Despite a few flaws that harm the pacing, Mineko's Night Market is a truly impressive life sim that stands out among a sea of similar wholesome games thanks to its jaw-dropping visuals, unique emphasis on Japanese culture and arts and crafts, and a cute story at the center of it all filled with wonder. It's a terrific little game that can be enjoyed by those of all ages, plus, again, you get to pet hundreds of cats. Really, that alone should make it worth it.
Lies of P is a worthy entry into the soulslike genre of gaming, particularly when the game allows its own unique elements to truly shine, such as its unique spread of weaponry and combat mechanics or its impressive story twists that can have you rediscovering what it means to be human.
Goodbye Volcano High is a terrifically-crafted slice of high school drama that succeeds thanks to the strength of its lovable cast of characters, amazing music and a sweet story about perseverance in the face of uncertainty, be it the possibility of your best friends moving on or the possible end of the world.
Pocket Bravery is a valiant attempt to pay tribute to the classic fighting games of old while still providing a modern twist, offering up a ton of various modes, options, extra content and more.
An immensely clever and unique game, Chants of Sennaar expertly captures the power of language through its well-crafted cultures and its intricate and perfectly-challenging puzzles, turning the art of translation into a captivating bit of gameplay. By the time you'll have validated your last glyph, you'll still be left wanting more, but what we have here still makes for a terrific journey that is not to be missed out on.
Samba de Amigo: Party Central isn't exactly the deepest rhythm game, but there's still fun to be had here, even if the overall product is held back by its finicky Joy-Con controls. A great soundtrack, enjoyable gameplay modes and a bold, eye-catching visual style help keep the party going even longer, but with a little refinement, future shindigs in this series can be even greater than ever.
Videoverse is game that managed to hit me with the force of a truck in various ways, from the more subtle things like the in-game community's reaction to a collapsing world around them to the parts that were more upfront, like Emmett and Vivi's budding relationship.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is an amazing narrative journey exploring fate, politics, isolation, friendship and more, filled with a stellar cast and great writing and music, but the tarot card creation is what will easily have players addicted for hours, and the way it ties into the main story is done superbly. It makes for a truly unique adventure game that's not to be missed out on, especially for those looking to get creative, go nuts and craft the motorcycle wolf card of their dreams.
Stray Gods' unique blend of musicals and video games alone makes it worthy of applause, but it's the incredible way that the ear-pleasing, player-orchestrated numbers are weaved into such a well-designed murder mystery which deserves the loudest cheers.
Atlas Fallen is far from a perfect game, but the important thing is that it's still a fun game.
Through a exploration of Southern Indian cuisine and the preparation of it that's been given a slight puzzler twist, Venba manages to serve up a captivating story about culture, motherhood, immigrant life and more, spiced up with likeable characters and great dialogue, and topped off with eye-catching visuals and an ear-pleasing soundtrack. It's a short feast, but a filling one, so it would be wise to give it a shot. Would it help if we said that it might remind you of a rocket somehow?
Unique, challenging, deep, fun and even gleefully bizarre in certain ways, Let's! Revolution! is a truly superb blend of puzzlers, strategy games and dungeon crawlers that easily makes for one of this year's most pleasant surprises.
My Friendly Neighborhood is a pleasant surprise and a genuine delight, one highly recommended for fans of survival horror, mascot horror and possibly even those who aren't horror fans.
While Oxenfree II: Lost Signals doesn't hit the same heights as the original game, it still delivers another enjoyable adventure, once again serving up another unique ghost story that uses haunted technology to great effect, which succeeds thanks to terrific dialogue and well-crafted characters. Camena may be quite similar to Edwards Island in a lot of ways, but it still plays hosts to a nicely spooky trip more than worth taking, especially for fans of the first title.
If you're looking for good party games on the Switch, you can do and have done better.
White it ends up stumbling in a few areas and can use a patch or two, Fall of Porcupine still succeeds when it comes to delivering an enjoyable story that sheds light on all sorts of struggles that health care workers face, while still providing several doses of fun gameplay and a nice town filled with interesting and unique characters to interact with.
Whether you were a fan of the original game or a newcomer to this twisted world of dioramas, Bleak Sword DX provides a perfectly action-packed experience that's sure not to disappoint.
Quick to learn, quick to play and delivering large doses of fun regardless of whether you're trying to master it or just seeing how many insane card effects you have in a single match, Friends vs Friends is a gem of a PvP shooter that can easily keep you sucked in for lengthy sessions.
Protodroid DeLTA is one of those game that may be technically competent when it comes to areas like graphics, music and basic gameplay, but it suffers from not having an original bone in its body.
Just as the titular Mr. Sun is shocked over how many people you send to their death in pursuit of his hatbox, players might be shocked over how fun and addictive Mr. Sun's Hatbox can be. Impressive stealth platforming with a ton of options makes for a great time, while the colorful, pixelated art plays host to lot of nicely-comical details.