Stray Gods: Orpheus is an easy recommendation for fans of the base game despite its short runtime. I enjoyed the many songs and visuals in the DLC a lot more than I expected, but it should’ve either been cheaper or offered a bit more story. If you’re ok with an hour or so long experience, Stray Gods: Orpheus is worth grabbing, and it also reminded me of how good the game runs and looks on Steam Deck OLED.

A creative, entertaining, and nice looking game which requires strategic decision making, but still has an arcade feel to it. It's almost like playing an insect-based tower defense game, where the tower is your anthill, so it's appropriate that the title includes the words "Trail Defense".

Poker Pals delivers a fun interpretation of poker, with desirable asynchronous play and random match-ups for people without many online friends. It has a high replay value and should come with a warning about time-consumtion, due to the constant, but pleasurable interruptions when it's your turn.

I imagine some folks may complain that Monster Wars feels too much like its precursor without much of a change to the core gameplay. I say, why mess with a good thing? While the game does feel like a re-skin at times, Monster Wars still does a great job taking the classic gameplay from Legendary and transplanting it in a new setting.

On the whole Diablo II: Resurrected still has enough of the old magic left in it to be worth playing today, twenty years later. Thankfully, the developers realized that and largely left things untouched. Most of what has been added is optional even if you don’t find it welcome, and beyond that the only troublesome new bits are a few bugs that will hopefully be fixed. The online/offline character business may cause headaches for those who like to play both on the road and with others, but beyond that I have trouble finding many nits to pick with this remaster.

It definitely feels like their most streamlined version of their formula so far, and comes strongly recommended if you haven't done the Kairosoft thing to death yet. But if you've had enough of the sim formula from Kairosoft you may want to give it a rest, lest you end up as burned out on it as I am.

While the game is flawed, and I'd admittedly love to see a multiplayer version of the game, this is a solid match-3 RPG title.

It's perhaps limited as it's focused toward amusement and tallying up the endings versus telling some kind of grand, cryptic story with it. But if goofy animations for solving cryptic puzzles sounds like fun to you, download this. You'll have a good time.

If the onus is on the multiplayer to give Pocket Titans legs, it needs to be tweaked a little bit, but I think there's more than enough here already to satisfy.

Whether you have reason to be nostalgic for Gridrunner or not, it's worth checking out. It's a best-of-both-worlds sort of remake: faithful to its forebearers but filled with clever modern enhancements. If you're dead-set on believing that the original is best, you can go ahead and play that instead.

G-Darius HD is a full-featured port of a terrific game, and a great way to experience this classic for the first time. The capture ball mechanic and beam dueling add some fun twists to the familiar mechanics that just about anyone can appreciate. Just keep in mind that this is still a Darius game, and as such will not go easy on you. With all of the options and extras included in this version at your fingertips, you just might be able to pull it off.

Qbism is all about perspective, and forces you to think in three dimensions.

The trimmed-down-for-PSP presentation of Persona 3 Portable was an overall detriment to the game in 2009/2010, and it hurts it even more in 2023. Some nasty upscaling works against the stylish UI and excellent character art, and I do at least wish the removed animated cut-scenes had been reinstated for this version. Even with all of that in mind, this is still a great JRPG. Challenging, compelling gameplay mechanics combined with a strong story and a fantastic soundtrack make this an easy pick-up for fans of the genre and series alike, even if one can’t help but wish for a less compromised version.

Every day we see games that pander and require as little of us as possible; it's always a relief to play one that's willing to ask for more.

It's nice to see Om Nom finally freed from the boxes, and the professor has the potential to add a bit more storyline to the series. But if you're looking for something that changes up the formula, significantly expands on the original or otherwise feels brand new, you won't find it here.

If you're into the genre, Leave Me Alone is a great way to relive the glory days on your mobile device. Sure it's not as polished as a lot of other titles, but the gameplay is there, and the power to quickly skate around and fight at will is a neat conceit.

If you're looking for an accessible RPG that'll give you a lot of bang for your buck, give this one a look.

Solomon's Boneyard doesn't claim to be anything but what it is, an endless survival-style version of Solomon's Keep.

There are probably more broadly entertaining Square Enix RPGs you can buy on mobile, especially if you’re looking to splash out a cool twenty. But if you have cozy memories of huddling under your blanket with a flashlight or sneaking a quick bit of grinding at school, Collection of SaGa FF Legend will honor those feelings of nostalgia. If you don’t have those warm fuzzies but happen to have enjoyed the recent SaGa releases, you’ll also want to check these out. They’re not always fun, but they’re certainly interesting.

The racing in Cruis’n Blast truly reflects the game’s arcade roots, focusing on fun over-the-top thrills over any sort of realism. As long as you are okay with that, you’ll likely have as a good of a time with this Switch version as I did. I do wish there was support for online multiplayer as not everyone is going to have willing players in their vicinity, but I guess if a casual player was going to join in on any racing game without Mario in it, it might be this one. It’s colorful, silly, fast, and stylish. Raw Thrills did just about everything it could to make this home version the ultimate way to go Cruis’n, and it certainly does a good job of scratching an itch.

Groove Coaster is a good game with a fundamental flaw. It also has a few nit-picky problems, too, like it's spectacularly abrupt ending and horrible "How To," but the strength of its presentation, music, and RPG-lite systems make up for anything that could sour the experience.

The issue is that the meta-game surrounding Space Colors is a bit lacking.

It's fun and challenging without any of the dangers associated with real mining (except perhaps mesothelioma, though I'm not sure there's a connection between it and Peak Gold).

Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown offers exactly what it appears to: a cozy little single-player tabletop RPG experience. While there is certainly a lot of shine in the way it looks, sounds, and moves, the heart of the game is simply that thing that Tin Man Games has been giving us for well over ten years now. It’s an interesting branching narrative where you feel a true sense of agency in the outcome, spiced with a proper sense of danger to keep you on your toes. If you’re a fan of Tin Man’s previous work or simply like the sound of this game’s premise, you’re likely to have a good time here.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is an excellent game for single player content with varied and challenging stages, great music, and frustrating fun held back by a very annoying technical issue. If you get used to that, it is absolutely worth getting just to play solo. While the multiplayer modes had potential, it is embarrassing how they feel right now online.

If you've got the patience to stick it out, though, Dice Soccer will give you more content than you can handle.

Despite its slightly awkward free-to-play nature and its sometimes-bizarre controls, Starlit Adventures is cute, sweet, and compelling. Can't ask for much more out of a game that's about a mole.

While Saving Moo's core gameplay certainly borrows some of its elements from previous successful titles, its light hearted foundation and overall wacky presentation puts it above the rest of the pack.

If you care more about story and overall presentation, then Bard's humorous story, great voice acting, and decent graphics should leave you highly satisfied.

This is a small roguelike built around quick and fast sessions for you to enjoy when you have a free moment. Take it for that, and you'll have a good time here.

Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Edition brings the game to the Nintendo Switch in about as good a form as the hardware is capable of, thanks to the talented and experienced folks at Saber Interactive. While there is no mistaking this for the versions on more powerful hardware, this isn’t a bad way to play the game at all. It’s another “impossible port" to enjoy on the go for Switch owners.

If you’re just here for the excellent action stages, you can just do the minimum for the music bits and it will be fine. On the other hand, if you like the musical end of things, you’ll likely be satisfied with the audio and music-making portions of the game. Monomals is a clever little game, and that’s as true on the Switch as it was on Apple Arcade.

KINGDOM HEARTS III is a lot more demanding compared to the other releases here, and it understandably struggles to hit a locked 60fps out of the box on Steam Deck. With a bit of tweaking, that is possible though, and having native KINGDOM HEARTS III on a handheld with rock solid performance, is excellent. If you held off on the games on PS4 or Xbox One before, KINGDOM HEARTS III is a solid PC release that has no issues running on Steam Deck including its cut-scenes. I enjoyed my time revisiting it on the go.

The Badge of Carnage series has been good throughout, and Beyond Reasonable Doom is no exception.

Freemium done well, offering more entertainment for your download than most of its competition.

What Tempest does well it does really well. If you ignore the loose ends and missed opportunities, you have a five star must play game. Even in its current incarnation, a few patches and an update could bring this game to the forefront of the app store. As it is, I have hope that we can see updates that could bring a real introduction, a fix to intermittent camera/graphical lag and a difficulty indicator per each fight or maybe some balance tweaks for certain fights(or boarding for that matter). With a number of tech updates already released, my hopes are high. If you keep in mind that the seas can be a little rough, you are going to have a whole lot of fun playing Tempest . This game is worth the investment.

Overall, Death Come True is one of my favorite FMV experiences for sure. While I was hoping for more polish in the localization with the lack of subtitles for many things, the story was excellent and I enjoyed my time across the game with its multiple endings. Hopefully Izanagi Games can patch in subtitles for the bonus content and some of the in-game text because Death Come True deserves better. While this isn’t a visual novel or adventure game that Danganronpa fans would be hoping for, I’m glad to see Kazutaka Kodaka try out new things in his first released project with Too Kyo Games.

I didn't expect much from Burn it Down, but I ended up spending a good hour with it.

The early experience can be very frustrating as you get a feel for when you should press on and when you should head back to town. Then you settle into a groove, and it feels good in a fairly mindless way. Then it starts to get a little repetitive, because the game never really tries anything too different and there certainly isn’t much in the way of a plot to keep you going. Grinding-as-lotto makes it an easy game to pick up and put down, and the absence of plot or direction means it’s one of those rare RPGs that you truly can digest in small bites over the course of a long period of time. It serves a very specific need, but if you have that need it does a great job of handling it.

Fireside is a simple experience in a lot of ways, but it does what it does to a satisfying degree of quality. It feels a bit plain in terms of presentation, but the amusing characters, strong gameplay loop, and well-formed trading mechanics make it a hard game to put down. If you’re looking for a low-stress game to chill with for a while, you could do a lot worse than this one.

Mad Bullets isn't likely to revive the genre, but as a lighthearted homage to vintage shooters and Western movies, it's a winner.

If you have access to a Switch and Steam Deck, I would get Let’s School on Steam Deck for better performance and faster load times. Performance isn’t perfect on Deck either, but it is better than Switch. Despite the cutbacks, the Switch port felt a lot better than I expected all things considered.

While the experience lasts it's well worth the price of admission.

Overall, Shooty Skies is a fun, clever follow up to Crossy Road, a game that, surely, was hard to live up to. The crazy, endless flyer delivers an above-average experience, though not without a few prevalent flaws, and will appeal to Crossy fans and new players alike.

With rhythm games, I’m really looking for two things at the end of the day. First, are the gameplay mechanics easy to pick up, but scale up in challenge well? And second, is the music good? LOUD passes both of those tests well. The rocking soundtrack is pleasing to the ears, and while the gameplay isn’t the most original thing I’ve played, it does its job the way it should. Throw in a high-quality presentation and a story that managed to hold my interest and you’ve got a pretty cool game.

For the price, this game is a pretty safe purchase for any fan of Duke or action games.

It's a sharp, fast-paced romp and while its somewhat hampered by its diminutive length, there's enough of Liberation Maiden to warrant attention. Bombs away.

Rocking an excellent tone and a visual flair reminiscent of a new age 8-bit game. It's highly stylized and fitting, especially when you factor in the retro-infused music that plays over the action. It's good stuff.

If you like Hearthstone and social RPGs like Puzzles & Dragons, this could really be your new favorite game. If you have a low tolerance for free-to-play junk and don’t have a lot of time to put into grinding up a nice stable of diverse characters and cards, then I probably lost you a while ago anyway.

With its tilt-based controls, single-screen environments, and arrow-and-dot based characters, you’d be forgiven for thinking Abzorb was trying to be the next Tilt To Live. Luckily, it has a surprising number of clever new mechanics that set it apart from its obvious inspiration, to the point where at some points it almost feels more like a puzzle game than anything else.

They Need To Be Fed 2 is familiar but worthy followup to They Need To Be Fed, and both are great little platformers. If you're new to the series, hop straight into the sequel. You won't be missing much that can't be found within. If you're already a fan, you know what to expect: the struggle, the achievement, the inevitable death. A hundred meaningful deaths or more, with hundreds of dangerous jumps in between.

There's heaps of defense-type games, but Zombie Gunship stands out because of it's stark realism.

This game is fun and mindless-you get out of it whatever you put into it. To be honest, randomized/endless dungeon crawlers aren't usually my thing, but Skeletomb may have just changed my mind.

On the whole, everything that makes up Into the Dim feels kind of sloppy, but that doesn't stop it from being a clever little dungeon crawler.

Magenta Arcade is definitely a shoot 'em up worth checking out for anyone who appreciates the genre, or even has been looking for something that feels right on mobile.

You might not find a challenge, but you'll find a lot of charm.

Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright Trilogy HD is an excellent adventure experience all-round. Sure, the lack of true iPad Retina or widescreen support is a bit of a letdown, but it's hardly a deal-breaker.

If you're after something relaxing and a refreshing change from the plethora of endless runners and tower defense games that are cluttering up your iPad, you could do a hell of a lot worse than Alchemists.

Fans of the Guardians, whether the new team or the old, will certainly be pretty happy with The Universal Weapon. It's not an original game, but it is a well-crafted one, and it fits a team-based set of characters nicely.

Storyteller feels like the perfect game to play over a few sittings with a cup of coffee in the morning. I enjoyed seeing how various scenes I tried putting together played out with lovely animations, but hoped to see more possibilities for solutions. In its current state, Storyteller is a short but great experience that I recommend to anyone wanting to experience something only possible through games. It also has been a joy to play in handheld mode on Switch. Storyteller is great, but it would definitely benefit from an expanded release that also sees a retail version on Switch.

The runner clearly isn’t dead yet. Lub vs Dub proves the genre’s heart beats louder and faster than ever.

It's not the most complex roguelike, or the cleverest. It is, however, just right for a casual dungeon delve on a mobile device. There's just enough meat to keep it compelling, and not so much complexity that you'll ever have trouble recalling your strategy when you come back from a break.

It's the type of game a nine-year-old on a Surge bender would design, but Thunderbow is vivid, imaginative, and well-executed, even if its conceits are well-established by now. It's simultaneously childish and childlike, but it's so pure in its vision that I couldn't help but enjoy it.

Revenant Dogma is another good effort from EXE-Create, a JRPG very much in line with their usual strengths.

Ragdoll Blaster 3 is more inviting than the series has ever been before, and it's filled with fun physics challenges at the cost of relatively little frustration.

Its easy-to-learn-but-difficult-to-master gameplay, beautiful graphics, challenging environments, and rich selection of ambient sounds have gelled together into one of the most enjoyable and pure gaming experiences I've had on a mobile device, one that all gamers will enjoy.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed playing, and there is a strong "one more try" factor when aiming to get the most equal segment proportions possible.

It's hard not to recommend The Hero simply due to its terrific style and over the top humor.

Overall, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is a must play on iOS with a few caveats right now. The game itself is superlative but the port leaves some things to be desired. Hopefully the notch issues can be resolved in an update because as of now, you will have to play with the notch on the right so you don’t miss out parts of the interface. The lack of cloud saves remains annoying as well. Just like the first game, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition is the one I will recommend to new players looking at which platform has the best version of Danganronpa 2 to play right now despite its issues as an iOS port. With both the original Danganronpa games now on iOS, I can’t wait to see how the final mainline game feels on iOS when it arrives later this year.

Its visuals are easily top-tier, the story is intriguing and the combat system, while a bit monotonous, is still engaging (particularly with a controller). Most importantly, it’s fun, and I think it’s worth playing simply for the visuals and story. Regardless, assuming you can handle the combat and violence, I highly recommend picking up.

It's all I need from a game, really. And for the love of God, if you've ever enjoyed a Japanese pop song, buy it, because it's pretty much made for you.

Arcade Jumper is a fun game, especially once you've unlocked the double-jump. However, the restart delays are excessive and the constant returning to the beginning is wearing thin and may stop some players from seeing the zones full of sloping and tilting platforms, asteroids and fireballs ....and probably other stuff I haven't seen yet, because of constantly returning to the beginning.

It's easy to pick up and manage, and despite a stark difficulty spike, it's fun to play.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is another strong Warriors game for the Switch, and it certainly holds up on the technical end a lot better than Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity did even if it’s not perfect. The heavier lean on RPG and strategic elements compared to the usual Warriors game helps it feel more like a Fire Emblem game even if the nuts-and-bolts action is pure Warriors fare. If you loved Three Houses and want to spend more time with its cast, this is a great way to do so, and if you’re fan of the general Warriors series you’ll also find plenty to get into here.

In its current state, Ooblets is an easy recommendation at its discounted launch price if you enjoy life and farming simulation games despite the performance issues. While it isn’t perfect even when played on Xbox Series X going by the bit I played there to compare, Ooblets does a great job of blending creature collecting and life simulation elements together with a ton of its own charm. I hope potential future updates can address the performance issues on Switch because Ooblets feels like a fantastic fit for the Switch’s library, and I look forward to seeing how it evolves over time.

The bottom line is that Final Freeway is fun, plays extremely well, looks great, and will scratch that OutRun itch whenever you need it to.

Alexander is yet another excellent offering and worthy addition to the franchise. Fans of the base game and Barbarian Invasion expansion will find a new and compelling scenario to explore, though it is worth noting once more that, thanks to the turn limit, the campaign is focused on Alexander's military expedition more than the economic and cultural stabilization of his growing kingdom. It's also worth noting that there's been no improvements or chances made to the original source code - warts and all, this is a straight up port of the original PC experience. If you haven't tried Rome: Total War, I'd suggest starting there and working your way up to the expansions if you want more content.

Avatar of the Wolf is a tough one to nail down. It has a lot of weak points, but I still found myself in its thrall for the duration of the story. I really appreciate its speedy pace and nearly single-minded focus on the main plot. I also feel like the character had really good reasons to treat others like they were expendable or unimportant, a convenient bit of cover-up for an element many ChoiceScript authors struggle with. I'm not sure I'll remember Avatar of the Wolf for a long time, but I certainly had a lot of fun with it in the moment.

Ultimately, Blue Reflection: Second Light is another high-quality effort from Gust. Its unique setting, strong character work, and attractive presentation are the highlights here, but it doesn’t outright drop the ball in any categories. If you’re looking for a cozy, low-stress RPG to spend some time with, Blue Reflection: Second Light makes a compelling case. Those who, like me, caught on to Gust with the Atelier Ryza games will certainly want to check this game out. It has many of the same charms, but with enough differences to make it stand on its own.

While it is easy to be skeptical of free-to-play games like this, especially from a big publisher, Rival Knights winds up being quite the fun game.

It's another strong licensed effort for the Ninja Turtles, even if it probably won't be one for the history books.

Compelling enough that even the sometimes-imprecise controls can add to the overall sense of accomplishment when completing levels.

Final Fantasy 8 Remastered took its time coming to mobile platforms. The port isn’t optimal but it is adequate. Certainly well-done enough that you should be able to enjoy the game for what it is. Now, whether or not that game is going to be to your tastes is another matter entirely. It’s an odd duck, but it has a devoted following for a reason. If you’ve got an open mind for a JRPG that wanders off the beaten path in more ways than one, and not always in a good way, you might end up a fan yourself. I’m not sure it was the right follow-up to Final Fantasy 7‘s blockbuster success, but there’s plenty to love about Final Fantasy 8‘s unique charms.

I’d easily recommend this to those looking for a well-told, emotional story with an interesting presentation, but if you want something that pushes back with its mechanics, it may not be the right game for you.

Bioshock for iOS isn’t perfect, and I can understand the hesitance from those that may have already played it before. But for newcomers, it’s still an experience that needs to be taken.

There’s something to be said about a puzzle game that knows exactly what kind of row it wants to hoe and focuses on doing it as best as it possibly can, and that’s just what The Last Cube has to offer.

If you're more the casual gamer and not trained for this retro style of twitch gameplay, you may want to look elsewhere, but for the hardcore shooter fan with masochistic tendencies, you need look no further than Soul Grinder.

I found Zengrams to be a satisfying puzzle game, albeit sometimes a very frustrating one. It worked better for me as something I would play for a few minutes and then put away for a while so that I could come back to it with a fresh brain, but each and every victory was a sweet one.

I really enjoyed the story of Aquadine and its various routes. It’s well-written, the setting is unique, and the character interactions are interesting. Its mysteries are intriguing and the plot delivers well on them for the most part. The only thing that really bothered me is the way the characters would vibrate to express certain emotions. I’d rather have had them static than looking like they just stuck a fork in a toaster. Other than that, if you enjoy a good visual novel, you’ll probably like Aquadine.

Angerforce - Strikers isn't quite as high-quality as the Cave games it clearly homages, but it does get awfully close, and taking the price into account, that's a pretty good deal.

Go Round is an easygoing game. That's not to say it's easy—later levels can be mindboggling. It's just not pushy. Turns out that's a strange feeling—almost as strange as playing a match three that doesn't care about tidiness. Strange is rare. Enjoy it.

If you've enjoyed these types of games before, Castle Frenzy is worth serious consideration.

The moment you start thinking too hard about it, your fingers get tangled and it all falls apart.

It helps that Battle Slugs throws in a ton of character to keep you entertained.

Who I really expect to sway into checking out Madden NFL (11) 12 are the casual sports fans, or people like me, who are vaguely interested in sports games but found the various technicalities of football games to generally be annoying.

Part of the charm of Pivotol is in the fact that it’s totally endless, with no levels to speak of. It’s a game to be played because it’s fun to make tiles disappear, rather than because you feel the need to progress. It’s surely not going to be for everyone, but for me, Pivotol tickles all the right spots and I’m thoroughly enjoying my time with it.

At its core, Crowman & Wolfboy operates like many runner games have before it. But with a unique visual style and a believably haunting world, it's worth checking out, if only to see how slick the animation looks in action.

It's a bit of a slow burner, but if you like logic puzzles and word games, Spellpix will provide you with hours of entertainment.