I just rolled credits on The Plucky Squire.

Despite agreeing with the common criticisms of the game (uneven pacing, overly simple combat, hand-holding) I did enjoy my time with it. It’s gorgeous and charming, and often delightful, and that goes a long way with me.

If you’ve been playing it you may have felt that the game introduces a few gameplay itches that it ultimately doesn’t quite scratch. With in mind, here’s a list of four games you should absolutely look at playing next…

Tinykin

Tinykin is a light hearted, charming puzzle-platformer, with quirky humour and interesting level design. Each level of Tinykin is a ‘real’ room, built to scale and fully explorable in this puzzle platforming adventure.

While perhaps the least-strong game on this list from a purely game-play perspective, it’s still fluid and inventive, and the levels and upgrades will propel you along to the game’s conclusion (in the attic).

Scratch the itch: Vastly more expansive and open levels than The Plucky Squire’s wonderfully realised 3D ‘desktop’ environments, but with similar concept, art design, and level design.

Nobody Saves the World

My personal game-of-the-year for 2022, Nobody Saves the World (from Drinkbox of Guacamelee fame) will surprise you with the depth of it’s systems and unlocks, and form-based combat mechanics. The writing is hilarious, and the visual style is rich and vibrant.

It remains one of the most underappreciated gems of the last few years in gaming.

Scratch the itch: Top-down, crisp, hand-drawn 2d exploration with combat, dungeons and mini-quests.

Death’s Door

Death’s Door is a dreamy, combat-focused, action adventure game. The music, art direction and lore of the world all shine, and the writing is sharp and hilarious.

Scratch the itch: If you found the sword combat to be lacking in The Plucky Squire, you might find Death’s Door to be the perfect combination of challenging and rewarding.

Psychonauts 2

Outrageously creative art design, excellent 3d platforming, story-focussed and easy on the combat, Psychonauts 2 earned its many award nominations.

Scratch the itch: While much more expansive than The Plucky Squire, Psychonauts 2 mixes its rich environments and platforming with variety in its level design and inventive mechanics – some boss ‘battles’ even feeling more like mini-games.