[Early Access] All of the Hades fundamentals are still here, but Melinoë definitely has her own identity which makes for a slightly more deliberate flow of combat, which is great. There are a bunch of new systems, all of which are interesting and interplay well. What can one say about Supergiant? Jen Zee’s art is incredible as always, Logan Cunningham and Darren Korb have absolutely killed the VO and music. The writing is heartfelt, engaging, funny. And of course, above all, the gameplay loop is tight, satisfying and addictive. Truly the best way to kill Time.

This super tight concept with an impressive amount of content won the LD55 Jam, under the theme of ‘Summoning’. Cool music, funny sounds, silly minigames, really polished, and more than anything just really fun and satisfying. It introduces mechanics well, escalates nicely and is genuinely addictive.

Daniel Mullins impresses again with this LD55 Compo winner. A clever jury-packing mechanic, noir storyline, unique characters and a polished design, Voir Dire explores its potential over about 15 minutes. Definitely worth playing to the end!

POOLS is an intriguing and graphically impressive walking simulator through oppressive liminal spaces, which somehow straddles both dread and relaxation with its eerie atmosphere inspired by The Backrooms. Really immersive audiovisual design trawls the depth of your imagination to conjure threats unseen, and maybe even a narrative. It’s a short and tight experience, so doesn’t outstay its welcome.

INDIKA is very clearly a game by and for people who enjoy satirical, surreal and profound arthouse cinema. Its eclectic mix of realistic 3D and pixel art 2D is underpinned and elevated by strong writing and voice acting - I was hooked from the first scene, and it even stuck the landing. The narrative is dark and compelling, the puzzles are engaging, and more than anything its thought-provoking themes and presentation make it unforgettable. I would love more games like this.

For all its egregious fan-service, turns out Stellar Blade is actually pretty good. You can tell Sekiro is there in its DNA somewhere - with a mild emphasis on parries - but I wish combat was a bit less forgiving and hack-n-slashy. There are a myriad of ways to approach each encounter, which is fun but again, lightens the difficulty a fair bit. I also wish there were more varied environments, which feel a bit samey at a certain point. Overall though, fun game with great music, cool enemies, boss designs and an engaging-enough story.

[Early Access] What’s not to like? Isometric soulslike combat, an incredibly dense world packed with verticality and hidden areas, combined with randomised loot to reward exploration. Impactful sound, great music, well-written characters, lore and… some of the best art I’ve seen in a game - every frame a painting. So far, the devs are showing what good looks like for an early access title, responding to feedback and frequent patches. Love.

I was hooked on Children of the Sun after about two minutes into the demo, and the full release didn’t let go. A puzzler disguised as a shooter which seems straightforward initially, but its clever and versatile puzzle design proves remarkably addictive - especially with leaderboards. Combined with the art, sound and music, the vibes here absolutely rule. Play it.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 continues the legacy of its predecessor with expansive open-world exploration and super dynamic combat. I would’ve liked a bit more enemy variety, and the overall narrative is slightly underwhelming, but neither materially impacted my enjoyment. It certainly has its quirks, but after giving myself over to it, I experienced a sense of adventure not felt since BOTW or Elden Ring.

Good remake. The poignant story, as well as the varied and unique gameplay from the original are all here, and are still great. There are obviously massive visual improvements, and a few QoL things, making it a perfect entrypoint for those who’ve not played it before. Otherwise, unless you’re obsessed with the original, you’re probably good to sit it out.