Kierra Lanier

“I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is an engaging narrative RPG where you can boost your stats, make friends, and explore through several routes as you grow.”

“Love is in the air in this cute, personality-quiz-filled experience that is Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim.”

“Restless Soul is a funny tale about following your goals and returning back to life -- even if the Grim Reaper tells you that that's not allowed.”

“Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions is a fun, but repetitive strategy game where you shoot monsters and work through the challenges of moving.”

“While one of the weaker otome releases on the Switch, Cafe Enchante is still a pleasant experience for those looking to scratch that supernatural romance itch.”

“The Hand of Merlin is a tough, yet enjoyable tactical RPG that tries to encourage players to play through multiple times to make up for its short runtime.”

“OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a beautiful tale about how to navigate the expectations life puts before us, with beautiful presentation and decent gameplay.”

“Pinku Kult Hex Mortis is a decent turn-based RPG that tells a short, concise story, and sets itself apart with its unique art style.”

“Maglam Lord is a beautiful game full of character and wacky moments, but it is bogged down by repetitive gameplay.”

“Reverie Knights Tactics is an isometric grid-based tactics game with an interesting story and fun gameplay, albeit with a few quirks.”

“Overall, Monster Crown has a good premise behind it. It has a solid base and if the developers decided to make another monster collector down the road, they have a good sense of what to include. The combat is fun and the breeding aspect can make it interesting to see what monsters you can end up creating, especially if you’re into min-maxing. In this aspect, I do believe that they have really touched on what made games like Pokemon popular: the excitement of catching them all and figuring out how to best build your team to be the strongest they can be. However, the bugs and some of the progression decisions made with Monster Crown make it a tedious experience at best and a downright frustrating one at worse. The storytelling leaves me feeling as though I was always missing some details. And the jumps in levels for boss monsters were frustrating to come across, perhaps more so because they could be cheesed by getting lucky with a pact. Overall, Monster Crown is an experience that may be better played on other systems that aren’t the Switch and for those who don’t mind the inconsistencies present.”

“Whilst precision platforming is not quite my thing, I can appreciate when a game excels at what it’s set out to accomplish. While some stages felt a bit too tight, I never felt as though a level was impossible to clear. And given the small size of stages and ease of resetting when things aren’t going quite right, A Night at the Races is a great game to pick up and play a few stages when you want to scratch that itch. The story elements are interesting to watch unfold. Although I wouldn’t say worth getting the game solely for those moments if the platforming isn’t your thing. Overall, A Night at the Races is a solid game to dig into, especially if you love a challenge.”

“The collection of mystery games available on the Switch is slowly rising as the years pass. It can be very hard to find a good mystery game. A good mystery needs to hook you in. Keeps you guessing while also encouraging you to press on, and satisfy you with its ending as everything is tied together. While there can still be a few lingering questions, the major ones had better be answered. And if you are going the route of incorporating gameplay, it needs to be interactive and engaging enough. With The First Cases, this is a mystery game done very well. The storytelling is tight, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and has a nice mix of twists while also keeping everything believable.”

“While Fuga: Melodies of Steel’s linear gameplay may be a bit stifling, CyberConnect2’s new step in game development is one that shouldn’t be overlooked.”

“If you need a nice and simple shoot-em-up to fit in-between your larger releases, this space cat adventure may just be for you.”

“For those curious about this furry visual novel, Winds of Change is a tale about how not everything is black and white when it comes to life.”

“For those looking for a bite-size RPG experience with charming art and characters, LiEat is an enjoyable experience, despite the ease of gameplay.”

“Travel to a mysterious world and learn the secrets behind its appearance, while also finding some love in the process within Angels With Scaly Wings.”

“For fans of mystery point-and-click adventures, Root Film will capture your attention with its mysterious (yet fun) narrative.”

“As a love letter to mecha anime, tactical RPG Super Robot Wars V makes for a beautiful and fun (but perhaps too easy) experience.”