PROXIMATE is a brilliant blend of cosmic horror, corporate satire and very clever gamedesign. The navigation mechanic ramps up the tension, complemented by sharp writing and immersive sound design. Short but impactful, it’s a funny, haunting experience that lingers.

Valve is celebrating Half-Life 2’s 20th anniversary with updates including bug fixes, restored content, improved graphics, and Steam Workshop support. Episodes One and Two are now bundled, and it’s all free on Steam until November 18. There’s also a feature length documentary exploring its iconic development. Legendary.

I recently revisited N++, and it’s still awesome. Truly an OG, its fast-paced, minimalist platforming with smooth controls and addictive, challenging levels require precision and foster mastery. Its sleek, uncompromising design, tight gameplay and community focus make for an all-time classic.

Tiny Glade is a charming, stress-free diorama builder where creativity is not constrained by resources, farming, or survival. Its beautiful visuals and tactile building mechanics are impressively executed, making it feel cosy and satisfying. A great option for a relaxing Sunday.

Arco blends tactical RPG gameplay with a striking, South American-inspired art style. Its narrative is moody and compelling. Combat is unique, strategic and engaging. Lots of secrets and meaningful choices. Really, really cool game.

At first glance, Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers feels inspired by Balatro (but for blackjack), but it’s important to note that it was announced first. While the concept is creative and compelling, I struggled with dense card and mechanic descriptions - an area where Balatro excels in succinct clarity. Very cool and indeed fun, but sometimes overwhelming.

shapez 2 builds on the original’s addictive factory automation with more complexity, creativity and a new third dimension. The introduction of 3D shapes and an upgraded tech tree adds fresh layers of challenge and progression. If you’re into optimisation/factory games, it might just be a must-play.

SCHiM is a unique puzzler where you navigate exclusively on shadows while solving puzzles. Its minimalist design and core mechanics are fresh, progressing creatively. It’s a delightful and refreshing take - and at times has quite poignant moments - but it’s hard to not feel like it peaks quite early, despite it’s short playtime.

Cute! Duck Detective is a delightful and tightly designed deduction game that won’t have you sweating over a scrawly notepad like Golden Idol or Obra Dinn, but I think that’s the point. There’s one case made up of charming and funny characters, everything is voiced, the art and music are terrific. If you’re into detective games, you’ll finish it in a few hours and have a great time… quacking the case.

A space-themed Suika-like, with satisfying, bouncy physics, and a novel way to ease congestion. Simple but cosy, and it’s cool to see something like this made in PICO-8.