Aniimo’s art style and tamer-monster Twining may help it stand out in the creature collector genre

The big question everyone’s asking is whether the creature designs are original, or if they just seem like copies of other popular monsters. A common criticism of similar games is that their creatures look too much alike. The demo at PAX East didn’t show many of these creatures – called aniimo – but the ones I did see seemed noticeably different from Pokémon.

Brigandine Abyss got the best of me, which makes me excited to play more

I was really surprised by a new game from Adglobe – the creators of Ender Lilies and Redemption Reapers. It looked completely different from their other game at the show, which was a fast-paced action game like Disgaea. However, I soon learned it wasn’t a new series at all! It’s actually the third installment in the Brigandine franchise, and it’s coming out this year – six years after the last game. Even though I hadn’t played any Brigandine games before, I got to try it out at PAX.

The Tower of Druaga is now available on the NES – Nintendo Classics App

Originally released in Japanese arcades in 1984, The Tower of Druaga is an action RPG developed by Namco. It later came to the Famicom in Japan in 1985 and is now available on the NES through the Nintendo Classics app, along with two other games. You can watch the launch trailer and find more details on Nintendo’s website.

MTG Secrets of Strixhaven exclusive card reveal: Tragedy Feaster

Magic: The Gathering is heading back to school, but a bit later in the year, with the upcoming release of Secrets of Strixhaven. After a recent collaboration featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the game is returning to its roots with a focus on the famous college for mages.

Counter-Strike’s most famous map has been rebuilt inside World of Warcraft

The Counter-Strike map Dust 2 is legendary – almost everyone who plays the game knows it. It’s been the backdrop for countless victories and defeats, and players have memorized every detail. Meanwhile, the new player housing feature in World of Warcraft, introduced with The War Within, lets players customize their own personal space. While many decorate with furniture, one creative player went above and beyond, building an entirely new game within their housing instance.