Caves of Qud is a deep, richly imaginative roguelike seemingly built on the foundations of Dwarf Fortress; embracing systemic - almost unimaginable - depth, emergent storytelling, and fantastic worldbuilding. Its dense systems and open-ended design are incredible - ambition and creativity unmatched. It’s a game I deeply admire, but its steep learning curve and sheer complexity mostly keep me at arm’s length personally. I wish I had the brain for it, but for now I’ll enjoy hearing others stories that come out of it.

Wilmot’s Warehouse is a beautifully designed sorting puzzle game with minimalist art and a chill vibe. Its charm lies in its simplicity, offering a focused experience that’s perfect for fans of traditional jigsaw/sorting puzzles. It does exactly what it sets out to do, so a quick look will let you know if you’ll like it or not.

[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.

GMTK’s Mind Over Magnet is a polished and charming little game; its mechanics are introduced smoothly, and it has some clever moments. Overall though, its core feels a bit uninspired, and its lack of depth keeps it from rising beyond the feel of a project to learn the craft rather than a passionate execution of a vision. Still, it’s an admirable achievement worth checking out.

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.

Neva is gorgeous to look at and… “fine”, but doesn’t quite meet the high standard set by GRIS. While its art style and sound design are captivating, the story and gameplay mostly feel a little derivative. The narrative lacks coherence, and a surprisingly simplistic theme is ultimately underwhelming. Combat and puzzles add variety but feel underdeveloped. Ultimately, Neva impresses aesthetically but lacks the thematic depth and compelling drive that made GRIS so good.

From Tom van den Boogaart of the Sokpop Collective, masters of short but often dense indie titles, Grunn may look tailor-made for gamedev Twitter gifs, but it’s… actually good! Beneath its quirky, relaxing gardening sim veneer lies a well-designed mystery with multiple paths, secrets, and great vibes.

ODDADA is a relaxing, sandbox-style music game where you create songs using toy instruments in a whimsical, minimalist world. The experience is massively tactile, encouraging childlike play, with randomised ‘levels’ and no pressure of time limits. Obviously not for everyone, but very neat.

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.