PAX East 2022 has come and gone but what a fun time I had. I was fortunate to get to meet with developers, try some games, do meet and greets with voice actors, and generally soak in the environment. Definitely worth the wait after two years, although it was a smaller PAX than previous years. None of the heavy hitters (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Square Enix, etc.) were in attendance, so it was a chance for a lot of the indies to get their shine.

Much like my experience with Fan Expo Boston last year, there was a lot of cool cosplay as well. I’ll share my photos at the end of this article. For now, I want to share the five video games that stood out to me the most out of everything I played at PAX.

Guts ‘N Goals

Developed by CodeManu

Published by PM Studios, Inc.

Available now on all platforms

This game came out last summer but was available to try at the PM Studios booth and I figured I’d burn a little time there. Guts ‘N Goals is an interesting take on soccer, as you actually use bats instead of feet to hit the ball (and clobber your opponents!) in a wild arcade-style sports game.

I wasn’t very good at playing the game but it was still fun to play with the comic violence and all.

Trek to Yomi

Developed by Leonard Menchiari and Flying Wild Hog

Published by Devolver Digital

Available now on Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S

Trek to Yomi was easily the most gorgeous-looking game that I played. I felt like I was right in the middle of a classic samurai movie, as my character climbed a ladder to a rooftop to battle enemies.

It’s all about anticipation and timing to strike down with your sword. I found that out the hard way after being skewered from attacking head-on. We have a detailed review coming very soon.

Kao the Kangaroo

Developed and published by Tate Multimedia

Available now on all platforms

This punch-packing marsupial makes his triumphant return after a 17-year hiatus. Kao the Kangaroo is a reboot of the original series.

This was also my first exposure to the series in general. It’s a family-friendly game with vibrant colors and cartoonish imagery. This was one of the longer demos that I played and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Squish

Developed by Grave Rave Games

Published by PM Studios, Inc.

Available June 28th on Steam and Switch

Squish is one of two games that I had to go back twice to play. This was like a fascinating twist on Tetris, as you use the blocks to try to squish your opponents under them. You can play with up to 4 players and the last player standing is the winner.

If you get squished, you have a chance to get back in the game if your ghost block can successfully squish another player. A very promising party game with a funky rave vibe to it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Developed by Tribute Games

Published by Dotemu

Available June 16th on Windows, Linux, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One

And here’s the other game I played twice. I don’t want to spoil too much of my thoughts here just yet. But I have to say, that this was my most anticipated game of the convention and one of my overall most anticipated games since it first got announced last year. Much like PAX itself, this demo was well worth the wait.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was THE standout game of PAX East for me personally and nothing else came close. I had a great time picking the brains of the Tribute Games staff during our demo, as well as having another chance to play with 4 players outside the booth. We have a review in the works and I’ll also have a lot more to say about this game soon. Can’t wait to share it with you all.

Do any of these games catch your eye? Please let me know in the comments below and share what upcoming game you’re looking to add to your collection. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out my gallery!