Europa

Play it on: Switch, PC
Current goal: Just vibe

Europa is the real deal. A 3D platformer in a Zelda: Breath of the Wild-style world that looks like a Studio Ghibli movie is one of those great elevator pitches that rarely lives up to the promise. Europa delivers exactly what I want from it, though. I’m only half-way through the bite-sized experience (the game’s $15 and roughly three hours long) but enjoying every second of hopping, floating, and soaring through its beautiful, multi-biome environment. It’s a little bit like playing Ni No Kuni if instead of a long RPG, it was a short walking sim.

Maybe that also conjures comparison to 2019’s chillout session-fest, A Short Hike, which would also be appropriate, minus the parts in Europa where you’re dodging bombs. The key thing to know gameplay-wise is that Europa revolves around charging up a rocket pack that lets you reach increasingly great heights from which to satisfying glide to new places as you explore. It’s not a very deep game, but taken on its own terms it’s excellent at what it’s doing, complete with a simple but poignant parable about humanity. — Ethan Gach