I've spent a lot of time and money perfecting my PC setup. I'm rocking a fantastic graphics card, an OLED monitor, and plenty of power to make this run nearly any game perfectly. But sometimes, you just want to sit on your couch, curled up with a handheld, playing a fantastic indie game or two. Well, in this case, three of them. As much as I love playing games on my PC, there is something to be said about the wonders of handheld gaming, and why some games are just perfect on a portable display.

Recently, I've been spending far more time playing games on the go instead of behind the same screen that I'm writing this particular article from. Some games lend themselves perfectly to the "grab-and-go" feeling that portable gaming can offer. Maybe you just want to get one more race in. Perhaps you want to take to the skies and shoot down some baddies before going to bed. Or maybe, you're hoping to find your way to the exit in a life-or-death chase situation. Either way, these three games have completely taken my ROG Ally X by storm, and I need to talk about them.

A Conversation on Twitter Led to Me Discovering One of the Best Arcade Rally Games Ever Made

While Twitter (I refuse to call it X) may be the leading cause of my doomscrolling affliction, it also leads to some of the best gaming recommendations that I've found in recent memory. While scrolling, I came across a post from ARC ARCADE RACING YT, showing off four specific racing games. One, in particular, caught my attention. Striking cel-shaded graphics, a knock-off Subaru RX, and some stellar-looking rally racing. That's how I learned about Super Woden Rally Edge, and quickly discovered something that feels like lightning in a bottle.

Super Woden Rally Edge is an isometric racer, but don't let that deter you. It's an incredibly complex, deep, and satisfying racing game. It may look adorable, but it's going to kick you in the teeth and not feel bad about it. Taking inspiration from Gran Turismo for its menu setup, I instantly felt at home and was eager to see how this one was going to play. I quickly learned that, while I'm good at most racing games? Super Woden Rally Edge was not going to hold my hand, and quickly made me feel like it was my first time behind the wheel.

Super Woden Rally Edge Has a Learning Curve, but It’s One of the Most Mechanically Satisfying Racing Games I’ve Played

Instantly mastering a game can be rather fun, depending on the type of game that you're playing. Even if you fancy yourself as a grandmaster of games like Gran Turismo or the DIRT franchise, Super Woden Rally Edge is still going to give you some grief at the start. Part of it could be from getting used to the overhead, isometric camera angle. Another part of it could be learning to master the fantastic physics system. Regardless, I can't stop thinking about Super Woden Rally Edge, and I can't peel myself away from it.

It's arcade-esque bliss, put together in a package that looks, runs, and sounds fantastically. Honestly, I haven't had this much fun with a top-down racer since the days of Super Off Road. Yes, the classic arcade game from 1989, with the multiple steering wheel cabinets. I get the same feeling that I had back when I was a kid playing that game that I do now as an adult playing Super Woden Rally Edge. It's been a long time since I've been this obsessed with a racing game, and I hope it isn't another 30+ years until I feel the same way about one again.

Cleared Hot Pulls Inspiration From the 16-Bit Era, and I’m Absolutely in Love With It

Do you remember Desert Strike on the SNES or Genesis? If that was like a sleeper word for you, you can stop reading right here and go by Cleared Hot. Using what made those EA classics fantastic and adding additional features, like voice acting, dual-analogue stick controls, and the ability to customize your helicopter, Cleared Hot is the perfect game to play on a handheld. My grandpa had an SNES for his grandkids, with Desert Strike being one of my earliest gaming memories, so I was happy to embark on a trip down memory lane with a more "modernized" version of it.

The premise here is simple — get in a helicopter and complete missions. The fun of it all, though? Finding new and creative ways to embark on a streak of chaos, regardless of where you are. During some of the first missions in the game, you'll have no access to weapons at all. Just your hook, your blades, and your unbridled creativity. It's up to you how you decide you want to use them, but I'll say this much — smashing through a crowd of goons with the blades of a helicopter never gets old.

Cleared Hot Is Still in Early Access, but I Already Love Everything It Has To Offer

One thing you'll want to note about Cleared Hot is that it's still in Early Access. There are only a few different missions that you can currently play through, but even at this point? There's still plenty to keep you busy for hours on end. Finding ways to complete a mission faster, upgrading your helicopter, and challenging yourself to finish a mission in new and creative ways. That's what it's all about.

Add in some hammy voice acting, and you've got a game that feels like the perfect embodiment of an '80s action flick. It's a little corny, filled to the brim with action beyond belief, and it feels great to control. It took me a little bit to get used to the dual-analogue controls, especially after spending hours of my youth flying similar vehicles on the SNES. But after I figured it out? I was mowing down fools left and right without taking a break. It's the perfect time filler, and it's absolutely spectacular to behold in motion. Especially if you're sitting down after a long day at work, and just want to unwind.

Chase St Is an Homage to Classic Horror Flicks, and Offers Something Unique (And Sometimes Frustrating)

Sometimes, even if a game has you ready to rage quit, you can't help but continue to go back to it. That's my infatuation with Chase St, the (technically) debut title from Ibzy Studios. While they may have made a game for Twitch streamers in the past, where you could race rubber ducks, this is their first "official" game. And in some ways, you can see that it is. Navigation can be obtuse at times, and it can be incredibly frustrating, almost reaching the end, only to get nabbed by a near-invisible entity that starts you back at the beginning.

But it's a game that I can't stop playing. Even with those "first game woes", it's something that you can feel the love and care poured into. The idea is incredibly simple. As an unnamed protagonist, you just need to get home. But getting home when it's pitch dark out can be much more difficult than you would expect. Especially when someone, or something, is hunting you from the shadows. Death can feel cheap and cruel in Chase St, but the thought of finally beating this one has me continuing to come back over and over again.

If You’re the First To Complete the Game, Something Special Awaits You

I've been playing for a bit, and I still haven't actually completed Chase St. I get frustrated that I'm near the end, and something grabs me from the shadows, forcing me to start all over again. But if you're the lucky one who completes the game first, there's a special reward waiting for you. You'll be immortalized in the game, forever. That's a mighty big task, and something that I'm hoping to potentially claim for myself in the future.

Inspired by games like The Exit 8 or The Cabin Factory, a lot of Chase St is dedicated to pattern recognition, trial and error, and just hoping that you're fast enough to get the hell away from whatever is trying to eat you. And if you're the lucky one that finally gets home before anyone else? You'll get quite the impressive reward. Be warned, Chase St can be, at times, incredibly frustrating. But if you're hoping to find a game that you can play on stream and have your chat watch you claim victory in? This could be the perfect option.