Pocket Gamer

Metroid Dread is a slick and intense platform-adventure, and the most exciting Switch game Nintendo has produced in quite some time

Indies' Lies is a compelling roguelike title that, while inspired by Slay the Spire, does manage to hold its own against other games in the genre. As a free-to-play player, you don't have to worry about pesky ads popping up and ruining your concentration. The first chapter is free with a few characters available to you. You can unlock the next two chapters along with the other characters as an in-app purchase.

Murdered by Midnight is a highly replayable board game translated into mobile for both single and multiple players to dive into. It doesn't offer any deep story or gameplay mechanics, but it does offer some fancy artwork and a way for you to pass the time with others for just $1.99 a pop.

Requia Online is an ambitious title that combines elements of different genres to create an entirely new experience on mobile. Unfortunately, the visuals fail to stick the landing, even if the music in the background does sound awesome. It may appeal to a very niche market, but perhaps it’s just not for me.

Tales of the Mirror is one of those games that will captivate you within the first 5 minutes, and will only build that up the more you play. Everything is perfect from an audio and graphic point of view, and when it comes to the narrative, you're in for a treat.

Tales of the Mirror is one of those games that will captivate you within the first 5 minutes, and will only build that up the more you play. Everything is perfect from an audio and graphic point of view, and when it comes to the narrative, you're in for a treat.

Code Atma has a lot of potential as an idle RPG that dives into the intriguing world of Indonesian mythology. The character art is simply stunning, but, unfortunately, looks aren’t everything, as the content of the gameplay itself is nothing to write home about.

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery is a relaxing journey of art and music in a short but insightful package. It tugs at the heartstrings in all the right ways, but even if you’re not a fan of bittersweet stories, you can still get a kick out of the jaw-dropping visuals - or at least, get inspired to grab a cup of coffee and take a break from the chaos of daily life.

Tears of Themis is a stunning detective sim that draws you into an engaging narrative with every new case. The lovely background music and jaw-dropping character designs add to the unapologetic romance elements of the game, so if you’re eager for something that’ll make you believe in love again, then this game can do just that—giddy feels guaranteed.

My Time at Portia is a gorgeous and totally upbeat take on the apocalypse, giving players the freedom to do whatever they fancy in a vast sandbox. There’s a lot of heart in all aspects of the game, so the price tag of $7.99 is totally worth it. Just be prepared to get sucked into the magic of Portia for hundreds of hours - and actually like it.

Punishing: Gray Raven is a heck of a ride with its adrenaline-pumping combat and ultra-smooth graphics performance. You don’t need to scale a paywall to excel at this game, so it’s a must-download for any RPG fan. Plus, the units you pull actually have a healthy dose of husbandos for a change (yay!).

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword still doesn't wholly convince a decade on, with flaky controls, drab visuals, and a dull over-world. But it retains enough of that irresistible Zelda magic to warrant a place on your Switch. Just.

With its incredibly deep mechanics and aesthetically pleasing visuals, Runestrike takes the average CCG and injects its own unique flair into the genre. Regardless of which playstyle suits you best, the balanced decks, strategic Champion abilities, and varying Realms of Magic ensure that there’s definitely something for everyone here.

Unmaze is a stunning, one-of-a-kind visual novel with an interesting gimmick to spice up your gameplay. The mindblowing artwork is its saving grace, but other than that, the story is a little bit underwhelming. It’s a different kind of game than the rest of the cookie-cutter visual novels out there, though, so there’s that. Plus, you can give the first chapter a go for free if you want to get a feel of it before you buy the rest.

Short, sweet, and totally addicting, Overboard! is a hilarious murder mystery where you need to do everything in your power to get away with murdering your own husband. It’s a game that doesn’t really take itself too seriously, so you don’t have to feel too bad about your multiple attempts to pin the murder on a poor unfortunate soul.

At first glance, Ears and Burgers is pretty and weird, but after you play it you realize is just pretty weird. Even though it's a pretty simple game, it's still fun to play and you're probably going to like it.

The Longest Road on Earth is likely going to be a hit-or-miss for players since this kind of unconventional approach to gaming won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It feels like “the longest game on earth” at times with its slow pace, but at the heart of it all is the lesson of finding joy in the mundane - and if you can find a reason to smile from brewing a cup of coffee alone, then that’s definitely a worthwhile endeavour.

Huntdown is a fantastic and challenging action-platformer that forces you to think tactically, but quickly. It wonderfully blends the chaos of a run and gun with modern-day sensibilities to create something that feels fairly unique on mobile.

While One Escape delivers a bunch of stealthy action, the levels begin to feel similar after a while. Bouncing between characters keeps the monotony subdued, but by the time you’ve found a rhythm, you’ll be done with the game’s sixty levels. There are some interesting gameplay mechanics, but they seem to borrow rather than innovate. I never found myself surprised by the abilities as they were used, but it did provide a linear, easily understandable control set that was somewhat refreshing to have, rather than learning a new thing every couple of minutes. If you’re looking for a new platform game to sink your teeth in, One Escape is a pretty good option.

Mechanicus is a great tactical turn-based game that offers some of the best uses of the characters and settings from the Warhammer universe to provide a deep and rewarding strategy loop that respects players' time and lets you play how you want. If you’re a fan of the Warhammer series or someone interested in getting into it without requiring too much effort, you could do a lot worse than Mechanicus, as it’s a strong turn-based tactic game that gives you a lot of control, a lot of content, and a lot of fun to be had as you enjoy the story and complex missions available here. If you’re not a strategy fan, this game’s quick mechanics and lack of cover system might make for the perfect opportunity to give the genre a shot.

Sixit offers a great amount of playability out of simple mechanics and the item-switching gameplay is a breath of fresh air in a genre mostly filled with gem-matching games. While it seems limited in its scope at first, once you unlock certain abilities, you will quickly be able to access and progress with an instant reward for clever planning. There are some things left to be desired with the control scheme, but it works for how the game is designed, for better or worse. The world and its story is interesting, the characters are charming and cute, and you’ll often get a chuckle out of what comes out of their oversized faces.

Dead Man’s Phone is a thrilling interactive “found phone” crime drama that goes beyond solving a mystery and tackles real-world issues we often struggle to face head-on. It’s completely free to download, so if you’ve got a strong internet connection and an even stronger sense of social justice, it’s definitely worth your time.

The Game of Life 2 is a fun version of the board game, with the addition of different maps, but ultimately it's still a lot of waiting around if you don't have friends.

V4 offers players a wealth of content, but little of it is compelling. A decent combat system and beautiful graphics aren't enough to overcome a bloated upgrade system, poor voice acting, and a generic gameplay experience.

Cyberika is a decent cyberpunk fantasy RPG, but it has some design flaws that keep it from greatness. While it’s amazing to have an experience like this on the go, you won’t find a sprawling MMO here, with very limited interactions between players. Gameplay can be engaging and fun, but most of what you’ll spend your time doing is driving back and forth between locations and clicking through seemingly endless dialogue boxes. It’ll provide you with an intriguing adventure if you’re a fan of the genre, but there’s not much here to convince you otherwise.