XboxEra

“BAD END THEATER is an enjoyable stint of being able to choose the dilemmas your cast of characters face and then watching them die a bloody death. It’s an amusing choose-your-adventure sort of game with a bit more than that once you explore what this theatre has to offer, even if it isn’t quite subtle about certain aspects of its venue. Perfect for the sadist in you and even the hopeful. ∎”

“How I feel about Missile Command Delta is messy, because there are neat ideas here, mostly to be found within in the actual missile-commanding part of the game. The rest becomes more than a little tedious and while I admire the approach of doing something a little different, I can’t help but feel the whole package feels burdened by the narrative additions, and sadly those parts are not a lot of fun to play through. Unless you’re a massive lapsed Missile Command/Atari fan, I’d maybe let another cadet take your place.”

“Soulstone Survivors was already great in its first Early Access version in 2022, and its 1.0 launch in 2025 is an unmissable bullet heaven experience today; one that anyone with even a passing interest in the genre should check out, and one that already reserves itself a high spot in my yearly top 10 games of the year, surely.”

“I can’t help but thoroughly recommend I Am Your Beast. It’s a neatly designed, satisfying game that combines the addiction of great ‘one-more-go’ titles with some solid, satisfying gunplay, all wrapped up with a surprisingly engaging narrative to help keep you invested. If you’ve ever had the urge to indulge in a secret-agent-revenge-fantasy, consider that itch thoroughly scratched.”

“Splitgate 2 is solid mechanically but underwhelming in nearly every other area. For a sequel, a game that the studio had to stop all production of the first game to focus on, it doesn’t seem to do much more to improve on the original.”

“our De France 2025 is a game that is targeted at hardcore fans of this unique discipline, who will likely close an eye on many shortcomings in the presentation and gameplay departments.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun in a cooperative-focused title, and I think POPUCOM has found a great balance between difficulty and player choice without sticking around for more than it has to. Throw in a lovely presentation, and you’ve got a fantastic cooperative puzzle-platformer that can be enjoyed by all.”

“Spray Paint Simulator is decent fun. I do not know if the devs have any DLC planned post-launch. As is, there is enough here once you’re done, I think most will have enjoyed their time and be ready to move on.”

“There’s a pleasant puzzler in Projected Dreams, thanks to its visuals, music, and simple game design. Who knew making shadow puppets could make for an enjoyable afternoon? An easy recommendation for everyone.”

“A short and sweet romp that is an excellent addition to a fantastic game.”

“Sadly, ca11 me here!’s gameplay is fairly one note. That is, once you’ve played the first round of its minigame, you’ve played the whole game.”

“A variety of challenges will keep new players in the genre busy and older ones entertained through the game’s mix of comedy and tragedy. Quite literally, a good time for all ages.”

“Palia’s multiplayer-based life simulation experience is a unique one, something that sets it apart from other games in the genre. It’s got solid mechanics, an interesting lore, and a welcoming community. It’s a game best enjoyed in short bursts, but that can’t stop you from building the life of your dreams.”

“I’m torn on Knock on the Coffin Lid. When all elements align, it’s an audiovisually striking turn-based card game with an interesting lore, good player agency, and an addictive combat loop, one that’s easy to understand but hard to master. Yet, a series of difficulty spikes, an obtuse build system,m and a massive amount of repetition ensure that most of the hours spent in the game are wasted behind trial and error and replaying through many times seen before content, with even a handful design oddities that would need a quality-of-life patch or two.”

“This is purely a time capsule that plays really well on the go, perfect for anyone who owned a Lynx and folks who love retro games. The collection’s titles run accurately and bonus functions like rewind and save states along with digitised versions of their box arts and manuals make The Epyx Collection: Handheld worth a look. ∎”

“StarVaders is a wonderfully addicting game, one I didn’t expect to be a highlight of mine this month. The underlying mechanics present can make or break a run in a multitude of ways, the bosses are frenetic and can really pose a challenge, the runs don’t overstay their welcome, and it’s got the visuals and music to boot.”

“La Quimera is a beautifully baffling experience that I cannot recommend to anyone.”

“Crime Scene Cleaner is an odd duck. It’s mix of Zen-inducing gameplay in some truly horrific crime scenes is delightful, though a lack of things to do post-campaign is a bummer.”

“Sports: Renovation is a cool take on the cleaning simulation genre. Its love for sports emanates in just about every corner of the game, across multiple levels. It can be clumsy at times, but it’ll eat up your time like no tomorrow. Put on some headphones, learn about sports, and scrub those venue floors clean.”

“Breakout Beyond takes a classic and forgets the most important part. You can’t have a brick-breaking game be fun if it doesn’t control well, and this one does not at launch.”