Wallet threat level: pandemic nostalgia

, | Games

We’re at the point in January where we see some big releases. Like the Switch 2 version of Animal Crossing, the game that was all the rage during the pandemic. And a Trails JRPG set on a planet that’s about to go into space for the first time. I thought Trails RPGs were set in fantasy worlds?

On the indie games front, I have some serious nostalgia for playing Lemmings back in 1991, so the Lemmings-style game Craftlings has caught my eye. It seems to bring a lot more complexity to the Lemmings gameplay. 

Monday (1/12/26):​

  • Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (PC) – “Command the checkpoint in a collapsing city. Screen survivors, manage scarce resources, and hold back the undead. Every choice matters and one mistake could unleash the plague beyond your walls.”

Tuesday (1/13/26):​

  • Mech Builder 3D (PC) – “Become a master modeler in Mech Builder 3D. Experience the relaxing process of assembling, customizing, posing and displaying all the 61 model kits with complete freedom without ever losing a piece.”

Wednesday (1/14/26):​

  • Streetdog BMX (PC) – “Get ready for massive tricks, high scores, and gnarly slams in Streetdog BMX. Carve your way through six huge maps featuring hidden spots, handcrafted challenges, and flowing lines!”
  • Cassette Boy (PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) – “At first glance Cassette Boy looks like a charming pixel-style adventure, but beneath the surface lies something far more complex. What seems like a flat 2D pixel world is in fact a three-dimensional space. By rotating the environment, the boundaries of existence shift. What comes into view becomes real, and what slips away from sight fades into nothingness.”

Thursday (01/15/26):​

  • Craftlings (PC) – “Inspired by legendary classics from the ’90s, Craftlings will take you on a journey full of strategic decisions and test your skills in optimizing automated production chains and Craftlings’ paths.”
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon (PS5, PS4, Switch 2, Switch, PC) – “The prophesied end of the Zemurian continent draws near, and so does the launch of humanity’s first foray into space. A sudden invitation from Marduk to cooperate in a high-tech training exercise sets Van Arkride, Ashen Chevalier Rean Schwarzer, and Father Kevin Graham on a collision course with the secrets at the very core of Zemuria.”
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2) – “Build your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing™: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition game. Catch insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy a sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean—all with enhanced resolution, mouse control support for faster and easier decorating, a megaphone for calling your animal residents that uses the system microphone, and more.”

Friday (01/16/26):​

  • Brokenlore: Unfollow (PS5, PC, Xbox) – “BrokenLore: Unfollow is a first-person psychological horror game that dives into the dark side of social media and its effect on mental health.”
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