Every now and then, a game comes along that just absolutely blows up your expectations. There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension is one such game. Superb design, excellent voice acting, with a surprisingly moving story, it’s an undeniably endearing and unique experience. Honestly, it’s hard to find anything to criticize with this game. If I had to be really nitpicky, I suppose that the game is perhaps a little on the short side, and maybe a couple of the puzzles were a little too esoteric for my brain to readily solve. If you’re looking for a unique point-and-click to take a break from your usual genre, I honestly couldn’t recommend this game more.
Save Me Mr. Tako: Definitive Edition hits a lot of the right notes: beautifully nostalgic, quirky, and fun mechanics and catchy music. With a surprising amount of dialogue, secrets to find in each level, and 50 silly hats to discover and wear, there’s plenty to keep you coming back for more. If you’re in the market for a game that pays homage to the good ol’ days of the Gameboy, I think you’ll find plenty to love here. Especially since the game offers adjustable difficulty, so if you, like me, aren’t super great at platformers (but love them anyway), you can scale the game somewhat to your abilities.
I really enjoyed my time with this game. Older-timey without being stale, challenging without being a headache, and with a solid story, The Corruption Within has a lot to recommend it. There’s some replay value, too – there are several optional items to find in the game that will present you with a moral choice you make, which will, in turn, affect the ending of the game. Honestly, my only criticism is that the game is a little short, as I beat it easily in a single sitting. But, like usual, that’s probably just me being greedy and wanting more of a good thing.
Overall, I honestly loved Winds of Change. Stellar writing, great voice acting, branching choices, and gorgeous artwork make for an impressive visual novel. I definitely encourage you to look past what you think you know about certain online communities and not judge this book by its cover. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in this one.
Honestly, I have very little criticism for Roguebook. You can feel the inspiration from earlier deck-builders, but it’s very much its own thing. Unique combat mechanics, gorgeous visuals, and addicting exploration make for a roguelike deck-builder that’s polished and keeps you going back for more. And you’ll definitely want to go back for more and more, as you’ll unlock additional cards and skills that will help your future runs. I’d also like to note that the developers received some pretty heavy criticism for making what seemed like a fairly significant chunk of game into DLC that was available the same day as release. In what I thought was an integrity move, they announced that they’ll be releasing the Apex Predator Pack for free, and anybody who purchased it can request a refund. Just something to keep in mind if you’re seeing this particular criticism of the game.
Pathway has a lot to offer. It’s got aspects of a tabletop roleplaying/board/resource management/strategy game all in one. And while that may sound like a confusing mash-up, it’s executed quite well. Really, my biggest complaint is the steep difficulty curve, as each mission seems significantly more difficult than the one before it. While there are options to reduce the difficulty, even still it felt needlessly hard at times. The last thing I’d like to mention about this game is something I haven’t encountered before: the ability to turn off the violence against the dogs in the game. Sometimes you will be attacked by dogs, and there is an option that when you defeat them, rather than dying, you can have them simply run away. As a lover of doggos (especially my derpy dog, Link), I found this to be a wonderful addition to the game.
Honestly, there’s very little I can find in the way of criticism for this game. It’s stunningly gorgeous, intuitive and creative, and a delightfully unique little puzzle-platformer. The game is beautiful and oddly moving, considering the complete lack of dialogue. If you need something a little different from your standard platformer, give Out of Line a try.
Empire of Angels IV is a perfectly fine game. But you may have noticed that’s a recurring theme of this review; the combat is okay, the story is okay, and the artistic direction is okay. The game does everything just fine, but it doesn’t particularly excel in any one area. If you’re looking for a nice casual game with a pleasant level of challenging content, but aren’t looking for anything deep and engaging, I think you’ll enjoy this game. You can pick up and play whenever without really forgetting much of the story or what you’re doing.
Indigo 7: Quest for Love is an earnest, enjoyable attempt at a new puzzle game. It’s fun, it’s quirky, the art style is endearing, and the gameplay is solid. Honestly, I’d be giving this game a higher score if it didn’t have some bugs and issues that pop up here and there. Those problems aside, though, if you’re looking for a great multiplayer puzzle game that isn’t Tetris or Puyo Puyo, give this game a shot.
Do Animals Dream? is unlike anything I’ve ever played. Its cute exterior masks an intensely serious interior. You’ll question what you think you know about what you eat and why. And you’ll likely be very uncomfortable during most of your experience. Yet the discomfort is a compelling factor in the game. Push through it, and keep an open mind. While I doubt it will convert anybody to veganism, it may make you connect more with your food, which is never a bad thing.
I’m having a hard time finding problems with Macrotis. I never got so stuck on a puzzle I wanted to throw my controller at my TV. I never got annoyed with the voice acting, or thought the story was getting too trite or cheesy. If I had to find a complaint, and I mean, if I really had to dig for one, I guess the game felt a little short. But that’s a frequent problem I have with games like this, so it might be more of a “me” problem than anything else. It’s not often that you find a platformer with a lot of heart. Wonderful artwork, challenging and unique puzzle and level design, and a surprisingly moving story will keep you hooked and playing. If you need something short and sweet, give Macrotis: A Mother’s Journey a try.
Honestly, I struggle to find criticism for Haven Park. Is it the most stunning, groundbreaking game you’ll ever play? No, but it doesn’t need to be. While it feels like it draws some inspiration from the Animal Crossing series, it remains its own separate entity with its own identity. For a game about walking and fixing up campsites, it’s short, sweet, beautiful, and even at times, moving. It left me wishing for more, but in the best way possible.
Although Smashroom was at times too difficult for my liking (and/or abilities), it’s a pretty solid game. Killer art, great music, fun mechanics and combat, and an engaging level-up system make for a fairly polished experience. If I had to find something to nitpick about (other than the difficulty), I’d say that the controls don’t always feel as tight as they could. Sometimes it feels like you’re li’l shroom is a touch too floaty or slide-y when he shouldn’t be. And while it may not stand out as one of the greats of the genre, Smashroom is still a fun experience that platformer fans will likely enjoy.
Some games show that you don’t have to be flashy and dramatic to be epic, and I think Garden Story is a shining example of that. At its core, Garden Story is a game about community and the bonds we forge within our communities. It’s about not underestimating the value of a friendly gesture to someone in need, or just how much we all rely on one another. With a moving, heartfelt story, beautiful pixel art and music, and addictive gameplay, Garden Story is a must-have for your Switch collection.
Boyfriend Dungeon is a good example of a great, unique game that’s an awesome experience in spite of its flaws. It’s by no means a perfect game. Boyfriend Dungeon has incredible character development, tackles difficult subject matter, has absolutely gorgeous artwork and a killer soundtrack, and is more than addicting enough to get you going back for more and more. And that’s in spite of the lackluster, repetitive, and limited dungeon crawling options available to you. It’s quite unlike any game I’ve ever played, in the best of ways.
SkateBIRD is a fun, if flawed, experience. Charming, with a light-hearted story and a good sense of humor, there’s plenty to enjoy, even with the overly floaty feeling that hampers the controls. While it’s likely not the best skater you’ll ever play, it’s probably one of the more unique ones. I don’t think I’d really recommend it to hardcore fans of skater games, but for people looking for a casual experience you can pick up anytime and not feel too invested in, it might be worth a look.
Still, even with a small handful of flaws, this is a solid game. Residual has awesome pixel art, a unique premise, addicting gameplay, and the promise of unique playthroughs every time you start a new game. While it’s not a perfect game, my complaints are fairly minor all things considered. I’d definitely recommend this game to anybody looking for a unique survival/platformer mashup.
The Last Friend is truly a gem. Polished gameplay, tight controls, superb, charming art, and just that wow factor that makes you want to play for hours on end. It’s one of those games that I hesitate to call perfect, but honestly, I can find so few flaws, I’m awfully tempted to. I’m already counting down the days until it comes out on the Switch so I can download it and have it on the go as well.
Rainbow Billy is the lovechild of Wind Waker, Paper Mario, and Mr. Rogers that we didn’t know we needed. It’s sweet, it’s heartwarming, it’s addicting, and it’s beautiful. Not only that, but it tackles difficult topics in a rather mature and thought-provoking way. These topics really run the gamut of the human experience: self-esteem issues, anxiety, fear, anger, strength/masculinity, and so many more. Honestly, this game can be played by children and adults – there’s something to learn from the experience for everybody.
Inscryption is refreshingly unique. With all the roguelike deckbuilders popping up these days, they can all start to blend together. Inscryption manages to stand out from the crowd in all the best ways. Complex card strategies blend with escape room puzzles far better than should be possible. And the whole package is wrapped in such wonderfully creepy trappings that it’s perfect for the Halloween season. Just remember: don’t ever assume you’ve reached the end.