Akashicforce is an incredibly challenging puzzle game that feels rewarding when you succeed. The bumping music, fantastical visuals, and fast-paced action keep you engaged. A tutorial would've helped the start of the game immensely.
God's Trigger is a fast-paced top down shooter in the realm of Hotline Miami, which brings with it some brutal deaths. The various abilities and ways to attack are fantastic. The story doesn't delve deep, but it does what's needed to keep you engaged.
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.
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.
Mable and the Wood is a side-scrolling metroidvania game with a unique combat/traversal mechanic. The form you start with and ones you unlock are fun to use for the most part. Reading the map can be annoying, but it's possible to interpret. Multiple endings offers more replay value if you're inclined to do so.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution is a great compilation of the franchise's history. With tons of challenging campaign duels, duelist challenges, and battle packs, there's plenty to scratch that card game itch. Multiplayer is scarce and laggy, so I'd steer clear.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War is a great addition to the franchise, even if it's your first time experiencing it. The gunplay is awesome, especially if you activate a kill cam shot. The enemies provide a tough challenge, so be careful and don't get cocky. You can do it alone, but I highly recommend shooting with a buddy.
Hypergalactic Psychic Table Tennis 3000 is a quirky twist on the classic Pong, where RPG and dating sim mechanics are added. Gameplay may get a bit repetitive, but health bars, spells, leveling up, and romancing add more depth to the game as a whole. With a low $2 price tag, and plenty of paddles to face, you've got a great reason to hop on in.
Dungeon of the Endless is a clever mix of roguelike elements, tower defense gameplay, and resource management. Balancing these various mechanics, especially the resources used for tower defense, is challenging yet rewarding. The characters are interesting as well, but with some starting characters clearly being better than others, it leaves some of them on the sidelines.
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is a wonderfully crafted grid-based strategy game with plenty of planning needed. Some battles will be tough, but winning is rewarding every time. There are times when you'll be frustrated by your units missing attacks while the enemy beats you down, but that just forces you to adapt.
Bite the Bullet is a 2D side-scrolling shooter with an interesting eating mechanic. Choosing your food preferences and acquiring skills based on them is neat and clever, as is managing calorie, fat, and protein intake while devouring foes. Levels and enemies can get repetitive, but it's not that big of a deal.
CastleStorm combines the joy of Angry Birds and tower defense games, and sprinkles in some fun fighting sections. Balancing offense and defense is satisfying, especially when you successfully complete your missions. The tone of the game is light-hearted, which makes it all the more enjoyable.
8 Bit Armies is a charming cartoon-like RTS game that offers a good challenge. It can be unfair at times due to the enemy having advanced tech, larger forces, and even nukes. Planning and strategizing is necessary, and fills you with pride when successful. Unfortunately it seems as if the multiplayer lobbies are empty.
Raiders of the Broken Planet delivers a strong shooter experience. The combat of the game keeps you engaged, as you need to be ready to be flanked at any time. The campaign is short but sweet, and leaves you wanting more. The missions are challenging without being too tough, even playing solo. Looking forward to more campaigns being released.
Haunted Dungeons: Hyakki Castle is a clever twist on the traditional dungeon crawler, with a focus on the split-team function. Learning to work with separate teams can be tough at first, but it's well worth the effort. The combat is otherwise simplistic and easy to pick up, making it easy to jump in for hours at a time.
Whether a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the series, Dynasty Warriors 9 is sure to delight lovers of the hack and slash genre. The story is interesting enough to keep you playing, but the main focus will be on the combat. The open world aspect of the game gives you more freedom of choice, which players will appreciate. There are a few issues, but nothing too overwhelming.
In the end, Suicide Guy is a surprisingly goofy romp through the dreams of a typical slob. The story isn't the deepest, but it gets points for subverting expectations and not being a cliche. The variety of level designs and clever methods of completion are refreshing. It provides a fun little challenge without becoming a chore.
Frantics is a nice addition to the Playlink family, allowing friends to get together and play minigames by using their phones. There is a good variety of games, although more would make it better. Plenty of fun twists such as the secret missions, traps, and auctions add to the experience.
Midnight Deluxe is a cute little platformer that relies on golf-like controls to reach your goal. It isn't the hardest game, but it offers a nice challenge for a casual gaming session. It may not take much of your time, but for $4.99, I'd say Midnight Deluxe is worth a buy.
Pato Box takes the Punch-Out!! fighting style and gives it a Madworld aesthetic, resulting in an unexpectedly wonderful combination. The 3D sections aren't the most exciting, but the boss fights more than make up for that. Pato Box offers an intense challenge that will put your gaming skills to the test, but also potentially frustrate you at the same time.