Thymesia is a great game. It takes some getting used to, and the combat can feel a bit clunky at first, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be zipping around the screen dealing damage to every enemy in your way and hoping that you dodged in time to avoid them doing the same to you.
In terms of time, it’s also worth noting that the game can take about twelve to sixteen hours to complete based on how you play it. Additionally, once more of the abilities and fast travel points have been unlocked, the traversal issues stop being a problem. This means that there’s really only one disappointing thing about this game once you get used to it: it eventually comes to an end. However, it's got some great endings. No spoilers though! So, check out DOOMBLADE!
Endling - Extinction is Forever is not a game for people who deny our destruction of the world. If you think that our pollution and constant expansion is a good thing, then this game may be uncomfortable for you as it doesn’t pull any punches. It's is an experience worth having, and with a length of about four hours, it’s a tight, polished experience that doesn’t have any fluff.
Beacon Pines is a game worth recommending to anyone who enjoys narrative games, especially ones that aren’t too long, as this one is about 5-6 hours. Do not expect to be challenged in any real way because this game isn’t about that, but instead explore a town filled with charming anthropomorphic animal characters while relishing in the dramatic irony inherent in altering time and trying out new paths. It's a narrative, time-bending adventure with the cutest little characters ever.
Lil Gator Game isn’t a very long game, and will take 3-4 hours for standard completion, but those few hours are a good time that should make you smile. The game perfectly captures the way kids play and how quickly they’ll become your friends, such as by humoring a child who claims they’re invisible or helping someone get their mom off their phone so they can have the tea party they planned. It’s cute, it’s wholesome, and it’s highly recommendable.
SEASON: A letter to the future is just a beautiful game. It’s a game that comes highly recommended to anyone who enjoys narrative games with a strong focus on exploration. A narrative-oriented exploration game where it’s just you, the desolate world, and your ever-present, trusty bicycle.
ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree is highly recommended and a fantastic narrative experience that went far too underappreciated in its original mobile home. A gorgeous exploration puzzle game with a fantastic rhythm combat system that presents a cinematically told and presented narrative and world.
Have a Nice Death may have its problems, but it’s a great experience and one worth playing if you’re a fan of the genre. Plus, it has some of the best aesthetics in the business, and the little Death character is an adorable thing that is immensely fun to use as you destroy everything in your path. So, this game comes highly recommended despite the flaws.
Strayed Lights is a fantastic game that deserves a whole lot of love, and the positives of the experience massively outweigh the negatives. It isn’t all that long at about 5-6 hours, but it’s exactly as long as it needs to be. So, check out Strayed Lights if you want a not-too-tough soulslike game that also happens to do a few new things along the way.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a great example of the visual novel genre and an immense step up from many other versions of this style of gameplay. It has a great story, although there is some weaker characterization in the early game, and it’s just fun to figure out how to use your curses on others while doing your best to avoid theirs. It’s a great game for lovers of the genre and mystery stories in general.
Get in the Car, Loser! A fun, if sometimes an emotionally distressing game that can have somewhat repetitious combat, but if you dig the combat, you’ll probably be just fine. So, pick it up and go on a great road trip.
Don’t go into Souldiers if you’re looking for a hardcore challenge, but if you’re looking for something fun to play, with a great world, an extensive array of upgrades, items, and places to visit then this game is for you.
Sunday Gold is a fun, if occasionally frustrating, point-and-click adventure game with a visceral and effective, if simple, turn-based combat system and a working-class narrative about the corporations being the bad guys. It’s not Disco Elysium, but it also wasn’t trying to be. So, go into Sunday Gold for what it is, not what it may seem like on the surface.
The Knight Witch is a fantastic freeform flying, bullet hell metroidvania with a fun, if unsubtle, narrative that should last about eight to ten hours. Although, that very aggravating water level may be a bit of a turn-off to many, but if you can get through that one irritating level, this is definitely a game worth recommending.
Chained Echoes is a great throwback to the old JRPGs of the SNES era, and for those who loved those sorts of games, this one is definitely worth your time. This game is also for those who are not looking for a nostalgia trip though. This comes from someone who does not ordinarily enjoy JRPGs, but Chained Echoes is chockful of content, systems, and loads of great characters and complex mechanics. You’ll probably love it if you do or don’t love those old-school JRPG classics.
Children of Silentown is highly recommendable to anyone who enjoys point-and-click games and narrative-heavy games, but doesn’t go in expecting moon logic puzzles or a funny experience. You won’t get either of those things, but if you want a dark experience set in a quiet town, then Children of Silentown is exactly what you will enjoy.
A fun, energetic, and densely packed mascot platformer with all the SpongeBob Squarepants references you could ever need. It’s entertaining for adults, especially adults with some familiarity with the source material, but it also isn’t hard enough to make it a game solely for adults. This would be perfect for a kid still learning their way around games.
If you need a game that’s fun, has fast, enjoyable combat, good variety, and replayability, then look no further than Bravery and Greed. It may not be a visceral, narrative-oriented game, but sometimes you just want to do some looting, some slashing, and some boss bashing. And Bravery and Greed has you covered on that front.
Ship of Fools is not built for single-player gamers, but if you’re interested in a fun, frantic experience that’ll keep you occupied for quite some time, then this is the game for you. Just don’t expect some major narrative or anything like that. So, be like one of the fools and be willing to be fool enough to brave the infested waters!
Impaler is a boomer shooter that’s a ton of fun to play; it has an interesting mechanic in the gun and spike dual system, the movement is fluid and engaging, the ability to stomp and deal damage by jumping, and the occasional, somewhat random, activation of bullet time that, to be honest, doesn’t add much but does give the game something extra, all make this game engaging to play.