A.J. Maciejewski
As perhaps the most ridiculous rhythm game I've ever played, Trombone Champ presents a surprisingly satisfying level of challenge.
Even though the intentionally clumsy controls of Party Animals has been done before, the amount of variety makes it stand out.
If you're in the mood for a hilarious and fast-paced shoot 'em up then you really can't do much better than Osyaberi! Horijyo! Gekihori: Anna Holinski saves the universe, alright?! as it'll make you laugh as you master its challenging albeit simple gameplay.
I'm very happy that Super Bomberman R 2 is here and its highly strategic Castle mode is simply one of the best innovations that the series has ever seen. In addition to that, the single player component is brimming with rewarding content that'll keep lone wolves entertained for hours while the multiplayer element is as frantic and fun as it's ever been. It definitely lit my fuse; that's for sure.
ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON is a great mech combat game that boasts a surprisingly moody atmosphere while offering one of the most rewarding customisation components in all of gaming. So, definitely play it if you love tough combat and plenty of explosions.
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails brought me back to the wonderful PSP days and for that, I feel indebted to this fantastic gem from that era. Throw in excellent gameplay, an undeniably charming world, and oodles of cleverly designed levels and you're left with one great action RPG. Just keep in mind that its story is nowhere near as epic as the Trails in its title may lead you to believe.
How 2 Escape is a brilliant cross-device co-op puzzler with an eerie tone that will thoroughly test your communication skills. Great stuff!
We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip is a bite-sized spin-off that acts as an excellent intro for the great We Were Here series.
It's awesome that Escape Academy: The Complete Edition is a thing as it's full of well-crafted puzzles that'll keep you entertained for hours. Plus, it works well on Nintendo Switch so even more folks can enjoy it than ever before.
Lies of P is a very good Soulslike that doesn't quite reach greatness due to its lack of variety and needless limitations. That aside; what's here is still undeniably rewarding and entertaining so fans of the genre will enjoy what it has to offer.
I had a great deal of fun with Samba de Amigo: Party Central and am looking forward to playing it more, especially while exploring the online modes so if you're down for a fun-filled maraca-shaking good time, why not monkey around?
As a fan of retro games and documentaries, The Making of Karateka really hit a sweet spot that I don't think any other game has before.
I thoroughly enjoyed 30XX and the thing is; there's always more to play with its open-ended nature and clever roguelike structure.
It may be on the basic side of the shmup spectrum but there is some fun to be had in Hexapoda in its non-linear insect-blasting journey.
Jets'n'Guns 2 feels like one of the best DOS games that you'll ever play thanks to its ridiculous shooting action and rewarding upgrades.
The roguelike nature of Nova Strike is the best thing going for it because unfortunately, its core gameplay isn't all that entertaining.
Combining puzzles and platforming has endless possibilities yet I've never played anything like It's a Wrap! before; it's great stuff!
Enchanted Portals looks great within its charming old-school cartoon world but it mostly plays like a bargain bin Super NES game.
Taito Milestones 2 presents a good offering of 10 retro arcade games with some truly fun hidden gems and excellent shoot 'em ups along with a couple of the dumbest fighting games that I've ever played.
Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy may not be a title on everyone's lips but it's certainly game of the year material. With a wide variety of abilities and mechanics and astoundingly adaptive gameplay (especially for co-op play), it's quite the achievement in game design.