As the bold hero of Stair Quest, you’ve got just two things on your mind: blasting monsters and reaching the sky. Embark on a journey up a massive mystical staircase, where whimsical demons and blocky boss creatures will do their best to stop your ascent. It’s a long way up – good thing you didn’t skip leg day!

What we love: The blend of charming visuals and white-knuckle action. Each hero is cute and capable – from critical-hit ninja Shino to the powerfully pouncing kitty Purr. No matter who you choose, it’s a blast double-jumping past danger while nabbing sweet perks. Faster bullets? Sounds good!

Quick tip: Select perks that balance out your weapon’s shortcomings, such as upgraded range for the shotgun or a damage boost for the fast-firing but relatively weak machine gun.

Meet the creator: Indie game studio Nord Unit also crafted the dazzling block-breaker Hyperforma. Stair Quest – which took nearly four years to develop – was the result of a question the game’s designers posed to themselves: “What if the whole world is a huge staircase, and our goal is to climb to the very top?”