Adam Riley

“The Touryst Deluxe is a compact adventure that captures the spirit of a holiday getaway. Shin’en Multimedia has crafted a series of voxel islands that feel like miniature dioramas, each filled with puzzles, playful distractions, and a relaxed atmosphere. The deluxe edition introduces a new island and extra activities, while Switch 2 hardware elevates the experience with crisp 4K visuals, HDR lighting, and fluid performance. It is not a game driven by narrative or combat, but by curiosity and discovery. Players who enjoy atmosphere, variety, and freedom will find it enchanting. The Touryst Deluxe is a reminder that small, carefully made adventures can leave a lasting impression.”

“Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut on Switch 2 proves that SEGA and RGG Studio deliver more than a simple port. Performance is strong, the content is complete, and the absurd, heartfelt energy of the series translates beautifully to handheld play. Minor compromises in handheld performance, storage demands, and the lack of new gameplay content keep it from perfection, but they don’t diminish what is still one of the finest entries in the series. For newcomers, this is the perfect entry point: a prequel that requires no prior knowledge, yet sets the stage for everything that follows. For veterans, it’s a chance to revisit one of the series’ best entries with added story context and the freedom to play anywhere. This is the definitive way to experience SEGA’s crime epic, as it shines very brightly indeed on Switch 2.”

“Fast Fusion is without a doubt the perfect racing title for those looking for something as an alternative to Mario Kart World and the retro-fuelled F-Zero GX. It still doesn’t quite feel as feature-complete as Fast RMX yet, but Shin’en is doing a fantastic job of pumping out free extra content into this Nintendo Switch 2 futuristic, high-octane experience to keep fans coming back for more. For now, though, brace yourselves for stunning visuals, a pumping soundtrack, and some of the most edge-of-your-seat racing ever witnessed.”

“Whilst some of the fundamentals that make a Wadjet Eye Game so special are included here, and there is a level of enjoyment to be had, Old Skies fails to hit the mark in more ways than expected. Long-term fans will likely persevere to the end because there is indeed enough of a hook and there are plenty of little in-jokes/references included. Old Skies should have been the most open escapade yet from the team. However - convoluted gameplay, unsatisfactory puzzle mechanics, frustrating new inclusions, a plot with unnecessary elements, and a surprising amount of linearity all leave this feeling rather anticlimactic overall. Bring back the days of Blackwell.”

“After the success of the first episode of The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle, it is great to see that Episode 2: A Bleaker Predicklement does not let the side down, delivering more of the same point-and-click adventuring goodness, complete with sufficient doses of comic relief and some smart puzzling antics. With any luck, a third entry is currently in the works!”

“WadjetEye Games has done it again! Unavowed does not disappoint at all, relying on the tried-and-tested formula that has worked so well in the past, but now taking that and polishing it beyond belief, and then expertly blending in themes from popular titles, sprinkling a whole host of fresh ideas into the pot to make for one of the most engaging experiences of the year.”

“Unforeseen Incidents is a complete breath of fresh air in what is fast becoming an over-crowded genre once more, standing head and shoulders above many other point-and-click adventures available. With its perfect mix of macabre and comical scripting, as well as the highly engaging puzzles and entertaining fetch quests it throws the player's way, the hours really do fly by despite this being one of the longer journeys on the market right now.”

“Illusion: A Tale of the Mind is a marvel to look at and enjoy from a puzzle standpoint. However, it starts to bog itself down with a quirky storyline that carries the action along well enough to start with, but becomes increasingly convoluted and eventually downright boring, to the point where the ending will leave most sighing with relief, which is a massive shame as the core gameplay is very intriguing to start with, but is dragged down by an over-reliance on switch-hitting towards the end.”

“If you want to get away with sticking a book on a console, it is pretty important to make the actual tale an intriguing one, and - better yet - add in some useful interactions. This all feels so empty, even when attempting to drive the conversation in certain directions. Mundane is the perfect word to describe Three Fourths Home, and its Extended Edition post-game story content is simply more of the same weak melodrama. There are so many alternatives out there vying for your attention; check them out instead.”

“The Thin Silence hits all the right notes when it comes to the puzzling situations faced, with extremely smart ways of working through the various stages faced, continuously crafting new objects to aid with progress. Sadly, it does hold itself back too much with a painfully slow walking pace for the lead character, and some weighty prose that misses the mark, too often proving to actually be boring and/or confusing. A sequel more focused on the puzzle adventure element would be welcomed with open arms; just ditch the convoluted story-telling aspect, please.”

“Without Escape is the perfect dish for those hungry for classic 1990s puzzle adventures like Zork, Myst, et al.”

“From the gorgeous settings, to the wonderful narrative development, and the smart implementation of sharp puzzle elements, Nihiliumbra is an absolute joy to play.”

“Beckett is a surreal experience, but a wonderfully unique take on the point-and-click style adventure that makes the delivery of the gripping story far more digestible for a wider audience.”

“There is more than enough depth included in the Touch series to make this perfect for those looking to delve into the intricacies of management either at home or whilst on the go, but also stripped back enough to appeal to the wider audience that lapped up earlier editions of the team's venerable series.”

“Burly Men at Sea is a very quaint and surprisingly enjoyable twist on the point-and-click genre, with lovely visuals, an impressive-and-quirky soundtrack, and more replayability than first thought. However, saying that, the whole experience can be breezed through in an hour or two, and it lacks enough real meat to be it a truly satisfying dish, especially given this is the highest priced version on the market right now. In the end, it is undoubtedly a pleasant experience, but one that will be forgotten quite quickly upon completion, unless extremely motivated to spend more money on the digital or physical storybooks offered post-game via a web-link. It is definitely worth trying, but just be mindful of the price and check your expectations before diving in.”

“The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1: A Dreadly Business is a breath of fresh air in the point-and-click genre, bringing with it fantastic art work and excellent voice acting, along with tough-but-not-overly-so puzzles, a wonderfully intuitive inventory and control system, as well as bucket-loads of charm and personality. Spiffingly good work, ol' chap!”

“This is a back-to-basics, side-scrolling puzzle effort that will draw people in with its addictive gameplay and cleverly-crafted stages, and then test even the most hardcore with its extra challenges later on. The balance is perfect, and gets the old grey matter working hard throughout, proving to be extremely inventive and charming, in equal measure. Toki Tori deserves to shine, and hopefully on Nintendo Switch it will now get the attention it deserves.”

“What a way to end the Little Nightmares saga! Tarsier Studios has taken its original fantastic experience, and split up the core concepts to craft some sublime DLC episodes, and this final one, The Residence, brings with it some real thrills and chills, whilst also delivering on the puzzles front. Admittedly shorter than the previous two, yet more satisfying overall, it leaves gamers thirsty for more, with an eventual sequel hoped for.”

“Old Man's Journey is such a gorgeous looking title, complete with a beautiful soundtrack. Those aspects are then draped over a moderately engaging puzzle idea, and comes with a story that aims to be touching, but will leave many feeling either apathetic to the theme, or actually frustrated by the progression of the old man's life and foolish choices. It also ends extremely quickly with nothing to come back to after. It will pass and fade away quicker than it should, but deserves to receive an expanded sequel (or prequel, perhaps?).”

“Some may look at Toki Tori 2+ and immediately embrace it or dismiss it because of its cute-looking nature. Both parties need to understand, though, that this is in no way a simple platform adventure. Instead, it is a gruelling puzzle-adventure, with so much hidden depth and challenge that hardcore gamers will rejoice from the rooftops. It is the game that just keeps on giving, and with tweaks to perfect the formula, now is the best time to pick it up.”