Super Chibi Knight is a fun, bite-sized adventure that has a little bit of challenge but always remains welcoming enough that anyone can enjoy it. The Zelda II inspiration makes for a game that's mechanically sound and enjoyable to play, but it's the creative art style that'll win you over initially. It's short and can take as little as four hours to get through, but in those four hours you'll be treated to an entertaining adventure across fantasy lands that only an eight-year-old mind could've thought up.
Nova-111 is a humorous and quirky quest that rivals the sheer charm presented in the PixelJunk games. It's not the most varied adventure, but it's fun nonetheless, and it makes a great portable companion if you go with the Vita version.
Some players will appreciate the fact that this game is remorseless a lot of the time. Meanwhile others — even fans of this sort of punishing experience — may feel that the game is a bit too daunting at times.
I don't think the novelty of figure-based play and creation has worn thin. Truth be told, Disney Infinity 2.0 just isn't as enthralling as the first game. It's also not as good when you look at the bigger picture. The creation modes are solid, and the Play Sets are fun, but everything feels stripped down from last time.
You'll likely have a really good time with Gods Will Fall. Straight up, it's a good game. A lack of polish keeps it from being a great game, but there's still plenty of fun to be had here.
Citizens of Space is the kind of game that doesn't need to do much outside-the-box to keep you
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book isn't going to win any awards for best RPG of the year, but it's still a good time and gives you a couple dozen hours of enjoyable playtime.
I played a lot of Animal Crossing last year, in the process rekindling my love for life sims. Playing Story of Seasons was a much different experience because it's more fast-paced and goal-oriented. It's not too unlike past Harvest Moon games, but it's a worthwhile entry nonetheless. There's a lovely little game to uncover here, though it'll likely take you a couple dozen hours to really get things going. That said, the time investment is certainly worth it, because at the end of the day, you're left with a fine farming sim that's totally rewarding.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is the best WWE game in a long time. Its over-the-top combat leans heavily on cartoon violence, so if you're looking for a wrestling sim, you won't find that here. What you will get, though, is a fun, fast-paced, and lighthearted wrestling game.
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.
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.
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.
Super Mutant Alien Assault isn't the greatest shooter in recent memory, but that doesn't take away the fact that it's just really fun to play. And there's plenty of depth tucked away for you to discover the more you play.
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.
This isn't the kind of game you revisit multiple times, but rather the kind of game you tell your friends about with the utmost enthusiasm on account of just how silly and pleasant the whole thing is.
Roll7 has proven that it's not a one-trick pony with the release of Not a Hero. The team is clearly dedicated to crafting games that are fun and inviting yet require some patience to master. In a medium dominated by shooters of the first-person and third-person variety, it's refreshing to get a 2D take on the cover-based format. The difficulty can be a bit much at times, but when all is said and done, there's no getting around the fact that the BunnyLord's team is one you want to be on.
Orangeblood offers a unique spin on the offbeat RPG formula that was popularized by EarthBound. This is very much a quirky turn-based game, but its foul language, hip hop music, '90s-inspired tone, and adult themes make it a weird, enjoyable curveball. Performance is stunted slightly compared to the PC version, but the game is still a good time.
9 Monkeys of Shaolin is the type of game you pick up and play over the course of a weekend or after a long day at work. The martial arts movie style works well and wears its grindhouse love on its sleeve. Combat is entertaining and challenging, and like a proper beat 'em up, you can have a friend join you for the ride. It's over after about five hours, but in that time you're treated to a really good time.