Carrion is a fun but flawed 2D horror game with a fun hook. It doesn't play perfectly, and the controls are particularly hit-or-miss, but overall, there's a lot of fun to be had when you get to be the monster and leave a path of destruction in your wake.
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.
For better and for worse, Party Hard is one of the most faithful tributes to the slasher genre. It overstays its welcome, but it's still a bloody fun time for the most part.
There's a lot of fun to be had with JumpJet Rex, though the game sometimes goes out of its way to frustrate you.
Olija is, simply put, a great 2D action-adventure game. Developers Thomas Olsson and Skeleton Crew Studio knew exactly what they set out to deliver. This is a focused, refined adventure that'll captivate you for a short while and provide you with a bite-sized albeit worthwhile journey.
Ghostrunner is an all-around great action game. The first-person parkour mechanics will make you feel like a badass, as will chopping up bad guys. The game doesn't always control perfectly, but everything still comes together to create an awesome, action-packed cyberpunk experience.
Cloudpunk succeeds in delivering a worthwhile open-world adventure. The story isn't perfect, but the characters are extremely well-written. The audiovisual design also drives the game forward, presenting a world that's dark, futuristic, and mysterious. You might struggle with the camera and controls at times, but don't let that detract from what is an otherwise awesome character-driven game.
It may not top Serious Sam 3, but even then, this latest entry in Croteam's beloved series is still a winner. Serious Sam 4 is fast, loud, insane, and just straight-up cool.
CrossCode is a love letter to 16-bit RPGs and action-adventure games and features a fun projectile-based combat system. Its lengthy development time was well-spent, and it's clear that time was used to put together an RPG experience that's completely worthwhile. Whether or not you play a lot of RPGs, there's a lot to love here.
Ninjala may very well be Nintendo's next hot online multiplayer game. It's free-to-play and totally worth a look, and the action is so fast-paced and addictive that you'll likely find yourself with a new ongoing game to eat up all your free time.
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.
The Greens tell a brave story with That Dragon, Cancer. Joel Green's life may have been short, but it was an important, beautiful life that's now being shared with the world.
Lumini is exactly the type of digital work that's best referred to as an experience rather than a video game. Designed for the Journey and Flower crowd, this game excels at creating a mellow, relaxed state for those who float into its spectacle of a world.
Abzu is one of those games that comes along and manages to capture you into its world, allowing you to shut out all of the stress and worries of your own life. It successfully allows you to live in its dream-like environment for a few hours and delivers tranquility you may not have even known you needed.
Republique transitions from mobile to console in grand fashion, and it boldly tells a brilliant story that's rife with wonderful gameplay design and quality voice acting.
There are a lot of 2D platformers out there, but Fenix Rage still has a lot to offer fans of the genre new and old. Green Lava Studios professed its love for the old school with this one, giving us a game that's so damn tough that it's a sheer delight to play. If you're tenacious and can handle a dose of in-your-face NES (or Genesis) challenge, you should make it a point to play Fenix Rage immediately.
Guild of Dungeoneering can get frustrating due to all of the randomness, but even then there's just no getting around the fact that it is a wonderful game. And if it ever does come to handhelds, I'll be eager to give it another go.
Yoshi's Woolly World makes a fine addition to any Wii U owner's library. It's full of charm and personality, and it doesn't forget to test you with its high difficulty. You'll spend more than a dozen hours doing everything and collecting every hidden item, and you'll have a blast practically the entire time.
Rite captures the magic and difficulty of games like Celeste, but by scaling down the overall level of challenge, it's a more inviting 2D platformer. It's still pretty tough, and if you're a completionist, you'll have your work cut out for you. Thankfully, the slick level designs make playing through the game a worthwhile venture.
Superhot: Mind Control Delete may have gotten its start as an expansion, but it ultimately evolved into a very complete-feeling standalone product. The new gameplay mechanics are awesome, and there's a lot to love about its dozens and dozens of levels. Taking on a room full of enemies in slow motion continues to feel incredible, and there's really nothing quite like it outside of the Superhot series.