This story is a stage play pretending to be a computer game. It hits hard and although it has its moments of humor, it is a well written drama that asks you to step into the shoes of an estranged family. The distance you travel in the game suggests we consider the concept of how quickly we can grow apart from those we love. The extended edition acts as a second and final act, and I would highly recommend you get both. There are small choices you can make throughout the game, but it truly is about the journey and less about the menial choices that drive us forward.

This is a meditative game, quite literally. You find yourself on a simple island and every day you go to meditate and spend time practicing mindfulness, you put energy into grow trees and other natural elements for your island. It is simple and delightful. You can use the game to set aside time to listen to the in-game narrative or use your own mindfulness sources. This is likely the last version of this game that we will get, but it is free so try it out, see if it helps you spend a little time with deep breathing and calm.

A game that keeps on giving with devs who love their game and their player base. Every DLC has been worth it, and every free update expands the game experience. Spirit City is less a playable game and more a focus tool. When I get distracted from my tasks, I like to pop into Spirit City to get some LoFi going, check some items off my list, set a timer, and decorate my room to match how I feel—or how I want to feel. If I am going to get distracted, I would rather focus on one thing rather than five as it takes me much longer to return to what I need to do. I love the music, environment, constant content updates, and how it keeps me on target.

Added bonuses are holiday and seasonal themed decorations, adorable companions that are easily unlocked by solving simple clues while spending time in the game, and varied activities your avatar can be doing while you do what you need to.

This was a highly enjoyable game. It does have a funky save system and will occasionally not load dialogue, but past that it satisfies you with story. Your choices can be simple or devious, and you may live a quiet life or be bold and loud, establishing your place in society. There are random events and encounters which means your experiences can differ per run, so doing a fun first go at it then seeking out achievements will get you plenty of hours of story. If you enjoy visual novels that have layers of game mechanics, grab this game when it is a price you like. There is a bit to keep track of, but if you don’t mind a little peril, you’ll manage just fine. Also, the way some characters were written really makes your hate for them stick, which I applaud.

Road 96 shares with us a world that feels familiar but can also exist in its own space. In a country with many government secrets, youths are trying to get out before the borders close. They fear for their futures, and even now as they run for Road 96, they are hunted down and disappear. You play as those children as they navigate a world that loves, fears, and hates them. Struggle through random events and try your best to help these kids reach a better life while reshaping the country they once trusted. There are stressful moments as the player, but there are minimal timed events, and you can learn from those experiences for your next run. Explore the world and ask yourself what you may do in the situations you come across. The experience may reveal surprises for you.

With a strategy game like this, there can be a bit of a bump at the start. Playing small campaigns and taking a moment to explore the options on how to build your empire pays off over time and allows you to take full advantage of a game that keeps on giving. I had Call to Power in the 2000s and that will always be my favorite Civ game, however six has been fun because of the Pirates Mode and the beautiful graphics. Five is my favorite, and my friend’s is four, so you can always go for an older model and get plenty of gameplay. Now that Civ VI has excellent sales, it may be a good fit for you. If you have trouble starting a game, check the forums because the workarounds to issues that should not exist in a game like this can be very simple.

This game plays very differently solo or multiplayer. Solo you will experience a horror game with a lot of struggles, while multiplayer is a bit of a murderfest in your favor. Bite the bullet and accept cannibalism and you get to decorate everything really pretty-like, too. You can progress the story naturally by exploring, which will also gain you access to tools and further clues to what is happening. The game is a bit buggy so I would recommend saving before and after large progression points, which are usually marked by caves. In multiplayer, exiting caves could easily crash the game. Depending on a few choices you make, the game has a lot of playability.

A warning for multiplayer: you have to sleep at the same time. Which means you need access to a bed. Which means some of you may stand around freezing to death while one player flounces off into the hills chasing rabbits and ignoring the whimpering cries of the others. I think there’s someone you’re supposed to rescue but we stopped worrying about that after the fiftieth turtle we killed to make into a water catcher (warning: too many water catchers will also crash the game).

A unique game. For a pretty relaxing sim, it can be incredibly frustrating, but in humorous ways. Physics is such an unknown factor depending on your settings that strange events may occur. Solo or multiplayer, once you learn the straightforward gameplay, you will get a lot of fun out of this older title. Do not try to play this with people who are not at least going to try to play the game because it is hard enough to deal with your own mistakes much less others’ purposeful violence. The added maps are well built, and you will find a lot of worldbuilding hidden among the messes. Don’t forget to spend some time exploring your office after a job [censored] done.

Beloved by everyone, this golf game will make you feel as though all other cares you have in the world are not so important. All worries will fade, and nothing else will exist but the soft screams of aggravated individuals questioning their life choices. Really get to know your friends by ensuring you have set their time to see the course through free view to 3 seconds, and you have turned on collision. Good luck!

Fun solo or with up to three companions, this game, although sometimes confusing map-wise, rewards a player for experimenting with weapons and learning about the monsters you encounter. This is the only Monster Hunter game I currently have played, and I could not be happier. The game transports you into a world that seems strangely possible, with chef cats and huge monsters that can somehow fly and move faster than a cat that has spotted a banana. The community enhances my enjoyment of the game tenfold, as there are so many people ready and willing to help and share all the nicknames for the creatures you have been tasked to kill and capture. The music is also delightful.

I did wind up spending a little extra on getting a cosmetic pack while it was on sale, and I can highly recommend it: put the Handler in the huge catsuit. It’s the only helpful advice I have.