The game doesn’t really have any unique ideas or ways to build upon this genre. That would be fine if the ones they did have were executed well, but this sadly isn’t the case. The monotony pervades every aspect of this game. And that’s a shame. You can see certain parts of the game trying to make an impression, but they inevitably falter. However, was there any real hope for an engaging experience if everything was executed well?

I suspect Of Bird and Cage works best as an album first, and maybe a speed runner video as a distant second. Perhaps by the end Gritta escapes her prison and finds the support she needs to reclaim the light of her life in one of the possible endings, but given the oppressively deep hole she starts in, I’m not convinced that the game believes she deserves it. Though she most certainly does.

It wouldn’t be fair to Mechajammer not to acknowledge everything it tries to do and bring to the table, but in a world where I’m spoiled for choice when it comes to roleplaying games, mediocre just doesn’t cut it. In its current state, mediocre is the best that Mechajammer can hope to be. On paper, Mechajmmer has everything it needs to be a sleeper hit, but in reality, the only thing it’s hitting is the very bottom of my Steam library, where games I don’t finish go to be forgotten.

Eternity: The Last Unicorn’s one redeeming quality doesn’t do much redeeming, though. The game still has some major issues, first of which is simple—it’s not fun to play. Nostalgia is a feeling video games and entertainment have been profiting off increasingly within the last few years, which is great when the end products are well-executed. But instead of pulling inspiration from the Nintendo 64 era of gaming, Void Studios just made a game that belongs in it.

With its numerous glitches and flaws, Broken Porcelain instead becomes a superfluity of horror game tropes; its cheap jump scares, laboured stealth encounters, and confusing plot now an unfortunate fixture of what used to be a promising survival horror series.

An unpredictable experience which keeps you guessing as it plays around with the simulator genre it’s found itself wedged in.

In spite of its fun premise, there’s an overall aspect of the game being underbaked which is hard to get away from.

While the actual setting and storyline could do with a bit of colour (particularly the characters), if you want a decent strategy game to fill the emptiness between Christmas and New Years, Ancient Frontier: Steel Shadows may be the thing for you.

Whatever your experience with 2D platformers, KLAUS does a great job of introducing you to the genre then subverting your expectations. It’s not the hardest platformer on the market, but it’s one that leaves a great impression — as well as a few new ideas for others to build on.

Bombfest is a decent, well-presented, local multiplayer game which will sit well in circuit alongside the likes of Samurai Gunn, Super Treasure Adventure and Gang Beasts. Its greatest lack is content, which massively reduces the session time of the game when others are available.

Most of the choices here are pulled from games that have come before it, so it ends up feeling like a mish-mash of good choices other developers have made. The visual style, though still fine-looking, feels uninspired and, again, recycled from other games from equally equipped developers. That said, the game isn’t much of an investment, so if you’re looking for something solid but not revolutionary, this could be the game for you.

Making your way through unexplored bunkers and encountering new alien species is just as fun as it sounds, and finding secret areas within each level adds another layer of intrigue. Zombotron does occasionally feel like just another 2D platformer and nothing else, but if that’s the kind of game you’re looking for, then it checks all the boxes.

The thing is, difficult or no, FSX is still really good fun. I have a feeling this is the sort of game you could return to week after week, learning its intricacies and formulating the best possible strategy for success. I’d like to see a few changes made, a few quality of life additions, but it’s hard not to recommend a game that’s this much fun and looks this good to boot. I suspect that the brilliantly named developer, Turbo Pelvis 3000, will be one to keep an eye on in the future.

Ultimately, Moonrise Fall is a quaint journey of exploration and supernatural oddities. The central mystery is simple but effective, providing enough incentive to keep going while underscoring the whole affair with a persistent layer of tragedy and an evocative spirituality. Following along with the journal and locating the inhabitants of the forest is rewarding and engaging, and you might even find more to uncover if you dig a little deeper.

Overcrowd is extremely fast-paced, even considering the fact that you can play it at normal speed and pause it whenever you want. It’s all about split-second decision making and prioritizing. Sometimes there are multiple issues that need to be addressed, but not enough people on staff to take care of them. It’s all about looking into what needs attention the most and going down the list from there, and that can be tough to grasp on your first, second or even fifteenth try.

As is, SpaceEngine is a robust and fun toy chest for anyone even slightly interested in astronomy.

Still, for those happy to get their asses handed to them, Chippy is a rock-solid shooter with a great gimmick. And over the coming months, the devs have promised new content and a level editor, which should really extend its lifespan – should you even make it past the first few levels.

If you love off-the-wall experiences, Baobabs Mausoleum may be right up your street. If you haven’t played episode one yet then start there, but if you’ve already been inducted into the crazy world of Flamingo’s Creek, rest assured that episode two is just as weird, but longer and meatier.

Ultimately, Car Mechanic Simulator demands a lot of patience. Patience to learn how to play it, patience to work with its clumsy menus and controls, and patience to eke your way through its deep, glacial progression systems. Tolerate this and it has a rewarding and essentially peerless gameplay loop to offer car fanatics – and maybe the odd apprentice, too.

For a game which manages to create a nice sense of place, I found it frustrating that the starting environments are a bit boring. For the first two districts the colour palette sticks heavily to shades of brown and while it improves once you’ve ascended past the industrial district, it’s disheartening when the rest of the game is awash with personality. I could keep going on the copious things Tiny Build Games have crammed into this experience but I think I’d be here all day. If you want a decent rogue-lite which is better than most of the countless others in its genre, then Streets Of Rogue will be right up your… err, street.

Break The Game’s simplistic platforming and shooting mechanics are unremarkable and a little half-baked in isolation. But entertaining writing and a hare-brained sense of humour make it worth booting up and breaking out of again. Channelling ideas from some of the indie greats and adding a dash of its own creativity and playfulness, Break The Game is an enjoyable adventure through the googly eyes of an AI.

While it remains to be seen if it will survive a player lull, and whether new players from all walks of life will be comfortable diving into a level editor that, while packed with features, doesn’t know how to explain those possibilities, as it stands today, Million To One Hero is a solid time sink to get those creative juices flowing.

Fate Hunters definitely has a more refined presentation than Spire, with beautifully-drawn cards and excellent 3D animation. So, clone-like it might be, but it’s still a fine entry to the genre.

Subdivision Infinity DX is single-player only and the levels are mostly bite-sized chunks that can be completed in about 15 minutes or less. So, it’s not likely to be a lasting or epic experience like an open universe starship game might be. Sometimes, you just want to go out into the stars and shoot stuff, though, and Subdivision is an excellent game for doing exactly that.

A self-titled RPG roguelike, Sin Slayers takes a JRPG battle system and procedurally generated levels, mixes them together with a Darkest Dungeon-esque layer of grime and calls it a day. What results is a game lacking in fun and direction, but definitely full of sins.

Flotsam is ultimately a strong, engaging skeleton of a city builder with little meat to chew on once you understand the interactions between its major systems. That’s not to say the grind becomes easier — quite the opposite — but those not already interested in the genre may want to wait until Pajama Llama fills its seas with more interesting sights.

It’s difficult to review a game of this nature, particularly to put a score on it. But if the opportunity to empathise with and show solidarity to fellow humans appeals, Kind Words is a must-play experience.

Killer Queen Black is a game bursting with possibilities, from strategic to community. Judging its merit based on possibility is tricky but I gladly err on the side of hope for the beacon this game can be for indie multiplayer games going forward.