With its beautiful pixel art, great humor, and outstanding voice acting, Loco Motive is a captivating blend of next-gen and yesteryear, taking everything we love about classic point-and-click adventures and giving it a fresh, modern spin.

Sorry We’re Closed is a remarkable fusion of punk aesthetics, survival horror mechanics, and deeply authentic character-driven storytelling. Its unapologetic blend of style and substance, from its diverse cast to its unique visual flair, makes it a standout in a genre often dominated by darker, more serious tones.

In Sink is a clever co-op puzzle game that challenges two players with exciting and difficult, but not frustrating, puzzles. Its clever use of a language-free puzzle system allows anyone to enjoy the game, making it a fun way to meet new friends or connect with old ones.

Songs of Silence offers a game that is fun enough to play and impossible to put down, easily captivating players with its unique world, interesting concepts, and phenomenal art.

Planet Coaster 2 excels in amusement park management, presenting a superb combination of gameplay depth and accessibility. You’re sure to enjoy the ride in this brilliant coaster tycoon.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is a fun co-op roguelike; however, it shows the limitations of a straight mobile port and could use some work, both on the depth of its content and its controls.

Mirthwood is an open-ended farming sim with a unique dark fantasy setting. While character interaction is limited and combat is underwhelming, you’ll find yourself spoiled with things to do, allowing you to live free in a hand-drawn and mysterious country.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a good story, full of interesting characters and nostalgic callbacks to the game that started the franchise. While this continuation of Max Caulfield’s story doesn’t hit quite the same way as the original, it’s still worth experiencing and should satisfy fans.

Empire of the Ants looks great and, despite some texture issues, presents a visually impressive, convincingly insectoid world. This, alongside some fairly engaging RTS bug-on-bug battles, scratches a specific itch and makes for a unique game worth trying.

Maybe it’s just me, but I often felt as though a level would generate a plethora of paths that went nowhere. Platforming segments would often appear and then lead directly into a wall or be interrupted by an unjumpable gap or object, making the platforming itself impossible. [Early Access Review]

Sonic x Shadow Generations is a brand-new, exciting Sonic game generously packaged with a remaster of a beloved franchise title. The $50 price tag is worth it just for Shadow Generations, a fantastic new game that captures the best aspects of the franchise and one of its most beloved characters.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a familiar Call of Duty experience, albeit improved with a unique new setting and incredible gunplay. Fans of Black Ops’ campaigns, multiplayer, and Zombies modes all have something to get excited for in this latest addition to the franchise.

Awaken: Astral Blade failed to wow me with passable combat, an underwhelming story, and art that simply didn’t impress. While not a game for me, other fans of the Metroidvania genre may find something worth playing in this seemingly generic title.

No More Room in Hell 2 has potential. I think you only need to play one match to see it. A cooperative zombie-based extraction shooter is a fun idea, and the gore system makes it satisfying to tear through hordes of the undead. However, the game really needs to work on its latency issues and fill in an understandable yet very present lack of content before it’s ready to leave Early Access. [Early Access Review]

While Forgive Me Father 2 is a fun title with excellent art and some wonderfully spooky Lovecraftian elements, I feel like the gameplay can be a bit too simple, repetitive, and even frustrating at times. While it is definitely a true portrayal of a beloved genre, I personally would mix things up by introducing more boss fights, power diversity, and maybe even more enemy types. That being said, you’ll be hard-pressed not to enjoy what’s already on offer.

Technotopia is an engaging puzzle game with a soothing soundtrack, excellent art-deco visuals, and a non-intrusive story. This allows players to choose between a narrative experience or simply relaxing gameplay.

With strong inspiration from classic anime of the 1980s and 1990s, yet with a solid identity of its own, Rogue Flight is determined to wow you with its exciting gameplay, amazing art, and incredible soundtrack, and I reckon it won’t be very hard for it to do so.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead was a surprisingly good horror experience, combining human and alien fears into a chilling, atmospheric game. Fans and newcomers alike should enjoy at least one playthrough of this fun horror romp.

Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like another classic ATLUS RPG, with some enough new to stand out. The game is loud and proud with its message, and though it sometimes can write in circles, it features some real heartwrenching moments, loveable (and hateable) characters, and some classically engaging turn-based RPG mechanics.

Neva is a game you won’t soon forget. With stunning visuals, gorgeous art, and an incredibly emotional story, this new classic continues Nomada Studio’s solid reputation and is a must-play in this reviewer’s book.

Drova – Forsaken Kin presents a dark and compelling world of survival inspired by Celtic mythology and classic grimdark ARPGs. A challenging adventure, you will struggle to survive, thrive, and find more to live for in this game full of impactful decisions and engaging action RPG mechanics.

Starship Troopers: Extermination feels bare bones, buggy (pun intended), and frankly unfinished. While the game has nostalgic visuals for the fans of the Starship Troopers franchise, this reviewer feels like it doesn’t have much else to offer.

Thronefall has easily become my new favorite tower defense game, thanks to its solid mechanics and the absolute wealth of variety present in each aspect of the game. Countless difficulty mutations and enemies await you in this game, which gives new meaning to the word “replayability.”

Europa is the closest thing we have to a Ghibli movie in video game form. With stunning visuals, a relaxing atmosphere, satisfying movement mechanics, and an intriguing mystery to uncover, Europa is a game worth losing an afternoon to.

Shady Knight combines fast-paced combat with even faster parkour, challenging you to dash, grapple, and slay your way through intense platforming puzzles on your quest to get the highest score possible. The game focuses on its solid foundation of well-designed mechanics and should easily appeal to any fans of the genre.

While not the most innovative in its genre, Diplomacy is Not An Option takes a solid focus on traditional tower defense and wave-survival city building, challenging you to manage resources and build a mighty castle to survive against huge, statistically varied hordes of enemies.

KILL KNIGHT is an exciting bullet hell romp that challenges you to master its mechanics and descend through the circles of hell, prompting you with greater difficulties and higher scores to beat as you go.

Realm of Ink took a minute to grow on me, but grow on me it did. The game needs to work on its localization, and I still have mixed feelings about the game’s difficulty, but all in all, it seems to be in a fairly promising state, and I’m eager to see what the game is like after it leaves Early Access. [Early Access Review]

Ravenswatch is my new favorite roguelike game, and a title I’m going to be spending a lot of time with in the future. Absolutely packed with cool ideas, from the game’s setting to the philosophy behind its mechanics, Ravenswatch is sure to become one of your favorites, too, if you give it a chance.

Mouthwashing is a masterclass in psychological horror, featuring phenomenal writing and striking imagery that is sure to leave you awed, inspired, and utterly terrified.

I really have no real criticisms for Breachway. It’s a great deckbuilding roguelike even in its Early Access state, providing not only a well-designed card game but also a really interesting and immersive way to frame it. I would like to see even more ships and mechanics included in the future. Still, even now, the game feels really packed with content and challenging enough that mastering any specific playstyle or ship will undoubtedly take some real investment. [Early Access Review]

Bloomtown: A Different Story is an excellent combination of creature capture and JRPG. Though the writing moves fast and can leave you wanting more dedicated character development, the game features fun mechanics, excellent art, a phenomenal soundtrack, and a super interesting setting that will make the game a new cult classic.

The Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a remarkably faithful, graphically impressive remaster of an original classic. The phenomenal RE engine brings the game to life, and QoL improvements make the game much more fun to play, though unnecessary censorship of original content and the missed opportunity of including combo weapons holds the game back just a bit for me.

As the title suggests, #DRIVE Rally is a rally racing format driving game. Rally racing means that rather than racing side by side with other vehicles, you are solo racing through treacherously twisty tracks and against a stopwatch to see how quickly you can reach the finish line. At the end of the race, your score is presented against other players locally and globally, as you all compete to have the best time on each track. [Early Access Review]

Beyond approachability, City 20 suffers from a lack of polish that could reasonably be expected from any game entering Early Access. I occasionally encountered a freeze, and there was a lack of content to keep me interested for as long as a finished game would. Despite these issues, I believe in City 20, and I think the game can really shine once it finishes its Early Access development cycle. [Early Access Review]

Though Final Fantasy XVI departs from the franchise formula, it still maintains so much of what makes Final Fantasy such a beloved franchise. It has easily become one of my new favorite entries in the series. The game does its own thing, and while I do miss some classic Final Fantasy RPG elements, I certainly enjoy the cinematic action Final Fantasy XVI has to offer.

For the first creation of a solo developer, Pneumata is a well-put-together, albeit flawed game with some nice visuals, something any amateur should be proud of. However, it may not be the magnum opus of horror that it claims itself to be, and buyers should consider their expectations accordingly.

Copycat is a uniquely cat-perspective narrative game that tells a heartwarming and, at times, heart-wrenching story that cat lovers and owners should resonate with. However, it is a bit weak on the gameplay side and will often hold your hand and guide you through the story it wants you to experience.

Frostpunk 2 does exactly what a sequel should do. It excels in all the ways the original game did while increasing the scale and adding even more. It is an excellent expansion on everything we loved about Frostpunk and delivers a new, utterly unique experience and story, and one that fans of the original, as well as newcomers to the franchise, are sure to love.

The Plucky Squire is a brilliantly creative little game that will hook you with its unique presentation and phenomenally full-of-life art and reel you in with nostalgic gameplay and great characters. It is fun for all ages. I struggle to think of anyone who won’t find at least one thing they enjoy about The Plucky Squire, making it a game that is definitely worth checking out if it’s on your radar.

Caravan SandWitch isn’t a game to play for a lot of action or crazy, tension-filled moments. It isn’t going to challenge you beyond a simple environmental puzzle and a push to go exploring, and it doesn’t have to. It is a simple game, one that works best in its quiet moments, that just asks you to sit back and enjoy yourself as you take a delightful little road trip across a strangely hopeful, near-apocalyptic planet. It’s perfect for a rainy day when you need a quick break from stress or simply something to shut your brain off after a long day of work, and for that, I certainly recommend it.

Reka is a fantastic new addition to the survival craft/farming sim genre, with an incredibly unique setting and great original mechanics. It stands out with its themes and gameplay and is a great title worth checking out, even in its early access state. [Early Access Review]

Hollowbody is the best horror game of the year, standing out with its remarkably good use of tension and incredible atmosphere. Clocking in at about three hours, your short time with this game will surely be memorable, tense, and terrifying.

Age of Mythology: Retold is a faithful remaster of a classic RTS game, featuring improved graphics, UI, and great quality of life changes. Whether you’re new to the franchise or a returning fan, this buffed-up classic is worth checking out.

Though weak in some places, The Casting of Frank Stone is still a good story set in the Dead By Daylight universe and left me excited for the possibility of more games and stories coming out in this setting.

Deadlock is an exciting addition to a genre that hasn’t seen, in my opinion, an up-and-comer with a real fighting chance in a while. Deadlock is sure to be popular, thanks to its twist on gameplay, fun setting, and great characters, if not outright give League of Legends a run for its money. [Early Access Review]

Spectre Divide stands out from other games in the genre, making it a solid competitor for the crown of Tactical Shooter King, at least to someone like me who doesn’t know much about the genre itself.

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 is a game for fans of the franchise and newcomers alike, providing great cinematic action gameplay and genuine fun that can be experienced alone or with a group. It’s my favorite game of the year so far, and try as I might, I can’t find anything to complain about. It’s just plain good.

Crypt Custodian takes a relatively dark plot and makes it whimsical, showing an at-times scary yet mostly wholesome version of the afterlife. With solid, familiar Metroidvania mechanics, great art, and fun characters, Crypt Custodian is sure to win you over.

Though I have criticisms about the game’s writing and mechanics, Star Wars Outlaws does an incredible job of immersing you in the Star Wars universe and will keep you at least somewhat invested in its storytelling. If you’re a fan of the Star Wars formula and want an open-world game set in the Outer Rim, Star Wars Outlaws is the game for you.

Farewell North is a heartwarming game that shows, in a literal sense, how a beloved pet can bring the light back in our darkest moments.

Tactical Breach Wizards uses great writing, genuinely well-executed humor, and subversive takes on genre gameplay and pairs it with a super unique setting to make what is one of my favorite new titles.

The game could really expand on this area by adding more scenery in the nature areas, perhaps some animals, and giving the town a more lived-in, bustling feeling. While it may seem like a minor criticism, I think it could go a long way to make Mika and the Witch’s Mountain a better game than it is now. [Early Access Review]

For an early access title, Dawn of Defiance has a lot of promise. It goes a unique route for a survival crafting game, giving you the powers of a god as you progress through the game and having a unique setting that I haven’t yet seen in the genre. If the game could simply improve on its combat, adding in a more combo-oriented system, maybe adding in more combat skills and weapon sets, it could be a fantastic entry into the genre. While not totally necessary, I’d also like to see the game swap out its humanoid models and gear sets for more visually interesting ones, adding to the game’s unique flavor in visual areas where it, unfortunately, feels a little bland. [Early Access Review]

It certainly has the concept for it. However, to do so, it needs to work on its balance and change up how aliens play the game and how players fight back against them. As it exists, the game is frustrating at worst and plain not scary at best. [Early Access Review]

The formula is solid and straightforward enough that something would have to be very wrong for me to find something to criticize. Though still in early access, I struggle to imagine just how far Preserve can really go from here. The game is simple yet solid, and I think that’s just fine for its $12 price point. [Early Access Review]

Deathbound is a unique entry into the Soulslike genre, with a cool, grim setting and unique ideas that set it apart from other titles. Ambitious as it may be, its character writing leaves something to be desired, and aspects of the mechanical design keep Deathbound from its full potential.

Stormgate seems like an interesting game, albeit one that has a bit of work to be done before it leaves Early Access. The game needs to work on its presentation of information, both visually and through in tutorial sources. It also could stand to bolster its factions with more unique and interesting designs, with the Infernal Host standing out as the most interesting of three otherwise bland factions. [Early Access Review]

Creatures of Ava surprised me with a vast and beautiful world, an exciting take on pacifism, and great characters. A game about exploration, conservation, and wonder, you’re sure to enjoy your visit to Ava. Remember to take lots of pictures.

Closer The Distance is a game that will make you feel. It reminds you of some of life’s saddest moments and grief, as well as about healing and the depth that a community can have. It may be rough going down like bitter medicine, but you’ll feel better in the end.

Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss tasks you with solving an incredibly engaging mystery in an incredibly unique and terrifying deep sea setting. A fantastic story and heartwrenching ghosts await you in this thalassophobic thriller.

Space For Sale is an interesting title, albeit not quite what I expected. If you’re into the idea of building towns on the galactic frontier with friends, this game may be for you, although you might find certain early access features to be wanting. If, however, you wanted to open up a farm and physically terraform an alien planet, Space For Sale will unfortunately leave you wanting, though we may see a shift in that direction as the game sees further development.

Minds Beneath Us is an excellent visual novel, telling a heart-wrenching story with a ton of unique sci-fi concepts. Fans of visual novels and great stories are in for a treat with this dystopian treat.

7 Days to Die, in my opinion, is dated in a lot of ways. Some of the mechanics feel unnecessarily tedious, the game doesn’t look incredible, and the engine is undoubtedly on its last legs. In other ways, however, the game is revolutionary, featuring a core mechanic loop that I am shocked no other games have replicated and a surprising amount of player freedom in its gameplay. If nothing else, 7 Days to Die will quickly become the next Stardew Valley or Rogue, inspiring a variety of new games and becoming the forefather of its own genre.

Farlands seems to have a long way to go before it leaves Early Access and becomes a full game. However, I think it has a lot of promise. If the game interests you and you want to support the developers as they continue to flesh out the game, purchasing it in Early Access definitely isn’t a bad idea. Otherwise, I would give the game time, but I recommend keeping a close eye on it as it evolves throughout its development. [Early Access Review]

Lost Castle 2 is already at a great state in its Early Access release, and should prove to being a co-op favorite among Roguelike fans. [Early Access Review]

The Star Named EOS is heartwarming, heartwrenching, beautifully designed, and pleasantly short. It tells a great story with clever puzzles and never overstays its welcome. Fans of puzzle games or those just looking to experience this game’s incredible story will find a wealth of enjoyment from The Star Named EOS and may be left wanting more.

CONSCRIPT is incredibly atmospheric, with great ideas and loving homages to the survival game genre. While the tension wasn’t quite there for me, I’m sure others will find it in this otherwise incredible game.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an incredibly unique title, with a remarkably interesting world and great twists on classic gameplay to keep you captivated as you gun down (or chop apart) the undead horde.

Norland is in a really solid place, even in its Early Access release. It has a solid grasp on what makes games like RimWorld, its main inspiration, fun, and adds to the formula with interesting diplomatic and lineage-building systems. It has cool, unique lore, nice graphics, a robust economy system, and well-polished, if not incredibly deep, combat mechanics. For anyone looking for a new colony sim, Norland certainly serves as a worthy contender on the market. [Early Access Review]

SCHiM is a relaxing and artistic little game. With a clever take on platform puzzles, a cute little shadow frog, and a surprisingly heartwrenching story, this charming title is sure to find a cozy spot in the pond you call your Steam library.

Governor of the West is a clever, strategically satisfying board-game-type title that is food for killing ten to twenty minutes fast. However, the game would shine with the addition of multiplayer, which it sorely lacks at the moment.

Anger Foot is a gem. It’s got a superbly unique setting, and it feels simple and creative gameplay that gets your blood running, as well as a fantastic score to wrap it all up. That’s really all there is to say about Anger Foot. It’s great, fun, and one of my new favorites, but I know for a fact that nothing I could say could sell you on the game quite like screenshots from the game itself.

Kaku Ancient Seal feels nostalgic for PS2 area adventure games featuring fantastic world-building and strong action-adventure mechanics. The game will take you in, invest you in its diverse and interesting world, and provide satisfying ways to grow your strength as you balance the elements and save the world from destruction.

Ark of Charon is an interesting title. While still in Early Access, I think a lot of what it needs to fix can easily be buffed out before the game’s full release, making for a truly great colony sim/tower defense combination. [Early Access Review]

What Kingdom, Dungeon, and Hero lacks in strategic complexity, it makes up for in storytelling, classical RPG mechanics and an interesting wargame added almost as a cherry on top of it all.

Stuffed is an interesting take on the “Zombies” wave-defense style game. However, despite its great presentation and potential, the state of the game itself could use some work. With the state of weapon balance, performance optimization, and map design, I’d say Stuffed feels more like an Early Access title than a full release.

Dystopika is a small, relaxing game about building an aesthetically pleasing cyberpunk city with no restraints on where or how many buildings you can place. While your time with the game may be short-lived, you’re bound to enjoy it and feel utterly relaxed, which is exactly what Dystopika wants to do.

Shadow of the Erdtree is more of everything you love about Elden Ring, expanding on the award-winning game with a bigger arsenal, tougher enemies, a brand-new story, and even more beautiful landscapes.

With its lonely, other-worldly setting, interesting sci-fi and fantastical elements, and puzzling puzzles, the remake Riven is a game that feels incredibly faithful to the era in which it was created and should be a fantastic title for fans of the series and newcomers alike.

Though the concept of a survival craft game based on Norse mythology has certainly been done before, ASKA stands out with its emphasis on immersion and village building. With amazing stylized graphics and a good balance between survival gameplay and city building, ASKA is a title that’s as fun to play as it is beautiful to look at. [Early Access Review]

The coziest of cozy visual novels, Tavern Talk is sure to win you over. With a huge cast of delightful and interesting characters and intriguing fantasy stories, no cozy afternoon can be complete without serving these adventurers their drinks.

Horror Tales: The Beggar is a nicely portioned, exciting, and interesting game that is well worth checking out. While not exactly what I’d call horror, the game offers plenty of interesting ideas and world-building at an incredibly fair price.

Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic is one of the most in-depth economic simulators on the market, offering an excellent experience for the management-enthused player. However, poor placement tech means that players interested in the game’s building side will surely miss out.

Still Wakes The Deep stands out as a triumph in horror games, blending thrilling gameplay with a unique, inspired, and haunting atmosphere, with a compelling story and characters to boot. It’s a must-play for horror enthusiasts and anyone looking for a game that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Still Wakes The Deep is not just a highlight of the year; it might very well be a benchmark for future horror games.

You’ll probably never see me saying this again, but Drug Dealer Simulator 2 has too much story...Drug Dealer Simulator 2 wants to sell you on the narrative of becoming a drug kingpin in a small archipelago nation, going from rags to riches as your small-time dope business grows into an all-drug-encompassing criminal empire. It’s an exciting fantasy, and it could easily be sold to a player through nothing more than the game’s basic tycoon-progression mechanics and a little imagination. Drug Dealer Simulator 2, however, has an almost campaign-like story alongside it. [Early Access Review]

The roadmap for Bodycam promises bug fixes, more maps, and a zombie mode, of which I’m personally the most excited. Though I feel like the gun play could be improved and the game should allow for weapon progression and selection, I can safely say that even in Early Access, Bodycam will certainly have a dedicated player base, though $30 may be a bit too steep for what the game is offering. Also, if the devs are reading this, get rid of the Discord server launch prompt when you open the game. It feels invasive and will definitely put off potential players. [Early Access Review]

Kristala already seems to be an exciting and unique entry into the Soulslike genre. With its unique setting and twists on the genre’s gameplay mechanics, the game has real promise. Though there are still bugs to be polished, optimization to be implemented, and tweaks to the controls and gameplay to be made before Kristala is ready to launch, Kristala has a lot to offer fans of Soulslike games, but it should be equally appealing for newcomers looking to make this cat-based world their first experience with the genre. [Early Access Review]

If your tribe has multiple clans or “units,” there is no reminder at the end of your turn to move them or an easy way to cycle between selecting multitudes of them. Sometime, the game will outright refuse to allow you to select your other clans, and you just have to watch them slowly die of starvation or predator attack as they are left defenseless and without direction. [Early Access Review]

Nine Sols feels like a love letter to Sekiro and the Metroidvania genre as a whole. Though slow at times, the game’s focus on storytelling pairs well with its great visuals, presenting a narrative experience paired with some challenging but fair gameplay.

I think Soulmask has some good ideas but needs more work, especially on the non-mechanical side of things. The UI, menu navigation, building, and localization need some improvement before this game can shine as the ambitious survival craft the developers want it to be. [Early Access Review]

RIPOUT is a horror extraction shooter based enjoyed with friends. With a terrifying setting, a great aesthetic, deeply replayable levels, and living guns, RIPOUT is something you and your buddies will surely bond over… as you’re bonded into one giant flesh colossus.

As it currently stands, Necromantic is a solid bullet-hell title with some great gameplay and a super interesting setting. Some powers could be tweaked, some pathfinding glitches fixed, and above all else, a big focus on expanding the story and characters of the setting needs to happen before the game is ready to leave Early Access. Still, I feel like Necromantic is a promising title with a great future in story. [Early Access Review]

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is an adorable little detective story with great characters, clever writing, and a genuinely interesting mystery to solve. Clocking in just under two hours, you’re sure to get at least one great afternoon out of this clever and entertaining Ducktective Noir.

Overall, I’d say the game has a lot of promise; It just needs a little bit of paint and some tinkering under the hood. [Early Access Review]

Survival: Fountain of Youth is full of interesting ideas and great moments, but also some polarizing mechanics and jank. If you can tough it through the game’s slow start and learning curve, it will surely pull you in and give you a memorable experience despite its flaws.

RUNGORE is an impressively unique little roguelike that I feel deserves more attention. It’s fantastic art, and the ability to sell you on both comedic and dramatic atmospheres paired with a unique spin on the deckbuilding archetype makes for something that’s worth trying and easy to appreciate.

Die By The Blade delivers fast-paced, deadly skill-heavy combat for players to master in 1v1 battles. While not perfectly balanced, the game features some awesome cosmetics and exciting gameplay that will surely hook fans of the genre in for the long haul.