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Paper Trail is an indie game with plenty of soul that mixes successfully the narrative and gameplay parts into an immersive experience. While the story is interesting enough, what will keep you most invested in the game is figuring out how to fold and slide in order to solve the puzzles.
Considered on its own, with no space for nostalgia or positive past experiences, Crow Country isn’t a great game. The presentation is limited, and the gameplay never tries to do anything new. The puzzle design is good and the story, while starting off slowly, does have some great moments and one big strong twist.
Fabledomis a relaxed city builder that doesn’t introduce revolutionary new mechanics but executes classic ideas very well. I loved spending time zoomed in, looking at my peasants and commoners as they worked and walked. It’s equally fun to find the way to another ruler’s heart by sending truckloads of tulips and running missions.
The Lullaby of Life is pleasant and relaxing, a perfect game to unwind after a long day of trying to learn complex mechanics or tackle massive bosses. Its setting and its characters are colorful while the story is mostly suggested. The sound-driven puzzles gently increase in complexity, but the focus is not on difficulty.
Cryptmaster’s central idea is innovative and opens up plenty of interesting interaction opportunities. It is fun to type in verbs to guess what’s inside a chest to then trigger a memory or to constantly consider what word will give a character another combat ability. Side activities, like the word-powered card game, aren’t as engaging as the core loop.
Reigns: Beyond is an impressive achievement and I don’t really want to think how long it would take a player to see all the more than 1,400 featured cards. The structure makes it easy to get a full-blown weird adventure in under 10 minutes. Stop after death, consider your choices, do something else, and return for another dose after a few hours.
Hexguardian doesn’t represent a revolution for the tower defence or the rogue-lite genres but its mechanics are polished. The lack of world-building is a little disappointing and the presentation is adequate and not much more. But the title creates that just one more try feeling, based on the wide variety of unlockable tools and upgrades and the many ways in which tile work can affect survival time.
Death Trick: Double Blind has a solid setting and a strong premise but doesn’t shine when it comes to mechanics. Players have to read quite a bit and then be ready to re-read statements and descriptions to spot inconsistencies and develop theories about the murder. The game’s writing is mostly up to the task but there are some repetitive moments and extra flowery lines.
Beat Slayer’s core mechanic is good. As long as players stay on the beat and mix and match their attacks, kicks, and dashes, they can deal with a wide array of enemy combinations. The game also has a good variety of upgrades for Mia and two extra weapons to unlock. This futuristic version of Berlin is interesting, although her sidekicks can be a little forgettable.
Children of the Sun is a great video game, designed for players who want a hyper-violent revenge story that remixes puzzle and slow-motion mechanics in a unique way. The narrative is familiar but gripping, delivered in small chunks and with a distinctive style. The entire presentation communicates dread and determination.
Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is a great showcase for its world and has some nifty mechanics for both tower development and exploration. I once invested an uninterrupted 20 minutes simply placing foundations and balconies for a stone tower that served as the anchor for a couple of ports, simply to improve the architecture of that island. Unfortunately, the beauty of all these spires and walkways cannot compensate for a certain sense of aimlessness. The three campaigns don’t feel too different, and combat is too automated to feel interesting. Like its massive towers, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles has good foundations but it doesn’t offer something engaging to build towards.
Sons of Valhalla is fun but can become repetitive. Thorald is a good fighter, and the game makes him powerful enough, especially with a well-chosen set of runes on his belt, to tangle solo with big enemy groups. But teamwork and good use of the shield wall are crucial when taking on opponents hiding behind fortifications. But combat never evolves beyond that and the settlement development system is equally limited. The getting-back-the-kidnapped-princess narrative is decent but doesn’t do anything new. Sons of Valhalla is pleasant in short bursts but greater depth for all its mechanics are needed to make it engaging for long periods.
Between Horizons is a pretty traditional representative of the adventure game genre, with some solid modern touches. Stella’s story is affecting, and The Zephyr works well as the setting for a science-fiction mystery that features fundamental ethical dilemmas and big emotional moments.
Highwater could be the dictionary example of an indie game: it is based on a trending topic with social implications, it marches to its own tune without trying to fit into one specific genre, it has a distinctive visual and musical style that build a great atmosphere, and the developers cannot be bothered to fix the bugs they left in the game.
Saviorless shines when players control Antar, evaluating a puzzle that might stretch across a few screens, then testing possibilities and contemplating how to reach a collectible. Combat isn’t as engaging as the platforming or the puzzle solving, and checkpoint placement is pretty bad. Thankfully, the world is intriguing enough to counter potential frustration.
SUMMERHOUSE is a small building game that isn’t interested in scores, sprawling cities, or complex zoning. It just gives players the tools to create homes using a relatively varied array of parts, with some unlocks. It’s a relaxed approach that makes it equally fun to create weird buildings that cannot exist in the real world or to try and replicate memories of places one really visited during the summer.
Pepper Grinder has a very good core idea and builds fun platforming levels and puzzles around its big drill. The four worlds introduce new ideas and challenges, as well as boss fights. The pixel art makes the world come alive more than the narrative.
Unleaving is a unique experience that will draw players in with its unique presentation, especially the painted art style, and its lyrical approach to narrative. The title does not try to explain everything but manages to communicate emotions, some of them deep and dark, others hopeful and bright.
Millennia is a good turn-based strategy experience that has the potential to become great after some updates and, possibly, expansions. The core idea of alternate historical ages is engaging but needs to be expanded on, with more options and more interactions. The rest of the mechanics are familiar but have just enough tweaks to keep turns interesting.
Slave Zero X is a deep brawler that rewards players who take the time to understand all its systems and then mix and match attacks and abilities depending on the situation. Bosses are difficult and the game has no difficulty toggles, although investing in biomecha upgrades can help.