Another Code: Recollection is laidback storytelling with likeable characters, the odd puzzle, and a little sci-fi sprinkled in for good measure. I'm glad that I got to play through these lesser-known adventure games all of these years after their initial release although they certainly don't do much to stand out from the crowd. 💧
Coral Island is a carefree island farming sim with a lot of charm set in a vibrant world. It borrows quite heavily from similar games yet it also manages to forge its own identity and throw in a bunch of fresh concepts, too. 🏝️
Tales of Arise - Beyond the Dawn explores life after the main story. However, it does so without adding anything substantial and the story feels rushed which makes this DLC hard to recommend even for fans of the main game (which is, in fact, awesome). ⚔️
Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express is an impressively entertaining and unique spin on the classic mystery story even if our moustachioed hero, Hercule Poirot, is more serious than I'd like him to be. 🔎
Detective Pikachu Returns is definitely adorable in this Switch debut although the required deduction skills to solve its cases remain at an incredibly low bar to clear which made it hard to hold my attention for very long.
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos is a surprising return to what made the earlier titles special and it feels like Natsume is putting some much-needed attention into fleshing-out the series. With its focus on exploration and a huge world to traverse, tons of items to find, and a variety of animals to nurture as well as solid farming, mining, and fishing; there's a lot of fun to be had with this instalment.
Paleo Pines is a cute sim that focuses more on collecting and exploring than it does farming and its large selection of dinos to befriend are totes adorbs. Amassing a collection of dino pals is rewarding and a lot of things are done well but it just doesn't do enough to keep players hooked like similar games do. Here's hoping the developers take what works and really run with them in their next game.
Silent Hope is a challenging dungeon crawler with familiar sights from Rune Factory sprinkled in and there's definitely some fun to be had for those looking for a more action-packed adventure that's set in the same universe. However, the unbalanced heroes and mandatory grinding will certainly put off many players.
Fae Farm is one fun farming sim with tons to keep you busy for many in-game months as well as a large world to explore beyond the farm. The only thing it's missing is a substantial family system so pick it up if you're more into the farming and adventuring side of things.
Rune Factory 3 Special is an attractive upgrade to the DS original and I had fun exploring its dungeons, upgrading my tools, farming, and wooing my future wife. However, its issues with inventory management, lack of gender and marriage options, and a rather limited set of dungeons make it a middling (but still good) Rune Factory game overall.
Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The London Case is another enjoyable mystery with great gameplay and a complex storyline that'll keep you guessing. I'm definitely looking forward to Blazing Griffin continuing to improve the series and seeing what they come up with next.
The Entropy Centre is a difficult first-person puzzle platformer that will reward you for thinking ahead and remaining patient so make sure you're prepared for quite a challenge as well as some needlessly frustrating footwork.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE does a good job of refreshing the mystery solving formula with fun mini-games and an attractive neon city backdrop; that is, if you can sit through hours of banter between the more enjoyable parts.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a classic puzzle detective game from the makers of the Phoenix Wright series and it's absolutely packed with humour, satisfying puzzles, and colourful characters that you'll get to know well throughout its complex supernatural story.
Disney Speedstorm is a kart racer that's a heck of a lot of fun and it has an enjoyable and unique power-up system so if you can get past the confusing currencies and menus then definitely give it a chance.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores extends the tropical scenery of the main game and introduces the land of Hollywood to the story complete with a solid amount of content and upgrades which makes it a fine choice to lengthen your adventure with Aloy.
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a rewarding investigative experience with familiar gameplay that has you play as both Sherlock and Watson as they follow the phenomenon of Cthulhu around the world while fighting to keep their sanity. Although it's smaller in scope than the previous title and is lacking in terms of side-quests, it's still a fun journey and is presented beautifully to boot.
Process of Elimination is a fun detective game with an interesting cast and story as well as a unique board game twist on investigating. As long as you're prepared to read a lot of text, you'll enjoy unraveling the mystery of The Quartering Duke.
Tchia is a highly enjoyable and varied coming-of-age adventure game with a ton to see and do. The possession mechanic is a ton of fun, the sights and sounds are undeniably attractive, and it has a good dose of dark humour to top it all off.
DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate is a mostly fun investigative VR adventure that sets the stage for hopefully more games in the genre. Physically standing inside a crime scene and finding clues is surprisingly thrilling but I just wish it had a more interesting world to explore.