I’ll say it: it’s not bad. Shadows won’t win any gamedesign awards, but it’s fun. Looks gorgeous and actually tries a couple of bold things (for Ubisoft standards), but gets lost in its own systems and identity at times. Feels like a noble swing at evolving the series, but ends up more empty than inspired - it’s impossible to ignore how far behind this type of design is. Still, there’s fun to be had, beautiful visuals to behold, and I respect the effort.

inZOI captures the spark The Sims lost - freeform, funny, and full of promise. Stunning character creation, but once you’re in the world, it feels a little hollow. So far a solid foundation with huge potential, just needs more life behind the beauty.

A solid follow-up with a “refined” UI (which I’m still not sure whether I like) and quality-of-life “improvements” (which I didn’t really feel necessary), atop weaker storytelling and puzzle design. The mystery unfolds a bit too predictably, and some puzzles feel like busywork rather than meaningful deduction. Still enjoyable, but an unfortunate step down.

Idle Colony offers charming visuals and satisfying early progression, but its slow pacing and limited late-game content sadly hold it back. While upgrades are fun to experiment with, it lacks the depth of top idle games. Wouldn’t call it a stand-out, but a decent choice for genre fans.

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.

It’s hard to decide if the 2014 post-irony packaging is nostalgic or cringe, but the movement and gunplay genuinely surprised me - fun, smooth, responsive, and far more… legit than I expected. The absurdity is relentless, though whether that’s good or bad depends on your tolerance for (admittedly self-aware) dated memes.

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.

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.

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.

Squirrel with a Gun delivers a zAnY, sandboxy experience where you control a gun-toting squirrel causing chaos in a suburban neighbourhood. It’s got some clever platforming and puzzle mechanics, and for a short time is a light-hearted, fun gameplay loop. Its absurd premise is the selling point, and you’ll know if you’ll enjoy it after seeing like 10 seconds of any gameplay.