Alana Dunitz
MouseCraft is a mix of two other great puzzle games, Lemmings and Tetris, that challenges your brain in an all new way. With great graphics and stages to complete, it's hard to not get addicted!
OlliOlli World is a game that is full of personality and will challenge you to your core. It's hard, but a ton of fun and very rewarding, however I'm warning you, expect a lot of swearing!
Risk System is a new take on a familiar genre, you are rewarded for being risky and taking chances. The game is challenging with boss battles that can feel unfair at times, making you want to give up.
Nova-111 is a fun turn-based puzzle game that looks super cute and works your brain but can feel slow and repetitive after a while.
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash is an incredibly addictive deck-building card game that has you collecting and fighting SNK and Capcom characters against each other. Making it look like you are playing on a Neo Geo is a neat touch but makes the game area very small making Switch hand-held mode quite hard.
If you are a fan of retro NES games with a challenge and a Mega Man type feel, this is going to be a title you won't want to miss. Minus a couple of boss design choices and a buggy achievement system, this is a quality title.
Lacuna is a beautiful looking futuristic noir detective story with a great soundtrack that really makes you realise how much your decisions matter. Be prepared to do a lot of reading and research in-game so you make informed choices, because if you don't a bad ending is waiting for you!
Clockwork Aquario is a great title if you are looking to be transported to the arcade from your house. It's bright, colourful, and has a fun co-op mode so you can share the experience with a friend. If you have a Switch this is a title to check out!
Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash wastes no time throwing you right into the platforming action with a trusty axe and high-powered hose to navigate the levels and rescue the survivors. With only three-minutes the game forces you to think fast and figure out how to conserve your limited water supply. With procedurally generated levels, no two runs will feel exactly the same.
Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is a faithful recreation of the PlayStation titles that weren't available to everyone in the '90s. The CD monster creation system has been replaced with a large music catalogue and the ability to fast-forward through battles is a welcome addition as the game can feel very repetitive when you are constantly in tournaments.
The Kids We Were is a must-play game with an incredibly good story that focuses on childhood friendships and family. The voxel-style graphics look beautiful, the cicadas in Japan sound great, and a catalogue of items from the 80s to collect made me feel so nostalgic.
Brain Meltdown Into Despair is a beautiful game that really lives up to its name. It delivers an incredibly difficult experience that changes the way you have been controlling your game character for years. Controlling two characters at once sounds easy, but it's not!
Faraday Protocol is an interesting first-person puzzle game that has an intriguing storyline and puzzles to challenge your brain. The unique combination of futuristic visuals and Egyptian themed elements creates a mysterious and unique world for you to explore.
Gynoug is a memorable shoot 'em up that is a must play for anyone who loves this genre, especially with a retro look. This game will definitely work your eyes to the max, so I recommend playing earlier in the day because late at night when you are tired I am sure you will be frustrated!
Bonito Days is a super cute and simple game that is reminiscent of Super Monkey Ball, but with camera issues and short single-player game it's hard to fully recommend.
Moonglow Bay is a fun and relaxing game that I found very rewarding to play, there's a huge variety of things to do in this game so I never get tired of it. Every day I play I can't wait to go back and see what monster-sized fish I manage to catch and see what kind of new dishes I get to create in the kitchen.
Corpse Party (2021) is a super creepy and disturbing game that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You will die a lot and get bad endings so you will have to go back and try to change your actions to change the outcome, but when you figure out what you need to do that just makes it more fulfilling.
Sunshine Manor is a fun and creepy 8-bit game that has you travel between the human and demon world, solving puzzles and testing your hand-eye coordination with platforming sections. Slightly buggy in one level, but if you persevere you can get past it and continue saving the poor ghosts and your friends from the demon.
Collection of SaGa: The Final Fantasy Legend is the perfect collection of these classic Game Boy screens, looking and sounding even better than the originals. Just keep in mind that they are early style RPGs so they require a ton of grinding!
Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is full of fanservice and anime girls with big boobs, but not much more. Insanely long visual novel talk segments, and the story is so silly there's not much motivation to keep playing.