Here’s the games I have reviewed so far on the Nintendo Switch in each genre, from best to worst. Note: If multiple games have the same score, they will be sorted alphabetically.

1. Music-Rhythm
2. Stealth
3. FMV Games
4. Idle Games
5. Educational Games
6. Art Application
7. Music Creation Application
8. Content Creation Application
9. Video Application
10. Application (Misc.)
11. Misc Games

Music-Rhythm

Game	Genre	Grade
Crypt of the Necrodancer: Nintendo Switch Edition	Top-Down Roguelike / Music-Rhythm	A
tl;dr Crypt of the Necrodancer: Nintendo Switch Edition is a phenomenal mash-up of the Roguelike and Music-Rhythm genres with a great soundtrack and game design that makes it all too tempting to dance your way back into the dungeon for another punishing attempt at getting just a little farther.
Cytus α	Music-Rhythm	A
tl;dr Cytus α is a Music-Rhythm game in the vein of Elite Beat Agents and Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, where players are touching notes on the touchscreen in time with a scrolling metronome-like bar. However, while this game was clearly meant for touchscreen, the controls on a traditional controller are surprisingly good as well. This game has issues with an overly-high challenge level, deserted online servers, confusing menus, and frustrating progression that makes you play to unlock the game’s 200 varied songs, but that hardly matters since the game is so very fun to play. This is a must-have for Music-Rhythm fans on the Switch.
Deemo	Music-Rhythm	A
tl;dr Deemo is a wonderful Music-Rhythm game with gameplay that recreates in abstract the feeling of playing a piano. It has a huge selection of music, a good number of options, and some absolutely gorgeous artwork, although the gameplay itself is unfortunately visually bland. While you can play Deemo fine in docked mode, this is a game that’s really designed for handheld play, which may limit its appeal. But if you enjoy Music-Rhythm games, this game is a must-have.
Voez	Music-Rhythm	A
tl;dr Voez is an absolutely joyous Music-Rhythm game, with fun and simple gameplay, and a wide variety of music. While you can play it fine in docked mode, this is a game that’s really designed for handheld play, which may limit its appeal, but if you enjoy Music-Rhythm games, you owe it to yourself to try this one.
Aaero: Complete Edition	Music-Rhythm / On-Rails Shooter	A-
tl;dr Aaero is a Music-Rhythm game with On-Rails Shooter elements that plays like a more musical version of Rez, with elements of other music-rhythm games added in, ultimately making this game stand alone as a fairly unique entry in the genre. It could do with a bit more content and a few other minor adjustments, but overall this is a fantastic Music-Rhythm game that genre fans should not miss out on.
AVICII Invector	Music-Rhythm	A-
tl;dr AVICII Invector is a Music-Rhythm game that has you moving down a rotating corridor in a spaceship and hitting notes in time with the late artist’s music. This game has fantastic graphics and a great soundtrack, and while there are areas here and there that could do with some tweaking, overall this is a must-have game for Music-Rhythm fans.
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda	Top-Down Roguelike / Music-Rhythm	A-
tl;dr Cadence of Hyrule does an excellent job combining the gameplay of Crypt of the Necrodancer and The Legend of Zelda, and pairing it with an excellent soundtrack… although not without a few issues cropping up here and there. On the whole, it’s still a solid game fans of both series should enjoy.
Deemo -Reborn-	Music-Rhythm / Graphic Adventure	A-
tl;dr Deemo Reborn is a re-imagining of the original Deemo that takes the piano-focused Music-Rhythm gameplay of the original, improves the graphics, and adds new Graphic Adventure elements. The graphics are definitely an improvement here, and both the Music-Rhythm and Graphic Adventure gameplay is top-notch, but the two gameplay styles don’t work all that well together, and the much smaller track list compared to the original Deemo means that even though this is still a great game, it doesn’t quite measure up to its predecessor.
Kamitsubaki City Ensemble	Music-Rhythm	A-
tl;dr Kamitsubaki City Ensemble is a Music-Rhythm game that has some rough spots here and there and a soundtrack of exclusively Vocaloid music that won’t be for everyone, but it features solid lane-based gameplay (with superb optional touchscreen controls) and a whopping 48 songs for only $4. If you enjoy Music-Rhythm games and don’t hate Vocaloid music, this is an absolute no-brainer at that price given the massive value present here.
Melatonin	Music-Rhythm	A-
tl;dr Melatonin is a family-friendly Music-Rhythm game that takes the basic gameplay idea of Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven series and adapts it to this game’s dream-inspired levels with a wonderful pastel presentation and bizarre dream logic. Not only does this game feature great gameplay comparable to its inspiration, it actually builds on it with clever ways to shake up that gameplay. I do have a few minor complaints, but overall I think this is a must-have game for Music-Rhythm fans.
Soundfall	Top-Down Action-RPG / Music-Rhythm	A-
tl;dr Soundfall is a game that combines Action-RPG and Music-Rhythm elements, where players fight off hordes of enemies and hunt for loot while timing their attacks to the beat of a massive, varied, and overall excellent soundtrack. Some elements of the gameplay and presentation can get a tad repetitive, and there are a few tweaks I would have preferred, but overall this is a truly excellent game well worth playing.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line	Music-Rhythm	A-
tl;dr Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is the latest game in Square Enix’s self-celebratory family-friendly Music-Rhythm series, and it outdoes itself with an absolutely enormous list of great songs from throughout its history, with excellent gameplay that’s pretty accessible (though it sadly doesn’t have touchscreen support). The RPG elements here still seem unnecessary and superfluous, and there are a few other minor complaints, but overall this game should be considered an absolute must-have for Music-Rhythm fans.
Thumper	Music-Rhythm	A-
tl;dr Thumper is a music-rhythm game that’s nothing like other games in the genre, making it into a simple but compelling high-speed race into dark, hostile territory with an aggressive thumping soundtrack and visuals ripped from heavy metal album covers.
Bit.Trip Collection	Compilation / Music-Rhythm / Arcade	B+
tl;dr Bit.Trip Collection is a Compilation that includes Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Core, Bit.Trip Void, Bit.Trip Runner, Bit.Trip Fate, and Bit.Trip Flux. All of the games here are at least okay, with about half of them actually being genuinely good. However, at the extremely generous price of $10, this package is an absolute steal. Even if you’re only getting it for half of the games, it’s still better to get the whole package than to buy the games separately. This is definitely a great choice for anyone who enjoys simple Arcade-style games and Music-Rhythm games in particular.
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix	Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Hatsune Miku Project DIVA Mega Mix is a Music-Rhythm game with a collection of over 100 songs from throughout the franchise, with a fantastic presentation, loads of unlockable content, and good (but challenging) gameplay. It’s not quite on the same level as some of the best offerings on the Nintendo Switch, and there’s not much variety in the music (just highly-synthesized “vocaloid” J-Pop), but overall this is still a superb entry in the genre.
Jack Jeanne	Visual Novel / Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Jack Jeanne is an otome-style Visual Novel with time management and Music-Rhythm elements that puts players in the role of a young girl posing as a boy to enter a prestigious all-male performing arts school. The writing here is excellent, the visuals are gorgeous, and the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, though the game does have a few issues that drag it down a bit, such as slow pacing. However, fans of Visual Novels games should still absolutely get their hands on this game.
Just Shapes & Beats	Bullet Hell Shmup / Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Just Shapes & Beats is a Bullet Hell Shmup where you can’t shoot, you can only dodge as the screen throws all manner of obstacles at you to the beat of some amazing music. It’s a difficult, punishing game, but if you fancy a challenge, this game is well worth a look.
Lanota	Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Lanota is a touchscreen-only Music-Rhythm game that has players tapping out notes as they come towards the screen from within a large circle that dances around the screen. The music here is excellent, and the gameplay is fun and inventive, though occasionally it crosses over from “devious” to “okay, that was just plain unfair”. Still though, this is a must-have game for fans of music-rhythm games who play their Switch in portable mode.
Musynx	Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Musynx is a Music-Rhythm game that has you pressing buttons or tapping the touchscreen in time with the beat as notes fall down columns like in Guitar Hero. Once you fiddle with the game settings, this is a solid Music-Rhythm game, though it doesn’t do anything especially new and it never quite reaches the heights of Deemo and Voez, thanks in part to an uneven track selection and presentation. Still worth a look for fans of the genre, though.
Pianista	Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Pianista is a family-friendly Music-Rhythm game that has players playing solo piano themes based on the abridged works of legendary classical artists. This means the song list is much more recognizable than what was in the similar game Deemo, but that song list is also much shorter, and the Nintendo Switch version of Pianista unfortunately lacks Deemo’s great touchscreen gameplay. However, this is still absolutely worth picking up for Music-Rhythm fans on Nintendo Switch.
Samba De Amigo: Party Central	Music-Rhythm / Exercise	B+
tl;dr Samba De Amigo: Party Central is a Music-Rhythm game with Exercise Game elements has players shaking the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons like maracas. The controls are a bit sloppy and lacking in precision, but they work well enough, and otherwise this is a truly joyous game with great music, great style, and fun gameplay that will have you sweating it out as you dance. Music-Rhythm fans with a Nintendo Switch will definitely want to grab this one.
Sixtar Gate: Startrail	Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Sixtar Gate is a Music-Rhythm game that has players tapping buttons in time with notes falling down on lanes, with the number of lanes growing and shrinking as you play. It’s a challenging entry in the genre, and this along with its energetic presentation and its Asian-centric soundtrack might not appeal to everyone. However, there’s a huge wealth of content and options here, and the gameplay is clever and enjoyable for those who seek a challenge. If that sounds like you, this is definitely a game you’ll want to try.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘N’ Fun	Music-Rhythm	B+
tl;dr Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘N’ Fun is the first Nintendo Switch entry in Namco’s family-friendly Japanese taiko drumming Music-Rhythm game series. Be warned that if you don’t by the taiko drum accessory, the motion controls are terrible, and the gamepad controls lack a soul, but the touchscreen controls are excellent and the “Party Game” mode makes for great gameplay in the same vein as Rhythm Heaven. This game’s cutesy, Japanesey presentation won’t be for everyone, but if you can work around its flaws, Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘N’ Fun is a solid addition to your Nintendo Switch Music-Rhythm library.
Bit.Trip Runner	Auto-Runner / Music-Rhythm	B
tl;dr Bit.Trip Runner is an Auto-Runner that incorporates Music-Rhythm elements for a wonderful audiovisual experience that compels you to keep trying even after failing. Which you will do repeatedly, as this game is unforgiving of mistakes. The high challenge level may put off some players, but this game is nevertheless one of the highlights of its genre, even still to this day.
Everhood	Music-Rhythm	B
tl;dr Everhood is a Music-Rhythm game that looks like an odd combination of Undertale and Guitar Hero and only gets weirder from there. The gameplay here has players avoiding notes on the Guitar Hero-esque tracks, and while that gameplay doesn’t feel quite as compelling as hitting the notes, it’s still enjoyable, and the presentation here is so good, and so creative, it makes this a truly memorable experience well worth having regardless, especially if you’re a fan of Music-Rhythm games or Undertale.
Fuser	Music-Rhythm	B
tl;dr Fuser is a Music-Rhythm game that has you mixing the instruments from various tracks to create your own custom songs. It’s fun and makes for some amazing-sounding music, but the detached gameplay and lacking controls make this an underwhelming experience as a game. Nintendo Switch owners looking for a sort-of “deejay for dummies” software may find this to be an amazing experience, but fans of Music-Rhythm games will likely find it lacking.
Groove Coaster Future Performers	Music-Rhythm	B
tl;dr Groove Coaster Future Performers takes the distracting visuals of the prior game and pairs them with Music-Rhythm gameplay that features a few nice additions, making for a better game overall, though still one that’s not going to appeal to everyone. Still, if you enjoy Music-Rhythm, this is definitely worth a look.
Inside My Radio	Platformer / Music-Rhythm	B
tl;dr Inside My Radio is a Platformer where every action you take has to fit the game’s beats. This works pretty well, thanks in part to a great soundtrack and colorful presentation, but it’s not especially deep and the story bogs down the experience somewhat.
Patapon 1+2 Replay	Compilation / Music-Rhythm / Real-Time Strategy	B
tl;dr Patapon 1+2 Replay is a solid remaster of two classic PlayStation Portable games that blend Music-Rhythm gameplay with Real-Time Strategy and some RPG elements. While both the games and the collection have their issues, this is overall well worth a look both for those who’ve never played these games and for those looking to replay them again, and the Nintendo Switch version even has exclusive local wireless multiplayer. Overall this is a good Compilation worth checking out.
Robobeat	First-Person Shooter / Roguelike / Music-Rhythm	B
tl;dr Robobeat combines First-Person Shooter, Roguelike, and Music-Rhythm elements in gameplay that has to blasting away enemies in time with the beat. The gameplay can get a bit too hectic with a lot going on at once, and the Roguelike elements could stand to be more pronounced, but despite these issues the core gameplay remains enjoyable, and a nice change of pace for all of this game’s individual genres.
Super Crazy Rhythm Castle	Music-Rhythm / Party Game	B
tl;dr Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is a game that combines family-friendly Music-Rhythm gameplay with a variety of wacky and unpredictable Party Game elements to create something that aims to subvert the norms of the genre. The creativity and unpredictable nature of the game is delightful, but while it often creates fantastic gameplay, it also frequently becomes tedious or annoying, especially if you wanted to play a more traditional Music-Rhythm game. As such, this game won’t be for everyone, but those looking for something different will likely get a kick out of it.
A Musical Story	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr A Musical Story is a Music-Rhythm game that uses the genre in a non-traditional way to tell a story about a guitarist aiming for stardom. The audiovisual presentation here is outstanding, but the game’s price seems a bit much given its length, and the lack of visual indicators makes the gameplay really frustrating on song sections that don’t have a good beat. Still, even with these issues, this is a game that fans of the genre will likely want to check out due to how unique it is.
Bit.Trip Void	Bullet Hell Shmup / Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Bit.Trip Void is a game that combines elements of Bullet Hell Shmups, Music-Rhythm games, and even a little Katamari Damacy to make for simple gameplay that’s compelling and works well with the game’s hypnotic presentation. There are definitely areas where this game could be improved, but it is overall an excellent title well worth checking out.
Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku	Boxing / Sports (Exercise) / Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku combines the boxing-focused Exercise Application with the “Vocaloid” character and her friends, along with a soundtrack filled with Hatsune Miku’s music. And unlike the usual for the Fitness Boxing franchise, this time it’s not just voiceless covers, but the actual music. This fact puts this collaboration well above any of the other games in the Fitness Boxing series thus far, even if this is still more of an Exercise Application than an actual game – if you’re looking for something more like a game, you’re still better off with Ring Fit Adventure or Samba De Amigo: Party Central.
Frederic: Resurrection of Music	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Frederic: Resurrection of Music is a Music-Rhythm game that combines Guitar Hero-style “hit notes falling down the path” gameplay with a Gitaroo-Man-style silly story and nice remixes of Chopin’s classical tunes. It’s a bit short on content and the game’s controls are a bit awkward, but it’s still worth a look for music-rhythm fans.
Frederic 2: Evil Strikes Back	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Frederic 2, like the first game, is a Music-Rhythm game that combines Guitar Hero-style “hit notes falling down the path” gameplay with a Gitaroo-Man-style silly story and nice remixes of Chopin’s classical tunes. This one is even shorter than the first game and the game’s controls are still a bit awkward, but if you liked the first game, this is… well, more of that.
Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party!!!!	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Groove Coaster is a Music-Rhythm game where players play notes as their cursor crosses them on a line that’s constantly shifting and moving. The core gameplay here is decent, but the game keeps doing things seemingly designed to push players out of the groove rather than bringing them into it, such as its distracting presentation. Also, the music lacks variety. This is still a decent Music-Rhythm game, but it’s still a far cry from the best that the Nintendo Switch has to offer.
Lyrica	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Lyrica is a music-rhythm game that copies the Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan formula, albeit not perfectly, and uses it to explore Chinese music, history, culture, and poetry. It’s not for everyone, but if the topic matter sounds of interest to you, this will definitely be worth a look
Lyrica2 Stars Align	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Lyrica2 is a Music-Rhythm game that, like its predecessor, combines themes of Chinese history and poetry with gameplay that follows the Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan formula. What’s here is mostly decent, but it’s extremely niche due to its theme and high challenge level requiring a lot of multitasking with both hands. This game will absolutely not be for everyone, but if you’re enticed by its themes and not scared by a challenge, you may enjoy this.
Rift of the NecroDancer	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Rift of the NecroDancer is a Music-Rhythm game and spin-off of Crypt of the NecroDancer that ditches the Roguelike elements in favor of a standard Music-Rhythm game with Guitar Hero-like lanes, but instead of hitting notes, you’re hitting enemies, and this is both this game’s best feature and its worst – it truly sets the game apart, but it also forces players to memorize a variety of baddies and recall them on the spot. The result just doesn’t seem conducive to a great Music-Rhythm game, but fans of the franchise may still enjoy it.
Songbird Symphony	Platformer / Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Songbird Symphony is a family-friendly Platformer with strong Music-Rhythm elements, with a story that follows a young bird searching for his parents. This game is absolutely adorable, and loaded with charm, but it’s not very difficult. Younger players may find this to be a delight, but more experienced gamers are likely to find this to be little more than a brief distraction.
Superbeat: Xonic	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Superbeat: Xonic is a Music-Rhythm game that gets the music part right with a great presentation and a good mix of music. However, the controls are overly complex which make this game way harder to enjoy than it should be.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival is the fourth Nintendo Switch entry in Namco’s family-friendly Japanese taiko drumming Music-Rhythm game series. Once again, this game was designed for the proprietary taiko drum accessory, the Joy-Con motion controls are terrible, the traditional gamepad controls are good but seem a tad bland, and the touchscreen controls are secretly the best way to play this game. And once again, the cutesy, Japanesey presentation won’t be for everyone, but otherwise the gameplay is great. However, it’s hard to be enthusiastic about this game when Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘N’ Fun! did this formula better on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, and is still the best game in the series on this platform. This is still a good game, but it feels like it’s lacking important features compared to Drum ‘N’ Fun!, and I think most players are better off going for that game instead.
Trombone Champ	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Trombone Champ is a family-friendly Music Rhythm game where players try to not only time the notes of their music, but use one of a selection of control schemes (including pretty good motion controls) to ensure it comes out at the right pitch as well. Or more frequently, to attempt that and fail, creating a discordant cacophony that is nevertheless still a delight due to just how silly everything, a silliness this game leans into hard. This isn’t a game you’re likely to play for long stretches of time, but you may want to play it with friends in a party setting, if only to see how ridiculously bad the music gets with everyone performing together. For that reason, this game is well worth trying out.
Vectronom	Music-Rhythm	B-
tl;dr Vectronom is a Music-Rhythm game where players must learn how the stage moves with the beat and then move through the stage accordingly. It’s too simple for its $10 price tag, but it’s an enjoyable distraction if you can get it on sale.
A Ch’ti Bundle	Puzzle-Platformer / Platformer / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr This bundle contains Ethan: Meteor Hunter and Inside My Radio. Ethan: Meteor Hunter is a mediocre Puzzle-Platformer, but Inside My Radio is a decent Platformer with Music-Rhythm elements. However, since you can get Inside My Radio separately, you’re probably better off just doing that.
Akihabara – Feel the Rhythm Remixed	Match-4 Falling Block Puzzle / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Akihabara – Feel the Rhythm Remixed is a Match-4 Falling Block Puzzle game that seems directly inspired by Lumines, albeit with more prominent Music-Rhythm elements. Unfortunately, those Music-Rhythm elements are poorly implemented, and the multitasking it requires of players makes the Puzzle gameplay less compelling while failing to bring the game the challenge it sorely lacks. This is still a decent Puzzle game, but it’s hard to see why you’d bother with it when you can just play Lumines Remastered instead.
Bit.Trip Beat	Arcade / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Bit.Trip Beat is an Arcade-style game that combines elements of Pong, Music-Rhythm games, and motion control. It’s this last element that will make this a game that not everyone will enjoy, as these controls take some getting used to. However, if you can get used to these controls, you may find elements to this game that make it worthwhile.
Bit.Trip Flux	Arcade / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr A direct follow-up to Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Flux has some of the same good and bad qualities. It is an Arcade-style game that combines elements of Pong, Music-Rhythm games, and motion control. It’s this last element that will make this a game that not everyone will enjoy, as these controls take some getting used to. However, if you can get used to these controls, you may find elements to this game that make it worthwhile.
Everhood 2	Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Everhood 2 is a Music-Rhythm game that plays much like the latter half of its predecessor right off the bat, which is a plus. However, otherwise this game seems like a mess with various elements that are poorly-considered, like taking the freaky elements that were a highlight of the first game and overdoing them to the point where they cease to be special. Add to this a soundtrack that, while good, just can’t stack up to the original game, and Everhood 2 is a disappointing sequel, although it’s still enjoyable despite its issues.
Fitness Boxing	Boxing / Sports (Exercise) / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Fitness Boxing is an Exercise game that has players using the motion controls of the Joy-Cons to deliver different types of punches in time with the beat of the music. This game is plagued with problems – it’s overpriced, the soundtrack is too small and too low in quality, the motion controls are terrible, and the game has zero interest in being an actual game. Yet despite all of these problems, it somehow still manages to deliver an entertaining experience and a good workout. If you’re looking for a decent exercise game on the Switch other than Ring Fit Adventure, this one does a decent job of it, despite its many, many flaws.
Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm & Exercise	Boxing / Sports (Exercise) / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Fitness Boxing 2, like the first game, is an Exercise game that has players using the motion controls of the Joy-Cons to deliver different types of punches in time with the beat of the music. And like the first game, this game is plagued with problems – it’s overpriced, the soundtrack is too small and too low in quality, the motion controls are terrible, and the game has zero interest in being an actual game. Yet despite all of these problems, it somehow still manages to deliver an entertaining experience and a good workout. This sequel is only a marginal improvement over the first game, and Ring Fit is still the best Exercise game on the Switch right now, but those looking for a routine workout regimen still may find some use out of this.
Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer	Boxing / Sports (Exercise) / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Fitness Boxing 3 is the fifth entry in the Fitness Boxing series of Exercise Applications, and it is no closer to being a fun game than it was when the series started. In fact, in some ways this game is a step backward from Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku, since it returns to using crappy wordless synthesized covers of songs instead of actual music, and the new features and changes here don’t make up for that cheapskate move in a $50 game. Plus, it’s still hard to recommend these titles when actually enjoyable Exercise games like Ring Fit Adventure and Samba De Amigo: Party Central exist. I suggest getting one of those instead.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory	Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a Music-Rhythm game exploring the music of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Unfortunately, players are forced to play through far too much of the series’ less-noteworthy tunes to get to its better music, and the gameplay itself often doesn’t properly convey the information the player needs to anticipate the timing of coming notes they need to hit. This is still probably worth a look if you’re a major Kingdom Hearts fan, but this is nowhere near as successful as Square Enix’s Theatrhythm series.
Mad Rat Dead	Platformer / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Mad Rat Dead is a Platformer with Music-Rhythm elements that has you playing a dissected lab rat brought back from the dead to get revenge on the human who killed him. This would be a bog-standard Platformer if it wasn’t for the Music-Rhythm elements, which definitely add something interesting to the game, but it still feels like it’s lacking something truly compelling.
QQQbeats!!!	Match-3 Puzzle / Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr QQQbeats!!! looks to combine Puzzle Bobble-style Match-3 Puzzle gameplay with Music-Rhythm gameplay elements, and while it has a fun concept and a good presentation, it falls short due to its undercooked Music-Rhythm gameplay and its confusing Puzzle gameplay elements. I still think some players will enjoy this, but it doesn’t live up to the potential of its concept.
Tadpole Treble Encore	Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Tadpole Treble Encore is a family-friendly Music-Rhythm game where players guide a tadpole through stages laid out like a music sheet, avoiding obstacles and collecting pickups. It’s decent but nothing particularly special, save for the song/stage builder. Younger Music-Rhythm fans may enjoy this, but most will probably find it less engaging than some other games on the Nintendo Switch.
Terrorhythm (TRRT)	Music-Rhythm	C+
tl;dr Terrorhythm is a Music-Rhythm game that plays like One Finger Death Punch with a beat. That’s an amazing idea, but unfortunately the game doesn’t convey well enough just what that beat is, and the uninteresting and repetitive music doesn’t always make it any clearer. The result is a disappointing game that feels like a missed opportunity.
Bit.Trip Core	Arcade / Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Bit.Trip Core is an Arcade-style game that has you firing at dots in one of four directions in time with a beat. Despite its simplicity, this game is deceptively difficult, and its presentation isn’t as appealing as some of the other games in the series. As a result, this is a game I’d argue only fans of the Bit.Trip series should get.
Drum Box	Music Creation Application / Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Drum Box is a game that combines Music-Rhythm elements as well as being an Application that simulates playing a drum. Unfortunately, it does neither of these things particularly well – there’s not a good variety of songs and no licensed music for the Music-Rhythm elements and the simulation elements mess with the Music-Rhythm gameplay, and this doesn’t succeed as an Application to simulate a drum set because you can’t use the touchscreen. The result is a game that tries multiple things, but doesn’t truly succeed at any of them.
Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star	Boxing / Sports (Exercise) / Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star combines the boxing-focused Exercise Application with the classic (and let’s be honest, woefully dated) anime franchise, but does absolutely nothing to capitalize on this license, delivering the same tired gameplay, with music that’s far less enjoyable to exercise to. Unless you’re a major fan of the show, you’re better off with any of the other Fitness Boxing games, or ideally Ring Fit Adventure.
Floor Kids	Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Floor Kids is a Music-Rhythm game where players take the role of a competitor in a dance competition. The gameplay here combines Music-Rhythm elements with a Tony Hawk-style trick system, but doesn’t do enough to differentiate between the different types of dance moves. This combined with the boring soundtrack makes Floor Kids a far more bland experience than it should be given its inspired concept.
Headbangers: Rhythm Royale	Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Headbangers is a Music-Rhythm game that combines the simple gameplay of Rhythm Heaven with the “battle royale” structure of games like Fall Guys. Unfortunately, the multiplayer focus really hurts this game now that its online lobbies are deserted. With this being the case, players are better off getting their Music-Rhythm fix elsewhere.
Just Dance 2021	Music-Rhythm / Sports (Exercise)	C
tl;dr Just Dance 2021 is a game that uses the Joy-Con’s gyroscopic motion-sensing controls (or your own phone’s gyroscopic motion-sensor) to have players imitate dance moves. The motion detection is not great, the options are lacking, and the way the game tries to shove its paid Just Dance Unlimited service down players’ throats is really disgusting. Dancing enthusiasts who like this game’s tracklist may find it enjoyable, but with these flaws it’s not a game I can give a high recommendation.
Just Dance 2022	Music-Rhythm / Sports (Exercise)	C
tl;dr Just Dance 2022 is a game that uses the Joy-Con’s gyroscopic motion-sensing controls (or your own phone’s gyroscopic motion-sensor) to have players imitate dance moves. The motion detection is not great, the options are lacking, and the way the game tries to shove its paid Just Dance Unlimited service down players’ throats is really disgusting. Dancing enthusiasts who like this game’s tracklist may find it enjoyable, but with these flaws it’s not a game I can give a high recommendation.
Kovox Pitch	Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Kovox Pitch is a Music-Rhythm game where players take the role of a kid hitting baseballs shot from a pitch machine, all to Russian post-punk music. It’s an odd idea, but at its core it works – the music is great and the gameplay is good. Unfortunately, the gameplay and visuals are far too monotonous, and the lack of control options is a pretty disappointing unforced error. As a result, what could have been a great Music-Rhythm game is only okay.
LOUD	Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr LOUD is a Music-Rhythm game following the story of a young girl as she becomes a musician. The core gameplay here is decent but not particularly noteworthy, the music is okay but unmemorable, and the game’s focus on story doesn’t seem to realize that it just doesn’t have much of a story to tell. This isn’t a bad game, but it’s a largely forgettable one.
Neon Drive	Music-Rhythm / Arcade Racing	C
tl;dr Neon Drive is a Music-Rhythm game with Arcade Racing elements that has players driving a car on an abstract 80s-inspired freeway avoiding obstacles. The presentation here is phenomenal, with stunning neon-soaked visuals and a delightful electronica soundtrack. Unfortunately, the difficulty curve spikes so hard and so early that only the most skilled and masochistic Music-Rhythm players will enjoy it. If you love the 80s aesthetic and enjoy an intense challenge, this game is a must-have for you. Otherwise, you’re better off watching videos of the game being played and saving yourself from the frustration.
Old School Musical	Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Old School Musical is a Music-Rhythm game that delivers generic gameplay over levels that look like classic videogames. The music is just okay, the gameplay is nothing special, and the one thing that really stands out is the presentation, which doesn’t really have much to do with the rest of the game. This feels like a missed opportunity.
Road to Ballhalla	Maze Game / Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Road to Ballhalla is a Ball-Rolling Maze Game with Music-Rhythm elements. It’s decent, but doesn’t do anything particularly noteworthy, and is devoid of personality.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 1	Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 1 is a family-friendly Music-Rhythm game that takes the core gameplay of the prior game in the series, Drum ‘N’ Fun!, and strips away some of that game’s best features in favor of an awful new RPG-style Story Mode. The gameplay is still terrible unless you’re using the taiko drum accessory of the handheld mode’s touchscreen, and while the gameplay is still fun and the 53 song setlist is a decent value for the price, there’s little reason to get this game when Drum ‘N’ Fun! is far superior.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 2	Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 2 is a family-friendly Music-Rhythm game that takes the core gameplay of the prior game in the series, Drum ‘N’ Fun!, and strips away some of that game’s best features in favor of an awful new RPG-style Story Mode. The gameplay is still terrible unless you’re using the taiko drum accessory of the handheld mode’s touchscreen, and while the gameplay is still fun and the 66 song setlist is a good value for the price, there’s still little reason to get this game when Drum ‘N’ Fun! is far superior.
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack	Compilation / Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a family-friendly Compilation of Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack 1 and 2, and while this package’s combined 119 songs make it enticing, this value is tarnished by the way these games remove multiple great features from Drum ‘N’ Fun! and replace them with terrible RPG modes, and the way the content is segregated between the two games and forces players to jump through multiple annoying menus to get to them. Unless you’re a huge fan of this series, just get Drum ‘N’ Fun! instead.
Gunvolt Records: Cychronicle	Music-Rhythm	C-
tl;dr Cychronicle is a Music-Rhythm game featuring songs from throughout the Gunvolt franchise… but only 15 of them unless you pay for DLC. What’s more, the gameplay is marred by one poorly-conceived gameplay element that forces players to multitask without giving them a proper indication how to perform correctly. I cannot recommend this release to anyone except the most die-hard of Gunvolt fans, and even then they’ll need to be pretty forgiving fans.
I*Chu: Chibi Edition	Music-Rhythm / Visual Novel / Simulation	C-
tl;dr I*Chu is a game that combines Music-Rhythm, Visual Novel, and Simulation gameplay elements to form… well, a complete mess, with none of those elements being done especially well, and none combining well with the others. I suppose this game’s overarching goal of guiding pop idols through training to fame and success could have had potential, but no matter which way you look at it, this game doesn’t seem to work on any level.
Knockout Home Fitness	Boxing / Sports (Exercise) / Music-Rhythm	C-
tl;dr Knockout Home Fitness is an Exercise game that uses gyroscopic motion control to detect the player performing martial arts moves in much the same way as Fitness Boxing. Or to be more accurate, this game is Fitness Boxing, but without the licensed music, with fewer options, and with less-impressive visuals. In other words, there’s not really any reason to get this game when you can get one of the Fitness Boxing games instead (or even better, Ring Fit Adventure).
ZikSquare	Auto-Runner / Music Creation Tool	C-
tl;dr ZikSquare is a Music Creation Tool that allows you to play the tracks you create in an Auto-Runner-style game. It’s a clever idea, but the music creator isn’t very user-friendly and has frustrating controls, and the game only includes 15 pre-made tracks, and has no ability to share tracks with other players, leaving the Auto-Runner starving for content. Good concept, poor execution.
64.0	Music-Rhythm	D+
tl;dr 64.0 is a Music-Rhythm game that has you pressing in one of four directions to shoot at boxes moving towards you, trying to shoot only boxes that match the background. The game’s soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, but most won’t be able to enjoy it due to the extremely difficult and unforgiving gameplay that spikes hard in difficulty early. Unless you want a challenge, just stick with the soundtrack on YouTube.
Musical Vibes	Music-Rhythm	D
tl;dr Musical Vibes is a Music-Rhythm game that boasts the use of your smartphone’s camera to give players a motion-controlled experience, but whether you’re using your smartphone or a controller, you’re in for a terrible Music-Rhythm game with awful controls, questionable design choices, a tiny song list, and terrible loading times. As ambitious as this game is, it is not worth your time or money.
Kitty Maestro	Arcade / Music-Rhythm	F
tl;dr Kitty Maestro is an Arcade game with Music-Rhythm elements that looks ugly, sounds terrible, plays poorly, and all around reeks of low effort. Do not play this game.

Stealth

Game	Genre	Grade
Alien: Isolation	First-Person Stealth / Horror Game	A
tl;dr Alien: Isolation is a port of the 2014 First-Person Horror game with heavy Stealth elements following Ellen Ripley’s daughter as she investigates her mother’s disappearance. This version adds graphical improvements that actually make it look better than the other console versions, and this is on top of an already-impressive game with a stunning presentation and some great cat-and-mouse gameplay. If you’re a fan of Horror with a Nintendo Switch, consider this game an absolute must-have.
Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection	Compilation / Stealth / Open-World Action-RPG	A-
tl;dr Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection is a compilation of improved ports of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Rogue, although not quite as improved as the versions of these games other platforms got. Still, these games are both solid ports that largely lack the flaws the Nintendo Switch port of Assassin’s Creed III had, and they’re better games too, with Assassin’s Creed IV in particular being an absolute joy of a swashbuckling tale that remains not only one of the highlights of the entire franchise, but also a great entry point for newcomers to the series. This is an absolute must-own collection of games, and the Nintendo Switch version is an excellent version of the game.
Monaco Complete Edition	Top-Down Stealth	A-
tl;dr Monaco is a Top-Down Stealth game that has you as one of various archetypal members of a crew of criminals breaking into and out of places, robbing them, and trying not to get caught while doing so. It’s a difficult game, but it’s delightful in single-player, and an absolute blast in co-op. Online play requires jumping through the Switch’s usual frustrating hoops, but local and local wireless play is excellent, and on the whole this is still a must-have game for co-op fans on the Switch.
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection	Compilation / Stealth / Open-World Action-RPG	B+
tl;dr Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection is a Compilation of remastered versions of Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, three solid Open World Action-RPGs that look and play great on Nintendo Switch. They’re missing the multiplayer content from the original games, they’ll take up a massive amount of space on your MicroSD card, and none of the games is quite as satisfying as what we already got in Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection, but this is still an excellent Compilation well worth getting for any fan of the franchise wanting to play these games on the go.
Assassin’s Creed Anniversary Edition Mega Bundle	Compilation / Stealth / Open-World Action-RPG	B+
tl;dr Assassin’s Creed Anniversary Edition Mega Bundle is a Compilation of Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection, Assassin’s Creed III Remastered, and Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection, which together between them contain 7-8 Assassin’s Creed games and a hefty amount of extra content. Its $100 price tag is daunting, but for everything included here, it’s actually a pretty good deal… and an even better deal if you get this bundle on sale. This may not be the best way to introduce yourself to the Assassin’s Creed series for the first time, but if you’re already a series fan looking to get everything available on Nintendo Switch so far, this is an excellent package.
Hidden in Plain Sight	Stealth / Party Game	B+
tl;dr Hidden in Plain Sight is a Stealth-focused Party Game where players try to figure out which character in a crowd they and their opponents are before everyone else does while performing a simple task. This game doesn’t look like much, but it’s extremely accessible and loads of fun for both veteran gamers and casual gamers alike. If you want a fun, unique Party game to add to your collection, consider this game a must-have.
Pizza Possum	Stealth	B+
tl;dr Pizza Possum is a family-friendly Stealth game where players take the role of a hungry possum trying to gobble up all food in sight without being nabbed by the cops. The core mechanics here are simple but work well, with some inspired mechanics that put a new spin on the Stealth genre, and an absolutely adorable presentation. I do wish this game built on the core gameplay to give it longer legs, but the short length is easily excused by the low $7 price. Overall, this is an outstanding game well worth checking out for casual gamers and Stealth die-hards alike.
Untitled Goose Game	Stealth / Puzzle	B+
tl;dr Untitled Goose Game is an odd combination of Stealth/Puzzle/Sandbox that delivers on its promise of making you a terrible goose who loves making people miserable. The game has a few issues with its controls, but on the whole it’s an all-around enjoyable experience
Aragami: Shadow Edition	Stealth Action	B
tl;dr Aragami is a Stealth Action game where you play a vengeful shadow spirit stalking enemies and avoiding light sources. It’s a fun game for the most part, though it falters whenever you’re caught. Worth a look for fans of the genre.
Invisible, Inc. Console Edition	Turn-Based Strategy-RPG / Stealth	B
tl;dr Invisible, Inc. is a Strategy-RPG with a heavy emphasis on Stealth, having players avoiding combat with enemies and evading them instead. It’s an inspired take on both genres that really brings something new to the table, but it could have done a better job conveying vital information to the player. Still, fans of both genres would do well to give this game a look.
Outlast: Bundle of Terror	First-Person Stealth / Horror Game	B
tl;dr Outlast is a Horror game where players take the role of a reporter entering an insane asylum full of murderous inmates, with gameplay that has players hiding from enemies instead of fighting them. The game has some control issues, but overall this is a pretty good Horror game and a solid port to the Switch.
Outlast 2	First-Person Stealth / Horror Game	B
tl;dr Outlast 2 is a Horror game where players that has players hiding from murderous cultists in a remote part of the US. Its sound design isn’t quite as good as the first game, and the story leaves something to be desired, but the game’s graphics are fantastic. This is one of the best ports of a modern game to the Switch, and fans of Horror games will find it well worth a look.
Space Marshals 2	2-Stick Shooter / Stealth	B
tl;dr Space Marshals 2, like the first game, is a 2-Stick Shooter with heavy Stealth elements that has you hunting down escaped criminals as a spacefaring Western-style marshal. This game has the same good and bad qualities as its predecessor, but the addition of a new stealth kill mechanic, the one major change in this installment, adds an excellent new element to the game that makes it significantly better than its predecessor. If you like Stealth games or 2-Stick Shooters, Space Marshals 2 is well worth a look.
Never Stop Sneakin’	Stealth	B-
tl;dr Never Stop Sneakin’ is a Stealth game that takes a simpler, faster-paced, and more lighthearted take on the genre, with an absolutely fantastic presentation that does a superb job of parodying the original Metal Gear Solid in particular, and an outstanding title theme. The only real issue here is that the simple gameplay gets repetitive very quickly, and the game feels like it could do with more depth, variety, and customization. Still, despite these flaws, this is still a wonderful and unique take on the genre that’s well worth playing.
Republique: Anniversary Edition	Stealth / Action-RPG	B-
tl;dr Republique is a Stealth game where players control both a young woman trying to escape a dystopian surveillance state, as well as a hacker using that government’s technology to assist her. This game has a fascinating world and a unique gameplay premise, and while the gameplay here is highly flawed due to the game’s frustrating camera issues, at the absurdly generous price of $1 it’s still an easy game to recommend to Stealth fans.
Roombo: First Blood	Stealth	B-
tl;dr Roombo is a Stealth game that puts you in the role of one of those little automated vacuum devices that finds its home under attack by robbers and must slaughter the intruders and clean up the mess afterward. it’s an amazing concept, and it makes for a lot of hilarity, but it also controls a bit awkwardly, is repetitive, and is over very quickly (though the $5 price tag softens the blow of that last part a bit). This game is definitely worth a look, but it sadly falls short of its potential.
Sound Waves	Top-Down Puzzle / Stealth / Horror	B-
tl;dr Sound Waves is a Top-Down Puzzle game with Stealth and Horror elements where players must navigate environments, evade monsters, and find an exit by using sound in various ways. This is a clever take on this game’s genres, with some good puzzle design. I do have some complaints about the controls, but with this game selling for a mere $5, it’s an easy game to recommend for those looking for something a bit different.
Space Marshals	2-Stick Shooter / Stealth	B-
tl;dr Space Marshals is a 2-Stick Shooter with heavy Stealth elements that has you hunting down escaped criminals as a spacefaring Western-style marshal. Both the shooting and stealth are fun here, and while the game gets a bit repetitive and has a few minor gameplay issues, overall this is an enjoyable game that’s worth playing for fans of both genres.
Assassin’s Creed III Remastered	Compilation / Stealth / Open-World Action-RPG	C+
tl;dr Assassin’s Creed III Remastered is a Compilation of Assassin’s Creed III and Assassin’s Creed Liberation that’s more of a high-resolution port of the originals than a remaster. These games have a lot to offer, but they also come with a lot of frustrations as well, with everything from poor pacing, frustrating game design, control issues, game crashes, and graphical issues, to name a few. However, for those who are patient enough to deal with all that, there are definitely some incredible moments here, such as Assassin’s Creed III’s excellent world-building and sailing.
Heisting	Arcade / Stealth	C+
tl;dr Heisting is an Arcade-style game with Stealth elements where players lead a crew breaking into places, taking out guards, and looting, then upgrading their crew. This game’s simple and varied take on the topic matter has some good things going for it, but the grinding-focused experience built around the mobile version’s microtransactions makes this a shallow and repetitive experience, only good as a time-waster.
Kamikaze Veggies	3D Platformer / Stealth	C+
tl;dr Kamikaze Veggies is a 3D Platformer with strong Stealth elements that has you taking on various missions as anthropomorphic vegetables in a military setting. There are some fun ideas here, such as the way you set up your team and the kamikaze mechanic. However, Kamikaze Veggies doesn’t really succeed as a Stealth game due to its limited options, and the presentation doesn’t seem coherent either. You may find some fun to be had in this game, but it isn’t likely to become one of your favorite Stealth games.
Stealth	Top-Down Stealth	C+
tl;dr Stealth is a Top-Down Stealth game that boils down the genre to its absolute basics, with extremely simple visuals and gameplay. It’s a competent but unspectacular entry in the genre whose sole noteworthy trait is its co-op 2-player mode. For $5, it’s a decent time-waster, but not much more than that.
The Persistence	First-Person Stealth / Roguelike	C+
tl;dr The Persistence is a First-Person Stealth game with some Roguelike and minor Horror elements that has you controlling a series of clones trying to retake a spaceship from deformed clone zombies. The Roguelike elements are a nice touch, and some of the mechanics here are fairly unique within the Stealth genre, but the slow movement and sub-par combat drag this game down and keep it from meeting its full potential. Still worth a look for fans of the genre, but most will probably be better off skipping this one.
Serial Cleaner	Stealth	C
tl;dr Serial Cleaner is a Stealth game that has you sneaking around cops and removing evidence and bodies from crime scenes, which sounds fun in theory, but in practice evading the cops is too frustrating to be fun.
The Nom	Stealth	C
tl;dr The Nom is a Stealth game that puts players in the role of a tentacled blob creature sneaking and attacking enemies. The theming here is great, but the gameplay itself is shallow and the hit detection is terrible, meaning that you’ll likely lose interest once the novelty wears off.
There Will Be No Turkey This Christmas	Top-Down Stealth	C
tl;dr There Will Be No Turkey This Christmas is a Top-Down Stealth game that has players playing a turkey trying to sneak out of a house before it becomes dinner. The premise is delightful, but everything else about this game is a standard by-the-book Stealth game without anything especially interesting going on for it. Unless this game’s premise tickles your fancy, it’s probably not worth your time.
Luke & Rebecca	Stealth	C-
tl;dr Luke & Rebecca is a Stealth game that has you breaking into various buildings to steal valuables, but it is unfortunately dull, basic, and formulaic, despite its excellent co-op implementation. It’s not terrible, but I can’t really recommend it either.
Party Hard	Stealth	C-
tl;dr Party Hard is a Stealth game where you play as a serial killer trying to silently kill party guests one by one without anyone catching you. Unfortunately, while there’s a great presentation, a number of design issues and oversights make the game far too tedious and frustrating.
Thief Town	Stealth / Party Game	C-
tl;dr Thief Town is a Party Game with a strong Stealth element where players try to take each other out while blending into the crowd and not getting discovered. Unfortunately, this same premise was already done much, much better in Hidden in Plain Sight, with a wider variety of gameplay modes and better core gameplay, and I strongly encourage players to get that game instead of this one.
Venatrix	Third-Person Shooter / Stealth / Horror	C-
tl;dr Venatrix is a Horror game with Third-Person Shooter and Stealth elements, with Lovecraftian themes and two protagonists, with only one of those worth playing. Unfortunately, even beyond this, Venatrix has some serious gameplay issues, audio issues, and performance issues, and these really drag down the experience. Major Lovecraftian nerds may find this worth a look, but everyone else is better off searching elsewhere.
Little Devil: Foster Mayhem	Stealth	D+
tl;dr Little Devil is a Stealth game that puts players in the role of an unruly child trying to tear apart his foster home while avoiding getting caught by the adults. It’s a great idea in theory, but in practice this game doesn’t give players enough freedom to really let loose with destruction, and the Stealth elements aren’t especially well-done either. Because of this, this game falls far short of its potential.
Picklock	Stealth	D+
tl;dr Picklock is a Stealth game that puts players in the role of a burglar trying to avoid guards and steal valuables, with a plot that doesn’t take itself too seriously and a voxel-style presentation. Unfortunately, the enemy AI is terrible, and the game’s controls and hit detection are absolutely atrocious. Even fans of the genre should avoid this con job.
Cat From Hell – Cat Simulator	First-Person Stealth	D
tl;dr Cat From Hell is a First-Person Stealth game that has players taking the role of a cat trying to wreck its owner’s house and blame it on the other cat. It’s a great concept, and the presentation seems nice at first too, but once you get past that first impression, you’ll find this is a short, empty experience that absolutely fails to capitalize on that good first impression.
Closer	Stealth	D
tl;dr Closer is a Stealth game set in an abstract world where players control a woman who must avoid shadowy monsters. Unfortunately, while there are some creative gameplay elements here, on the whole this is a miserable Stealth experience with tedious, frustrating gameplay. It’s just not worth the trouble.
Melonizard	Stealth	D
tl;dr Melonizard is a Stealth game where you play a lizard trying to slip past other animals to get to a slice of watermelon. This is an extremely simple, plain, and honestly pretty boring Stealth game, and while the game does gradually introduce new elements, it never really gives players much freedom or variety to tackle problems in their own way. What’s worse, this is one of those Stealth games where getting caught means you automatically fail and need to restart. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
The Thief Simulator 2023 – From Crook to Boss	First-Person Stealth	D
tl;dr Thief Simulator 2023 is a First-Person Stealth game that has you breaking into homes and shops to steal items of value. Unfortunately, much of what you can do is locked behind extremely slow progression, necessitating a tedious, grindy experience without any sort of nuance, rendered with a terrible presentation. The only thing even remotely resembling skillful thievery here is the way this game steals your money. Don’t let it.
Hoarding Simulator 2.0	Stealth	D-
tl;dr Hoarding Simulator is a Stealth Game where players take the role of a senior citizen trying to steal everything they can get and take it back to their garage without getting caught by their neighbors. It’s a great idea, but the execution here is absolutely terrible, with a game that feels extremely poorly put-toogether, and multiple design choices seemingly made to frustrate players. The only thing good about this game is its core concept – everything else is terrible.
Timothy and the Mysterious Forest	Top-Down Stealth / Action-RPG	D-
tl;dr Timothy and the Mysterious Forest looks like an homage to The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on the original Game Boy, but don’t be fooled. Not only is this a Stealth game that plays nothing like Zelda, but it’s one of the worst Stealth games I’ve ever had the misfortune to play, with players suffering deaths often and suddenly, and without anything resembling fun. Don’t fall for this nasty trick of a game.
War of Stealth – Assassin	Top-Down Stealth	D-
tl;dr War of Stealth is a Top-Down Stealth game seemingly inspired by Metal Gear Solid, but unfortunately it suffers from severe gameplay issues both in its overarching design and in its basic gameplay, and if those didn’t make it clear that this game was created by someone clearly lacking the skill to meet this game’s vision, you’ll have no doubt left in your mind upon seeing the absolutely laughable broken English in every sentence of this game. While the game isn’t without some positive qualities, those are no reason to waste your time with this broken mess.
Hidden	First-Person Stealth / Horror Game	F
tl;dr Hidden is a First-Person Horror game that is a cheap knockoff of Outlast, and by “cheap”, I mean “absolutely terrible with no redeeming value”.

FMV Games

Game	Genre	Grade
Telling Lies	FMV Game	B
tl;dr Telling Lies is a FMV Game from the developer of Her Story, and it uses a similar “keyword search” gameplay system to reveal its story to players. That story, an increasingly engrossing adult tale about relationships, policing, politics, and lies, is extremely well-told, with some fantastic acting, but multiple gameplay elements make this game far more tedious and frustrating than it needed to be. It’s still worth a look for those looking to partake in a fantastic drama, but be warned that you’ll need to have some patience to piece together that drama.
Death Come True	FMV Game / Horror	C+
tl;dr Death Come True is an FMV Game played like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” where players make choices for a man with amnesia awakening in a hotel discovering that he’s apparently a wanted serial killer. The amount of choice here leaves something to be desired, and there are some flaws in the storytelling, but despite that Death Come True is still an entertaining story that’s worth a look for fans craving an unusual mystery.
The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker	FMV Game	C
tl;dr The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker is an FMV murder mystery where you ask questions of the dead doctor’s patients to track down the killer. The story and acting are top-notch, but the way you ask questions feels unnecessarily frustrating.
She Sees Red – Interactive Movie	FMV Game	C-
tl;dr She Sees Red is a “choose your own adventure”-style FMV game that has you making choices for a murderer in a night club and watching the repercussions of those choices. It gets the job done, but few of the choices feel truly impactful, and the story itself isn’t especially compelling, well-written, or well-acted. It may be worth playing if you enjoy crime procedurals, but most are better off just watching a good movie.
Criminal Expert	Graphic Adventure / FMV Game	D+
tl;dr Criminal Expert is a game that combines Graphic Adventure and FMV Game elements to have players solve a mystery involving a woman found walking near a remote road. While elements of this game are quite good, everything is ruined by a combination of a terrible localization, unclear goals, and unforgiving game design that often makes it unclear just what you’re supposed to be doing. Despite its good qualities, this is a mystery you’ll want to skip.
Dragon’s Lair Trilogy	Compilation / Arcade / FMV Game	D+
tl;dr Dragon’s Lair Trilogy is a trio of “classic” arcade FMV games, though time has not been kind to them. This package works fairly well as a nostalgic look back at a unique trilogy, but the games themselves are nearly unplayable by today’s standards. If you’re looking for fun games to play and not a historical relic, skip this one.
Dark Nights With Poe and Munro	FMV Game	D
tl;dr Dark Nights is an FMV Game about two hosts of a radio show who find dark events seeping out of their radio program and into their lives. Unfortunately, the acting is extremely unnatural and breaks immersion, the choices players are given are unclear, and players are often prompted to quickly tap a button in a confusing manner. Even if you’re a fan of FMV Games, I can’t recommend you play this one.
Night Trap – 25th Anniversary Edition	FMV Game	D
tl;dr Night Trap is an FMV game that is an important landmark in videogame history, and this version of it does a great job of cleaning it up for a modern release, but at its core this game is trash and all the polish in the world doesn’t change that it’s still absolutely terrible.
The Dark Side of the Moon: An Interactive FMV Thriller	FMV Game / Graphic Adventure	D-
tl;dr The Dark Side of the Moon is an FMV Game with some Graphic Adventure elements that follows the story of a father scrambling to try to find out what happened to his missing kids in the days before a looming eclipse. The mix of genres here is mostly decent, but the story is poorly-written and poorly-acted, and Graphic Adventure fans will be frustrated at the way this game limits their options. Even if you enjoy FMV games, skip this one.
Corpse Killer – 25th Anniversary Edition	Shooting Gallery / FMV Game	F
tl;dr Corpse Killer is a remaster of a classic Sega CD Shooting Gallery FMV Game. Well, except replace “classic” with “absolutely terrible”, and “remaster” with “botched attempt at modernization”. And then replace any thought of buying this game with the money it would have cost you to do so, because that money is far, far more valuable.

Idle Games

Game	Genre	Grade
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny	Turn-Based Strategy-RPG / Idle Game	B+
tl;dr Disgaea 6 is a game that takes the zany, deep, grind-heavy Strategy-RPG series and adds in a slew of new elements, including optional Idle Game mechanics. These mechanics are a fantastic new addition to the series, albeit a divisive one. Less successful are many of the other changes this game makes, like its “bigger numbers for everything” philosophy or its new cel-shaded characters, which seems to have led to performance issues. On balance, this is still an outstanding Strategy-RPG, and unquestionably the most wildly creative game in the series, but it can’t top the well-rounded experience of Disgaea 5.
Baking Time	Idle Game	C+
tl;dr Baking Time is an Idle Game where players move around desserts to sell to waiting customers, hire help to do it more efficiently, and unlock more lucrative desserts to sell and start the cycle over again. It’s pretty repetitive, but as Idle Games go, this is better than average.
Crush Crush	Idle Game	C+
tl;dr Crush Crush is a Free-to-Play Idle Game that has players trying to woo a harem of various girls by investing “time” into upgrading various jobs and abilities. The tone fluctuates from self-parody to insanity to outright absurdity, and occasionally manages to feature surprising humanity side-by-side the pandering and objectification. And while the game has some serious flaws that make it more frustrating than it needs to be in an effort to push microtransactions, I ultimately found it to be a fun and enjoyable experience.
Farm Land	Idle Game	C+
tl;dr Farm Land is an Idle Game that has players planting crops, selling the produce, hiring workers, and buying access to more land. This is an effective Skinner box, but it doesn’t do much more than that, since you have very little in the way of meaningful choices to make here. Still, I suppose if you’re just looking for something to kill some time, this game will more than suffice.
Dig Deep	Idle Game	C
tl;dr Dig Deep is a family-friendly Idle Game where players dig down into square pits to get resources, and hire workers to assist with this effort. Unfortunately, the game progression here feels increasingly slow before long, and the “idle” part of the game doesn’t work when the game isn’t actively running. As Idle Games go, this one starts out feeling pretty compelling, but it doesn’t take too long before it just feels like you’re digging yourself a bigger hole.
Captain StarONE	Idle Game	C-
tl;dr Captain Star One is a family-friendly Idle Game that has you playing an adorable crew fighting off space monsters. This is a decent entry in the genre and it does a few interesting things with the way it makes you manage your crew’s positions, but the $10 price tag is far too steep for a game like this.
Chocolate Factory Tycoon	Idle Game	C-
tl;dr Chocolate Factory Tycoon is an Idle Game where players run a combination cocoa bean farm, chocolate factory, and chocolate shop. The core gameplay here is solid, giving players a lot of options. Unfortunately, this game fails to build on that great core, leading to a game that you’ll finish within an hour or two. It’s decent while it lasts, but this game feels like such a huge missed opportunity.
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms	Idle Game	C-
tl;dr Idle Champions is an Idle Game that’s a rare example of the genre on the Switch. Unfortunately, the game has pretty severe performance issues, is poorly optimized for the Switch, and features confusing menus that make it difficult to make informed decisions. Even fans of the genre may find this game to be more trouble than it’s worth.
Restaurant Tycoon Simulator	Idle Game	C-
tl;dr Restaurant Tycoon Simulator is an Idle Game where players run and grow a restaurant, starting as a server but gradually hiring more help and expanding the business. The core gameplay here is enjoyable, but this game is horribly unpolished, and there’s little in the way of meaningful progression choices. The result is briefly fun but ultimately a disappointing experience.
Corrupt – Political Idle City War Strategy Simulator Craft	Simulation / Idle Game	D+
tl;dr Corrupt is a business trading Simulation game with Idle Game elements. While there are some good ideas at work here, they’re buried under far too many user-unfriendly elements, such as the requirement to use the touchscreen, and the need to click on each and every building to see even the most basic important information related to that building. The result is a game that’s only just barely playable.
Coffee Simulator Tycoon	Idle Game	D
tl;dr Coffee Simulator Tycoon is an Idle Game where players run a coffee shop, but unfortunately there’s little in the way of choice here, the interactivity is annoying, the game looks uninteresting, and you’ll see everything the game has to offer within a few hours. Skip it.
Gym Hero – Idle Fitness Tycoon	Idle Game	D
tl;dr Gym Hero is an Idle Game that puts in very little effort to escape the tedium of the genre, with slow progression, a terrible lack of variety, and even its depiction of fitness is grotesquely unhealthy. Don’t get this game.
Mystical Mixing	Idle Game	D
tl;dr Mystical Mixing is an Idle Game where players use a cauldron to mix magical ingredients to create creatures to uncover more ingredients. Unfortunately, the creatures you create only seem to have cosmetic differences, and as a result everything you do in this game seems pointless. Skip it.
Windmill Engine	Idle Game / Misc.	D
tl;dr Windmill Engine is what you would get if you played an Idle Game on fast-forward so it only takes a few minutes to 100% complete the game. Those few minutes will be boring and repetitive, and all the while you’ll be looking at an ugly windmill. Even at $1, I cannot see this being a game anyone will find worth buying.
Ai Tycoon	Idle Game	F
tl;dr Ai Tycoon is an Idle Game that has you managing a growing tech empire. Except that “managing” just comes in the form of waiting until you can afford your next location to expand to, and you can’t even do that in peace because you’ll be constantly harassed by inane business questions that require little thought. Ai Tycoon seems to have been created by someone who has no idea what makes Idle Games work, and there are tons of other better games in the genre on Nintendo Switch. I absolutely hate this game, do not buy it.
Comic Store Arcade	Idle Game	F
tl;dr Comic Store Arcade is an Idle Game where players nominally manage a comic book shop, gradually upgrading its facilities and staff over time. In practice, this is a horribly broken game where every few minutes characters will either get stuck on the scenery, forcing you to exit the game and restart, or the game will simply crash. Do not buy this abysmal wreck of a game.
Sea Port Tycoon 2024	Idle Game	F
tl;dr Sea Port Tycoon 2024 is an Idle Game about managing a sea port, but it can only be played in handheld mode using a touchscreen, the text is frequently too small to read, the game uses error messages that stay up for a few seconds, some touchscreen buttons don’t work at all, the game’s mechanics are poorly-explained… this game is an absolute mess, and you should stay away from it.

Educational Games

Game	Genre	Grade
Grammarian Ltd	Educational	B
tl;dr Grammarian Ltd is a family-friendly Educational game set in a dystopian future where grammatical errors are a crime, and you play a new hire in an organization reviewing documents to look for such crimes. While this is indeed a game about checking grammar, it nevertheless does a good job making this interesting, resulting in a solid game for players who see correcting grammar as a fun puzzle, and a decent educational title for players looking to brush up on their English skills.
Island Saver	First-Person Shooter / Educational	B-
tl;dr Island Saver is a Family-Friendly Free-to-Play First-Person Shooter that has you using a vacuum gun to suck up litter and spray water to clean up pollution. It has a surprisingly polished presentation, especially given that the game seems nearly free from monetization, and the game’s Educational elements act as a nice (albeit abstract) kid-friendly introduction to environmentalism as well as finance and the economy. Older players may find that the game lacks challenge and is filled with repetitive busywork, but for younger players, this is well worth getting.
Shujinkou	First-Person Dungeon Crawler / Turn-Based JRPG / Educational	B-
tl;dr Shujinkou is a First-Person Dungeon Crawler and Turn-Based JRPG that also aspires to be an Educational game teaching the Japanese language. While I think it’s not a bad game, I do think the educational and gameplay elements don’t interact very well, resulting in a game with pacing and consistency issues. Plus, I just think there are other games in the genre that offer richer variety in their gameplay. However, if you’re a fan of JRPGs who is already trying to learn Japanese, this game may provide a decent supplement to that education, with enjoyable gameplay.
Capitals Quizzer	Educational	C
tl;dr Capitals Quizzer is a family-friendly free-to-play Educational Trivia game that has players guessing what country a flag belongs to, or what that country’s capital is. As a free videogame substitute for flash cards, this gets the job done, but there’s no depth here, no competition. If you’re looking to get an educational “game” for your kids, you might as well download this for free, but don’t expect them to enjoy it for long before they get bored.
Numbala	Arcade / Educational	C
tl;dr Numbala is an Arcade-style game with Educational elements that has players indirectly controlling their ship’s altitude to collect numbered discs and evade obstacles. There are some interesting ideas here, but the absolutely terrible controls and lack of useful in-game indicators make this more frustrating than fun.
It’s Spring Again	Educational / Misc.	D+
tl;dr It’s Spring Again is a game that’s in the general realm of an Educational game, apparently meant to teach very young kids about changing seasons. While the visuals are interesting, the game can be completed in only 5 minutes, and that along with the required (and terrible) touchscreen controls make for a game that isn’t even worth its $2 price tag.
The Answer is 42	Puzzle / Educational	D
tl;dr The Answer is 42 is a family-friendly Educational Puzzle game where players connect different numbers to add them to equal 42. While this premise isn’t devoid of potential, this game doesn’t really do anything interesting with it, meaning that mostly all you’re doing here is just adding numbers together. As a result, playing this game is about as fun as doing your math homework.
Guess the Word	Educational	D-
tl;dr Guess the Word is an Educational game for young children where players use the touchscreen to piece together simple words. The gameplay is brain-dead simple, there’s nothing in the way of options, the sound is annoying, the visuals are ugly, and you can’t even play the game in docked mode. Don’t waste your money on this.
Prof. Miyamoto’s Soroban & Flash Anzan	Educational	D-
tl;dr Prof. Miyamoto’s Soroban & Flash Anzan is a free-to-play Educational Game where players are shown a series of numbers and required to add them, like flash cards. The game doesn’t tell you it wants you to do this, and the game’s horrible localization makes things even more confusing… then, just to make the whole thing even more repulsive, the game monetizes things by forcing players to rent out time with it. Do yourself a favor – just go and play with a calculator instead – it will have exactly the same educational and entertainment value (if not more), and you won’t have to keep paying money to use it.
S.U.M. – Slay Uncool Monsters	RPG / Educational	F
tl;dr Slay Uncool Monsters appears broken, with its opening menus glitching and the game freezing within a minute or so of trying to play. It seems that not everyone has these issues, but I do, and as such this game appears to be completely unplayable and I can only recommend that everyone avoid it.

Art Application

Game	Genre	Grade
Colors Live	Art Application / Hardware	B+
tl;dr Colors Live is a well-constructed Art Application that comes with a unique stylus pen that allows pressure-sensitive interaction with the touchscreen. While I have issues with the stylus, the software it comes with is superb, and does a great job turning the Nintendo Switch into an art tablet. If that sounds like something of interest to you, definitely give Colors Live a look.
Coloring Book	Art Application	B-
tl;dr Coloring Book is, well, a coloring book Application, although you can also create art on a blank canvas as well. The free app acts like a demo for the $7.99 “Creative Edition”, and both versions of the app have a pretty decent selection of tools to make art, even offering support for 4 players at once. However, this application isn’t going to be replacing what’s on your PC or tablet any time soon, and the lack of any way to transfer your art outside the application is disappointing. Still, as a fun toy for kids, Coloring Book does far more than it needed to.
My Coloring Book	Art Application	C
tl;dr My Coloring Book is a family-friendly Art Application that lets players color in an assortment of drawings. Unfortunately, the controls are somewhat clunky, and this game doesn’t allow players to draw, they can only fill in a space. It’s not terrible for $5, but the free-to-play alternative Coloring Book is all-around better and, well, free. As such, it’s hard to recommend this game.
Comic Coloring Book	Art Application	C-
tl;dr Comic Coloring Book is a family-friendly Art Application that lets players color in drawings in a cartoony-style comic. The free content here is lacking, and pales compared to other offerings on the eShop, the tools on offer here are limited, and the controls are clunky. I have trouble imagining who would want this game over other better choices on the Nintendo Switch.
Love Colors	Art Application	C-
tl;dr Love Colors is a family-friendly paint-by-numbers Art Application. Unfortunately, the limitations in the application, such as the inability to choose what color goes where or create your own artwork, really limits the appeal of this title. I can’t imagine this game being of much interest to anyone over the multiple better Art Applications on the Nintendo Switch.
Om Nom: Coloring, Toons & Puzzle	Compilation / Art Application / Jigsaw Puzzle / Misc.	C-
tl;dr Om Nom: Coloring, Toons & Puzzle is a game containing a coloring book Art Application, a Jigsaw Puzzle, a simple connect-the-dots game, and a collection of short videos, all featuring the Om Nom character from the Cut the Rope game franchise. Unfortunately, everything in this package skews heavily toward very young kids, which wouldn’t be so much a problem if the game wasn’t filled with some pretty gross microtransaction grabs for your wallet. The result is something that’s difficult for me to recommend, even for those wanting something for very young kids.
Stencil Art	Art Application	D+
tl;dr Stencil Art is a family-friendly Art Application that simulates spray painting elaborate designs using stencils. Unfortunately, the player has very little creative control over the art they’re making, resulting in a frustrating experience that will get old quickly, even for younger players. Skip it.
nPaint	Art Application	D
tl;dr nPaint is an Art Application that’s woefully lacking in features, and uses some pretty sleazy tactics to try to get you to buy it anyway. There are multiple better Art Applications on Nintendo Switch, buy one of those instead.
Paint	Art Application	D
tl;dr Paint is an Art Application that allows users to draw freely or color in a coloring book. Unfortunately, it’s very feature-poor, not even allowing you to save your work, and there are better alternatives already on the Nintendo Switch. Don’t bother with this one.
Drawing Carnival	Art Application	D
tl;dr Drawing Carnival is nominally an Art Application for the creation and simulated sale of various pieces of pop art, but players have almost zero input into the art’s creation beyond what the game tells them to do, and how much you make for “selling” these works seems like pure dumb luck. The result is something that offers players no reason to play it. Flush this one down Duchamp’s Fountain.

Music Creation Application

Game	Genre	Grade
KORG Gadget	Music Creation Application	B+
tl;dr KORG Gadget is a Music Creation Application that is not going to be for everyone. While it does have some decent introductory tutorials to help newbies learn the basics, this is largely a music production studio software suite for professionals, and while this may be targeting a niche audience (especially with a nasty $48 price tag), it serves that audience extremely well, with a massive wealth of options, features, and content. If you wanted to turn your Nintendo Switch into a music production studio (and actually know how to operate one), KORG Gadget is exactly what you’re looking for.
Wejam	Music Creation Application	C+
tl;dr Wejam is a family-friendly Music Creation Application where players move a cursor on-screen to enter tones based on where the cursor is when you press the button. It’s an amusing toy, but not especially useful for creating deliberate music, and I can’t see many people using this for more than a short while before growing bored with it and moving on.
Music Box	Music Creation Application	C+
tl;dr Music Box is a Music Creation Application where players can enter in notes in a wide variety of drum types to create custom drum loops. This software is easy to use, but it’s only playable in handheld mode and it’s lacking some options that could have made this a much better Music Application. However, its budget price means it’s still possibly worth a look if you’re not bothered by its limitations.
Drum Box	Music Creation Application / Music-Rhythm	C
tl;dr Drum Box is a game that combines Music-Rhythm elements as well as being an Application that simulates playing a drum. Unfortunately, it does neither of these things particularly well – there’s not a good variety of songs and no licensed music for the Music-Rhythm elements and the simulation elements mess with the Music-Rhythm gameplay, and this doesn’t succeed as an Application to simulate a drum set because you can’t use the touchscreen. The result is a game that tries multiple things, but doesn’t truly succeed at any of them.
Handpan	Music Creation Application	C
tl;dr Handpan is a Music Creation Application where players can play a digital version of a handpan. Players can use a gamepad or touchscreen to play one or two handpans with a selection of different note scales, but otherwise this is a feature-poor Application that isn’t really worth the $10 asking price. I suppose some might find the $2 sale price decent, though.
Drums	Music Creation Application	D+
tl;dr Drums is a family-friendly Music Creation Application that lets players play a simulated drum set on Nintendo Switch using either pre-assigned buttons or the touchscreen. While it does manage this bare minimum, it is sorely lacking in options in just about every other area. Unless you fancy a gimmicky toy drum set taking up 1GB of space on your Nintendo Switch, this one isn’t worth it for you.
Cat Piano	Music Creation Application	D
tl;dr Cat Piano is an Application where you use the touchscreen or gamepad to play an on-screen piano, with cats in the background and you can even play the piano with “meows” instead of standard piano notes. Unfortunately, that’s all there is here, and there’s nothing else in the way of features or options. I suppose this does do the absolute minimum of what you’d expect from such an Application, but it doesn’t do anything more than that.
Xylophone	Music Creation Application	D
tl;dr Xylophone is a family-friendly Music Creation Application that lets players play a simulated 8-key xylophone on Nintendo Switch using either pre-assigned buttons or the touchscreen. This limited appeal is made worse with extremely lacking options and dreadful song “tutorials” that don’t even have the right notes for the songs. Unless you have a kid looking for a musical toy on Nintendo Switch who doesn’t care how bare-bones it is, skip this one.
Piano	Music Creation Application	D-
tl;dr Piano is a family-friendly Music Creation Application that lets players play a simulated 8-key piano on Nintendo Switch using either pre-assigned buttons or the touchscreen. The limited size of the piano, the inability to play black keys, and the extremely lacking options and dreadful song “tutorials” that don’t even have the right notes for the songs all make for a piece of software that can’t even hit the low bar it aims for. Skip it.
Drum Pad	Music Creation Application	F
tl;dr Drum Pad is a Music Creation Application where players can enter in notes in a wide variety of drum types to create custom drum loops. This is just a re-skin of the game Music Box, and a shameless one at that. Do not buy this game – this sleazy, greedy, harmful practice should not be encouraged.
Guitar	Music Creation Application	F
tl;dr Guitar is a Music Creation Application with inexplicable controls and a few guides and options that do nothing to clarify how to actually use the thing. I admit I may just be missing the point here, but as this game does nothing to enlighten me, I can only conclude that this is the game’s failure, not mine.

Content Creation Application

Game	Genre	Grade
Super Mario Maker 2	Platformer	A
tl;dr Super Mario Maker 2, like its predecessor, is a Mario level creator that’s a creative gamer’s dream, and those who aren’t creative will have a huge wealth of content to enjoy. Even a half a year later the online play is still terrible, and it feels like for every two improvements this game makes it loses one feature from the first game, but overall this is still an excellent game every Mario fan should get.
Wargroove	Turn-Based Strategy	A
tl;dr Wargroove is a Turn-Based Strategy game that is a damn near perfect spiritual successor to Advance Wars. This game is absolutely loaded with features, and should be considered a must-have for any fan of strategy games.
Ultimate Chicken Horse	Platformer / Party Game	A-
tl;dr Ultimate Chicken Horse is a family-friendly Platformer with a robust creation tool set and a focus on multiplayer gameplay that challenges players to create levels that they can beat but the other players can’t. It’s a tremendously good time, and while the presentation and core gameplay aren’t on par with Super Mario Maker 2, the multiplayer in this game is clearly superior, making this a fantastic party game. If you’re looking for a good supplement to Mario Maker or a fun game to bring out at a party, Ultimate Chicken Horse is a must-have.
N++	Platformer	B+
tl;dr N++ is a challenging Platformer with extremely simple graphics that has you as a ninja in single-screen levels trying to hit a switch and reach the exit before time runs out. The way movement works in this game is the real star of the show here, making for some truly excellent gameplay, and this game is absolutely loaded with content and game modes, including a stage builder and online community to download stages from. However, this is a challenging game that won’t appeal to everyone, and the game’s menus and stage builder aren’t very user-friendly. Still, if you’re looking for pure Platforming challenge, this game is a must-have.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / Party Game / Racing / Open World / Misc.	B+
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, an Open-World Exploration game, a Party game, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers. Furthermore, this game is much better than the previous two in terms of the actual gameplay content it offers, thanks to its Open-World Adventure mode and its overall more cohesive theme. This is definitely one of the better Nintendo LABO kits.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 04: VR Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / On-Rails Shooter / Misc.	B+
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, an On-Rails Shooter, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers, and even a halfway decent beginners’ game design tool. While the Nintendo Switch clearly wasn’t designed with VR in mind, this kit makes it work, albeit in a highly limited fashion, and it’s comparatively cheap compared to more professional VR headsets. Overall, while it isn’t without some major flaws, this is my favorite Nintendo LABO kit, as the Blaster construction and minigame are both my absolute favorite, and this game goes much farther than the others in its game creation tools. If you only get one Nintendo LABO kit, get this one.
Game Builder Garage	Content Creation Application	B
tl;dr Game Builder Garage is a Content Creation Application that acts as a “simple” game design tool, though it’s debatable just how “simple” it is. It is extremely limited in multiple ways, and even with an extremely lengthy tutorial it could stand to do better ensuring players understand how to use the tools contained within. Still, for a mere $30 this is a fun application to play around with, albeit not as versatile or user-friendly as some others that have been released elsewhere.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / Misc.	B
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a Misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers. Don’t buy this expecting deep gameplay, and its utility as a controller is somewhat negligible, but it is nevertheless a fun and unique experience that’s like nothing else out there, and well worth giving a try.
BQM -BlockQuest Maker-	Content Creation Application / Puzzle / Action-RPG	C
tl;dr BlockQuest Maker is a Content Creation Application that lets players create and share their own character-based Puzzles with light Action-RPG elements. The presentation here is primitive with a terrible camera, and the Puzzle gameplay isn’t anything revolutionary, but the creation and sharing tools are decent, and players looking to create puzzles to share with others should find this to be worth a look.
PlataGo! Super Platform Game Maker	Content Creation Application / Platformer	C-
tl;dr PlataGo is a Game Design Application with a good variety of options, but it is crippled by its terrible menus, horrible controls, overall bugginess, and its core Platformer gameplay just isn’t very good. While there are some enticing features here for prospective game designers, you’re probably better off spending the extra to get Super Mario Maker 2.
RPG Maker MV	Content Creation Application / Turn-Based RPG	C-
tl;dr RPG Maker MV is a Content Creation Application in the long-running series where users can create their own RPG and share it. Unfortunately, this software does a terrible job explaining its functions, is unnecessarily confusing, does a poor job conveying information to the player, and has an unintuitive and frustrating interface. For those willing to dedicate themselves to reading through countless wikis and spending a significant portion of their life solving this game’s problems on online message boards, this game still holds an immense potential to create something special… but most will find this software’s flaws too steep a hill to climb to reach that potential.
Teravit	Open-World Action-RPG / Content Creation Tool / Misc.	C-
tl;dr Teravit is a free-to-play game that seeks to combine Minecraft’s look and gameplay with a user-created marketplace a la Roblox. Unfortunately, not only are all of these elements extremely old and tired at this point, but nothing this game does is done especially well. And for a game that’s maybe the millionth Minecraft clone to hit the market, it really needed to do more than be yet another sub-par copycat game to add to the pile.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / Action / Misc.	D
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a Misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers. However, compared to all of the other Nintendo LABO kits, this one is worse in just about every way – there are fewer minigames on offer with less variety and frustrating, awkward gameplay, with glorified menu screens presented as minigames to make up the difference. There’s also nothing here that can be used in other videogames, unlike the other LABO kits. And what little fun there is to be found here are features that are already in the other much better LABO kits. If you want to try Nintendo LABO, go for any of the other LABO kits, this one is the worst of the lot.
Fuze4 Nintendo Switch	Content Creation Application	N/A
tl;dr Fuze4 is a Content Creation Application that is quite literally a programming language on your Nintendo Switch. Like any programming language, this is not a very user-friendly experience, and it’s made worse due to broken functions and a lack of good interactive tutorials. However, if you’re willing to invest the time and energy into learning how to use it, this software does seem to have some decent potential… although you may still be better off sticking to programming languages available on the PC.
SmileBasic 4	Content Creation Application	N/A
tl;dr SmileBasic 4 is a Content Creation Application that lets players design their own videogames and play games designed by others. Like any programming language, this is not a very user-friendly experience, although some decent tutorials help to ease new programmers into their first steps in game design. Overall, I will say that this is worth looking into for players who specifically want to design games on their Nintendo Switch. Also, out of all of the game design applications, I found SmileBasic to have what was by far the best variety of high-quality games on offer from other creators, so if you’re looking to play others’ games, this is the way to go.

Video Application

Game	Genre	Grade
YouTube	Video Application	B+
tl;dr YouTube is a streaming Video Application for watching user-created videos (as well as access to your MoviesAnywhere account and associated content). The Nintendo Switch version of the app doesn’t do anything particularly extraordinary, but it works just fine and the wealth of content it allows access to all for free makes it hard to complain about. You probably already have YouTube on countless other devices, but the Nintendo Switch version is still well worth having.
Hulu	Video Application	B-
tl;dr Hulu is a streaming Video Application for watching TV shows and movies. The Nintendo Switch version seems to lack the ability to download content, and there’s no touchscreen support, but otherwise it works fine, and has some great content… if you pay for a subscription.
Pokemon TV	Video Application	C+
tl;dr Pokemon TV is a streaming Video Application for watching Pokemon-specific content. Naturally, this means it won’t appeal to everyone, but even Poke-fans may be disappointed that the app only contains select seasons of the TV series, none of the movies, and has some ugly issues with streaming resolution. However, if you are a Pokemon fan, you’ll still probably find this app worth looking into. After all, it is free and without ads, so it doesn’t cost you much to try it out.
Crunchyroll	Video Application	D
tl;dr Crunchyroll is a streaming Video Application for watching anime. Unfortunately, on Nintendo Switch it is horribly broken. Subtitles don’t work right, menus don’t act properly… and with this service available on countless other devices, there’s very little reason to bother with this version of it.

Application (Misc.)

Game	Genre	Grade
Seashell	Simulation / Application	C+
tl;dr Seashell has players looking down at a beach and sifting through the debris to find seashells. The gameplay here is nearly nonexistent, but Seashell still has some value as an Application for relaxation, as its soothing sounds and placid visuals are quite good in that regard, especially for a $4 purchase. Just don’t expect many options to choose from here.
AAA Clock	Application / Arcade	C
tl;dr AAA Clock is… well, a clock Application. It’s functional and has a decent amount of options, but it’s still just a clock. The included unnamed game is an extremely simple, shallow Arcade-style game that you’ll tire of quickly, leaving you with… well, the clock. $10 is a bit pricey for what’s here, but the frequent sale price of $2 is much more acceptable… if you really need a clock.
Calculator	Application	C
tl;dr Calculator is… just that, a scientific calculator Application, nothing more. It works well enough for what it is, but there are no bells, whistles, or options. And you’ll probably get more use out of software already on your phone or PC. But if for some reason you want a calculator on your Nintendo Switch… this is a calculator on your Nintendo Switch.
InkyPen	Application	C
tl;dr InkyPen is an Application that allows users to view a selection of comics on their Nintendo Switch. Save for a few minor issues, the actual software works great, but the $8/month price tag is hard to justify when any web browser gives access to a multitude of comics for free. However, if the price doesn’t faze you, you should be happy with what InkyPen has to offer.
Spy Alarm	Application	C
tl;dr Spy Alarm is an Application that uses your right Joy-Con’s infrared camera to detect movement and play an alarm. It works for what it aims to do, but its functionality is so extremely limited that it couldn’t ever be anything more than a novelty… and not a novelty worth $10.
Aqua TV	Application	C-
tl;dr Aqua TV is an Application that allows you to create and populate a custom fish tank. There’s virtually zero interactivity here, and not nearly enough customizability. What’s here is decent enough, but I don’t know why you would use this instead of simply playing video of a fish tank via YouTube.
Cozy Land	Application	C-
tl;dr Cozy Land is an Application that lets players create their own little dioramas of a small section of a town or city. It’s appealing to look at and simple enough to use, but it’s so short on options and features that I can’t see even those interested in its limited concept finding it to be worth buying.
nZen	Application	D
tl;dr nZen is an application for guided meditation, but it’s lacking in options, has been cut up and then pieced together in numerous variations to try to junk up the Nintendo Switch eShop, and offers nothing that you can’t get for free from online videos on meditation. I just don’t see any reason for this software to exist, and I certainly see no reason you should buy it.
nOS New Operating System	Application / Misc.	D-
tl;dr nOS is an Application designed to imitate a GUI OS, but ultimately it’s just a collection of smaller Applications and extremely simple games all wrapped in a presentation that’s extremely limited in options for something posing as an operating system. The utility of this package is close to zero, as is the entertainment value. Really, the only reason to get this is the novelty of having a so-called “new operating system” on your Nintendo Switch, but even that isn’t worth supporting the sleazy tactics the publisher is using to artificially inflate this software’s presence on the eShop and make the price look more attractive than it actually is. Skip this one.
Night Vision	Application	F
tl;dr Night Vision is an Application that uses the Nintendo Switch right Joy-Con’s infrared camera as… an infrared camera. Unfortunately, the Joy-Con’s camera is pretty terrible as a camera, and this software has absolutely no features or options to speak of. Even as a cute little gimmick, this Application absolutely fails to do anything worthwhile.

Misc Games

Game	Genre	Grade
Alekon	First-Person Shooter / Misc.	A
tl;dr Alekon is a family-friendly photography-focused First-Person Shooter where players take pictures of fictional creatures (literally called Fictions), with gameplay that is clearly inspired by the Pokemon Snap franchise. However, more than just being a copycat, Alekon is a wonderfully-accessible, varied, and just overall delightful game that actually manages to rival the Pokemon Snap games to become a truly great game in its own right. Fans of the Pokemon Snap franchise should consider this a must-buy, and anyone curious about photography videogames may want to consider making this game one of their first entries into the genre.
New Pokemon Snap	First-Person On-Rails Shooter / Misc.	A
tl;dr New Pokemon Snap is just about everything fans could want from a sequel to the N64 classic, and improves on the original in numerous ways while still remaining faithful to its formula. This is a beautiful family-friendly On-Rails First-Person Shooter that has you snapping photos of Pokemon, testing your skill with the lens and your ingenuity with other tools at your disposal to capture the best pictures. Its lack of exploration and laid-back nature may not be for everyone, and there are areas where it could still be improved further, but overall this is a marvelous experience that every Pokemon fan will likely want to have.
Katamari Damacy Reroll	Arcade	A-
tl;dr Katamari Damacy Reroll takes the excellent and crazy-inventive PS2 game about rolling up objects into a giant ball, and brings it into the modern day with HD resolution, higher framerates, and not much else. Still, as the best version of a fantastic game, it’s well worth getting.
Stray	Misc.	A-
tl;dr Stray is a game that has players taking the role of a cat exploring a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk-style city, and while it is difficult to pin to a genre, it shines through with its blend of superb level design and gameplay variety, its engrossing story and lore, and its impressive graphics that, while clearly downgraded from other platforms, still looks fantastic on Nintendo Switch. And while I have some nitpicks with controls and occasionally unclear goals, overall I think this is a magnificent game that absolutely needs to be played.
We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie	Arcade	A-
tl;dr We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie is a remake of a PlayStation 2 classic Arcade-style game that has you rolling a ball to pick up various objects to make your ball bigger to roll up even bigger objects. This is the second game in the Katamari series, and takes the concept to even kookier places than the first game, but overall remains a great blend of surprisingly compelling gameplay and a delightfully silly nonsensical presentation. This remaster adds a few improvements, but mostly this is a fairly minor update of the classic game rather than an entirely new experience. Having said that, it’s still a joy to play, and I highly recommend it.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / Party Game / Racing / Open World / Misc.	B+
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, an Open-World Exploration game, a Party game, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers. Furthermore, this game is much better than the previous two in terms of the actual gameplay content it offers, thanks to its Open-World Adventure mode and its overall more cohesive theme. This is definitely one of the better Nintendo LABO kits.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 04: VR Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / On-Rails Shooter / Misc.	B+
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, an On-Rails Shooter, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers, and even a halfway decent beginners’ game design tool. While the Nintendo Switch clearly wasn’t designed with VR in mind, this kit makes it work, albeit in a highly limited fashion, and it’s comparatively cheap compared to more professional VR headsets. Overall, while it isn’t without some major flaws, this is my favorite Nintendo LABO kit, as the Blaster construction and minigame are both my absolute favorite, and this game goes much farther than the others in its game creation tools. If you only get one Nintendo LABO kit, get this one.
Pool Panic	Puzzle / Misc. Game	B+
tl;dr Pool Panic is an odd game where you play an anthropomorphized cue ball hitting other anthropomorphized billiards balls into pockets, but unlike traditional pool you can move around freely, and so can the balls you’re aiming for. The game is weird, silly, and wildly inventive, although at times it’s not always clear what you’re expected to do. Definitely don’t play this game if you’re expecting anything resembling real pool, but if you want something more offbeat, it’s definitely worth a look.
Sky: Children of the Light	3D Exploration	B+
tl;dr Sky: Children of the Light is a free-to-play 3D Exploration game that follows directly in the footsteps of the developer’s prior game, Journey. While it never quite reaches the level of simple elegance or the emotional heights of that legendary game, Sky is nevertheless an audiovisual masterpiece and an experience that every Nintendo Switch owner should have, especially with the price tag of “free”.
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension	Graphic Adventure / Misc.	B+
tl;dr There Is No Game is a delightful post-modernist look at videogames using largely Graphic Adventure mechanics that has you defying the game’s narrator and playing around with the so-called non-game’s elements to cause him frustration. It’s amusing and original, even if it does frustrate some times as you click all over the screen looking for what you’re meant to interact with. Still, despite this frustration, this is such a fun, original game that it’s well worth playing, especially for fans of the genre.
What the Golf?	Sports (Golf) / Misc.	B+
tl;dr What the Golf? Is a family-friendly game that starts with the basic concept of golf and then re-works it and messes with its basic fundamentals in as many ways as possible. The result is a game with tons of variety, a great sense of humor, and a surprisingly fun multiplayer mode. Definitely worth a try even if you’re not a fan of golf.
Abzu	3D Exploration	B
tl;dr Abzu is a family-friendly audiovisual experience in the same vein as games like Journey and Flower, which makes sense as it was created by some of the same people. This game has you exploring a beautiful, diverse ocean teeming with life. While the gameplay is shallow and lacks any sort of challenge, and the game never reaches the emotional heights of Journey, this is still a beautiful and exhilarating experience well worth having.
Card Shark	Graphic Adventure / Misc.	B
tl;dr Card Shark is a game that combines a Graphic Adventure game with elements of Card Games and Arcade-style games in a pretty unique way, having you less concerned with playing cards and more with various ways of cheating as you progress through 18th Century France with the charming rogue, Comte de Saint-Germain. This game won’t be for everyone, but it’s charming and unique enough to be worth a look.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / Misc.	B
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a Misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers. Don’t buy this expecting deep gameplay, and its utility as a controller is somewhat negligible, but it is nevertheless a fun and unique experience that’s like nothing else out there, and well worth giving a try.
Penko Park	First-Person On-Rails Shooter / Misc.	B
tl;dr Penko Park is an On-Rails First-Person Shooter with a wildlife photography theme much in the same way that Pokemon Snap is, and that is because this game is pretty much an off-brand Pokemon Snap. Despite how this game was clearly directly inspired by Nintendo’s series, this is a pretty good replica of the formula, albeit a low-budget one with really simple visuals, a soundtrack that’s virtually absent, and missing a few of the nuances of the Pokemon Snap games. However, as a small-scale filler between those titles, Penko Park is an excellent choice.
RPG Maker MV Player	Turn-Based RPG Application	B
tl;dr RPG Maker MV Player is a free Application to play games created by RPG Maker MV, allowing players to search through games that others have made and enjoy them at no cost. While it still suffers many of the same issues as RPG Maker MV, and there’s plenty of trash games to sort through, the occasional gem you’ll find will make that free price tag well worth it.
Umurangi Generation	First-Person Shooter / Puzzle / Misc.	B
tl;dr Umurangi Generation is a First-Person Shooter where what you’re shooting is photographs, trying to capture shots of specific “photo bounties” spread across the game’s levels. The gameplay is a great simulation of photography, and finding each photo subject makes for a fantastic puzzle, even if there are some issues here like a slow walking speed and underwhelming visuals. However, the real treat here is the atmospheric dark story players glean by observing the seemingly-relaxed environments. If you’re a fan of environmental storytelling, or a photography enthusiast, this game is for you.
Bugsnax	First-Person Puzzle / Misc.	B-
tl;dr Bugsnax is an odd game with various elements I feel I can best describe as a First-Person Puzzle game about an island of muppet-like “grumpus” people who have become enamored with the titular “bugsnax”, critters that look like food and are purportedly delicious. This game is limited by its lack of stuff to do outside its core game structure, as well as issues with accomplishing the goals you’re given. However, it largely makes up for this with its adorable presentation and excellent story. The result is a game that feels like it could have been something much better, but is still worth playing for the stuff it gets right.
Deep Diving Adventures	Free-Roaming Exploration Game	B-
tl;dr Deep Diving Adventure is a game that has you exploring underwater areas, cleaning up the environment and hunting for treasure. The game has some really relaxing exploration elements, as well as some suspenseful encounters with dangerous wildlife, but these elements clash with each other in multiple ways, making for a game that’s far worse than if the game’s creators just stuck with one of the game’s two clashing tones. It’s still a unique and fun experience despite this, though.
Donut County	Puzzle / Misc.	B-
tl;dr Donut County is an odd family-friendly game whose closest genre is Puzzle games, but the game it most resembles is Katamari Damacy, with a main mechanic that has you sucking up random objects into a hole to make the hole gradually bigger in size. The gameplay here is fun, but the game is too linear and limited, and it’s really short for it price tag. Still, it’s fun while it lasts and the story and presentation are really endearing. Worth a look if you can get a good deal on it.
Elevator… To The Moon! Turbo Champion’s Edition	Interactive Toybox / First-Person Puzzle	B-
tl;dr Elevator… To The Moon! is a fun little First-Person Puzzle game where you’re fixing problems on a ridiculous expedition to the moon. The puzzles are good albeit nothing revolutionary, and the story and comedy are really well done, although some of the references feel a bit dated. All told, this is an entertaining game worth a play-through.
Fishing Vacation	Sports (Fishing) / Horror / Misc.	B-
tl;dr Fishing Vacation is a Fishing game with Horror elements designed to look like something created for the original Game Boy. If that mix of elements strike you as ill-suited to both a Fishing game and a Horror game, your suspicions are correct – this game doesn’t do either of those things well… but that’s also kinda’ the point. Rather than being about those, this game is all about creating a delightfully silly mood based on its eclectic clashing of disparate elements, and simply for this unique mood alone, I think this game is well worth its low $2 price tag.
Hypnospace Outlaw	Graphic Adventure / Simulation / Misc.	B-
tl;dr Hypnospace Outlaw is a Simulation of the early days of the internet that players are tasked with scouring to search for violations like copyright infringement and harassment. This game’s simulation elements are exquisitely well-crafted, and the game makes for a clever satire, but its Puzzle gameplay is often frustrating due to a lack of any decent search tool. If you’re not too proud to use a walkthrough on the real internet, or patient enough to scour the in-game internet to find what you’re looking for, the Simulation and satire elements here are more than worth a look.
Octogeddon	Arcade / Misc. Game	B-
tl;dr Octogeddon is an odd Arcade-style game where you play a giant octopus and gradually upgrade his various tentacles to ward off incoming threats, in a way that feels a bit reminiscent of a tower defense game, sorta’. It can get a bit repetitive, but it’s an interesting and unique game that’s easy to play and has an amusing presentation. Worth a look.
Chinese Parents	Simulation / RPG / Puzzle / Misc.	C+
tl;dr Chinese Parents is an unusual Simulation game with a mishmesh of various elements that has you guiding the development of a child of Chinese parents. It’s a really original concept, and there are some interesting gameplay ideas here, but they’re marred by a poor localization and control interface issues. This game may still be worth a look, but only if you have the patience to look past its problems.
Death Coming	Puzzle / Simulation	C+
tl;dr Death Coming is a Puzzle/Strategy game where you’re looking through what is basically a moving Where’s Waldo scene, trying to find the best ways to manipulate the environment to cause a massive number of people to die. It’s a fun idea, but it’s limited by the fact that you’re looking for things to do rather than actively being creative.
Espacio Cosmic Light-Seeker	RPG / Misc.	C+
tl;dr Espacio Cosmic Light-Seeker is a strange game that has players moving through a grid of rooms in a dark void trying to track down the Light that serves as each level’s exit. The game has elements of Dungeon Crawlers, Board Games, and even elements of detective games, but more than anything it’s very weird. This game won’t appeal to everyone, in part due to how strong a part chance plays in the gameplay. However, those seeking something truly unique will likely find this game to be worth the $3.50 price tag.
Haven	RPG / Misc.	C+
tl;dr Haven is a game that combines multiple different elements, including RPGs, exploration-focused audiovisual experiences, Visual Novels, and Survival Adventure games. And while the presentation, visuals, writing, voice acting, and music here are all fantastic, the disparate needs of each of the game’s multitude of genres end up getting in the way of each other rather than complementing one another. It’s an unfortunate irony that a game about a beautiful relationship can’t find a harmony within its various components. Still, if you have an interest in the variety of genres incorporated in this game, you may find something worthwhile here.
EvoMon	Arcade / Virtual Pet	C
tl;dr EvoMon is a game with Arcade minigames and Virtua Pet elements housed within a package that imitates Pokemon, but everything here is shallow and gives players little reason to keep playing after trying everything out. Skip it.
Goat Simulator: The GOATY	Misc. Game / Sandbox Game	C
tl;dr Goat Simulator is a Sandbox game where players run around wreaking havoc as a goat. It can be amusing for a short while, but I grew bored with this before long due to a lack of structure or any sort of purpose to what I was doing. This is very much a “Your Mileage May Vary” sorta’ game.
Snakeybus	Driving / Arcade / Misc.	C
tl;dr Snakeybus is a game that takes the basic idea of the classic game Snake and re-imagines it as a game where you’re picking up and dropping off fares in a constantly-growing bus. It’s a silly but compelling concept, and it occasionally manages to be fun, but it is frequently brought down here by a huge laundry list of flaws that mar the experience and make it far less fun than it should be.
Clouds & Sheep 2	Simulation / Misc.	C-
tl;dr Clouds & Sheep 2 is a mobile-style time waster where players manage sheep and… er, clouds. Aside from some poorly-explained game mechanics, there’s little wrong with the game, but there’s also not much it does to be engaging or entertaining beyond throwing a laundry list of chores at you so you can earn the pleasure of… doing more chores. If you’re looking for a Nintendo Switch game to just kill time, this will do that, but not much more than that.
Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch	Puzzle / Sudoku Puzzle / Misc.	C-
tl;dr Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch is the latest game in the Brain Age series, and as of this writing it is not available in the United States. We’re not missing out on much. While the version of sudoku included here has possibly the best interface a videogame version of the game has ever had, it’s content-poor, feature-poor, and surrounded by a bunch of tedious grade school homework the game forces you to play through to unlock what little fun content there is here. There’s fun content buried in this package, but it’s not worth shoveling through the mountain of crap to get to it.
Fight Crab	Fighting Game / Misc.	C-
tl;dr Fight Crab is an odd Fighting Game where players take the role of crustaceans manipulating their arms and claws to fight each other. It’s a novel concept, but it’s rendered largely pointless due to terrible controls that rarely seem to translate directly to what you’re actually intending to make your crab do. As a result, this may be interesting as a novelty, but it’s not a very fun game.
Little Inferno	Puzzle / Misc.	C-
tl;dr Little Inferno is an interactive toy with Puzzle elements that has you setting fire to various objects to watch them burn. It’s amusing but shallow, and while you may enjoy this game for a little bit, it’s not likely to be a game you’ll spend much time with before moving on.
Merrily Perilly	Graphic Adventure / Misc.	C-
tl;dr Merrily Perilly is a game that has players rushing to try and remedy one life-threatening condition after another. While the premise is amusing, the way players must always contend with a short timer discourages critical thinking and exploration, and the presentation isn’t engaging or funny enough to keep you wanting to play. As a result, this game just doesn’t live up to that great premise.
Not Not – A Brain Buster	Mental Exercise	C-
tl;dr Not Not is a Mental Exercise game where you’re following commands as a timer ticks down. It’s not really fun or especially noteworthy in any way.
ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove	Roguelike / Misc. Game	C-
tl;dr ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove plays like a direct sequel to the first game in the series, and like that game you’ll be searching through levels for presents and ship parts while avoiding humans. Fans of the original game will love this, as this is a love letter to that game. However, everyone else will find it tedious and dull.
Ciel Fledge: A Daughter Raising Simulator	Simulation / Visual Novel / Misc.	D+
tl;dr Ciel Fledge is a combination of various genres but is mostly a Simulation that has you managing the schedule of a young girl you’re raising. Unfortunately, the mechanics are alternately bland and over-complicated, and the presentation and story are often awkward and unnatural, making this a difficult game to get invested in no matter which way you come at it.
Cow Catcher	Misc.	D+
tl;dr Cow Catcher is a bizarre game where players control a man in a wingsuit flying around and using a bungee cord to “kidnap” cows to bring to a fenced area. It’s certainly unique, and there’s a bit of fun to be had here, but mostly this is a simple, repetitive game that’s carried by its odd concept and it doesn’t offer much reason to play it beyond the few minutes it takes to experience its absurdity before getting bored with it and moving on.
Endless Ocean Luminous	Misc.	D+
tl;dr Endless Ocean Luminous is a family-friendly ocean exploration game where players explore the ocean depths and catalogue sea life. Unfortunately, the underwater wonder is undone by lifeless undersea life and repetitive and empty environments, and as a videogame this is as dull and repetitive as they come. There are already multiple better underwater exploration games on Nintendo Switch, regardless of what you’re looking for. Don’t waste your time and money on this.
Home Escape	Arcade / Misc.	D+
tl;dr Home Escape is an odd game that has you using motion controls to “save” an abused child by tugging him into the air using a rope. No, it doesn’t make much sense. It’s also ugly, and has fairly simple and repetitive gameplay. However, I give it points for being unique, at least.
Pato Box	Boxing / Misc.	D+
tl;dr Pato Box is an odd Boxing adventure with extremely stylized black-and-white cel-shaded graphics and a bizarre story starring a bird-headed protagonist. While it’s not without its appeal, the game has some pretty frustrating control issues that make it really hard to enjoy.
Safety First	Puzzle-Platformer / Misc.	D+
tl;dr Safety First! is an odd game where you’re using the two control sticks to control the two legs of a robot to make it pee on electrical cords. It’s an interesting concept, but between the bare bones presentation and the broken gameplay, it feels like a game that needed more time in development.
The Savior’s Gang	Arcade / Misc.	D+
tl;dr The Savior’s Gang is an odd title where you move a mass of people through a series of deathtraps and try to keep as many alive as possible, held loosely together by a tongue-in-cheek religious theme. Unfortunately, the entire thing doesn’t really come together well, it’s riddled with problems on a conceptual level, and it just isn’t fun to play.
Acrylic Nails!	Simulation / Misc.	D
tl;dr Acrylic Nails! is an odd game that’s sorta’ a Simulation but mostly just a play space for players to create their own nail designs for customers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like anything you do matters, and customers’ demands mean that you can’t just treat this as a pure creative space either, meaning it fails both as a game and as an art application. Unless you have a young kid who’s super-enthusiastic about decorating nails, skip this one.
Brunch Club	Misc.	D
tl;dr Brunch Club is a physics-based game that has players trying to move objects to make breakfast meals. It is exceedingly difficult to get anything done in this game, with terrible controls, and this is joined by an unimpressive and annoying presentation. Some players may find this to be an engaging challenge, but I personally hated it and would not recommend this to anyone.
Cook For Love	Misc. / Simulation	D
tl;dr Cook For Love is a family-friendly game that puts players in the role of a French chef preparing dishes in a restaurant, and while this game has a lovely presentation, the gameplay is so shallow and pointless that this game feels completely disposable. Skip it.
Dessert DIY	Simulation / Misc.	D
tl;dr Dessert DIY is an odd game that’s sorta’ a Simulation but mostly just a play space for players to create their own sugary treats for an unending line of customers. Unfortunately, there’s no skill involved here, just following instructions ad nauseum until you decide to quit. Skip this one.
DIY Makeup	Simulation / Misc.	D
tl;dr DIY Makeup is an odd game that’s sorta’ a Simulation but mostly just a play space for players to create their own makeup for customers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like anything you do matters, and customers’ demands mean that you can’t just treat this as a pure creative space either, meaning it fails both as a game and as an art application. Unless you have a young kid who’s super-enthusiastic about creating makeup from scratch, skip this one.
Doll Dress Up	Misc.	D
tl;dr Doll Dress Up is, as the name indicates, a game where the point is to dress up dolls. Unfortunately, even for young kids who this might appeal to, this game has problems – a terrible lack of content, awkward controls, grossout moments forced on the player, and players having every one of their outfits “judged”. The result is a game that just seems to have far too many issues, and I suspect youngsters interested in this would be better off playing with actual dolls.
Duck Creator	Misc.	D
tl;dr Duck Creator is an Application where, yes, you create a duck. However, even with that odd premise, Duck Creator doesn’t give players much in the way of options or any reason to play this beyond a brief few minutes of weirdness before moving on out of boredom. Even for only $1, this just isn’t worth it.
Editor’s Hell – Newspaper Story	Misc.	D
tl;dr Editor’s Hell is a game that follows in the tradition of Papers, Please, with players taking the role of a newspaper editor in an authoritarian dictatorship, trying to balance journalistic integrity, carefully avoiding the wrath of the government, and trying to keep from going bankrupt. Or at least, that’s what it is in theory. In practice, this game isn’t clear about the consequences of any of your actions, leaving you feeling lost and unsure what to do. In the end, you’re better off pulping this one.
Frozen Honey ASMR	Simulation / Misc.	D
tl;dr Frozen Honey ASMR is an odd game that’s sorta’ a Simulation but mostly just a play space for players to create their own “frozen honey” treats for an unending line of customers. Unfortunately, there’s no skill involved here, just repeating the same motions over and over again. Skip this one.
Hair Dye	Simulation / Misc.	D
tl;dr Hair Dye is a game where players take the role of a hair stylist working on various girls’ hairdos. While the game does give some degree of freedom to create the style you want, there’s little point to it, as the girls are always satisfied with your work and there’s no real goal here. Skip this pointless game.
Lunch Box Ready	Misc.	D
tl;dr Lunch Box Ready is a game where players arrange lunch boxes for customers, and while the presentation here is nice enough, the gameplay is shallow and pointless, with players being forced to do things as directed and with absolutely zero challenge. Don’t bother with this.
Merge Master	Misc.	D
tl;dr Merge Master is an odd game where players send dinosaurs, archers, and wizards out into battle, and if they fail they just spend more money to upgrade them and try again. The gameplay here is brainless, the units in your army have no business being together, and this game gives off all the surefire indicators of being a low-effort microtransaction-fest that had the microtransactions taken out before being slapped onto Nintendo Switch. Some players may get some dumb fun out of this game, but wouldn’t you be happier playing something that’s more interesting than doing the same thing over and over again until it works? Please play something else instead.
My Name is Mayo	Misc.	D
tl;dr My Name is Mayo is a pointless game where players repeatedly tap on a jar of mayonnaise… and not much else. I suppose some see this as an amusing art piece, but I can only see this as a terrible game, and one to avoid, even at the low $1 price it’s selling for.
Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit	Accessory / Minigame Collection / Action / Misc.	D
tl;dr Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit is a really unique hybrid of a Minigame Collection, a series of Accessories you create yourself using the included pieces of custom-made cardboard, and a Misc. tool you can use to explore the features of the Nintendo Joy-Con controllers. However, compared to all of the other Nintendo LABO kits, this one is worse in just about every way – there are fewer minigames on offer with less variety and frustrating, awkward gameplay, with glorified menu screens presented as minigames to make up the difference. There’s also nothing here that can be used in other videogames, unlike the other LABO kits. And what little fun there is to be found here are features that are already in the other much better LABO kits. If you want to try Nintendo LABO, go for any of the other LABO kits, this one is the worst of the lot.
To Leave	Platformer / Misc.	D
tl;dr To Leave is a Platformer with a lot of… story… that’s nonsensical and drags down the pacing in a game with what was already some pretty poor gameplay. I don’t doubt that this was a very personal project to someone, and there are definitely elements of the presentation that make for an interesting spectacle, but they don’t make for a very enjoyable game.
Windmill Engine	Idle Game / Misc.	D
tl;dr Windmill Engine is what you would get if you played an Idle Game on fast-forward so it only takes a few minutes to 100% complete the game. Those few minutes will be boring and repetitive, and all the while you’ll be looking at an ugly windmill. Even at $1, I cannot see this being a game anyone will find worth buying.
Animal Fight Club	Action / Misc.	D-
tl;dr Animal Fight Club is a bizarre game that has you creating an army of odd combined-animal creatures and then fighting an opposing army of creatures. Unfortunately, the combat here is terrible, and the amusement of making odd custom animals only goes so far. Skip this one.
ASMR Slicing	Misc.	D-
tl;dr ASMR Slicing is an odd game where players chop pieces off of objects. Unfortunately, despite what the game’s title implies, there’s little enjoyment to be had in doing so, and the challenge is pretty much nonexistent. I’m not sure who this game is for, but I think they’re better off saving their money for something else.
DIY Paper Doll	Misc.	D-
tl;dr DIY Paper Doll is a game where you dress up a paper doll and decorate their house. However, the gameplay here is pointless, and there’s not enough variety to make this creatively fun. Real paper dolls are going to be more fun than this.
Koi DX	Puzzle / Misc. Game	D-
tl;dr Koi DX is an odd game that has you swimming as a fish in a pond and solving “puzzles” that aren’t really puzzling. The gameplay is boring, uninventive, and slow, the graphics are basic and uninteresting, and the game constantly slows things down even more whenever anything of note happens. Don’t bother with this one.
Pet Care	Misc. Game	D-
tl;dr Pet Care is a game designed for very young children, where players match animals with the kind of food they eat. Even for a game meant for young children, this game is lacking. It can’t be played in docked mode, is lazily designed, and makes for a very poor educational tool. Even at $1.50, this game is not worth it.
Please, Don’t Touch Anything	Interactive Toybox / First-Person Puzzle	D-
tl;dr Please, Don’t Touch Anything presents a tantalizing opportunity to play with an ominous-looking machine and see what it does, but it provides so little indication of what you actually can do with it, that for some players you’ll end up not really being able to do anything at all.
Rogue Bit	Puzzle / Maze Game	D-
tl;dr Rogue Bit is a puzzle/maze game that has you guiding a single bit of a computer program as it navigates through the program to escape. Unfortunately, this clever conceit quickly leads to puzzles that will only be solved by the most observant and most tech-savvy of players. For everyone else, it just becomes incomprehensible.
Sculpt People	Misc.	D-
tl;dr Sculpt People is an odd game where players nominally mold clay to look like the heads of people in photographs… only much of the molding is done for you, and what little input you do have doesn’t seem to matter. You should absolutely skip this one.
Sega Ages Ichidant-R	Arcade / Minigame Collection	D-
tl;dr Ichidant-R is a Minigame Collection originally released to Japanese arcades in 1994, with this release marking the game’s first time being sold in America. Unfortunately, with only 20 minigames, and many of those games variations on memorization and pattern-recognition games, there’s not much of interest here to anyone other than a diehard Sega collector.
Shark Simulator: Ocean Predator Survival	Misc.	D-
tl;dr Shark Simulator is an unfinished, incomplete shambles of a game that has a few nice elements but absolutely fails to piece them together in a way that actually feels even close to a complete game. Do not waste your money on this.
Showtime: Vampire Diaries	Misc.	D-
tl;dr Showtime: Vampire Diaries is a game that has you selecting questions to ask in a TV interview with a vampire, with players guessing through trial and error which answers won’t upset the vampire. The gameplay is pointless and tedious, the writing is terrible, and the presentation does little to improve things here. The result is a terrible game that gives players no good reason to play it.
Construct Farm	Misc.	F
tl;dr Construct Farm is a… I guess farm model construction application… and an absolutely miserable one at that, with horrible performance issues that make it hard to even move the cursor where you want it, a lack of options and features, and overall there’s little here that wouldn’t be done better with an actual farming Simulation game. You should absolutely avoid this game.
Dreaming Canvas	First-Person Walking Simulator / Misc.	F
tl;dr Dreaming Canvas is a Walking Simulator with no plot, no characters, no puzzles, and the only gameplay comes in the form of voice clips to find strewn about the stages and canvasses where you can play around with Photoshop filters and not do anything else. All of this is presented in incomplete low-poly areas that are torturously slow to walk through. This game isn’t fun… in fact, I’m not even sure it’s a game. But it’s not an art app either. I don’t know who this was meant to appeal to, but I can feel pretty sure that it fails miserably.
Loot Box Simulator – Crimson Fire	Misc.	F
tl;dr Loot Box Simulator – RPG Crimson Fire is a “game” where players repeatedly select one of four options in hopes of it being the “best” option so they can score points. There’s no rhyme or reason to this gameplay, and the goal here is to unlock artwork that you cannot zoom into to view in detail, nor does it actually do anything in the game. In other words, this game’s only worthwhile utility can be much, much, much better served by simply getting online and going to a website like DeviantArt. Do not waste any money on this pointless “game”.
Loot Box Simulator – Heroes of the Dark Age	Misc.	F
tl;dr Loot Box Simulator – Heroes of the Dark Age is a “game” where players repeatedly select one of four options in hopes of it being the “best” option so they can score points. There’s no rhyme or reason to this gameplay, and the goal here is to unlock artwork that you cannot zoom into to view in detail, nor does it actually do anything in the game. In other words, this game’s only worthwhile utility can be much, much, much better served by simply getting online and going to a website like DeviantArt. Do not waste any money on this pointless “game”.
Loot Box Simulator – RPG Anime Girls	Misc.	F
tl;dr Loot Box Simulator – RPG Anime Girls is a “game” where players repeatedly select one of four options in hopes of it being the “best” option so they can score points. There’s no rhyme or reason to this gameplay, and the goal here is to unlock artwork that you cannot zoom into to view in detail, nor does it actually do anything in the game. In other words, this game’s only worthwhile utility can be much, much, much better served by simply getting online and going to a website like DeviantArt. Do not waste any money on this pointless “game”.
Myside Reality	First-Person Misc.	F
tl;dr Myside Reality is a copycat rip-off of the premise, look, and gameplay (in theory) of the PC game Miside, and even if the cynical copying isn’t enough to bother you, the absolutely broken gameplay should. Under no condition should you buy this game.
The Love – Date Simulator with Girls	Simulation / Misc.	F
tl;dr The Love is an odd sort of Simulation-style game that aims to replicate the feeling of using a dating app, but it’s poorly-designed, poorly-written, offers little in the way of meaningful choice, and even the arousing content the game implies you’ll find is not to be found here. In short, there is absolutely no reason to play this game.
A Time Traveller’s Guide To Past Delicacies	Misc.	?
tl;dr A Time Traveller’s Guide To Past Delicacies is nominally a… game? … that has you interacting with a time-traveling sock puppet who is fixated on recipes from throughout Earth’s history. However, what this really ends up being is a fever dream of an experience that blends together outdated videogame media elements with terrible gameplay and an archaic presentation to create something that is nevertheless compelling and truly bizarre. I don’t really feel comfortable giving this game a letter grade. This game defies being graded in such a way.

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