Simply looking at its bright and colorful aesthetics, you probably wouldn’t guess that Super Animal Royale is a Battle Royale with its adorable characters until you see them shooting one another with some assault rifles. Super Animal Royale doesn’t take itself seriously and I think that’s why I find myself going back to it now and then, dabbling in a few matches here and there. Super Animal Royale might not be what comes to mind when you think of a Battle Royale game, but it’s absolutely adorable and very simple to parachute into for nearly anyone to enjoy.

While A Juggler’s Tale is primarily a game that revolves around the connection between storyteller and Abby, it’s even more so a game about trust and the things that bind us together. A Juggler’s Tale really is a children’s story come to life. With its simplistic controls, lovely, stylized scenery, enchanting music and the narrator’s charismatic voice, A Juggler’s Tale creates a gaming experience to be enjoyed by everyone.

Kitaria Fables' visuals were great; music was a delight (feeling like it was pulled from a fairy tale), and the story was charming. It is definitely not a game for everyone, but what game really is for everyone? The combat and quests were grindy, but if you are the type of person that feels accomplished by completing lengthy tasks you will likely enjoy Kitaria Fables.

Bus Simulator 21 is a slight improvement from its previous outing, adding new and welcome features like a whole new map and bus types, but still feels like it’s lacking a lot of polish. Surely simulator fans will overlook its shortcomings and enjoy creating and driving their routes but it’s a bit of a harder sell for casual bus drivers.

Psychonauts 1 is the perfect example of the term cult classic, and Psychonauts 2 has created another masterpiece that I am only assuming won’t receive the attention it deserves. They have perfected and expanded on their original idea in every way and created a world full of heart and fun. It’s been well documented that the last few years it took to bake were used to expand the boss battles, and finely polish the areas that were complete. It’s clear that the added funds from being a Microsoft studio were put to good use and the team at Double Fine should be very proud of what they have created. I cannot wait to see what they create next.

Lake is a relaxing gaming experience that is quite unique, not just mechanically, but with its laid back game design. You can tell that Gamious made Lake with a lot of heart, as it’s a charming experience that can be enjoyed in any way you see fit. While the courier parts may become dull after a while, Lake is a great example of a charming and unique gaming experience unlike anything else if you’re looking for a comforting game to unwind with.

WRC 10 is absolutely amazing! The biggest downside is the learning curve, but the effort is well worth it when you take the time to master its handling. You can choose your tires and their position to suit the track and or your driving style and well as choose between auto and custom settings of the braking, suspension and other fine tuning. The amount of customization that is available for the player makes WRC 10 easy to get into regardless of your skill. Now we just need the ability to use a steering wheel instead of a controller and this would be an even better simulator.

While it’s easy to simply categorize Rustler as a knock off GTA parody, it can be fun in short bursts. Love poop and fart jokes? Rustler is going to make you chuckle and laugh if you’re into immature and toilet humor, so I know exactly where my maturity lays. Rustler’s enjoyment either way is solely going to be based on your sense of humor, and even though I’m probably their target audience, the $40 (CAD) asking price seems a little steep for how clunky it can feel at times. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

The experience, as someone who just played single player, will be enhanced way more if you have a buddy to play alongside you on the couch. Don't let my antics of the story make it seem like the game is bad, there's lots more to talk about, and what I will say is that this game's focus is not really the story, but rather its addictive gameplay. I would like to see more than eighteen missions given how fast the game was you can be done Police Stories within a few hours if you try.

World exploration combined with hex-based strategic combat is a unique blend, and while King’s Bounty II is full of high points, there's also many lows that were hard to ignore, the worst offenders being the voice acting and combat difficulty. I’m not normally one for strategic games like this, but King’s Bounty II kept me engaged, always wanting to progress one more battle so I could explore a new corner of the world. “Good things come to those who wait”, even if that wait has been thirty years.

Merek’s Market is a constant pressure of trying to appease all your customers in the quickest way possible while trying to be efficient and planning ahead, as that’s the only way you’re going to earn the top scores. It takes some getting used to, but once you have all of the recipes memorized and don’t have to consult the book, everything will start to flow much quicker when you learn how to have multiple crafts on the go. There’s a certain chaos and stress that comes with each level’s objectives and orders, but there’s also a great sense of accomplishment when you see Merek’s Market get a huge upgrade as the campaign goes on.

Life Is Strange: True Colors has kept me more emotionally invested in any Life Is Strange Story since I played the original. Consistent writing for both main and side characters, a compelling, well paced story as well as dialogue choices that have actual consequences over the course of the five chapters, True Colors may just be the best entry into the Life Is Strange series.

Sure, there’s a whole essay I could write about features and modes I want, like walk-in intros and online multiplayer, especially for the asking price of just under $20 CAD, but Action Arcade Wrestling is designed to be a not-so-serious arcade wrestler where you simply enjoy yourself with how over the top it can be. It’s not trying to compete with WWE games, and the casual gameplay design means anyone can simply drop in for a match or two when you have friends over for some laughs. Can I get a Hell Yeah?

While I wasn’t much of a fan of the backtracking and not knowing what upgrades I got or missed, or its clumsy combat, Recompile still gave me a unique gaming experience I’m glad to have had. Its visuals are gorgeous at times, even with its minimalistic style, and while the story isn’t told in a traditional way, I quite enjoyed its concept. Given that it’s also included on Xbox Game Pass, there’s no reason to not check it out and see if it’s a program you’d like to execute or not.

Without any online multiplayer, I can’t see myself going back to this anytime soon unless my daughter randomly wants to play it again with me sometime. Mayhem Brawler is fully competent as a Beat Em’ up, checking off all the boxes, but doesn’t do much else to stand amongst the classics that we’ve seen many times before.

All that's missing is a “hey bud, pass me a beer." DLC. I guess for now I'll just drink a real one and take a nap while I wait for a fish to bite. I don’t think developers MasterCode could have made Fishing Adventure any simpler, and it takes a lot of mundane grinding to get enough money to buy the best gear, though that's no different than real life I guess. Therefore, you could be dared to say this is an accurate fishing simulation because its exactly the same as fishing in real life for the most part. Seriously though I find myself conflicted because as I’m an avid fisher who enjoys going out fishing in real life whenever I get the chance, but with Fishing Adventure I found myself kind of struggling to stay interested, as the gameplay came across more of a mobile game than a console game experience.

Cloud Gardens gave me a moment to reflect how lucky I am to do things like this, to play games I likely never would have looked at if wasn’t given the opportunity to review them. Gamers tend to snap up the big, bold action-packed titles, or really well known and highly talked about Indies. I didn’t know what to expect from this game or how to approach it. Turns out this is exactly the way to go into the game. Look around, learn the landscape, take back the barren wasteland. It was satisfying, and a complete joy to play. It will stick with me for some time, and I think I will revisit it when I need to take some time out of my hectic life, or a botanical escape in the dead of winter in Canada.

RiMS Racing is quite an enjoyable and addictive racer, adding unique gameplay elements when it comes to checking real-time bike information with MSC or choosing from hundreds of aftermarkets parts that you’ll need to actually mount and install onto your cycle. While a simulator at its core, many hardcore racing fans will find enough content here to keep them entertained for quite some time yet is just accessible enough for casual players to jump in and work towards completing the lengthy career. RiMS Racing strikes a great balance of quality and uniqueness, and I’m excited to see what they’ve got in store for a hopeful sequel in the future.

Golf Club: Wasteland’s atmosphere is great and its relaxed vibe was something I looked forward to after a long day at work or as a palate cleanser from my typical game genres. The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic and made for a really unique golfing experience. While the adventure is a brief one, able to be completed in a single sitting, you’re always able to work on bettering your score or truly challenging yourself with its Iron Mode, or do what I do and simply load it up to listen to its OST.

Art of rally is a relaxing experience and I think it’s one that both veterans and newbies of the racing genre can enjoy. There is a lot to accomplish with the 10–15 hour story, the collectibles in the free roam areas, and the daily and weekly challenges so it will keep you coming back even though there isn’t any multiplayer. It’s ease of play and progression makes it a joy to play and feels more like a Sunday drive than it does a cookie cutter racing game that focuses on times and placement. Slip on some headphones, sit back on your couch and just go drive for a little while, you’re going to love it.

It's a shame that for how great Greak: Memories of Azur looks and sounds, it’s brought way down by its artificial difficulty from its poor escort controls and mechanics. I should want to play more the further I get into a game’s world, but instead the longer it went on, the less I was enjoying it, simply wanting it to be over due to its controls. Controlling multiple characters is much more frustrating than it should be, especially given how stunning its visuals are. I wanted to love Greak: Memories of Azur on its gorgeous aesthetic alone, but find it hard to recommend at its current price point due to having to constantly babysit multiple characters for a ten hour playthrough.

If it wasn’t for the franchise backdrop, Aliens: Fireteam Elite would be just a basic horde shooter that becomes tiresome and repetitive unless you really want to grind to max out each of the characters and weapons. For a game that focuses on multiplayer, a mountain full of more effort could have went into quality of life improvements to make it a seamless shooter to gather friends online and shoot some Xeno’s. Game over man, GAME OVER.

For under $20 USD, Eldest Souls offers tons of replayability if you’ve got the will to endure its extreme challenge. When you die dozens of times to the same boss but start to learn their attack patterns and intricacies, you can start to see progress in your skills once you wipe away your tears of frustration. Once you finally do best that boss you’ve been stuck on for well over an hour or two, the satisfaction is insurmountable and thrilling when everything finally goes to plan.

While I wasn’t sure what to initially expect from Blightbound, I quite enjoyed the 'Holy Trinity' class setup and addictiveness when it comes to playing alongside some friends, trying our luck on the harder difficulties as we slowly improved our characters and skills. If you have a friend or two that you’re able to grind for quite some time with in some dungeon runs you’re going to have a decent time with Blightbound. If you’re going to rely on random online players or AI bots, you’re going to have nowhere near as rewarding of an experience.

Returning to playing a Sam & Max game sure brings back some serious nostalgia, and I’m so glad to report that Sam & Max Save the World still holds up to this day. Keeping in mind this genre isn’t as popular as it once was, it’s a glimpse into what early Telltale Games’ experiences were like, one that I surely miss. While it’s all been but explicitly confirmed by Skunkape, I’m now waiting for Sam & Max Season 2 and 3 to release hopefully sooner than later to continue the wacky duo's adventures.

I found the controls to be really easy to understand and figure out which meant I could spend less time trying to figure out how to play and a lot more time and fun shooting my opponents down so I can come in first place and be the best of the best. Well, at least in my dreams I am. Guess I need to practice more before I can be the top gun. Overall, Skydrift Infinity is a bunch of fun and minor frustration rolled up into one really entertaining game if you have some friends to play with online.

The gameplay elements may be basic and not exciting on their own, but it’s more about the journey you undertake than reaching the end point. The level design is brilliant and some of the experiences are very memorable even though it has flaws, namely the forced stealth sections. If you’re into the cyberpunk genre and want to experience something completely unique and twisted, look no further than Observer: System Redux, especially if you have an Xbox Series X or S to get the best visual experience unlike any other.

Having watched footage of what Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol looked like back in the early 90's, to me this re-release doesn't look like much of a new 'coat of paint', more of a simple port to bring it to modern consoles. As I said earlier, the controls haven't seemed to have been updated for the latest generation of controllers but I still enjoyed the experience of playing a classic from over two decades ago. I'll keep on trucking saving people from those Ghouls and Zombies, it'll just take me a little longer.