Infinite tabletop and card game possibilities! Some learning curve but very powerful once you get the hang of it.

After being an XBOX 360 exclusive for many years, Shadow Complex arrived on the PC in late 2015. It's a solid Metroidvania experience with a steady drip feed of weapon and suit upgrades, unlocking more and more of the map and causing your character to evolve from an average Joe into a superhero. While it's a short experience at around four hours, and the story is completely cliché, it makes for a nice couple of evenings of gaming.

Firewatch is a short, beautiful game that pulls on the ol' heartstrings with two endearing lead characters that communicate via radio. Your character is a middle-aged man working as a fire lookout in Wyoming while escaping his problems back home. While it starts relatable and bittersweet, the story shifts quickly into surprisingly tense territory, making this four-hour jaunt much less relaxing than I expected going in.

Her Story is a commendably unique experience that blurs the distinction between game and film. While there are some memorable moments to be found, the very short runtime of around 2 hours means it shouldn't be purchased for more than $5.

A Tim Schafer classic from back in 2005, Psychonauts still holds up in 2017. It's a surreal, hilarious romp through a fascinating world (both real and mental) with well fleshed-out characters and a solid story. At its core, the game is a platformer, also featuring many collectibles which become available once progression unlocks new abilities and items. Gameplay is tight and satisfying, and at around 10 to 12 hours the campaign doesn't wear out its welcome. With news of Psychonauts 2 being successfully crowdfunded, I'm excited to see how Double Fine can update this winning formula with new technology.

The original Crysis blew minds in 2007 with incredible graphics and freedom of gameplay. Unfortunately, Crysis 2 can't say the same. From the very onset, this sadly feels like a generic shooter with a convoluted plot and predictable enemies. The nanosuit adds some (arguably unnecessary) upgrade and customization opportunities, but it doesn't make you feel as superhuman as the version in Crysis 1. If you can pick up Crysis 2 for a couple of bucks on sale, it'll give you about 8 hours of mindless shooter fun. However, given the short length of the campaign and no more multiplayer support I can't recommend it otherwise.

SOMA is worth playing if only for the atmosphere and the deep philosophical questions it asks. As many critics have stated, the run-and-hide sections feel a bit disjointed compared to the exploration and exposition sections, but they do make for some tense moments.