With headphones plugged in, ‘Monument Valley 3’ offers a soothing, block-out-the-noisy-world puzzle oasis.
Those Italian plumber bros. are back on the RPG-battling and world-saving job. But this time they need their electrician’s tools.
There’s plenty of Poké fun to be had here in short, content-free doses. But impatience can cost ya’.
Mario and the rest of the gang will certainly keep you entertained with their minigame hootenanny, er, jamboree.
Very young Nick Jr. lovers will rejoice over Dora’s ‘super muy bien’ introduction to video gaming.
Is this a perfect game for kids? Well, that will depend on how young the starfish in your gaming galaxy …
EA Sports College Football 25 packs recognizable and refreshingly new moves into its playbook. And that’s worth a hearty college …
This find-your-way-home adventure features a cute kitty and his purr-worthy hijinks.
Between its ‘40s art style and its sweet platforming puzzles, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is as cozy and inviting as …
Penny’s Big Breakaway mixes old-school 3-D platforming with fresh new moves for a game everyone enjoy.
Do you like the feeling of organizing a disheveled mess into orderly bliss? A Little to the Left may hit …
Disney Dreamlight Valley blends Animal Crossing activities with Mickey and the gang and delivers some mostly magical fun.
Four Bluey episodes where the young fans call the sandbox and platforming shots? Wackadoo!
It’s new, it’s colorful, it’s bouncy and fun. But parents of younger players may need to bounce into the game …
Cocoon is an alien bug-focused puzzler designed to get your brain humming and clicking … without driving you buggy.
If you’re looking for kid-friendly puzzle fare or grown-up rainy-day play, Skye Tales has a dragon’s story for you.
This game is stuffed full of old school Disney charm. No, uh, goofy content to worry over.
Those looking for a sweet story might find Dordogne to be a beautiful place to linger and remember.
It’s all about drawing up inky forces in a world where dogs have spears and bunnies wield bows.
This ninth-generation Pokémon game offers a true open-world environment—and it may leave players tickled pink.
To build or not to build, that is the plastic block question.
Mario is back with a lot of frenetic ball- (and character-) kicking action.
If you have a PS5 and any interest in simulated racing games in the least, this is a title to …
There’ve been plenty of Pokémon games released, and most of them feel much the same. Until now.
Astroneer offers a well-crafted explore-and-build adventure that’s very easy to, uh, launch into.
It’s a fun game that’ll give you a good time, and maybe offer just a bit of cerebral heft.
Nintendo has freshened up a classic Pokémon game. But it’s still just as comforting and fun as the original.
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios takes an already excellent racing franchise and makes it even better for players of all ages.
The door is open for taking your Pokémon into battle arena matches. Is that a good thing?
The unexpected brushstrokes of this creative indie game will have players pondering surprisingly philosophical questions.
Twenty-two years after the original version of this game first arrived, Pokémon fans get another chance to “Snap” ’em all.
More than any of the past Harvest Moon games, One World keeps players engaged in its farming sim fantasy world.
The hardest part of Sackboy’s smile-worthy Big Adventure for me was trying to come up with anything problematic to say …
This gentle, fun adaptation of a popular Nick Jr. show invites young gamers into a puppy-driven, problem-solving adventure.
Does this online battle royale contest solve the genre’s biggest problems?
A new Paper Mario with an unfolding origami scheme.
This might be just the sort of light, clever and silly game we could all use right about now.
This creative, E-rated platforming adventure uses particular words to help gamers explore the things of grief.
The latest Animal Crossing game once again invites players into an enjoyable simulation process—this time on a tropical island.
Arise: A Simple Story is an abstract platformer with a warm heart … and all the soothing presence of a …
If you’re a Pokémon fan who’s gotta-play-them-all, is there any reason not to?
What happens when Nintendo remakes a classic game from 1993? You might be surprised by the answer.
The latest Madden packs in new looks and features, but is it still a high draft choice for your family …
When MySims for Nintendo’s Wii first landed on my desk, I’ll admit I wasn’t excited. My disillusionment with the whole …
In the racing game Fuel, Earth has been devastated. Not from terror attacks or nuclear annihilation or even lead-filled paint …
Here’s a game where you can build up a zoo just so you can wash the hippos and feed the …
If you’re looking for kid-friendly video games, a clue-solving mystery is generally a pretty safe choice. I haven’t yet seen …
I’ll be completely honest. There are many video games that I’ve reviewed for Plugged In that I wouldn’t let my …
While most video games give your thumbs a vigorous workout, Nintendo’s Wii has the market cornered for getting the rest …
After years of mostly solo stomping Koopalings and head-bopping magic blocks, Mario invites the whole family to play … at …
For many teens (especially boys), nothing captures the imagination like a hot sports car. But what about illegal street racing?
In the beginning, the world of electronic games was void and without form. Then in 1972, Nolan Bushnell, founder of …
Gato Roboto is an E-rated platformer that’s easy to start and stop, and one that doesn’t suck up weeks of …
Nowadays, every blockbuster movie comes with a video game in tow. It’s par for the marketing course, a promotional tool …
There are three kinds of people in the world: dog lovers, cat lovers and car lovers. And in the latter …
Have you ever daydreamed of visiting a picturesque French village filled with quirky locals? Wandering the cobblestone streets enjoying a …
Big Bang Mini is one of those quirky little Nintendo DS games that’s oh so hard to classify. Whether you …
The stands were full of parents. I cocked the bat over my 14-year-old shoulder, all aflutter at the plate and …
There are certain characters in fiction who always seem to tickle our collective imaginations. Patch-eyed pirates, rapier-flailing musketeers and high-flying …
After 75 years, hundreds of books, 14 games, and a handful of movies and TV shows, Nancy Drew is still …
Wii Music is pretty cool. Not quantum physics-level cool, mind you. Closer to the funny, kitschy cool of that little …
Have you ever sat up from your in-depth studies of world philosophies and long-dead languages and thought, “Where do those …
Urban blacktop serves as the backdrop for slams, jams and razzle-dazzle combo moves to the hoop.
Back in the fall of ’05, film director, producer and family man Steven Spielberg announced that he had signed a …
This E-rated creation for PlayStation 3 reminds our game critic of days that were filled with cardboard boxes and anthills. …
As much as this game’s title might sound like a video game tie-in to Ben Stiller’s cinematic Night at the …
I read once that men are born instinctively knowing how to do three things: Spit. Scratch. And lift heavy objects. …
Do you remember the first time you got behind the wheel? I do. It was my 14th birthday—the day I …
Since the days of the Model T, people have asked, “Why do guys name their cars after women?” The sneering …
It’s no wonder that Mario is still strutting his stuff in this E-rated amalgamation of the pipe fitter’s previous adventures.
The never-aging teen sleuth Nancy Drew is bringing more than just her trusty magnifying glass on this adventure. She’s tossing …
After playing the Xbox 360 version of Project Gotham Racing 3 for a few minutes, my initial reaction was, “This …
First there’s a song, then there’s a movie, then there’s a game in the franchise marriage. The Chipmunks join the …
The latest Mario Bros. game for the Switch is actually an older title that’s now been ported to the handheld …
What constitutes Japanese entertainment in the 21st century can sometimes seem very strange to the average American viewer—and in the …
I’m not as, um, fit as I once was. OK. To be honest, I’m not sure I ever was really …
Sony’s PSP handheld console is a thing of beauty. I mean, this little gaming machine’s crystal clear images and rousing …
Sixteen years ago, Mario and Co. first stomped on the gas pedal in an SNES game called ‘Super Mario Kart.’
This retro game features battling princess and shambling ghouls. Do you want them lurching through your living room?
Nintendo’s latest Pokémon game (for the Switch) hopes to capitalize on the wild success of the Pokémon Go app.
This whimsical platformer lets players reshape their world and bend their own puzzle solutions creatively into place.
Unravel’s sequel weaves two tangle-of-yarn heroes and some great co-op puzzle play into a family friendly game.
This Nintendo Switch Donkey Kong update has challenges aplenty for fans of this simian franchise.
Nintendo’s latest effort cleverly melds old-school cardboard creativity with 21st-century gaming technology.
This kid-friendly Pokémon mystery puzzler is as charming as it is fan-pleasing.
This interactive fairytale takes VR gaming down a new, fun-to-play mouse hole.
These retreads of previous Sun and Moon games split the difference between more of the same and exciting new content.
This fun, old-school, kid-focused platforming adventure is kinda super.
The new Sonic is a lot like the old Sonic. Only more. And that’s a good thing.
This minimalist puzzle game is surprisingly engaging … for kids and adults alike.
Mario can now go for a run wherever you take your phone. Is that as Peachy as it sounds?
This E-rated VR-meets-game-night entry is entertaining, but it could have some potential online teeth, too.
Nintendo’s latest handheld Pokémon contests build on the franchise’s familiar trappings but also give gameplay a kinder, gentler makeover.
This imaginative, interactive, story-based game invites players on a journey that meanders through grief toward an abstract ending.
Kirby’s latest adventure sticks him in a massive mech suit, but keeps him just as pink and charming.
You can’t help but feel at least a bit connected to little Yarny and his soft, colorful and, happily, family-friendly …
The gamemakers are asking players to think about … thinking. And that’s something you don’t regularly encounter when you pick …
This remake of the 2003 rhythm game tosses out the Top 40 tunes while giving a high-def update to the …
After spending 30 years perfecting Mario, the creative minds at Nintendo are handing you the keys to the Mushroom Kingdom.
This Nintendo game pack takes the Candy Crush-style puzzle concept and plays it out with two totally different stories and …
This platformer may be located in an unseeing wood, but it’s infused with lavish color. (Also layers of Eastern spirituality.)
The pink ‘n’ bouncy hero Kirby is back to restore color to the universe with the help of a rainbow-painting …
So who is this Captain Toad guy, and why is he getting his own spin-off title? Well, if you have …
Craftworld’s little wool-and-stuffing hero has brought some fluff-stuffed friends along for a third FunFilledFrolic.
Nintendo’s virtual world Sims-like micro-life game has a head and heart all its own. And that’s all right by Mii.
The one and only Mario adds a few more high-def tweaks right alongside all the old-school racing charm.
A decades-old, wide-eyed and rose-hued hero bounds and bounces onto the 3DS to gain a few new skills and a …
So you always wanted to best Bowser while playing as the princess in pink? Well, step into a new world, …
A handheld Zelda flashes back to the feel of an earlier classic while charging into the future with some brand-new …
The pocket monsters are back for another catch ’em and grow ’em go-round. Already so soon. And again. (Are they …
UPDATED REVIEW: Over a quarter century old and still running like a kid right out of college, Madden lets loose …
Turn over a new game with this town-building, resource-managing and friend-making “adventure” that’s animal-filled casual gaming at its most casual.
Mario’s younger brother may be a little jittery around ghouls. But there’s a ghostbusting hero underneath that green hat and …
The mouse teams up with the rabbit in this return to the world of Wasteland.
UPDATED REVIEW: This popular title does everything it can to keep college fans happy during those dreaded moments when a …
The latest Pokémon contest offers a little extra strategy bang for players’ collect-’em-all-and-battle-it-out buck. But what else does it deliver?
Normal gravity can’t confine those angry birds any longer, either onscreen and in our mobile device-addicted culture.
No bullets. No blood. No gore. Just an ethereal journey worth sinking your toes into.
UPDATED REVIEW: A game about a game that looks so real you can’t believe it’s just a game.
The ever-smiling Cooking Mama is back to share some of her favorite pot-stirring secrets. And this time the soup’s served …
The blue overall-clad plumber takes his peachy rescue attempts to new Goomba-bopping dimensions.
Will this E-rated story about exploring memories and wish-fulfillment succeed in fulfilling your gaming dreams?
This may feel like a very familiar collection of sports games, and… well, it is. But so is the Olympics, …
After 13 years are you still trying to catch ’em all? Or maybe it’s your kids who care about Pikachu …
Ready for another round of LittleCuteAdorable? Sackboy is back to save a whole new world of dreams … and build …
Mickey Mouse morphs from corporate spokesman into a feisty—and not altogether good—protagonist trying to rescue a magical land from evil.
This beautifully rendered platforming fun increasingly demands your full attention if you hope to ever liberate all those pilfered bananas.
Controller-free, fun little games that revolve around purring tiger cubs. There’s absolutely nothing here to growl about.
Can this Disney title deliver board game fun in a video game package? Hmmm, the mystery deepens.
If you’ve ever wanted to howl at the moon, Lion King style, or join in with Ariel for an underwater …
With 200-plus titles, you’d think Mario would tire of chasing after Princess Peach each time Bowser nabs her. But Nintendo …
You knew there just had to be a video game to go along with all those mechanical hamsters, didn’t you? …
The grass is starting to green. The temps are beginning to rise as dandelion seeds long for a handy breeze. …
