Play The Tarnishing of Juxtia if you don’t have any other soulslike games to play, and it is also recommended that you probably get it on sale if you decide to play it. It is pretty, but it isn’t a unique kind of pretty. It has promise, but unless there are some movement and combat overhauls, the game simply isn’t all that fun to play.
XEL will keep you entertained for a while, but it’s also a little too clumsy at present. It's an underwhelming adventure game that probably needed more time in development.
Even though SILT is truly beautiful, it is a little too simplistic and finicky. Despite all of this criticism, the visual presentation, moody atmosphere, and interesting, if underutilized, possession mechanic makes SILT quite the experience that can be recommended with some strong caveats attached.
Those who do like games like Dungeon Siege and other loot-heavy games may be disappointed to find that for a game that looks like a looter… it isn’t. You get a new weapon now and then, but it isn’t the cornucopia of loot that drops in games like Diablo. It’s a new sword every once in a while and little else. But hey, the one-on-one combat is pretty great, and it does work rather well as a game to play while listening to podcasts as it is rather mindless fun!
The Crown of Wu is an adequate game, but it doesn’t offer anything particularly new or different. It’s a game that may be worth getting if you’re really into 3D soulslike games and you’ve been having some trouble finding new ones worth playing. Otherwise, this is not a game that can be particularly recommended.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is not the most stable game. It’s generally fine, but on occasion, the game stutters to the point where it becomes unplayable, and this happened several times while playing it. During those moments, you just need to run away from enemies because you will not be able to fight them when the frame rate drops to single digits, but luckily, it does stabilize soon enough. So, should you play Asterigos: Curse of the Stars? It’s a solid action RPG with a good set of upgrades and combat capabilities that are rather generic, but it should keep you entertained for some time.
Mr. Sun's Hatbox is an action platformer with some simple base-building mechanics and a ton of humorous moments throughout its gameplay. If you want a game with some fun enough mechanics that are also full of silly moments, then Mr. Sun's Hatbox is for you. However, if you get a bit annoyed by repetitious humor, then it may not be for you.
If you are interested in a tough soulslike game where you do, very gradually, become stronger, a soulslike where you really don’t want to be hit because you’ll be pummeled within seconds, and that healing ability also makes you weaker! Then Moonscars is a game for you. It’s tough, it’s bleak, but don’t expect it to be nice to you.
If you like Heroes of Might and Magic then maybe you’d enjoy Songs of Conquest for its central loop enough that a larger player base can start to form. At least it should tide you over until someone releases another Heroes of Might and Magic. Provided that ever even happens.
If you like watching and maintaining stats, then this is the game for you! If you like slow, methodical decision making and no combat or twitch reflexes, then Insurmountable is the game for you. If you want a narrative, linear progression of any kind, or compelling characters, then this is not the game for you. You will just be walking around a mostly ambient noise-filled world incredibly slowly, but that could be your jam!
Lone Ruin does have great music and it is a game with a fantastic central loop that is fast, satisfying, and full of variety. It’s just a shame that the game has so few additional options and no persistent progression.
Showgunners is a good example of turn-based combat set within a dystopian world that will take you, on average, somewhere in the realm of 15-18 hours to complete the full game. This isn’t a bad duration, but for those who want a more procedurally generated experience with a lot of replayability, this may not be the game for you. For everyone else, it’s a fun ride with a grisly world and an enjoyable if fairly standard combat system.
Saga of Sins is ultimately a fairly clunky experience that has gameplay that, depending on your perspective, may leave quite a bit to be desired. However, it is a unique experience that is worth exploring, and if you’ve wanted a game that takes religious questions seriously rather than just using them as an aesthetic, this game is for you.
Dust & Neon is definitely going for something, and it does include a very satisfying overall gameplay loop, but the technical issues can be grating in the long term as they are persistent, and once you become accustomed to the way things are done in the game, there’s no real deviation.
Jennifer Wilde: Unlikely Revolutionaries is a great game for those who want some point-and-click adventuring inside a gorgeously realized art style with characters who often speak as if they’ve read too much Shakespeare at times. It also isn’t too long, at about four hours, but for the price tag, it’s quite easy to recommend it.
Gerda: A Flame in Winter is a great experience that simply isn’t usually told. The game isn’t particularly long, at about 5-6 hours, but it is intended to be played more than once to see the alternate possibilities. It also shows a side of the War that isn’t shown very often because it isn’t glitzy and glamorous. But real civilians lived through World War 2, and their stories should also be told.
Like No Other: The Legend of the Twin Books is a fun little game worth playing if you enjoy these kinds of games. It isn’t amazing, but it offers a charming world, some entertaining voice acting, a few enjoyable puzzles, and a great hand-drawn aesthetic to treat your eyes.
All of this comes together to make Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread a great little thing to play with a few particular aspects that hold it back and render it irritating. If some of those aspects could have been made slightly less annoying and repetitious, then the game could have been amazing. Still, as it stands, Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is a fun game for those who want some Saturday morning cartoon action with a great run-and-gun metroidvania attached that will last them a good 15-18 hours.
If you can get over those rather specific issues, then Dwerve certainly is a different take on the tower defense genre, and if you like tower defense, you could definitely do a lot worse! And the game should keep you occupied for a good ten or so hours, but replayability may not be there just yet.
If you want to try something different from everything out there, give Apotheorasis: Lab of the Blind Gods a try! Just expect some frustration if you’re used to relying on their eyes.