A.J. Maciejewski
In an age when RPGs are generally becoming increasingly dark, violent, brash, and serious, the brilliantly colourful humour-filled lightheartedness of these Rhapsody games shines through in a profoundly distinct fashion. From adorable characters to lovely musical numbers and rewarding combat to oodles of side-splitting jokes; there's certainly a lot to love here.
I enjoyed Immortals of Aveum a great deal thanks to its action-packed gameplay, rewarding character progression, and top-notch presentation. It's fantastic to experience games that this much love went into and I look forward to a sequel.
Blasphemous 2 is a streamlined sequel that any genre fan can enjoy, especially with its creepy cast of characters and superb bosses.
Even with its goofy premise, Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate is a cleverly strategic roguelike that'll certainly keep you hooked.
Your enjoyment of Iron Danger will rely on how much you love tinkering with plans until you execute something perfectly. So, if that sounds like your jam then you'll be absolutely smitten with the strategic possibilities in Iron Danger.
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition is a story-heavy game that not everyone will appreciate but those who do will love it a lot.
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is one of the best games of the year. From its clever gameplay concoction to its gorgeous presentation, excellent sense of humour, and rewarding character abilities; this is one outstanding seafaring adventure.
It may not give a good first impression but once you start to learn strategies and achieve higher and higher scores, Quantum: Recharged quickly turns into one of the most rewarding and enjoyable arcade-style games that you'll ever play.
EVERSPACE 2 looks and plays amazingly with its intuitive and satisfying space combat and exploration. Even though it gets repetitive after a while, what's here still adds up to a special game that you'll gladly take off to the outer reaches of space for.
Moving Out 2 made me a happy bear thanks to its comfort food co-op gameplay with more variety than ever. Plus, you can play as a cob of corn and that's like totes shway. So, if you and your chums need to move a couch together then play this instead; it's more fun.
Playing Unidentified Falling Objects made me very happy, especially with its unique gameplay that'll really put your skills to the test.
Although Adore presents a promising formula and solid first impression, its campaign becomes all too predictable earlier than you'd think.
I'm delighted that Marble It Up! Ultra continues the trend that its predecessors set as it's one super-fun formula that'll keep you hooked.
From a humble start to developing a massive network of automated islands, Nova Lands is one of the most rewarding games of its kind.
Zombie Soup is full of highs and lows with its boss fights being the highlights and low points resulting in tedium and frustration.
Tiny Thor may be a tough game at times but its formula remains a rewarding one complete with awesomely-designed stages, a health system that's reminiscent of Yoshi's Island, and oodles of satisfying collectibles that are cleverly hidden throughout.
Patrick's Parabox is a mind-blowing puzzler that any fan of the genre will love, especially if you're looking for something out of the ordinary.
I can easily say that Cramped Room of Death is up there with the very cleverest puzzlers and it's a heck of a lot of fun so check it out!
As far as co-op games go, PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe is a thoroughly enjoyable title that's jam-packed with variety and nifty mini-games.
Venba is a short, impactful, and beautifully presented look into the lives of an immigrant family that'll likely stay with you for a long time.