Kevin is a typical 18-year-old high school teen who loves football, dancing and listening to regional Mexican music superstar Peso Pluma.

His immediate goal is graduating from high school in California, an important milestone since he left Mexico.

His family had faced crime and cartel-driven violence in his native Michoacán. Kevin’s high school was forced to close for several months after frequent shootings and disappearances.

Normal life in his town was suspended.

No one dared to walk outside or gather at night. Kevin says he missed out on many of the freedoms most teenagers long for.

Groups of organized crime like the one that took control over Kevin’s town often recruit young kids and teenagers to work for them, jeopardizing their already vulnerable futures.

Clouds pass over rows of avocado trees in Michoacán. Control of the $3 billion market, known as green gold, has fueled violence in the state who’s the main producer.

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Clouds pass over rows of avocado trees in Michoacán. Control of the $3 billion market, known as green gold, has fueled violence in the state who’s the main producer.

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Kevin walks to the school bus stop in California on June 21, 2022. He loves math and hopes to attend college to study architecture or civil engineering, which would make him the first of his family to go to college.

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Kevin walks to the school bus stop in California on June 21, 2022. He loves math and hopes to attend college to study architecture or civil engineering, which would make him the first of his family to go to college.

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First, a family member was murdered by the cartel controlling his town.

Fearing they’d be next on the hit list, Kevin and his family fled to the U.S. with nothing but a change of clothes.

After a 4-month-long journey to safety, a rare exemption to Title 42 allowed their entry into the U.S. legally. Two years after petitioning for asylum, a lot has changed.

A photo of Kevin as a child stands on a table in his family’s abandoned house in Michoacán, Mexico on November 14, 2022. The house has remained abandoned and all their belongings remain in the same place.

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Kevin talks with his grandmother during the tacos de carnitas gathering the day after his birthday party. His grandmother came to California for the celebration. Kevin and his family used to share the same house in Michoacán; after they left, his grandfather died of COVID-19.

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Kevin talks with his grandmother during the tacos de carnitas gathering the day after his birthday party. His grandmother came to California for the celebration. Kevin and his family used to share the same house in Michoacán; after they left, his grandfather died of COVID-19.

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Their case is still open, wounds are healing, and the idea of having a life in the U.S. has settled in.

But this life still hinges on a judge’s decision of being granted asylum and the growing backlog of asylum petition cases, which means that migrants such as Kevin might not have a court date in years.

As he waits, Kevin wants to take a moment to celebrate his 18th birthday by bringing together Mexican traditions in a new place he now calls home.

Building a new identity has been a daily effort for Kevin, the eldest child, and his siblings, but he’s thankful for the opportunity of a new life as he navigates a new language, school, friends and becoming an adult.

He’s also able to help his mother to make ends meet by working on weekends deejaying at parties.

Kevin and his maids of honor pose for a portrait outside the church while a band plays regional music for his birthday on June 17, 2023.

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Kevin and his maids of honor pose for a portrait outside the church while a band plays regional music for his birthday on June 17, 2023.

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Linda, Kevin’s mother, prepares a plate of food during Kevin’s birthday party in California on June 17, 2023. Family and friends pitched in for the party supplies: His uncle prepared carnitas estilo Michoacán, his other uncle provided a live band, the cake was a gift, and even the venue and the horses belonged to someone from his community.

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Linda, Kevin’s mother, prepares a plate of food during Kevin’s birthday party in California on June 17, 2023. Family and friends pitched in for the party supplies: His uncle prepared carnitas estilo Michoacán, his other uncle provided a live band, the cake was a gift, and even the venue and the horses belonged to someone from his community.

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A quinceañera celebration is a popular coming-of-age milestone in most Latin cultures. It symbolizes leaving childhood behind, a rite of passage — girls becoming women.

Quinceañera parties are a grandiose celebration for family and friends. The girl is usually escorted by chambelanes, groomsmen with cadet-like costumes who partake in dancing a waltz, a high point of the celebration.

But for men, becoming an adult happens when they turn 18, and it is defined by becoming a protector and provider for their families.

For Kevin, becoming an adult has taken on a new meaning. “I wanted all my guests to see that I haven’t distanced myself from there (Michoacán),” he said as family and friends gathered the next day to enjoy tacos de carnitas, an unofficial after-party for any quinceañera celebration.

This party, beyond being his rite of passage, felt bittersweet, in a moment in life where he was still clinging to his life back in Mexico; he planned a huge party and gathered as many Michoacanos he could invite to feel a resemblance of this past life, many of them also fleeing violence themselves.

Plastic flowers, tickets and garbage in their hometown cemetery in Michoacán, a few days after Day of the Dead celebrations in November 2022.

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Plastic flowers, tickets and garbage in their hometown cemetery in Michoacán, a few days after Day of the Dead celebrations in November 2022.

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Candles of the Mexican Virgin of Guadalupe sit outside the church where Kevin’s Mass took place on June 17, 2023.

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Candles of the Mexican Virgin of Guadalupe sit outside the church where Kevin’s Mass took place on June 17, 2023.

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Kevin’s 18th birthday celebrations included a Catholic ceremony, traditional rehearsed dancing with his maids of honor, three changes of clothes, and even a horse for Kevin to ride, something he longed for, as it is the staple of celebrations in Mexico’s ranching culture.

And everyone pitched in — his uncle prepared carnitas estilo Michoacán, his other uncle provided a live music band, the cake was a gift, and even the venue and the horse belonged to someone from his community.

In the U.S., he’s now surrounded by the possibilities of a better future and dreams of going to college to study architecture, which would make him the first of his family to go to college.

Two girls look on at a horse during Kevin’s birthday party in June 2023.

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Two girls look on at a horse during Kevin’s birthday party in June 2023.

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Carlitos, Kevin’s youngest brother, poses for a portrait at Kevin’s birthday party in June 2023.

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Carlitos, Kevin’s youngest brother, poses for a portrait at Kevin’s birthday party in June 2023.

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California has historically received thousands of immigrants from Michoacán, like the astronaut José Hernández Moreno, but the most recent arrivals are people who have been forcibly displaced due to violence. In January, more than 150 people were murdered in the Mexican state.

The ones who can, flee that state. Many try to get to the U.S. That same month, Customs and Border Patrol processed about 66,000 Mexican migrants at the border.

A family member cleans Kevin’s face after the mordida, a Mexican tradition when the birthday boy or girl’s face is shoved into a cake for them to take the first bite as they’re surrounded by their loved ones chanting Mor-di-da! Mor-di-da!

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A family member cleans Kevin’s face after the mordida, a Mexican tradition when the birthday boy or girl’s face is shoved into a cake for them to take the first bite as they’re surrounded by their loved ones chanting Mor-di-da! Mor-di-da!

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People dance at Kevin’s 18th birthday party. Kevin gathered as many Michoacanos as he could invite in his community in California, many of whom were from the same small avocado-producing town his family had fled after organized crime took control.

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People dance at Kevin’s 18th birthday party. Kevin gathered as many Michoacanos as he could invite in his community in California, many of whom were from the same small avocado-producing town his family had fled after organized crime took control.

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Kevin and his family celebrate and honor their heritage, but their feet and dreams are in the U.S. now.

“I’m still working on [improving] my English, but my Math teacher told me that if I kept getting good grades, she could help me with an application to [attend] a university in San Francisco.”

Kevin and his maids of honor dance the mariachi song “Negrita de mis pesares” at his birthday party in June 2023.

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Kevin and his maids of honor dance the mariachi song “Negrita de mis pesares” at his birthday party in June 2023.

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Kevin rides a horse as he leads it to the middle of the rodeo to pose for a picture with his maids of honor at his birthday celebration. He’s asked to be identified only by his first name to protect his safety.

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Kevin rides a horse as he leads it to the middle of the rodeo to pose for a picture with his maids of honor at his birthday celebration. He’s asked to be identified only by his first name to protect his safety.

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Toya Sarno Jordan and Stephania Corpi Arnaud are documentary photographers based in Mexico City. You can see more of Toya’s work on her website, toyasarnojordan.com, or on Instagram at @toyasjordan. Stephania’s work is available on her website, stephaniacorpi.com , or on Instagram at @s.corpi

2024 has had plenty of upsets. Games from small teams — like Palworld, Balatro, and Animal Well — rocketed up the sales charts, outstripping titles with much larger budgets. Meanwhile, the pace of big releases from major companies like Sony and Nintendo has slowed, as mass layoffs have continued to rattle the increasingly consolidated industry.

As perilous as the year has been for people who make games, it’s offered a diverse bounty for those who play them. NPR network staffers and contributors have explored this breadth, from cozy puzzlers like Botany Manor to meditative adventures like 1000xResist to updated juggernauts like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Sortable by platform and genre, we invite you to find your next favorite game on the list below.