A rather rock-solid and fun adventure game well worth sinking the handful of hours it will take to fully explore and enjoy everything this point-and-clicker has to offer.

At first glance, Z might scare off people, but once you figure out how it works it's perfect for fans of both casual and deep RTS games, it's just too bad there isn't a little more handholding from the outset to bring in new fans.

Orc: Vengeance is not without its issues. However, these minor annoyances are simply that. Even with these, you're still left with a great hack n' slash action-RPG with plenty of loot, decent controls and beautiful visuals.

Escape the Ape has been interesting to play over the past couple of days, and the game trailer (above) is quite amusing, so I've definitely got my 99 cents worth of entertainment, but the novelty of swiping trampolines every couple of seconds is wearing off, especially given the large gaps between upgrades.

Xtreme Sports is one of those games that would have flown past most players back when it released, and as a WayForward Game Boy Color offering it still tends to live in the shadow of Shantae. I’m not sure if I can be the one to change anyone’s mind about it, but I can at least back up the many other reviews of this game over the years by saying that there is more to this game than you might think at a glance. If you’ve ever enjoyed any events-based sports game or can appreciate a good score/time attack game, you really should give this one a shot.

Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is a heartwarming and accessible adventure puzzler that I recommend on Steam Deck over Nintendo Switch if you have the option. I’m glad to see Riot Forge changing up genres like this as well, and while this release feels more suited to a younger audience, it is a great game that has been a joy to experience on Steam Deck over the last week.

What's really nice about The War of Eustrath is that the UI has been built lovingly around the touch interface.

Sure, the game lacks the polish of its parents. And sure, you can find games with more visual variety, features, and assets for around half the price. But the game on offer here is definitely solid for what it is.

If you're new to the series, I'd actually recommend checking out They Need To Be Fed 2 first, since it's a bit more friendly in its difficulty progression and it's not missing anything important that you would find here. If you've played a game in this series before and enjoyed it, then you'll want to go ahead and pick this one up right now.

If you skipped the original Norn9 release, play that first for sure. If you liked it or end up liking it, Norn9: Last Era is essential for all it adds to the universe. It really pushes the envelope for a fandisk and feels like a blend of that and a sequel release thanks to everything included. On its own, it is hard to recommend Norn9: Last Era, but fans of the original will find a lot to love here.

Retro City Rampage DX is without a doubt a well-made game, and one with some real high points to it. But there is that question of whether you should play it when the games it takes obvious inspiration from are available for about the same price.

I can't think of the last time I've had this much fun playing a game I've never heard of.

Overall, LMO is a pretty fun game with a great amount of content that will entertain young and old(er) gamers.

If you skipped Where Cards Fall on Apple Arcade, it is a fine experience on Nintendo Switch. While the lack of touchscreen support is very disappointing, I like the controller scheme in place, and the rumble feedback is also appreciated. Where Cards Fall is a lovely puzzle game that could’ve been better without some of the slow cut-scenes. I get that they are part of the intended experience, but I feel like they’d have been better without any interaction as just movies in between the levels.

The thruster physics feel great, the level design is excellent, both in looks and layout, and it all works very well, but it doesn't quite mesh with the story.

Fatcat Rush is lovely to look at and fun to play, and I have a feeling that it'll capture a lot of attention, especially at such a reasonable price.

Paradise stands as a solid standard bearer for the Rusty Lake brand. As a stand alone installment, this is as good a place as any to get into the narrative feel and personality behind these games. For veterans of this series of games you will find nods and small connections to the predecessors of Paradise. If you are looking for a dark story with some themes of rituals, biblical plagues, family secrets and a few highlights of puzzle gameplay, you are going to fit right in with what this game offers. While I wouldn't recommend for very young children I was able to play this game in front of my gradeschool aged kids with a few caveats and explanations of certain events. It's a great addition to the Rusty Lake cult series of strangeness and worthy of a few bucks for the avid gamebook enthusiast!

It's a little on the shorter side, and its board design leans a bit heavily on the same particularly type of skill shot, but overall, it's still a solid experience that is greatly elevated by its excellent presentation. Given that it's basically free, it's hard to come up with reasons why you shouldn't at least give it a try.

Dragon Hills takes the core idea of flying a dragon, strips it down to its absolute basics, and goes wild.

Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery is an excellent hidden object game across its campaign and the many user-created levels I’ve played so far on iPad and iPhone. It has a few UI issues holding it back, but Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery is an easy recommendation if you enjoy the genre or want a new game to relax with.

As much it’s kind of a bummer that you can’t pay to get rid of the ads, Pandoraid is still a really fun game that will keep you playing for a good long while. The retro-style visuals and chip-tune soundtrack are great at evoking a vintage feel, the controls work well, and the unlocks are both enjoyable and meaningful.

Rocket Ski Racing is a very solid game from a very solid developer, and I can’t wait to see what No Can Win puts out next.

A rare treat: a puzzle game filled with variety, but trusting in its players enough to get out of their way.

With all the comparisons and nods to Super Mario Bros., mobile gamers might wonder if The Other Brothers is their platformer's Mario. I wouldn't go that far, but 3D Attack's long-awaited entry in the house that Mario built is charming, humorous, and most importantly, feels darn good in motion. Give it time to grow and I foresee it getting even better.

As we said, it's not necessarily the best rhythm game or best fighting game, but if you're interested in something that's quite a bit different than your traditional game, and contains really high quality music and presentation, then check out Rhythm Spirit .

It's a strange little thing, to be sure, but I'd definitely recommend A Dark Room to people who appreciate off-beat RPGs, fans of experience-driven games, or really anyone looking for something a little bit different from usual.

Fire Emblem Engage is a more single-minded entry in the series than we’ve seen in a while. A lot of the things people may have loved about Three Houses don’t return here, and the battles are left to carry the load. The more focused design is by choice and I respect that, but it didn’t mean the characters and story had to be as diminished as they are. It’s fortunate that the battle mechanics ratchet things up this time, with the new Emblem system and the returning weapon triangle adding compelling strategic layers. Fans of the tactical aspect at the core of Fire Emblem will find a lot to like, but it’s a shame that the overall package isn’t as strong.

The competition for high scores is intense.

Joining Hands 2 is as enjoyable as the first one was. It's a bit slow to ramp up, but it does ramp up, and does so nicely.

Tiny Farm doesn't do a thing to break the mold here, but what it does do, it executes expertly.

With a good deal of attractive gameplay elements I think it's possible to overlook the game's shortcomings and have a good time.

Series fans will definitely want to give this game a look if only to see how the long-running and well-loved franchise got its start. For a game that is more than a quarter of a century old, it plays remarkably well. It’s also a fantastic choice for those looking for a lighter RPG bite, provided they’re willing to put up with a few eccentricities owing to its age.

While I’m sure some players are suffering from a bit of Cotton burn out with so many releases in such a short span of time, but if you like shooters you’ll want to check out Cotton Fantasy. The game is very enjoyable from a design standpoint and it holds up quite well on the technical end, especially compared to a few of the less impressive Cotton ports we’ve seen on Switch. Those who are performance sensitive will find the game runs a lot better in docked mode, but I didn’t mind it in handheld either. I’m a bit torn as to whether or not this game is better than Cotton Reboot, but that’s good company to be keeping.

Overall, though, All Is Lost is a very solid take on the genre. In fact, despite my complaints I’d say it’s one of the most fun runners I’ve played in some time.

If you're looking for a hefty tower defense title and you've got an appetite for darling designs, you ought to check this out.

The Descent had a whole host of depth that I didn’t expect, and was most definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Barring the issues with the visuals when played docked, Lil’ Guardsman is worth your time on Nintendo Switch for its writing, puzzles, voice acting, charm, and colorful visuals. It manages to bring in a few styles together well in a compelling package that is only held back by minor issues right now. If you do get it on Switch, play handheld and make use of the touchscreen for the best experience.

The well-designed puzzles and ability to float objects, all within a physics-based platforming game, with retro pixel-art and a nod to H.G Wells, is a winning combination.

If you love Phoenix Wright, this purchase is an absolute no-brainer – just do it.

Worlds fulfills at least one promise of any sequel: it's more of the same great game. And while we'd love to have seen more progression, this is still a fantastic product that should keep you busy in bursts or even in couch sessions. I recommend it.

Episode 3 is an awesome iOS RPG and a wondrous melding of classic and not-so-classic mechanics.

Shatter Remastered Deluxe is the brick-breaker to own. Like, if you’re only getting one, this is it. There’s nothing else out there in the genre that plays as well as this, and it keeps pace with the best of its peers in terms of presentation and sheer content. There are a few light technical issues here that I hope will be addressed in the future, but even if it stays as-is, it’s more than worth the reasonable asking price.

Freemium experiences on iOS just keep getting better.

Pikmin 1+2 brings two very unique GameCube games to the Switch in about as direct a manner as possible. These games have been reissued before on the Wii (and again on the Wii U Virtual Console), but this is the first time they’ve been available in handheld form. Apart from a higher resolution and the removal of a few licensed elements, these releases make almost no changes to the original games. Still, whether you’re looking to revisit the early Pikmin games or are coming to them for the first time, this is a good, affordable way to enjoy them.

This is a fun adventure with enough meat on its bones to easily justify its asking price. It’s still not perfect, but I’m glad the developer was able to finally get Mr Tako in his best threads, so to speak.

If a lack of online leaderboards is a deal-breaker for you, Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo won’t be to your liking. Despite the high value I place on that feature, I found the game was able to present enough to dig into that I still got my kicks anyway. With so many unique mechas to play as, stages to challenge, mini-bosses and bosses to battle, and a bevy of unlockables, this is one shoot-em-up that just keeps on giving. If you don’t care about online score attacking, you’ll likely have an even better time with it than I did.

Ray’z Arcade Chronology is a fantastic collection of a slightly mixed trilogy of shooters. If you’re a fan of the Ray games, then buy this with full confidence. M2 has done a terrific job as usual. Shooter fans will also likely get their thrills thanks to the online leaderboards and achievements. If you’re totally new to Ray and are only a modest fan of the genre, I’d give this a slightly softer recommendation, but I still believe you’ll find something to like here.

They've taken all of the great elements of the first game, refined them, and added a ton more content on top. If you were a fan of the original game, then you should no doubt enjoy this one even more.

It’s well worth the price if you enjoy puzzles.

Angel Salvation seems needlessly complex on the outset, but none of the mechanics or currencies are particularly deep once you get the hang of them.

This unique sphere-tossing game has awesome cube-explosions, and that's always worth paying for.

As score-chasers go, Quantum: Recharged is very good. It’s fairly unique (though NiGHTS into Dreams fans will be nodding their heads to the paralooping), extremely tense, and has that compelling quality that makes you want to take one more go every time you die. If you aren’t into climbing online leaderboards you might find it has too little to offer, but I’d hope people understand what the Recharged line is offering by now. If you’re down with that, then you’ll likely find Quantum: Recharged to be an excellent addition to your library.

Yggdrasil is giving Elder Sign a serious run for its money in the field of board games I most like to play solo. It plays beautifully on iPad, and looks nearly as good as it plays. Most of all, I enjoy Ygdrassil because it's a game that gives me a good measure of control over my fate, and the fate of the world by extension.

VineKing is very loveable, with charming art and a soundtrack that keeps things stressful. It's also a strikingly original game.

You won't do anything wildly new in Tower of the Elephant, but what you can do is enjoy some good old fashioned gameplay where you kick butt and take names, enjoy quests, and rack up achievements for it.

There are far worse problems for a game to have than too much free content, though. If you haven't played Blendoku before, I'd easily recommend skipping ahead to this one, as it's a more refined and well-rounded package.

I suspect most people will be more than satisfied with just one of the two games, but for the diehards and gamers who missed out on the first one, Pacific Skies is the one to get.

Right from the start Felix the Reaper makes three promises: There will be dark comedy, there will be shadow puzzles, and there will be dancing skeletons. It delivers on all three. The humour is black, the puzzles are interesting, and Felix’s dance moves are excellent, if somewhat mistimed. This is clearly a labour of love, and that love shows through clearly. Unfortunately, it was not evenly distributed, and the rough patches make themselves known rather quickly. Nevertheless, I would encourage you, oh reader mine, to give it a shot. Watch some gameplay, read a few reviews—it could be just the game for you!

The characters and the world will slowly grow on you. Combat is brief and brutal, yet satisfying.

If you're new to the series, you'll get more bang for your buck by picking up Harmony 2, and I'd certainly strongly recommend that you do that, if you haven't played a Harmony game before.

There is a lot to love about this game. If you ever feel stuck, change up your approach. You might be surprised at the variety.

Ant Raid might be a little light for the serious RTS crowd - its focus is on frantic action far more than management or organization. For anyone who wants some strategy in their action games, though, it's a perfect fit.

So, should you download Need For Speed: No Limits? Well, it’s fun, and free, so I say go for it. Just be prepared to switch back to Horizon Chase while your energy refills.

The art style is cute, the gameplay is fun and well-suited to the iPhone, and the two modes are neatly packaged and make the game easy to look at and play. Parachute Ninja is an easy purchase.

The core design of Galaxy of Pen & Paper represents a solid improvement over the original game. It has more new ideas and executes on them better than Knights of Pen & Paper 2 did. The production values feel a lot higher, too. Overall, you can feel the years of gained experience between the game that made Behold's name and their return to the brand. I just wish they would allocate more points into their bug-busting and difficulty balancing skills. I suppose it says something that even with its flaws, I still think RPG fans definitely ought to check this one out.

At its core, FireWhip is a high score chaser, albeit one with a unique mechanic. But its style, the presentation goes a long way toward making this even more satisfying to play than a basic presentation would be, and elevates the whole thing.

With a compelling story, plenty of content, and a character customization system that works, Shadow Sun succeeds in its goal as a Western RPG. I only hope that trend continues and we see future outings.

It's a shame that the best way to monetize the game was to make it frustratingly slow, because that will undoubtedly turn away many potential players. Don't make their mistake. Slow and steady wins the restaurant race, so take it easy and cook up something nice.

While it's a little on the short side and there isn't a lot of replay value to it, for the price the iOS version goes for, Yet It Moves is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys puzzle platformers.

If you're a free to play gamer used to the often basic games that litter the Top Free chart on the App Store, Real Racing 3 is going to knock your socks off.

Sword & Soldiers might be shackled to side-scrolling RTS convention, but it's smart and vibrant where it counts.

Really, Astra stands out among other orbital platformers for its unique art and great feel. But it is a trying game, and one that caused me to quit constantly and go play something else, to the point that it was difficult to proceed.

The level designs are varied and interesting, and ramp up in difficulty as you'd expect with the last chapter requiring more thought than the fairly easy first levels. The difficulty increases because there's more game elements placed on the screen to navigate through.

Make no bones about it, Adventure To Fate: Quest To The Future is an RPG for those who are looking primarily for an enjoyable, yet familiar, battle experience.

If you only have one device and don’t mind some small touch targets for the interface, Slay the Spire will easily be one of the best games you play on your iOS device. Once these issues get addressed, I can see Slay the Spire becoming one of my most played games on iOS after it has already been on that list on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One in recent months.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed Time Crash, despite its few hiccups. The single-player levels provided serious challenge and diversity, while the daily challenges and endless mode kept me coming back for more. It's also beautiful to look at and has a unique combination of visual (and gameplay) styles that set it apart just enough from other games in the genre. If you enjoy runners, you should definitely give this one a look. It stole my time while I was simultaneously saving time within the game. Simply put, it's a good price for a good game.

So, yes, in some ways, Trace 2 doesn't quite make the splash in the here and now that the original made five years ago. Does it matter, though? It is a very good sequel and a lot of obvious care has been put into the meat of the game, the gameplay mechanics and level design.

If, like me, you’ve been off the Kairosoft wagon for a while, you might enjoy the familiar yet expanded take on the developer’s usual town builder formula found in Dream Town Island. If you’ve been on the wagon all along, you probably already bought this and finished it. And, as usual, if you’ve never played a Kairosoft game before, your first one will be amazing. Maybe that will be this one. It’s a bit busy for its own good and I think the design isn’t nearly as tight thanks to all of the added systems, but it’s certainly engaging and pleasant to dig into.

At just a few bucks, BLOCnog is a steal, and a great way to spend an entire weekend, or a few minutes at a time solving puzzles.

I think that for what it does, which is being a smaller, casual arcade game, it does a good job at being something fun to sit back and play again and again, while also trying to be retro, not just use the pixel art aesthetic.

While it probably won't blow you away, Tap & Blast is a great free game that will easily last you an afternoon. It has a sense of style, great controls, and a good amount of variety to keep you interested. My chief complaint is that it would have been a much better offering as a premium app rather than the heavy IAP scheme it employs now, but considering how fun the game is, it's worth wading through.

That pedigree shows from the start– particularly where the artwork is concerned– an outstanding PvZ-stylized canvass of highly detailed, inked environments and characters make up the world of Pro Zombie Soccer.

Barring the performance and crashing issues, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut has been adapted to the Switch really well with smart compromises and great tweaks to the interface and controls. My concerns about the UI and text were all put to rest after I launched it and played for an hour. If the technical issues can be addressed, this will be my favorite version of the game by far. It also has me very optimistic about a potential iPad port which likely wouldn’t have these issues.

Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal is a game that was clearly ahead of its time, and that means it holds up very well in this Switch incarnation. Feral Interactive has done its usual solid work here, borrowing elements from later games in the series and giving the player the choice of whether they want to use the big new additions or not. If you’re like me and haven’t played a game in this series before, this seems like a good place to start. If you’re more familiar with the newer games it might be a little hard to go back to this game in some ways, but I think there’s still a lot of enjoyment to be had with its clever-for-its-age structure.

If you are a fan of Uncharted, this is a must download. If you like puzzle games, this will definitely scratch your itch for a while.

With no IAP in sight and great pacing, Rogue Agent is a great way to spend an evening for stealth fans. There's enough variety in there to keep you busy, and though the aesthetics may not grow on you over time, the gameplay will.

It’s simply a cool, interesting mashup of elements that somehow works into a reasonable and enjoyable overall gameplay experience.

I’ve been really impressed with Odd Bot Out, even the lack of tutorials provided a challenge which was a puzzle in itself. The game is fresh, challenging, and the wobbly walk of our robotic hero is definitely worth checking out if you like puzzle games.

I only have a few knocks on C.A.R.L., and they’re not huge ones. There’s one particular level that is an outright pain in the butt, and not in a fun way. The bosses lack spice, and are overall far too easy to fell. The game’s humor is trying hard, and that’s always going to be a subjective thing. If you don’t plan on scouring for all the secrets, the game could feel too short. But as mentioned, none of these are big issues for the game. It’s a fun, energetic platformer with sharp level designs and a lot of personality. Certainly worth a go for fans of the genre.

"Raving Dead" is easily stronger than "Moai Better Blues" and more interesting than, if not executed as well as "Ice Station Santa." Here's hoping the last two episodes keep up the good work.

If you loved the iPhone version of Enigmo and see yourself getting involved with the custom level packs, Enigmo Deluxe is worth the upgrade. However, if you missed Enigmo the first time around, and enjoy challenging physics puzzles, look no further than Enigmo Deluxe for the iPad.

If you're exceedingly patient, or don't often find yourself endlessly retrying levels in games like this to perfectly clear each level, Amazing Breaker is an effortless recommendation.

The control issues mentioned above, while frustrating, don't detract greatly from the rest of the game. Apocalypse Max is still a great hybrid of platforming and shoot-em-up elements.

A well-crafted – though hardly groundbreaking – puzzle game. It's fun and extremely well-executed, with enough challenging puzzles to keep you occupied.

Those looking for a decent challenge will find it in simply trying to solve the puzzles that open the doors that allow you to progress, but those looking for some extra spice will find it in trying to track down all of the collectibles in each area. There is also a hard mode that is less kind with where it respawns you if you should perish. But generally, I think most people will have the best time by simply enjoying the ride through this rather gorgeous game. Go for those collectibles if you’re feeling it, but otherwise, just enjoy that nice chew of observing your surroundings and solving some puzzles. Youropa has a real vibe, and if you’re into what it’s laying down you’ll have a great time with it.

I like the attempts to add complexity, but CivCrafter takes it to its logical extreme. It's a stupid and clever idea, but perhaps this is where we should end the ride for the genre.

I always thought Cricket Through the Ages was a great short experience that was a lovely addition to Apple Arcade. As a standalone paid game though, it is a bit harder to recommend unless you’re buying it to play as a hilarious party game with friends. Thankfully the low asking price makes it an easier pill to swallow, and the Switch port is very good. I do hope the developers add more to it though in potential updates.

It's not the most complicated game, but Trial By Survival makes up for it with feeling, making it well worth checking out in my book.