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American Arcadia, from developer Out of the Blue Games S.L. and publisher Raw Fury, was a suspenseful and thrilling adventure. While the gameplay didn’t challenge the narrative for the limelight, there were still enough interactive elements to call this a solid gaming experience.

Laika: Aged Through Blood from developer Brainwash Gang is a wonderful and refreshing Nintendo Switch experience. It lends a brutal narrative that leads gameplay filled with strategy and challenges. While not everyone will take to the controls, which are an important part of the experience, the challenges and strategy will keep the frustration at bay.

Verne: The Shape of Fantasy from developer Gametopia is a fascinating adventure that uses a classic author within their own classic tale to push a good story while supported by beautiful visuals and sounds that harken back to 90s-style gameplay. That gameplay works for the most part, though some more direction with puzzles and a more balanced story could have worked a few more wonders for the overall gaming experience.

Blightstone from developer Unfinished Pixel is a decent, if not good, roguelite tactical turn-based game. It has a solid gameplay skeleton that follows the genre’s perceived structure, while needing some love and care to improve some lacking gameplay elements.

The Fabulous Fear Machine from developer Fictiorama Studios is a test of skill as much as it is a test of patience. It’s a complicated game that is RISK-like and presents a wickedly good time in classic horror comic book form.

GYLT from Tequila Works is a heavy game to bear. Its story is overwhelmingly sad, relatable, and impactful. The gameplay is built to complement the story and the devs did a great job of pulling those two pieces together. This game isn’t for the faint of heart and it will certainly get you in the feels, but the journey is worth the emotional risk.

Bleak Sword DX is a gorgeous, nostalgic, and clever game for something built in a simplified structural way. More8Bit did a superb job of creating a fast gameplay environment while also maintaining creativity with its enemies and maps. While it may not seem like much, it has some moxie to it. Be forewarned, though, it also contains a heavy amount of frustration.