Schrödinger’s Call is the best visual novel I’ve experienced in years. Between its incredible visuals, sensational score, and heartbreaking story full of twists and tear-jerking turns, you are bound to leave this incredible narrative experience different from the one you were.
Crushed in Time is a fun puzzle game, with a fun story and great visuals. Many of the puzzles, built around the unique stretch-and-pull mechanic, are fun and cleverly designed, but that mechanic can start to feel gimmicky and lose its charm before too long. It’s unfortunate to say that the game just doesn’t quite live up to There is No Game, but it remains a fun puzzle game regardless.
Though some of the new mechanics might feel a little undercooked, it’s hard to argue with a new original Frostpunk campaign and all of the new stuff that comes with it. Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust feels like a mandatory part of your Frostpunk collection, and I dare say you’d be missing out if you chose to pass this DLC up.
Tabletop Tavern is a brilliant mix of RTS wargaming and the roguelike formula, as well as an incredible feat for a solo developer. However, it lacks the much-needed strategic depth and faction variety, and the current build starts to feel stale before long. With the developer working hard to update the game, you can rest assured it will evolve from its current state, though it still feels like an Early Access title in every way but the name.
Voidling Bound could use a few quality-of-life improvements, but is otherwise an excellent, fun-to-play, and incredibly unique entry into the creature collector genre. The game has a great setting, an appealing gameplay loop, and a nice message about conservation that manages not to feel preachy or in your face. I highly recommend this title for fans of the genre or those looking for a unique new shooter.
The Gothic 1 Remake is a beautiful graphical upgrade of one of the most incredible RPGs of all time, and I have no doubt that returning fans will love it. However, the game’s performance issues dampen the mood, and certain new bugs and a lack of quality-of-life improvements make it less than a perfect remake. These issues and the lack of modernizing polish may also make it harder for new players to get into the game, especially when paired with the obviously and purposefully dated, difficult gameplay.
The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time is an incredible, unique puzzle game using the skin of a ’90s JRPG to deliver a genre-defying experience that treats the fourth wall like it’s made of plaster. Though it’s short and can have its issues at times, the game is incredibly memorable and worth giving a chance yourself.
Playing Luna Abyss is like glimpsing into the mind of a mad artist: it is at times beautiful, at times scary, and can certainly be polarizing. While it has its flaws, mainly in pacing, and solid gameplay that can slow down at times and be far too different for genre fans at others, I still think it’s a phenomenal game, and one absolutely worth giving the time of day and losing yourself to.
Moonsigil Atlas is an incredible entry into the deckbuilding roguelike genre, reinventing familiar mechanics with a fun twist that fits in with the thematic elements of the game beautifully. It is as fun to play as it is incredible to look at, featuring some great art and unique card mechanics that shine through, even if you may be left wishing the game had a bit more to play with.
Lumentale: Memories of Trey is a heavy hitter of a creature-collector, doing everything fans love about the genre well and even expanding on core mechanics in its own ways. It will easily become a new favorite for fans of the genre, and I think it even has ground to compete against franchise titans.
Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar combines a unique and quirky concept with Portal-like puzzle solving, creating brain teasers that are simultaneously challenging and yet unusually forgiving to new players. The game can be played with two players, but it is a completely different experience when you play alone, enticing your brain not only with cooperative puzzles but with the challenge of controlling two cats at the same time.
Call of the Elder Gods is an excellent narrative-driven puzzle game that masters familiar Lovecraftian themes while taking its own, unique approach to the tone of the story. It may feel different to fans of games based on Lovecraft’s work, but I think the changes work incredibly well, and this unique approach is worth giving a try yourself.
The Caribou Trail presents a strong, albeit short, story worth experiencing alongside some boring, tedious, and downright pointless mechanics. While I recommend it for the story, it is one of those games that leave me wishing it were just a movie or an interactive visual novel, rather than what can only be described as a walking simulator.
Duck Side of the Moon is a quacking good time: an adorable space-bound adventure with simple yet inviting mechanics, silly yet engaging writing, and the occasional shockingly emotional moment. For those looking for a relaxing game, this title will more than hit the mark, winning you over with its unique score, fun exploration at your own pace, and overall memorable experiences.
Wax Heads is a gorgeous, short, beautiful game built around a simple and cozy gameplay loop. It captures the spirit of your local record shop and uses its cast of colorful characters to tell a confined, low-stakes story that will stay with you regardless. It’s a perfect game for those looking for a small, comfortable narrative experience, and the price is hard to argue with.
Directive 8020 is a strong interactive narrative with some less-than-exciting gameplay. Quick-time events and impactful decisions maintain a solid element of player interactivity, but the title would be better off ditching its weak stealth segments and walking-simulator gameplay in favor of a more direct, cinematic approach. Despite this, fans of the genre and those looking for a good narrative experience with some player influence are bound to enjoy what this latest entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology has to offer.
Bus Bound delivers some decent driving mechanics with excellent traffic AI, although the game struggles with the nuanced mechanics that make other simulator titles from Saber stand out. There is no career mode, and immersive mechanics are limited, but if you want to drive a bus along a route, you can certainly find a good, albeit short, time here.
Demon Lord: Just a Block is a fun, small-scale roguelike with some cute art and a clever twist on turn-based strategy gameplay. It makes good use of the roguelike formula, with the gameplay being simple and yet weirdly addicting, albeit lacking in much longevity beyond that inherently provided by the roguelike formula. All in all, it is not a bad way to spend $13.
Tides of Tomorrow features an incredibly interesting mechanic and a unique setting, but both are undercut by poorly paced storytelling and a lack of deeper, engaging gameplay. While I would still recommend the game for its unique, indirect multiplayer mechanic, you might find yourself in the same position I was: burnt out on the gimmick early into the game.
Bandit Trap is a critically underrated gem, one which injects some much-needed levity into the world of asymmetrical multiplayer games and a title that stands utterly alone in the genre of “multiplayer Home Alone-likes.” Give the game a try, get your friends to play too, and help it get the attention it deserves.