Screenshot: Debate and Switch Recently, I had the chance to test out a couple of Jackbox party games from the upcoming Jackbox Party Pack 12, which is releasing in October this year. For this preview, I sat down (digitally) with some Jackbox crew and a few of my peers to play a match each of “Debate and Switch” and “Hyperface.” First off, I have to get this out of the way: “Debate and Switch” is itself, a bit of a bait and switch. See: “debate and switch” is an established TV

So why is this getting released now? Nostalgia, surely. But also because Aspyr parent company Embracer now owns the rights thanks to their acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises in 2022. That means there’s a possibility that more WB Lord of the Rings games will be rereleased by Aspyr, so this could be the first of many.

I haven’t played a sidescrolling beat ‘em up meets roguelike since Absolum. And while that has to be a peak example of the genre, I can certainly learn to love again with Anomaly President. Released in Early Access a couple of weeks ago, I knew right away that Anomaly President had the potential to be something great.

Starting out as a prototype in the Big Mode Game Jam in 2023, Backpack Boy has had a multi-year journey to make its way to 1.0. The first commercial game of developer Chuck & Niles Games, Backpack Boy isn’t going to redefine the sidescrolling puzzle genre, but it’s a charming game that does a whole lot of things right.

Agent 64: Spies Never Die gave me a hit of nostalgia that throwback hardware and old games can’t. For one fleeting moment, it actually felt like I was a kid again, showing my friends a brand-new N64 cartridge. It’s a rare feeling to chase, but with Agent 64, Replicant D6 managed to catch it.

I’ve been reviewing games for almost a decade at this point, but I’ve been playing games a whole lot longer than that. It’s rare for me to find a game that will easily capture my attention for hours. I’m not talking about mandatory play sessions I do for these reviews. That’s me shouldering through games that might even be fun, but aren’t fun because now I’m playing them for work. Splatoon Raiders was the opposite. I sat and played for hours without even glancing at the clock

I’m playing a game. I know I should be having fun. I love first person shooters. I like fast first person shooters. Even the game thinks I should be having fun: the music is pumping, the bullets are flying. My guns are chugging away (plinking, really) – but I’m just not having any fun.

In a year teeming with hotly anticipated releases, like Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the games I was looking forward to the most was Big Walk by developer House House, the team behind Untitled Goose Game.