Slap your way to the top of high society! Grace and glamour give way to open-handed duels across five games of aristocratic absurdity - Rose & Camellia 1, 2, 3, & 4, plus Rose & Camellia vs. La-Mulana - in which you'll slap, dodge, feint, and counter your way through a series of one-on-one smackdowns. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. Rose & Camellia Collection is a gimmick game that 100% commits to the bit in a delightful way, though the control options may frustrate some.
This jam-packed collection features Touch Detective 3, the biggest and best point-and-click adventure of junior detective Mackenzie and her faithful sidekick Funghi, playable in English for the first time. Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files also includes the entire original Touch Detective and Touch Detective 2½ games, plus two bonus cases starring Funghi and an extensive museum of artwork and music from the entire Touch Detective series. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. It’s great to finally get Touch Detective 3 in the west and the collection makes it easy to enjoy all three games, but it doesn’t feel fully optimized for the Switch.
Pepper Grinder is an action-packed 2D adventure blending traditional platforming with an alternate drilling mode that allows you to dive in and out of the earth like a dolphin swims through water. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. Pepper Grinder is a game with a good idea that generally works well.
The idea of choosing between your personal and professional life in Sympathy Kiss is interesting, but there are elements that remind me of mobile otome games.
Mario vs Donkey Kong is totally fine on the Switch, with levels and modes for players of all difficulty levels.
Spirittea offers the same sort of satisfaction in experiencing daily chores as games like Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons.
Backpack Hero features a novel premise that makes constantly collecting items and arranging them endlessly exciting.
Virche Evermore is a Switch otome game that tackles some tough topics in an interesting way, but the walling off of endings is demoralizing.
A Tiny Sticker Tale is a simple puzzle game that lets you relax and play around with characters like stickers to accomplish your goals.
While Silent Hope does rely in a very specific sort of routine that may (or may not) click with a player, I had a lot more fun with it than I expected. It was really satisfying to go on excursions into the Abyss. So much so that I got caught up in making sure my Caster and Farmer felt “right” to use, rather than focused on progression and heading deeper for a while. That said, it is a very repetitive game that relies on a certain kind of feedback loop, and those who don’t get invested probably won’t learn all of the game’s secrets.
Mon-Yu maintains everything you expect from an Experience first-person dungeon crawler, while still being approachable.
Norn9 Last Era is packed with a prequel, an alternate viewpoint of the original game, a sequel, and an omake, but retains some of the original game's issues.
Flutter Away is a short, guided trip through the rainforest to spend a little time chasing after and photographing butterflies.
Even with some pacing and equipment durability issues, Picontier is a delightful farming sim to pick up on the Switch.
Disney Illusion Island is this bright, bubbly game with a lot of personality, but its design and area execution can bleed together and feel empty.
Sticky Business is more a sticker creating experience than a risk-and-reward sim, but it's still quite a fun outlet.
Crime O'Clock is a novel hidden object game, especially on the Switch, but it's best played in short sessions.
Monster Menu combines roguelike dungeon-diving, cooking with monster parts, and tactical battles, and it blends together rather well.
Winter's Wish: Spirits of Edo is the sort of Switch otome those who loved Hakuoki would enjoy due to its historical setting, supernatural elements, and fighting force.
Afterimage is an artistic and intricate Metroidvania game, and it is good at being challenging and also approachable.