Your mileage may vary with Steve Purcell's brand of absurdist humor, but "Ice Station Santa" is a solid port of a well-designed, compact adventure game.

From its patches of vigorously shaking bushes to the impromptu destruction of random children’s precious pets, EvoCreo might leave you feeling a little nostalgic.

The only thing I wasn't nuts about was being forced to play multiplayer when I happily would have battled against the computer AI endlessly, but being a natural-born hermit, even I realize I have to be brave and play with others. Sometimes.

Do you like singing karaoke? Do you like Queen? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, you’re golden. Otherwise, you’re probably better off skipping it. As for me, I love karaoke, I love Queen, and I’m quite pleased with the selection of songs included here. The nature of the band means there’s more variety than you would expect from a single-band title, and there are really only a couple of notable songs absent. Sorry, Flash Gordon fans. In terms of the UI and the way the game works, there’s no change here from previous titles. There doesn’t really need to be, though.

It's sleek, it's responsive, and although I would have liked to see a bit more concept-wise, it's worth playing.

This is pretty much exactly how I feel about MUJO, its a nice light puzzle game that will steal time away from you without giving you even a suspicion that you are wrapped up in it.

As with the previous games, Kingturn Underworld RPG is one of the best turn-based strategy experiences you'll find on iOS, and although the ground it treads is familiar, I'd still strongly recommend it to any fan of the genre.

As sad as it sounds, it's rare these days to find a free-to-play game that offers a good balance between actual gameplay and having to pay for extras via freemium elements. For the most part, Zombiewood does a great job hitting that balance.

It's simple in structure but quite enjoyable. It lacks some of the cleverness of the last couple of Kenny Sun games, and its more active nature means that not every fan of those games will be able to get into this one. On the other hand, its focus on twitch reflex action rather than head-scratching puzzles should help this game appeal to those who enjoy a solid arcade experience. The attractive visuals and fantastic tunes are just the icing on the cake.

The Top Hat Club feels like it fell out of a different era of the App Store, for better or worse. Mostly better, but I sure do wish that “worse" wasn’t there. It’s a fun platformer with clever stage designs and a fair bit of charm, and while it won’t last a long time it will absorb your attention well until the end. Some touch control issues and minor UI scrapes kept it from knocking my socks off completely, but given the highly reasonable price and everything else it has going for it, I think I can recommend this to mobile platformer fans.

100 Rogues is as much about exploration as it is about move-by-move action and employing a careful strategy.

It’s a bit point-and-click adventure, a bit puzzle game, and a bit walking simulator. The story takes you on a real ride, but the gameplay itself is rather relaxed. As long as you’re not expecting too much on the mechanical end of things, you’ll probably find yourself as engrossed in Embracelet as I was.

It's a wonderful nod of the cap to the man whose crazy visions inspired real world challenges to complete his work and become an adjective for creating a complex set of plans for something relatively simple.

Do you hunger for something more interesting than the same old packed-lunch jump and collect game? If so, then you'll want to pass on Bloo Kid 2. Looking for a familiar taste to tide you over until something more exotic comes along? Then Bloo's your boy.

The story kept me entertained and invested, the characters feel good and have their own stories as well, the combat is fluid and complex, there’s great customization in individual troops, and it’s paced well enough that I never felt like I wanted it over sooner. Classic Mode may just be tacked on to give it that replayability factor, but the real reason you’ll be playing this is for Story and that makes the game an overall solid experience.

There's also an ongoing hunt for the secret of the Rainbow Dragon, the one missing breed. I haven't found one yet. Will you?

Thanks to the cleverness of its core gameplay concept, Scribblenauts Unlimited is an enormously enjoyable toy to play with for a while.

It's not very ambitious, but when a game gets as much right as this one does, it doesn't necessarily have to be.

If you're tired of waiting for the next Infinity Blade, this might be just a good enough substitute.

The addition of tricks, a neat little camera mode, and local multiplayer are also pretty welcome, and for only two dollars I see this as an easy recommend--especially if you never played the first one.

Sure, the controls may not be as approachable as its predecessor, and the game may be a bit simplistic for even an endless runner these days, but the implementation is solid, and the look and feel is a perfect carry-over from The Last Rocket.

Demon Gaze Extra takes a solid dungeon crawler, gives it a new coat of paint, and adds a little extra bits here and there to entice veterans to give it another go. I wouldn’t say that content is necessarily worth replaying the game for on its own, but those who haven’t played Demon Gaze yet will find a good, well-paced dungeon romp here. The story doesn’t really go anywhere that interesting, and those who don’t care for fan service will probably want to steer clear, but if what you crave is some dungeon RPG comfort food Demon Gaze Extra won’t let you down.

If you enjoy the time management/resource management of the aforementioned games, you’ll probably find a lot to like in Train Valley. The unavoidable control issues aren’t enough to bring down the experience too much, and once you get the hang of things you’ll be juggling trains like a professional. The charming presentation is distinctive and attractive, which certainly doesn’t hurt. Between the various maps and seasons of Classic Mode and the more relaxed (but still somewhat tense) nature of Sandbox Mode, there’s plenty to dig into here for puzzle fans. A solid port of a rather enjoyable game.

In the end, Windjammers 2 is a return to the classic arcade experience in more ways than one. It’s a bit threadbare in terms of features, and you really need to pull in a friend to get the best out of it. You’re only given the barest of instructions, so you’ll have to either study up or learn on the fly. Put the time into learning it, and you’ll be rewarded with a truly thrilling game. Those who loved the original game can jump in without worry. The passion for the original game shines through brightly here.

Footgun: Underground is a clever spin on a formula that is getting to be very well-worn indeed. Even setting the sheer novelty of blending soccer moves with the roguelite action genre aside, the actual mechanics are fun to learn and take some technique to apply well. It’s not as immediately enjoyable as some games in the genre, but take some time to learn the nuances and unlock some of the more interesting abilities and you’ll be well rewarded.

It's still enough of a Tower Of Fortune that it's unlikely to attract new fans, but it's also different enough that it might be off-putting to fans of the previous games, at least initially.

Minor gripe aside, you get a ton of bang for your buck with Mexiball, which has basically become synonymous with all of Donut Games' releases.

Capcom has done right by the Mega Man Battle Network games with this collection for the most part. If you have happy memories of these games, you’ll likely be happy to revisit them again. The extras are welcome, though I think Capcom could have gone further here with things like save states or the ability to turn off random encounters. It’s great to see some of the lesser-tapped veins of the Blue Bomber’s history get a reissue, and you really can’t argue with the value in terms of how much there is to play here. Worth the pick-up for fans of Mega Man or RPGs alike.

Admittedly, there's not a lot to Shoot The Moon beyond its core premise, and if you have no interest in score chasing, you won't find much here beyond the brief gag of the moon being so obnoxious.

At the very least, I can promise that if you stick with it, you'll learn a lot of useful techniques for the actual game of chess. Just don't try to pull off that piece-swapping trick in tournament play. They frown on it, I can assure you.

As a cohesive adventure, Prime World: Defenders is probably the most well-rounded tower defense game I’ve seen in awhile.

EarthNight is a game that could have been amazing, but lets a few failings knock it down from the heights it might have reached. Instead, we’re left with a really good game — one that shows the inventiveness and imagination of its creators without quite reaching the level of greatness that was well within their reach.

Whether you’re a hardened veteran of the shoot-em-up genre or a newcomer looking for a good entry point, Terra Flame is a solid choice. It looks and sounds great, the gameplay is nice and snappy, and the mechanics are interesting to play with. Just making your way through the eight-stage campaign is a pleasure, but with additional difficulty settings, thoughtful scoring mechanics, an intense Caravan mode, and online leaderboards, there’s plenty here to keep you coming back for more.

That said, if you're looking for something truly unique and don't mind taxing your brain and reflexes in a slightly different way than you might be used to, Kapsula is a very solid and worthy pick-up.

Fruity Jelly is a solid puzzle-platformer that utilizes its mechanic to great effect creating a challenging game that's easy to pick up. It could have stood to have slightly tighter controls, but its easy to ignore for a bulk of the game.

Bravura - Quest Rush is a ton of fun.

If a pick-up-and-play roguelike that's challenging without being too punishing sounds like a good time, you'll enjoy Tiny Rogue.

Only the most hardcore gamers should play this, but those who do will find a challenge worthy of them.

If you enjoy unique adventure games and charming stories, RPG Time: The Legend of Wright is an easy recommendation on Switch. It feels great to play in handheld mode, and I can’t get over how good the animation work and aesthetic is throughout the adventure. It initially might seem confusing in the screenshots, but this is the real deal. The only downside for some will be the game length at under 10 hours long.

This is an excellent, compelling game, with interesting visual design, a great mood, a subtle but effective story, and awesome level designs that constantly offer new challenges.

Thankfully, Dig Dog's sessions are short enough that digging back into the game when failure hits is never frustrating. And the mechanics are designed well enough that failure feels like it's my fault, and not the game. It's hard to get stuck, or get into a bad situation that wasn't a result of you being reckless. The monochromatic visual style does mean that some enemies can hide in the world, but this is an intentional effect. It's a simple but slick look for the game. If you're ready to die a lot, and git gud, well, Dig Dog is the game for you.

RoboCop: Rogue City ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the season. Not only is it a great RoboCop game, but a damn fine and fun experience throughout. Having played it on both Steam Deck and Xbox Series X, it is better on Xbox for sure, but I enjoyed experiencing the combat and story on Steam Deck despite the visual cutbacks. This one is an easy recommendation if you want a competent RoboCop game, and enjoyed the original movies.

If you can stick with it and see it through, I promise the juice is worth the squeeze. If you're prone to moving on to the next game when you hit stubborn walls, I'm afraid you've probably got the wrong number here.

It's hard to shake the feeling the game is missing something - it's a well-executed genre game, but it lacks character. It's not going to fundamentally change what we expect from the genre, it's not going to shift mountains or alter the collective consciousness, but it will give tower defense nuts a deep and nicely packaged experience– And really, what more can you ask for?

Is Dead Cells well suited to being a mobile game? Personally, I think so, but I would also love to see games like Stellaris or Mirror’s Edge on mobile as well. Generally speaking, if the thought of using a controller to play a game on your iPhone or iPad is anathema, then this is almost certainly not the game for you. On the other hand, if that sounds like the greatest thing since sliced bread and goat cheese, you’re in the right place at just the right time. But, regardless of platform or what controls you choose to use, there’s no question about it: Dead Cells is an amazing game, and anyone interested in rogue-lites would be well advised to give it a shot at their earliest convenience.

I like how simple Gum Drop! is.

Rop is a perfectly cromulent experience, balancing out thoughtful challenge with minimalist design and delivering satisfying solutions.

As a fast-paced real-time action game, Heroes of Loot 2 does enough well that I enjoy my time with it, but I didn't find it as compelling as I hoped it would be.

The multiplayer is designed quite well.

Even though the camera is kind of weird, The Pinball HD seems to be the best pinball collection available for the iPad right now.

A massive, sprawling affair that will keep you busy for weeks. It's the kind of MMO that serious-minded iOS gamers have been waiting for, the sort of game that will draw a trill of appreciation from Angry Birds haters. If you have the right mindset, Empire of the Eclipse will rock your world.

Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer remains a fantastic boomer shooter, and is the most 90s thing (compliment) on the eShop right now. I hope it can see some performance improvement for docked play and gyro support added in potential updates though.

Look, we aren’t hurting for games of this genre on the Switch by any means. With that said, I think there is a certain purity to the original design that is worth experiencing for any fan of roguelikes and roguelites. If you’re game to challenge the classic test of nerves and wits, this Switch release of Epyx Rogue is a fine way to do it. Some effort was put in here to make the game work on an interface it very much was not designed for, and I genuinely appreciate the extra bits like the manual and achievements.

As mentioned earlier, it doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights of the best in the genre, but it doesn’t have to be in order to be enjoyable.

It's an imperfect game, but it's one that does a magnificent job overall at straddling a difficult line between its bleak and macabre objective, while being charming and a little humorous.

The action in The East New World is solid and you certainly get a lot of game for your money.

This is such a weird game to even review, as I can fully admit its flaws are numerous, and it's definitely not for everyone... But, any game that has us yelling at our phones definitely deserves some attention.

The touch screen controls really do work remarkably well and To-Fu: The Trials of Chi does a great job of working with the touch screen, not against it. The depth of challenges here works well, but it would be nice to have some type of meta-game or leaderboards so you could track your progress against others.

Sure, Dungeonism has a few small issues like the above-mentioned difficulty curve and a tutorial system that could be organized better, but overall it's an excellent title and well worth checking out.

If you're not too exhausted from the recent deluge of quality RPGs that have come out, you might want to give Asdivine Menace a try.

Spirittea is a great game with the potential to be one of my favorites in the genre, but it needs some updates and fixes on Switch. I still recommend it, and enjoyed the mini-games, characters, and gameplay loop a lot. The aesthetic might not work for some, but I like it a lot and recommend trying the demo if you are interested. I’ll be grabbing the physical copy for this for sure whenever it gets announced.

If you enjoy time attack games and don't mind a stiff challenge, you'll definitely want to give Trappy Tomb a look.

It's a pleasant gaming experience in every way (including the price!), so if you dig great presentation and consistent, engaging gameplay, I think you'll get a lot of fun out of this one.

Like any of its logic game brethren, Puzzle Restorer thrives on the strength of those rules. Because they make a solid foundation, the game is free to open up into greater and greater challenges without ever becoming bogged down in complexity. This could be the start of a puzzle game legacy if Gavina Games has the tenacity to keep it going. As a new twist on a popular type of puzzle game, there's plenty of room to grow.

An original game that's worth a try.

Despite the few qualms I have with the game, Dinofour is a fun and challenging experience that I would recommend to any puzzle platformer fan.

In the end, this is a pretty good gamebook with a very unique feel to it.

The fine folks at Donut Games really know how to put together accessible games with a lot of hidden depth, and Footy Golf is another excellent example of that. As with many of Donut's titles, you can probably get the gist of what this game is about from its name. You have to kick a ball across a stage into a goal in as few moves as possible, collecting coins and diamonds along the way. Fans of this publisher will probably recognize it as a cousin of the classic Cat Physics, but it brings a few tricks of its own to the table, not the least of which being a new pay model. Worry not, however, friends. Footy Golf is as gentle with its monetization as it could possibly be, allowing you enjoy the game with only a minimum of friction. Most importantly, the game itself is challenging and fun.

UI annoyances aside, Mailmen is an entertaining game and a great addition to the iPad stealth library. The team-based gameplay and silly story simply makes for a title that's an enjoyable experience. If you're a fan of stealth game that requires planning and patience, you won't be disappointed with Mailmen.

If you own a Switch or Steam Deck and never played Salt and Sacrifice before, your wait has been worth it. If you enjoy Metroidvanias, Soulslikes, and have wanted a blend of Monster Hunter in games like that, this is an easy recommendation. While I think Inti Creates’ Dragon Marked for Death is better in its current state, I welcome more games trying to blend in Monster Hunter with their own flavor. After a few updates, Salt and Sacrifice will be essential. Now it is excellent with some caveats.

A well-visualized game that's a ton of fun with a skill curve that will keep you playing for ages.

It just so happens this is a game where you can shove a grandmother behind you into an advancing helicopter. And either that's gonna grab you or it ain't. And if it doesn't, hey: Go shove it up your shove-hole (a.k.a. the solar plex-shove).

Despite the repeat titles and lack of online multiplayer, Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is an easy recommendation to fans of classic arcade games. With a solid range of titles across multiple titles and levels of fame, this set is bound to include plenty of games for everyone to enjoy. The first Capcom Arcade Stadium had a lot of cool features, extras, and options, and this follow-up doesn’t deviate from that. I’d strongly suggest grabbing the full-game bundle, but it’s nice to have the option to dabble in the specific games you want if you’re on a budget. It’s a quality package at a great price, and I wish Capcom’s arcade rivals would take some notes from these sets.

At least for me, the freemium systems are well worth wading through to enjoy what I think is the most complete Sims experience yet that we have on mobile.

And Brickies is, deep down, still a brick-breaker. And it can't escape that to be an excellent game. It's as good a game as it possibly can be, though.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER feels like a weird sequel in how it didn’t end up being what I hoped for, but still had me glad it exists and enjoying it more or less all the way. The music, art, and interactions elevate this to an essential for fans of 2064: Read Only Memories, but I still like the original game more.

Read Only Memories is a rather conflicting experience for me because I love its unique world, I just think that it suffers under some of its stylistic decisions to make for an experience that's a little too slow for my tastes. If you're patient, I do recommend playing this, especially with the free demo available. But I would recommend playing this on a system with physical controls, especially since you're missing out on the voice acting with the mobile version. Still, Read Only Memories: Type-M is something you have to experience for yourself.

The fishing works as expected, and is decidedly more fun and interactive than other available titles.

At the absolute minimum, Overrogue shows that KEMCO and EXE-Create can do some good work when they venture outside of their usual comfort zones. There’s an energy and thoughtfulness to this game that makes it feel like the developers were actually sinking their teeth into making it. The best of the best in this style of game are tough to touch, but this game is good enough that deckbuilding roguelite fans should put it somewhere on the shopping list even if not necessarily at the top.

It also goes without saying that people who dug the style of Ittle Dew should give this a look, even if it's a very different type of game. Its attention to recreating the feeling around playing card games with your friends is a breath of fresh air for a genre that generally cuts right to the chase, and I think that's something worth paying attention to and enjoying.

Like any good game, Firefly Hero's strength lies in its level-design and its pacing. The difficulty certainly ramps up quickly, but at no point does a screen feel impossible to pass.

While being like any other skating game, Skate City stands out as a good option for the people interested in skating. Its several challenges, different cities, and excellent music make this game a great game to enjoy. Just try to use a BlueTooth controller when playing to improve the experience.

While Pumped BMX 3 may not completely replace its predecessor, it certainly stands tall enough to be at its side, and that's quite an achievement in and of itself.

It's probably safe to say that World of Warships Blitz will appeal to a slightly smaller niche of mobile gamers than its tanking cousin, and that's okay. Not only is it a change of pace from tank battles that arguably place an even greater emphasis on player skill, it also offers a type of combat that you won't find in quite as many places on the App Store. If you try it out and find the battles to your liking, there's a good chance you'll be sticking around for the long haul.

The steep IAP costs will probably act as a barrier to everyone interested in owning the whole extensive library of songs this title. Still, I'd recommend everyone at least check out the included free songs, as you might like what you play.

Tower Of Fortune may not have the progression elements, compelling story, or depth of its meatier RPG brethren, but it has all the stats, levels, loot, triumph, and tragedy a RPG fan needs for on-the-go gaming.

But by and large, everything plays quite well. The game also looks good, with a nicely designed vault-cracking theme for each puzzle - although I'm not quite sure how the zen garden stylings of the Sudoko-like puzzles relate to cracking vaults.

While Shellrazer may not have a ton of lasting value, due to not much changing in each area besides increasing difficulty, it's still a great game that's definitely worth your time.

As mindless games go, this one hits the perfect balance between easy enough to play without much attention and hard enough that it's not actually mind-numbing.

If you’re looking for something to play this weekend that doesn’t require a huge commitment of time or a lot of heavy thinking, Luminaria fits the bill nicely. I don’t know if it’s going to stick with me for very long now that I’ve finished it, but I certainly enjoyed my time with it. It irritated me at times and the story didn’t fully satisfy in the end, but overall it’s an interesting puzzler that will keep you busy on a lazy afternoon.

If you skipped on Solar Ash back in 2021 or 2022, the Switch version is a fine way to experience it. The game itself remains the same, albeit with a good handheld conversion for Switch. While Solar Ash isn’t as amazing as Hyper Light Drifter, Heart Machine fans will find a lot to love here despite the visual cutbacks. Now we just need a physical release.

As you've probably figured out by this review, Queen: Play the Game is an audiovisual and trivia treat that does a great job transforming a wealth of information about one of the greatest rock bands ever into a pretty entertaining game.

INDIKA was a fresh adventure experience that continuously surprised me throughout with how its narrative flowed, and one I’m definitely going to replay on PS5 when it releases there. As a fan of walking simulators, this is one of my favorites in the genre, and I’m just shocked it even exists. It might even be one of my favorite games 11 bit studios has published so far.

iPad Gamers that embrace the style will easily find Slydris to be an excellent block puzzler with very little to complain about. Genre novices should also enjoy the game as its highly approachable gameplay and inviting feel is universally appealing. If you're looking for a new puzzle title to relax and kill time with, look no further.

Don't purchase R.B.I. Baseball 14 expecting a deep simulation, stat tracking or micromanagement. Do expect a terrific arcade style game that is simply fun and can be picked up and played whenever, that stays true to its source.

In short, Chaos Rings 3 is a big, meaty evolution of the series that makes a lot of changes. Some of those feel like natural progressions from the older games, while others are obviously coming in from other sources, but the game on the whole is richer for having all of them.

I played a few rounds, and it seemed pretty good.

All that's missing is a good story.