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.

Tempest Rising feels like a nostalgic tribute to the classic RTS games of yesterday, with familiar gameplay that should appeal to old-school players and an incredible amount of polish that no classic can compare to. However, it may feel less-than-innovative to some, and there has been noticeable community backlash regarding the terms of the game’s EULA.

If I could think of one thing to add to Wizdom Academy, on top of all of these fixes and tweaks, it would be more from the building system. While I like it currently, the ability to build curved walls, bridges, and buildings hugging edges would be a phenomenally witchy addition to a game all about going to school for magic. Food for thought, developers; you already have a lot to work on as it is. [Early Access Review]

Bionic Bay is my new favorite in a genre I rarely enjoy, captivating me with its setting, unique mechanics, and fun physics system. With a competitive speedrunning mode alongside its 12-hour campaign, you’re sure to find something to enjoy in this standout title.

Chains of Freedom is a turn-based action game with incredible art and good storytelling, but its gameplay may be too familiar, missing opportunities to make its combat more exciting or original.

Surprisingly, I didn’t encounter any bugs—aside from the roaches used as currency at vending machines—despite White Knuckle still being in Early Access. If I were to offer a suggestion, I’d say to include some on-screen tutorials at the start of a new climb. Not everyone plays the main tutorial, but it contains important mechanics that, if missed, make the game much harder. For example, just knowing you have an inventory to store items was a huge game-changer. In one run, I got stuck holding a can because I didn’t know I had to put it back into my backpack after eating. [Early Access Review]

Stygian: Outer Gods is in a decent place for an Early Access title. While I’d like to see some minor improvements to storytelling and character animation, these are relatively small issues that don’t seriously impact the experience. The far more serious problem is the severe optimization and frame rate drops in outdoor areas—locations where players will spend a significant amount of time. These issues absolutely need to be fixed before launch. [Early Access Review]

As far as non-bug-related changes, I would like to see the ability to skip the game’s tutorial added at some point. Also, I feel like the game’s judgment on which movie genres match and which don’t could be improved. For example, who doesn’t like a western horror film, featuring an incredible monster? According to Hollywood Animal, these genres clash, leading to a script that simply doesn’t work. [Early Access Review]

Kaya’s Prophecy is an incredibly unique game, combining two familiar genres to create a title that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Deckbuilding and colony sim enthusiasts alike should find something to enjoy in this very special game published by the Yogscast team.

Crashlands 2 is full of character and lets players explore and progress on a strange alien world completely at their own pace and in their own way. While the combat can feel a little stat-checky, and early progression can be slow, players should generally enjoy Crashlands 2 for all the freedom and creativity it offers.

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is a really cool concept. The unique presentation and shelter-based gameplay offer a type of zombie game we don’t have right now—something like a more digestible version of Project Zomboid. However, the Early Access launch isn’t without flaws, many of which are already addressed in the Early Access roadmap. We’ll have to wait and see what the game becomes at full release. [Early Access Review]

Incredible in its narrative and gameplay, Leila is a must-have game for puzzle enthusiasts as well as those simply looking for a great story to experience, though it is one that will trigger introspection and emotions both happy and sad.

Though its puzzles are simple and the gameplay uncomplicated, Koira delivers a heartwarming little story that is sure to win your heart over a relaxing afternoon, forming a bond between players, the forest, and their little light-up doggy in an artistic little story about friendship and nature.

AI Limit doesn’t have the strongest setting or presentation, but its gameplay blew me away. It surprised me that small yet impactful changes to the Soulslike mechanics create a unique and fun take on the genre. This shorter title is a blast for one to two playthroughs, which is more than fair for the price.

Sultan’s Game features a twisted, heart-wrenchingly engaging narrative about the dangers of absolute power and the dreadful decisions made to survive. Though I found the game overall interesting and fun to play, translation issues severely hampered my personal ability to play the game, often leaving me in the dark for entire segments of dialogue or instructions.

Spilled! is a short, cute little game with a fantastic message and a noble goal. Clocking in just under an hour of surprisingly fun yet simple gameplay, Spilled! will grant you a fun, relaxing afternoon and will donate a portion of your purchase to help protect the ocean’s wildlife.

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.

The Deadly Path is an excellent puzzle game, featuring a genuinely engaging gameplay loop presented through some pretty awesome horror themes and artwork. Though a few bugs seem to have slipped in at launch, you’re bound to enjoy your time with this eerie little puzzle-survival game about farming bones and meat for dead gods.

Though a performance patch is definitely needed, BLEACH: Rebirth of Souls, at its core, is a phenomenal BLEACH game, capturing the style and substance of the series’ explosive battles and bringing its characters to life.

Kaiserpunk has a lot of great ideas but feels as though it could have used more time in development before being released. Big changes to the game’s grand strategy mechanic and small changes to its city building could have made Kaiserpunk one of my new favorite titles.

Cataclismo is an excellent tower defense title, providing some classic horde-defense gameplay with an incredibly unique building mechanic as a twist. Cataclismo’s 1.0 launch was a straight improvement over everything I criticized in its Early Access version, living up to my expectations and managing to impress me a second time around.

Though mostly faithful to the original, FATE: Reawakened remains a game hard to recommend to newcomers to the franchise or die-hard fans of the series, as it feels far too dated to keep the long-term attention of new players, and makes unnecessary changes that the fans don’t enjoy. Regardless, if you’re nostalgic for the series, it may still be worth giving it a try.

Metal Bringer has become one of my favorite new mecha games, with a highly replayable roguelike loop and incredible mech customization systems. Though poor localization and some overwhelming VFX and UI elements can make clarity an issue, Metal Bringer is fun enough that you likely won’t find yourself caring.

Odinfall‘s characters are as unique, interesting, and deadly as the other aspects of the game. From an incredible chill moose to a berserker with a robotic arm, the game has a penchant for creating interesting characters that will quickly steal your attention. Even the severed head of Loki, who acts as your guide/base manager, is an incredibly well-written and interesting character. You’ll find yourself speaking to him after each run as you unlock more and more lines of dialogue with the imprisoned god. [Early Access Review]

FragPunk stands out in the genre for its creative, reality-altering twist on familiar mechanics. Though I wish it leaned further into its unique aesthetic, it still distinguishes itself from the crowd and is absolutely worth trying.

If I had any real criticism about the game, subjective though it may be, it would simply be that I wish everything was a bit more stylized. Where there are interesting settings and cool-looking monsters, generally everything seems to fall under the umbrella of generic dark fantasy, aka Diablo or Path of Exile. There’s a lot the game could have done to further stand out visually, and while the gameplay is arguably the most important aspect of a game, I think a better focus on style and worldbuilding could have made this title stand out from the rest. [Early Access Review]

Slime Heroes is a charming soulslike that serves as a fantastic entry point for newcomers to the genre while offering plenty of fun for seasoned players. The game’s highly accessible co-op makes an already enjoyable experience even better, allowing you to share the adventure with friends or family.

It’s clear that the developers took inspiration from the mysticism in the real-life disaster zone, as well as games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. that also explore this area. However, if you ask me, it feels as though a lot of their writing and world-building expanded beyond the scope of their original interest, becoming a bit too bloated in scale. It simply felt to me at several points that a character with the powers that he had, working for the people he works for, shouldn’t have been stranded as he was in an area you can drive through in half an hour. The game, at least as it was presented in the demo, would have been a lot more engaging story-wise with a protagonist who was a little closer to the ground, especially one without the ability to “walk between worlds.” [Early Access Review]