Cherise Papa
Cherise Papa is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for writing novels and playing games. With a thirst for lore and massive damage, she heals raids, conquers civilizations, smashes things with two-handed weapons, tames dinosaurs, and eats other snakes. Accompanied by her husband and gamer toddlers, she explores new worlds and logs too many hours on Steam. Her gaming drink of choice is rich hot chocolate with peppermint candy canes, mint chocolate chip ice cream, or handfuls of marshmallows.
Overland Review
The strategy in Overland is fun, but the lack of an RPG element, limited movement functions, and a confusing interface for action points and item usage can make the title frustrating.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy Review
A wonderful remastered version of the original Spyro games that keeps true to the original gameplay. The graphics are amazing, and despite some loading glitches, it provides many hours of fun.
Cities: Skylines - Campus Review
The Cities: Skylines - Campus expansion adds a new level of gameplay to the popular simulation game by adding more in-depth universities, trade schools, and liberal arts colleges that you can customize, micromanage, and compete with.
Abrakadaboom Early Access Review
Abrakadaboom is a good game if you enjoy the genre, but there is some work to be smoothed out during the Early Access phase.
Sid Meier's Civilization® VI: Gathering Storm Review
Bringing a new level of complexity and strategy with it, Gathering Storm forces you to participate in diplomacy in later eras and offers new ways to succeed with certain play styles.
Taco Gun Review
With fun maps, music, and game-changing settings, Taco Gun is enjoyable each time you play, whether you’re new to the game or have played numerous rounds against your friends. If you like local PvP games, this one is worth adding to your collection.
39 Days to Mars Review
This light-hearted puzzle adventure is one you can enjoy with a friend. It has unique graphics, a fun storyline, and decent replayability. If you like two-player titles or solving puzzles, then 39 Days to Mars is worth playing.
Battery Jam Early Access Review
Battery Jam is a competitive, local multiplayer title where you battle each other on a simple map to claim more tiles than your opponent(s). This is a great option in the genre. It’s simple, fun, and can be played in short periods of time. As long as you have controllers that are compatible with Battery Jam, it runs smoothly, without glitches.
Genetic Disaster Review
Genetic Disaster is a great action-packed multiplayer that generates enough maps and monsters to keep you and your friends entertained as you accidentally kill each other. You can play as single player, but with its strategic depth the real fun comes from players battling it out.
Medieval Kingdom Wars Early Access
Medieval Kingdom Wars is a live action RTS with a heavy emphasis on siege battles. Despite added features it feels like a reskinned Medieval Total War 2, although the developers promise a new look at the RTS genre. In their defense, they have been great at updating Medieval Kingdom Wars and incorporating player suggestions, so it’s worth keeping an eye on as it continues through early access before its full release in mid 2018.
Assassin's Creed Origins Review
Assassin’s Creed: Origins is an exciting addition to the Assassin’s Creed legacy, featuring new brotherhood lore and intriguing RPG elements. Crafting and a skills tree promises character customization beyond that in previous Assassin’s Creed titles, while underwater exploration and mounted combat give you fresh ways to play and interact with enemies and an expansive map. If you like assassinating people with primitive weapons, Origins is for you.
Tracks - The Train Set Game Early Access Review
Tracks: The Train Set Game Early Access scratches the itch to build wooden tracks and trains as an adult, without you having to buy the wooden pieces. Tracks, developed by Whoop Group, is a wooden train tracks simulation with several modes of gameplay and challenges. With the ability to design your railroad in either an open environment or a modeled room of an apartment, you can build and place the tracks however you want. There is a variety of track pieces, stations, and decorations that allow you to be free with your creativity. After you finish building, you can drive your train around and experience your creation.
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 Review
The Jackbox Party Pack 4 includes six (well, five and a half) new Jackbox party titles for a quick laugh with a lot of friends or family. The different titles included can be fun, and if your friends and family are crazy, they can be a blast; enjoyment really falls down how rowdy you’re willing to be.
Is Early Access Worth It?
Early access games give developers and players a unique relationship as a game goes through early-to-final development stages. As a player, you don’t have to be among the select few for the game’s alpha and beta phases; you can play immediately and experience a new perspective as the developers continue to build and improve the game based on your feedback.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar Review
Battle Chasers: Nightwar combines the classic turn-based RPG with action-RPG elements. This fun twist to the traditional RPG divisions enhances gameplay, strategy, and character customization. Despite a slow start, this title surely becomes more engaging and a quick favorite for RPG enthusiasts.
Mages of Mystralia Review
Mages of Mystralia is for gamers looking for more than hack-and-slash action RPGs. It has a unique magic crafting system, puzzles, and challenges that compel you to play more, unlock more spell customization options, and grow stronger. Designed for the Steam Controller, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, you’ll master your magic and empower your destiny as you save the world of magic users.
The Onion Knights - Definitive Edition Review
Once you figure out how to upgrade your heroes, customize your knights’ spells, spend gold and gems, and place puzzle pieces, Onion Knights is addicting. The Stage rounds (Easy and Hard) are short, so you can play a few rounds if you only have a small pocket of time for games. However, it’s easy to play round after round as you try to level yourself, earn enough gold for knight upgrades, and obtain the gems to buy more hero cards to upgrade your favorite hero, and progress far enough to beat the Hard Stage map. Gameplay is easy to understand but is more challenging as you progress through the map as Curry enemies get stronger and there are more waves to survive through — typical of the genre.