Digital Chumps

“Once players round the hurdle of its initial difficulty spikes, Nioh 3 becomes a festival of player choice in its deluge of loot-based combat. A focus on open zones and a second combat style give the formula renewed energy to carry players into the rich endgame.”

“Despite its simplicity and minuteness, Lovish is an 8-bit retro platformer that gets right to the point with its retro charm. Some of its progression feels archaic, but it makes up for it with tongue-in-cheek satire and tight platforming. It's a delight of an indie gem that's best appreciated by 90s kids who are still wearing their rose-colored glasses.”

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“Storm Lancers from developer and publisher ProbablyMonsters is a wonderful roguelike adventure that is driven by fun controls, solid action, and interesting bosses. While it’s going to bring some frustration and repetition, it’s still a solid experience.”

“Tingus Goose from developer SweatyChair is an oddly uncomfortable gaming experience that is driven by strategy and player-created structured multipliers. While it doesn’t go too far beyond what it wants to deliver, the game still brings enough entertainment for a ‘come and go’ gaming experience with a heavy dose of oddity to push it.”

“SLEEP AWAKE's psychedelic horror takes players on a delirious journey where the very world shifts and deceives. Mediocre stealth inflicts minimal damage on this mind-bending narrative that exists to confound with its captivating premise.”

“Reus 2, from developer Abbey Games and publisher Firesquid Games, is a fun god simulator that is easy to pick up and easier to enjoy. The controls might fight back a bit, as well as the information architecture the game features, but in the end, it’s quite fun and smartly designed.”

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“Sektori is an intense arcade classic that will leave players in a trance-like state. With a splash of modernity, this explosion of particles, color, and skill begs for constant replays once players master its finely-tuned difficulty curve.”

“A.I.L.A dabbles in the delicate space between the tricks developers can play on our minds and the complex places games can take us. Though made by obvious horror fans, it may be genre veterans who grow weary of its predictable paths and tropes.”

“Keys of Fury from developer Elecorn is a short typing gameplay experience that brings a good variety of different modes, some short branching narrative moments, and tries to breathe new life into the typing game scene.”

“Wielding incredible style, an emotional story, and layered action, Constance strives to be more than just another derivative Metroidvania in a sea of heavy-hitters. It may be overshadowed by some monoliths but this painterly tale has a few strokes of genius.”

“I keep forgetting about how Super Spin Digital has produced a music game that can include music of so many different genres while incorporating novel yet natural movement in the VR space. The Indie Pack DLC features this gameplay but with some moody, ambient, and dreamy tunes. For $8, it's worth it to dance (and sing) along!”

“Demonschool from developer Necrosoft Games is a wonderful tactical turn-based fighting game that will entertain players thanks to a strong story, good strategy-led map designs, and enough characters to create multiple paths to approach fights. While it needed to be a bit less linear and more user-controlled on the story side of the tracks, it’s a fantastic experience from beginning to end.”

“Minimalist yet poignant, The Berlin Apartment offers a handful of narrative vignettes allowing players to experience the tumultuous history of Germany across the decades. Though brief, its stories pack an emotional punch that won't be forgotten.”

“News Tower, from developer Sparrow Night and publisher Twin Sails Interactive, is a marvelous newspaper sim that goes above and beyond the typical simulator formula.”

“Jackbox Party Pack 11 is a good release that features some fresh games and plenty of good times. It returns the series to a better form, although it’s not perfect by any means, nor will it rival the best of the best in the Jackbox series. But it’s far better than what has been recently released over the last three years and gives hope that more fun is to be had with future Jackbox releases.”

“Possessor(s) is many things: stylized, satisfying, occasionally frustrating, and short but sweet despite its large map. It's a familiar yet solid gameplay loop with few frills, save for shirtless demon protagonists and neon stylizations.”

“Spindle from developer Let’s GameDev and publisher Deck 13 is a marvelous action-RPG adventure that hits all the right notes when it comes to action, puzzles, and payoff. It’s incredibly balanced with all three, which makes it feel like you don’t waste a minute playing it.”

“I'm willing to look past my smaller form graphical quibbles of Tales of Xillia Remastered, as should you. The base Xillia content is notable for its incredible combat and emotional story, and the additional quality of life content makes the game more palatable than ever before. If you're wanting to relive Tales of Xillia or are down to experience it for the first time, Tales of Xillia Remastered will give you the nostalgia and emotional depth you need.”