Pikuniku is an eye-pleasing, entertaining outing that just oozes charm, with characters who are endearing without ever becoming irritating. If you want a game that will have you grinning with joy, then pick up Pikuniku.
Etrian Odyssey Nexus is an excellent dungeon crawler, overland locations and all. It’s not only the perfect antidote to grimmer adventures but it’s an addictive, creative, appealing outing that will have you coming back for more and rarely regretting your return.
Devotion succeeds because it’s an understandably human tale with misery, not murder or monsters, at the heart of it all. It is a tad short, particularly when compared to Detention, and while the somewhat ambigious ending might prove a turn-off for some, it’s still chilling, unsettling and heart-breaking in equal measure.
Streets of Rogue is an odd yet hugely entertaining outing, one that rewards the time you put into it and never says no to even your most ridiculous ideas. It’s far more than the sum of its inspirations and even if you find permadeath an obstacle, there’s so much to love about this deceptively complex gem.
Elsinore can be dry sometimes, particularly when you’re hunting for the next significant step forward. There are moments when you’ll feel Bill Murray’s frustration at reliving Groundhog Day again and again, and repeatedly bumping into Elsinore’s Ned Ryerson analogue (which stops being funny after the tenth encounter). But there’s a lot of joy to be had uncovering Elisnore’s emotionally-loaded secrets and, providing you don’t push it too far, playing characters off against each other. Just don’t expect everyone to get a happy ending.
GreedFall certainly left me wanting more; while its story may be a bit shallow in places, it’s still got a lot of depth, a fluid, intuitive combat system and enough morally-grey missions to bring me back to Teer Fradee some time soon. Forget waiting for the next Dragon Age, GreedFall is an impressive debut for what could well become a classic series.
Mable & The Wood oozes charm from beginning to end and, even in a market that isn’t short of Metroidvanias, it more than distinguishes itself.
Date may not be a great detective, but there’s no doubting that AI: The Somnium Files is a great detective game. It blends humour and human horror to deliver an engaging, mind-bending experience that’s a cut above most visual novels.
Moons of Madness is a wonderfully chilling outing that blends horror and sci-fi to excellent effect, delivering a palpable sense of dread. Most pleasingly, it channels the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft without yelling “CTHULHU!” in your ear every five minutes.
If Song of Horror’s remaining episodes can maintain the level of quality set out in its first two episodes, survival horror fans are in for a treat.
Phoenix Point’s blend of combat, research management and global exploration is thoroughly compelling, even if the factions can be a little trying. Whether you’ve got fond memories of Julian Gollop’s original game or not, he and his team have taken old school strategy and dragged it kicking, screaming and gurgling into the modern day.
Wattam isn’t without its flaws; in particular, the more characters you gather, the harder it is to quickly switch between them. But even when your journey’s done, there’s more than enough here to draw you back in, whether you’re tackling the game in co-op mode, hunting for those few elusive characters you’ve missed or just diving into this daft and wonderfully charming world.
SELF is a joyously unsettling experience, entertaining and mind-bending in equal measure and one that will stay with you long after you’re done.
Hardcore Mecha is a gorgeous, robotic thrill-ride with more than enough variety to keep you hooked from beginning to end. Even if mechs leave you cold, it’s well worth strapping in for.
Overboard is not the biggest game in terms of a single playthrough, but you’ll dive in again again until you’ve polished your excuses and suspicion-dodging shenanigans. Throw in a superb soundtrack, a gorgeous visual aesthetic and you’ve got a game to die for.
Including the dungeon-crawling mode Beneath does damage Paint the Town Red‘s sense of identity a little, but it’s certainly not a deal breaker. The real joy of this game is the fact that you can dip into it for 30 minutes or so of gore-soaked fun; if you’ve had a tough day, it could be quite a cathartic experience. Paint the Town Red may have spent more time in Early Access than most, but it’s still a bloody joy to play. Just don’t think throwing the first punch means you’ll come out on top.
Still, Let’s Build a Zoo’s comedic approach to zoo management belies just how deep it is. It isn’t perfect and I’d love a patch that halved the number of animals you need for splicing, but seeing your visitors gawp in wonder at your creations is worth the price of admission alone. The moral choices it throws at you, which aren’t all just for the sake of being evil, elevate it even further. If you’ve the slightest interest interest in sim games, you’ll have hour after hour of ethically-dubious fun with Let’s Build a Zoo.
There’s still room for improvement, a Jurassic World Evolution 1.999 by my calculations, but even with its issues, Jurassic World Evolution 2 is a fantastic sim game that’ll have you coming back for more, even when you’ve exhausted its campaign and Chaos Theory mode. It’s an absolute must if you’ve got the remotest interest in Jurassic Park, dinosaurs or unleashing nightmarish giant lizards upon an unsuspecting public.
Entertaining, funny and thought-provoking in all the right places, Not For Broadcast is a hugely engrossing foray into the nightly news arena. You’ll laugh your face off at times, but like the best satire, it’s also disquieting enough to have you uncomfortably squirming in your seat.
For that reason, Not Tonight 2’s story didn’t quite land for me, but the journey itself, laden with laughs, was absolutely worth taking. I won’t soon forget the sheer joy of arriving at an absurd new location, frantically trying to wrap my mind around the gloriously off-the-wall entry requirements, and the silly, smug satisfaction of doing a good job.