I hate reading logs and diaries in any game. I just don't have patience for that  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Outer Wilds was probably the first game where I felt super engaged when reading every journal, log entry, and text piece that I could find. It has a masterfully crafted world with a complex story. And the game manages to deliver its narrative in a seamlessly easy and engaging way without any voice overs or cinematic cutscenes.

UnHoly Neighborhood emerges as a distinctive entry in the realm of point-and-click adventure puzzle mystery games, offering players a captivating journey through a gloomy neighborhood teeming with surreal elements. Background Story: The narrative centers around Peter Grim, the protagonist on a quest to solve the mysterious kidnapping of his wife, confront a strange storm, and navigate a city overrun by giant rats. The dark riddles of the neighborhood serve as the backdrop to this intriguing storyline.

SHOULD I PLAY BANISHERS: GHOSTS OF NEW EDEN? Check this one out if you’re a fan of other games from developer Don’t Nod, like Tell Me Why and Vampyr. In Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden you play a pair of ghost hunters—the banishers in the title—who have traveled to colonial New England to find their mentor and colleague, who has warned them of a terrible curse. It’s a great setting with some beautifully drawn characters filling out the story, but it unfolds at an awkwardly slow pace and features mediocre (if inoffensive) combat.

I would say my favorite lore-rich game is Inscryption. It is not merely a roguelike card-game, but is an integrated presentation of intriguing gameplay and unexpected plot-twist. For me, the more interesting part is actually outside of this game, since on one hand, another two works (Pony Island and The Hex) from the same development team also share the same universe with Inscryption (but with totally different stories and gameplay), which somehow triggers more interpretation of the lore from different players; and on the other hand, some part of the lore is even connected with the real world we’re living in, and that also makes the whole thing more fantastic.

SHOULD I PLAY OVERWATCH 2 PVE MODE? Play it if you really like Overwatch 2. After a few years of waiting, Overwatch 2’s PvE mode is finally here and it’s probably one of the most disappointing events since the launch of the game itself. It’s not completely terrible or unplayable, it’s just okay. The campaign introduces three short story missions, as well as some challenges that provide loot and experience, but that’s about it. This lack of content, especially after waiting for what feels like a century, was very dissatisfying—and it all ended on a cliffhanger too. How infuriating!

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Skip it for now, but it may be worth revisiting once it hits full release. Ashfall is a shooter MMORPG that reminds me of Fallout’s post-apocalyptic world and monsters. Despite its strong visual style and interesting story, Ashfall doesn’t manage to live up to its very lofty inspirations—at least not yet, in its beta test form. This game has all the potential in the world to grow into something enjoyable in the future, but its combat system and gameplay will need a lot of improvement before that happens.

Interested in Ashfall? Read more about it in this quick first impressions! 💬 Are you going to play Ashfall or do you plan on skipping it? Let me know down in the comments! [Music credits: "Hard Metal Intro" by WinnieTheMoog]

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Absolutely play it. Phantom Blade: Executioners is a flashy action game that mixes the best elements of classic side-scrolling 2D brawlers—think Streets of Rage and Golden Axe—with a deep yet approachable combo-based fighting system that feels like something out of Devil May Cry. The result is a brilliantly fun, bite-sized title that’s worth some time even if you’re tired of gacha games.

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT? Play it. Disney Illusion Island is a charming, cartoony platformer starring iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. This enchanting Metroidvania only falls slightly short due to its lack of difficulty and lightly repetitive gameplay. Regardless of those issues, it’s one of my favorite games to play with friends right now and one of the best platformer titles I’ve encountered this year.

SHOULD I PLAY WARM SNOW? Absolutely play it if you enjoy action-packed roguelites with tons of unlockables and a unique setting. Warm Snow takes place in a fictionalized version of seventeenth-century China where the kingdom has fallen into chaos thanks to a strange phenomenon known as “Warm Snow.” I had to slice my way through multiple locations and thousands of mutated enemies to get to the bottom of this bizarre event, equipping myself with different relics and weapons as I did so. This is as tightly designed and fun of a roguelite as I’ve ever played and definitely worth the dozens of hours you can put into it if you want to unlock everything.

Dwerve is love🤩❤️ Dwerve is a TD dungeon crawler RPG where you play as the titular character who is a dwarf and battle the witch-queen Vandra and her bloodthristy troll army. Dwerve's grandpa teaches him that because dwarves are frail creatures, they need to stay behind a turret and fight. There are over a dozen turrets and traps in the game each with their own upgrade tree with 100+ upgrades. Dwerve only attacks when he stays still but when your turret is destroyed, you have to escape. You can dash through enemies every 3 seconds. Because the enemies are always targeting Dwerve, you have to move around and strategically place your turrets/traps after recalling them. This makes sure that the gameplay doesn't become stale.

SHOULD I PLAY WARHAMMER 40K: ROGUE TRADER? Absolutely play this game if you’re a Warhammer 40K fan or you’re chasing the high of Baldur’s Gate 3’s crunchy tactical battles. Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader isn’t as visually lavish as Larian’s magnum opus, but it’s packed with all the Warhammer 40K goodness a fan could ever want, and it’s set in a wild and unpredictable landscape of frontier worlds that provide some much-needed variety to the usual buffet of cookie-cutter space marines.

SHOULD I PLAY UNSORTED HORROR? Play it if you like horror games at all. I mean, it’s totally free, what do you have to lose? Unsorted Horror is a compilation of five brief but memorable horror experiences created by developer Mike Klubnika. While the actual gameplay is somewhat minimal here, the sense of atmosphere that Klubnika builds is second to none. This free collection operates as a first glimpse of someone who is likely to become a major name in the world of horror games, so you might as well get on board now.

Despite being made by the same team that created the beloved Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide and Warhammer: Vermintide 2, players were very lukewarm on last year's Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. The mixed reviews on Steam pointed to tons of bugs, a lack of content, and unrewarding progression as major problems contributing to the lack of excitement. Well, developer Fatshark has been working away at Darktide for a year now, improving on those issues with patches adding new content, balancing classes and abilities, and squashing legions of bugs. That all culminates in the just-launched Patch 13, which completely overhauls how classes and leveling work in the game.

SHOULD I PLAY GRANBLUE FANTASY: RELINK? Absolutely check out Granblue Fantasy: Relink if you even remotely enjoy Japanese-style RPGs or just games with great action RPG combat systems. As a spin-off of the Granblue Fantasy mobile game that’s been running for almost a decade now, getting thrown right into the middle of this story might feel a little confusing at first. But developer Cygames uses this history to its advantage, presenting a world that feels complex and interesting to explore. Plus it’s populated by massive, godlike monsters in need of being hacked and slashed to death. Bonus!

Step into a mesmerizing pixel-art realm with Unreal Life, an indie masterpiece that has claimed the prestigious "New Faces Award" at the Japan Media Arts Festival. Developed by the visionary indie game label "Yokaze," this title beckons players to immerse themselves in a world where mystery, emotion, and adventure seamlessly intertwine. Background Story: Unreal Life weaves a poignant tale around Hal, a girl who grapples with amnesia, armed only with the haunting memory of "Miss Sakura." Guided by a talking traffic light and an extraordinary ability to extract memories from touched objects, players accompany Hal on her quest to rediscover her past.

The best lore game I played is Nier. Drag-on Dragoon was release in 2003, later titled Drakengard, was created by Yoko Taro. Later it was followed by a sequel, then pre-sequel, and a lot of spin-offs. And Nier started as a spin-off from this Drakengard series, later getting a series of it's own. From this small description itself we can say for sure that this one's a lore-rich game! But don't worry you can enjoy Nier as it's own, but the world building is so rich that we need to have atleast the basic idea regarding it's history and lore to spot all the references and make all the connections.

Fate/Samurai Remnant is Koei Tecmo's upcoming action RPG and one of the latest developments in Type-Moon's Fate series. Unlike previous installments, Fate/Samurai Remnant takes place further in the past during the Edo period in the mid-17th century, and features traditional Japanese themes and styles. As someone that's watched the anime series from time to time, I'm particularly interested in how this game will build on the Fate series and what combat could be like in the Edo period. I think the visuals are pretty cool too. The vibrant colors mixed with the anime-style look, makes the game appealing but not too far from any of the other Fate games or shows.

"The Silent Age" transports players into a mysterious blend of a dystopian future and the vibrant 70s, offering a point-and-click adventure filled with puzzles and an intriguing narrative. Background Story: Set against the backdrop of a vanished humanity, the protagonist, Joe, an average guy stuck in a dead-end job, becomes the unexpected hero amidst the winds of change in 1972. The narrative promises a departure from the ordinary, adding depth to Joe's otherwise unremarkable life.

Hollow knight has to be one of the most mysterious games about it's lore. You can make a full playthrough and know little to nothing about the secrets this game has. Hollow Knight keeps its lore hidden in mysterious tablets, items, people, etc. So far we don't even know everything about Hollow Knight yet. The craziest thing is the sequel is coming out sooner or later and this game franchise will be a pile of lore for any new players.