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The Tartarus Key is kind of like the gaming equivalent of the wave of stellar indie horror movies we've been treated to in recent years. In the ways it simultaneously pulls from, makes fun of, and honors its inspirations, and finds a new way forward to deliver its thrills, Vertical Reach's paranoia-driven indie horror is just end-to-end enjoyable for horror gaming fans of all walks. Those who love the constantly unnerving atmosphere of Silent Hill and the mansion-based aesthetic of Resident Evil, all combined with puzzles that are arguably better than the offerings from either series, will find lots to love here. Any game that can get your blood pumping without screaming in your face at every turn is worth its salt.
Final Fantasy 16 is as good as it is not because it strays from what has come before it, but because it embraces its roots. Everything the series has done, gameplay-wise, over the last few mainline releases, has all set up for what FF16 pulls off with its fantastic-feeling combat. For all the focus on its maturity and shocking narrative, the things that FF16 does with its impactful story have been present in games all throughout the series. And by letting a team like Creative Business Unit 3 take the reins, the best aspects of Final Fantasy 16 feel like pieces of one of the most beloved games in all of the franchise: Final Fantasy 14. I won't deny the series is heading in a new direction, but have no fear, the ways in which Final Fantasy 16 succeeds are deeply rooted in the series' greatest traditions.
Bilkins' Folly is a wholesome puzzle adventure that sticks to its strengths and mines so much cleverness out of a few basic puzzle concepts. It centers on the bond between a man and his dog and tells a story that's just as wholesome and lighthearted as you'd expect from something that calls Monkey Island and Zelda its inspirations. Some of the most difficult puzzles may baffle even the biggest puzzle fans, and people who are looking for a more adventure-focused Zelda-like may find the puzzles a bit much. But if a game that evokes the best parts of adventure games, 2D Zelda, and Layton-level puzzles sounds like it might appeal to you, don't skip Bilkins' Folly. Amid the absolute deluge of AAA and indie releases hitting this October, Bilkins' Folly stands there, a shiny and enticing treasure chest just waiting to be enjoyed.
Jackbox Party Pack 10 would have been worth a look simply for the celebration of a decade's worth of releases. It would have been worth checking out for the ways it celebrates the legacy of each game that came before it, like the return of Party Pack hosts of yore in Tee K.O. 2's character selection. But even removed from that milestone, Jackbox Party Pack 10 offers a package worth celebrating. The artists at Jackbox continue to deliver some of the best looking and sounding pack games yet, whether it's the stellar graphic design and typeface-focused art style found in FixyText or the epic renditions of songs like Pop Goes the Weasel in Dodo Re Mi. After nearly a decade of work, the Jackbox team shows no signs of stopping and the quality is still there 10 games later. Long live Jackbox Party Pack.
When the whole package comes together, Wishfully's debut release truly sings. A straightforward narrative and relatively simple gameplay loop simply feel bigger than they are, made even more engaging when accompanied by an audiovisual experience as strong as Planet of Lana's. Planet of Lana is the epitome of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Every piece taken separately may not seem like something extraordinary, but when Wishfully has each piece of its experience clicked together, it made for one of our favorite experiences of the year.
Lil' Guardsman speaks to all parts of me. The child in me who fell in love with adventure games, the 30-year-old who looks back on them longingly, and the jaded human living in 2024 who needed a laugh. It's so genuinely funny, so full of heart, and it's one game you should immediately allow entry to your gaming library in 2024.
Death Trick: Double Blind was a surprise in more ways than one. It tells a surprisingly warm murder mystery, is carried by some genuinely shocking twists, and successfully implements tension into a formula that games in the genre rarely manage to do in a satisfactory way.
Ewoud and Nils have crafted a special little game that has brought this writer right back to his childhood, when I'd find ways to gamify the world around me. I find myself glancing at the shadows in my world, wondering about the path I could craft to get from one end of the park to the other, because of this game. And any game that carries a feeling or a new perspective into your reality is a great one. SCHiM is a throwback to childhood joy: a reminder that tapping into your imagination and letting yourself experience the beauty of the world around you is necessary for surviving the otherwise draining experience of being an adult in the modern world. It's simple, it's short, it's sweet. And it's one I wholly recommend for gamers of all ages.
Thank Goodness You're Here continues the legacy of great comedy games with a simple yet satisfying platformer that embraces all aspects of British comedy. We always have complicated conversations about whether or not games have to be fun, what games are allowed to do and say with their stories, and so on. Games like Thank Goodness You're Here — games that keep things simple and silly — are reminders of how joyous video games can be when they are so dedicated to making you smile, to making you laugh. And, I mean, any game that asks you to slap as many cheeks as this deserves some love.
The Jackbox Survey Scramble, despite technically being one game and one main concept, feels just as full and engaging as a proper Party Pack, and that's thanks to the simplicity of its ideas. There's a reason Family Feud persists. Trivia that asks you to make observations about the world around you is always enjoyable, because it makes you feel connected, it enlightens you to things you might not have considered (people really like their bosses these days), and feels like the kind of thing anybody can hop into and enjoy. We missed the personality of other Jackbox games at times, but keeping the data up front and center was the right choice in the end. But don't worry, Survey Scramble has a banger of an outro song still! As long as content is added (we did run into a few repeat questions) and those continued modes and data refreshes keep it interesting, we're ready to loop this into party nights from here on out.
Spirit Swap: Lo-fi Beats to Match-3 To is everything I could have asked for in a return to Panel de Pon match-3 gaming — and then some. It reminded me how purely enjoyable this style of puzzle gaming can be and how powerful an intentional and purposefully joyful narrative can be, especially spearheaded by a BIPOC, trans/nonbinary, and queer team. If you're a fan of Tetris Attack, Panel de Pon, or match-3 in general, Spirit Swap is a must-try. If you're unsure but find the narrative and the hotties compelling, give it a shot anyway and maybe discover love in a genre you never expected. What a way to kick off 2025. See you on the swappin' battlefields.
Dead Letter Dept. is an indisputable hit for the indie horror scene, and it succeeds by trying something new. By turning the familiar frightening, Belief Engine has a game that I'd recommend to anyone. Not everyone can handle the rigorous inventory management of a survival horror game. Not everyone can stomach the jump scares that the genre usually employs. ... But everyone types.
Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 is a personification of both the joy and the frustration of game development in an industry that seems happy to toss developers aside with regularity. When that happens, games like CRDM3 can end up forgotten, their characters left to wander empty halls. But when passionate folks like the teams at Strange Scaffold and Frosty Pop fight for the marvelously strange ideas, for the oddball characters, and for match-3 games, a clever little project just might make it to your PC against the odds. P.S. Justice for Dog Huncan.
It's incredibly hard to sleep on this one, as it literally comes free with every PS5, but I can recommend this as the first thing you play on the console without any hesitation. Make the time for it to see where this generation's headed. You won't regret it.
A few finnicky glitches here, a few difficulty problems there, and I'm still happy to call this game the best in the franchise since Black Flag in 2013 (ironically enough, the last title in the franchise to bridge the gap between generations). Assassin's Creed Valhalla proves that even the big big companies can find ways to bring tons of heart and charm to a cash cow franchise all while embracing its past and setting up for an exciting future.
From beginning to end, I found myself waiting for the moment where Road 96's wheels fell off — it never came. With its ambitious randomized engine and political storyline, they had more than a few opportunities to fumble the concept. Instead, Digixart provided an interesting and human experience that we'd recommend to all fans of story-driven releases.
Ambition sells a fairly unique package for the dating sim genre. Attending parties, gathering gossip, and finding time to woo your chosen love interest truly becomes a delicate dance. Living in 2020s America as someone who wouldn't go to parties even sans pandemic, I wasn't sure how engaged I'd be with the narrative and the experience. But thanks to the game's beautiful artistic recreations of major French locales and a beautiful soundtrack of orchestral classical music, I was truly transported to revolutionary France, free to live out my bi dreams: wooing beautiful French people and starting a revolution in the streets. A story that allows a woman to wield her influence and sexuality to not only control her personal narrative but also the narrative of an entire nation is worthy of celebration, especially when it innovates on a formula that can feel a bit same-y. Ambition is a perfect experience for both fans of the genre and those who might be sick of the more traditional dating sim/visual novel experience.
All together, Nuclear Blaze is a perfect tiny package, but I had so much fun that I only craved more in the end. The developer has mentioned he'd like to make more levels — my own dream is for a tile-based level editor to be released so the community can keep the game alive eternally. Even if it never saw one drip of extra content though, Nuclear Blaze isn't just blowing smoke. These few hours of firefighting bring extremely enjoyable, bite-sized action. As I've said time and time again, I'd rather have a year's worth of these tiny experiences than some 120-hour blockbuster, so I hope Nuclear Blaze is a sign of changing tides in the indie space.
Whether you’re jumping into the game for a few hours of a campground romp, or you’re craving a new ambient game that you can return to when you want to turn your brain off, Haven Park fits the bill.
My view on Sifu is so complicated. Sloclap clearly has a lot of talent and their team has made something special on the pure gameplay side of things, although some decisions have been a bit misguided. Even with the best intentions, the impact is clear. We need to be more thoughtful with the stories that we tell and I hope that Sloclap takes this moment to listen rather than push away. Utilizing imagery of a culture carelessly is a bad look through and through, particularly in a time when members of the AAPI community are facing unprecedented harassment and violence. Ultimately, it's your decision to buy this game or not. I loved a lot about Sifu, in learning and growing through its death mechanics; in its musical and visual artistry; and in its deeply satisfying combat systems. But we can't ignore the conversation surrounding the game and its impact on the communities it claims to represent.