Crystar is a great action-RPG with some fascinating twists. Crying is not only a key aspect to boosting your strength in battle, but it enables you to create more powerful gear. Be prepared for mentions of tragic and depressing topics, but remember that they work to enforce the ideas of "showing your emotions as a strength" and the sometimes overlooked issues that others face each day.
Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is a great way to experience what it's like to be in the shoes of the scout regiment as they fight for humanity's sake. With wonderfully fluid movement thanks to the ODM gear and the strategic combat, you'll want to slay as many Titans as possible. The downside is that combat does get repetitive after some time, but this can be helped by taking plenty of breaks.
A Duel Hand Disaster: Trackher is a unique twist on the standard split-screen formula, offering players a chance to solo the experience. Testing your multi-tasking skills is great, although it may be too hard for some people. The separate yet connected gameplay design kept me engaged, even if some of the extra challenges were a pain to deal with.
Etherborn is a gravity-defying puzzle platformer with breath-taking visuals and MC Escher-like levels. The difficulty is enough to test your observation and critical thinking, but nothing gets stressful. You'll be done with a playthrough in around five hours, but it's time well spent.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a great follow-up to the original, placing you in the shoes of an amateur builder. The main story practically amounts to a fetch quest of acquiring skills and people, but that doesn't bring the game down much. Building takes the forefront, and it will definitely keep you busy.
Super Neptunia RPG is a fascinating spin-off for the Neptunia franchise. With a switch to 2D and a reworked combat system, you get a nice change of pace for the series. At the same time, the combat system is simplistic and might turn off some players.
Muse Dash is an incredibly addictive rhythm game, especially if you're a fan of Japanese music. The cute characters and visuals match the overall anime-like tone of the game. Tons of songs to choose from will keep you busy for a good chunk of time, especially if you aim to do everything.
Golem Gates is a clever mashup of real-time strategy and card game gameplay. Creating troops from the glyphs you draw and Ash you build up is a nice twist. Difficult situations and some potential crashes put a damper on the fun and may cause you to look elsewhere.
Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank is a short yet charming point-and-click game. The pirate theme mixed with quirky characters and goofy antics makes for an enjoyable time. The art style is wonderful and it makes you want to investigate everything you can.
Riverbond is a nice voxel style game with Diablo-like combat. The game only takes a handful of hours or so to complete, but it's a good time. The lack of a story and the abrupt ending removes most of the satisfaction from completing the game.
Warlocks 2: God Slayers lets players work to become a powerful warlock as they help the Order and destroy gods. The combat can get repetitive, but isn't too challenging until you encounter the bosses. With several characters to choose from, you'll be able to fight in multiple different combat styles.
Voidrun is an interesting roguelite where you're a spaceship that surrounds enemies with bombs to destroy them. The game is simple to learn but difficult to master. With three different modes to play, you'll have plenty of time to practice your moves.
My Big Sister is a pixelated top-down game with interesting premise. The light puzzles and weirdly appealing cast keep the game fairly light-hearted, but be prepared for some serious topics to come up. It doesn't take long to beat, but it's worth the time.
Battalion 1944 is a WWII shooter that doesn't do much to set itself apart or feel very memorable. The gameplay is alright, but bad spawns and quick deaths can be frustrating. Graphical issues are noticeable and break immersion. Wartide drags on for too long.
Layers of Fear 2 is a fascinating horror game that centers on exploring a mysterious ship and its ever-changing layout. It isn't the scariest game, but the unsettling nature of everything you encounter more than makes up for it. The constant environmental changes designed to mess with you are amazing and one of the best aspects.
Devious Dungeon 2 is an entertaining action platformer that adds onto the original's premise. Choosing a class made the game feel different enough while still retaining its charm. Buying equipment in order was still a drag, but it doesn't hurt the game too much.
Total War: Three Kingdoms is a fantastic addition to the series, taking place in the Three Kingdoms period of China's history. The gameplay requires patience and strategizing, but is satisfying when successful. With plenty of aspects to manage, you won't be wanting for something to do, although it may be too much for some gamers.
Devious Dungeon is a simplistic action platformer that is entertaining to play. The combat is easy to learn but you still need to be careful of enemy attacks. The step-by-step equipment purchases is a bit of a bummer though.
Hellmut: The Badass From Hell is an interesting rogue-like shooter where you can transform into various deadly creatures. The gameplay is engaging but doesn't get too difficult and doesn't take long to complete a run. Having multiple forms is fascinating and very helpful in the long run.
Ritual of the Moon is a reflection of life, tranquility, and choice that is more of an experience than a game. The paper aesthetic and color palette fit the tone perfectly. There's not much in terms of content, but the short bursts are nice each day.