Breathes creative new life into rogue-likes by way of deckbuilding and card/turn-based combat. Deep and satisfying, STS was an instant classic and has proved wildly influential (for better or worse).

Confusing at first & I think that’s a good thing, so go in blind. The controls are a bit slippery at first but they get better. This has tonnes of depth and the combat is rewarding if a little spammy.

I wanted to like this after not being a fan of the previous ones but hearing that this one is more souls-like. It’s not. It’s not bad, but between the cringey story/VA and clunky combat, I’m not keen.

Another in the line of 2D soulslikes. This one is quite a bit more derivative than most, and I’m sure somewhere beneath the clunky mechanics and lack of polish is a decent game, but I struggled.

I struggled with this after not being able to get invested in the characters/world, being frustrated by overbearing UI & interruptions, and the fact that combat seems based entirely around endurance.

This would have been a thumbs down upon release. Hello Games have since weathered the storm and managed to turn this into a good game. It worries me what other studios will learn from this however.

I had to install this and try to like it five times. I’m sure theres a good game somewhere among the dotted line GPS, braindead quests and interruptions at every turn, but I kinda can’t be bothered finding it.

Rogue-like with satisfying combat and a cool world. Doesn’t have as much content as the big names in the genre, and may not be as challenging, but still fun.

Fun for a while but generally more of the same. Repetitive combat has improved but is still reliant on counterplay of incredibly obvious telegraphs. Overworld plot is so arbitrary IDK why they bother.

Ashen is a refreshing take on the soulslike, capturing all the right things; challenge, exploration and intrigue. Bosses are a bit easy, but still fun. The VA is its only drastic weak point.