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.