If you plan to pick up Tchia‘s tale, I urge you to take it slow. Let yourself wander through every beautifully-crafted island. Make friends with the inhabitants, taking part in culturally rich musical experiences. Dive for pearls in the glittering waves. And take full advantage of the protagonist’s brilliant power to inhabit other creatures. These make up for the game’s more lacking mainline quest and less polished design elements.

There’s no fairy-tale ending waiting for our frostbitten heroes, but the conclusion is satisfying and stirring. Its gameplay may not always rival the exquisite visuals, but Blanc is a wonderful experience to share with a partner.

It’s disappointing how often Tails of Iron 2 leads me to wander the darkened valleys of over-demanding combat and back-track-demanding save points. However, the view from the mountain summits – the game’s secret-filled levels, propelling narrative, and magical visuals – cast sunlight on even my hardest experiences.

Transforming environments and climbing mechanics keeps Jusant from sagging in the middle of the adventure and the ending had me hurling urgent encouragement at my screen as I frantically scaled the final heights. The meditatively-paced action throughout the rest of the game didn’t quite prepare me for the finale’s surging stakes, but I’m glad I stayed the course long enough to see it.

Mail Time is a joy, even with the odd issue sprinkled in. It’s well-paced and, though short, a suitable length to properly dole out its inviting content. The ending wraps everything up in a way that allows me to see my effect on the world and communicate a thoughtful message. It’s not earth-shattering but reflects the game’s refreshing earnestness.

Neva: Prologue‘s scale — with creativity and evocativeness on one side and restrictions and murkiness on the other — balances out to a solid experience.

While the nuances of Ra Ra BOOM’s combat and difficulty are things that stuck out to me, I was willing to forgive a lot thanks to its presentation. The voice acting is great, and the characters frequently sound off during fights to discuss their unique perspective on the world as teenagers who never got to grow up on Earth. There’s a real charm to the game with its catchy title music, appealing art style, and premise that leans on the best aspects of nostalgia without needing to wallow in it. Instead, it uses nostalgia as a jumping-off point to create something entirely new with classic tropes.

The culmination of the roughly hour-and-a-half-long game is a concert that plays on my heartstrings. The Forest Quartet is not an overly deep game to dive into, but its brief playtime explores heavy, and relatable, themes with grace.

Afterlove EP doesn’t always hit the right pitch for me, but its art style is captivating, its gameplay gripping, and its story is authentic.

Super Meat Boy 3D isn’t Shakespeare — it’s main antagonist is named Dr. Fetus, afterall — but I found its platforming puzzles to be largely solid across the board and I was impressed by its adherence to the idea that the game will happily beat you down, but the way back up from that is through perserverence. Perserverence that it’s happy to show you that you posses by watching your level replays.

The grand reveal of why I can manipulate the world around me flies far beyond these charming, mundane moments. And the farther away it gets, the less human the experience feels — even while my unique powers grow. Goodnight Universe finds its way back in time for a satisfying end, luckily.

A game about chatting and making the occasional latte, Coffee Talk Episode 2 is an experience designed for a niche audience. It serves up a lightly pensive vibe and relaxing tunes to anyone intrigued by its premise and the ending tantalizes players to relive the story and uncover previously missed details. Like the hot beverages in its title, the game is heartening but not hearty enough to stick with me long after finishing it.

It’s difficult to wrap my mind around The Wreck. Even after finishing it, my thoughts keep coming back to chord-striking moments. Absorbed in these tableaux, the game’s problems fall away. But it’s difficult to imagine recommending it to any but the most ardent adventure game fans or story-driven players.