Starsand Island offers a lot of homestead activities from the start, but all of them feel sort of same-y with their menu-heavy structure. Outside of these mechanics, the game doesn’t offer a whole lot, with no real story to speak of and characters that lack depth. The game might be worth picking up on sale, but I don’t feel it offers enough to justify its price tag.
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival takes an incredibly strange concept, turning the grounded human drama of the titular franchise into an arcade-style beat-’em-up. Unfortunately, the execution does not save the odd premise, as the game is mechanically underwhelming, unbalanced, short, and tone-deaf. Furthermore, an essential game mode that gives the game its only real replayability is locked behind a deluxe edition upgrade, giving the impression that the game is nothing more than a cash grab made to milk whatever is left of the TWD fanbase.
REKA is a bold, gothic, witchy crafting game that knows its audience and faithfully delivers the world that audience wants to play around in. Some aspects of the game are a bit repetitive, and the game is a bit short with not a lot of replay value, but if you are enchanted by the world it has to offer, you won’t really notice. It especially shines through its building mechanics, which feature some incredible quality-of-life choices I wish more base-building games would adopt.
Nivalis Nights is an interesting game. It has a gameplay loop that sort of goes against the grain of typical cyberpunk settings, and it is a loop that can be really fun, albeit one that can get a little repetitive over time. The world can feel a little hollow, with limited interaction with NPCs, and the ones you would most expect to be able to talk to are devoid of dialogue altogether. Some bugs persist, but if you can get past them, the game has something to offer, especially for tycoon-minded players looking for an interesting new setting to play with.
For a game that wants to be cozy, Tiny Eden puts too much emphasis on its economy. Running your patio garden business can be stressful, as the game offers very little reward for your work and a demanding progression system that you will likely move through slowly. With a bit of patience, however, the game can give you a lot. You just have to work for it, and some might not feel compelled to give that kind of effort for a game that is advertised as effortless.
Valor Mortis has become a new favorite of mine. While the game does have its flaws, mostly in the visual clarity of enemy attacks, the problems are so minuscule that they didn’t affect my enjoyment. An inspired setting, a unique twist on the formula, and some incredible body horror make Valor Mortis one hell of a title.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault has come a long way from its original Early Access state, and I found myself appreciating it a lot more thanks to the various improvements and added features. A fantastic mix of roguelike combat and shop management, the game creates an incredibly engaging gameplay loop of procuring and then selling rare items, and even manages to gamify running a shop in an unexpected way. Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is a fantastic roguelike at a very fair price, and I highly suggest checking it out.
Though the game is incredibly linear, guiding you carefully and directly through its narrative, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is an experience worth being guided through. What surprised me most was how fast, fun, and deadly the game’s combat felt, making every encounter an exhilarating dance that could end just as quickly as it started if I wasn’t careful. With great characters and a fantastic story, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is definitely worth checking out.
Enshrouded is an exemplary entry into its genre, seamlessly combining survival crafting mechanics with ARPG exploration and progression and, in my humble opinion, delivering the best of both. While you can absolutely play the game solo, it’s even more fun with friends, scaling the adventure to your group rather than becoming too easy or outright demanding the extra hands on deck as some other survival-crafting titles do.
Alpha Nomos can be a little repetitive at times, and it can feel as though there isn’t an abundance of content to unlock, but it still remains a fairly fun and distinctly creative experience throughout. The game’s unique mix of rhythm-game mechanics and roguelike progression, paired with its fun story and characters, makes for an undeniably memorable experience.
Truckful‘s flow might be interrupted by frequent loading screens, but it is otherwise a pretty fun, relaxing physics-puzzle about driving through a beautiful countryside delivering packages. That is, until sudden, unexpected but much-appreciated horror elements show up, giving the game a unique and threatening element not present in similar titles.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival gives me new hope for horror movie franchises in the video game space, and truly is a superb single-player horror game that stands alongside the best in its genre. The story is exquisite, the gameplay is solid, and the imagery is visceral, never pulling its punches to deliver a truly terrifying horror gaming experience.
Forever Ago moved me in ways that are hard to describe: the game’s themes of loss, regret, hope, and courage resonate deeply and are presented through a phenomenal cast of voice talent. If narrative-driven experiences are your thing, this is a title you absolutely cannot afford to miss out on.
Slayblade was clearly built on a vision, and that vision was executed decently. However, the game left me wanting, feeling unnecessarily short, barren, and repetitive. You quickly grasp everything the game has to offer within the first 20 minutes, and it does little to keep you playing after that.
Mexican Ninja has some readability issues in combat, but it makes up for it with fast-paced action, crass-but-clever writing, and an overall incredible setting. You won’t be disappointed by this all-around solid entry into the genre.
Doloc Town can feel slow and doesn’t always communicate its concepts to the player, but it is still a great entry into the farming sim genre, offering much-needed originality in both its setting and mechanics.
If you’re looking for a fun way to shut your brain off for an hour or two, Doggy Don’t Care is a fine way to do it, offering a short but chaos-filled adventure where you terrorize your owner’s home, explore new places, and pee on the carpet.
Though I feel like False Hero misses the mark when it comes to what makes progression so fun and rewarding in a soulslike game, the title gets every other piece of the formula down incredibly well. Fans of the genre will appreciate this solo-developed gem, especially its unique approach to combat and interesting original story.
Graveyard Keeper 2 is perhaps one of the most interesting titles in its genre, delivering an incredibly unique premise, a story full of dark comedy and familiar, genre-beloved gameplay with some great quality-of-life
Deified is a solid turn-based combat roguelike that should appeal to fans of the niche with its slightly faster pacing. However, I don’t expect it to change anyone’s mind if they aren’t already fans of similar titles, and the game’s difficulty curve and grindy nature might keep some players from enjoying it to the fullest.