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If you can look past the technical struggles of Aether & Iron, you will find a gripping narrative fueled by colorful characters and an equally colorful world. Gia’s journey to find who she wants to be, and what she wants to do, gripped me from start to finish. The side characters are lovely and diverse, representing different walks of life throughout New York. The combat is fun and interactive, even if surprisingly difficult in moments. In the end, Aether & Iron is an experience worth having. Just know that nothing and no one is flawless in New York City.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an excellent game that is perfectly enjoyable on Nintendo Switch 2. Despite a lower resolution and framerate than on PS5 or Xbox Series X, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to revisit the world, characters, and battles of Kena’s debut journey. If you’ve never played Kena before and would like to experience the magic before Scars of Kosmora drops, this is a fitting entry point. That said, if you do own any other modern platform, I highly recommend playing elsewhere — if only to enjoy Ember Lab’s work at its utmost beauty.
Just when I thought the first-person shooter genre had gone stale on me, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire walked in, tipped its hat, and changed my mind. This game won me over with its endless charm, its witty and genuinely cheesy dialogue — the cheese puns never stop, and I didn’t want them to — and a level of aesthetic commitment that extends to every corner of Mouseburg. A few structural quirks in the case sequencing keep it from a perfect score, but MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a triumph — as close to perfect as it gets. Fumi Games has built a world that deserves to be explored, a story that earns its weight, and a combat system that keeps you coming back for one more run. At $29.99, this game is worth every cent.
Sigma Star Saga DX is a tale of highs and lows. The lows can be pretty rough, but the highs are lofty enough that I’d call DX a solid experience in and of itself. It’s a pretty good action RPG overall, but within it is a potentially great game that occasionally gets in its own way. That said, I’m really glad Sigma Star Saga DX exists at all. It may never have been an all-time great game or even a particularly notable hidden gem, but it deserved the DX treatment as much as anything else.
Tombwater sets up an intriguing space in the current indie game landscape. A Western horror game disguised as a Soulslike is a brilliant sale, but Tombwater is so much more. It is a triumphant realization of the 2D Zelda formula in a non-medieval, Bloodborne-esque setting. I hope I get to return to this world sooner than we’ll likely return to Yharnam.
Project Songbird is a game I think anyone in a creative industry should play, whether you’re a musician, a painter, a writer, a game developer, or someone in any field that is about making something. The game shares a prominent and important message about how many artists will push themselves so much farther than could ever be sustainable. This felt especially relevant in today’s world, where artists are being forced to compete with the existence of generative AI. In publishing Project Songbird, Rush and FYRE Games have made me want to create. Playing this game made me want to make the things that I want to make, and to not allow anyone or anything to make me resent doing the creative things I love.
Esoteric Ebb will delight those who love fantastical tabletop adventures but have been craving a single-player experience, especially if you are remotely into medieval stuff, silly stuff, political stuff, and/or male identity stuff. I am not alone in thinking that it's one of the best successors to Disco Elysium, a game I very much loved. There's strong potential for Esoteric Ebb to get a sequel, or even some DLC, and I'll be lining up to try it. I think Esoteric Ebb is an excellent example of the CRPG genre, though it is pretty deep into its systems and those who are new to this style or don't enjoy it will be hard-pressed to click with it. But if you do love a TTRPG, you're gonna love it. I'm confident that, at the end of the year, I'll be putting it on my list of best indie games.
Death Howl provides healing to one of life’s most challenging experiences: the death of a close loved one. As Ro physically fights through this world, defeating monsters to save her son, many of her most important battles are emotional, as she wrestles with grief. While Death Howl leans heavily into its Soulslike difficulty, its chess-like tactics allow for countless possibilities. I logged about 56 hours completing quests and exploring the world, and I’m just short of that platinum trophy. You better believe I’ll be back to finish it and revel in the spirited strangeness of another world.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is an incredibly well-rounded addition to the survival-horror genre. It successfully reimagines the Resident Evil franchise while helping series newcomers begin their RE journey without the intimidation of pre-established lore or the need to play older, fixed-camera games (such as the original Resident Evil, or Resident Evil 0). Nearly 10 years later, the game still holds up incredibly well.
I may harp about Demon Tides’ issues, but that’s only because I want this game to succeed. Fabraz continues to create some of the most interesting collectathons on the market, and not since A Hat in Time have I found myself so enthralled by a game’s frame-by-frame platforming mechanics. Like A Hat in Time, though, the jank is real. I wish the game’s colorful visuals and open-world design could shine properly, but performance issues and bugs often drag down the experience. And yet, the game offers far too much fun for me not to recommend it. I 100%’d everything in about 25 hours, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy every second.
As a platformer-meets-horror game, Love Eternal is equal parts aggravating and enlightening. The story is opaque, with an ending that had me scratching my head, and yet I found myself wildly engrossed. The platforming is woefully undercooked, but a mid-game genre shift almost (almost) redeems the entire experience. Add in a late-game curveball that, while I won’t spoil here, is bound to invite plenty of speculation, and Love Eternal is a work of art that deserves praise. Now, is that art fun? Is it something I’d recommend to a majority of people, or even to diehard platformer fans? I can’t say I would — the goods just aren’t here. However, if you’re willing to compromise your sanity a bit, you’ll find a dimension to Love Eternal that’s worth exploring.
I am having an absolute blast with Mewgenics. Even after playing for over 30 hours, I can tell I have only cracked the surface of what the game has to offer. Like many roguelikes, the game’s difficulty and design demand many playthroughs and hours to build up your arsenal of resources and personal skill to beat the entire game. There is a genuinely impressive number of enemies, items, and ability synergies that are incredibly satisfying to discover. I’m looking forward to exploring new areas, experimenting with new ability combinations, and breeding new genetically monstrous kitties for many more hours. Based on how addicting Mewgenics is, I have a feeling I won’t be the only one.
As it currently stands, Bladesong is a truly brilliant game, with a huge amount of painstaking effort put into its development. The story is novel-worthy, the artwork is breathtaking, and the sword-making mechanics are innovative and enjoyable to use. While it isn’t perfect and could use some polishing in places, the game has incredible potential, and I’m excited to see what it becomes. If you have an interest in fantasy, history, weaponry, or even just enjoy a good book, I cannot recommend Bladesong enough.
Ultimately, the tragedy of Big Hops is that it’s clearly so close to being a remarkable game. The gameplay mechanics and level architecture are fantastic, and I hope the team at Luckshot can bring over that same philosophy and design ethos to something a little more refined. Even if Luckshot fixes the crashes and frame rate issues, Big Hops has little to offer outside of its great gameplay mechanics. That’s not nothing, but it’s also not enough.
I was absolutely riveted by TR-49. I played in two long sessions, finishing the game in about seven hours. However, I wanted more — and so I did something I almost never do, and spent extra time getting 100% of the achievements, discovering multiple endings. TR-49 achieves everything it sets out to do. Furthermore, for its amazingly low price point of $6.99, TR-49 is an absolute bargain for an experience this good. If you love books, weird games, games that make you think, great audio design, code-breaking, war-time stories, and/or poignant reflections on what it means to be alive in the world, then you'll love TR-49. I could hardly bear to put TR-49 down, and once you try it, neither will you.
I enjoyed Perfect Tides: Station to Station far more than I expected I would. It’s gritty, entertaining, and painfully relatable. It’s also very likely changed my opinion on point-and-clicks forever. For a simple, somewhat emotionally exhausting, story-oriented game, it definitely hits the mark. There are areas where I felt it could have been improved mechanics-wise, and I doubt I’d play through it again, but I do absolutely think it’s worth a try for anyone with an appreciation for storytelling, art, or comically large eyes.
Neon Inferno is an incredibly polished experience, but it is ultimately quite a short one. If you’re quick to learn its patterns, the game can be completed in under two hours. That brevity feels deliberate. The game tells a full, complete story without padding itself too much or overstaying its welcome (frustrating chase sequences aside). It trades length for momentum and clarity. Coupled with the gorgeous visuals, Neon Inferno is a flame that burns brightly and fades quickly. Its layered combat, relentless pacing, and unapologetic spectacle make every clean run feel earned.
While I can ho and hum about minor issues all day, I do need to stress that Marvel Cosmic Invasion cannot possibly be confused for a bad game. Whatever nitpicks I have about the presentation are offset by gameplay improvements and the solid foundation it builds off of. If you’re a fan of Tribute Games’ previous work, this will scratch an itch for more. If you’re in a friend group aching for a chaotic fun time, this will serve you all very well. And if you’re a Marvel fan, there’s enough love on display in the characters and cameos to satisfy all the die-hards. Even my cynical, nitpicking heart can’t overcome the fact that I am all three.
Constance is a game that’s tragically at odds with itself. Its story feels like a warm blanket, but its boss battles are a trial by fire. Its world is vibrant, but its map is cumbersome. Perhaps that’s the point — that finding solace takes pain, perseverance, and self-determination. I can respect the vision, but I’m just not sure the final product did that vision justice. I admire the effort put into Constance and commend bildundtonfabrik for treating the mental health crisis with the care and compassion it deserves. If ever the team created a sequel, this canvas could really take flight. As is, Constance is a good oeuvre that could’ve been great.
The Séance of Blake Manor is the third game from developer Spooky Doorway, and it’s the small Irish studio’s most ambitious yet. My playthrough lasted about 20 hours, but I took the time to have extra conversations, finish side quests, and explore every nook and cranny. The love that has been poured into Blake Manor — literally and in-game — is apparent. I feel lucky to have entered these hallowed grounds and hope it will be made available on more platforms soon so that more people can experience it.