Packed with bananas, fossils and Pauline’s charming character arc, Donkey Kong Bananza blends destructible terrain, clever transformations and lighthearted exploration into a joyful collectathon adventure that is nostalgic, fresh and extremely fun.
Blending classic city management with a truly unique premise, The Wandering Village challenges players to build a thriving village on the back of a colossal creature. With survival tied to both your people and your Onbu companion, it’s a charming builder that stands out from the crowd.
With its focus on relationships, village building and a smooth combat system, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a natural evolution for the series. The Switch 2 version has strong characters, an emotional story and welcome streamlining without losing what makes the franchise special.
Iron Core: Mech Survivor may not have the same huge scale offered by titles like Battletech or MechWarrior, but this indie gem blends mech combat, roguelike progression, tower defense and bullet heaven chaos into a surprisingly addictive package.
The sprawling adventure of Sengoku Dynasty makes a smooth transition from PC to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. With improved combat controls and faster load times, the console edition feels right at home, even if a few clunky menu issues hold it back from perfection.
Part deck-builder and part tower defense, Deck of Haunts puts players in control of a sentient haunted mansion determined to fend off unwanted guests. With great card mechanics, eerie atmosphere and a steep but rewarding learning curve, it’s a hauntingly fun choice for gamers looking to kick off spooky season in style.
When the original Stronghold Crusader was released in 2002, it was a huge leap forward for real-time strategy titles. Now, the definitive edition brings that glory back with new graphics, missions, maps, combat units and a rogues’ gallery of tricky AI opponents.
Upin and Ipin Universe is an open-world adventure based on the hit cartoon Upin and Ipin, and it captures the show’s charm and lively style with cooperative play that encourages families to share the adventure. Young fans will enjoy stepping into their favorite cartoon’s village.
Prison adventure Back to the Dawn blends noir drama and Lovecraftian weirdness into one of the most entertaining indie RPGs of the year. It includes over one hundred quests and several endings. Prison life has never been this strange, strategic or hilarious.
When a kingdom’s peasants only work under the king’s direct gaze, every move counts. The King is Watching blends tower defense, auto-battler action and roguelike progression into one uniquely challenging package that will surprise even the most experienced armchair generals.
