Every week throws a different mix of games at us, but this one is especially good. From a surprisingly welcoming tactics RPG about attending demon school to a flashy new Marvel fighter and a chilled-out co-op hike, what we’ve been playing says a lot about where gaming is right now: endlessly varied, weirdly specific, and sometimes literally making us motion sick.
This week’s roundup of what we’ve been playing hits three very different moods: the laboured grind of finding a main in a new fighting game, the instant hook of a smart tactics RPG, and the slow joy of a cosy multiplayer wander. If you’ve been wondering what to queue up next, consider this your nudge.
Finding a Main in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Starting a new fighting game is like walking into a crowded bar where everyone already knows the combos. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls on PS5 is deep in that phase where you button-check more than you actually win, and the big early question is simple: who’s your main?
Right now, the answer is Star Lord. Swapping elemental shots mid-combo gives his move set a satisfying, almost rhythm-game feel. You’re not just inputting commands; you’re juggling states, weaving different elements together to keep pressure going and chase that last sliver of health. It’s the kind of kit that immediately clicks if you like stylish, reactive play.
Not every character lands that quickly. Green Goblin, with his glider-heavy toolkit, is a reminder that some fighters are just built for lab monsters. There’s clear power there, but if you don’t instinctively sync with a character’s movement and timing, the ceiling can feel miles away. Sometimes the smartest choice is to accept that not every “top tier” is your tier.
Online, the vibe has been surprisingly friendly, helped along by the option to turn off crossplay and avoid getting steamrolled by PC players right out of the gate. There’s something reassuring about learning your way through a roster at your own pace, then planning to take the game local — showing up at a hangout with friends, pads in hand, and trash talk ready.
Demon School Dreams: Why Demonschool Grabs So Fast
The standout this week, though, is Demonschool on Switch 2 — a tactics role-playing game that finally makes good on a very specific fantasy: going to demon school and having a suspiciously good time.
Demonschool launched late last year, but it’s the definition of a slow-burn word-of-mouth hit: the kind of game you hear about from someone who “bounced off” a dozen other RPGs but somehow blew straight through this one. And that’s the key thing here: Demonschool is incredibly easy to get along with, even if you’re normally the type to drop a tactics game after a single late-night session.
Upbeat horror instead of misery grind
You play as Faye, an energetically punchy student who discovers that “Demonschool” isn’t exactly the study-abroad dream it sounds like. The place is bad news, but Faye herself is relentlessly up for a fight, and that tonal choice does a lot of heavy lifting. This isn’t grimdark despair; it’s horror with a grin, a game where danger is everywhere but the main cast meets it with delight and defiance.
That upbeat tone leaks into everything. The dialogue isn’t voiced, yet it’s packed with charisma, written with a pace and bounce that keeps conversations lively instead of bogging you down in exposition dumps. Expressive talking-head portraits give every character a strong visual personality, adding a bit of drama to every snappy exchange.
Grid tactics with a puzzle heart
The real hook, though, is the combat. Demonschool uses grid-based battles that feel less like a slow war of attrition and more like solving stylish little fight puzzles. If you’ve played something like Fights in Tight Spaces, you’ll recognise the appeal: it’s all about positioning, turn planning, and making enemies crash into each other so you can chain absurd combos.
You’re constantly nudging opponents around the battlefield, setting up moves so one action flows into the next. Drag an enemy into a line of fire, bump another into a cluster, then trigger a combo that sends the whole pack flying. It’s clean, readable tactics that deliver the thrill of a perfectly executed plan without demanding a 40-minute investment every time you load into a fight.
Because the systems are so clear, Demonschool avoids the trap of many tactics RPGs that drown you in tooltips and nested submenus. Battles are quick, snappy, and legible — you see the cause and effect of your decisions immediately. That clarity, plus the game’s pacey structure, makes it incredibly easy to slip into “just one more encounter” mode.
Stickiness for the easily distracted
Plenty of us are “un-sticky” players. We sample everything, finish almost nothing, and watch an endless backlog grow like a threat notification. Demonschool seems tailored to that exact problem. Between its upbeat writing, clean art, and puzzle-like grid combat, it removes nearly every point of friction that usually pushes people away from tactics RPGs.
It’s accessible without feeling shallow, stylish without drowning you in systems, and fast without feeling throwaway. If you’ve ever bounced off this genre, this might be the one that finally sticks.
Big Walk on Switch 2: The Cosy Side of Co-op
On the other end of the spectrum is Big Walk for Nintendo Switch 2 — a game built not around quick reflexes or min-maxing damage, but around communication, patience, and just… going for a stroll with friends.
Big Walk is the rare co-op game that’s genuinely kind to your body and your attention span. One player here is dealing with arm pain after years of hammering out attacks on an Xbox controller, to the point their medical records literally flag them as a gamer. Doctor’s orders are to dial it back, but Big Walk makes that compromise easy: short sessions, simple inputs, and a soothing vibe.
Rather than bombarding you with enemies, it focuses on the friction and chaos of trying to communicate clearly with a group. You and your friends trek across a wilderness, solving tactile puzzles that feel physical and playful rather than abstract. It’s co-op built around miscommunication as entertainment: the fun of saying “no, push that switch” and realising you absolutely did not mean that switch.
The soundtrack does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting. A twinkly, relaxing score sits under everything, turning each gentle step and silly mistake into a kind of low-stakes adventure. It’s the sort of audio that instantly takes the edge off a rough day — or a sore arm — and makes it very easy to justify logging on for “just 20 minutes” with friends.
Progress is slow by design, especially if you’re rationing your playtime to avoid pain flare-ups, but that works in the game’s favour. Big Walk isn’t about how fast you can clear content; it’s about how much you enjoy the journey and the people you’re on it with.
Comfort Food and “Forever Games”
Lurking in the background of this week’s picks are a couple of modern comfort-food staples: Slay the Spire 2 and Hades 2. They’re not grabbing the spotlight so much as quietly filling the gaps — the games you “chip away at” in between everything else.
Both sequels are built to be chipped away at. Slay the Spire 2 leans into slow, incremental progress, the joy of refining a deck and watching a strategy click after a few failed runs. Hades 2, like its predecessor, rewards repetition with new story beats and build experimentation, turning each attempt into part of a bigger arc rather than a reset.
Then there’s Grand Theft Auto 5, still powerful enough all these years later to make someone literally nauseous. On PC, the game’s intense motion and unrelenting pace can be a lot for sensitive players, but it’s hard to deny its enduring impact. Even when it leaves you feeling queasy, there’s still nothing else quite like it — a reminder that some blockbusters remain singular long after their release.
What This Means
Zoom out and this week of what we’ve been playing sketches a pretty clear picture of modern gaming habits. We’re juggling comfort roguelikes like Slay the Spire 2 and Hades 2, dipping back into open-world epics like Grand Theft Auto 5, but still hunting for something new that grabs fast and fits our lives.
Demonschool does that by turning demon school into a place you actually want to attend: a tactics RPG that’s simple to grasp, joyful in tone, and rich enough to keep you planning the next fight on your commute. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls scratches the competitive itch, offering the thrill of learning a main and chasing that perfect combo. Big Walk, meanwhile, offers something increasingly valuable: a low-pressure way to stay connected with friends when your body, your schedule, or your brain just can’t handle another high-intensity session.
So if you’ve also secretly wanted to go to demon school for a while, this might be your sign. Or maybe you just need a new Star Lord to perfect, or a big, silly walk with friends. Either way, there’s probably a game this week that fits exactly the mood you’re in — you just have to decide which one to boot up first.
