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Gloomy Eyes feels like a playable Burton short film with enough challenge and heart to stand tall as a great little puzzle-adventure game. It’s not perfect; some puzzles drag, and navigation can sometimes get muddled, but the art style, storytelling, and atmosphere make it a standout experience that’s hard not to fall in love with, especially for anyone with a love of the weird, the charmingly creepy, and the delightfully dark.
Katanaut is a stylish, bloody, and fast-paced roguelike with a strong identity and straightforward mechanics. While its visual and audio flair excites, the game can feel held back by readability issues and an adherence to the Metroidvania format, which emphasizes backtracking in a game that otherwise wants to feel fast.
Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is a surprisingly enjoyable golf game with solid mechanics and a chill vibe, even if it doesn’t do much to win over people who aren’t already fans of the sport. It’s built for fans of the game looking for a nice digital way to enjoy the sport, but Steam Deck players may struggle with performance.
While its mechanical satisfaction and feeling of power could use some work, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel still serves as a solid entry into the survivors-like genre, being especially visually excellent and showing remarkable growth from its Early Access run.
Though its markerless questing mechanics are not as revolutionary for the genre as the game says they are, Hell is Us still plays as a very good Soulslike. Its narrative may be weird in places, but its solid mechanics and incredible setting more than make up for it.
Though it fails as a horror game, Bad Cheese is still a narrative-driven title worth checking out for the strength of its premise, its interesting themes, and the merit of its art. This parody of classic cartoons and Americana might not scare you, but you’ll still find yourself intrigued by what it has to offer.
Though incredibly faithful to the original, severe performance issues plague this remake of Snake Eater. While the game could and likely will be made playable down the line, it is hard to recommend the title at the time of writing, where severe framerate issues and engine-level crashes plague the PC version of the game.
Though some players may find the game’s mechanics lacking in depth, this cozy adventure game proves to be an excellent choice for younger audiences that can still be enjoyed by anyone, with well-executed combat and platforming and writing that takes the player seriously.
For a game all about the number four, Quartet packs in way more than four reasons to play it. The story builds into something surprisingly big, the combat has just enough twists to stay fun, and the characters feel alive in ways that matter. The first hours may test your patience, but stick it out and you’ll find yourself hooked. As classic as Quartet may feel, it is just as memorable as its inspirations.
Echoes of the End is a game with undeniable potential buried under frustrating technical problems and uneven combat. Its rich world and strong narrative deserve praise, but until its mechanics and performance are polished, it’s hard to fully recommend.
Over a decade later, OFF maintains its status as a delightfully bizarre, compelling little narrative that will haunt you far beyond its 5–6 hour runtime. This timeless RPG benefits from the polish and updates in the remaster, but otherwise remains faithfully true to its incredible original incarnation.
Discounty was a surprise, a refreshing mix-up on a familiar genre that adds a lot of depth and complexity to a genre that was starting to feel a bit stale. Somewhere between Stardew Valley and Supermarket Simulator, I highly recommend giving this gem a try.
Killing Floor 3 improves on the previous game in ways fans will appreciate, with new weapons, characters, classes, and better monetization. However, said monetization remains fairly aggressive, and the game suffers from a purposeful lack of content, relying on future updates to feel whole. Like Killing Floor 2, it may be best experienced a few years down the line.
Static Dread: The Lighthouse is an excellent resource-management horror game that excels with its fantastic storytelling, incredible art, and hypnotically immersive setting. I have no doubt that this excellent piece of horror storytelling will soon explode in popularity, rightfully winning over fans with the sea-dredged gold it has to offer.
Tiny Bookshop is a heartwarming and comfortably paced game that delivers exactly what it promises: a quaint, comfortable, stress-free fantasy of running a mobile bookstore in a friendly little town. The charming atmosphere, cozy visuals, and personable customers offer a relaxing experience, perfect for those looking for low-stakes enjoyment. While it may not appeal to hardcore sim fans, those drawn to wholesome storytelling and slice-of-life gameplay will find a gentle and delightful escape in Tiny Bookshop.
Death Relives quickly lost the interest of this horror fan. Though it’s built upon a strong concept, the concept alone is not strong enough to carry other aspects of the game that fail to fit into its genre or generally excite. While I wouldn’t call Death Relives a winner, I eagerly look towards what comes next from this studio and to see if they learn from the mistakes of their first title.
Let Them Trade is a relaxing, no-pressure title that delivers on its promise of simplicity but falls short when it comes to long-term engagement. Though it doesn’t want to be, this game could really shine if it were more complex, focusing more on its trading mechanics than its charming vibe. With plenty of room for updates, this is a title I would keep an eye on if you aren’t already sold on it.
Heartworm works best in its subtlest areas, leaving players to experience the tension of its beautifully creepy environments and its subtle, anxiety-inducing score and story. While some of the moments intended to put you on edge don’t work as well, the game overall is still a great piece of nostalgia and an experience worth having on your own.
The King is Watching is a smart, surprisingly deep blend of roguelike systems and city-building mechanics that manages to innovate where many similar titles simply reiterate. While screenshots may not sell the experience at a glance, what welcomes players in The King is Watching is a rich and endlessly repayable gem.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a stylish and creative game, with an inspired setting, some clever mechanics, and incredible visuals. However, the game struggled with its storytelling, and I suspect many mechanics will be divisive for genre fans. Though I’m sure many will love it, I personally feel Wuchang’s feathers are a little too ruffled to soar.