Cheyenne Clark
- Journey
- Bayonetta
- Stardew Valley
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the perfect getaway from daily life, putting players in a serene world where the only thing that matters is catching fish and arranging furniture. Its crafting system creates a sense of ownership over the island while also doubling as a creative outlet. It's an absolutely delightful and refreshing experience.
VA-11 HALL-A is so much more than just chatting up clients and making drinks. It's the kind of game that makes you think, and it can be silly, serious, soul-crushing, and light-hearted, all at the same time. Its cyberpunk/anime flair is just the garnish on top of the cocktail.
The Room offers up a unique take on puzzle solving, with its intricate, ornate boxes and intriguing mystery. The touch controls and the game's beautiful, tiny details make the experience enjoyable on the Nintendo Switch, even if it's not too different from its mobile version.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 improves upon the first game by adding interesting new mechanics and great combat, all while creating a lively world. Combined with its incredible writing and stirring music, the end result is, simply put, just a lot of fun to play.
Prepare to ruin innocent people's days as you run around honking and throwing their stuff around in Untitled Goose Game. It's a simple and fun puzzle/stealth/goose simulator with clever ideas and a lively world.
Luigi's Mansion 3 has some incredibly clever (and difficult) puzzles, featuring interesting new abilities and expanding on the series' classic gameplay. It's everything I wanted and more in a continuation of the franchise.
Persona 5 Royal offers so many changes to the core game that it feels fresh, all while keeping its original charm and style. With a brand new story arc and characters, as well as combat mechanics and updates to the social aspects, it's, without a doubt, the definitive way to play Persona 5.
Spelunky 2 offers a challenging, but rewarding experience. With so many new levels, items, and enemies, there's no shortage of exploration and mystery. It expands upon the addicting gameplay of the first game and offers an entirely unique experience each time you play.
A great deal of care went into Stray, and the attention to detail and its beautifully crafted world make it a unique, worthwhile experience.
If you're looking for something to play at the coffee shop or on the train, then I'd recommend picking up Persona 5 Royal on Nintendo Switch. It might be best experienced on other consoles, but playing one of the greatest games of this decade on the go sounds pretty nice to me.
Although its release on 3DS doesn't provide much new content, Luigi's Mansion is clearly a classic. Its clever level design and fun characters certainly hold up after 17 years, even if the graphics may not. This release seems best suited for those new to the game, but it can be enjoyed by all Luigi fans.
Bowser Jr.'s Journey may not offer a ton of new content, but the core game is as good as ever. It might not be as enticing for returning players, but those on the hunt for a fun, relaxing RPG with quirky humor and a silly story will feel right at home.
Bury me, my Love is a beautiful, touching story about one Syrian refugee's journey. Its messaging app interface makes it easy to connect with and become emotionally invested in, making the storytelling all the more impactful. Still, without the option of going back and reviewing difficult choices, it may become repetitive upon subsequent playthroughs, despite boasting 19 different endings.
Baba Is You has a cutesy exterior that serves only to fool you into thinking it won't be the most difficult puzzle game you've ever played.
The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle brings with it a sense of community I've never felt in The Sims before. Your sim's actions have consequences in the world, both for better or worse, and this new expansion gives players a ton of new ways to play. Eco Lifestyle is refreshing and unique, even if some of its new clothes are horrendously ugly.
With so many Pokémon to photograph and so many new areas to explore, New Pokémon Snap feels like a worthy successor to the original, if a little simple. It can be challenging at times, but its relaxing gameplay will keep you coming back for more.
The new Interior Decorator career in The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator is more interactive than ever and provides a little something for everyone, but it's still a bit of a buggy mess. What this new pack lacks in gameplay, though, it makes up for it with beautiful furniture and build items.
Though it suffers from graphical issues and bugs, as well as unsatisfying combat, Fallout 76 is fun nonetheless, and the experience is only enhanced by cooperating with other players.
WarioWare Gold brings together a handful of new microgames, and throws in plenty of the series' best ones. It might not reinvent the wheel, but you'll be too busy jumping from game to game to notice.
Far Cry New Dawn suffers from clashing tones and cringey writing, but it offers some unique quests and a fun, chaotic wasteland to play around in.