Justice Chronicles is a strong follow-up to the original game.

If Sonic Superstars was meant to reinvent 2D Sonic, I think it missed the mark. But it’s a good, solid entry in a series that is always in need of such, and that counts for a lot.

Despite it not delivering everything I wanted when it comes to the narrative, Tavern Talk is an easy recommendation as a gorgeous and relaxing visual novel style game. If you enjoy Dungeons & Dragons and like Coffee Talk, you need to get Tavern Talk.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a better game than I expected it to be. It’s a quality platformer in the style of the Western Super Mario Bros. 2, with some extra elements and features to keep it from being too close to its source. The Rugrats license has been implemented well, though I did find myself wishing it had voice acting for the cut scenes. A little on the short and breezy side to be sure, but worth a play for fans of platformers and the Rugrats alike.

Starbase Orion has an "epic-feeling" as you strive to expand your empire across the galaxy. There's several facets to this game, as described above, but the interface pulls it all together nicely, so everything is easy to find.

If you’re in the mood for a crafting freemium title, you can do a lot worse than checking out BuildIt.

Bubbles in Paradise is a simple title, but well-executed and very enjoyable. I'm probably biased since I like to spell and learn new words.

The only main downside to the game is that it only runs on iPad, so iPhone users may feel a bit overlooked at this point. However, for what its worth, it runs beautifully on the iPad, so clearly the work that has been put in to optimize it impeccably has paid off remarkably well.

Sir Questionnaire may not be for everyone, but that’s ok, it would be a boring world of games if we all liked exactly the same thing. However, if you’re looking for a game with a great retro feel, lots to discover and awesome replayability, it is an absolute must. If you like choose your own adventures, Zelda, or Zork, this game is for you. If, just like me, you’re just an aging gamer looking for some nostalgia in a modern gaming world, then this is the game to download.

Lost Within isn't going to shock you, or even surprise you with new concepts that you haven't seen before in the horror genre, but it will at the very least intrigue you.

King Cashing certainly isn't for everyone, particularly if you're not a fan of RPGs or the slot-machine mechanic. However, for anyone that's remotely interested, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

All of these elements come together really well in Axe in Face providing a simple concept with just enough depth and strategy to keep things interesting.

The game genuinely does a good job of following up on the original, and given the circumstances I think that’s actually quite amazing. If you have happy memories of Ufouria or are just looking to get into the series fresh, I think you’ll have a nice time with this one.

There is a lot of great variety to the puzzles, and the art is super colorful and really pops.

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends is a game for a very specific kind of cozy and management game fan. While some might find the gameplay simple and challenge lacking, I enjoyed dipping into Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends as a break from other games, and it feels right at home on Steam Deck with solid performance.

If you like platformers, particularly the precision type, you’ll probably have a really good time with Panic Porcupine. Sure, it’s resting its hat on another game, but it’s doing so deliberately and with a wink. The controls are good, the physics are familiar, and the level designs are superb. It has all the hallmarks of a pretty great indie platformer, and I’m going to go ahead and conclude that it is exactly one of them.

I've enjoyed and savored Numberlys, but like any film, I probably won't watch it again for a while, but it could be a recurring treat for a young child.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged is just as fun of an arcade racer as the first game, and the various tweaks and improvements to the formula makes it a far smoother experience. It feels like it’s sometimes just a little much for the Switch, with moderately lengthy loading times and some resolution issues, but the actual racing action keeps its speed properly. Some players might run into some issues with the challenging post-game content, but that’s why it’s in the post-game. If you enjoyed the first game, you’ll probably like this one even more. Series newcomers should feel comfortable jumping immediately to this sequel, too.

Beat Stomper is a far more interesting game than I was expecting. Sure, at a very basic level it’s a pretty standard vertical high score chaser. What makes it stand out, though, is that the developers seemingly rounded up all the drugs and stuffed them into the coding somehow.

This first half, taken on its own, is certainly lengthy enough to be worth the price, and what's here is certainly shined up very nicely.

Packing in over 60 levels across 3 distinct planets, Monster Shooter is likely to hold on to your attention for quite a while.

Taken as a sequel to Rogue Ninja, Alchemic Dungeons features significantly more content and is just all-around more fun to play.

Even with its persisting flaws and somewhat unambitious nature when compared to 1862, Civil War: 1864 is still a nice plateful of comfort food.

All you really need to do is pay attention. In return, you'll find a satisfying puzzle experience that leaves you tantalized for one more shot at building the perfect city.

It's great fun, but without proper multiplayer integration it's probably not worth the higher asking price.

While Sonic Origins certainly could have been a more thorough and polished celebration of the early days of the Most Famous Hedgehog, I think it’s still worth recommending. If I earnestly ask myself if I would pay ten dollars a pop for standalone Retro Engine Sonic games on my Switch, the answer is yes. The minor differences don’t bother me much at all, but I can see them getting on the nerves of others. The music replacement is disappointing but understandable. But with four exceptionally enjoyable platformers included and a wealth of extra goodies to sift through, Sonic Origins makes for a compelling package.

In this outing, however, Detective Grimoire is going to have to settle for being an enjoyable, though altogether too simple, ride.

Even with its failings, I still think it's a good game that may not live up to the highest standards of Sid Meier's name, but certainly doesn't tarnish it.

While there's a lot of 2D endless runners out there, and a lot of good ones, Noodlecake's take on making quick-but-good games is a step above just about everyone else out there.

An enjoyable experience, and one that does the adventure strategy genre proud.

With an estimated 6-8 hours of gameplay, and side quests to keep you busy long after that, I can't help but recommend Ravensword.

Surmount ended up surprising me constantly, and I will be playing the daily challenge and getting back to it often on both Switch and Steam Deck often. If the premise sounds good to you, I recommend downloading the demo for sure. You will not regret it and the climbing mechanic is just so good.

The Sam & Max adventure games are always a treat to play through, and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space is no exception. Skunkape Games has done a fantastic job spiffing this one up for the modern age, and if you told me this was a completely new release I would probably believe you. The Devil’s Playhouse is likely next, and I am certainly looking forward to it. For now, I’ll happily enjoy this wonderful remaster of a funny, enjoyable romp.

The basic concept of Dawn of the Monsters gives the game a big push at the start line, but it’s the solid gameplay mechanics that keep this machine moving. You get a nice mix of encounters and behaviors to deal with, and you have a fair number of options at your disposal. The sheer amount of content here will keep you playing for a long while, and although it can get a little repetitive over time, it really does take some time for that to set in. Fans of either beat-em-ups or giant monsters will want to grab this game sharpish and get to smashing and demolishing the enemy forces.

One of the smartest, coolest puzzle games around.

There’s little to complain about with Shadow Blade. It’s a great action platformer with smooth controls and plenty of that Ninja goodness.

Draw Slasher is the ninja game for the ninja not keen on being stealthy

A fun, easy going, RPG with a heavy coating of 80s nostalgia. With an upfront cost of "free", it's hard not to recommend it.

I absolutely recommend Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, and the Switch version was a lot better than I expected, but the Metroidvania aspect isn’t as well-realized as the rest of the game. You’re here for the narrative, music, art, and voice acting more than the Metroidvania bits that felt too linear.

Once I accepted the fact that Darkest Dungeon II isn’t interested in building on the original game’s structure but rather in doing its own thing, I was able to settle in and enjoy the charms of this moody, chunky roguelite. There’s a huge wall in the early part of the game that you’re going to have to grind your way over, but I don’t think that’s particularly unusual for this kind of thing. Its merits are many, from its distinctive style to its combination of traditional story-telling bits and the magic of emergent, personalized stories. Roguelite fans will want to check it out, even if Darkest Dungeon fans might feel like pushing away from the table and going back to the original.

If you’re looking for the ultimate Wreckfest experience on your big screen, you’ll likely want to look at other versions of the game over this one. But if you’re looking for a version you can take with you, this Switch port of Wreckfest is more than respectable enough to suit the job. For those completely new to the game, you’ll find this to be an excellent choice if you’re looking for a somewhat more destructive racing experience than the norm.

An endless supply of constantly evolving environments, coupled with finely tuned jumping, will keep you coming back for a long time.

Tobe & Friends' Hookshot Escape is a fine game and I say this with only a minimal amount of bias – a Dragon Punch-enabled character just makes things so much better.

A fantastic little game that not only looks great, but also is a lot of fun.

Amoebattle succeeds wonderfully at creating a touch-based RTS for iOS. When you take into account the deep gameplay, beautiful visuals (iPad-retina compatible, no less) and approachable control scheme, Amoebattle is a title well worth checking out and joins the short list of great iOS RTS titles.

If you've been craving that simple arcade experience, Pinch Peeps is the way to go.

If you happen to be a Ninja JaJaMaru fan, you’ll love The Great Yokai Battle + Hell. It’s the best game in the series, and not by a little. It’s also packed to the gills with loving references to previous JaJaMaru games and the JalecoVerse in general. If you’re coming to the series for the first time, then this is the one to get. It’s a fun arcade-style action game with lots of hooks to keep you coming back again and again. Not exactly an all-timer, but it’s a very enjoyable game that punches well above this franchise’s historical weight class.

If you're in the market for a new platformer that puts a lot of effort towards replicating an old-school gameplay feel (in all regards) with new-school gameplay ideas, Brick Roll is an excellent game worth checking out.

I can't really think of any better options if you're looking for a Mario Bros. type of game on the App Store. Bonkheads HD has nice high resolution graphics, good controls, tons of levels, and OpenFeint achievements and leaderboards, though sadly no Game Center currently.

Hairy Tales is still an enjoyable puzzler and a great example of how to integrate a variety of puzzle elements with real-time action, all in a title wrapped in a fantastical weird shell. Suffice to say, puzzle fans should take heed at this latest addition, as I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Still, I guess these are minor gripes — Maze Crusade is well worth playing, and it's plenty unique — but I would have been happier if the developers asked for a single, honest price upfront instead of indulging in its medieval scheme.

Fans of classic shooters like Gradius ought to get a lot of fun out of Neoteria. It comes up with plenty of challenge and gives the proper nod to the old games it's clearly inspired by, but it delivers the action in bite size pieces and is easy to pick up and play at anytime.

That familiar shooting gameplay and cool presentation make Silpheed the perfect choice for those looking to dip their toes into the EGGCONSOLE waters. Sure, it doesn’t hold a candle to a modern shooter, but it doesn’t look bad by any means and it plays quite well. The difficulty is smooth enough that you probably don’t even need to use save states and the rewind feature, but those are there if you want. A very cool game for its era and I’m glad we’re able to play it on the Switch.

Sword of Xolan is a fun platformer with great controls and a good variety of enemies. While it's not perfect, it's definitely a great choice for anyone who loves platforming on mobile.

Don't let an unbalanced economy make you shy away from Shark Dash, though. Cracking a level's puzzle-like configuration is a real kick that comes wrapped in a fun theme, vibrant graphics, and, quite likely, the first and only time you'll ever root for a shark.

My Time at Sandrock is an excellent life simulation game that improved on everything in My Time at Portia. It is bigger and better, and the recent updates have made it one I can recommend on Nintendo Switch as well. If you held off on it after hearing how rough things were at launch, you can now grab it. It isn’t as good as My Time at Sandrock on Steam Deck, but it is worth getting for handheld play now.

Satryn DX should appeal to fans of Robotron 2084 and games like it with its no-nonsense action and strong retro-style presentation. We’re certainly not hurting for twin-stick shooters on the Switch at this point, but sometimes you want something that cuts right to the heart of the genre and sets aside all the RPG elements, exploration, and what-not. If you’re craving that distilled enjoyment, give Satyrn DX a look. It’s a good one.

Tap Titans is a fascinating deconstruction of RPGs, and it's something that perhaps fits my tastes to a comical T.

As for this one, Chronus Arc is definitely a worthwhile journey for RPG fans, so long as you don't mind the flat characters.

With 80 levels to play through plus the added replayability of obtaining gold medals for each one, Beyond Ynth will keep you busy for a long time.

Sigma12 is an entertaining arcade game, one that will use both your talent for numbers and your impeccable sense of rhythm.

If you want a comparable experience to the console titles that you can carry around in your pocket, then you will probably end up disappointed in this effort. If you want a gorgeous looking Batman title filled with all sorts of nice fan service and simple combat that won't bust your brain with strategic depth, then Arkham City Lockdown delivers this really well.

If you gobbled up Battle Academy, its sequel, and Pike And Shot, you'll find another excellent serving here. I think this game also offers a strong experience for strategy fans who love the serious designs of Slitherine titles but are looking for something a little less serious thematically from their usual fare. Those who burnt out on previous titles using this engine might want to avoid Hell: Fight For Gilrand, however.

Tapper World Tour contains a ton of content, with more than 40 levels in Story mode and an additional 50+ expert levels when Story is completed.

In its current state, despite some quirks, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster on Steam Deck is a much better experience than the same release on Nintendo Switch. Not only does it run nearly perfectly even at 90fps, but it also can go above when playing docked. If you skipped the Switch release in the hope of a version with better performance, your wait has been worth it. The quality of life improvements in the Switch version already made that worth grabbing, but Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster on Steam is the one to get right now.

Blast Brigade vs the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread does just about everything a Metroidvania-style game should, and that makes it very easy to recommend to fans of the genre. I don’t think it’s going to convince anyone who is tired of this sort of game, because apart from its sense of humor it’s not really doing anything unusual for the genre. But what it does, it does well. The graphics are good, the controls are solid, the pacing and progression is more or less where it should be, the boss battles are enjoyable, and the map designs are good. It’s always fun when something so well-made as this comes seemingly out of nowhere.

Right now, I’d recommend Remnant 2 itself for sure. I love the gameplay, co-op, soundtrack, and improvements over the first game. I do not love the visual downgrade to get it running decently on Steam Deck though. Since it is Steam Deck Verified, Valve likely wants people to buy it to play on Steam Deck, but just be prepared for some tinkering to get it running at an acceptable frame rate. I featured Remnant 2 as one of the best new games to play on Steam Deck in 2023, and I’m expecting it to be on my end of year list as well.

Grayout is quite the rewarding game if you do decide to check it out.

I think that if you enjoyed Warhammer Quest and you're looking for something somewhat related, you will probably find something to like here. I think it does a good job of capturing the unique flavor of HeroQuest while still advancing the rules in a satisfying way.

The gameplay, music, robot hardware upgrades, power-ups and touch controls are all good and destroying the city is fun, especially with a faster robot. However, the graphics are just okay and the tilt controls are not recommended.

Even if you're on the fence, you should at least check out the lite version and see if the tower offense pieces suit your fancy. Either way, it's nice to see advancements made in the area of TD games, and I hope this is a sign of more innovation to come.

If all we were talking about here was the original release, we'd be talking about an awesome game. But the new PongVaders Max takes it to the next level.

In its current state, Company of Heroes 3 is an easy recommendation with the caveat about non standard controls. While you could always use a mouse and keyboard to play it on Steam Deck, I’m impressed with the community layouts, and have enjoyed Company of Heroes 3 quite a bit thanks to one specific layout I used. I assume we will get proper controller support when it hits consoles later this year. Until then, Company of Heroes 3 on Steam Deck is a solid base, and I’m glad that it didn’t fall short of my expectations like Age of Empires IV did at launch.

Ellipsis has few notable flaws, and you'll have a good time if you play it.

It’s rare for a game to be as difficulty and frustrating for me and yet be so enjoyable to play. Chromaticon manages to strike that balance with me and offers a compelling enough experience to keep plowing along until I can eventually complete that next stage and move on.

Ultimately I think VEGA Conflict is a mixed bag that some gamers could take umbrage over certain design decisions. My personal opinion is that it's a free to play game that doesn't keep you from doing the fun stuff, and it's an improvement on an established formula.

The game draws me in because it lets me be creative. It's freeing to play a puzzle game that lets the player decide when a piece is finished.

Of all the games newly released on iOS through SEGA Forever, I think Ristar has come out the best. Granted, a big part of that is the improved emulator, but I also think that its mechanics and difficulty level suit the platform and its input methods better than something like The Revenge of Shinobi [Free]. The game itself is, in my opinion, an underappreciated classic from the Genesis library, the kind of game that could have been a big hit if it had only released a year or two earlier. In short, this is exactly the kind of game I'd like to see more of if SEGA means to stick to mainly Genesis games with the SEGA Forever initiative.

If you have a taste for the surprisingly methodical, The Nightmare Cooperative rewards planning, coordination, and calculation.

It’s a quality game with a very affordable ad removal fee, and we’re not so swimming in dungeon-plunging riches that we should pass that kind of thing up just because of some slightly wonky controls.

It's hard to make anything out of these minor complaints considering how good the game actually is. I only hope that the other games in the series eventually make it to iOS so we experience the complete saga of Avernum.

In general, DynaStunts still manages to be a solid experience. It's casual enough that most people should be able to pick it up, but it's also packed with enough content that those who want to can explore it further.

In the end Mad Chef lives or dies on the joy of tapping. It does a great job with its simple mechanic, veering away from simple spamming to something that takes a lot of thought and attention. And, you know, crazy-fast tapping.

Hackycat is a solid game of kick-ups wrapped in a pretty delightful package—and hey, if you're going to kick cats, make it these ones. They need the help, and you need the cheeseburgers if you're going to kick 'em all.

If you already played Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board! on Switch, there isn’t anything of note here to warrant a double dip barring improved visuals and performance. If you don’t own it yet, I would recommend the Steam Deck version for the best portable experience, and also think the team did a good job of translating the game to more powerful hardware on PS5 and PC. Hopefully Steam Remote Play Together support is added in the future.

If you enjoyed the previous Sniper Elite games, this one is a no-brainer. Sniper Elite 4 carries forward all of the strengths of the previous games and adds in a number of improvements, making for one of the finest stealth action experiences you can get on the Nintendo Switch. Admittedly, there aren’t a whole lot of traditional stealth games on the system, but I think that even if there were this would still be worth checking out. The only real miss is in its rather bland story, but the little stories of your own that you make as you play compensate for it. Overall, an enjoyable experience of the type and quality we don’t see often on the platform.

A Journey Home? was another solid and entertaining episode that, once again, paid homage to Minecraft's incredibly vibrant and inventive community. And that I feel describes the whole series: an homage to those who took that very weird - at the time - game and made it possibly the biggest game ever. While I could point to quite a few issues I had here and there during the series, overall this very long and arduous endeavor was a success and a fun marriage of a sandbox game with a story-based formula.

One word game that has captured my attention, and is worth checking out.

Make no mistake, Dungeon Hunter 5 is knee-deep in its freemium systems and it’s not going to make any converts of those that are staunchly against such elements. However, for those others willing to engage with what it offers in the environment that it offers it in, I believe you’ll have a good time.

If you remember any of the barrel blasting sequences from the Donkey Kong Country series, Land-a Panda is like an extreme homage to these.

I enjoyed Diamond and Pearl back in the day, I enjoyed Platinum a little while later, and I enjoyed Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl here and now. It hits the notes most would want from a Pokemon game, and with this being a remake and Legends being right around the corner, I think its conservative approach can be forgiven.

Vermes on Mars constantly switches from "calmly patrolling the area" to being attacked, which provides a great feeling of tension and release, as you're constantly anticipating the worms– Things become even more exciting when multiple worms or larger worms attack simultaneously which makes for a surprisingly fun gameplay experience.

If Dread Nautical had nailed its atmosphere, it’d be a truly great game, but as-is, it’s still quite a good one. The fact that the story still stays interesting even though it fails to nail down its horror elements is ultimately a mark in its favor, and the gameplay offers enough interesting choices to make it worth checking out for any fans of tactical RPGs.

Squids is remarkable in that it cooly throws out a lot of the garbage I associate with the genre and turns it on its head with a kinetic combat mechanic that keeps you in control without sacrificing any strategy.

Unidentified Falling Objects is perhaps hurt a little by a bland theme, but the gameplay works quite well and I think anyone who enjoyed Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon will have a good time here too. There are lots of challenges and stages to complete, tons of cool unlockables to earn, and a really strong multiplayer mode whether you go against a friend locally or manage to pull in enough people to play online. With solid mechanics, plenty of content, and a functional presentation, this is one UFO that puzzle game fans should enjoy being abducted by.

The pacing is just right, and the controls are more or less perfect.

If the developer can sort out the Game Center and control overlay problems, I really wouldn't have anything to complain about with Double Dragon.

Some of its new ideas could use a bit more hammering out, and I’m not sure it needed as much expanding as it has received. But it, like the game it is based on, is a rather unique game that pulls you in powerfully the more time you spend with it. There isn’t a whole lot like this out there, and it’s handily better than other homages like SolSeraph.