generic – if not well-rendered – human male, and while there’s a nice variety to environments, nothing screams intensity or fun. But if you’re a fan of the genre and want to dig into something that is specifically demanding on perfect performance, you could definitely do much worse.

All in all, Eagle Island is a very charming game. It combines a beautiful aesthetic with a simple yet endearing story and some fun gameplay. Despite the issues with balancing, it is still a lot of fun to play, and it’s hard to deny the rush you get when managing a 20-hit combo in midair against a giant snake. It’s a lot of fun to play and should keep its hooks in you long after you’ve finished it thanks to different ways to play it.

All in all, Tower of Babel – No Mercy is exactly what it sets out to be — an easily picked up party game that’s good for a few frantic games with friends or family. There’s such a low barrier to entry that anyone could play it, so those struggling to get parents or less game-friendly friends into the mix should find this a far easier sell than the more complex party games available on Switch. Just brace yourself for the finger-pointing when someone’s sloppily placed piece brings the whole thing crumbling down.

The combat is good, the strategy is a lot of fun, and the only real thing that lets this version of Ancestors Legacy down is the lack of multiplayer. So, it’s perfect for those who’ve no interest in playing with others, but may miss the mark if you were hoping for a more inclusive experience.

This game wants to be very charming, and it sometimes comes very close. The art is rich and beautiful, and the interfaces look great. But every other aspect of the game feels one step away from being memorable. Menus are confusing and difficult to use. Locations are overly greebled with landmarks and winding paths, making it difficult to get around with ease or speed—and the map is obtuse, instead of helpful, at a glance.

On its surface, Moncage does so many things I like. Its narrative is conveyed through interaction, rather than through text or cutscenes. Its predominant mechanic is clever. It’s short. But it stands as an example of just how easily a game can be undone by only one or two critical shortcomings. There’s a world in which a few chewy brain teasers would be enough for me to overlook some one-dimensional characters–this is a puzzle game after all. One-dimensional puzzles, though, are harder to forgive.

I always remember Kingdoms of Amalur as a game that took risks, and then delivered on them despite the rocky development it went through. There are many other examples of games that have improved considerably using some of its design choices, but it’s undeniable that there’s no experience that quite matches this. I just wish it would have maintained that once present rebellious spirit here as well, coming up with the sorely needed update in the face of a new generation.

Mosaic is a cold game in which you strive to find even a shred of warmth. It fills you with a desire to be better, to talk deeply to yourself and reassess your values. It doesn’t feel like a game, exactly, but more of an experience in empathy. Full of quirky dark humour that for once doesn’t come in the form of cringy dialogue, and enriched with concepts that could make even the most steeled among us weep, Mosaic does the heart some good.

If you’re seeking a more challenge experience, Blue Fire is worth a look, but it is a game which will test your patience. It’s only truly let down by the Void trials, and while there’s nothing wrong with a tougher experience, they stop being fun after just missing that platform for a fifth time in a row. Those willing to put that aside will find a game with plenty of depth, offering a solid visual presentation, enjoyable dungeons, and intriguing story which comes recommended.

It can get dull in spots, especially if you find yourself with downtime, but there’s enough flavour and personality in the artwork and important characters to make things interesting. I wish the story was better, and that the 80s cheese was toned down to make room for something more thought-provoking, but what’s here is unique. So if you’re up for some fun, time-management based gameplay that doesn’t take itself too seriously, get your ticket book out and hit the streets.

Overall, despite some smaller issues that are being patched out as we speak, Pathologic 2 retains the grim atmosphere of the original, putting meat on the bones of the storyline and characters, but leaving none for you. It’s a shame that the negative reviews put it at risk of obscurity, because it’s immeasurably engrossing and deserving of some serious play-time from those who like to enjoy the journey more than the end goal. You will starve, you will die, you will kill others and run away, you will feel deeply miserable and admit that all hope is gone – and at the end of it all, when you shut down your PC, a nice walk in the sun will seem all the more rewarding.

Beatable within two hours but offering good replayability, The Solitaire Conspiracy is a short but sweet experience. Featuring some strong visual aesthetics, an engaging narrative and enjoyable gameplay, this bite-sized title proves particularly entertaining and left me wanting more. Though limited by the smaller scope, it marks another winner by Mike Bithell, making this one conspiracy we recommend investigating.

A fairly tight and enjoyable sim. The campaign scenarios introduce you to all of its systems very gradually, and there’s plenty of freedom to customise your aquariums exactly how you please – even if they’re arguably not as interesting to build and look at as theme parks and cities. But each to their own.

While turning off frustrating features is a blunter solution than seeing them integrated into a better-balanced game, As Far As The Eye has a grounding in something really beautiful. I look forward to the opportunity to experience the game I saw parts of underneath its less well-implemented elements. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the one I got to review.

Landing just a handful of months after its E3 reveal, Blair Witch stands proudly as one of my favourite indie surprises of 2019. Its ever-morphing and vastly expansive setting of the Black Hills Forrest always evokes chills and I like how the ‘found footage’ trope that defined the 1999 movie was used here in inventive ways during puzzle sequences. I did, however, find myself getting lost far too frequently and the forced moments of stealth were really a test of my patience during the final elongated chapter. That said, Blair Witch is not one that should be missed horror fans, even for those unfamiliar with the movie or Bloober Team’s previous work.

Ikenfell’s pure heart won me over. The end of the epilogue alone made my gay little heart melt. I cared an embarrassing amount for the characters the game introduced me to, and the ways in which their interactions are examined is a high point of the game for me. Its sheer empathy, inclusive nature, and amazing soundtrack all make for an engrossing experience, especially if you’re queer and not used to seeing yourself represented in a respectful way. Just make sure that you fight more battles than I did along the way, else you might end up having a bad time by the conclusion.

It’s not reinventing the wheel, it’s not pushing anything forwards, it’s just good fun. It’s definitely a game aimed for the younger gamers out there, but I think, thanks to nostalgia and the horrific state of the world, that it should appeal to nearly everyone. The sheer undiluted joy that it delivers straight into your soul is exactly what we all need right now. So, are you ready kids?

For better or worse, it’s almost identical to its five-year-old predecessor. If you enjoyed that, great – this is more of the same. Otherwise, there’s not a lot to draw you in here.

It turns out that Metamorphosis is a wonderful little adventure game that has you exploring a world you know but from an unknown perspective. It’s just a solid game about being a bug and how strange that is. You get to solve puzzles, climb walls, and try not to get squished a few times as well.

It’s a lot of fun with friends, but it lacks something in single-player. I definitely recommend picking this up if you’re looking for something new to play in co-op or if you want to try out the survival genre in general. However, it lacks some of the satisfaction of other games in the genre. That being said, the monkey system is incredibly cool and the game is almost worth playing for that alone.

Chaosbane nonetheless achieves what it sets out to do as an ARPG, and there’s still every chance the game will expand into some more fascinating areas of the Old World and its characters. I can’t shake the feeling that this could have been a lot bigger deal if it was released five years ago or more, but as they say, better late than never. No doubt, the world’s of Warhammer will continue to entertain us with their ever encroaching foray into the realm of video games. For now, there’s something comforting in the fact that the Old World, albeit destroyed in the fires of apocalypse in the ever-expanding lore, will forever be immortalised in the digital world.

The story is of an archaeologist stranding on an alien planet who must… solve puzzles to escape? Plot and writing are not Q.U.B.E. 2’s strong points, lying deep in Portal’s shadow, but on gameplay terms this stands alone as a very gratifying experience that comes recommended.

It’s well priced and a thrill ride from start to finish, including fully working apps and different live-action endings to uncover. Although a little predictable in places, and maybe a tad preachy, it gets the job done and will probably make you flush your phone away.

As a platformer, Scarf doesn’t particularly break new ground, and veterans of the genre will hardly pause for thought when solving its puzzles. That makes it liable to be written off as ‘just another platformer‘, which is a real shame. A full playthrough of the game can be comfortably achieved in one sitting, and the valuable message that lies at the heart of its narrative is more than worth taking the time. Scarf isn’t designed to challenge or frustrate, but provides the player with the satisfaction of puzzle-solving and a gently introspective allegorical tale.

This is an exceptionally hard game to review and score. You almost have to compare it to the originals, as they’re direct, stated ripoffs. It’s obvious though that this was a piece of satire in video game form aimed at, seemingly, themselves. In that sense, it achieves what it set out to as a game and should serve as a welcome piece of obscure entertainment to fans of Devolver’s games.

I’ll admit that I found Overland difficult and that it was designed to be like that, but more than that I felt it was limiting. There were some nice touches – every time you kill a monster, you attract more, which makes strategy more important than hacking and slashing – but without a sense of purpose or defiance when I overcame my challenges, it was hard to keep going back to it.

Adding insult to injury is the somewhat uncooperative camera and the din of discordant sound effects every time you try to make an illegal move (hint: frequently). While those with a penchant for the punishing should check out Kine, less adept puzzlers may wish to stay away.

There’s no way to continue the relationships you’ve established, or even simply resume a passenger’s storyline, which can sometimes be quite lengthy. It seems like a baffling way to structure a game about talking to people, getting involved in their lives, and developing your character along the way. It’s especially disappointing because the writing is sharp and versatile – capable of being tense, dark, funny, or absurd – and the well-rounded cast of characters are a joy to uncover. Because of this and the poorly fleshed out investigative mechanics, Night Call feels like a mere shadow of its potential.

I’ve enjoyed my time playing Stela, and I don’t doubt that I’ll talk about it in the same breath as the Oddworld games or Heart of Darkness when going forward. While it lacks in the story department, and the PC version could do with and some texture work, it doubles-down in atmosphere and pacing. This is a stellar cinematic platformer which made me reminisce about the sub-genres’ early days. It’s undeniably not for everybody; people will be deterred by its numbing tension or willingness to kill, but it’s definitely one for those who enjoy environmentally pleasing puzzlers and don’t mind their games a smidge macabre.

It is what it is – an effective and stupidly addictive spider-killing and house-smashing game. There is, quite honestly, nothing more to say other than… kill it with fire.

The five campaigns give over 20 hours of content to the competent. If it is too challenging for you then there are sliders to alter enemy density/difficulty, starting fuel and starting ammo. The character skill trees are all unique. Finally, the music is amazing and sounds straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. All of my initial complaints about Pathway disappeared as I continued playing, and my only real concern now is that they might not make more campaigns or characters to add to the game.

For the most part the combat is decent, allowing you to dash around and fire with the reticle. Although, sometimes the aim can be a bit loose and an immediate, unnecessary difficulty jump does little to quell the issue. If you want a fun roguelite, though, look no further (once you get through that long list, that is.)

Down in Bermuda doesn’t overstay its welcome and took me just over three hours to complete. It shows off some interesting concepts and provides ample opportunities for players to feel that rush of solving thorny riddles along a challenging but fair difficulty curve. The art style paints a vibrantly colourful and distinct world, and the story never reaches beyond its grasp. There are more high points than quibbles in this game, and if you, too, love seeing a box expand into a ridiculous system of buttons, pulleys and rotating mosaics, Down in Bermuda is worth the price of a slice.

The Plane Effect is a fine and even beautiful mechanical object, but it doesn’t quite have a soul. It is a shame perhaps, because with a bit less open space, without the spectres who are never quite made substantial, I think that the automaton might have been enough, regardless of whether or not there was a ghost in the machine.

If you’re itching for a character-focused story set against the grime and rot of cyberpunk dystopia, Rain of Reflections checks all the boxes. It’s a bit of a rough introduction, but I’m hopeful Lionbite can sand down the edges for Chapter 2.

Overall, Astria Ascending feels like a missed opportunity. Despite these issues, the game does right by its art direction and world-building, but the fundamental gameplay drags the whole experience down towards mundanity. Having to wait for the seven enemies in front of you to status lock you to death isn’t challenging and engaging combat; it’s tedious. Jumping through dungeons hoping to find a doorway that leads to the next area isn’t interesting trial-and-error exploration; it’s dreadful. In the JRPG marketplace that’s filled with all sorts of storytelling quirks and eccentricities, tedium is simply no longer acceptable.

When you perform an inaccurate jump and fall to the void, you won’t be terminated until you reach the bottom, which means you can be free-falling for about ten seconds before the round concludes. However, these problems are secondary to the mixed, complicated emotions I experienced–from the pure joy and satisfaction when finishing a challenging area, to more complex and bitter thoughts about our humanity–and our efforts to be better. Hypervisor provokes conversations not only about our daily dependence on technology, our increasing levels of anxiety around it, or the isolation bubbles created through social media, but how our imminent future could be made even worse. Hopefully, we can change this trajectory before it’s too late–if it isn’t already too late.

There is pain and fear in the stories you hear, there is hope and yet a sense of overwhelming loss. There is jumping across the moon and zipping through space, but also a sombre reflection on our capabilities and inevitable corruption. Although it would have benefited from streamlining its approach and deciding on its priorities at times, Deliver Us The Moon is a game worth playing, worth keeping an eye on in the wake of any new updates, and is an experience to be savored.

Creating a game about making a home on foreign land was never going to be easy, and JETT had boldly sought to subvert the themes of colonialism that are so inherent to tales like these. But upon putting down the controller, I mostly felt let down by how little it had to say on the subject. While it touches on other topics, such as the terrifyingly big expanse of space, versus our miniscule existence in the greater scheme of things, these weren’t enough to make up for its flaws. In the end, I just wish JETT had the confidence to pursue what I know it wants to be: to subvert expectations on the well-trodden ground of survival stories.

The Occupation is one of the most elaborately designed games I’ve played in years, delivering heaps of atmosphere and enthralling puzzle-solving and exploration. The ambition here is palpable. Unfortunately, there are just too many moving parts at work, and they seemingly got the better of the small but clearly passionate team at White Paper Games. In time, I’d like to believe, The Occupation will be amazing. But I can’t, in good faith, recommend it in its current state.

It’s clear that Tomas Sala has put a lot of effort into bringing us The Falconeer and it’s an absolutely applaudable effort. Boasting some impressive artistic direction, smooth performance, and enjoyable open-world exploration, it comes packed within an intriguing story that left me wanting to know more. It isn’t perfect though, and there are certainly flaws within the combat system, but ultimately, if you’re a fan of aerial combat that’s looking for something different, this is one game which comes recommended.

As you progress, you’ll earn new mutations and abilities, some of which are hilariously weird (like suddenly have a spitting cobra head with a really long neck). The downside is the unforgiving permadeath rogue-like nature of the game. Progress can become frustrating when you suddenly die and lose all your mutations and have to start again. If you can take the difficulty, though, there’s a lot of great personality and fun to be had.

Fledgling Heroes is a game you can play with one thumb – perfect for bus journeys, but too simplistic to play at home. Yet it’s impressively Nintendo-like in its design, taking one concept and creating near endless variation. It’s a polished experience that makes for a flap-tastic diversion.

In my 24-hour playthrough to the end of Shattered something came up that I have not experienced in any other souls like. I met a trader that traded in items I never saw or found. I also picked up multiple items that I found no purpose for, despite retracing steps to try and understand why they existed. These may be legacy concepts, gone on the full release. But it was interesting and added a level of bizarre mystique that left me to retravel the game’s path once I had seen an ending, in search of something more. And that appeal to go back despite the games flaws says something more than I can put into words.

Pecaminosa isn’t here to break boundaries, but it should still please fans of noir fiction who enjoy sleuthing around in the pitch darkness of a debauched city.

Tunche best serves fans and friends of dishing knuckle sandwiches together, but doesn’t synchronise its genre mashups in a way that elevates it above the many RPG-tinted beat ‘em ups stomping around out there.

It’s in the gameplay, though, that The King’s Bird proves to be flawed. This is a precision platformer where, ironically, you don’t have precise control. Instead, you must use momentum to dip and arc between platforms. What seems initially innovative ultimately frustrates, as you find yourself fighting the controls to build necessary speed. As gorgeous as it is to look at, a simple jump would’ve been preferable to experience this world.

The cyberpunk genre has gained a good game here with Disjunction. It’s at its best when you’re sneaking through futuristic offices and factories and trying to figure out which ability to use next. The action is a little lacklustre when stealth fails, and the story is enjoyable, but not world-changing. It’s definitely a pretty game though, and the light RPG help to keep things interesting as you play through it.

If Say No! More is a rallying call for anxiety-wrecked individuals who don’t know how to say no, it’s an amusing one, even if it’s not always memorable. It serves its purpose best as a comical and occasional reminder that we all have the courage and tenacity to tell someone we won’t always be at their beck and call. Turn to your nearest two-year-old for more advice on this front.

Below has simple but satisfying combat, is easy on the eyes and ears, and the crafting system is fun once you get to grips with it. The trouble is, unlike other recent roguelike games, it doesn’t value fun above frustration and actively punishes you for slip-ups. Despite this, it’s a compelling experience, just not necessarily a fun one.

The Council is a fantastic example of what adventure games are capable of, with tons of content, choices, and characters you won’t soon forget. If you’re looking for something to fill the void that Telltale Games’ departure from the industry is leaving behind, The Council is a worthy contender – so long as you’re ready to deal with everything that comes with it.

Star Renegades is a decent effort from Massive Damage Inc overall. Presenting a highly layered combat system with an interesting premise, there’s a good strategy RPG game at the core, but it struggles to ever thrill you. Though there is considerable overlap between playthroughs, it offers a good degree of replayability thanks to the roguelite mechanics. If you’ve been looking for a different kind of strategy game, this might be the one to fill that niche.

All in all, while the lack of online play is annoying, if you’ve got the players, this is a retro blast.

Weedcraft Inc explores the depths of sensitive subject matter whilst providing a dynamic experience filled with choice and consequence. I loved watching my operation expand from just a few plants in my family home to an unstoppable region-spanning drug empire. Growing can prove tedious due to its trial and error nature and I did experience a handful of crashes whilst playing, but these flaws remain trivial at best.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes has a tone flooded with immaturity and unoriginality, which is a shame because underneath it all is a solid combat system screaming to be recognised.

What you’re left with is a decent game, and that’s disappointing because it could have been more. For some reason, Paradox played it safe and didn’t build on its own and the game’s strengths. If you want a different take on the genre, it’s worth picking up on sale, but there are better and more interesting examples to spend your time and money on.

I like Into the Pit a fair bit. The graphical style is nice, the combat is incredibly fluid, and the mechanics there are easy to understand, but also have a noticeable effect when spawning new dungeons. However, I also found it to be a little bit too easy for the most part. The game requires a lot of runs in order to rescue more villagers and max out your character, and it doesn’t do quite enough to keep you drawn in versus other similar games.

The denouement is especially drab, and after six to eight of hours fairly linear exploration, you’ll have seen nearly everything on offer. There’s definitely fertile ground here for further developments, but currently, it’s strangled by a lack of scope and ambition.

Last Stop isn’t perfect. Its limited and tepid interactivity makes it better suited as a TV show, but I can’t deny that the story is entertaining and absorbing enough where, in the grand scheme of things, its shortcomings didn’t matter much. It took me back to the days of charming British sci-fi tv shows like Blake 7, Doctor Who and Torchwood, where these shows shared a love of telling character-driven stories on a backdrop of big themes despite budget constraints. With its intimate cast of characters, eccentric English charm and cosy story-telling, Last Stop replicates these shows’ charisma, creating an enjoyable sci-fi tale that’s gripping and one you’ll want to see through to the end.

Windscape invites you to wander and feel like a part of its mysterious little world. Some NPC models look a tad nightmarish and there’s a significant weight to movement, but with generous, location-based healing/save points, and a focus on enjoying the surroundings rather than demanding combat or frustrating enemy encounters, Windscape is a friendly, pleasant experience that is more meditative and nostalgic than anything else. And it’s all the better for it.

It’s another Early Access game, but one that already feels like a full release. There are loads of things to unlock, the natural replayability that comes with being a roguelike, and the “one more go” that comes from a card game. It’s just really good, and I can’t wait to see what else the game has in store for me.

Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a solid, if perhaps unexciting puzzle game with enough fan service for those looking to spend more time with the stylized criminals of old London to keep them on the hook.

While I definitely enjoyed my time with Biomutant, I’m left feeling a little deflated coming out the other end of it. The world of Biomutant was a joy to traverse, and there was an almost Breath of the Wild quality, the same drive to see what was over the hill in front of me, or what was around the corner. However, given that combat plays such a huge part of the game, the rather middling nature of it makes fights feel like inconveniences, rather than something to enjoy.

The game is fun and tells a somewhat engaging story. The shooting mechanics, which rely on aiming with the right thumbstick and firing with the right trigger, don’t quite feel right. They are a little too loose which sometimes makes it hard to aim accurately. I think the game as a whole could have benefitted from some sort of auto-targeting mechanic. However, the driving mechanics feel great. The funnest moments happen when you’re in a car. Steering is arcadey in the best way, and using that emergency brake has never felt more satisfying in a game like this.

Despite its apparent unoriginality, Close to the Sun is actually striking and fresh. Don’t let its clear BioShock influences fool you into thinking it’s derivative. It may not be the most consistent experience, but it’s certainly a memorable one. If you’re a fan of strong world-building, spooky atmospheres, and engaging mysteries, it’s worth looking past some of Close to the Sun’s glaring issues.

Its outlandish narrative packed plenty of thrills and we loved learning more about the mysteries surrounding the quaint Germanic town and its residents. The use of photogrammetry also delivered its own distinctive look and we found the controls to be a treat whether using a controller or mouse and keyboard. You should note that it is over in a flash, though, and suffers from a lack of an inventory system. That being said, we would still urge you to check this one out if you’re a fan of point-and-clicks and sci-fi flicks.

At its heart, Beautiful Desolation is also a thinly disguised series of fetch quests, where you’ll be asked to run errands in exchange for favours, usually by picking this piece of tech from far flung corners of the world. Invisible walls, too, add another layer of frustration to this janky experience. I am, however, willing to be hoodwinked into performing these busywork, if it means I can witness more of its broken, picturesque universe.

The Stillness of the Wind is tough to recommend. While struggling to survive on the farm does effectively portray Talma’s circumstances, it doesn’t make for a fun experience. And the story of its world, while unique in concept, is too obtuse and disengaging in how it’s told. While there’s artistic merit in what’s been accomplished here, you should probably stick to a more traditional farming sim.

It’s a shame that the combat is so messy, and that bugs and poor mission balance and visual communication obfuscate your ability to interact with a core mechanic that feels fairly novel. The inspired visuals of drones crashing around like droplets of water in a roiling ocean are at least fun for a while, but there’s little here to hold your interest in the long term.

The biggest issue is just the lack of overall assistance. Sands of Salazaar opens the door, pushes you through, and says “have fun!” before running away and leaving you to figure everything out on your own. Gradually realizing how things work is part of the adventure, though when some of those things include basics such as how to use skills, it’s not quite so fun. These are all issues Han-Squirrel can resolve over time, though. Until then, Sands of Salazaar’s layers and intriguing character stories more than make up for the annoyances, especially for the asking price.

I’m a big fan of “walking simulators,” but The Magnificent Trufflepigs hems in its exploration and storytelling so severely that I never felt like I was walking much at all. This is more a “get interrupted constantly” simulator: not a vein I’m particularly eager for developers to mine.

It’s still an impressive accomplishment to have this game run in handheld mode; it’s just a shame that things are so marred by the performance and visual blur. If you’re looking for a new RPG to sink your teeth into, then The Outer Worlds may well be what you’re after, but maybe wait for a few more patches first.

Stronghold: Warlords is an odd game. On the one hand, it’s a wonderful setting, and it has some of the most satisfying castle building I’ve found in a game. It’s a genuine joy to plan everything out, and it makes the fact that the actual strategy side of the game feels a bit outdated sting a bit more. It’s not bad, not at all, but it feels like a game that’s stuck in the past a little bit.

Rustler isn’t shy about its homage to the classic Grand Theft Auto games, as it puts on its persona as a goofy, medieval Grand Theft Auto imitator with unabashed glee.

Shovel Knight Showdown is exactly what it should be: a fun, fast-paced take on the Smash Bros. version of a fighting game, but with all of the Shovel Knight you could ever want stuffed into it. The fact that it balances itself so perfectly between new players and those who have spent more time on it makes it excellent as a party game too. Expect to lose many hours (and lives) to this shovel-tastic fighting game. Yes, writing shovel-tastic hurt, but it’s just that good.

I like Cardaclysm, but I don’t love it. It has you roaming around a world and fighting what are effectively turn-based Pokemon battles. You get new cards as you win these battles, and you can make cards stronger by combining any duplicates you get. It’s a cool system, and having a very hard limit on what you can use in any given battle keeps things fun as you pick up more options. However, combat just feels a bit dull sometimes. There’s definitely an element of misfortune here in that it’s in one of the strongest Review Round-Ups I’ve done too. It’s fun, but it’s not fantastic.

Fans of the graphic novels may very well be able to stomach the flaws in Blacksad: Under The Skin, but I worry curious newcomers will find the experiential cost of entry too much to stomach.

Orwell’s Animal Farm is clearly a respectful adaptation. From the closely adapted text onscreen to the demarcated destinies and potential outcomes, it interacts thoughtfully with Orwell’s ideas of dictatorship and manipulation. But, in the mechanics of gameplay, some of its intentions get lost.

Its fair to say that TBC touches on a lot of timely concerns but doesn’t have the wiggle room to delve further. As far as I’m concerned, the game is a parable on the arrogance of exploiting heritage sites. Back in the early 20th century, Stonehenge was actually bought from the Antrobus family and ‘gifted’ to the nation by Cecil Chubb. Let’s hope that life won’t imitate art and the great lithic monument doesn’t end up as an expensive ornament for a rich family.

Genesis Alpha One is an ambitious triple-I game that, even though it relies too much on continuously repetitive and similar-looking activities, provides a deep, engaging and challenging experience thanks to its great visuals, some surprises along the way and gameplay mechanics that quickly become natural and intuitive.

Despite its excellent, beautiful catastrophe of a script, Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a tough sell. Why would players want to spend time on a game with gameplay this dated? The reason is simple: Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a reminder that games can be fun even if they don’t meet wider notions of what makes them ‘good.’ The title is mindless fun, a distraction from the confines of what audiences expect when they play a game.

Just like the sport of soaring, while everything is great when you’re up in the air, the fun comes to a screeching halt when you’re down on the ground. Cruising around on those rising currents of air is an incredible experience that truly captures the feeling of flight. You can sometimes keep your glider aloft for hours by weaving around the sky in just the right way. When you touch down, there’s no getting yourself back up into the air, though. Flight School Studio was on to something with all the gliding, but didn’t quite stick the landing.

At times, YIIK’s story does contain exceptional observations about the human experience that are incredibly moving. While its disparate pieces struggle to satisfyingly coalesce, I don’t regret my time with the game, and its developers should be proud of their achievement. All games are a masterwork of hours upon hours of immense emotional and physical labor. YIIK made me recognize and appreciate that labor in ways that other games simply don’t.

FRACTER is a brief puzzle adventure that doesn’t break the mould. But it’s a well-accomplished port worth checking out at its low asking price.

While there’s certainly room for improvement in Override, the game is undeniably fun in an old-school arcade way. It’s not as fast and fluid as classics like Sega’s Virtua On!, but the premise is excellent, the character designs are gorgeous, and the action is addicting.

Ultimately, what guides the trajectory of this voyage in Dog Airport is your relationship with Krista, which is surprisingly tender and heartwarming. It’s the contemplative, and sometimes mournful conversations you have with her, the reminiscing of older days, and the gentle banters you trade with one another, that makes every reunion with her a poignant.one. For a game that’s predominantly moulded in the surreal humor of the internet, I wasn’t expecting to be swept away by all these feels.