SAND: Raiders of Sophie has promise. The unique premise is great, and pulling off a mech-based extraction shooter was a mechanically daunting task that we should all be rather impressed by. There are still issues, some far more serious than others, but the developers seem keen to fix them. I have hope that, given enough time, the game will be patched into a playable and exciting state, and I’m looking forward to following the development as it continues. [Early Access Review]

All things considered, Arms of God is in a really good place for an Early Access game. It has a ton of content, including ten player characters, and lots of weapons and power-ups to experiment with, and even more is promised in the future. I have my minor complaints, but the game seems to be evolving quickly based on player feedback, and it already has a pretty solid foundation to build on. I do recommend checking the game out now if it interests you, as it isn’t in a bad state by any means and meaningfully evolves the Bullet Heaven genre while still retaining the staples that made it so fun to begin with. [Early Access Review]

Tabletop Tavern is a brilliant mix of RTS wargaming and the roguelike formula, as well as an incredible feat for a solo developer. However, it lacks the much-needed strategic depth and faction variety, and the current build starts to feel stale before long. With the developer working hard to update the game, you can rest assured it will evolve from its current state, though it still feels like an Early Access title in every way but the name.

One area I would love to see the game expanded in is its weapons and spells. Specifically, I would like to see more identity added to the different skill trees. I would love it if each weapon had its own unique appearance, and there was more expansion on how each element operated. [Early Access Review]

Voidling Bound could use a few quality-of-life improvements, but is otherwise an excellent, fun-to-play, and incredibly unique entry into the creature collector genre. The game has a great setting, an appealing gameplay loop, and a nice message about conservation that manages not to feel preachy or in your face. I highly recommend this title for fans of the genre or those looking for a unique new shooter.

All that being said, Fatekeeper has the potential to be one of the greatest RPGs of the year, if not of recent memory. The world is fantastic, gorgeous, and full of interesting characters and creatures, and the systems are solid, albeit in need of some work. With the game’s incredibly low price during Early Access, I do highly recommend you give it a purchase, as for less than the price of lunch, you can get in on what could be the next great RPG franchise in the making. [Early Access Review]

Witchspire has promise. Its unique setting and style add some much-needed variety to the survival-craft genre, and the game serves as a welcoming, forgiving experience that still has its fair share of challenge. Since it’s in Early Access, it still has some elements that need adjustment, bugs to fix, and features to add, but I think you’ll enjoy giving it a try even in its early state. [Early Access Review]

The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time is an incredible, unique puzzle game using the skin of a ’90s JRPG to deliver a genre-defying experience that treats the fourth wall like it’s made of plaster. Though it’s short and can have its issues at times, the game is incredibly memorable and worth giving a chance yourself.

The Gothic 1 Remake is a beautiful graphical upgrade of one of the most incredible RPGs of all time, and I have no doubt that returning fans will love it. However, the game’s performance issues dampen the mood, and certain new bugs and a lack of quality-of-life improvements make it less than a perfect remake. These issues and the lack of modernizing polish may also make it harder for new players to get into the game, especially when paired with the obviously and purposefully dated, difficult gameplay.

Lost Castle 2 is a blast to play alone, and even better in multiplayer. The roguelike systems are made stronger by the game’s emphasis on looting, its unique item builds, and its awesome boss battles. Fans of beat-em-up side scrollers, roguelikes, or dungeon-delving ARPGs can all come together to find something to love in this uniquely fun title.

Finally, show us that you have more to offer than simply flipping assets and generic game concepts and packaging them for $30, a price you claim you plan on increasing. Frontier Legends needs something to set it apart from other games in the genre, and it can’t just be the setting. You need a real, original idea for changing the gameplay in a way players haven’t seen before. Get creative with it, even if it’s not the best idea ever, or even if you think it makes the game harder, more of a grind, or simply harder to develop. At the end of the day, your players will always, always value a creative idea, no matter its repercussions, over sloppily thrown-together, risk-free, tried-and-true elements and lazy development. [Early Access Review]

Playing Luna Abyss is like glimpsing into the mind of a mad artist: it is at times beautiful, at times scary, and can certainly be polarizing. While it has its flaws, mainly in pacing, and solid gameplay that can slow down at times and be far too different for genre fans at others, I still think it’s a phenomenal game, and one absolutely worth giving the time of day and losing yourself to.

That being said, it definitely needs to put in the work. The survival-crafting mechanics clash with how the game feels it’s meant to be played, with base building feeling like such an unnecessary afterthought that I outright refused to engage with the mechanic beyond my initial curiosity. Enemies still feel buggy, and combat is nostalgically clunky, in a way that doesn’t make the game unplayable but could still certainly be improved. The uncanny feeling the game gives off, due to its heavy use of generic, flipped assets, permeates deeply and is hard to ignore, but it is a feeling that many players likely won’t care about or will get over quickly enough. [Early Access Review]

Moonsigil Atlas is an incredible entry into the deckbuilding roguelike genre, reinventing familiar mechanics with a fun twist that fits in with the thematic elements of the game beautifully. It is as fun to play as it is incredible to look at, featuring some great art and unique card mechanics that shine through, even if you may be left wishing the game had a bit more to play with.

Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar combines a unique and quirky concept with Portal-like puzzle solving, creating brain teasers that are simultaneously challenging and yet unusually forgiving to new players. The game can be played with two players, but it is a completely different experience when you play alone, enticing your brain not only with cooperative puzzles but with the challenge of controlling two cats at the same time.

Lumentale: Memories of Trey is a heavy hitter of a creature-collector, doing everything fans love about the genre well and even expanding on core mechanics in its own ways. It will easily become a new favorite for fans of the genre, and I think it even has ground to compete against franchise titans.

The Caribou Trail presents a strong, albeit short, story worth experiencing alongside some boring, tedious, and downright pointless mechanics. While I recommend it for the story, it is one of those games that leave me wishing it were just a movie or an interactive visual novel, rather than what can only be described as a walking simulator.

Call of the Elder Gods is an excellent narrative-driven puzzle game that masters familiar Lovecraftian themes while taking its own, unique approach to the tone of the story. It may feel different to fans of games based on Lovecraft’s work, but I think the changes work incredibly well, and this unique approach is worth giving a try yourself.

Duck Side of the Moon is a quacking good time: an adorable space-bound adventure with simple yet inviting mechanics, silly yet engaging writing, and the occasional shockingly emotional moment. For those looking for a relaxing game, this title will more than hit the mark, winning you over with its unique score, fun exploration at your own pace, and overall memorable experiences.

Wax Heads is a gorgeous, short, beautiful game built around a simple and cozy gameplay loop. It captures the spirit of your local record shop and uses its cast of colorful characters to tell a confined, low-stakes story that will stay with you regardless. It’s a perfect game for those looking for a small, comfortable narrative experience, and the price is hard to argue with.

Deadhaus Sonata is ambitious. I do believe, given time, that the title can meet all of its goals as well and become a truly incredible and nostalgic game, a real spiritual successor to the Legacy of Kain franchise. However, I’m not totally convinced it can do it in just 18 months, and there are significant changes I would want to see made to the game as it is before the more ambitious additions get added. I will say it once more: I am cautiously optimistic about the game’s future, but I would warn interested players about jumping into the Early Access build so early, as what the game has to offer now might give you a bad first impression of what there is to come. [Early Access Review]

Directive 8020 is a strong interactive narrative with some less-than-exciting gameplay. Quick-time events and impactful decisions maintain a solid element of player interactivity, but the title would be better off ditching its weak stealth segments and walking-simulator gameplay in favor of a more direct, cinematic approach. Despite this, fans of the genre and those looking for a good narrative experience with some player influence are bound to enjoy what this latest entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology has to offer.

SoulQuest presents excellent beat-’em-up action mechanics, serving as a unique and exciting new entry to the character-action game genre. Though some later levels can have some cheap-feeling difficulty spikes, the game in general is solid and very worth your time if it’s caught your interest.

Bus Bound delivers some decent driving mechanics with excellent traffic AI, although the game struggles with the nuanced mechanics that make other simulator titles from Saber stand out. There is no career mode, and immersive mechanics are limited, but if you want to drive a bus along a route, you can certainly find a good, albeit short, time here.

Lethal Honor: Order of the Apocalypse has a strong comic book identity, featuring amazing art, stylized graphics, and a well-paced story that will keep you interested to the end. While its roguelike and combat mechanics fall a bit short, they’re more than enough to keep you playing as you chase those awesome cutscenes and story arcs throughout.

Demon Lord: Just a Block is a fun, small-scale roguelike with some cute art and a clever twist on turn-based strategy gameplay. It makes good use of the roguelike formula, with the gameplay being simple and yet weirdly addicting, albeit lacking in much longevity beyond that inherently provided by the roguelike formula. All in all, it is not a bad way to spend $13.

Tides of Tomorrow features an incredibly interesting mechanic and a unique setting, but both are undercut by poorly paced storytelling and a lack of deeper, engaging gameplay. While I would still recommend the game for its unique, indirect multiplayer mechanic, you might find yourself in the same position I was: burnt out on the gimmick early into the game.

Bandit Trap is a critically underrated gem, one which injects some much-needed levity into the world of asymmetrical multiplayer games and a title that stands utterly alone in the genre of “multiplayer Home Alone-likes.” Give the game a try, get your friends to play too, and help it get the attention it deserves.