If you decide to pick up The Bonfire, it might be for the spirit of discovery and adventure, or it might be for the artistic quality and simplicity. It may even be for the fact that so many great games seem to be comparable to this one. Whatever your decision is predicated on, there is so much here to enjoy.

Do you like singing karaoke? Do you like Queen? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, you’re golden. Otherwise, you’re probably better off skipping it. As for me, I love karaoke, I love Queen, and I’m quite pleased with the selection of songs included here. The nature of the band means there’s more variety than you would expect from a single-band title, and there are really only a couple of notable songs absent. Sorry, Flash Gordon fans. In terms of the UI and the way the game works, there’s no change here from previous titles. There doesn’t really need to be, though.

The Mercenaries series is probably never going to win any prizes for originality, but it does what it does quite well. To the developer’s credit, each game gets a little better. Mercenaries Blaze is no exception, and its new 3D backgrounds help bring the presentation a little closer to the game most players tend to associate this genre with. Setting all that aside, this is a meat-and-potatoes tactical RPG that offers a decent story, satisfying character building, and enjoyable battles. It’s a fairly lengthy affair, so you get a good bang for your buck. I’ve been happy enough with all of the games in this series, and Mercenaries Blaze keeps the tradition going.

Antonball Deluxe includes a few different games that revolve around a similar theme, and they’re all reasonably fun. The multiplayer game, Vs. Antonball, can be a riot with the right bunch assembled. If you enjoy your brick breakers, you may want to give this one a look. On the other hand, if you find this type of admittedly vintage gameplay to be old hat Antonball probably won’t change your mind.

Labyrinth Legend is one of those games that is nice to play when you want something relatively mindless to pass the time with. In that respect, it does what it does well. It’s engaging enough to keep you from getting bored, but it doesn’t demand a lot of heavy decision-making or tests of dexterity. The story isn’t very interesting, the setting is as generic as it gets, and I can’t really say it has any special gameplay mechanics to set it apart. This is not a game that will live in my memory very long now that I’ve completed it. But I can’t say I didn’t have a good time slowly digesting it over the course of a few evenings.

If you enjoy beat-em-ups, particularly the ones from the late 00s/early 10s era like Scott Pilgrim or Castle Crashers, you’ll probably enjoy what Jitsu Squad has to offer. It’s a bit short on technique and I do wish the unlockable tag team mode was simply there from the start. Four players to go with the four characters would have been nice as well. But it gets a lot more right than it gets wrong, and its big, silly energy is hard to deny.

In another time and place, Elderand would be a game I could easily recommend to anyone. But in a market where we’ve seen the same ideas pop up so often, it just doesn’t really bring anything novel to the table. If you’re okay with that, by all means proceed. It has a few technical issues and the boss battles are a bit limp, but otherwise it’s a very well-rounded take on the genre. On the other hand, those who have slaked their thirst for meandering around a map looking for abilities to help them meander more will probably want to give this one a pass. Decent, but decent only gets you so far these days.

Process of Elimination tries something new with its unusual mystery-solving mechanics, and I appreciate that even if I don’t think it really came together as well as I’d hoped it would. The story is really good even if it can be predictable at times, mostly thanks to its interesting cast of characters. Indeed, I sometimes found myself wishing it was more of a straightforward adventure game as the strategy segments sometimes work against the flow of the story. Still, there’s a lot here to like for fans of high-stakes whodunnits.

In its current state, I’d only recommend Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical on Switch if you want to play it on a portable and don’t have a Steam Deck. If you want to play on your TV or monitor, consider getting it on another platform for a much better experience. It doesn’t feel polished on Nintendo’s handheld right now, and that holds this otherwise excellent but flawed experience back.

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoyed the first game. If you liked it, you’ll love these two games. I would probably recommend newcomers play the original Rhapsody first even if it isn’t totally necessary to enjoy these sequels, if only so that you can fully appreciate all the little character nods and connections. Those who are looking for an RPG with teeth will want to keep moving, but I think if you’re in the mood for some pure low-friction fluff there aren’t many better choices in the Switch’s RPG selection.

If you like strategic puzzle games that require tight planning and careful use of a limited set of options, you’ll get a lot of out of Howl. It squanders its decent story set-up, but if you come for the gameplay you won’t likely be disappointed. The intriguing presentation pulls you in, tickling your imagination while you learn the ropes and get to the real meat of the game.

There’s a certain nostalgic charm to Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. There is a particular flavor to games from the PlayStation 2/GameCube/Xbox generation of consoles, and this game is absolutely steeped in it despite the nips and tucks made by Aspyr in the porting process. And it’s really in that capacity that I can most confidently recommend it, when I think about it. Are you in the mood to time travel back to 2002 and play a thoroughly rough-edged yet genuinely earnest action game? Here you go. If on the other hand you lack that proclivity, this might be a bit too much Jank-o Fett for you.

Angry Birds Epic is for the most part enjoyable, but it’s let down considerably by its endless IAPs and continual nagging.That said, it’s a great introduction to the RPG mechanics for those who want to dip their toes in a little and try something new.

As a Star Wars fan it’s no question for me that Tiny Death Star is worth playing despite the added heartache. However, I fully understand that for others, it may be closer to a toss-up as to whether it’s worth the time investment.

The game's multiplayer is seamlessly integrated, and all that's missing is the ability to curse at the other player and attempt to slap their controller out of their hands.

For pure entertainment dollar by dollar, I'll take Caylus over most board games in the App Store. It's an obscenely good game, which makes its flaws all the more frustrating.

So, I'm sure the very perceptive among you have figured out how disappointed I am with FIFA 16 UT. EA has turned the best football series on the App Store into a game about menus with the occasional basic ball-kicking.

Mario Golf: Super Rush may eventually be a great game, but for now it has to settle for being a good one. The new modes help liven up the gameplay in a way that some players are sure to enjoy, and the Golf Adventure gives you something to do beyond the usual stuff. I can take or leave the new swing meter, but I can easily imagine opinions being all over the board on that point. Ultimately, however, I can’t ignore the relative lack of courses and online options available in this launch version of the game. You’ll have a good time going on tour here, but you could have an even better time by picking up the Nintendo 3DS game.

A faithful rendition of a Trials-style game, but it would have been nice to see a little more innovation in the environmental art or at least more of its own style instead of a nearly direct clone of Trials.

Stela is a beautiful, cinematic game that does a great job keeping you curious and scared since the beginning. While it could do a better job when it comes to guiding the player through the game or making the gameplay mechanics a little more intuitive, Stela is one of the more enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Futuridium EP is a very good game that so tantalizingly sways on the verge of being excellent. Should a future update make this title more accessible to the average gamer, it will be one of the true "instabuys" of 2013.

Everything about Piggy Adventure just reeks of quality.

As long as you don't mind a short experience, The Great Prank War is consistently fun from start to finish.

Backed with some solid gameplay, I think Tengami more than proves itself worthy of a place in the adventure fan's library.

Unless you’re completely burned out on the Darkest Dungeon variety of RPG, you’ll probably find something to like in Circus Electrique. The theme is strange enough to catch your attention, the mechanics are solid, and the added gameplay elements don’t ruin anything with their presence. The moment to moment dialogue is well-written, but the story as a whole could have been more interesting. I also think the difficulty curve could be a little smoother. Otherwise, it’s a somewhat unusual take on a concept that is becoming a bit well-worn by now, and worth checking out for fans of the genre.

The over-the-top silliness and the bright, colorful graphics feel reminiscent of an old Saturday morning cartoon. The game's just difficult enough to make it challenging and simple enough to engage in without requiring too much of a forethought.

Cubed Rally Redline is a great excuse to get back into the bouncy, blocky world of its predecessor without just doing the same old thing. It's a simpler sort of game, but the simplicity just makes it that much easier to get hooked.

Being able to access your shared worlds across platforms is nice, but for a game that offers cross play and has Microsoft account linking, I really wish it was full cross progression and cross play like you’d expect from a modern game with online components. I can see myself coming back to Grounded to play with friends online, but I’m leaning towards playing it more on PS5 with the faster load times, better performance, and more.