Wasteland 3 does an amazing job of keeping players invested in its world through its writing, sound, and visuals. When it comes to world-building and characters, Wasteland 3 leaves its predecessors in the Wasteland franchise in the dust.
Iron Harvest is an incredibly impressive RTS game that’ll have you planning and strategising your next move on the battlefield for hours on end. If you’re a fan of RTS games and are not put off by planning and a bit of micromanagement, there’s plenty to love in the 1920+ universe for fans of games like Command and Conquer and Age of Empires.
Paradise Killer offers up a layered detective story set in a unique world with a distinct aesthetic. If you’re keen on titles like Phoenix Wright and are open to detective stories set in an unusual environment, chances are you won’t want to miss this one. With a thrilling plot and quirky characters, Paradise Killer is sure to have you hooked.
While all the components are there to make Port Royale 4 an immersive strategy game, it just falls short of being completely engrossing. A slow naval battling system and counterintuitive UI hold the title back and make the overall experience sluggish.
The Survivalists is a great sandbox game that will have you exploring for hours, whether you’re playing by yourself or with friends. With its engaging and colourful pixelated environment, it’s easy to while away the hours roaming the game’s beaches or sailing the seas. If you don’t mind a non-linear gaming experience and you’re not afraid to explore the world in your own time, this game will be a joy to play.
Partisans 1941 offers some great combat and stealth mechanics that will appeal to fans of the Command series, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, and Desperados III. While it might not have the engrossing story of its counterparts and may lack polish in places, the gameplay mechanics still make for a thrilling ride from start to finish.
ScourgeBringer offers players an engaging roguelike challenge that will be a joy to play for fans of the genre. With its tight controls, beautiful graphics, and thrilling combat, ScourgeBringer is sure to keep you on your toes throughout a run.
The Pathless’ story and movement mechanics are where it truly shines. Exploring the landscape at superhuman speed feels like absolute magic and makes the game’s large surface easy to explore. Full of colour, beautiful landscapes, and mysterious gods and puzzles, The Pathless is sure to keep you engaged from beginning to end.
The way Empire of Sin combines diplomacy, turn-based combat, and narrative gameplay mechanics is incredibly ambitious. While there’s plenty to keep you engaged, the format doesn’t always work, and sometimes it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stats and missions. Even though the game has its shortcomings, its atmosphere, characters, and environment are fantastic. And if you decide to persevere, there’s plenty to love in Empire of Sin.
Skul: The Hero Slayer is an excellent rogue-lite platformer with beautiful pixel graphics. While its story is a tad generic, its ruthless rogue-lite mechanics are where Skul: The Hero Slayer truly shines. Combined with its unique mechanics on the battlefield, Skul: The Hero Slayer easily raises the stakes without making the gameplay feel overly complicated. The result is a fast-paced hack-and-slash experience that will have you on the edge of your seat for hours. If you’re a fan of indie titles like Spelunky, ScourgeBringer, and Celeste, Skul: The Hero Slayer will surely have something to offer you.
With innovative combat mechanics and an enormous variety of in-game enemies, Bravely Default II offers up an engaging strategy experience that’ll hook seasoned strategy fans. It also boasts gorgeous visuals, with hand-drawn backdrops and panoramas popping off the screen, making the world delightful to explore.
When it comes to card games, Loop Hero brings a unique and refreshing take to the table. While initially its format may take some getting used to and its graphics may appear simple, the game’s mechanics pack a surprising punch. With cards generating complex enemies, resources, and terrains, no two playthroughs in Loop Hero will be the same. Through this impressive degree of variety and replayability, Loop Hero offers a unique challenge for card game newbies and veterans alike.
Neurodeck offers up an interesting premise and beautiful visuals. Story-wise and gameplay-wise, however, the whole experience feels like an Early Access release; many areas of gameplay are repetitive, and it’s easy to encounter the same enemies multiple times in a single run. I’m convinced this could be a stunning game if given a bit more love by the developers, but it doesn’t match up to the giants currently dominating the card-game genre. If you’re looking for a deck-building challenge, it’s best to keep looking a little longer.
Oddworld: Soulstorm is undoubtedly the best-looking entry in the series yet, with dazzling cutscenes and beautiful environments. However, when it comes to gameplay, Oddworld: Soulstorm comes with a lot of bugs, and clunky and confusing controls. This made the overall gameplay more sluggish and cumbersome than it ought to be, and, in turn, made tricky levels frustrating and tedious rather than pleasantly challenging. If you’re keen on the Oddworld franchise and are looking to get lost in Abe’s world once again, Oddworld: Soulstorm will have plenty on offer. However, if you’re looking for an immersive platform adventure with straightforward controls, Oddworld: Soulstorm might not be your best bet.
Skate City is a visually stunning game with an incredibly catchy soundtrack. It effortlessly provides the chill gameplay environment that skating games are renowned for, complete with sleek and minimal graphics. The controls with a mouse and keyboard, however, can feel counterintuitive, and if you’re looking for a layered and complex experience like Tony Hawk, Skate City might fall short. However, if you’re looking for a relaxing skating game to help you unwind at the end of a busy day, you’ll find that Skate City does the trick superbly.
Overall, Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is a great strategy title for fans of tactical turn-based combat. The synergy between different factions, playstyles, and faction heroes offers plenty of variety and, combined with the reward system, keeps things interesting. Maps can become repetitive after a long play session, but this felt like a minor bug in an otherwise solid strategy game. If you’re new to Warhammer, or if you’re an old Warhammer hand, you’ll definitely find something to enjoy in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground.
Roguebook is a refreshing take on traditional card games. With its original map and combat mechanics, it delivers engaging roguelike elements that keep things interesting run after run. While the game might not contain the world’s most ground-breaking story, card game aficionados are sure to find something to their liking in this Faeria-themed release.
Imagine Earth is a great strategy title with a meaningful underlying message. With original mechanics regarding natural resources, the health of your planet, and overpopulation, the game offers an immersive and thought-provoking experience that will satisfy both veteran strategy game fans and newbies alike. Its gorgeous visuals and story will be a great fit for anyone who enjoys city builders and strategy titles and is keen to try out something new.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a solid strategy game and an excellent addition to the Warhammer catalogue. Although the game only comes with two playable factions, its variety of units for each faction and original combat mechanics keep the game’s core gameplay fast-paced, dynamic, and interesting. This, combined with beautiful visuals and an immersive story told in typical Warhammer fashion, makes for a fun strategy romp from beginning to end, no matter whether you’re a die-hard Warhammer fan or a total newcomer to the Warhammer world.
GRIME dishes up an intriguing universe with even more intriguing enemies and bosses. While its story is on the shallow side, its original visuals and combat mechanics steal the show. However, be warned: in true souls-like fashion, GRIME’s combat is brutal and unforgiving, which might not make it a game for everyone. That said, if you’re not afraid of jumping straight into the action, the game will be just as rewarding as it is challenging.