A sidescrolling brawler starring busty schoolgirl ninjas who take clothing damage. The game supposedly exists because the creator wanted to see breasts in 3D, and you should definitely steer clear if you don’t enjoy fanservice of the cheesecake variety. But the game is surprisingly well put-together and there’s a lot of other things to enjoy here. Combat is engaging if a bit repetitive, characters have surprising complexity and likeability, and although the story can be melodramatic it features a surprising amount of moral sophistication. And if you do enjoy cheesecake, there’s also plenty of that, including unlockable outfits and accessories with which you can dress up the girls.

I really, really want to like this game. (So much so that I bought it three times!) It’s got a distinctive and gorgeous watercolor art style, likeable characters in an anime alternate universe retelling of World War II, and a really cool hybrid of action RPG and turn-based tactical RPG. The first few hours are a blast, with missions that put you in complicated but understandable situations and demand you use your tools to triumph.

Structurally the same as its predecessor (a visual novel in which you investigate murders and then solve them in courtroom sequences) but with much improved writing - characters are more consistent, revelations are (usually) more interesting and more plausible, and atmospherics are put to better use. While respectful of the first game and its fans, it does poke fun at or brutally deconstruct some of the more cliche or implausible elements while paving over some plot holes. The mechanics unfortunately are even more bloated than in the first game. There are a couple of minor improvements (such as the removal of the completely unnecessary Re:Act system, and explicitly marking which courtroom arguments would be supported as opposed to refuted by your action) but rather than trimming the fat for a more pure and focused experience, even more minigames and systems to manage have been added. It doesn’t really add anything to have an in-game Tamagotchi, or to put courtroom questions behind a tube-racing minigame. Still, the result is a game that’s even more engaging than the first, and this time you’ll almost never be frustrated by the story or characters - just the mechanics.

A visual novel in which you play as one of several trapped high school students and investigate a series of murders and then solve them in an informal courtroom. It’s a hodgepodge of plot/characters/themes/mechanics that wears its influences on its sleeve - primary sources include Ace Attorney, Zero Escape, and a dash of Persona 4, though there are many other works that are referenced or stolen from and the game applies its own distinctive aesthetic on top. Some of the elements work and some don’t, and the overall result is both flashier and dumber than any of its influences, with many systems that seem designed to feel active but that don’t actually add any depth. It’s still quite engaging and there’s a lot to enjoy here, despite the occasional frustration from a plot hole, poorly-defined character, or badly-designed mechanic.

An RPG that brings Sonic the Hedgehog and friends into the world of turn-based battles, dungeon-diving, and dialog menus. The characterization is solid, with strong dialog that allows every personality to shine. If you like these characters, it might be enough to keep you going despite the game’s significant problems.

A rhythm game with a story mode that intersperses visual novel scenes starring the cast of Persona 4 plus a few new characters. It’s a satisfying spinoff with a competent story that avoids the pitfalls of other P4 spinoff games - established characters aren’t derailed and new characters aren’t spotlight-stealing Mary Sues. It’s enjoyable to spend time with the Investigation Team and friends again, revisit P4’s excellent soundtrack, and see each character’s personality-appropriate dance moves. For the Persona fan who enjoys rhythm games, it’s absolutely worth playing. Rhythm fans who aren’t also Persona fans would likely be better served by a Hatsune Miku game. The gameplay here is serviceable, but the tracklist and customization are a bit slim. Also, there’s a lot of pricey DLC despite the base game being expensive enough that it really feels like it should have been the complete package.

A 2D fighting game with a story mode that intersperses visual novel scenes starring the casts of Persona 3 and Persona 4 with a few new characters added in. The fighting game seems competent enough, but if you’re looking for more story with the Persona characters, you’re likely to be disappointed. Many characters are derailed, their individual arcs tend to be rehashes of their arcs from the mainline games, and you have to watch each one go through the same painfully-slow gradual understanding of their situation. Don’t bother with this unless you’re interested in it as a fighting game.

A JRPG that is equal parts dungeon crawler, murder mystery, and life sim. You experience a year in the life of an ordinary high school student in a small Japanese town with a lot of ways to spend your time between plot beats, including a variety of jobs to take, hobbies to pursue, and people to befriend. The game has incredible use of place and a lot of depth in character arcs, resulting in both the town and many of its inhabitants feeling alive. I’m more attached to this cast and setting than those of basically any other game.

A JRPG that is equal parts dungeon crawler, murder mystery, and life sim. You experience a year in the life of an ordinary high school student in a small Japanese town with a lot of ways to spend your time between plot beats, including a variety of jobs to take, hobbies to pursue, and people to befriend. The game has incredible use of place and a lot of depth in character arcs, resulting in both the town and many of its inhabitants feeling alive. I’m more attached to this cast and setting than those of basically any other game.

A relaxing rhythm game that uses your own mp3s. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel finished and the level of work put into the game is inconsistent. There are a ton of visualizers and for some reason even a mixer with which you can create your own tracks, but when browsing songs you can’t sort them or group them by album or artist. Song playback doesn’t work every time - some mp3s refuse to play while others cause lag. Gameplay also feels shallow - there are limited inputs and no real risk to manage, since you can’t fail a track. The game is still satisfying as essentially an interactive visualizer and I think it would have been great if it had been finished properly. If they had dropped the stupid mixer and put those resources elsewhere, that surely would have helped.

An Animal Crossing spin-off that plays like a standalone expansion - it’s an entire game based around a greatly improved version of the mainline games’ interior decoration mechanics. Villagers request homes in particular styles or moods, and occasionally you’re tasked with designing a public facility (such as a school) as well. It’s fun to play with the much more powerful design interface, even if content and mechanics are doled out slowly - you have to design several interiors before you gain the ability to design exteriors, for example. The game is also laced with the standard Animal Crossing warmth and charm, but it doesn’t lead up to anything - the Polygon review called it “shaping a world in which [the player is] never invited to live.” As such, I found it hard to want to stay with the game for long. I can’t help but feel I would have liked it so much more were it not standalone - if it tied in to Animal Crossing: New Leaf such that I could design homes for my neighbors and facilities for my town and then inhabit that larger, deeper world in all the small ways you do in mainline Animal Crossing.

Animal Crossing is a strange series. The sequels seem to be less about advancing the original formula and more about simply bringing the experience to a new system (hence there being exactly one mainline entry each on GameCube, Wii, DS, and 3DS). There are surface improvements along the way and New Leaf is certainly the best installment yet (it helps that handhelds are a natural home for this sort of play) but the core is unchanged. That’s fine from a comfort-food-gaming perspective - if you’ve played any previous Animal Crossing you’ll recognize the characters and know how to interact with the world. Your nostalgia will be fed and you won’t have to stretch your brain to learn radical new concepts or skills.

A life sim set in a small town with humanoid animals of various species (though for some reason, the player character is apparently human). In many ways it feels like an offline MMORPG with no combat. There’s even some asynchronous multiplayer as multiple players can move into the town and see each others’ houses and send each other mail. There’s no single overarching goal or win state; rather, the player can engage in various activities such as fishing or collecting insects, doing fetch-quest favors for villagers, donating to the local museum, saving up to buy house expansions, collecting furniture and outfits, and participating in various holiday events. There are also real-time day/night and seasonal cycles that affect what activities, townspeople, and fauna are available - which is actually pretty inconvenient, since shops are only open during certain hours and neighbors go to bed, meaning that a lot of the game is simply unavailable at night.

An action-RPG with dating sim elements and extensive customization options set in modern Akihabara. The premise is that a group of evil vampires who feed off of life force rather than blood have infiltrated the area, and you must fight to expose them - literally, by stripping their clothes off to inflict direct sunlight upon them. The combat is clunky, which is unfortunate since you’ll be doing a lot of it and the novelty of defeating the enemy by tearing off their outfits can only carry it so far. But the faithfulness of the game’s recreation of Akiba, along with the extensive variety in equippable weapons and clothing and the likable cast who are broadly painted but feature surprising emotional depth carry things much farther. If you like the idea of playing dress-up with your friends and stripping down your enemies in the otaku mecca, you’ll have a good time here.

A life sim set in a crossover Disney universe. Your Mii-based character moves into a town populated by Disney characters (and other Mii-like townsfolk) and explores connected worlds themed after particular Disney properties, undertaking quests and doing favors for beloved Disney characters. There’s a real-time day/night cycle, but it’s just cosmetic and doesn’t block off any of the game’s content. There’s a seasonal cycle too, with special holiday-themed events throughout the year.

A life sim set in a crossover Disney universe. Your Mii-based character moves into a town populated by Disney characters (and other Mii-like townsfolk) and explores connected worlds themed after particular Disney properties, undertaking quests and doing favors for beloved Disney characters. There’s a real-time day/night cycle, but it’s just cosmetic and doesn’t block off any of the game’s content. There’s a seasonal cycle too, with special holiday-themed events throughout the year.

A comedic and kid-friendly old-school point-and-click adventure. Puzzles are based around a potion system - to advance past most roadblocks, you need to follow a recipe from your spellbook to make a specific potion. There are often red herrings in the form of some-but-not-all of the ingredients for a potion you don’t yet need to make (though your inventory is emptied between chapters to prevent you from hoarding these). There is also narrative use of this mechanical structure - including a potion you can never make but which environmental clues suggest someone else did.

A game with alternating visual novel segments (where the plot is advanced as you interact with the other characters and sometimes make dialog choices) and escape-the-room puzzle segments.

Unlike the first two games, you play as a few different members of a group of nine people who’ve been imprisoned and forced to play “the decision game” - sometimes there’s a way out without killing anyone and sometimes there isn’t. Your goal is usually to escape with your life as well as solve the mystery of who abducted you and why - and which of your fellow abductees can be trusted.

A game with alternating visual novel segments (where the plot is advanced as you interact with the other characters and sometimes make dialog choices) and escape-the-room puzzle segments.

You’re an ordinary college student who gets abducted and wakes up imprisoned with eight other abductees, and together you are forced to play “the nonary game” - you must work together to solve puzzles in order to progress through your prison to an ultimate promised escape. However, if you break any of the nonary game’s rules, you will be killed, and the nonary game is structured such that its players can screw each other over and get them killed - leading some to try to defend themselves pre-emptively. Your goal is to escape with your life as well as solve the mystery of who abducted you and why - and which of your fellow abductees can be trusted.

A game with alternating visual novel segments (where the plot is advanced as you interact with the other characters and sometimes make dialog choices) and escape-the-room puzzle segments.

You’re an ordinary college student who gets abducted and wakes up imprisoned with eight other abductees, and together you are forced to play “the nonary game” - you must work together to solve puzzles in order to progress through your prison to an ultimate promised escape. However, if you break any of the nonary game’s rules, you will be killed, and the nonary game is structured such that its players can screw each other over and get them killed - leading some to try to defend themselves pre-emptively. Your goal is to escape with your life as well as solve the mystery of who abducted you and why - and which of your fellow abductees can be trusted.