Gravity Oddity is a roguelike game that plays differently than other games in its genre. Instead of improving yourself every time you die, you actually improve yourself with every completed run, unlocking new game modes and mods. While each run isn't necessarily that long once you know what you're doing, getting the hang of the controls and mechanics can be a real challenge, especially when a lot is happening on screen. Once you can master that though, you'll find a game with a lot of customization, challenge, and replayability that's good to play in small bursts of time. Strap on your gravity boots, save your roommate, and pay your rent.
Nocturnal may seem short on length but is enjoyable throughout and doesn't seem to overstay its welcome. The "light your sword on fire" mechanic to reveal puzzle clues and help defeat enemies shrouded in the mist is unique and helps the game flow smoothly. While it can be a bit annoying to miss some lore collectibles or extra ashes to help you get to that next perk upgrade since you can't backtrack after certain points, it does make for an interesting risk vs. reward scenario: do you want to just press ahead or take the chance against the mist and learn more about the game's lore?
Blacktail is a great game with some minor flaws here and there, but nothing that really takes away from the experience. The morality mechanics do a great job at shaping your abilities and what you're able to do and the storytelling is pretty well done. If you're not great at survival games you might struggle a bit with the game's resource management, especially since your bow and arrows are your only physical weapons. Overall though, as long as you remember that survival is priority one and firing arrows at everything in sight is priority zero, you should still have an enjoyable time with Blacktail.
Knights and Guns takes arcade-style shooters like Buster Brothers and adds a few things to make it unique. I can understand some people getting bored by the repetitiveness of the game and if you're looking for something that majorly shakes up the genre, you likely won't find it here. What you will find is a simple always-firing-upward shooter that lets you shoot monsters with several types of weapons, a campaign where you can take multiple paths to get to your final destination, and the ability to bring a friend along for the ride. For ten dollars, I'd say that's a pretty solid deal.
Tunche can be an enjoyable game, but it may take some time to get there. Early on the enemies can be damage sponges and you don't have a lot of attack options available, making combat somewhat difficult and quite repetitive. As you level up each character and unlock new abilities and options for the cores you find, the game itself begins to open up and become more enjoyable. Tunche looks and sounds great and after some time, the gameplay itself will become pretty good. You just have to be patient a bit for it to get there.
Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is a fun and clever puzzle game, but the story falls quite a bit flat with a pretty dark ending. The puzzles themselves are enjoyable with needing to switch between Emma's and Fenton's perspectives a nice mechanic. The story though is just there and while puzzle games don't need stories to be enjoyable, if you're going to have one at least flesh things out a bit. If you don't mind a story that covers just the bare essentials needed to have a story, Tandem's puzzles are pretty enjoyable and I'd recommend checking the game out at some point.
Broken Blades frustrated me in the early goings but did get better as the game went on. However, the biggest barrier for people newer to dungeon crawlers is that the game can be overly difficult, especially since you lose most of your progress upon death, only maintaining major upgrades. Dungeon crawling veterans looking for a challenge might want to give Broken Blades a shot, but even for only two dollars the game can be very difficult and frustrating for newcomers.
Shadowplay: Metropolis Foe is interesting and challenging, but definitely not recommended for players new to deck building games. The amount of strategy needed to progress through even the early stages can be far greater than more basic deck builders such as Ascension and Star Realms. However, deck building veterans should already have the skills needed to properly build and maintain their deck as they play and can work with equipment that goes along with it. If you want a challenging deck-building game, Shadowplay: Metropolis Foe will give you that challenge.
Smelter is a game that's a mix of platforming and real-time strategy, though it's the platforming that shines more. The controls are tight and the challenge is pretty fair though it can ramp up quite a bit later on. Plus the Trials are a great way to test your skills and help unlock new abilities. The RTS segments aren't bad but they feel a little too simplified with no major consequences.
Cathedral is a pretty good Metroidvania-style game that can be difficult at times, though that tends to come with the genre. That said though, the game looks great and for fifteen dollars, I'd say its definitely worth picking up. As for me, I'll definitely be taking another trip through the game down the road.
Ageless is bright, colorful, and sounds great, but is just a bit clunky. The game gives off a Celeste-vibe, which is a good thing, but it can take some time to get used to the age mechanics and the precise aiming required for a lot of the puzzles.
Book of Demons is a fun Diablo-like game, but some of the mechanics might be a turnoff for others. Movement is locked to set paths while enemies are free to roam around and there is no equipment as cards represent spells, items, and artifacts in the game. That said, there is still quite a bit to like about Book of Demons as there is a good amount of strategy to employ if you want to survive. However, the price tag might be a bit much given the restrictions some of the mechanics place on you.
Borderlands 3 is a great game, but it's definitely got some technical issues with sadly brings the score down a bit. While my issues weren't as bad as others I've heard about, they're still annoying at times. However, if you can get past that you'll find a game that's more of the same as previous games (especially 2 and pre-sequel), but that's what made Borderlands great to start with. A great story, reuniting with old friends, and some pretty interesting villains ensures I'll be coming back to open any more vaults that are found on any planet Gearbox wishes to travel to.
Team Sonic Racing does a pretty good job with the new team mechanics, but the difficulty can still be a tad rough at times. While not as bad as prior entries, it can be easy to fall behind after you've spun out, only to catch up again using a Team Ultimate, only to drop back a few spots when the opposing team does the same thing and cost you the race. Still, Sonic Team Racing is enjoyable alone and even more with friends or while playing online.
Mutant Football League isn't your ordinary game of football. Player deaths, field hazards, and dirty tricks make this a unique game from others that take place on the gridiron. If you're not a fan of the Dirty Tricks mechanic or are okay with your team being preset instead of drated, then you might not enjoy Dynasty Mode as much, but with Exhibition, Season, and Playoff modes playable without them or several other options, Mutant Football League is still an entertaining game on its own.
Marble it Up is an enjoyable game, but the short length might turn some people off, especially for its twenty dollar price point. If you're someone who is constantly trying to better their times in games with time trials, or you're a completionist that just has to unlock everything, Marble it Up will definitely keep you busy trying to find new and interesting ways to finish each stage as fast as possible. Otherwise, the minimal content might turn some off for now, enjoyable as the current amount of content might be.
Gift of Parthax is a pretty decent top-down arena brawler. While the keyboard and mouse controls can be a bit clunky and a lot of the game can just make you feel like you're going through the paces battle after battle, there is a good amount of strategy involved with what spells to take into a battle, what runes to place in them, and how to deal with the enemies you encounter. While the fights early on may seem a bit slow in their pacing, Gift of Parthax is an enjoyable game if you give it a chance.
Despite a few hiccups here and there, Mega Man 11 is a pretty solid entry in the series. While I would have liked to see some more challenges that weren't just “traverse the stage for the umpteenth time”, possibly an endless mode similar to Mega Man 9 and 10, the implementation of the Double Gear System and the multiple difficulties make the game accessible to any player, newcomers and veterans alike.
I Hate Running Backwards is a fairly good game, but I can also understand people's mixed feelings about it. The game is basically a thirty minute top-down shooter (if you can survive that long), but the further you progress, the more difficult you can make it if you wish. Add in a dozen characters to choose from across Digital Devolver's games and there are plenty of ways to have fun taking down Mental's minions.
Aegis Defenders is probably one of the tougher games I've played in recent memory, and that's all thanks to the tower defense sections. Fans of that genre probably won't have too many issues, but newcomers playing alone might find those sections pretty daunting until they master switching characters, learning the arena layouts, and know what traps to use when. If you have a friend to play co-op, you'll likely have a much easier time. Still, it's a pretty good game for GUTS Department's first outing.