Buddy Simulator 1984 (Switch eShop)

It's difficult to really say what Buddy Simulator 1984 is without giving too much away. The game sees you embark on building a relationship with your virtual 'Buddy', but through various play styles and jolts in dialogue, things aren't quite what they seem. Right from the get-go, this title is creepy. You'll take a whistle-stop tour through video game history always aware that there is something darker bubbling away under the surface. It doesn't take long to finish Buddy Simulator 1984, but its atmosphere is certainly one that hangs around for a while afterwards.

OPUS: Echo of Starsong - Full Bloom Edition (Switch eShop)

OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a lovely game, an emotional adventure that represents the apex of the series to date and easily one of the best story-driven games on Switch. It's also excellent value for money, offering around ten hours of game for its low price, more if you really take your time and soak the whole thing up the way you really should do. While the character designs are a little too familiar, the characters themselves are complex, interesting, and likeable, and the story told with them is a complete, satisfying tale. Oh, and when the opening suggests playing with headphones? That's a hard agree from us, both to help with the music-based puzzles and simply to enjoy the excellent score.

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RITE (Switch eShop)

Rite is an absolute gem. Developer Pond Games nails the execution of a simple platforming concept and wraps things up before the game overstays its welcome. At the price of just seven bucks, this one is a no-brainer pick-up for anyone who considers themselves a fan of tough platformers; tight controls, challenging levels, and a chill soundtrack all combine to make Rite the easiest of recommendations.

Jack Move (Switch eShop)

Launching in September, we feel this got a little lost in the video game silly season flood. It may not last terribly long, but Jack Move manages to pack in all the important elements needed for an excellent cyberpunk JRPG adventure. The inventive battle system, enchanting world, and appealing graphics all come together to make for a perfectly paced, gripping, and memorable release that no RPG fan will want to miss out on, and that goes double for time-poor genre aficionados. It’s not often that you see a JRPG that leans so hard into science fiction tropes, and Jack Move makes the most of every minute of its runtime. Highly recommended.

Lunistice (Switch eShop)

Presenting itself modestly as “a simple and short experience”, Lunistice has masses to offer. A first run is maybe a handful of hours, but the thirst to retry is so strong it’s almost hard to move on to each new stage. Add the challenge of finding all the cranes and hidden items, avoiding resets, and setting faster times, plus unlockable characters with different moves, and it's a full and generous package. Launching at $4.99 or your regional equivalent, weighing in at a lean 600MB, and having a demo on the eShop, Lunistice is simply a must-try game.

Grapple Dog (Switch eShop)

Grapple Dog is one of the most refreshingly unfussy platformers we've seen in a long time. The central mechanic (other than, well, being a dog) is the titular grapple which allows you to traverse the game's perfectly-sized levels using said hook to swing from ceilings, build momentum, attach to enemies and Donkey Kong Country-style cannons, and generally add a whole layer of mechanical complexity while maintaining extremely simple three-button controls. It isn't quite perfect, but developer Medallion does precisely what it sets out to do — deliver an unpretentious platformer that's a hell of a lot of fun to play.

Lost in Play (Switch eShop)

Lost in Play has many of the hallmarks of golden-age point-and-click adventures: a cartoon style, humorously animated protagonists, item-based puzzles, and curiosity-piquing 2D scenes serving as both play space and reward for clearing the previous area. However, it also shakes off many of the classic bugbears: pixel hunting is impossible because you’re moving a character, not a cursor; using no words in the game leaves the hint system to be helpful but not too transparent; there’s very little backtracking because environments are kept small and the time in them is brief; and wacky dream logic is completely excused because you’re playing in children’s imaginations. Over its five-or-so hours, Lost in Play barely puts a foot wrong, delivering cerebral gaming and effervescent entertainment. In doing so, it makes many of the genre’s design challenges look easy.

Windjammers 2 (Switch eShop)

This released back in January after a long gestation period. With Windjammers 2, Dotemu has taken the fiendishly addictive core formula of the Neo Geo classic and improved upon it in every way. The core gameplay here remains as immediately endearing as ever whilst being enhanced and given a real strategic kick by a bevy of new moves and skills that add to the fun without detracting from or overcomplicating proceedings. Yes, there's not much in the way of modes, but this is another banger from Dotemu — an all-time classic improved upon, an arcade classic refined for a new generation.

Gotta Protectors: Cart Of Darkness (Switch eShop)

The blend of all-out action, deep strategy, and Ancient's irreverent humour is as enjoyable as ever in Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness, and smashing a huge castle-tank into evil things never stops being fun. This '80s-loving game — which goes beyond standard tower defence territory and ends up somewhere that can only be described as "strategic mayhem" — plays its story for laughs but the game itself is an expertly crafted challenge with lots to do and plenty more to keep coming back for.

The Last Friend (Switch eShop)

Similarly to the many doggos it stars, it’s tough to find much to dislike about The Last Friend. Fast-paced tower defense action, a gorgeous art style, satisfying progression, and a goofy story make this one an easy recommendation. Plus, you can pet all the dogs! What more could you want?

Please, Touch The Artwork (Switch eShop)

Please, Touch The Artwork is an excellent little experience that cleverly combines intuitive, pensive puzzle mechanics with art history and humour to create an interactive exhibit you really shouldn't miss. If you've got any interest in modern art whatsoever, you're sure to enjoy this gem, but even puzzle fans who don't know their Picassos from their Pollocks would do well to browse these galleries. There's really nothing else to say. Do what the title says.


Let us know below which of the games above you've played and enjoyed, and feel free to elucidate on any other 2022 games you feel deserve some love over the holidays and beyond.

What was your hidden gem of choice for 2022?