Unambitious game with sloppy design gets given a second chance for some reason, turns out to be even more mediocre in retrospect. More news at eleven.
Even if Crypt of the NecroDancer lacked its trademark rhythm-action mechanics, it would still stand out as a cleverly designed, feature-rich, immaculately streamlined take on a classic roguelike formula. As it is, it's extraordinary.
If the words 'cyberpunk stealth immersive sim' make you weak at the knees - and they ought to, really - you'll find Neon Struct to be a fun little tribute to the games that made those words special.
It's either going through an identity crisis or in dire need of a chest with a boomerang in it, but for what it's worth, Toren is a strange and beautiful little adventure. Give it a look, but don't expect anything special.
A bit of muck and rust here and there can't hide the truth: Convoy is a ruthless, colourful, and occasionally very satisfying jaunt across a randomly-generated wasteland. A fine roguelike, especially for FTL fans.
Painfully unsatisfying for what its ambitions suggest, but a well-crafted boss rush and a solid example of masocore gameplay outside a platforming format nonetheless.
Much more than a pretty face, Ori and the Blind Forest is a remarkably solid – if somewhat disappointingly conventional – Metroidvania with a drop of 90s Nintendo magic flowing in its veins.
Rather clever physics-driven climbing mechanics marred by the game's lack of willingness to actually do anything with them. Still, Grow Home manages to be a cheap, pleasant surprise of exactly the sort we ought to encourage.
A Saints Row game with no ambition, no plot, no variety, and no way of raising the bar. Solid and good for a chuckle or two, but ultimately an empty experience.
Not content with merely being a fairly impressive piece of writing and first-person puzzle design, The Talos Principle sets out to expand your horizons, and will most likely succeed. Croteam's foray into territory beyond absurd, large-scale first-person shooters is not without faults, but it proves without a doubt that they aren't the one-trick pony you thought they were.
Legend of Grimrock 2 is a victim of its format, often made needlessly clunky and restrictive in the fruitless pursuit of nostalgia, but when it comes to pure, fascinating, exploratory dungeon-crawling, few can hope to top it. A worthy purchase for those patient enough to dismantle it.
At its best, Styx: Master of Shadows is a half-decent stealth game with barely a fresh idea in its head. At its worst, it's a soggy pile of frustration, clumsiness, and save-scumming. Guess which end of the spectrum it tends towards.
It might not be the most original game to grace the world, but by taking a familiar concept, putting a different spin on it and polishing it 'til it gleams, Fenix Rage makes platforming fun again. Good stuff.
A somewhat anaemic dungeon-crawling first-person shooter with intense core combat that never evolves (and little else worth praising).
Creative and charming, McDROID is an endearing little adventure with some hefty core gameplay chops that very nearly carry the game all on their own. Sadly, it nevertheless gets dragged down by an over-aggressive difficulty curve, a heavy reliance on repeating content, and some major lapses in polish.
Hatoful Boyfriend is exactly what it professes to be, and little more than that. The reality of a pigeon dating sim is infinitely less entertaining than the idea, but it nevertheless has its moments.
Starts off at a fundamental disadvantage merely because of its formula, but could still have maybe succeeded at being a fun little arcade title were it not for the shabby presentation, laughable storytelling and numerous poor design decisions.
For all its insights and challenging moral dilemmas, Always Sometimes Monsters is a frustrating, confusing, sometimes agonizingly tedious jumble that's just a little bit too pleased with itself. It's a fascinating game to observe, but enjoyable? No, I think not.
Doesn't set its sights much higher than just bringing Tex Murphy back for one last nostalgia trip, but remarkably successful at achieving that goal.
Barely notable enough to be worth mentioning, but a fun little outing nonetheless. I'd call it 'cheap and cheerful', but there's plenty more 'cheerful' out there for equivalent levels of 'cheap'.