Every so often, an intriguing little indie game comes along to remind us why we ever fell in love with video games in the first place. Whether it’s because of a unique and different presentation, or simply just the way it invites you to play, games like these are what make it so much fun to work at Gamezebo every morning. Well it looks like Mushroom 11 might just be one of those games. And it’s not just me saying this either: the mesmerizing new game was even awarded “The Best of Indie Press Day” for 2013.

In the future, man will return to the moon. He will build bases there, and colonies. He will claim it for his own. And, as sure as night follows day because that's just how humanity rolls, pretty soon some other jerk will do exactly the same thing: and the next thing you know, it's a fight. So goes the setup in Moon Rising, a game described as "in the mold of" classics like Advanced Wars and Laser Squad, but with a few interesting twists of its own.

The first time I heard the title Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, I thought of some funny little sea critter with an awkward horn, who has to scour the ocean floor for shrimp and things to feed on. But boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong about that one. However, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to be wrong in my entire life before, because what the game Oceanhorn actually turns out to be is nothing short of amazing.

Am I the only one who’s a little sick and tired of the term “dungeon crawler”? I mean, these dank and treasure-filled caves are just lurking with bats and spiders and other nasty creatures at every turn, so why not make a serious break for it as soon as you get inside? Get in and get out with that treasure is what I say!

Have you ever left home for a long period of time, only to return years later and see everything in a completely different light? I know I have before, when I came home from college for the first time to find my room slowly being transformed into my Dad’s new home gym. Luckily, Gone Home looks to offer a much different experience about the coming and going, the ebb and flow of our home lives.

Spoiler alert: the future sucks. World governments have crumbled, and humanity itself was on the verge of extinction until a monumental discovery snatched us from the brink. Now, new forms of energy allow us to live in tightly-packed cities, but the scarcity of resources and the breakdown of law and order have made people pretty grabby. Dark District for iOS is a clan building/strategy game that’s all about protecting what’s yours—and taking what belongs to your neighbor.

Do you remember that old Mario Party mini-game where you and your friends would have to compete to see who could cover a blank piece of paper with the most paint in 60 seconds? Now imagine an entire game based around that simple, but wildly fun premise. Then ask yourself why nobody thought of this idea sooner.

I like a good fantasy role-playing game as much as anyone, but sometimes you just get that craving for a different setting. Like, any other setting. And while there are alternatives out there, not many involve leading a group of explorers through the New World of the 16th Century. Expeditions: Conquistador will do just that come May 30, turning the search for El Dorado into a tactical RPG for PC, Mac or Linux computers.

As I prepared to write this Contraption Maker preview, the realization of why my Grandma hates Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure suddenly hit me. It was, after all, the movie that introduced me to the beautiful chaos that is the Rube Goldberg device.

Do you make a fool of yourself whenever you play a standard trivia game? When asked to define bologna, have you ever answered “a cross-section of a dachshund?” Or have you ever offered “Twilight Sparkle” when a family member asked you to name a breed of horse? It’s okay. Loopycube has a trivia game that shuns traditional, stuffy questions in favor of something a little looser and quicker-paced. All In & Friends may be exactly what you need to rekindle your love of trivia.

I'm pretty sure it was Kanye West who once opined that no one man should have all that power. That's here on Earth though. Out in space, you can grab all the power you want as long as you've got the right ship and some allies to back you up. Oh, and you'll also have to be playing Pocket Galaxy, a multiplayer cross-platform space battle game getting ready to launch from Spectacle Games.

I’ve never really been a fan of fishing. I tried going a few times before with my dad, but it was always really hot and sticky outside, and I could never manage to catch anything bigger than my finger. You can’t really even talk to anyone while you’re fishing either, for fear of scaring all the fish away. Now virtual fishing, on the other hand, is definitely more my speed: where I can cast my line from the comfort of my couch and with the air conditioning on full blast as I wait for something to bite. And that’s why I’m so excited about FISHAO, which looks to bring the core concepts of fishing to the social gaming scene.

Sometimes the world seems like it’s moving too fast for me. I often find days where I’d like nothing more than to just turn off my phone for an hour, and go sit by myself in the park with something good to read. Ironically, the only thing I really want to be reading right now is an upcoming narrative-based adventure game called Alone in the Park. 

In the race for online games to go mobile, it doesn’t matter if you finish first: only that you make it there eventually. National Geographic Animal Jam will soon be added to the list of games that made it across the finish line, as the same team that created the kid-focused MMO is preparing to launch Tunnel Town on iOS. Get ready for all the bunnies you can handle, all for free.

Usually when you’re ready to release a new mobile game, you do the 21^st-century equivalent of shouting it from the rooftops. Some people do prefer a stealthier approach though, which is why we virtually stumbled across Dragons of Atlantis: Heirs of the Dragon on the Canadian App Store.  It’s a spin-off from the Dragons of Atlantis online game, and it’s getting ready to spread its wings and fly to iOS devices worldwide.

From the minds that brought you Towelfight 2: The Monocle of Destiny comes Quadropus Rampage, a bizarre, vaguely Rogue-like brawler starring a four-limbed cephalopod with a penchant for hitting things.

If you've ever been bummed that there wasn't a sequel to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, get ready to hold onto your sanity. Nintendo may never get around to an official follow-up, but original creator Denis Dyack and Precursor Games are working on a “spiritual successor” called Shadow of the Eternals. And really, who isn't down for a little time-spanning mystery, murder and magick?

After the enormous success of 2012’s The Walking Dead, many gamers wondered what the future had in store for a developer as bright as Telltale Games. The point-and-click aficionados could have easily just put their heads down to work on The Walking Dead – Season Two (already announced for later this year) and called it a day. But no, Telltale has been hard at work on another episodic adventure set to debut this summer, and it’s one that’s already shaping up to be quite a strong contender for adventure game of the year in 2013.

To most children, shadows present an endless world of possibilities within the shapes cast on walls.  Young Didi understands this intimately: her imaginary friend Dawn has the ability to enter shadows and travel across them freely, exiting back to the “real” world at will.  Contrast puts you in the shoes of the shadow-walking Dawn as she uses her power to help Didi confront issues surrounding her family.

Get ready for a surprise reveal: Dracula is super-duper hard to kill. Even when the Lord of the Vampires is put out of commission (permanently or temporarily, depending on the mythology), his influence sticks around like a dark cloud. Ships suddenly seem to sail themselves, wolves start hanging around town, and bats seem to think they have the run of daylight hours. Dracula 4: The Shadow of the Dragon for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android revolves around one such mysterious Vlad-related phenomenon.