Solstice is one of those NES games that looks simple at first—just a dude in a dungeon, right? But then you realize every room is this weird isometric puzzle box full of spikes, slimes, and trolls that’ll wreck you if you try to brute-force it. Shadax (your wizard guy) can jump and chuck potions around, but most of the time you’re just trying not to die while figuring out which block to push or which enemy is actually part of the solution.

The cool part? There’s no set path. You’re free to wander into rooms way above your pay grade, realize you’re missing a key item, and backtrack like an idiot. Some enemies you dodge, others you trick into triggering switches—it’s got that old-school trial-and-error vibe where half the fun is yelling at the screen when you fall into the same pit for the fifth time. Just don’t expect hand-holding; this one makes you work for it.