A.J. Maciejewski
If you ever feel like a little mouse as you try your best yet you mostly go by unnoticed then The Spirit and the Mouse will surely connect with you as much as it did with me. Plus, it's one cute and laidback tale that's impressively well put-together.
Fueled Up is one of the best co-op games that I've ever played thanks to its high-pressure gameplay which is so stressful that it's hilarious. Throw in oodles of variety and a bunch of oddball characters and you're left with one great ship-fixing adventure.
Maze Blaze is the bee's knees. From its unconventional structure to its strategic shooting, I had a great time blasting at robots while watching the life slowly drain from their once-neon eyes. It could use a bit of a tune-up, though; as well as much more content.
I'm happy to say that Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway is the best game in the series so far. Whether you're a nostalgic '90s kid or a modern-day scamp, you're bound to have a tubular time racing with all of these familiar chums.
After over 10 years since its initial release, it's impressive how well Wizorb has held up in all of its awesomely retro glory. For a simple Breakout experience, you can't get much better than this so I recommend it to anyone who enjoys breaking bricks.
Youropa is a stand-out indie that offers a memorable unravelling game world that's full of variety and hidden treats. It may take things a bit slowly but the fact that it's something very different is commendable, especially because it does everything very well.
Atari Mania offers a solid collection of microgames that are a lot more enjoyable if you're a fan of the classic arcade games represented in them. With that in mind, the overall experience could have been smoothed out a lot more to match its wily moustachioed competitor.
TUNIC is a great indie game that will get its hooks in you as you try to decipher its incredibly elaborate game world and once you feel like you've seen everything, you'll keep discovering more and more to the point where it's hard to not think about this wonderful game.
Century: Age of Ashes features excellent combat, incredibly fun and well thought-out modes, and striking visuals. So, if you want to control a customisable dragon in epic air-based battles then give it a go but make sure to play it responsibly.
It's cool that Valkyrie Elysium exists given the series' sporadic history although I wish it offered a lot more to sink your teeth into. Sure, the combat is fun, especially when you exploit enemies' weaknesses but it definitely overstays its welcome after a handful of hours.
With so many similar and far superior games out there, it's tough to recommend Moonscars with its tedious game world and annoying gameplay. It does some things exceptionally well, though, but these aspects definitely don't make up for all of its shortcomings.
I enjoyed my time with The DioField Chronicle and look forward to a sequel if one ever gets produced. Let's just hope that it features more variety in the aspects that its predecessor lacks as well as packs more of a punch challenge-wise.
RAILGRADE is a superb sim that acts more like a logic puzzle game in many of its more elaborate scenarios. So, if you enjoy tinkering with routes and managing resources for optimal efficiency then you'll have a great time with this choo-choo.
Shovel Knight Dig may not be as fine-tuned as the original but it's still a ton of fun to dig deeper and deeper in its roguelike campaign. I definitely recommend it but try not to be disappointed if the fun is over within only a few hours like it was for me.
I enjoyed my time with Steelrising much more than I thought I would. Usually, soulslikes don't come anywhere near FromSoftware's games but this is impressively close with the exception of its copious amounts of weird bugs and inconsistencies.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a superb entry in the long-running franchise that made me pumped for Trails to Azure as well as Trails into Reverie and the inevitable release of the Kuro no Kiseki series. There sure are a lot of these games but I still can't get enough.
Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden is the best entry in the series so far with its satisfying monster card collecting progression system. With that in mind, it doesn't really do much else to break out of the mould that its predecessors were forged in.
Game Type DX may be a silly take on the awful ad-heavy Xbox 360 dashboard but it's also a solid shoot 'em up that makes achieving high scores a ton of fun. A contemporary sequel would provide more bite, though, so I hope that one is on its way.
Mixolumia is a top-notch puzzler that will keep you trying to outdo your previous best. It may not be as fully-featured as some other puzzle games but you'll still find it difficult to put this sucker down once you get going.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is jam-packed with nostalgia, extras, and most importantly, a baker's dozen of classic games. If you're a fan of beat 'em ups then order some Pizza Hut, invite the neighbourhood kids over, and have a blast.