Platform: Mac
[Early Access] It’s more Slay the Spire, and that’s entirely a compliment. New systems and mechanics add variety and depth to each run, and the two new characters both feel meaningfully distinct rather than just reskins. Already deeper than the original at launch - balance may be all over the shop, but it’s a tonne of fun. If you’re at all into these kinds of games you’re probably already playing it, but if not, just get it.
Neva: Prologue is a prequel DLC telling the story of how Alba and the wolf cub first met, launching February 19. New enemies, mechanics and locations are promised. Neva was ‘fine’, so a tighter, more focused prologue could work.
Q-UP pretends to be a sweaty 4v4 ranked esport, but it’s really a pseudo-multiplayer incremental dressed in a sponsored competitive jersey. You build elaborate skill engines, then watch the coin flip and the satire unfold. The joke works, and so does the game. Brilliant.
A stylish, fast-paced incremental with satisfying feedback and great polish. Its upgrade tree is mostly linear and not all modes feel essential, but the main loop delivers short bursts of dopamine-maxing destruction. Not for deep strategists, but ideal if you want to switch off and watch numbers-go-up for a short while.
Skate Story is a moody, tightly-controlled skating experience that leans hard on atmosphere and flow. The skating feels weighty but precise, the premise and art is inspired, and the soundtrack does a huge amount of emotional lifting. Not a deep trick sandbox like Tony Hawk - more a short, vibey art piece that peaks in its linear flow sequences, and when everything clicks, it’s genuinely special.
Team Cherry has announced Hollow Knight: Silksong - Sea of Sorrow, a free (!) 2026 expansion bringing new areas, bosses, tools and more in a nautical-themed update for all Silksong players. More details are due closer to launch.
Some may ask why the absurd incremental/clicker Tingus Goose exists at all - what is this? Who made this, and why? And yet, in its honking chaos and wilful grotesquery, the answer becomes self-evident. It rejects polish and restraint, favouring curiosity and excess instead. Creation becomes ritual, repetition becomes comfort, and the absurd reveals itself as essential. It’s fun. Honk.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is tldr.games’ Game of the Year 2025. Virtually alongside Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it stands as the year’s most remarkable achievement. Where Expedition 33 captivates through ambition, emotion and invention, Silksong reveals its brilliance through precision, trust and mastery, asking the player to engage deeply and improve over time. It is a game that rewards commitment, and one that continues to resonate long after playing.
BALL x PIT sidesteps any potential roguelite fatigue by folding in new systems and surprising, satisfying fusions. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, it drops another major game-changer. Addictive, stylish and most importantly, super fun - very impressive.
Pocket Boss is a brisk, clever satire dressed up as data-fixing ‘puzzles’ (or probably more accurately WarioWare minigames). It’s short, funny, and sharply designed - over before it wears out its welcome at about 30-40min, but memorable in how it skewers corpo culture. Probably best played on phone.