Silver Pines is yet another excellent indie horror game and would not be out of place as part of the Silent Hill franchise. The combination of survival horror and more involved platforming exploration works fantastically well, while the town is chock-full of hidden secrets with enigmatic mysteries to solve.
Hellraiser: Revival is everything I wanted from a game based on Barker's series. The extremity of its depiction of the slippage between pain and pleasure, the visualisation of both the Cenobites and the Labyrinth, even the sheer visceral nature of the combat and environment. I might be a little biased as I am such a fan of the source material, but this stands out to me as one of the best horror tie-in games I can remember and is essential for anyone with even a slight fondness for the Cenobites and their dark delights.
Therapods is a fabulous new entry in the point and click genre with a style and character all of its own. Whether you're a long-time fan or just checking in because of the dinosaurs, you'll have a yabba-dabba-doo time – oh wait, that's a different story of man and dinosaur co-existing!
Box Knight surprised me once it got going. After some slow early runs, the game opens up to become a satisfying power fantasy in which enemies that destroyed you at first become easy to defeat. The power growth is well judged to keep you grinding and I cleared everything in just over 10 hours, a length which felt perfectly judged rather than overstaying its welcome. It's not a game that will blow you away but it could be the perfect palette cleanser between grander experiences.
Moonlight Peaks is a fantastic cozy game experience that focuses on farming and relationships, but minimises mechanical challenge and possible penalties. If that's what you're looking for in a farming game and the supernatural trappings appeal then there is a lot to enjoy here. The lack of more involved mechanics makes this a perfect game to play alongside more demanding titles and there is always something to do to push things along.
Looking for Fael is an enjoyable puzzle adventure game, though it wilts in comparison to its most notable peers. The range of puzzles and the complexity of the layers of the game make for an absorbing experience that rewards your thought and engagement. It's definitely a game to take at your own pace and the satisfaction gained from finally solving a complicated puzzle is always enjoyable.
The Sinking City 2 exceeded my expectations, and won me over with its more polished and focused gameplay. While I still missed the more ambitious aspects of the original, this sequel is far easier to recommend and stands up as a worthy companion to the survival horror giants. It clearly takes influence from Resident Evil with a plethora of extra gameplay challenges for completionists and I look forward to seeing how speedrunners can refine paths through the game.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is a great addition to both the extraction genre and to Lovecraftian games in general. It isn't really a game for solo players, but there is an option to play it that way to practice in between multiplayer sessions. When teaming up with friends though there is a lot to love here, with even failed missions providing memorable moments. There are few multiplayer experiences that can live up to the thrills of running through a rainy forest whilst pursued by a host of unearthly creatures and suddenly seeing one of your companions turn into a pine tree.
Gecko Gods is a chilled out joy to play. Perfect for a lazy summer evening with a cold drink and a fan in your face, the sheer thrill of discovery is absolutely nailed here. While there may be times that you're not quite sure where to go, the focused level design and island layout means that exploration is always enjoyable and you'll find the way forward soon enough. Whether you're looking for a nostalgic treat or simply want to hang out with a cute little lizard for a while, Gecko Gods is sure to delight.
Necrophosis Full Consciousness is an interesting and immersive experience that feels like a huge step forward from The Shore and certainly benefits from having a greater sense of its own identity. Whilst it won't convert any players who aren't a fan of walking simulators, it's a strong entry in the genre that makes me excited to see what Dragonis Games will do next.
The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time is a fabulous addition to the meta-game genre. I went in as a fan of old-school 16-bit JRPGs expecting a hit of nostalgia, but came away thoroughly impressed by the inception-like degree of layers within layers I unravelled in completing the game. It goes beyond the titular game to explore what makes developers tick, and challenging you to think outside the box for its puzzle, and if the sound of that appeals, then you should definitely give The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time a go. This is destined to be a classic and perhaps one day someone will remake it too…
Duck Side of the Moon is a great addition to the cozy game genre and one that adds more interaction than many other titles. It often feels like a fusion of modern cozy game and classic collectathons which makes for a fantastic feel-good time and one that I really enjoyed.
Quartet is a superb JRPG that takes the best of its influences and adds a welcome suite of quality-of-life improvements, from a built-in turbo mode to the removal of random battles. The story builds up well, the characters are engaging, and the regular drip of weapons and abilities keeps things interesting throughout. Quartet is an easy recommendation for JRPG fans in general and would also make for a good introduction to the genre for newcomers.
Call of the Elder Gods is a very good puzzle adventure game that continues the narrative of the first game and adds some interesting new characters to the mix. At its best it contains some of the most engaging and enjoyable puzzles you'll find, though there are some dips in quality that drag things down a bit. I would recommend the first game over this for newcomers, but if you've already enjoyed that title then you'll get a lot out of this too, just don't expect it to be quite as polished.
Dark Pals: The 1st Floor is a hugely enjoyable dose of mascot horror that takes the conventions and mixes them up to offer up a well paced and action-packed hour and a half of gameplay. Forget your Gartens and your Poppy Playtimes, Dark Pals promises to be the future of this subgenre and I'm all in.
While there is some interest here for fans of cosmic horror and an atmospheric opening setting, The Shore is difficult to recommend for the frustrating second half.
Ground Zero stands out as one of the most polished and complete indie survival horror experiences in recent years. While clearly heavily inspired by Resident Evil, it feels like a lost game in the series rather than a copycat and the mix of combat and puzzles keep things fresh throughout. Throw in the generous extra modes and the unlockables mixing up subsequent playthroughs and you have a game that offers dozens of hours of quality survival horror for a bargain price.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a flawed, but interesting experience. The narrative is straight out of a Lovecraft story and it escalates into a suitably maddening conclusion. The mechanics are interesting and promising but the lack of polish across multiple platforms and the inconsistency of responsiveness made for an overly frustrating time and I was ready for the game to end quite a bit before an incredibly complicated final puzzle. I'm glad that I persevered (albeit with the ingame AI assistance) as the ending felt appropriate. If you have the patience, and enjoy the setting, then there is some fun to be had, but perhaps wait for further patches for a less frustrating experience.
I am left conflicted with Hotel Barcelona. It absolutely oozes the kind of style you'd expect its leading creators and there is real potential in the setting and story, but the actual game just isn't that fun to play. The clunky controls stand out against the many similar action platformers and the multiple currencies make upgrades an unwelcome grind. I can't help but think the story would be better suited to an anime rather than its current form.
Yooka-Replaylee isn't just the definitive version of the game; it's one of the most enjoyable 3D platformers this side of Nintendo first party titles or Astro Bot. The levels are now packed with things to do, the range of different challenges keeps things interesting, and the upgrades and equippable tonics enable you to customise the difficult to suit your playstyle. All in all, this is now an essential purchase for fans of 3D platformers.