Shapez 2 made a fan of me, someone who isn’t a usual fan of this genre, and someone who easily feels overwhelmed by its complex systems. Even with my comparatively meager builds, I had a great time with the game, falling instantly for its uniquely relaxing vibe and its special style of progression, pushing you into limitless expansion at your own pace and using incredible factory tools to accomplish it.
The Spell Brigade is excellence in the survivors-like genre, offering players a chance to partake in some whacky, chaotic co-op wizardry. While designed for online play, solo players can still appreciate the title, though they may find progression to be a slower grind overall.
OPUS: Prism Peak is an emotionally devastating, bittersweet work of art that takes an honest, if not always happy, look at life, past losses, and how to pick up the pieces and move on. A slow title focused on exploration and attention to detail, this game will appeal to anyone with the patience and determination to see it through, even if your first playthrough might feel overwhelming and incomplete… by design.
Gecko Gods doesn’t provide much challenge, with repetitive puzzles and trivialized platforming thanks to its generous movement mechanics. That won’t be a problem, however, if you’re just looking for a cute, relaxed experience. Chances are, if you were drawn to this game because of the cute gecko you can play as, the title has everything you’d want, if not much more.
Lucky Tower Ultimate provides deceptively simple mechanics and a deeper layer of depth with tons of items, mechanical interactions, and constant slapstick or just downright silly cartoon humor. It does things differently from other roguelike titles, and will effortlessly charm you if you just give it a chance.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss has a lot to offer for those looking for an immersive, narrative-driven horror thriller. Its gameplay doesn’t demand quick reflexes or wanton destruction, but rather deduction skills and attention to detail. I don’t see everyone being a fan of this title, but for those who are really big into Lovecraft, this is probably exactly what you would want from a game tackling the mythos, one that is all about questions and the unfortunate answers that go with them.
The Posthumous Investigation is an interesting title, one that adapts incredible works of fiction into an interactive experience. While the mechanics aren’t the most inventive or interesting, and certain quality-of-life features would make the game far more enjoyable to play, you’re bound to find yourself wrapped up in the game’s fun writing and characters, fantastic art, and exciting mystery.
Lay of the Land stands out in the voxel-craft genre with the use of actual voxels, allowing for far more creative builds and stunning environments than anything else in the genre. While the experience is pretty short, players are sure to appreciate what’s in that six- to ten-hour timeframe, even if they might not be very compelled to play for longer.
Though it could use more guidance overall and its inclusion of a mascot-like monster feels out of place, Subliminal is an overall good horror title, with clever puzzles, a fun theme and setting, and an interesting inferred story. I look forward to seeing what comes in chapter two, with hopes that further context improves upon some issues in the first chapter.
Damon and Baby is a fun, unique, and criminally underappreciated new title. While the game could improve in some areas and the mechanics are a bit simple, the game shines for its excellent characters and is a solid, fun experience. Damon and Baby certainly deserves more attention than it is getting, and will likely to be remembered as a cult favorite.
SAMSON is an exciting and unique take on its genre, standing out from Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row and delivering a gritty experience inspired by crime-action dramas. While fun to play, some systems could have been handled better, small bugs and performance issues are present, and I found myself wanting more story baked into the side-mission content, where small dialogue or contextual additions or extra environmental storytelling could have gone a long way. However, at the incredibly generous asking price, SAMSON overdelivers, providing a Triple-A experience for a fraction of the cost.
ALL WILL FALL is Waterworld meets Frostpunk, delivering a toned-down but still engaging post-apocalyptic survival experience in a flooded wasteland, with some brain-teasing physics challenges thrown on top. City building fans who like a bit of a challenge are sure to love this title, especially with its unique setting and incredible mod support.
Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together has intricate cooking and recipe creation mechanics, and its campaign mode will likely appeal to those who want a nice, involved restaurant simulation from the perspective of the chef. However, it differs drastically from the first game and is full of bugs, odd design choices, and an overall unfinished feel that might keep returning fans away and make it harder for new fans to immerse themselves.
Hozy provides players with a short, relaxing, and expressive home renovation experience, giving you a cozy way to unwind at the end of a stressful day. If you love decorating and home renovation and want a compact take on the experience, Hozy is just the game for you.
Though I personally found the combat slow, punishing for the wrong reasons, and the customization a bit shallower than I would have liked, I can certainly see the appeal in Xenonauts 2, particularly for those wanting a tactically demanding, strategy-heavy game reminiscent of classic XCOM with some great lore.
While the pacing can be a bit slow early, the mechanics feel somewhat uninspired, and the lack of direction can hinder you at times, Project Songbird still manages to be a great horror game, one with incredible artistic merit and deep symbolism. Come for a story worth experiencing, and leave with a lasting memory.
Built upon the iconic and highly stylish tradition of racing anime, Screamer delivers high-octane, arcade-style racing with intuitive controls and an incredibly dramatic, colorfully cast story about a super-illegal, high-stakes super-race. Undoubtedly, my new favorite racing game of all time, I do not doubt that Screamer, like a shooting star, will fly out past the competition at high speeds and leave a long-lasting memory in the process
Collector’s Cove combines an interesting, if somewhat underdeveloped, exploration mechanic with a clever take on farming, fishing, and collection, creating a uniquely satisfying take on some of our favorite genre gameplay loops. Its special approach is sure to hook even the most veteran of farming sim players, especially those who like to focus on collecting and filling compendiums.
Timberborn is a colony simulator with a fantastic core identity and some genuinely unique systems driving it, particularly when it comes to water management. While I personally found that the challenge, urgency, and sense of direction began to fade as I became more familiar with the mechanics, there is still a lot here to enjoy for players who like slower-paced, methodical colony builders, or those who really want to build a series of intricately designed beaver dams.
Best enjoyed with friends, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando has some solid, if not amazing or transformative gunplay, paired with some fun class abilities and a more open-world approach to the genre’s typical level design. The narrative can be gripping, making for an engaging first playthrough, but there isn’t too much to come back for after that.