What Are We Playing? [Feb 2026]

Periodically on this blog we highlight a handful of tabletop and digital games to spread the word about interesting experiences and support other creators. Here's our February edition, which includes puzzle, board, and video games.

Image via Steam

Death Howl by The Outer Zone

Death Howl is a open-world, deck-building video game centered on a woman working to bring her son back from the Spirit Realm. Each boss fight is its own mini puzzle as players determine which of their cards are best to use against which enemies.

The art direction and color palettes in this game were incredible. While the writing could have been a little more refined, I thought the bittersweet and wistful nature of the story fit the mood and themes of grief well, and I enjoyed its almost folktale-like quality.

I thought the deck-building portion of the game was challenging, but satisfying to solve. If I ever encountered an enemy that was out of my league, I found it was better to leave and come back when I was stronger instead of trying to force my way through the encounter. There are some quality-of-life improvements that could have made the journey feel less punishing, though I thought the game was overall tough but fair. As a result of it being a new game, there were a few glitches that will need to be patched, but they were minor enough that they did not impact my opinion of the game as a whole.

Death Howl is a really solid strategic deck builder that's meticulously balanced and allows for a satisfying amount of player agency. On top of all that, it's an absolute feast for the eyes.

Difficulty: 4/5

Time: 30-50 hours

Image via Floodgate Games

Sagrada Artisans by Floodgate Games

Sagrada Artisans is the campaign version of Sagrada. Played over ten scenarios, you draft dice and color in panes to design beautiful stained glass windows and defend your family’s artisan legacy.

I thought there were a lot of fun twists on the mechanics in this game—as long as you were familiar with the base game, the additional rules in this version were novel without being too overwhelming. It was exciting to open new containers and envelopes as we progressed through the game, though I wish I had a reset guide to make replaying easier (yes, I know that's not the point, but it's a lot of waste otherwise!) The narrative was not as strong as those I’ve experienced in other legacy games. However, while I would have happily engaged in a more complex plot, I recognize that I was playing an abstract strategy game and did not expect anything narrative heavy.

My one complaint with this game was that it came with poor quality colored pencils, which was frustrating in a game that is so heavily focused on coloring. I appreciated that they made the dice colorblind friendly by adding glitter to some of the colors, but the colored pencils did not match the colors of the dice nor the printed colors in the game. Tip: I ended up using Frixion erasable markers and Prismacolor colored pencils instead of what was provided to try and find a better quality match.

The reward at the end of this campaign was exactly what I wanted as a Sagrada fan, and I recommend this game to anyone who also enjoys the base game and wants to dive into something meatier.

Image via Steam

Split Fiction by Hazelight Studios

From the creators of my favorite couch co-op game It Takes Two, Split Fiction is another co-op video game where you play as two authors trapped in the worlds of their own stories. In addition to beautifully polished environments and smooth in-game physics, I thought the story was less corny than It Takes Two, which I appreciated.

While I’m not usually a big fan of action in video games, I found the controls satisfying and the platforming forgiving enough that I never had to rerun an entire sequence to the point of frustration. I particularly enjoyed the late game sequences—they were a little funkier and had more variety than the earlier ones. It was also nice to have high-action scenes split up by slower-paced, lower stakes, sections.

I loved the homages to other beloved games, as well as the moments of humor and surprise that were scattered throughout Split Fiction. Overall, it’s a really great choice for people who like two-player co-op games with platforming and light puzzles.

Difficulty: 2/5

Time: ~14 hours

Atlantis Labyrinth by Inscape Box

Part of the Inscape Box series, Atlantis Labyrinth is a puzzle box game where you unlock the mysteries of the underwater city of Atlantis.

The puzzles of this box were overall enjoyable. While I liked the many of the mechanics and interactions, it was also easy to accidentally trigger something early, which meant I solved some of the puzzles out of the intended order.

This game used 3D printed components in a novel way, interlacing them with the laser cut wooden box. Unfortunately, the graphics were occasionally hard to see and I found the decorations to be haphazard. In fact, I unknowingly skipped the first puzzle because it was not indicated as the starting point, and I literally could not see it... Make sure you have good lighting if you play this game.

This experience could benefit from more attention to detail, but it generally worked well and I had a good time uncovering its secrets despite the hiccups.

Difficulty: 2.5/5

Time: ~75m

Image via Steam

Keep Driving by YCJY Games

Keep Driving is a management RPG where players go on a road trip across a procedurally generated world, managing resources, picking up hitchhikers, and handling random events in a turn-based system. I find myself frequently drawn to this style of game, and I enjoyed playing this one.

I had fun with the mini games I encountered in my playthrough, and liked the challenge provided by the car’s storage limit. I also really enjoyed triggering interesting events, and I wish that had happened more regularly rather than only at the end of the game.

My biggest complaint is that I wanted the hitchhikers to feel not like tropes, but like developed people I could form a relationship with in the game. It was disappointing that I could pick up and kick out hitchhikers on a whim with no story consequences. To me, the interesting part of a road trip is the bonds you form while traveling, and I did not feel that reflected in this game.

On my first playthrough, I accidentally ended prematurely and felt like I missed half the game—the ending quest I completed felt like it was presented as a goal instead of as a game-ending mission. It happened again on my second playthrough and it again felt unexpected because the game had a different ending quest. While I appreciate a game that has multiple endings, there needed to be better sign posting, or the option to still continue after these events.

Despite wanting more narrative depth and less abrupt endings, I enjoyed taking the roadtrip at the heart of this game.

Difficulty: 2/5

Time: ~4-10 hours