Horse-girl racing idol sim sounds like a joke, but Umamusume’s training loop is surprisingly sharp, races are tense, and the production value combined with attention to detail in recreating aspects of real world Japanese racehorses is weirdly elite. Gacha is generous upfront, but obviously brutal long-term. You’ll probably resent how much fun it is. A global phenomenon for a reason: addictive, unskippable, potentially shameful.

[Early access] Path of Exile 2 is a bold next step for the ARPG genre. With intricate - at times overwhelming - buildcrafting, refined combat, and a robust, creative endgame, it’s a rich, engrossing experience. Classes feel well defined, more deliberate combat is rewarding, and its dark atmosphere, boss fights and drive for one-more-map keep you hooked. It’s going to be great to watch this develop toward full release.