Deck of Haunts has a solid foundation, but I feel as though it fails to fully deliver on its own promises. The deckbuilding gameplay is solid, if repetitive, and the game doesn’t do much to capitalize on its unique identity as a haunted house simulator, leaving this reviewer severely disappointed.

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a unique and fun-to-play side-scrolling Soulslike, with great gameplay and an original world that’s easy to get immersed in. While I’d make some minor changes, the intrusive EULA policy is the biggest downside and prevents me, in good conscience, from giving it a higher score.

Docked might not be what many fans of the genre were expecting it to be, as it presents more of a series of short construction-themed levels rather than a fully open and immersive job site simulation. However, its management mechanics are interesting, and the heavy equipment is still intricately designed, making for a fun game, even if it’s not the one you necessarily wanted it to be.

The Spell Brigade is excellence in the survivors-like genre, offering players a chance to partake in some whacky, chaotic co-op wizardry. While designed for online play, solo players can still appreciate the title, though they may find progression to be a slower grind overall.

Goblin Stone is a cute and engaging little game with a great message, all about taking the fight back against a bunch of XP-hungry bullies. It cleverly combines multiple genres into an amalgamation that works surprisingly well, making for a strategically engaging sim about saving Goblinkind.

Men of War II is a fighting return for the legendary RTS franchise, featuring deep strategic gameplay and unique new game modes to keep you playing forever. Fans of historical strategy games are in for strategic intensity and explosive action in Men of War II’s epic battles.

UNBEATABLE combines rhythm gaming with a heartfelt story and incredible characters. The title is punk throughout, both in its messaging and its nontraditional approach to storytelling, and at times feels more like an interactive music video than a video game. In the end, it truly is an “UNBEATABLE” experience.

Best enjoyed with friends, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando has some solid, if not amazing or transformative gunplay, paired with some fun class abilities and a more open-world approach to the genre’s typical level design. The narrative can be gripping, making for an engaging first playthrough, but there isn’t too much to come back for after that.

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is an incredible game, featuring unique mechanics that captivate your attention and a story that will break your heart. Presented with beautiful art and nostalgic graphics, this game is as much an art piece as it is a must-play.

Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse expertly combines Metroidvania gameplay with a roguelike loop, and presents it all with gorgeous art and beautiful music. While the game can bottleneck your runs by forcing you to return to the hub earlier than you might want to, it still features a fun progression system, solid combat, and good platforming mechanics.

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is a great spiritual successor to Quake, using the game’s engine to deliver a modern take on the mechanics. Though the map design can feel claustrophobic, the game is fun and has interesting takes on weapons, enemies, and other core boomer-shooter mechanics with minimal bugs.

Get past the slow early game, and Blades of Fire really opens up into an interesting and highly satisfying souls-lite action adventure game. Though the defining forge mechanic could still use some work in my opinion, it still sets the game apart from other titles and makes for a very personalized ARPG experience.

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.

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.

Phantom Abyss is an adventure game with a heavy emphasis on movement mechanics, semi-cooperative gameplay, and a great deal of trial and error. Conquer traps, collect whips, and escape an esoteric prison in this “Indi” adventure game published by the masters of originality, Devolver Digital.

Confidential Killings didn’t always satisfy me with its exploration of its narrative or characters, but it still managed to be an excellent puzzle game, one that uses gritty noir storytelling and pulpy graphic novel visuals as presentation for its challenging brainteasers.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is gorgeous and creative, but ultimately held back by its core mechanics. Fun characters, great art, and a unique minigame fail to elevate this title beyond its stiff and below-average-for-the-genre gameplay.

Welcome to ParadiZe has a great core concept that is just shy of fully capitalizing on. I think it could have been a serious winner if the game had leaned more heavily into its base-building and crafting identity. As it stands, it is more of an okay ARPG title that, while definitely full of some interesting mechanics, isn’t the most exciting one on the market.

The Siege and the Sandfox is a beautifully realized Metroidvania that succeeds in every artistic aspect, from its pixel-perfect visuals and soundtrack to its intricate worldbuilding. While it stumbles somewhat in its necessary backtracking and stiff controls, the overall experience is both compelling and memorable. For fans of stealth, fantasy, and classic Metroidvania exploration, this game serves as a rewarding adventure.

A.I.L.A features an incredible first act filled with psychological horror and clever puzzles, making for one of the better horror games I’ve played. Everything after, however, is just a fine, bordering on boring and clanky action horror game that simply fails to be as good as what came before. Still worth a try if the game caught your interest, you just might find yourself disappointed after the first hour.

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.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered features a faithfully remastered take on three classic Tomb Raider games, with improved controls, graphics, and quality-of-life features, all of which can be disabled, creating the perfect package for faithful fans wanting a modern update on a nostalgic title, or die-hard fans who want to experience the games as they originally were.

REVEIL offers a mix of the familiar and the creative, making it a noteworthy addition to the ever-expanding realm of horror gaming. While it could use some improvement in a few places, overall you won’t regret buying an entry ticket to this carnival of horror.

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.

Sniper Elite: Resistance combines its incredible single-player experience with some clever multiplayer features, making a game that is truly fun to play, even with its lackluster enemy AI.

Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator offers a visually enchanting experience with its beautiful and highly stylized graphics, evoking a storybook charm that seamlessly blends reality with whimsy. The game provides players with a ton of freedom and the relaxing fantasy of cultivating a community garden. However, some bugs, optimization problems, and developer oversights underscore the need for additional polish. With a little work, the game has the potential to blossom into something truly special.

Survive the Fall is a solid take on colony management that tasks you with not only keeping your survivors alive, but manually retrieving the goods yourself via open-world exploration. The latter of this combination, however, could use a bit of work, and the game’s choice of aesthetic, characters, and narrative failed to really wow me.

Sonokuni stands out for its incredible sense of style, giving the game a unique identity and a wealth of hype-filled moments you won’t forget. While the story can feel a bit underwhelming and the difficulty a bit high, you’re sure to appreciate whatever time you decide to spend with this incredibly unique title.