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TRANSISTOR (PC, PS4)

BY SUPERGIANT GAMES

From the creators of Bastion comes Transistor, and, like that game, this is a sexily voiced action-RPG. You play as Red, who finds herself fighting against a city of hostiles using the all powerful, time freezing sword called—you guessed it—the Transistor. As a voiceless protagonist listening to the advice of a disembodied voice, you develop a touchingly symbiotic relationship to your narrator. Your job is to kick butt. His is to make you sound epic.

Perfect for: Strong-but-silent types, alternative sci-fi lovers, ARPG fans

Playtime: Six to eight hours. And then there’s new game plus.

GLITCHHIKERS (PC, MAC)

BY SILVERSTRING MEDIA

Imagine it’s 2, maybe 3 in the morning. You’ve just come back home from a party to an empty apartment. You’re not quite ready to sleep, but you feel quiet. Pensive. A little lonely. This is the exact right time to play Glitchhikers. Take a night drive through pastel mountains, muse on life’s oddities with hitchhikers, and, most of all, just cruise. Take a long blink and let the original soundtrack wash over you. Embrace the monument to sleep-deprived introspection that is Glitchhikers.

Perfect for: Dreamy sorts, anybody who enjoys driving at night, insomniacs

Playtime: 15 minutes

SUPER TIME FORCE (XBOX 360, XBOX ONE)

BY CAPYBARA GAMES

Initially born from the fiery tempest of game jam, Super Time Force is the time-traveling cousin of Contra that doesn’t take itself too seriously. How not-seriously? Enough that the game encourages you to die, rewind time, and fight alongside your former life in order to double down on your bullet-spewing ability. Useful for taking down a boss or just spewing glowing future bullets.

Perfect for: Contra/BroForce/Metal Slug lovers, Doctors with police boxes

Playtime: A few hours…but time travel makes things weird