The overarching story is a little muddled, but for the most part Moncage is a smart and elegant puzzle game that frequently harks back to the mechanical wizardry of The Room.
Voice Of Cards isn't so much a card game as it is a JRPG in card game clothing, but its simple, repetitive battle system fails to make much of an impression. Far from being a winning hand, this is sadly one for the discard pile.
An essential purchase for puzzle platforming connoisseurs, ElecHead is a thrilling, bite-sized adventure that makes you feel like the smartest person in the room.
Mechanically it's a bit undercooked, but deep down Grotto is an artfully told tale about the meaning and limitation of words and language.
In light of Alan Wake's new relevance in Remedy's Connected Universe, it's well worth making the trip back to Bright Falls for this classic third-person horror shooter, but the remaster has little to tempt PC players over the original Steam release.
There's no faulting its lush character designs, but beyond Astria Ascending's good looks lies a tedious and repetitive Japanese-inspired RPG whose insipid story and cringey voice acting make it difficult to bear.
It's slow to start, but once Eastward gets going, this handsome post-apocalypse roars to life like nothing else, marrying top-down action with an exquisite cast of characters whose stories really make you care about the world you're trying to save.
A gorgeous, non-violent puzzle platformer with big Studio Ghibli vibes, Hoa is a brief but brilliant tale about the healing power of nature, and the cutest rhinoceros beetles you ever did see.
A challenging golf game set in the ruins of a future Earth, Golf Club Wasteland takes this classic sport to new, imaginative heights.
A simple but light-hearted adventure game that goes big on 90s nostalgia, The Big Con is a fun and colourful romp that will steal its way into your heart.
It saves its best tricks until last, but Axiom Verge 2 is another enthralling Metroidvania from solo dev Thomas Happ, and its clever dimension puzzles are a retro-infused feast for the senses.
I thought Röki was going to be a cute and throwaway little puzzle game with a light adventure wrapping, but Polygon Treehouse have gone so much further, and so much deeper than I was expecting. Like all great folklore stories, there is a quiet devastation lurking beneath Röki’s picturebook world, elevating this mythic tale of gods and monsters into the pantheon of all-time adventure game greats.
There is indeed plenty of Takahashi weirdness to be found in Wattam, but it’s of limited value without the magic, the soul, or just the basic ingenuity required to connect the dots and make it all sing.
I rather liked its undemanding nature, as it meant I was better able to enjoy this five hour romp and relish its superb character work. Yes, it’s a rather slight detective game compared to your heavyweights of the genre, but its winsome cast, gorgeous music and sharp writing go a long way to make up for it.
Even Felix’s sweet, sweet dance moves can’t throw the game’s glaring design flaws into shadow.
Brief as it may be, Untitled Goose Game leaves a lasting impression
If you’re at all intrigued by Ni No Kuni, I’d strongly advise you to just go and play Revenant Kingdom instead. It’s a far more enjoyable JRPG than Wrath of the White Witch, and it won’t make you feel like snapping your keyboard in two out of a white-hot fury of your own
It’s definitely a different and interesting take on the genre, but ultimately I fear this will be a path less travelled by those after a stone cold JRPG classic.
SteamWorld Quest isn’t going to be the next Slay the Spire, and to be honest, die hard Spire-ites will probably find its one-and-done story a bit, well, restricting. But for card novices (which I count myself one of), it’s still a real charmer, no matter how sluggish it might get in those early hours.