Supremely satisfying factory-building on a beguiling alien planet. It is already 3am.
A properly transportive trip to an island full of jerks - if you look past the clunky combat and immersion-sapping progress gates.
A repetitive journey through a year of quirky yet cheesy high school relationships, interspersed with tedious turn-based combat.
A fittingly punishing mashup of Metroidvania and Dark Souls, with lovely animations of many not-so-lovely things. Just make sure you actively track down the Chalice woman, and other hidden quality of life boosters.
The full release of this still splendid arcade splat'em up adds variety, depth, and an endgame you may or may not feel compelled to conquer.
Clunky writing, ponderous pacing and a commitment to lingering gore shots make Martha Is Dead an actively unpleasant experience. Run for the hills.
A cute yet frustrating platformer, with a grappling hook that can't quite do the business on levels mired in frustrating repetition.
When playing solo, Icarus is a largely unforgiving survival experience brimming with both jank and atmosphere. It's not revolutionary, but it's still better than it has any right to be.
A short frolic through a stunning apocalypse, with combat that compellingly blends katana strikes and gunfire. Just don't think about the story.
A roguelike shooter that shines when it unsettles, but soon lets the horror leak out through overfamiliarity and a lack of challenge
An initially delightful roguelike, held back from greatness by rough edges and stingy unlocks.
An intriguing concept for a multiplayer shooter that ultimately fails to excite, where you're more creatively constrained than you might initially think.
A deckbuilder with a neat thematic twist that soon becomes mired in repetition and drawn-out encounters.
A punishing battle royale with melee combat that frustrates before it elates, but rewards perseverance. Also it's got excellent grappling hooks.
This shooty roguelike is delightfully weird, but its best characters are locked behind hours of gruel
I like the world and the writing, and I especially like how it can click its heels and conjure up a story – as long as you don’t get bogged down in overlong battles. It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on, and if any of this sounds interesting then an early access visit might well be worth your while.
Christ. What a thing. Monster Train is at least as good as Slay The Spire. You really should try it.
Valorant’s gunplay feels just as weighty and precise as CS:GO’s, with a structure that hits all the same highs and lows. Abilities sometimes let you outsmart people rather than simply outshoot them, and I’m excited about playing in a squad of friendly and coordinated pals. If and when they fall away, though, I expect I will too.
On paper, Crucible was built for me. It’s a MOBA-infused hero shooter with an emphasis on mobility, with a diverse line-up and some interesting new ideas. In reality, I’d rather play any of the many games that grapple with just one of Crucible’s heads, and pulls it off far better. This hydra might be sprawling, but none of it looks healthy.
Runeterra might not be packed with interesting decisions, but it is loaded with charm. It’s nice. It’s soothing. That’s enough.