So Many Games
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There are so many builds to try and so many ways to get points; it’s addicting, and it scratched my love of gambling without any real-world consequences. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to bed after playing a game and woken up with the itch to jump right back in. I really think that with a few tweaks and a way to permanently have its amazing music play, CloverPit could stand alongside the games that it was inspired by.
Rarely do I get so invested in an ongoing, long-running story and lore-based series like this, but the mix of interpersonal melodrama and larger-scale politics was handled immaculately here, to the point where I’ve had to fight myself from looking up what happens to certain characters on fan wikis in the hopes that I won’t be waiting too long until a hypothetical 2nd Chapter. Pair that with one of the most interesting, fluid, and fast-paced battle systems I’ve experienced in the genre, one which was constantly introducing new wrinkles and tools to play with, and you can consider me a full-on Trails fan now
Hades II is a rare example of a game that takes the best of its previous entry and morphs it into something spectacular. Combat remains sleek and responsive, while the story and the various twists that present themselves throughout are refreshing plays on a well-established mythos. You can also smooch people, which is always appreciated.
Translating an actual life into a video game is not an easy task, but Jenny Jiaso Hsia and her colleagues have managed it beautifully here. Through a collection of fun and short minigames, we get to dive into the soul of young Jenny and discover that our experiences might be more universal than we had thought. Carrying the pressures of your parents along with your own is not easy, and it’s just delightful to see how she has handled it all.
Cosy and creepy, Strange Antiquities is a solid and satisfying puzzle game. While it doesn’t push any boundaries and the narrative lacks the punch of its predecessor, it’s still a highly enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
There’s much reward to be had for successfully navigating the game's many obstacles, but it’ll take a strong level of patience and determination to complete them, especially with the unconventional controls. There’s plenty to love with Baby Steps, but the potential for much frustration by the controls and hazards made it all one step too far for me.
Whether you choose to experience Blippo+ in all its 1-bit glory on the Playdate or either the Steam or Switch versions, it’s impossible to ignore the amount of love and care that has gone into what is one of the most unique titles of this generation.
Arctic Awakening is a beautiful walking simulator that clearly takes inspiration from those that made the genre great to begin with, and while it makes valiant attempts at creating its own mysteries and forging its own connections between its characters, it just fails to land the final punch. Choices don’t feel impactful enough, with the game remaining very linear despite the dialogue options on offer, and the game’s bugs do enough to sour the experience as a whole.
Sharing only a name and a concept, Frostpunk 2 does a great deal to distance itself mechanically from its precursor, a choice that is both bold and a little bit disappointing. A polished veneer and interesting gameplay interactions do very little to make up for a marred UI and a host of visual glitches. In time this could become an incredible sequel, but in its current state it remains lacking in substance.
At its best, Fresh Tracks is a mesmerising flow state of sights and sounds where your movements are in lockstep with the music, but the combination of underbaked roguelite systems and intense difficulty spikes caused me to lose the beat more often than not as my journey continued, and it leaves me to wonder if I could have spent more time in that desired flow state without the start-from-zero approach that the roguelite structure demands.
I found Henry Halfhead to be a profound game that reminds you that it’s never too late. As the titular little creature, you can examine your role in your own life and how what is often seen as ‘good’ and ‘productive’ in the eyes of society will grind you into miserable dust and may even kill you…but also you can put together big puzzle pieces and wear funny hats. What more could you ask for from a game? What more could you ask for from life?
Star Wars: Outlaws is easily deserving of four stars, with a tight gameplay loop, solid stealth and well-made combat mechanics hampered only by a fairly procedural foundation, limiting players in the same ways they are promised the freedom to play the way they see fit. Sadly, the requirement to log into an online account to play an offline single-player game loses the game half a star.
Indiana Jones remains as relevant and charming in 2025 as he did 44 years ago. The Order of Giants DLC is a welcome addition, giving fans plenty of slapstick action and puzzle-solving. While the story as it takes place in Indy’s present takes a backseat, everything else you’d want to do more of from the base game is here.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is, like its predecessor, a masterclass in video game design. From a fully realised world to polished combat, it's hard to find fault outside of some general gripes around the increased difficulty. Pharloom may march to a different beat when compared to Hallownest, but it sings a similar melody all the same.
There's plenty to love about Daemon X Machina: Titan Scion, especially compared to the previous game in the series. Despite this, the loss of character coupled with the slippery controls still causes issues for those who may be hoping for a polished mech-shooter experience. Even so, the game shines in many ways and manages to hold its own in spite of its flaws.
With a healthy pedigree at its back, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar continues the trend of revitalising and renewing earlier titles to bring them up to modern standards, this time going above and beyond to create a fresh new version of Zephyr Town and its varied inhabitants. The game certainly suffers with the balance between work and play, but it is easily redeemed by a renewed focus on creating a cohesive community.
In a summer full of remarkable cosy games, Discounty is another standout in the genre. Its story is a lot of fun, with twists and turns that you might not see coming; its characters feel so very human, which is always a messy joy, and the actual running of your shop feels so satisfying.
I went into Herdling fully prepared to love it based on the developer’s previous work and applying that foundation towards a game about shepherding a pack of muppet elks across various biomes, but a lack of any real attempt at subversion, surprise, or strife makes the game feel disappointingly toothless. There’s still a lot to enjoy about the game, especially on the presentation end of things, but nothing that’s likely to stick with you for longer than it takes to play through it.
Diehard fans of JRPGs would kill for this kind of appendage to any of their favourites, but the Ashes of Elrant DLC is a caution on what you wish for, as it comes across as a soft story grafted onto a much more solid whole. Everything else you loved about Chained Echoes is there, namely an excellent battle system, incredible bosses, and an extremely well-designed world to explore with worthwhile incentives. The Crimson Wings have soared to greater heights, but for fans of Glenn and company, this is a must-buy.
Is This Seat Taken? is a brilliant spotlight on a type of logic puzzle that often gets overlooked – there’s no major difficulty curve through the short 4-6 hour runtime, meaning those looking for a challenge may be disappointed, but as a widely accessible puzzle game with room for expansion, it proves itself to be an absolute delight.