Hitman 2 consumed my thoughts in a way that few games ever have. It wasn't just that I played so much of it, but my time spent not playing was often spent turning about each level in my mind, trying to conjure up new routes or ideas for contracts. It shows the relative lack of resources IO had to work with at times, but still provides more than enough content to satisfy players.

Setting aside the visual beauty of AC Odyssey, or the visceral thrill of assassinating targets, what Ubisoft nailed with this game is the addictive RPG loop. Complete a quest, get rewarded with new abilities and gear, try out those new bonuses on the next quest. That cycle kept me hooked for more than 100 hours of play - and for better or worse, there's still much more of the game I haven't gotten to.

Super Mario Maker 2 scratches my creative itch better than any game I've played before. I find myself wishing at times that there were more tools available for level creation, but I can't be upset by what's on offer here.

NSMBU put up a stiffer challenge than I was anticipating, but never became frustrating until the post-game. Each level has a memorable theme, and finding their secrets is often a delight.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair borrows many of its best ideas from famous platformers of the past, but the combination of mechanics works out pretty well on the whole. The overworld and the remixing of each level are very cleverly done. Wish the titular Lair was a bit more flexible in its challenge, in line with the rest of the game.

A good game with a very helpful tutorial that unfortunately gets bogged down by a ridiculous grind imposed on players to unlock the most difficult tracks.

Intense, but never to the point of frustration, this game has substance, but even more style.

A haunting game with some really cool imagery, though the final two acts felt less impactful than the first three.

Very cool to have a Civilization game on Switch, and I've sunk a lot of hours into it. But I've fallen into a difficulty rut; prince is a breeze, while King becomes too frustrating, and I haven't yet finished a game.

A pretty game with an impressive scope of systems and stories to work out.

A beautiful platformer with fun mechanics, but unfortunately undercut by technical issues and frustratingly unclear level design.

It could easily have been a cheap Mario Maker knock-off, but they've really strived to make this game more than that. The platforming is polished and smooth, and the switch logic available to creators is really robust. I just wish they'd stop using it to make hidden spike traps.

This is a game with really fun ideas, and a poor implementation of them. The sheer scale of the map is impressive, and I enjoyed driving around, exploring it, and creating photos and videos. Switching between vehicles on the fly is great fun. But all of that gets put towards a progression system that needlessly takes the form of an RPG style grind, endlessly repeating the game's limited selection of race events over and over. It deserves better.

As someone who has never played another Metal Gear game, I found myself hooked by the systemic stealth on offer. Infiltrating bases, taking out guards one by one, that stuff is catnip to me. There's also a busy story and boss fights which don't seem bad, but are not why I came to this game. I was more than willing to put up with those interruptions in a very satisfying loop.

A really fantastic platformer capable of providing stiff challenges that never feel unfair. Tropical Freeze sets itself apart from decades of sidescrollers by making each level and obstacle feel like a dynamic part of a real place.