Starseed: Origin has a faithful Atari veneer and intriguing game play elements that will keep you engaged and trying to beat your previous best even on early levels. If you don't dig the pixel scene, you can probably safely avoid this but anyone that wants a quick shot of nostalgic action, you can't go wrong here.

It might sound a bit like this is a case of style over substance, but while House of Mice's wrapper is certainly its most delicious part, the gameplay inside still gets by as an enjoyable, easy to grasp concept that offers enough of a challenge to keep it interesting.

If you like word games and dungeon crawlers, Cryptmaster will likely be one of your favorite games in years. It oozes humor, charm, and constantly keeps you engaged with its striking aesthetic and mechanics. I also like how the developers cater to those who play with a controller here, though I recommend a keyboard for the smoothest experience.

This isn't called Virtual Boxing, or Street Boxer, or Extreme Boxing. It's called Real Boxing for a very good reason, and it lives up to its name impeccably well.

Don't miss this one. It might be free, but I'd have easily paid for a title as interesting as this and am eagerly looking forward to Bar Oasis 2.

Oh, and the game is absolutely gorgeous, its alien bio-luminescent look being extremely colorful, with an atmospheric soundtrack that's a perfect fit for the game. It's just the bow on a game that's so wonderfully-made otherwise.

The only potential flaws or suggestions I have for Dream of Pixels would be to allow players to switch out their tetromino or see upcoming tetrominoes for tactical strategies. Maybe it's not necessary, but seeing multiple pieces only in the puzzle mode's HUD made me miss them when they weren't in the others.

If you weren't a huge fan of the first Temple Run then I doubt the sequel will drastically change your mind.

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.

Aside from its slow start and minor UI quibbles, 7 Mages is a very good game.

With a fair monetization scheme, gameplay that's hard to put down, and a fun retro aesthetic, Hammer Bomb is something I'm going to be playing for quite a while. I didn't expect it to be that deep going in, but as we all know looks can be deceiving.

If you're expecting a brand new Street Fighter that's pushing the limits of the latest iOS hardware, then you'll probably be disappointed. If Capcom were to go all out and create all new sprites and a full new game from the ground up, it'd likely need to be a free to play casual swipe-fighter like Injustice or Marvel Contest of Champions just to justify its cost. Not that I wouldn't play the crap out of something like that, but it's still not a replacement for a traditional fighter. However, if you loved the older Street Fighter IV games on mobile then I think you'll love Champion Edition. It's all of the improvements I've been wanting for years, and its excellent online modes will ensure it lives a long, happy life. Or at least until the next iOS update breaks it.

Crow Country joins Signalis as one of the best survival horror games in recent years. It is shockingly good, and I can’t wait to revisit it when its next update arrives. I urge you to at least try the free demo. It feels perfect on Steam Deck. What I thought would be a nice throwback horror game ended up being one of the best in years for the genre, and a standout title in an already amazing 2024 for games.

The game's narrative does a great job wrapping all of Spiral's components together in a story that's not only compelling but also just interesting. If any of this sounds remotely up your alley, you need to check out Spiral Episode 1.

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.

I’m obviously not going to pretend like this remake’s new visuals, content, and gameplay enhancements make up for the lack of the Persona 3 Portable’s female protagonist option and FES’ The Answer, but Atlus has done a fantastic job with most aspects of this remake bringing out a new gorgeous and modern take on Persona 3 for the current generation. Even if you already played Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable like I did, Persona 3 Reload has enough to justify a replay. It also feels almost perfect on Steam Deck, my favorite way to play it now.

It was always up in the air as to whether or not Spike Chunsoft could get back in the Shiren groove after so long without a new entry, but Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island shows that the developer still understands the beating heart of this long-running franchise. It’s a game that embraces where it comes from, and while that means it might still turn some players off, I think the best thing Shiren can be in this modern rogue-wild world is true to itself. A fantastic game, and I hope this is the start of a whole new chapter for Shiren.

If you’ve never played a Warriors game before, Samurai Warriors 4 DX is superb value and a fantastic game to start with. Some aspects are dated compared to newer Omega Force games and the price should’ve been a bit lower though. That aside, it is incredible to finally have it on PC over a decade later, and it is almost perfect on Steam Deck out of the box. I hope it can be optimized a bit for a locked 60fps because I always love playing Warriors games on a portable, and Samurai Warriors 4 DX on Steam Deck is an amazing version of one of my favorite Warriors games.

Lies of P feels like a greatest hits Souls cover album by a band that is amazing at improvising and making everything fit in perfectly. It feels like the closest you can get to an actual FromSoftware game by an external developer, and it is one of the best games of the year if you’re up for the challenge. Lies of P is polished, fun, and punishing through its levels and bosses with a gorgeous aesthetic. I want to see this team tackle more themes like Pinocchio in the future because they nailed it here, and it feels so good on Steam Deck.

Finding Teddy is a delight and a surprise. It's a game that could easily languish as a hidden gem of the platform, but it's just as sure to be evangelized by those that play it. It's an easy game to love, particularly if you're a fan of point-and-click adventure. The story of a girl and her teddy bear may not seem like the must-play hit of the moment, but it has so much love to give. A little of your time isn't much to ask in return.

Oddly, the online leaderboards for the Score Attack mode seem to be non-functional at the moment. Hopefully those kick in sooner rather than later, as players will eventually want to migrate over to comparing with each other. Even without that feature functioning, Espgaluda II is another highly-affordable conversion of one of the better arcade bullet hell shooters.

If you're a gamer that likes to tear up the slopes on occasion, do not let this one pass you by.

For a simple puzzle game, it doesn't get much better than this. The graphics are both bright and colorful, and as expected, gameplay is a ton of fun.

With all the different combinations of modes and stages, you’ve got 160 unique situations to play through. That isn’t even getting into the idea of improving on your scores, which is certainly something most fans of the genre will want to get into. It all runs at 60 frames per second, and the controls are incredibly responsive. Sure, it’s not much to look at compared to other games of this genre, but when it comes to sheer gameplay it’s really hard to beat what rRootage Reloaded offers for its highly reasonable price.

Valleys Between offers a remarkably calming experience despite the dangers that can appear. Being mindful about the environment you control with the touch of a finger allows you to also reflect on your physical world. The level difficulty is balanced compared to current progress through the game. The graphics, music, and sound effects combine to create a thoroughly awe-inspiring experience. But perhaps mostly importantly, Valleys Between is a well-needed reminder that life, the universe, everything is about finding the right balance.

Sorcery! 4 brings the series to an excellent close. As far as I'm concerned, it's a better finish than the actual books got, and I'm impressed with the sheer number of options the player is given for reaching their goal.

Outside of including the middling 2010 Rocket Knight and adding in more save states, I can’t really think of many ways Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked could be better. If you know and love the games, you can pick up this set without fear and relive your happy memories. If you’ve never played them before, I think the three high-quality games in this set represent a solid value for fans of 2D platformers. I’m glad this turned out okay, both for fans of Sparkster and those who are about to become one.

If you skipped Bugsnax before, this iOS version is superb. The developers went above and beyond with the port by even adding many DualSense features that work wirelessly in addition to delivering an excellent conversion when it comes to visuals and performance. This is easily the best portable version of Bugsnax, and the low asking price compared to other platforms makes it an even easier recommendation. It still has the same issues as the original game, but Bugsnax has never been more accessible, and this is one of the best mobile ports of 2023.