Max Fagandini
It’s the witching hour, and there’s mischief to be done. In this story-driven deck-building tale steeped in Slavic folklore, help a young witch unlock the true power of the mysterious Black Book and find her love again. But be careful: the dark powers are ever fickle.
A crashed spaceship, an unknown planet, and a mysterious secret hiding beneath the surface: side-scrolling survival game Residual appears to have it all. But is it a hidden gem, or bogged down by its own inexplicable ooze?
Burn it. Burn it all! Your belongings, that is. New puzzler Bonfire Peaks sees you navigating dozens of levels to reduce your possessions to ash. Don’t let the eye-catching voxel art deceive you, though: this is one rock-hard game.
with a fun mechanic at its core, harking back to the golden age of 2D platformers while giving the model a fresh coat of paint with its stylish pixel art. The music was the first thing I loved about it, but thankfully it’s more than just that: Grapple Dog certainly has style, but it’s got the substance to back it up too.
Tunic’s cutesy aesthetic and tips of the hat to other games serve almost as a jumping-off point, a familiar-feeling touchstone to draw players in. Beyond that, the experience is entirely its own, with satisfying and challenging combat, secrets that gradually unfurl, and a quiet and contemplative story with its own twists and revelations.