Here’s a recap of all our golden ‘Two Thumbs Up’ games we reviewed in the first three months of 2026.
Of course, we didn’t review every Steam or Switch game released between January and March 2026, so let us know in the comments if you came across a fantastic game which the LadiesGamers’ community should know about!
Drop Duchy
Build your duchy piece by piece in this refreshing hybrid rogue-lite game.
Nominated for the Thinky Awards Best Strategy game, Ruibai thought Drop Duchy was a strong contender.
Wrapped in a charming tabletop style, Drop Duchy successfully combines simple Tetris gameplay with deck-building strategy into an addictive roguelike. I greatly enjoyed experimenting with different decks and strategies throughout my various playthroughs, all while falsely promising myself, “Just one more round!”
Available on Steam, and coming soon to Switch
Sol Cesto
Sol Cesto is a tactical and frantic roguelite where mastering your luck is key.
Sol Cesto was another strong contender for the Thinky Awards Best Strategy game.
Sol Cesto isn’t a game that holds your hand, and it’s not one that immediately shows its best side. The opening hours can feel unforgiving, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for bouncing off it early. But for players willing to stick with it, there’s something very special here. Impressive, still: the game is still only in Early Access.
It offers a fresh take on the roguelite formula by stripping controls down to their simplest form and focusing entirely on choice, probability, and consequence. You don’t need fast reactions or complex strategies. You just need the courage to make a decision and accept what follows.
This is exactly the kind of experimentation I love seeing from indie developers. Sol Cesto may not be welcoming at first (or ever, depending on how you view it), but once it gets under your skin, it’s very hard to forget.
Available on Steam
City Tales – Medieval Era
City Tales is a medieval city builder, allowing you to unleash your creativity and shape vast cities that break outside a traditional grid.
Mina enjoyed building her City Tales – Medieval Era
I love all the little changes that have been made. I think City Tales – Medieval Era is a great, peaceful city builder. The music is perfect, the visuals are great, and the companion system is wonderful. I like the new pacing, the new districting, and the massive amounts of additions that were made.
Overall, I found City Tales – Medieval Era to be a pleasant time, and I applaud these developers for such a well-made game with a strong 1.0. If you enjoy cozy city builders with fun little side companion stories, this is the perfect one for you.
Available on Steam
Astronook
An astronomy game where you can explore space from the comfort of your study.
Amanda mapped the stars in Astronook
Astronook is a fun, casual puzzle game that is more challenging than it seems. You get to play as if you are a real astronomer in a cozy room filled with memories. The story is very emotional and relatable, about a person who grew out of a childhood dream to pursue a different career. Connecting stars seems plain, but each constellation poses its own difficulty and makes the game more engaging.
The art, the sound design, and the ambience are relaxing, and the gameplay is satisfying. Completing the scrapbook feels more like a personal collection of favorite things than a challenge, and it’s very enjoyable. If you get stuck on a puzzle, a few hints will pop up from time to time to help you find the solution.
Anyone who is interested in astronomy would very much enjoy this game because searching for planets and other wonders of space feels like using a real-life telescope, and the constellations are quite beautiful. It’s also very gratifying to fill your star map with all the available constellations and see your astronomical collection grow. It’s a quiet and solitary adventure filled with the company of the stars and memories of the past — a nostalgia for the simpler, purer days of childhood.
Available on Steam
Big Hops
Tongue-swing, free climb, and build your own path forward in a new kind of 3D platformer!
James took some big jumps when reviewing Big Hops
Big Hops is one of those games that simply makes you smile. It’s incredibly well put together, with movement that feels as good as anything else in the genre right now. The balance between story, exploration, and gameplay is spot on, and the sheer pleasure of moving through its worlds rarely wears thin. Plus, I was smiling the entire time I played it.
It’s early in the year, but Big Hops has already put itself firmly on my radar as a game-of-the-year contender. It’s a reminder of how magical a great platformer can be when it gets the fundamentals right. Don’t let this one hop past your Steam library.
The Kindling
A short, poetic puzzle experience. Guide a fading soul through strange places, where every object you burn keeps the shadows away.
Mina set the world on fire with The Kindling
I had a whole lot of fun with The Kindling. It’s a very simple game with a simple premise, but it gets more complex as you continue. It uses levels to teach you the different interactions, and therefore doesn’t need a tutorial. It’s a cute, quirky little game, and I love it immensely.
Hopefully, we’ll see more from these talented developers in the future.
Available on Steam
Cozy Caravan
Head out on a gentle journey in your reliable old caravan, crafting hearty meals, running market stalls and sharing goodies with local townsfolk.
I climbed aboard the Cozy Caravan
Cozy Caravan is very cosy. Chatting with Bubba made me laugh, and it was just adorable when he patted the log next to the fire in the evening routine, so we could sit and eat together.
There are some idiosyncrasies in the gameplay which need a little more work, and this is disappointing after being in early release for so long. However, I enjoyed playing Cozy Caravan too much to give it anything less than our top rating.
CRUFT
A cozy crafter with tons of things to create, sell, or just have fun making.
CRUFT crafted stars for Amanda
Anyone who loves crafting games must play CRUFT. It hooked me within minutes—high praise for a title I picked up for review. CRUFT has easily become one of my favorite games, and I’m so glad I discovered it. The gameplay is solid, built by someone who genuinely understands what makes a crafting game compelling. It’s fun, complex, and delivers everything a craft-minded player could want. If I could give more than two thumbs up, I’d award it a star labelled “favorite game.” Stop what you’re doing and play CRUFT.
Available on Steam
Lil Gator Game: In the Dark DLC
The world just got a whole lot bigger for this Lil Gator!
Mina wasn’t afraid of Lil Gator Game: In the Dark DLC
Lil Gator Game: In the Dark is a fantastic addition to the base game. I adore the original, and I even do randomisers of it in my free time. The DLC had a couple of small issues, but it didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of it.
I love this game, and I’m so happy it got some DLC. It is well worth the price; there’s lots to do and a bunch of story stuff. The new map is beautiful, the music and sound design are great, and you get to spend even more time with everyone’s favorite lil gator. I cannot begin to tell you all how much Lil Gator Game and In the Dark warms my heart. If you liked the base game, you won’t want to miss the DLC.
Relooted
Reclaim real African artifacts from Western museums in this Africanfuturist heist game.
Laurane went looking for artifacts in Relooted
I loved playing Relooted. It’s an intelligent blend of adrenaline, puzzle-solving, and real-world historical awareness. Few games dare to tackle restitution and colonial legacy through gameplay, and even fewer manage to make it engaging without trivializing the subject. Relooted succeeds. It made me think.
It made me strategize. And yes, it fulfilled a dream I didn’t know I had: living out an Afrofuturistic heist fantasy.
Available on Steam
Esoteric Ebb
Esoteric Ebb is a single-player CRPG inspired by the freedom of tabletop adventures.
Kalina rolled the die in Esoteric Ebb
Esoteric Ebb quickly became a favorite game. Its sharp wit, outlandish characters, and endless Cleric choices are magnetic. Early on, I knew it stood out—what’s not to love about a game where fleeing from a goblin queen is on the table, even if I fail spectacularly?
Available on Steam
Pieced Together
Pieced Together is a cozy scrapbooking game that takes you on a heartfelt journey about friendship and getting older.
Kalina created a scrapbook in Pieced Together
Pieced Together is a cozy and gentle scrapbooking puzzle game with a poignant story about friendship and growing older. It offers us a few hours of dreamy distraction from the real world, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the friendship of Connie and Beth and perhaps to recall our own childhood friends and simpler times.
Available on Steam
Seclusa
You’re a wildlife photographer staying at a cozy, secluded safari lodge in East Africa.
Kalina got all the right shots in Seclusa
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Seclusa, and there are still things to learn about photography there, so I know I will return. If you are curious about photography, if you like natural beauty and animals, if you need a distraction from the busy real life, Seclusa might just be the little break you need.
Available on Steam
Pokémon Pokopia
Shape the world and build a cozy new life with Pokémon
Yvonne thoroughly enjoyed her new life in Pokémon Pokopia
If you’ve read my review so far, you won’t be surprised that I’m giving Pokémon Pokopia our highest rating. The developers took the best of several other ace games and added them to the world of Pokémon, making a game that will prove to be a real time-sink.
You don’t even have to be a real Pokémon fan to enjoy Pokémon Pokopia. Even if the critters are all new to you, you won’t have any trouble connecting to them and their endearing ways. Remember the feeling of finding new territories in Dragon Quest Builders? You’ll feel the same here. There’s a storyline to follow, but I think the real draw will be the way you can create any island you wish. Like in Animal Crossing, your imagination can flow freely.
At first, though, just enjoy the small ways you can bring the biomes back to life and not look too much at the wonderful creations others have made. Take your time and enjoy!
Available on Switch 2
Collector’s Cove
Embark on a tranquil journey to uncharted waters in Collector’s Cove, a farming adventure set on the high seas!
Perfect sailing when I headed to Collector’s Cove
The ebb and flow of discovering and cataloguing in Collector’s Cove is perfectly balanced. As the requirements get harder, the unlocked rewards offset the routine. It’s a simple idea, beautifully executed.
There are a couple of minor niggles, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time sailing towards Collector’s Cove.
Minishoot’ Adventures
An adventure that mixes up open exploration with twin-stick shooter action
James described Minishoot’ Adventures as a “Cute Em Up Classic”
Minishoot’ Adventures manages to combine two genres in a way that feels natural and engaging. By blending open exploration with shmup-style twin-stick shooting, it offers something that stands apart from the usual action-adventure formula.
The flexible upgrade system, accessible difficulty options and rewarding sense of discovery make it easy to recommend to a wide audience. Whether you enjoy skilful shooters or simply want a relaxed adventure to explore at your own pace, there’s plenty here to love.
It’s creative, energetic and consistently fun to return to. By the time I finished my time with it, I was already thinking about jumping back in for another flight.
More good news if you buy the Switch version, the upgrade to Switch 2 is free.
Available on Steam, Switch and Switch 2
DigDigDrill
Dig, Build, and Grow Stronger Relaxing ground mining and ore collection Aim for B999 and beyond with your custom drill!
I was blow away with DigDigDrill
There’s a plethora of digging games out there, but DigDigDrill really impressed me. The different puzzles to create drills or enhance them added depth to the game, and I really enjoyed the strategy and planning needed to break through the barriers.
A thoroughly comprehensive mining game, simple in concept, but designed to challenge.
Rotwood
The world has been thrown into chaos, and it’s up to you and your friends to battle the corrupted beasts of the Rotwood.
James went battling in Rotwood
Rotwood is a very enjoyable action game that keeps things focused and approachable. Its bite-sized hunts, smooth combat and steady progression make it easy to jump into, whether you’re playing for ten minutes or an entire evening.
The variety of weapons, upgrades and co-op options gives the experience plenty of staying power, while the art style and monster designs add personality to every run.
Whether you prefer playing solo or teaming up with friends, Rotwood offers a fun and flexible adventure that’s well worth checking out. I had an absolute blast playing it, and hopefully you will too.
Available on Steam and Switch 2
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