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.

Simple but creative and clever, The Exit 8 is essentially a first person spot-the-difference game elevated by excellent graphics and tense atmosphere. One can beat it in under half an hour, and 100% it in not much longer, which feels about right. Best to go in blind, and let the loop immerse you. Cool game.

You’re an alien who runs and maintains a community support centre. Every day, you prepare a session to help struggling citizens of Mars; pick the topic, do some marketing, select the catering. Once midnight strikes, you’re effectively the event’s bouncer, responsible for inspecting attendees and ensuring they comply with the rules of that specific night. It’s a little reminiscent of Papers, Please and it’s a perfect opportunity to dust off one’s Playdate. Terrific game.

There’s a temptation to talk about Pacific Drive with reference to genres: survival, extraction, roguelite, action, adventure, driving… But it’s doing something really cool with it’s tone and atmosphere, making it something altogether unique. Clever progression, tactile UI, great music, terrifying SFX, and a world worth exploring. Cool game.

Balatro absolutely rules. And this is coming from someone with abject disdain of poker… Traditional poker hands are your basic tools, but that’s about as far as the connection goes. The rest of Balatro is a wickedly clever, psychedelic, insta-classic roguelike through which you’ll devise cunning ways to break the game. Cards and modifiers are tightly designed, crisply defined and delightfully synergistic. Again, Balatro just rules. Play it.

[Early Access] Without taking anything away from Pocketpair, it’s kind of wild that it took this long for someone to pull this off. For everything Palworld may lack in (narrow) originality, it makes up for in execution. It throws down the gauntlet for what a creature collector could be, and somehow blends it with modern genres and sensibilities in a way that, surprisingly… just works? Time will tell if they truly stick the landing over the course of EA, but there’s already enough here for an outrageously fun time.

Buckshot Roulette is a stark and bite-sized horror-themed game that echos an essence of 2021’s Inscryption: a unique, gritty industrial vibe in an extremely tense, 15-20 minute package. It doesn’t outstay its welcome in exploring the concept, and is a refreshing little experience overall.

Shamelessly combining Hades, Vampire Survivors and Diablo, Death Must Die is a bullet-heaven wherein you pick perks from (even hornier) gods, collect items and survive increasing hordes of baddies as you attempt to break the game and become OP. The inspiration verges on derivative, but it’s a compelling combination with enough new ideas to make for fun results. Give it a go.