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.

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 game has strategic depth and lacks the cracks and wrinkles of many of its competitors.

Capitals is a satisfying game. I like the blend between strategic, hex-grid real game tactics and word game mechanics. Download and check it out, it's a really satisfying game.

This is still a must buy game for any strategy fans. It’s been compared favorably to Warbits, with people citing the story mode as more interesting and engaging.

Sunless Sea is easily one of the best narrative-based games on the App Store, and I would easily venture to say that it's one of a kind. The sailing and exploration parts combine almost seamlessly with the narrative part and help to deliver a fantastic game that you shouldn't miss out on. And this time around, we also have an app that works great, which is definitely a plus. Hopefully, we'll get the Zubmariner expansion soon for more madness and terror, but until then, there's more than plenty to do in Sunless Sea, including go mad and eat your friends.

Miles & Kilo is everything you could want from a follow-up to Kid Tripp. I love the sensible improvements it makes to the Wonder Boy formula, and the level designs are spot on. The new moves and additional character help keep things fresh, and the amount of content feels just about right. The game's rather adorable retro-style presentation is also a winner, lending it the image of a console "big brother" title to the original's handheld game. Those who love a good platformer will want to add this one to their collections immediately.

The overall story, character development and pacing are excellent. The modifications to the core gameplay, whether they were changed from the US SNES version to the DS version or created exclusively for the iOS port, make the game more accessible to a wider audience.

If you’ve been looking to drop a little spell crafting, enemy-splatting charm onto your iPad, look no further than Magicka: Wizards of the Square Tablet.

Even if it doesn't have the same brain-stimulating effect on other people that it had on me, the game is a game worth playing for everyone, not just those who are already fans of music games like Guitar Hero. Beat It! is a delight to play, and a true brain-teasing, unique experience.

If you liked Alto's Adventure and want more of it, pick up Alto's Odyssey. If you never played Alto's Adventure and want an incredibly beautiful endless runner with intriguing progression systems, get Alto's Odyssey. If you didn't feel great about Alto's Adventure, I doubt Alto's Odyssey does enough new things to change your mind.

Severed is just a game that's all-around cool. Its aesthetic is top-notch, its combat is deep and engaging.

Joe Danger is the complete package. It's the console-caliber game that everybody craves on their mobile device, except in this case the console it was made for is actually the iOS platform.

If you've got an iPad and have found yourself even remotely interested in games like Out There or Star Command, you need FTL. Additionally, if you've played the PC version it's still beyond worth picking up the iPad version as it has translated to the touchscreen even better than my most optimistic expectations.

I’ll admit that it’s unique style of puzzle presentation means it’s not necessarily for all players, but it’s a sure-fire recommendation for everyone else.

Regardless, whether you treat the game solely as a digital version or opt for the portal, SuperChargers is a game worth checking out.

Street Fighter IV Volt now has some serious competition, and it looks like the future is pretty bright for fighting games on the App Store.

Dark Echo hits all the right notes any well-designed horror game should.

With excellent controls, sharp level designs, lots of secrets, and an adorable presentation, it's hard to find anything that's not to like in Super Cat Tales.

There are countless visual novels devoted to dating a bunch of very busty women, but few that turn that trope onto its head; Dream Daddy does that through objectifying men. Not in a mean way, or even an overly-sexual way – instead, Dream Daddy makes virtual dating wholesome and punny. It shows the importance of community and friendship, especially for a single parent. It’s not so much about the dating as it is exploring new interests through new people. I’m so appreciative of the experience.

I said it before, and I meant it: Moonlighter is a great game. It feels good to play, the soundtrack is great, and all my complaints are really quite minor. It is an interesting blend of dungeon crawler and shopkeep simulator, something not really delivered by other games that I have found. As a mobile port, it is excellent. Recommending it is easy, however with a twelve dollar price tag, it isn’t something everyone can or should pick up without second thought. Nevertheless, if you’re on the fence and have previously enjoyed games from both of the genres it pulls from, it’s definitely worth a shot.

Horizon Chase is not just a fun racing game, it's also a template for how other developers need to do retro-inspired games.

I don’t know how Simogo keeps doing it, but Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, like every other game I’ve played from the studio, gets my highest possible recommendation. It is one of the best games I’ve ever played on Switch and Steam Deck. If you have the smallest interest in unique experiences and like puzzle games, buy Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and grab a notebook. You will not regret it.

Battleheart Legacy is easily among the best games I've played this year, and I can't imagine a reality where it isn't still high in the running when we get around to doing all of our game of the year stuff in December.

Well, this game is just plain awesome. It’s kind of a dungeon-crawl roguelite thing, but the battles use an interesting dice mechanic that really helps the game stand out. As you make your way through each floor, you’ll find various skills that you can pick and choose from to fill out your battle actions. Each turn you roll a number of dice and assign them to those skills to use them. There are lots of different kinds of enemies and skills, and the maps themselves, while simple, have some points of interest and branching paths you can choose to explore. One of those games where you fire it up meaning to play for twenty minutes and end up playing for four hours. I’d expect no less from Terry Cavanagh, though.

DUSK is an amazingly authentic ode to the old kings of the genre, and it’s as fiendishly fun as it is filled with carnage. This Switch port is virtually flawless, allowing you to enjoy this game in a pure, uncompromised form. I’m always skeptical of recommendations about this sort of game, as I often find they don’t quite measure up in one way or another. DUSK? It had me from hello and kept me all the way through to the bitter end. Then I started it up all over again just to have another ride on this ridiculous roller coaster.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a stunning entry in both the Prince of Persia series and the Metroidvania genre. Despite the game running almost twenty hours in length, I felt like it went by in a flash. It hits every note it has to, and has quickly become one of my favorite games in this genre in quite some time. Throw in a ton of options for those who would prefer an easier or harder experience, and you’ve got a real winner. I’m not too thrilled with the Ubisoft Connect stuff, but otherwise this is a must-have title to kick off your year with.

It's rare to find a puzzle game that feels so fresh but also so obvious. I've never played a game about bagging groceries before, but why not?