Ron Welch
Hunt: Showdown is a unique mix of battle royale and hardcore survival games. The learning curve is incredibly steep and permadeath is fairly punishing. However, the core gameplay has that spark of horror tension and the art design excels in every aspect.
Knights and Bikes is a solid experience for those who are young or young at heart. The characterization and art are top-notch. While the puzzling is rather thin, the combat is hectic and exciting. Overall, Knights and Bikes focuses on its charming cast and telling a story for the whole family.
RAD has that unique Double Fine touch. While combat wavers between difficult and unsatisfying, mutations and exploration create that "one more run" magic. It's a solid experience that will satisfy any post-apocalyptic enthusiast.
There are two Silver Chains. The atmospheric, pre-monster Silver Chains draws you in with intrigue and great visuals. The post-monster Silver Chains is a silent scavenger hunt in the dark occasionally interrupted by a spooky monster. It's not bad, but it's not for genre fans either.
Tricky to learn and satisfying to master, Shadow Fencer Theatre features basic, but hilarious QWOP-style swordplay. It is an artistic treat, a brilliant merging of old-timie visuals and modernized music. What Shadow Fencer Theatre lacks in content, it makes up for in style.
Kurr Snaga wants to be a fun and fast fantasy brawler, but it feels unfinished. The pieces are here for a satisfying melee combat game, but it needs to be further developed. The AI is weak. The combat is clunky and repetitive. The maps are buggy. Even the 30-second music loop feels unfinished. In its current state, Kurr Snaga feels like a pre-alpha proof of concept.
Yuppie Psycho is one of the few survival horror games to keep me on the edge of my seat. Though occasionally bizarre and tonally strange, it has the all the makings of a great adventure. The puzzles are engaging, the story is gripping, and the horror kept me coming back for more.
Forager demonstrates the importance of anchoring players in the world. It has great content, but that's hidden away behind random chance and hours of grinding. The idle-like mechanics are irritating at best, but the dungeon crawling and the puzzles come into their own. I only wish the rest of the game lived up to the excitement of finding a dungeon.
While Unheard stumbles through a few technical issues, it's premise alone makes it thoroughly enjoyable. Though short, every minute of Unheard is packed with intrigue and there's something immensely satisfying about having that ah-ha moment when all the pieces click together.
Where the Bees Make Honey tries to convey its message through nostalgic childhood memories, unresponsive controls and a plethora of technical issues that undermine everything. There might be something to the puzzles, but they're weak and extremely buggy. This game is physically painful in its current state.
Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements acts as a spiritual successor to the adventure games of old, but its tedious puzzle design, underdeveloped combat, inconsistent tone, and awkwardly-voiced protagonist make it unfocused at best and cringeworthy at worst.
Whether you're a fan of adventure games, the dystopian genre, or you're looking to spice up your evening with simulated paperwork, Beholder 2 is sure to please. The plot may be predictable, but that's easy to overlook in the face of superb character writing.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus redeems a long line of mediocre 40k games. As a turn-based combat RPG, it works on every level. The effect is only enhanced by excellent writing and incredible attention to detail.
Instead of pulling off a perfect heist, Thief of Thieves: Season One was tackled at the door by a 6ft tall cockroach wearing a security guard uniform. It may looks nice, but no single element of gameplay works properly.
While nice to look at, Pool Panic would prefer you don't touch its elaborate set pieces. It has lots of potential but suffers from the shallow puzzles that make up its core gameplay.