The elevator pitch for Mediterranea Inferno would be an arthouse film told in the style of a Suda51 game. If that sounds appealing to you alongside the premise, you will not be disappointed. The way Mediterranea Inferno blends horror, humor, desire, and other topics in a way that engrosses you from start to finish is commendable. It also is a perfect fit for the Switch’s OLED screen. I just hope it gets touchscreen support in a future update.

I couldn’t stop playing Shredder’s Revenge until I finished it, and the minute I did, I played through it again. And then I played through it one more time. And then I pulled my family in and we played through it once more. I keep firing it up to play my favorite stages when I’ve got a bit of free time. It’s an outstanding TMNT game, a jaw-dropping take on the Konami-style beat-em-up, and more pure goofy fun than I could ever have anticipated it to be.

IAP grievances aside, Super Stickman Golf 2 is a fun and compelling puzzler, and a steal at only a buck.

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.

Is this really the end of Theatrhythm? If so, Final Bar Line goes out with a massive bang. Including DLC, the total tracklist numbers around half a thousand songs, drawn not only from the diverse assortment of games in the Final Fantasy series but also the larger Square Enix library in general. Even if you don’t touch the DLC, you’ve got a whopping 385 songs to enjoy here. The new tricks in the charts add a bit of excitement even to the old familiar songs, and the refreshed presentation looks great. If you like music games or Final Fantasy, you’ll want Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. If you like both, you probably already bought it.

It's obvious that Psyonix put a lot of care and effort into ARC Squadron and it certainly shows in all facets of the game. With a ton of content, smooth controls and visuals worth talking about, there's little to not enjoy about ARC Squadron.

Minishoot’ Adventures also has a few difficulty options including the ability to auto-aim, have slower enemies and enemy bullets, with separate options for game speed, invincibility, and infinite energy if you’d like to have a completely relaxed experience. Barring some elements of the aesthetic that are quite forgettable, Minishoot’ Adventures is awesome from start to finish. If you enjoy twin-stick shooters and older top-down Zelda games, this one is worth your time right now.

The game's cheerfulness sometimes threatens to overwhelm its subject matter, but its mostly used as a bulwark against, and an intensifier for, the terror of World War I.

It's deceptively deep, riddled with charming animations, colors, and characters, and offers a huge bag of things to do. It also runs well enough and is tuned well enough to recommend it on the iPad, which obviously is a huge plus.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is instantly one of the best indie games of 2023. It is Deconstructeam’s finest work yet, and proves that Devolver Digital still has it in them to publish the kind of games I originally became a fan of theirs for in the first place. Now we just need a physical release with a nice big artbook for all the cards and gorgeous pixel art included in The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.

Warhammer 40K: Deathwatch is a gorgeous game with strong design backing it. The campaign is big and meaty, and it presents a fun challenge that will test your tactical skills.

The big conundrum I have right now about Two Point Campus on Switch is that the physical Early Enrollment Edition is so lovely, but this is a game you want to have installed at all times to boot up and play. I’ll leave that decision to you, but can safely recommend the Switch version of Two Point Campus right now. I’ve had a ton of fun playing it, and will be putting in many more hours into it over the next few months.

This isn't the scariest game on the planet, nor is it the best put together. The combat in particular is a black eye. But there's a lot in Dead Space to keep you engaged and there's some points of great design that I think you'll appreciate - especially if you're daring enough to play this on your sofa with the lights off and some great headphones on.

I know Wildfrost will not be for everyone, and I’d have that caveat with my recommendation, but it is a “free to try" game on iOS, so there’s no real reason to not download it and give it a shot. I think it is more than worth its asking price on iOS, and it is immediately one of the best mobile releases of 2024 so far. While I am glad I finally played it, I’m annoyed I wasn’t obsessing over it last year when it debuted on Switch and Steam. I have rectified my mistake at least with this new port. Go download Wildfrost right now.

I enjoyed swapping between my old laptop and Steam Deck while playing Dead Space without any issues. Despite a slightly rough launch day, Valve’s Proton fixes have made Dead Space a survival horror essential for Steam Deck owners, and a true tech showcase for the platform.

Desktop Dungeons has made a pretty great effort to port their game to the iOS world, and it packs a lot of replay and problem solving into this app.

In some ways Shattered Lands feels less like a sequel and more like a fulfillment of the promise behind the first game, like this is what Red Winter wanted to make all along.

Jurassic Go might not be as memorable in say, 15 years, but it's a unique game that has a lot of heart. Instead of creating new IPs they may as well just go with this one again for their next creation.

This isn't exactly a relaxing puzzler, this is more of a test of your skill and thought processes. It's not for everyone; if you're into being mentally tested to your limit to solve some puzzles with unique rule sets, this game is perfect for you. Causality is absolutely brilliant. But, because it's difficult with its own rules, solutions can feel arcane and tough to come by, too. And thinking when time isn't linear can be tricky, too! Causality is a fantastic game, one I've enjoyed my time with, even if it has left my brain a gooey mush. If you have the patience and the knack for time-bending puzzles, check it out. Even if it doesn't sound like it's up your alley, do consider it, at least!

I am seriously, seriously impressed by how much better Framed 2 is compared to the original game. You're talking about a title that left me surpremely disappointed. I specifically said it felt like the first half of what should be a really good game. There were clever ideas, but they went underutilized. And a lot of ideas that didn't work out took up too much prominence. And the twist in Framed 1 just didn't land as well as I think Loveshack intended; even on a recent replay, it was still just confusing instead of clever. I stand by that game as a 3 out of 5 mobile experience. Framed 2 chucks almost everything that was bad about the original Framed out the window, emphasizing what is strong about the concept, and then building on it. This is exactly what a sequel should do.

Little Noah: Scion of Paradise is a surprisingly fun take on the side-scrolling roguelite genre, with plenty of personality courtesy of its charming character designs and solid gameplay mechanics that are perhaps a little easier to come to grips with than those found in some of its peers. While I wouldn’t consider it among the best in its category, it’s a very well-made game that is worth playing if you’ve enjoyed games like Dead Cells or Rogue Legacy.

If you have even the smallest shred of love in your soul for story-based games, play 1000xRESIST. Some of the best games of this sort feel like getting a fine dinner in a fancy restaurant. This one is like getting the whole damned menu brought to your table, plus a slice of fruit cake because there’s always room for dessert. An absolute masterpiece, and I am grateful that I got to experience it. Hekki grace.

A casual, but clever game, because it gives you conflicting goals.

Ovivo is a tantalizing, ambitious work of art both mechanically and visually. I guess there is a little bit of pulse pounding excitement in the meditation after all.

The game is an absolute joy to play, with even better visuals and more of the incredibly smooth gameplay fans of the series have come to expect from Zepto Lab.

AG Drive is the epitome of a "good" game to me.

The one spot I'd criticize are the visuals in particular. While the particle stuff on the explosions are great, I think the art comes off as a little flat.

Radiant Tale is another excellent otome release from Aksys Games, and while it isn’t as good as Jack Jeanne (few in the genre come close), it is worth your time with how uplifting it feels with its memorable characters and story. Not only is it gorgeous, but this aesthetic absolutely shines on the OLED screen in handheld mode.

On paper, Arco seemed like it would be very good, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do now. It feels dynamic across the board with superb visuals, music, and a lovely story. If you want an interesting tactical RPG with a memorable story, get Arco right now. There’s even a free demo you can try on Steam right now.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is one of Capcom’s best collections yet across everything and not just fighting games or arcade games. It offers superb extras, fantastic online play on Steam, and it has been a joy to experience these games for the first time. I just wish there was more than one save slot for the entire collection for save states.

While all of Gameprom's pinball games are very good, War Pinball is definitely the cream of the crop. If you're already of fan of their previous work, this latest game is an easy purchase decision as it contains 3 fun new tables that make great use of their movie licenses.

So while there are frustrations and a handful of small bugs, they're blips in a solid eight hours of entertainment.

While Gasketball may stumble with some of its level design, it's a stunningly fresh game that actually shares something original. It's a game with a vision, and all of its constituent parts come together into a cohesive, groovy whole.

The ingenious level designs and dark humor of Karoshi is worth occasionally fighting the controls for.

Game Dev Story won't impress you with stellar visuals or an iPhone specific feature set, but it is a well thought out and thoroughly enjoyable time sink, and is even more intriguing if you're familiar with the last few decades of video game history.

Even if there is no big secret reward, the enjoyment of this fantastic game is reward enough.

Rodeo Stampede is essential for anyone looking for a casual experience that is hard to master and even harder to put down

LostWinds2: Winter of the Melodias is a beautifully presented bit of childlike magic and irrefutable proof that wholesomeness does not necessarily have to be boring.

If you haven’t sampled the genre yet, there’s no better way to get into it right now than Streets of Rage 4. Streets of Rage 4 is by far my favorite beat-em-up, and I’m glad to see it in such an amazing conversion on mobile. Hopefully it does well like Dead Cells did on mobile and leads to a whole new audience discovering this amazing game. It feels surreal going from the announcement trailer from Dotemu a few years ago to the game delivering in spades on all platforms, through its DLC, and now with an excellent mobile conversion. I look forward to playing it online as well once the multiplayer update hits in the future.

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.

I’m not a fan of it being online-only, but barring that, Diablo 4 is brilliant, and I hope Blizzard releases the soundtrack on vinyl soon. Diablo 4 feels like a game Blizzard made to show it still has it. I adored Diablo 3, Hearthstone, and the first two years of Overwatch, but never really clicked much with the publisher’s releases since. Diablo 4 is a true Blizzard home run, and one I look forward to playing for years to come. Even in its current state, it is a massive win, and a superb base to build on.

If you have a new iPad, this is clearly one of THE games to get, as its boasting some of the best 3D, high resolution visuals at the moment. If you dig explode-y things and moving really fast, you'll probably want to give this a look, too. Smart design bolsters both of these aspects. Check it out.

If you're looking for a faster paced puzzle game, Eliss Infinity is a good bet. It offers up a diverse gameplay experience, it has a ton of content, and an endless mode ensures that you'll have plenty to do after you've beaten every level.

This is a flawless version of an incredible game, and my animal-faced hat is off to the people at Capcom for putting this together.

Although it's got a bit of bloat and the overall package isn't quite as strong as the previous game, Dragon Quest 6 is still a phenomenal RPG.

While the levels are perhaps a little too long for their own good at times, Dan the Man is a surprisingly solid and charming action game.

I really like TypeShift. I think it's an awfully fun game, and I always found myself coming back to it not long after putting it down over some irritating puzzle or another. But its various parts don't quite lock together as well as smoothly as you might hope, leaving the overall experience a little wanting. It's also a bit of a battery hog, surprisingly enough. If you enjoy word games, you'll almost certainly want to check this one out in spite of the little problems I've mentioned. There are tons of free puzzles to try out that should give you a solid idea of whether this is your thing or not. TypeShift might not have the accessible charms of SpellTower, but it does quite well in carving out a different sort of enjoyment all to itself.

When Animal Crossing: New Horizons released around the time people were going into lockdowns across the globe, a lot of people praised the way it helped people. Unpacking is exactly that for me right now with so many long games and deadlines. It has been a perfect game to dip into as a break from longer and more stressful games. While the gameplay might be too simple for some, Unpacking has managed to make something as mundane as arranging furniture and items be a lot of fun. It also helps that Unpacking on Nintendo Switch makes great use of the system’s features.

If you haven’t gotten Vampire Survivors yet, it is easily one of the best PC-only games you can buy in 2022. Having played more than 50 hours of it over the last few months, it really feels like a steal at even its newly increased price point of $4.99. It has remained in the most-played games on Steam Deck for months now, and Valve should just pay to have it pre-installed on every Steam Deck at this point. It is that good. If you do end up getting it, don’t blame me if you spend hours on it daily like I did when I got addicted to it. The soundtrack is absolutely worth grabbing as well. I’ve not grown remotely tired of it after all these dozens of hours with the game.

Rakuen: Deluxe Edition has a few different things to offer, with the titular Rakuen being the star of the show. It’s a bittersweet, deeply emotional story set in a rich, well-realized setting and it’s absolutely unforgettable. The visuals may be simple but they more than serve the purpose, and the soundtrack is outstanding. The other included items in this package are more like nice bonuses, but they are certainly quite welcome. If you enjoy a good yarn, grab a box of tissues and settle in with this over an evening or two.

Cat Quest III is a really good action-RPG, and one that you can easily play with a friend or family member of any skill level. Even going alone, you’ll have a fantastic time with this goofy game. The sea-faring theme does an excellent job of freshening things up, but at its core this game hasn’t changed terribly much from what we’ve seen from Cat Quest before. Indeed, in most ways it feels like putting on a comfy pair of shoes. At least at this point in the series, I think that’s a good thing.

Sword & Sworcery is an incredibly unique composition that almost makes you want to analyze it as if it were a movie rather than a video game, which not too many iOS games have ever made me do.

It's my favorite game in the series, and is well worth the status of 'must-play' for any iOS gamer.

A weird, wonderful and almost surprisingly expansive experience that will both infuriate and enchant.

Inexpensive, innovative, and sensory-spinning thrills of this caliber are rare.

If you enjoyed the first Monsters Ate My Condo, I think this is an upgrade that's worth your time and dollar. It looks better, it sounds better, and it still has that completely wacky style that's almost impossible not to love.

The game is incredibly well executed with excellent controls, has a ton of content and is a lot of fun. We highly recommend it.

If you're fond of The Walking Dead and want to play something that takes that source material seriously, and tells a great story while it does it, this game is definitely it. If you're looking for something much more involving from a joystick perspective, you might want to look elsewhere.

30XX takes the basic idea behind 20XX and expands on it, offering more of just about everything to players. That’s pretty much what you would want from a sequel, though I suppose the shift in graphical style and slightly more repetitive main mode might find some detractors. I like the Mega Mode and I feel it makes for a nice olive branch for Mega Man fans turned off by the roguelite elements of 20XX, though it probably doesn’t go far enough. Like its predecessor, this is a solid action game with great controls that is doing its part to keep the spirit of a dormant franchise alive, and if you’re an X fan who can enjoy randomized elements, you’ll likely have a great time with it.

If you’re looking for another game that will do for you what Steins;Gate did, I regret to say that I don’t think that will be Anonymous;Code. Once you get past that, this is a really slick visual novel that will take you on a sharply-written science-fiction adventure that will leave you twisted in knots. Its relatively speedy pace will appeal to many, and while its characters and central interactive aspect aren’t as good as one might hope, Anonymous;Code is still a superb story that is more than worth experiencing.

So, no, Kero Blaster is not Cave Story 2, and the sooner you put the notion out of your mind, the sooner you can get to enjoying an extremely well-crafted action game.

Considering its graphics, sound, and gameplay, few apps offer the elegance that is Splice: Tree of Life. Four dollars is a small price to pay to expand one's way of thinking.

If you've enjoyed Super Meat Boy on any of the platforms it's available on, and have been looking for something similar for iOS, League of Evil is totally worth your dollar.

Ultimately, I’m left with mixed feelings about Bayonetta 3. Not seriously mixed. It’s still a great game, among the best in its category, and I’ve rated it accordingly. But there are choices made here, both in terms of the narrative and the overall design, that I think could have gone another way and made for an even better game. There’s also no question that the performance issues are disappointing in a genre where split-second timing is so crucial. Bayonetta 3 carries the ball for the series well enough, even if it ends up being the weakest of the trilogy.

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.

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.

A must-own, Score! Classic Goals is a love letter to the game of soccer.

Despite it's flaws, Horn is a glorious success. It sets the bar high for what we should expect from iOS, and it really shows us what kind of adventures we are capable of having on the device.

Simply put, Anomaly 2 is everything Anomaly fans could have ever wanted in a true sequel.

This is a game that becomes a real battery-killer if you give it a shot. Also, because on my (shockingly old!) iPhone 6 Plus, the game drains battery quickly. It might not click right away, but it will click eventually, and there's so much of a rewarding experience here, with new content to unlock. I do wish there was iCloud, so that I could keep my progress going on my iPad and maybe not kill my battery so fast. However you play it, this is a must-play, and a game I don't see leaving my iPhone any time soon. Just be patient.

It's a game that will last you a couple of hours, and there's not a whole lot in terms of replay value. If your gaming money is limited and and you need something with replayability, this isn't the game for you (though hey, you could always buy this and sink some time into a free-to-play game). But considering the profound effect it had on me, and the beauty of the experience, I definitely recommend Old Man's Journey, as it is quite the experience.

In a nutshell, The Room games are among the best puzzle games the App Store has to offer, and Old Sins falls right in line with the three previous amazing titles.

I suspect mobile gaming fans will be playing and replaying this one for years to come. I’m a little surprised to see such effort behind a paid original title on mobile in 2018, particularly without even a hint of added purchases to be found in it. I hope it works out for the developers, because I’d love to see more feasts like this come across my mobile plate now and then.

Overall, Company of Heroes on iPad is easily an essential purchase if you enjoy real time strategy games. While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Rome: Total War because of the setting, there’s no denying the game quality and port quality here. Having played a lot with both interface options, I’m unsure if the non mobile focused control option will make it to iPhone. The command wheel definitely feels like a good fit for smaller screens. Feral Interactive have proved me wrong multiple times in the past so we will have to wait and see if it does show up on smaller screens in the future. At the asking price, Company of Heroes is an easy recommendation.

Roundguard is a great game altogether. It’s got everything you’d want from a bouncy dungeon crawler/RPG. You’ve got unique characters and enemies that are beautifully designed, witty and smart dialogues with a small dose of easter eggs, and engaging gameplay that you can play both mindlessly or completely focused. If you haven’t already, Roundguard is a game you must try out as soon as possible.

If you’ve enjoyed inkle’s other games like 80 Days, Heaven’s Vault, or Overboard!, you’ll find plenty to like in Steve Jackson’s Sorcery!. The way the developer transformed these already-memorable gamebooks into bigger, more interactive adventures is nothing short of amazing, and you’ll find plenty of reasons to replay them again and again. The games have made an excellent conversion to the Switch, and the price is very fair for how much is here. RPG fans will also want to take note, as the games have considerable chops in that regard as well. A great port of an outstanding series.

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.

This is the third time Capcom has released Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, and I really do hope this is the time it properly catches on. It’s every bit as good as the other work Shu Takumi is known for, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. If you’ve never played it before, this is your chance to do so. It has a superb story, clever mechanics, charming characters, a sizzling presentation, and satisfying puzzles to untangle.

Where's My Mickey? is a cool twist on a familiar formula. With the animated shorts and clips, and new level challenges and elements, you can tell Disney really wanted to deliver a Mickey Mouse game that's both well made and fresh

Unless you despise auto-runners, occasional in-game ads, or fun, this fiesta is not to be missed.

All in all, PvZ2 is an incredible sequel. Unless you're exceptionally impatient or just not very good at these kind of games, it'll be totally free for you to play. If you've found yourself burnt by freemium games in the past, I highly recommend giving this one a spin as it might change your opinion on the pay model.

If you treat Anomaly Korea as more of an expansion pack rather than a full-on sequel you'll be pleased with the purchase. Even if you wanted more, I find it hard to believe that you can resist more pure Anomaly.

There's a distinct satisfaction to killing and pillaging innocent people, and then spending the ill-gotten money on your own selfish endeavors.

If you like RPGs, this is a game you need to play. It's a fantastic port of one of the true essentials of the genre.

It's simply an amazing turn-based strategy game and a worthy sequel to the series.

Overall, this game is definitely fun and it's always satisfying to watch your black oil slurp its way into the mouth of a strange, big-eyed, oil-craving cartoon land-creature. Hopefully they deliver on the additional levels, but any game that mixes elements from Enigmo, World of Goo and Cat Physics is sure to do well.

It's hard not to love Corpse Craft for solely for its slick character, so it's really nice that it sits on such a solid foundation.

As a sequel to Halo: Spartan Assault, it would make sense that Strike seeks to improve upon its predecessor and it succeeds in that regard. While the changes to the formula feel more evolutionary than revolutionary, those improvements are on a game that was already great to begin with making Strike an even better dual stick shooter.

Suzy Cube was in development for three years, and it’s clear just where all that time went into. Everything about the game is absolutely well-crafted to a ridiculous degree. Suzy Cube is one of the best 3D platformers ever made for mobile, and you ought to play it.

Puzzle games lend themselves to mobile gaming particularly well, and Evergarden with its gorgeous color palette and subtle shading looks just beautiful on a modern iOS device. The game is calming yet addictive and one I don’t expect to stop playing any time soon, even after this review’s completion.

ESCHATOS is a fantastic shoot-em-up experience all on its own but when you throw in Judgement Silversword, Cardinal Sins, and the various extra modes and features included in this package, you end up with an incredibly easy game to recommend. Should you choose to fully indulge in all it has to offer, ESCHATOS will keep you busy for hours on end. Not that there was much doubt, but this Switch version of the game runs like a dream. Another superb addition to the system’s shoot-em-up library, and one that even genre newcomers may find digestible.

In its current state, Returnal perfectly suits the Steam Deck, and it runs quite well given the hardware, with visual cutbacks. While it isn’t as nice as playing on PS5 of course, I’ve found myself enjoying Returnal on the go quite a bit thanks to the suspend feature and sublime core gameplay. It also helps that Returnal on PC arrives at a lower asking price with all prior updates included from the start making it a super-polished version of one of Sony’s best exclusives in years.

I think it's something anyone who likes Tetris can appreciate, and that's just about everyone there is, right?

Nihilumbra is a must-play game, whether you're in it for the story or the art, the puzzles or the platforming.

It will take a ridiculous amount of grinding in order to get all of the content in the game, but thankfully the game is fun so I'll be playing it a lot anyway.

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.

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.

It's one of the best superhero games in any genre on the entire App Store.