So Many Games
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I highly admire everything that 11 bit studios has achieved in The Alters. At its core, there is a fascinating, emotional sci-fi narrative that demands attention and which is surrounded by high-intensity management gameplay. It’s finished up with some beautifully detailed and polished visuals that perfectly promote its futuristic world and eerie atmosphere.
If you loved the first Monster Train game, you will absolutely adore this sequel. The developers iterated on everything that made the first game special and just upgraded it in every fashion. If you haven’t played the original, first of all: what are you doing? But all jokes aside, you will still find so much to love here, especially if you’re already a fan of the genre.
With bombastic characters, perfect pacing that can be finetuned, a new game + mode and an ending made for the people, this game has cemented itself as one of my favourites of the year. I usually move on when I finish games, but Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo may just reel me back in like a yoyo with how much of a delightful experience it is.
PaperKlay is the ideal game to introduce your child or spouse to the gaming world. Its simple platforming and bright visuals are perfect for a small child and the secrets and the more involved tasks will fill the curiosity of an adult. Its clear objectives will be appreciated by many, with the same going for its fun writing.
Doom: The Dark Ages offers a fresh and brutal take on the iconic franchise, blending mediaeval themes with the series' signature fast-paced combat. The game’s new mechanics elevate the experience, providing a satisfying sense of power and control befitting the Doom Slayer. However, the lack of a strong, motivating soundtrack detracts from the intensity of the action. Despite this, it remains an exciting entry that will appeal to both long-time fans and newcomers alike.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a rare kind of RPG—one that’s as interested in the quiet, human moments as it is in epic battles. It asks you to pay attention, to care, and to grow alongside its cast. When the journey was over, I found myself thinking less about the enemies I’d defeated and more about the conversations I’d had, the choices I’d made, and the lasting impression of a world where every shadow has a story.
The Duck Detective games are a blast. They provide a perfect entry point to a genre that is slowly getting stacked with excellent games. And even if you’re not all that fussed about investigative work, there is a story mode that makes the deducing a lot easier. The games also only take about two to three hours to finish, so they’re perfect for an afternoon full of fun. And luckily, the game’s end does seem to tease future instalments, which I am 100% here for.
How to begin summarising an experience like Without a Dawn? For all its brutality, there’s a gentleness, even something delicate about how it presents its themes. Mental illness can be the harshest of things, but telling these stories can’t be as rough, as people wouldn’t be able to listen. Jesse Makkonen sticks the landing beautifully, though, with a game that’s as thoughtful as it is creepy. I found myself recognising so much of my own mental health struggles, without ever feeling attacked. No, I felt seen and understood, and that’s all you can ask of art. To make you feel seen and heard in a way that’s mesmerising and haunting.
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo walks a tightrope between fetch quests, quizzes, short stealth, and traumatic stories and does it with confidence. It’s a balancing act that works well for a narrative-heavy game that explores, above all else, disappointment and insecurity in oneself. Galla Entertainment manages to do this by drawing inspiration from popular franchises while placing its own identity front and center, something remarkable for a small studio and their debut.
FREERIDE is a heartfelt and imaginative journey that prioritises emotion and introspection over traditional gameplay. Its dreamlike world and memorable characters leave a lasting impression, even when clunky mechanics momentarily break the spell.
Deck of Haunts gameplay loop, with the building phase during the day and the combat phase during the night, will keep you coming back for more as your mansion grows bigger and stronger. There’s a real power trip to be had, but just like giants can be taken down by many smaller enemies attacking at once, it’s tricky to not get overwhelmed by all these people wanting to figure out your secrets. But finding out your own strategy is a ton of fun, whether you go in for the kill or choose to cause madness galore.
Everything combines to create an incredibly addictive game. Drop Duchy throws you into its gameplay immediately, not bothering with too much story in a similar vein as Slay the Spire. You’re here for the gameplay, and boy does it deliver.
Like some of the best narrative games in recent years—I’m looking at you, Citizen Sleeper, 1000xRESIST, Spiritfarer, and Celeste— Many Nights a Whisper is ultimately a meditation on what it means to be human. Why we put ourselves under the stresses and burdens that we do and what ways we look for when it comes to finding ways to get away from those. And it succeeds in a magnificent way: not by telling us what to think but by making us question things we take for granted.
Despelote will extend its hand to the player and invite them on a Virgil-like walk through the ever-increasing tension that permeated Ecuador in 2001. While the gameplay is not adrenaline-fuelled, its earnestness serves to be equally captivating and the primary motivation to see the game through.
StarVaders is a game that takes the best influences from the genre—the seemingly simple basics that can be iterated on to make it as complex as you want, mostly—and adds its own unique twist. Maybe the best way to describe the game is ‘what if Cobalt Core leaned more into Space Invaders,’ with this one taking the best from both of those classics without being a copy/paste job. The game looks classy, plays wonderfully, and sounds amazing.
Old Skies is a shining example of a strong, well-written, and original story. Considering the subject, that’s an impressive feat. With the game's other shining examples of strong voice acting, superb music, and wonderful visuals, it was worth every second of the time I spent with it. I can’t recommend this enough to any point-and-click fan out there, and even if this genre isn’t your forte, it’s still worth a shot.
The team’s incredible hard work has produced a wonderfully unique, deep, and rewarding game that fulfils its ambitious scope and has easily been seated as my favourite visual novel of all time.
Despite there being a lack of big emotions and intriguing environmental storytelling, there is an absolute gem of a puzzle game to be found.
Seafrog has reeled me back in time and time again with its upbeat, humorous writing and stellar animations. It’s such a joy to watch our skater-mechanic seafrog do whatever they’re doing in any given moment. The various characters you meet along your journey conform to their game’s nonsensical but hearteningly silly atmosphere, leaving you with a smile, even if behind that you grit your teeth spending more time platforming and less time skating.
Come to Sacre Bleu looking for an above-average, speed-focused platformer with some extremely satisfying movement, and I basically guarantee you’re in for a good time, despite all the technical issues doing their best to drag you down. It won’t change your life, but it’ll make for a good weekend, and potentially much more than that if you’re the type to get swept up in speedrunning.