A Space for the Unbound is a great coming-of-age game that presents difficult topics to players in a compelling way. The game’s art style is beautiful, with many detailed scenes clearly lovingly created by the artists at Mojiken. While there are moments where it feels slow, this is a game that will last with players for many years to come.
Birth is a wonderful little adventure through a strange city filled with unsettling creatures that never seem to scare you away. The hand-drawn art and range of puzzles make the game incredibly engaging, leaving you always curious to see what’s behind each door. While some of the objectives might be hard to decipher at first, most players will have a genuinely good time deciphering the codes.
Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist is the natural evolution of the first game, introducing players to a new location filled with quirky townspeople with varying tastes. Throughout the game, players will come to understand their own creativity as they approach each new opportunity. While there are issues Flamebait needs to overcome, the final product is something that amateur and professional artists alike can enjoy.
Throughout your time in The Last Case of Benedict Fox, players will be confused, intrigued, frustrated, and rewarded for the effort that they put in. While the combat isn’t the best in the show, the exploration and mystery-solving aspects will likely be enough to keep players coming back for more. It will be really exciting to see the theories and community that build around what has the makings to be a cult classic.
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is one of the best visual novels that I’ve played in a long time. It draws you in at the beginning, feeding you the vaguest pieces of the overarching story to keep you interested before opening to a wide-ranging mystery. While the pacing can be a bit slow at times, it’s worth putting up with to understand what’s really happening in this small Tokyo ward.
While Trepang2 might suffer from some technical issues at launch, many action FPS fans are going to find a lot of fun with the weapons and abilities that this title gives you. Its industry-standard story might not be the most exciting, but the constant hail of bullets more than makes up for it.
Kingdom Eighties is beautifully repetitive and simple while still managing to be a lot of fun to play. While it might not look like it from afar, developer Fury Studios does a lot to ensure that the player never gets too comfortable inside this greedy new world. If the developer were to refine and improve on this concept, I could honestly see myself playing future titles like this, guiding my children to victory.
Sticky Business is a cute and creative take on the desktop simulator genre, allowing players to get out their best ideas using pre-made stickers. The game is as cute as it looks and its ability to run so well creates such an adorable experience that’s really easy to lose yourself in. While it’s pretty shallow, it’s also exactly what it promises to be and does a good job of doing it.
While it’s unlikely to win any Tonys, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a great attempt at bringing soulful ballads and endless drama to games. Summerfall Studios has captured the magic and emotion of its actors, creating a world that’s ripe with possibilities. Those who are interested in either musicals or Greek mythology will likely find something to love about Stray Gods.
Turbo Overkill is a dark and grungy FPS adventure from Trigger Happy Interactive that takes advantage of its scenario to provide hours of interesting and exciting levels. The fast-paced movement and variety of ways to defeat your enemies almost make up for some of the slower moments as you try to figure out where to go. However, these issues are minimal and FPS fans are sure to enjoy it nonetheless.
There were many moments in The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood that had me audibly react, be that cheering in support or laughing at vengeance enacted perfectly. The freedom to create and see the future of those who rely on you feels like the pure power that it is, but the weight and consequences will weigh on you after the credits roll. As with previous Deconstructeam games, the appeal is more in the mechanics and narrative than the visuals.
Weird West has a lot to offer fans of the westerns and the supernatural. If you’re a fan of adventures that put all the power in your hands, you’ll enjoy the freedom that Weird West gives you. However, there’s a learning curve that players will get used to as they take on more formidable enemies. Just because you can kill anyone in the game doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for you.
Green Hell VR is a fun game for players who are used to VR games. It can be a bit challenging as you’re learning the different plants, but it’s worth it. Solving the problems and getting closer to the end objective feels like a rewarding trek through the rainforest. If only Incuvo had improved on some of the systems from the 2018 predecessor, it would make this game shine.
Painting VR is likely what many amateur and professional VR artists are looking for. Logging in and seeing paint on canvas, the different textures, and experimenting with tools is a unique experience that rivals creating art in real life. In addition, the ease to then export and share those paintings will only allow creativity to blossom further as the community evolves.
Trek to Yomi is arguably one of the most beautifully staged games this year. While the fighting is simple and repetitive, it’s very difficult to master some of the harder difficulties. Like the main character, the player will need to find their balance as they venture forward, encountering all the demons and monsters that this game has to offer.
Soundfall is a wonderful game to listen to, even if the combat and metronome mechanic can be frustrating to work with. Soaring through a level because you've found the rhythm is a uniquely cool feeling, but the rest of the gameplay fails to do it justice. While Soundfall was designed around the music and metronome, it feels like a little more complexity would help this game take flight.
Fans of Two Point Hospital will likely really enjoy Two Point Campus and the new spin on the model that made the original game famous. While it can be a bit overwhelming at times, the game does provide you with tools to dig yourself out of a hole. With future support for the game likely planned, Two Point Campus is the next logical evolution in Two Point Studios’ development story.
If you’re into both MOBAs and deck-builders, then you likely won’t find a better game suited for you than HEROish. It offers a great mix of both genres while still managing to be its own thing. While there’s not a wide range of varying content, it’s guaranteed to provide hours of fun whether you want to play alone or battle opponents in true MOBA fashion.
While Backfirewall_ might not be the most challenging puzzle game on the market, it makes up with its unique charm and humor. While some of the jokes and punchlines feel like meta-humor from a decade ago, the game does a great job of making you feel hurt when you’re unable to help certain characters. Throughout the five-hour story, players will understand the failure of a boss and his need for preservation.
Overall, Escape from the Red Planet is a really enjoyable arcade tower-defense game that’s joy comes from the simplicity of the gameplay. While the controls aren’t perfect, there’s still a lot of fun to be had eliminating Martian bugs as long as you’re careful. The gameplay loop provides enough challenge and requires enough strategy that fans of this genre are likely to find hours of fun in this title from Frosty Pop.