Sherlock Holmes Chapter One has weak combat and an empty open world, but its excellent detective gameplay and powerfully emotional story easily put paid to these issues.
A beautiful comic book aesthetic can't save Foreclosed from its mindlessly repetitive combat, poor story and characters, and overly linear levels.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights starts out promisingly, with a massive map, compelling exploration, and solid combat. Unfortunately, it collapses into frustrating, overly difficult repetition by the end.
Shadow Man Remastered infuriates as often as it delights, but it's a solid experience, and Nightdive has done an excellent job preserving it.
Paradise Lost may bring nothing new on the gameplay front, but its excellent atmosphere and heartbreaking story make it essential for fans of the narrative adventure genre.
At its core, Dogworld is a satisfying, cathartic shooter. It's let down by difficulty issues, wonky core design, and some lethal bugs.
Pascal's Wager has a truly terrible story, but its exploration, combat, and enemy design set it apart.
Shattered - Tale of the Forgotten King is brimming with potential. Unfortunately, it's too buggy, boring, and repetitive to realize that potential.
Skul: The Hero Slayer is a delight. Despite some bullet sponge-y enemies, the varied combat and surprisingly engaging story make each run a joy.
Shady Part of Me has a frustrating story and a terrible title, but it's a great little puzzle platformer with a very neat central mechanic.
El Hijo is a joy to play. Despite the occasional wobble, it's a rewarding and remarkably serene stealth tale with plenty of heart.
When Horace is good, it's a touching, thrilling experience. When it's bad, it's overly frustrating and too reliant on the dreaded pop culture references.
Cyber Hook has an insanely satisfying core gameplay loop. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much else to offer.
BPM: Bullets Per Minute has nothing new to offer but its rhythm-based combat. Luckily, that combat is immensely satisfying, even when the surrounding structure can feel a touch empty.
Jenny LeClue - Detectivu won't trouble even detective novices, but its sweet-natured world and strong writing see it through.
Mortal Shell boasts responsive combat and gorgeous visuals, but it's let down by rote level design, poor storytelling, and a general unfinished feel.
Bite the Bullet is an aesthetically unappealing mess of ideas. Its shooting has some nutritional value, but it's bogged down by terrible presentation and lackluster execution.
Hellbound's core gameplay loop is punchy, satisfying, and cathartic. It's just a shame there's so little of it.
Neon Abyss is occasionally great. It's let down by repetition, uneven difficulty, and the occasional game-breaking bug.
Sludge Life offers a very solid first-person platforming experience wrapped in a quirky, unique aesthetic. Its lack of challenge and brevity may put some off, but it's a wild and wonderful trip that deserves to be experienced.