West of Dead is a refreshing take on multiple genres. It's a great cover-based twin-stick shooter. It's a different kind of roguelite. And it's just a solid all-around action game that's a joy to play. It's highly challenging, and it rewards smart play, so what you ultimately get is a satisfying experience that's fun and invites you to put the time into learning its intricacies.
Sludge Life is graffiti-themed a first-person 3D platformer that works really well and is fun to play. Its emphasis on climbing high structures and getting to hard-to-reach areas to drop your tags makes the tough gameplay feel worthwhile. The controls can be a bit finicky, but there's a lot of fun to be had here. There's also a nice blend of real-world commentary and vulgar humor to keep things interesting.
Resolutiion may wear its influences on its sleeve, but even then it's managed to carve out a unique identity of its own. You'll see a little bit of Hyper Light Drifter, Dark Souls, and Metroid here, but the overall package is a wholly original sci-fi experiece that's great for folks looking to get lost in a bleak futuristic world.
Weakless is not exactly a masterpiece, but it is a beautiful little game with an undeniable amount of charm and a heartfelt message. The game tells a story of the beauty of nature and perseverance through friendship. The narrative is kept to a minimum to ensure you experience its themes and concepts through the gameplay, which is a lot of fun despite some glaring rough edges.
Wattam is the Katamari successor you may not have known you needed. Keita Takahashi and the folks at Funomena have created a new kind of alternative game experience. If you long for the days when you used to collect toy figures and play sets, Wattam is a wonder to behold. It's joy, colorful and fun, in your hands and right in front of your face.
There aren't a lot of games out there like Heroland. The writing takes center stage, but the battles are also a lot of fun to witness unfold. You'll get a lot of laughs out of this game, and though it may seem long-winded at first, the writing is so good that you'll soon understand exactly why there's so much of it. This is just a really fun story to watch unfold and be a part of.
Citizens of Space is the kind of game that doesn't need to do much outside-the-box to keep you
When you hear the title My Friend Pedro, you don't really know what to expect. So you know what? Go and play My Friend Pedro, and enjoy everything this highly entertaining, bombastic, and just plain weird.
Ape Out is a fun and fast-paced action game with nary a dull moment. The brutal difficulty can go overboard at times, but even then it's never too daunting. This is one of the coolest games of 2019 so far, and any fan of slick, stylish action games should give it a go.
Vane is a unique, almost-therapeutic experience with a magical world to explore. Unfortunately, the controls are pretty awful. If you can deal with that major issue, though, you'll find a somewhat worthwhile adventure.
Celeste is one of the most entertaining 2D platformers in recent years. It'll defeat you from time to time, but its inviting controls, level design, and presentation will keep you coming back until you persevere and overcome every challenge thrown your way.
Dandara proves that there's still originality in a decades-old genre. It changes the way you control the player character, breaking from Metroidvania traditions, and creates new types of puzzles and methods of progression along the way.
There's a lot to like in The End Is Nigh, and seeing the Super Meat Boy formula tinkered with and experimented on is really interesting. The game suffers somewhat as a result, but damn, it's still a lot of fun to play.
River City: Knights of Justice is a fun little side story in the Kunio-kun series. It's not exactly varied, but it features a satisfying challenge and familiar beat 'em up mechanics that fans are sure to love.
Little Nightmares drops you into a mad and scary world that's worth visiting thanks to some enjoyable platforming mechanics and chilling atmosphere.
Rain World will probably establish a cult following, which is great because it deserves a fan base for its thoughtful ideas. Unfortunately, too many factors get in the way of what very well could've been one of 2017's most interesting indies.
Loot Rascals may have missed an obvious opportunity on the Vita and Nintendo Switch, but it's still worth playing on either PlayStation 4 or PC. It's a great deal of fun, it's charming, and it's highly addictive.
Dystoria is one of those games that you just know may go on to achieve cult status. It's certainly not without merit, but it stumbles a bit in its execution of an otherwise promising concept. If we ever get a sequel — and I hope we do — that game could be something truly special.
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour doesn't enhance the titular protagonist's classic FPS ride in any massive ways. That said, it's a whole lot of fun, and it's perfect for people who want to revisit the game and for those who are fans of old school shooters.
Alone With You tells its somewhat bizarre tale in solid fashion. The story and characters, though sometimes inconsistent, are strong enough to make this a worthwhile piece of interactive fiction.