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One-Eyed Likho is a fascinating, surreal, and almost hypnotic experience. The strong visual style and artistic direction of the game make it a truly enthralling title to behold. While the puzzles and overall gameplay are a bit lacking in terms of crafting an engaging or exciting adventure, the atmospheric elements are unmatched.
Without a Dawn is a powerful and moving, albeit short, experience. A distilled shot of emotion and anxiety wrapped into a surreal package. It made me feel deeply uncomfortable in all the ways art like this is meant to.
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is a brilliant and engaging visual novel with clear inspiration taken from mecha anime, manga, and video games from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Despite the almost overwhelming nostalgia the visuals and music may invoke, the title manages to stay fresh and exciting all the way through.
Slay the Spire is simply the best roguelite deck-builder out right now. Easy to understand systems combined with deep and thoughtful gameplay decisions make the game simultaneously easy to play and difficult to master.
Quantum Witch might be a simple and short adventure upon first glance, but that brevity belies the depth of the narrative and messaging. Part manifesto and part meditation, it is a monument to both NikkiJay’s personal experiences and to our shared understanding and navigation of life — and all of the trials and tribulations we face along the way.
For a studio with such a limited repertoire of games, Shift Up has certainly left their mark on the space with Stellar Blade. While nothing could ever live up to the lofty aspirations set by internet culture-vultures, Stellar Blade carves out its own space with grace and precision.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate manages to not only be a fantastic action roguelike, but also an excellent vignette of what makes these characters so special to millions of people worldwide.
Date Everything! is a hilarious and endearing dating sim that’s packed full of great performances and memorable character designs. Sporting 100 romanceable objects, you’re never short on Dateables to fall in love (or hate) with.
While the combat may not be the most exciting offering in the roguelite genre, there’s still a lot to love in Children of Morta. Beautiful pixel artwork keeps things visually interesting and is especially well done in touching family moments.
Rise of Industry 2 is an unexpected sequel that captures the ambition of industrial expansionism — though it occasionally bends under the weight of that same goal. The map’s design is clean and readable, with a retro UI that feels intentionally stylized rather than outdated.
Blades of Fire is a fundamentally enjoyable game bogged down by a large number of truly uninspired aspects. Spiritless combat and exploration don’t mix well with a slow-paced story. Thankfully, there are enough bright spots to bridge the gap between early plodding moments and the endgame, such as the excellent voice performances and animation work.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a breathtakingly beautiful examination of death, grief, loss, and love. With an obvious deep respect and reverence for the cultures, people, and video games that came before it, Clair Obscur strikes the balance between pastiche and derivative work.
Stray is a lovely platforming adventure game that sees you playing as a cat in a somewhat dark, but ultimately hopeful world. Much of the gameplay revolves around exploring your surroundings or solving puzzles, but the real highlight is just how well it nails its animations and tone.
Dawn of Ages is a vapid, highly-monetized auto-battler with little in the way of creativity. A medieval strategy game with base-building aspects that never amount to more than busywork. Riddled with bugs and offensive pay-to-win monetization, it offers so little of value that I came away offended that it exists at all.
Despite not being wholly original by design, Kaya’s Prophecy succeeds in marrying the two disparate ideas of card battler and village management. A simple, yet distinct art style, combined with timeless deck-building mechanics, makes for an endearing and addictive experience.
Surprisingly difficult, Seafrog is at times a joyous experience and at others a bit of a bore. Creative level design lends itself to navigating through inventive use of your abilities, but failure is punishing in all the wrong ways.
While elements like the artwork and music are truly exemplary, the real value in Pyre lies in the tale it tells and the characters who shape it. Dealing with themes of fighting oppression, redemption, and hope, Pyre remains a poignant piece nearly a decade later. Perhaps especially so, now.
IXION is a bit of a mixed bag. Complex and vast systems at play often veer on the edge of tedium, all while being somewhat obtuse.
One part puzzle game and one part roguelite, Blue Prince is a beacon of creativity and mystery. Masterful use of space, color, and the video game medium itself have concocted a beautiful blend of storytelling and puzzle solving.
While SONOKUNI doesn’t break barriers or have the most moving story, the visual style and music create a memorable experience. Combat is fast but measured, allowing you to correct your mistakes and make incremental improvements and progress.