Immediately upon starting up Square Enix's chaotic new party battle game, Foamstars, players are hit with the cheerful energy that exudes from the game's soundtrack, graphics style, and silly narrative. It is much more like Nintendo's Splatoon in its family-friendly approach than the traditional shooters that the gaming world is currently used to, and it embraces this wholesome approach and uses it to build a foundation for all things wacky and fun. From dancing on top of giant rubber ducks to an overarching story of the impending destruction of Bath Vegas from the evil bubble beasties, Foamstars never takes things too seriously. 6n91k

As the Soothsayer for the village of Grotto, the player must divine meaning from the stars in the form of constellations, none of which provide a clear idea as to what they mean or represent. So, when the people of Grotto come seeking advice and direction about the future of their community, there is ample room for misunderstanding. It's a fascinating and engaging premise that explores the shortfalls of language and how interpretation can bring ruin, but the execution of that premise often leaves the player feeling a little blue themselves.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Diskis the second set of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, continuing the story of Teal Mask and bringing trainers back to Unova (kind of). While the latest update includes new Pokémon and an expanded Pokédex, it also features dozens of Legendaries and the possibility of catching starters from previous generations. The Indigo Disk walks the delicate balance of appealing to those who love to do battle and those who enjoy a solid Pokémon collect-a-thon, but it's still bogged down by the same issues the base games and the Teal Mask DLC had.

SteamWorld Build is the latest entry in the SteamWorld franchise, this time exploring the city building genre. The title comes from developer The Station and publisher Thunderful, the latter of which has previously helped produce several other entries in the series alongside releases like Cursed to Golf and Planet of Lana. While the game brings a lot of engaging mechanics to the table in a creative world, a lack of in-depth analytics holds it back from perfection.

The power fantasy of being an assassin and the simple pleasures of virtual tourism might not seem like ideas that would go hand-in-hand, but the Assassin's Creed series has managed to mash them together for 16 years and counting. Assassin's Creed Nexus VRbrings these gameplay prerogatives to virtual reality for the first time, taking familiar systems that developer Ubisoft has been playing with across the course of the franchise and faithfully reimagining them from a fresh perspective. In some ways, the VR experience feels like the perfect fit, although not every aspect of the series translates without any hiccups.

From Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to Dune, the defining works of 1960s sci-fi have long loomed large in the speculative scene. It's rare, however, for a modern adaptation to fully commit to the aesthetic elements that couched the genre at the time. The Invincible, developed by Starward Industries and published by 11 bit studios, attempts to do just that, translating a seminal work by Stanisław Lem to retrofuturist video game form. It's a tremendous success in a visual regard, although mileage may vary with its approach to gameplay.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central marks the arrival of SEGA's classic rhythm series on the Nintendo Switch, a destination that feels overdue. If the Joy-Cons have ever been meant for anything, it's taking up the role of maracas for furious shaking to the beat, a role that once required the purchase of peripherals for the franchise's original entry on the Dreamcast. Although motion controls may no longer be as fresh as they were when the first game debuted, the core idea of Samba de Amigo remains as appealing and fun as ever.

Sometimes it’s nice to play a bad guy. Whether it’s taking on the role of a villain by exploring the secrets of Fallout and being a thoroughly nasty piece of work, or being a not-so-benevolent creator in titles like The Sims series, there is something inherently fun about taking on the role of the antagonist now and again. Enter The Fabulous Fear Machine from developer Fictiorama Studios and AMC Games, which asks the player to bring about some very bad things in the world at large.

The Jackbox Party Pack 10 delivers a mostly solid lineup that covers an array of different gameplay styles, but there are a few instances where a title's concept sounds a bit more fun on paper than in actuality. Developer and publisher Jackbox Games has been creating beloved multiplayer minigames since 2014 like Quiplash and Fibbage, and this release as a whole really taps into a lot of what draws players to the franchise: chaos, silliness, and creativity. Existing fans of the series will likely enjoy this pack despite its flaws, and even for newcomers it presents several unique ways to have fun.

Detective Pikachu Returns is the sequel to the bizarre but beloved Pokémon spin-off that also spawned a movie of the same name. While it does more than enough to justify its existence as a follow-up effort, it also struggles to capitalize on some of the good will the movie earned for the property, instead reverting to a more childish, simplistic narrative and systems.