Alright, back with another one of these lists where I give you the rundown on some cool games you may have missed this past month. I have five of them this time – some big, some small – but hopefully at least one of which catches your interest. As usual, thanks to the publishers who sent these games to me in order to make this list possible and let’s go ahead and get started.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers

A bit out of nowhere, but we got a new Earth Defense Force game this past month – kinda. EDF 5 was one of my favorite games when it came out in 2019 and World Brothers offers up a lot of that same style of gameplay, but with a very different approach. Visually, it has shifted to a voxel-based shooter, kinda reminiscent of Ace of Spades. The gameplay has also been simplified a bit – but the core “kill every giant bug you see with ridiculous weapons” formula remains the same.

In fact, within just the first handful of levels I already had access to a couple dozen different characters and all their respective weapons and abilities – whether that be a simple machine gun, a laser rifle, or some sort of melee weapon. It is not too complex gameplaywise (I mean, the series never really was), but if you are a fan, do check it out and maybe find a buddy to do online co-op with.

Steam page. Earth Defense Force: World Brothers retails for $60 USD and is also available on Switch and PS4.

Jeanne at the Clock Tower

So, this is a neat visual novel that has gone practically unnoticed on Steam. Like, there are literally zero reviews for it on the Store page. And that is a bit of a shame, because not only does this VN tackle a unique setting, but it comes from an established studio as well (Liar-soft has been in the industry for over two decades now after all). Basically, Jeanne at the Clock Tower combines a bit of French History, some time travel, and fantasy elements and rolls it all into one.

You play as Roland, who is a member of the Free French Forces and the game literally opens with him taking part in the invasion of Normandy during WWII. I honestly do not think I have played a VN that tackled such a setup, but Jeanne does this and more. Because right after you land, you are whisked away to this other world where you meet Jeanne d’Arc and then begin this time-hopping journey to find your way home and uncover just what exactly this world is. The pacing can be a bit rough, but it is a neat VN that should be getting more attention.

Steam page, MangaGamer page. Jeanne at the Clock Tower retails for $40 USD.

Mighty Goose

An arcade run and gun shooter where you play as a goose that has a dedicated honk button – that is all I really need to say about Mighty Goose. It is fast, packed full of projectiles and enemies going everywhere, and has a good amount of customization to it as well – including a bunch of different weapons to choose from, different goose abilities, and even companions to bring along with you into battle.

The game is not too long at around two or so hours, but it is a good time for that length and offers up a decent challenge at that. There were a couple times where I got stuck for a bit, so I can only imagine how difficult the new game+ mode would be. A fun game all things considered and recommended for those into arcade shooters.

Steam page. Mighty Goose retails for $20 USD and is also available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Switch.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground

On top of Necromunda: Hired Gun, we also had another, more lesser-known Warhammer game released: Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground. This one takes up a more traditional turn-based strategy approach, with tactical battles and all of the different classes, abilities, skills, and other goodies that come along with it. There are three factions to choose from and they each change the way the game is played. The Stormcast Eternals, for example, are fairly straightforward with their simple buffs and attack commands, whereas the Maggotkin have this unique spawning mechanic centered on spreading corruption around the field.

The gameplay is divided into small skirmishes with varying objectives like “kill all the enemies”, “kill this boss”, or “capture this point”. I won’t argue that it’s the most complex turn-based tactics game around, but I think it’s better than what the mixed ratings on Steam make it out to be. Granted, a lot of those seem to be related to technical issues on launch, which appear to have been fixed or maybe I just got lucky since I didn’t run into any of them. A decent Warhammer game all things considered and one to check out if you’re a fan.

You can get an official Steam key 20% off using my Gamesplanet partner link.

Steam page. Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground retails for $40 USD and is also available on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

Minute of Islands

Minute of Islands is a very colorful game. The kind of game where I found myself paying more attention to the environments and detailing rather than what I was actually doing. It is a very good-looking game, with hand-drawn graphics that flow brilliantly at an uncapped framerate. Aside from that aesthetic though, the game is basically a puzzle-platformer with somewhat simple gameplay and a interesting fantasy-mystery story to match.

You play as Mo, a tinkerer who lives with her family on an archipelago that was once inhabited by giants. These giants left behind a bunch of machines and it is Mo’s job to keep them running to prevent the world from being swallowed by an unknown threat. The puzzles aren’t anything too complex, but the story and aesthetic combo really sell this game and it is easily worth a look for that aspect alone.

Steam page. Minute of Islands retails for $20 USD and is also available on GOG, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

And that will bring this month’s list to a close. A bit on the short side, but hopefully there was at least one game of interest for you to check out. I will be back around this time next month with another list, so do look forward to that.