Luck be a Landlord: An original take on the rougelike deck-builder genre where you collect symbols for a slot machine. Intriguing interactions and a compelling itch to give it “just one more pull.” Good for: stretching your game design imagination and filling yourself with enough existential regret over how much time you just spent playing the game that you question your life choices. Recommended for my fellow game designers.
The Shrouded Isle: A narrative game of managing a doomsday cult’s enclave through its last few years before the apocalypse. Morbid and grim but not too complex. Good for: feeling bad, wondering why anyone would want to invest significant time in such a bleak setting, and wishing you’d partaken of something lighter and more uplifting, such as George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. Recommended as a character study and only in small doses.
Donut County: An adorable game of dropping things into holes, not unlike a reverse Katamari Damacy. Short, sweet, and just a touch poignant. Good for: a relaxing evening of light gaming with a loved one. Recommended for fans of Untitled Goose Game who get excited at the thought of playing as obnoxious raccoons.