Spend some time inside with gaming March Madness, and these highly-anticipated games.

In Shakespeare's famous play about Julius Ceasar, the "Ides of March" are an omen of bad fortune and doom. But for gamers, the ides of this March are an omen of great fortune and DOOM Eternal. And if ripping and tearing demons isn't your speed, March has you covered with a release schedule that's broad in its genres and platforms. Here are the highlights through the end of the month:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Release date: March 20
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Multiplayer? Up to 4 players local on one system, 8 players max online.

If an entrepreneurial raccoon offered you a trip to a deserted island replete with natural resources and beauty, would you take it? For the first time in years, the Animal Crossing series has a main-line entry on their home Nintendo console, the Switch. Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a peaceful and creative game where you get to develop your green thumb with trees and flowers, meet-n'-greet a cast of colorful animal characters, and build up your own homestead on a deserted island.

You can check out a 30-second primer here:

Courtesy of Nintendo.

DOOM Eternal

Release date: March 20
Platform: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia
Multiplayer? 3-player online "Battlemode" 

id Software hit a home run with DOOM (2016) and is shaping up to do it again with the direct sequel, DOOM Eternal. Yes, this is the progeny of the 1993 Doom that practically invented the first-person shooter, and it's still innovating with its special brand of aggressive and entrancing action. While the single-player campaign promises even higher bombast, another exciting feature is the multiplayer "Battlemode". It's an asymmetrical online competition, meaning one player assumes the role of the demon-shootin' Doom Slayer while two other players control the forces of hell. 

You can even customize your character like this trailer shows off:

Courtesy of id Software.

In bonus Doom news, Doom 64 is being re-released this month for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. While it's mostly just a port (not a remake or remaster) of the 1997 Nintendo 64 game, it will feature an all-new epilogue chapter for diehard fans.

Half-Life: Alyx

Release date: March 23
Platform: Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus VR, Steam VR
Multiplayer? No.

It's been what, 13 years? Gamers have eagerly waited for a follow-up to Half-Life 2: Episode 2 since its 2007 release. The idea of a Half-Life 3 became a meme to help cope with the fact that maybe there might never be another Half-Life game. The games won dozens of awards for its seamless storytelling, compelling and immersive world, and tight first-person shooting and puzzle-solving gameplay. 

And now Half-Life comes back, but it's to virtual reality. Half-Life: Alyx tells a story between the events of Half-Life 1 and 2, about Alyx Vance, her father Eli, and their resistance to the occupation of Earth by the cruel alien race, the Combine. The game is meant to be the "killer app" that really demonstrates what VR can do, with players hiding, looting, solving spatial puzzles, and fighting their way through beautifully-detailed areas.

You can check out some gameplay in this trailer. Maybe if you sit really close to the screen it'll be like VR.

Courtesy of Valve Corporation.

Other March Releases

While the above three are the most broad-appeal blockbusters for the month, there are some sleeper hits in March yet.

• Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a platforming adventure, Metroidvania-type game for PC and XBO released March 11.
• My Hero One's Justice 2 is an arena fighter with the world and characters of the popular anime and manga. For PC, PS4, XBO, Switch on March 13.
• Moons of Madness is a first-person Lovecraftian cosmic horror game PC, PS4, and XBO on March 24.
• Persona 5 Royal is a deluxe version of the hit 2016 JRPG about teens with supernatural abilities. It features new mechanics, characters, and areas. For PS4 on March 31.

What games will you be playing in March? Excited for new releases, or digging into old favorites? Comment below!