Tropico 6 builds on strong foundations, honing detail and offering expansive new sandboxes in which to craft your ideal island nation.
Objects in Space comes in the guise of a mid-'90s adventure game, but it is an sharp callback with plenty of its own magic to bring to the table.
Artifact's mix of Dota 2's mechanics with that of a trading card game is a brilliant flip on the TCG formula that allows for new and complex strategies.
RDR II's work cycle creates a forgiving system where, no matter what vocation you pick, you can figure out a way to bring in some cash. But it's also an extremely simplified version of the hardships people actually faced in the American wilderness. Even with the simulated elements to contend with, Arthur seems to have inhuman stamina, and a constitution that strains believability, even as it provides a firm foundation for the playspace.
Starlink is a great outing for folks of all ages. The toys are costly but well-made and great fun both in and out of game. Buy it.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a classical RPG brought to PC with some exceptional moments, though it's dragged down by a brutal difficulty curve.
Lots to stuff to do and pretty things to look at, but few fresh ideas. Try it.
Wasteland 2 gets the Switch port treatment, bringing a deep, involved RPG to Nintendo's hybrid console.
Shadow stands as near the best version of what it sets out to be. Luddington's finale is a grand one, and well worth it for fans of the series. Even if it can't quite manage to keep all its balls in the air.
Strange Brigade is a delightful cooperative shooter with some technical issues and an idea that isn't given enough room to breathe.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is the epitome of a good game that can be hard to recommend.
Dead Cells is an incredibly satisfying mishmash of genres that's more than the sum of its parts.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker's clever puzzles and creative take on platforming remain great on Nintendo Switch.
Moonlighter is a delightful adventure into the depths of ancient dungeons and the trials of running an equipment shop.
Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers has some fantastic moments, but it more often succumbs to mundanity.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition on Switch brings all the DLC from other platforms together for what is, in essence, a remaster of one of the best Zelda spin-offs.
Ship management and naval battles fit neatly into the dark fantasy setting of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire.
Frostpunk is a brutal city-survival sim that thrives on forcing you to make tough choices in harrowing scenarios.
Surviving Mars tasks you with leading humanity's first colonies on the Red Planet. But Mars is hardly forgiving, and it will fight you every step of the way.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition introduces gameplay tweaks and 4K visuals to a 20-year old classic, but not everything holds up to modern standards.