If you are looking for a puzzle-solving adventure that will keep you on your toes, Iris.Fall is well worth your time.
Melbits World is a charming puzzle-solver for party-time. With the power of PlayLink, you will overcome obstacles with up to three friends by using cell phones and tablets to control bridges, boxes, barriers, and beyond.
Hours of Darkness explores the backstory to a minor character in the Far Cry 5 setting. While maintaining Far Cry's exceptional gun handling, Hours of Darkness gives players a truly different way to play, much more akin to classic titles in the series. It is story light and the allied AI still troublesome, it richly delivers a lush environment to survive within. If you are looking for a Far Cry experience to play in between major titles, Hours of Darkness is worth picking up.
Knight Terrors is a game that feels at home on the Switch because of the Switch’s mobile appeal. It falls right in the category of a cell phone game; it’s something that you’d pick up for a few minutes, play a round, and be on your merry way. It isn’t a living-room blockbuster like a certain plucky plumber keeps producing, but at $3 USD, it’s hard to shake a hat at it… or a Stick of Returning.
So, does Star Wars Battlefront II fulfill the Star Wars fantasy? I believe it does, but it's a very Empire Strikes Back fantasy; it's not all lightsabers and Force-using. Sometimes it takes a blaster or two to get the job done or some fancy flying. It may require some frustrating moments of Dagoba-style training. At the end of the day, no matter who gets frozen in carbonite or loses a hand, you've got your squad to think about. Only together can you overcome the odds stacked against you.
Icey delivers a fantastic 2D brawler with satisfying combos and hard-hitting combat. It's multi-branching paths give you more story with the meta-narrative, but doesn't quite flesh out all of the parts into a cohesive whole. But, at the end of the day, we play beat'em ups to do just that.
All in all, if you’re looking for a fun pick-up-and-play game that’s easy to race a round or two and then move on, Mantis Burn Racing might be for you. If you like driving games which offer you the option to tune your machine to the way you like your car to handle, MBR has a promising system to allow you to do just that.
If you are looking for an interesting top-down shooter with some fresh mechanics, something with a pen-and-paper art aesthetic, or you just have a soft spot for a good, old-fashioned western, 12 Is Better Than 6 is a good title to consider. It's mix of face reaction with stealth setup can turn the tides from calculating to chaotic at any moment, keeping you on your toes.
Capturing the essence of the 1991 classic, HumaNature Studios hits all of the right notes with ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove. With nine playable characters, light RPG progression, online co-operative gameplay, and a whole lot of funk, the latest entry into the ToeJam & Earl franchise rests solidly in the pocket where it is meant to be.
Matching pixel stylings with the ambient soundscapes of Jim Guthrie makes Swordbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP a wonderfully weird journey with a good balance of action and puzzle-puzzle-solving.
Jurassic World Evolution is a simply gorgeous and robust game. This multilayered gameplay experience takes place in a beautifully crafted world with lush terrain, changing weather patterns, and an incredible amount of control. Even the musical score awakens that sense of wonder and the gravity of what you are doing - you get to run Jurassic World! It is an outlier in the long line of movie-based video games, standing as a beacon of hope that it is possible for them to actually be good while staying true to their source material.
If you are looking for a tactical RPG with comical themes, an unlikely protagonist, and plenty of heart, Regalia is worth its weight in gold.
This story of a tiny hero is charming and disarming… figuratively and, occasionally, literally. While he is small in stature, Skul proves that sometimes even the smallest among us may achieve the greatest things. Against all odds, Skul may just be the key to fulfilling the dreams of Carleon's First Hero AND the machinations of the Demon King.
What do you get when you add espionage and intrigue to the ubiquitous game found in nursing homes and every Windows decide known to mankind, then drop it into a carefully crafted, existing science fiction world? You get The Solitaire Conspiracy.
If you are looking for a quintessential Star Wars experience that does not outright saddle you with power, but makes you take the journey to earn and respect that power, Jedi: Fallen Order is worth the time spent in a galaxy far, far away.
Candleman is a platformer puzzler that puts a strong emphasis on atmosphere to sell its story. That atmosphere is whimsical at times and haunting at others. Walking through the darkness with limited light in search of a greater purpose, Candleman beautifully illustrates the point that some times the bravest thing of all is to hope. And with each step forward, though the darkness may come, it cannot hide the light.
With the emphasis on choice, Sundered give you the opportunity to unlock multiple endings by pursuing the paths of full rejection to full embrace of the darkness. With the extensive map sizes, fast action pace, and high difficulty, Sundered is sure to keep you exploring and fighting for your survival for 10+ hours per play through. It is a satisfying Metroidvania title to close out a year of stellar offerings within the genre.
Hipster Attack is an entertaining and addicting tower defense game. It has just enough call back to its inspiration while adding the right options to differentiate itself
If you like games like Terraria and Starbound but are looking for something new, Dig or Die is definitely worth your time. At $12 USD, it provides an incredibly challenging and new twist on the genre. But be advised: they aren't kidding about the dying part. You're going to do that… a lot. Don't be too proud to start out on easy mode. If you take my advice, you might just live long enough to blow this popsicle stand and hustle some more of CRAFT & Co's automated fabricators!
Youropa came out of Early Access on June 27th and is just as charming as ever before. At $24.99 USD, its gorgeous landscape and mind-bending puzzle will keep you busy for hours as you make your way across a gravitationally-challenged Paris. Its gentle pacing and ambient music would make this relaxing experience if it weren't for the mental gymnastics required to think dimensionally!