Mothmen 1966 Review: An Alluring Light
Mothmen 1966 is a point-and-click visual novel with spooky vibes and a crispy, smooth ‘80s home computer aesthetic. It’s an atmospheric kind of scary, but it can drop a chill down your neck when you least expect it.
Endling - Extinction is Forever Review: For Fox Sake
Endling is a heartbreaking, yet honest and necessary take on the human effect on natural habitats. The harrowing tale is masterfully paired with this fresh take on the survival genre, all which crafts a dime a dozen type of experience.
Coromon Review: Creature Feature
Coromon is a wonderfully fun monster-taming RPG that draws inspiration from the classic Pokemon series while carving its own path.
Stray Review: The Cat’s Pajamas
Stray is simply captivating. Between unmatched world building, outstanding aesthetic design, intuitive cat physics, and immersive gameplay, BlueTwelve Studio and Annapurna Interactive have crafted an engaging and awe-striking experience from start to finish.
Squish Review: Settle it in Squish
With it’s simple premise paired engaging gameplay, Squish holds the exact formula for a must-play party experience. However, while the chaotic couch multiplayer antics are top-notch, there’s little offered for solo players.
TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Review: Green Machine
Shredder’s Revenge is a new gold standard for the beat ‘em up genre, and by far the best of its class. Authentic, approachable, and an awe-striking presentational marvel; Tribute Games has crafted one of the most special arcade experiences in recent memory.
Freshly Frosted Review: Donut Stop Believing
Freshly Frosted is a challenging, yet uplifting puzzlescape of conveyor belts carrying your favorite pastry. With simple mechanics and a breath of accessibility options, Freshly Frosted is a delicious sleeper hit of the year.
Time Loader Review: Heavy
What if you could change one part of your past to alter the course of your life? Time Loader explores this premise in an intimate story-driven puzzle-platformer chock full of ‘90s nostalgia, but with a somber undertone.
Playdate Review: Small, But Mighty
In a year filled with exciting new hardware outside of mainstream norms, Panic has carved their own unique path with the Playdate. While there are downsides in terms of accessibility, what Panic has crafted inside a tiny package is impressive, magical, and downright fun.
Cat Cafe Manager Review: Feline Good
Cat Cafe Manager is an adorably chill and fun simulation game where you’re placed squarely in the whisker-filled faces of cute cats to befriend while managing a modest cafe.
35mm Review: A Journey To Nowhere
35mm misses the mark when it comes to a survival-adventure experience. The grayscale Russian countryside conveys the lonely brutality well, but it’s not enough to balance clunky mechanics and all-too-similar environments.
Coromon Review: Creature Feature
Coromon is a wonderfully fun monster-taming RPG that draws inspiration from the classic Pokemon series while carving its own path.
A Memoir Blue Review: Just Keep Swimming
A Memoir Blue blends contrasting visuals in dazzling fashion while supporting an emotionally impactful narrative with purpose. While the gameplay fails to deliver on that same notion, Cloisters Interactive’s debut is an aesthetically creative showstopper.
Aztech Forgotten Gods Review: Flawed Tech
Despite a strong score and fantastic mythological inspirations, Aztec Forgotten Gods is a flawed game with uninteresting combat and flat story.
Never Alone Review: A Frigid Trek
Never Alone tells an impactful tale of native culture, delivering an experience that is both unique and influential. Though a lack of stark puzzles and technical bugs does hinder the experience as a game, the alluring narrative is well worth the price of admission alone.
Infernax Review: Hell Cometh
Infernax is a love letter to the action-adventure games of old while simultaneously excelling in the modern definition of the genre. Delivering a balanced experience, Berzerk Studio sticks the landing within the sweet spot between challenge and downright fun.
Grapple Dog Review: Advanced Hooks
Grapple Dog is an accessible, fun, and charming collectathon platformer with a great sense of challenge - but it’s missing a core driving force with missteps in narrative. As a love letter reminiscent of the beloved Game Boy Advanced library, Grapple Dog is worth sinking your hooks into.
Letters - A Written Adventure Review: Pen Pal
5AM Games delivers a fun, concise game where the written words are the puzzles themselves. Explore the wonder of a burgeoning pen pal friendship in the ‘90s in the ever so charming Letters.
Sifu Review: Bite The Hand That Feeds
Between the astonishing aesthetic paired with remarkable sound direction, Sifu is a presentational marvel. But unfortunately, punishing gameplay and overly-complex systems make for an inaccessible and overwhelmingly difficult experience.
Summertime Madness Review: An Exhaustive Summer Day
Summertime Madness is an earnest attempt at making an emotionally appealing puzzle game, but ultimately misses the mark. Beautiful visuals paired with a melodic score unfortunately couldn't elevate the overly bloated puzzles and sterile storytelling.