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The End of the Sun manages to leave its mark in a pretty interesting way. Its focus on exploration, atmosphere, and the slow unraveling of a story built around mythology and human connection feels special. There are some rough edges, especially with onboarding, character presentation, and pacing in certain stretches, but the main idea is strong and executed with clear passion. If you enjoy slower, narrative-driven games where the satisfaction comes from piecing things together and exploring a world that feels different from the usual settings, this is an easy recommendation. Even if Slavic mythology isn't something you're familiar with, the way it's presented here makes it approachable and worth experiencing.
MOTORSLICE is a game that thrives on its feel. Moving through its world, chaining together actions, and carving through enemies with your chainsaw is consistently satisfying. The mystery of its story, the creativity of its mechanics, and its strong visual style all come together in a way that feels genuine. While some of its oddities can get in the way and cause frustrating or unfair restarts, there's a clear sense that it was made with a love for games and experimentation. MOTORSLICE ultimately leaves a lasting impression thanks to its exploration, movement-focused gameplay, and a world that leaves room for interpretation, with mechanics that feel deeply connected to its massive structure.
Scar-Lead Salvation has ideas that sound promising, especially the roguelike structure, weapon variety, and anime sci-fi presentation, but the execution never fully supports them. The combat is playable but shallow, the environments are repetitive, and the progression systems do not create the kind of momentum a roguelike needs to stay engaging. There is still something mildly enjoyable about running through it in a low effort, background kind of way, especially if you are not expecting depth, but it struggles to justify its design or its price point. It is not completely without merit, but it feels more like a foundation for a better game than a fully realized one. With more variety, stronger level design, and tighter progression, there is a version of this concept that could work much better. As it stands, Scar-Lead Salvation is a game that is easy to understand, easy to play, and just as easy to put down.
Prophecies of Ash is a good first step in the right direction for Anno 117: Pax Romana. The volcanic eruption cycle adds a much-needed challenge to the game, especially for the late-stage builds, where there are no military and economic challenges left for the players, and prevents the playthrough from becoming monotonous, while it can be switched off by those who would rather not worry about natural disasters burning half of their cities to the ground. While the dual nature of Obsidian as a currency as well as a finite resource hinders gameplay progression and stretches the story campaign thin, it not only fits the thematic cohesion of the game world but also encourages the players to take the risk of volcanic eruptions, hoping to mine it incrementally. After all, victory belongs to those who dare, and there is no better proof of that than the Roman Empire!
MOUSE: P.I. for Hire may be the most gorgeous game you play in 2026…but sadly not in execution. It's wonderful to look at and listen to, but an overly formulaic approach with gameplay shortcomings hamper its overall execution.
A sloppy port sullies what is otherwise a solid survival horror experience.
The kind of cosmic horror that makes you ponder your place in the universe
Adorable Adventures ends up being more engaging than it might initially seem. It's not a long game, and you can see most of what it offers in a few hours, but there's enough optional content to stretch that time if you want to fully explore every corner. What stands out most is how cohesive it feels. The mechanics, the world, and the tone all support the same idea of slowing down and experiencing nature through a different perspective. If you enjoy relaxed exploration and games that focus more on atmosphere than difficulty, this is an easy recommendation. Helping Boris reunite his family feels rewarding because every objective along the way is genuinely fun to take part in.
The Shadow Update builds on what already works and expands it in ways that feel thoughtful and consistent. The new characters introduce fresh playstyles, the ball types open up a huge range of combinations, and the added passives and building give you more control over how everything comes together. It's the kind of update that makes you wonder how the game felt before it existed. With one more free update on the way later this year, it's clear the game isn't slowing down, and if this pace continues, it's only going to get harder to put down.
Tamadotchi Life: Living the Dream might not be the bold reinvention some fans hoped for, but it doesn't need to be to recapture the series' charm. Even with its missing legacy features and a few creative tools that don't quite hit the mark, it remains a wonderfully daft, personality‑driven sim that thrives on the unexpected. Perhaps what's most important, though, is that even after spending a serious amount of time with Living the Dream, it remained funny. It's the kind of game you dip into for ten minutes and suddenly find yourself grinning at a Mii having a meltdown or, well, trying to stop a Mii from making an ill-timed proposal to someone that's just not that into them. If you're willing to embrace its quirks and forgive its limitations, Living the Dream is a welcome, delightfully weird return to one of Nintendo's most eccentric worlds, and an even better introduction to those yet to familiarise themselves with the Tamadotchi universe.
Aphelion is a beautifully created game by Dontnod and while it's gameplay has its issues, the narrative is pure sci-fi perfection
Starfield makes planet side on PS5 and mostly sticks the landing.
It's easy to lose track of time here, moving from one fight to the next, exploring every corner, and having fun with the constant sense of momentum. Between its satisfying combat, strong sense of scale, and commitment to its old school roots, this is one of the more memorable VR shooters to come out recently. If you enjoy fast paced action and don't mind a bit of a learning curve, this is the kind of game that can keep you hooked for hours without even realizing it.
ChainStaff is the kind of game that sticks with you because of how confidently it commits to its ideas. It takes a single mechanic and builds an entire experience around it without losing momentum or focus. The combination of strange storytelling, flexible gameplay, and striking visuals makes it feel distinct in a crowded genre. Even with some rough edges, there's a lot here to enjoy, especially if you like mastering systems and finding your own rhythm within them. It's also easy to see the appeal for speedrunning with how fluid movement can become. If it catches your interest even a little, it's worth stepping into, because there's not much else that plays quite like it.
The Day I Became a Bird is short, simple, and centered on a very specific feeling. If you're looking for something relaxed and inviting, it delivers on that without hesitation. The story is sweet, the presentation is thoughtful, and the overall experience feels genuine. It may not offer much reason to come back beyond collecting everything, but what's here leaves a soft impression. It's the kind of game that might remind you of what it felt like to be young, to care deeply about something small, and to believe that even the simplest idea could take flight.
Saros, while not without some notable flaws, is still an engaging, intricately crafted, and intriguing roguelike action game that sets a new bar for Housemarque as an upgrade to Returnal in many ways.
Tides of Tomorrow set out to overhaul the choice-based games genre with it's Story-Link feature and, while promising, it is a relatively shallow mechanic. Still, the original wrinkle it adds on top of a solid, albeit flawed single-player choice-based game is a welcome addition to the genre.
Capcom digs into their past to pave the way for their future, taking the tight gameplay experiences of their PS2 era games with a fresh new hook.
Dragonkin makes a mild attempt to walk among giants. With moments of great potential and elements of great design but poor implementation and lacklustre performances, this game only manages to be 'okay'
Devil Jam is a fun chaotic few hours enjoyed with cold a beer in hand after a long day's work, just don't expect it to be anything more than that.